OpenBSD on the Pomera DM250 series — clever hack, real risks
What happened
A developer has published notes and pre-built images for installing OpenBSD-current on the Japanese-model Pomera DM250 family (DM250, DM250X, DM250XY). It has been reported that the work still requires a custom kernel and U-Boot image and that upstream support is incomplete — so this is not a one-click switch. Fancy a tiny, distraction-free OpenBSD notebook? Sure. But expect fiddly boots and a few heart-stopping moments.
Risks and caveats
Install at your own risk. It has been reported that if the battery fully drains because of a software bug, the device may refuse to power on or recharge, potentially leaving you with a very expensive paperweight. Once the new U-Boot is written to eMMC, the DM250 will no longer boot its factory Linux or recovery images, and recovering the device can require booting via EFI or even opening the case and using a USB cable. The author warns that the US-model DM250US uses a different charging chip and keyboard layout, so these instructions do not apply.
How to proceed (brief)
The notes recommend making a full eMMC backup first (EKESETE.net tools are suggested) and walk through creating an OpenBSD installation SD card with a GPT layout and an EFI partition; the author provides kernel/U-Boot images and a worked example assuming an OpenBSD host. There are also hardware quirks to mind: a Right Shift + Left Alt power-time combo triggers the recovery kernel (hold it for about three seconds), holding it too long invokes the factory test, and the device won’t fully power off while USB‑C power is attached. It’s a neat bit of low-level tinkering that fits the small-form-factor UNIX revival trend — just bring patience, a charged battery, and that backup image.
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