Abstract: An optical fiber is hermetically sealed to a metal housing containing an optical device (e.g, a semiconductor junction laser or photodiode) by threading and centering the fiber through a thin walled metal tube, filling the tube with solder (e.g., a cylindrical preform) and allowing it to cool. The solder, upon solidifying and cooling, squeezes against the fiber and forms a hermetic seal. The tube-fiber assembly is inserted through an aperture in the housing wall, the fiber is aligned with the optical device and then the tube is soldered to the wall. The housing is out-gassed and then back-filled with a noncorrosive ambient such as nitrogen. Other aspects of the hermetic package, including a laser mount, are also described.