Subject: Problems with serial console redirection
To: , <port-i386@netbsd.org>
From: David Francheski <davidf@caymas.com>
List: current-users
Date: 01/17/2003 01:20:59
I'm having problems regarding trying to get the serial console 
redirected properly.

Our system is a SuperMicro 6022 system.  The BIOS supports "console 
redirection" as an option for configuration so I enable it, setting the
com 
port to A, and use 57.6 baud, vt-100 console type, and various attempts
at 
flow control (xon/xoff, rts/cts, none).  I have a serial console
connection 
to the system and then configure the NetBSD system.  In the
configuration I 
set up the following configuration items in the kernel config file
before 
the make (changing the address for the com 0 port of 3f8 instead of
2f8):

 
# This option allows you to force a serial console at the specified
# I/O address.   see console(4) for details.
options    CONSDEVNAME="\"com\"",CONADDR=0x3f8,CONSPEED=57600
#       you don't want the option below ON if you are using the
#       serial console option of the new boot strap code.
options    CONS_OVERRIDE   # Always use above! independent of boot info

 
I have tried different tweaks to the wscons.conf but without much luck.

What happens on boot of the generated kernel is that the console
messages 
actually do get redirected to the serial connect (I am connecting
through a 
Console Management station which takes the serial port and maps the 
console/keyboard over) and the messages seem to be echoed out properly.

The last messages I get on the redirected screen are:

  Starting sshd
  Starting inetd
  Starting cron
 <a printout of the current date/time >

then the connection goes dead and all I get are garbage characters on
the 
screen, I am expecting that this must be the time wscons takes over for
the 
console - and I am getting all the same characters echoed on the screen 
(alpha character) - but I have no keyboard input and there the data on
the 
screen is just garbled.

Is there a secret to enabling a serial redirected console (some point of

configuration) that I am missing?  

Appreciate any helps towards resolving this.

Regards,

David L. Francheski
Caymas Systems, Inc.
1179 N. McDowell Blvd., Suite A
Petaluma, CA 94954
Phone: 1-707-283-5038
FAX:    1-707-283-5001
email:  davidf@caymas.com