Subject: Re: Idiots guide to serial ports.
To: Greywolf <greywolf@starwolf.com>
From: Eric Fox <eric@fox.phoenix.az.us>
List: netbsd-users
Date: 12/17/2002 20:55:24
(sheepishly)
You're right!  I looked at the first box with serial console and didn't
even think about.  Unfortunately, the only i386 box I have w/serial
console uses the pc_weasle, so it won't be much help.

One think about ... if you're not using an actual serial console device,
such as an old VT100 terminal, you might need to use a null-modem cable
between your console device and your system.

--
  /\---/\  Eric J Fox
 /  o o  \ http://fox.phoenix.az.us
 \.\   /./ ---------------------------
    \@/    "Of course it runs NetBSD."



On Tue, 17 Dec 2002, Greywolf wrote:

> On Tue, 17 Dec 2002, Eric Fox wrote:
>
> # Here's what I use:
> #
> #   ttya	"/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"	unknown	off secure
> #   ttyb	"/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"	unknown	off secure
>
> I thought tty00 and tty01 were the inbound serials for the i386 port,
> while ttya and ttyb were for the SPARC port.  (outputs are dty&).
>
> To answer Ceri Storey:
> #
> # > Hi, I'm attempting to setup a serial console on an old machine, but I
> # > can't figure out where I'm going wrong. I've got the following in
> # > /etc/ttys:
> # > tty00   "/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"   unknown on secure rtscts
> # > tty01   "/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"   unknown on secure rtscts
> # >
> # > The problem being that the gettys get stuck in 'ttyopn', and never seem
> # > to come out of it.
>
> Have you tried setting the 'local' flag?
>
> # > I'm fairly sure the hardware side of things is fine, scince the two
> # > sides can communicate using 'cu -l /dev/dty0x'.
>
> Check out tty(4):
>
>     The /dev/ttyXX special file is used for dialin modems and terminals.
>     When a user logs into the system on one of these hardware terminal ports,
>     the system has already opened the associated device and prepared the line
>     for normal interactive use...
>
>     The /dev/dtyXX special file is a SunOS-compatible dialout device.  Unlike
>     the dialin device, opening the dialout device never blocks.
> [important part        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^]
>
> I would surmise that your terminal cable is not communicating the proper
> signals from the DTE in order to assert DTR/DSR, which are usually asserted
> by, e.g., a modem.  You definitely want 'local' specified, there.
>
> # >
> # > Any input would be apprechiated.
> # > --
> # > Ceri Storey <cez@compsoc.man.ac.uk>
> # >
> #
> #
>
>
> 				--*greywolf;
> --
> NetBSD: No Worries!
>
>