Subject: NetBSD, Qemu, Serial Consoles and introductions
To: None <netbsd-users@netbsd.org>
From: Zachary Kline <Z_kline@hotmail.com>
List: netbsd-users
Date: 11/16/2007 16:41:05
Hi,
    My name is Zachary Kline, and I recently became somewhat interested in 
NetBSD, along with Unix-like systems in general.
    I have Linux on my machine already, but that didn't seem quite as pure 
Unix, somehow.  Hard to describe.
    I should also perhaps mention the fact I'm blind, and thus my choices in 
operating systems are somewhat limited.
    Because I had nothing else to do, and wanted to see if I could pull it 
off, I managed to get my screen reader to read the virtualized serial 
console under Qemu.  (I use Kermit 95 to emulate a VT100, and installed 
NetBSD I386 via the two 'floppy' images for serial consoles.
    This is actually pretty neat.  I can power up NetBSD whenever I want to 
play with it, as to be honest I know little about Unix, even if I do have 
interest in learning.
    Now to my questions.  I wonder if I can get the full wscons experience, 
with virtual consoles and all, by using the Kermit 95 emulation in this way? 
I don't have any method to read the Qemu screen otherwise.
    Also, I wonder what kinds of accessibility features might be built into 
NetBSD already that I'm just missing?  A quick search in mailing lists 
turned up little.
Sorry for the rambling nature of this post, and hope to hear back,
Thanks,
Zack.