> > What is the difference between boot-com[12].fs and boot[12].fs ?
> >
> > If the firmware is set to use a rs232 console, will the NetBSD kernel
> > also use a rs232 console?  Will it use the same baud rate, parity, and
> > such as the firmware?

Wojciech Puchar writes:
> no idea of PC firmware working with serial console. do you have 
> openfirmware?

It claims to be

	"Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG, An Energy Star Ally"

It seems fairly happy talking to a terminal emulator set to
19200 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity, no handshake,
modulo *lots* more bugs than I've ever seen in any firmware.
Of course this is the first "BIOS" type firmware I've had
to deal with.

> NetBSD can use serial console if configured

By "if configured", do you mean that NetBSD will automatically
use whichever console the firmware is configured to use?

Joel CARNAT writes:
> don't know about "the firmware", but I used the serial console on an old
> gateway workstation. during install process, when it asks if you want to
> use "BIOS console" or "Serial console", choose 'serial', set the 'baud
> rate' and you'll get the bootloader, kernel output and login on the
> serial console.

Where does it ask this?  Video? rs232? both?

The firmware came up in video-only mode, in 640x480, which my monitor
will not display.  Hard to get the firmware to switch to rs232 if you
can't see the menus on the video monitor.  Catch-22  So getting the
firmware to switch to rs232 involved asking someone with the same board
for the magic sequence of keystrokes to walk through the menus, and
typing them blindly.

Many thanks to Wolfgang for the magic keystroke sequence.