Andy Ruhl wrote:

>On Thu, 6 Jan 2005 08:53:51 -500, Kevin Jordan <krjordan@348north.com> wrote:
>  
>
>>Andy -- what is the cheapest way to get serial access to the RAQ2?  I have an iBook and a Tungsten C; which would offer the best/easiest/cheapest way with the proper connection?
>>
>>What is the route to updating to 1.6.2 from this fresh install?  What would it benefit?
>>    
>>
>
>I believe the RAQ2 has a 9 pin serial port right?
>
>You need a null modem serial cable. These can be had for a few dollars
>at a good computer store. You need a serial port on the machine you
>will use to control the RAQ from, obviously. Then you need some
>software. I'm not sure what OS you are running, but there are many
>programs that can do this, the most common of which (if you use
>Windows) is Hyperterm. I use minicom under NetBSD or any other unix.
>
>If you get a functioning serial port, then you don't have to worry
>about the boot CD after you get an initial system installed. With the
>serial console, you can get into single user mode and safely upgrade
>your OS by unpacking the new sets and setting everything up. That's
>another subject for another place.
>
>  
>
If I may add to this in some small way;
I used Hyperterminal for years, but always disliked its interface. The 
word "ugly" seems to be a radically understated description. A few weeks 
ago I discovered a pleasing and highly practical alternative to 
Hyperterminal, which is IVT by Ruurd Beerstra available from 
http://home.planet.nl/~ruurdb/IVT.HTM.

It does telnet [shudder] ssh, kerebos (paid version only) and also 
terminal sessions all from the same client, and all in a virtual "tabbed 
interface" (meaning Alt+ [0-9] for the next/other session. What I like 
in particular is that it sort of looks like Putty, is cusomizeable (very 
much so!!), has an infinite scrollback, and you can run multiple 
sessions - using different protocols - concurrently. I usually have a 
session open to my NetBSD server via serial port, a telnet session to my 
ADSL router, and *several* ssh sessions open to various servers I'm 
responsible for in the outside world. All from one window, all tweaked 
exactly to my own individual preferences. It's stable, clean, small, 
lightweight, and fast. It also runs under damn near any flavor of 
Windows from DOS onwards to Win2003 (OK OK, I don't know if it runs 
under Win3.x!). Lastly it''s supported - and well - by the guy who wrote 
it. Do give it a try, it's well worthwhile.

Regards, HTH, and the best of luck!
-Colin