>> For serial consoles, ``console'' needs to be set to the value ``s'' (and
>> will be the default anyway, if no keyboard is connected).
>> 
>>   setenv console "s"
>> 
>> If a keyboard is connected and the console is still set to ``s'', the 
>> serial terminal will take preference.
>> 
>> The ``osconsole'' variable is set automatically by the system, and can't
>> be modified. 
>> 
>>   osconsole=x
>
> osconsole CAN be modified. Even if the console is set to serial, if
> osconsole is set to graphics, Ultrix will read osconsole and use the
> grafix console after autoconf.

osconsole variable is set by PROM monitor.  Contrary to DEC
documentation, page F-16 of ''Personal DECstation 5000 User's Guide''
specifically, the value can be altered by hand.  You can 'fool' ULTRIX
or NetBSD/pmax by changing osconsole variable after poweron, you can
never alter how osconsole variable value is determined by PROM. 

Tohru Nishimura