On Wed, Jun 28, 2006 at 09:21:39PM -0400, mcesare@nc.rr.com wrote:
> I'm tring to connect to an old router console port using a sprac20 serial
> port "A"
> 
> I added an entry to /etc/remote ...ttya:dv=/dev/ttya:br#9600:pa=none:
> 
> when I run tip ttya the machine seems to lockup
> I can get back to PROM with "stop"A but the OS from the console is dead
> and the "~" does nothing.

Some things you might look at:
1) The speed must match between the entry in /etc/remote on the local
   machine and the entry in /etc/ttys for the console on the remote
   machine, i.e., _both_ the same baud rate.  [I recommend 38400 once
   you get it working.]
2) Be sure you have turned off the getty entry for the serial port you
   are using for the console on the remote machine.
3) It doesn't work well to use a serial console as a serial console for
   another machine; at least with tip.  (The tilde commands work only on
   the first serial console.) -- What I'm saying is you should have a
   physically attached keyboard and monitor on your Sparc20, or use the
   serial console for the remote machine via a tcp/ip terminal emulation.
4) Be sure you are not inadvertently using ttya on the local machine, or
   the serial port you connect to on the remote machine for something else,
   e.g., monitoring ups.
5) Be sure that have the serial port supported in the kernel and that it
   matches the BIOS values for ioport and irq, on both machines.
6) NetBSD versions prior to 1.6.1 ("old router" suggests that possibility)
   will give you trouble if you have both wscons and serial console going at
   the same time.
7) On old versions of NetBSD and limited resource machines, polling the
   parallel port can have adverse effects on the serial port.  On such
   machines, disable the parallel port if you don't need printing.
8) You might want "dc" (direct connection) set for tip:
   "dv=/dev/ttya:br#9600:pa=none:dc:"
9) Have tip connecting from your local serial console _before_ powering
   on the remote machine.

When you get it working, please report back to the list.  I'm very interested
in the problems people experience with the serial console and how they solve
them.  Thanks.

-- 
henry nelson
  WWW_HOME=http://yuba.ne.jp/~home/