[ On , July 26, 2000 at 10:46:35 (-0600), Chris Jones wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: 8-port Boca boards
>
> Nope, you need a separate serial port for console, unfortunately.
> VACM will make you think it can support a serial console, but it
> really can't.
> 
> So we've got a console server which has two serial ports for every
> co-located linux box.  Not as graceful as it could be, but it does
> work.

Ah!  Thanks for the info!  I was wondering about that.  Some older
compaq systems tried to share the port for similar purposes but it
seemed like they chose the worst of all possible combinations of ideas
to implement it with, and it was totally useless for a serial console.

The other question I still have about the L440GX+ motherboard is whether
or not the BIOS itself supports a serial console (as some documentation
has lead me to believe).  (Some versions of the Phoenix BIOS have
claimed to do proper serial console support.)  I.e. can I get away with
*never* having to use a keyboard and video?  Or even use it only once
while it's still on the bench learning its initial configuration?

If it can then this would finally be the first "standard PC" board
that's truly suitable for a real server system!

-- 
							Greg A. Woods

+1 416 218-0098      VE3TCP      <gwoods@acm.org>      <robohack!woods>
Planix, Inc. <woods@planix.com>; Secrets of the Weird <woods@weird.com>