Re: Installing NetBSD over SoL

["Ben C." <armondbc%gmail.com@localhost>]

I guess this should be changed to 'why consdev doens't work'

From freenode#netbsd, "felicity" kindly noted:

] something like this: options
CONSDEVNAME="\"com\"",CONADDR=0x3f8,CONSPEED=9600   # untested
] if you can get the dmesg output somehow, you can find the necessary
i/o address. [speaking of the 0x3f8]
] i think 3e8 is most likely actually, although for ports above com2
there doesn't seem to be a definitive standard

I'll give this a shot if I can't find a place in my BIOS to change
where the SoL 'listens' on, but it still fails to answer
the question why consdev com3 doesn't work when it seems the behavior
I expected was the intended behavior.

I wonder if NetBSD has a static CONADDR= which is incorrect for my board?

Any thoughts? -- Ben

On Thu, Aug 11, 2011 at 12:43 PM, Ben C. <armondbc%gmail.com@localhost> wrote:
> Hello all,
>
> I recently upgraded my i7's motherboard to a SuperMicro X8SIE-F that
> has IPMI/Serial over LAN (SoL) capabilities.
> I can't get NetBSD to install via SoL:
>
> When connected using ipmiutils, I see the POST screen, and then the
> NetBSD bootloader, -- per some very old
> instructions I found via googling (sorry, I can't find the URL now..)
> it says use consdev comX to redirect the output
> to the appropriate com device.
>
> So my procedure goes something like this:
> Get to bootloader screen -- press 4 for bootloader prompt
>> consdev com3
>> boot
>
> I see the kernel unpacking--checksumming--whatever it's doing (some
> hexadecimal stuff+hexadecimal stuff+ .. with the /\|-
> progress thing spinning)
> After that, the cursor is pushed to the far right and I see no
> additional output.
>
> I know there is the boot-com.iso available on the ftp which the docs
> state 'redirects to com0... at 9600 baud...'
>
> However, as far as I can tell (unless I'm missing something very major
> in the BIOS) the IPMI/SoL can only "listen" on com3.
>
> There is also a feature on the board called 'console redirection' or
> 'ikvm' (supermicro seems to like to rename their technologies
> occasionally
> throughout the system) -- It seems to be some kind of bastard deviant
> of VNC .. But I simply can't get it to work .. I'm stuck to a
> proprietary
> Java app provided by supermicro -- and it seems to hang/do something
> bad to the BMC chip after a few seconds of use.  This is all pretty
> irrelevant except for the fact it works long enough for me to verify
> it's booting into the installer after the above 'consdev com3...boot'
> --
> it's just not redirecting it to com3 ..
>
> Am I doing something wrong in the bootloader or is this intended
> behavior?  How do I build my own 'boot-com.iso' -like ISO but redirect
> to com3 at a higher baud?  I've read Chapt. 34 -- Making your own
> installation media but it doesn't cover how to customize the install
> in this way.
>
> Thanks, Ben
>