On Sat, Jan 22, 2000 at 04:00:19PM -0800, Jonathan Stone wrote:
> 
> But the bottom line is: where's the mileage in netbooting a
> serial-console machine?

CPU server, terminal server, or application server for users on dumb
terminals.

Rather than trying to address individual comments, let me see if I can
sum up where things are today (and be corrected if I've misunderstood
something) - and where they could be improved.

Today:
	Bootblock parameters can only be changed with a re-compile and
		install.
	Flow control handling can not be maintained consistantly from
		boot to multi-user, except for XON/XOFF+ixany.
	You can default to xGA, with an interrupt out to serial console,
		but not do the opposite.

Improvements:
	Some form of persistant storage for options.
	Options for flow-control type, and ability to pass it to the 
		kernel.
	Options to allow, or prevent, interrupting to another console.
		(Even after boot??)
	Options to duplicate output on multiple devices.

-- 
David Maxwell, david@vex.net|david@maxwell.net --> Although some of you out
there might find a microwave oven controlled by a Unix system an attractive
idea, controlling a microwave oven is easily accomplished with the smallest
of microcontrollers. - Russ Hersch - (Microcontroller primer and FAQ)