> Being the cheapskate that I am, I was wondering whether NetBSD
> normally uses the DTR, DSR or DCD pins to convey useful information
> between a host and a terminal.

Depends on what your value of "useful" is.  Personally, I normally use
just pins 1/2/3/7.  (I note your wirings didn't connect up (DB25) pin
1; I would never skip that except to avoid an observed ground loop, and
even then, I'd much prefer to *fix* it.  Protective ground is just too
valuable IMO.)

If you don't connect up pins, you'll lose their functionality; you just
need to decide whether the functionality of (for example) DSR, in your
environment, is worth the conductor to support it.

> The host in question is a PC, and the PC serial port may have some
> quirks <blatantly tenuous attempt to justify posting to port-i386 ;->

:-)  I have only two i386 machines I've done anything with serial ports
on, but on those I've been able to do fine with my usual TX/RX/ground
cabling practices.  (Of course, I have to set soft carrier and such,
but that's to be expected.)

/~\ The ASCII				der Mouse
\ / Ribbon Campaign
 X  Against HTML	       mouse@rodents.montreal.qc.ca
/ \ Email!	     7D C8 61 52 5D E7 2D 39  4E F1 31 3E E8 B3 27 4B