>Date: Fri, 8 Mar 1996 01:45:41 +0000
>To:"The Great Mr. Kurtz <davagatw@mars.utm.edu>" <davagatw@mars.utm.edu>
>From:gargle@mail.tcp.co.uk (Steve Bowers)
>Subject:Re: ignorant questions
>
>Sorry for copying it all...
>
>I'l take it into account in to how-to on serial consoles. If anyone has
>any other ideas for this how-to that otherwise they don't think warrant
>going on the list, feel free to mail them to me on srb93@ecs.soton.ac.uk
>
>Cheers,
>SteveB
>
>
>>On Wed, 6 Mar 1996, Allen Briggs wrote:
>>
>>> Hmm...  This would be a good one for a HOW-TO (probably worded better
>>> than the below).
>>
>>It looks pretty good to me.  Only one suggestion, for the last line of
>>the first paragraph.
>>
>>How about
>>> A console is the device that is the primary operator terminal.  It's the
>>> terminal from which you should be shutting down the system, usually, and
>>> is where special messages (booting messages, security notes, kernel
>>> panics, etc.) are delivered.  A serial console is a serial terminal or
>>> another computer with a terminal program that is connected to a serial
>>port of a UN*X box and serves as the console.
>>
>>the original line,
>>
>>> port of a machine that is configured to look for a serial console.
>>
>>is a tad confusing because of the string of "that"'s.  It makes sense to
>>me, but
>>it *could* be misconstrued by people who don't read carefully or are not
>>fairly
>>fluent in English to mean that a serial console is a terminal program that is
>>configured to look for a serial console.  Hmm.  Recursion.
>>
>>The fact that the UN*X (BSD clone) box has to be configured to use one is
>>*probably* pretty self explanatory by the "Use Serial Console" checkbox, as
>>mentioned in that next paragraph, though _one never knows_ ....
>>
>>> That is, if I hook up my PowerBook to my IIsi with the proper cables,
>>> run ZTerm on the PowerBook (configured for 9600 baud, 8 bits, no parity,
>>> 1 stop bit), configure the NetBSD booter to look for a serial console on
>>> the modem port, and boot NetBSD, all of the booting messages, etc. will
>>> go to the ZTerm session, and I will be able to control the system from
>>> there.  I could just as easily use a PC or an old VT100/Wyse60/ADM3A
>>> terminal in place of the PowerBook.
>>
>>That works right in, telling about the booter having to be configured to look
>>for a serial console.  It fits well there. :-)
>>
>>Just my two cents,
>>
>> /---------------------------------------------------------------------\
>>|David A. Gatwood
>