On Mon, 23 Feb 1998, Amitai Schlair wrote:

> I'm running NetBSD 1.3 over a serial console. Everything usually works
> great. Every now and then, though, I no longer get login prompts, either
> on the serial console or on telnet connections (which get made, but
> don't result in a prompt). Existing telnet connections continue working,
> and network access is otherwise fine. I end up having to do a hard and
> ugly reboot to get things back to normal.
> 
> Looking through /var/log/authlog*, I find the following error message,
> in rapid succession and high volume:
> 
> "Feb 23 17:01:08 b60735 init: getty repeating too quickly on port
> /dev/tty01, sleeping"
> 
> This would seem to be my problem. However, I can't pin down what might
> be causing it. (This happens sometimes even when the serial console
> machine has been on the whole time, unlike the problems I mention in
> another thread.) Any ideas?

I assume you're logged out from the serial console when these things are
logged?

Sounds to me like when the Mac is closing the serial driver on its end,
the outputs are floating. That'll give the "respawning" error.

The thing to do might be to get a serial switch box. Hook the NetBSD box
to the switched side, the MacOS mac to the "A" side, and on the "B" side
put a loopback. Basically wire DTR to DCD and CTS. Then wire TD to RD. 
Before closing teh MacOS terminal emulator, switch from "A" 
(NetBSD<->MacOS) to "B" (NetBSD<->Loopback) The "respawning" errors should
stop. 

> While I'm at it, what are the proper flow control settings for a
> Mac-to-NetBSD/mac68k serial connection?

How do you have flow control set up in the terminal emulator? If you're
doing CTS and DTR flow control on the Mac side, you need to do cdtrcts
flow control on NetBSD. The other option is crtscts on NetBSD, which is
used with DTR flow control for MacOS.

Take care,

Bill