[XCSSA] SPARCstation serial port questions

[John D. Baker]

> Message: 2
> Date: Wed, 02 Jan 2002 03:18:27 -0600
> From: firestorm_v1 <firestorm-v1@satx.rr.com>
> To: linuxcrue@bioc09.v19.uthscsa.edu, satlug@satlug.org, xcssa@xcssa.org
> Subject: [XCSSA] Sparc serial help needed
> Reply-To: xcssa@xcssa.org
> 
> I need help trying to get a Sparc LX unit to run a serial terminal off of
> what I believe to be /dev/ttyS0 however I am not really familiar with
> how sparc architecture is laid out.
> 
> I want all text that would normally go to the monitor to go out to the
> serial port. I have done this a few times on x86 machines using "console"
> paramterers in the lilo.conf file, as well as the agetty/mgetty program
> to allow serial console based logins however the silo boot loader doesn;t
> seem to run with the same commands. and I am unable to find agetty for
> the Sparc architecture. Mgetty for the sparc doesn't appear to want to open
> the serial port.
> 
> Please give me any information on this as I am at a loss on how to proceed.
> thanks in advance

>From the description above, I am assuming you are using Linux/sparc rather
than Solaris or Net/OpenBSD, correct?

Is your goal to have the console permanently redirected to the serial port
while maintaining a graphics head, or are you preparing the machine to
eventually run headless?

First things first:

   1.  You must use a null-modem cable/adapter between the LX and terminal.
   2.  If a keyboard is plugged in, the console will be the video and keyboard.
   3.  Check your OpenBoot NVRAM settings for "output-device" and "input-device".
       they usually default to "screen" and "keyboard", respectively.  Try
       changing them both to "ttya".
   4.  Confirm the name of the serial device as found in the boot messages
       and usually with "dmesg".  If this is Linux, then perhaps "setserial"
       will provide more information?

(Beyond the OpenBoot prom, I am only familiar with the behavior of Open/NetBSD
and Solaris, which all behave as expected on SPARCstations.)  I have not, however,
attempted to have the console on the serial port while maintaining a graphics
head.


For your Sun serial port reference, be sure to visit:

    http://www.stokely.com/unix.serial.port.resources/A-B-Ycablepinout.html

Hope some of this is helpful.

--
John D. Baker                                       I hear, and I forget.
jdbaker@NoSpAm!blkbox.com                          I see, and I remember.
http://www.NoSpAm!blkbox.com/~jdbaker             I do, and I understand.
Amiga, OS/2, Free Un*xes:  The cure for M$!     --Ancient Chinese Proverb