From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Sat Sep 22 12:31:19 2007 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DC32F16A418 for ; Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:31:19 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jdc@parodius.com) Received: from mx01.sc1.parodius.com (mx01.sc1.parodius.com [72.20.106.3]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id C47CC13C481 for ; Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:31:19 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from jdc@parodius.com) Received: by mx01.sc1.parodius.com (Postfix, from userid 1000) id C74BA1CC02B; Sat, 22 Sep 2007 05:31:19 -0700 (PDT) Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 05:31:19 -0700 From: Jeremy Chadwick To: Achim Patzner Message-ID: <20070922123119.GB98175@eos.sc1.parodius.com> Mail-Followup-To: Achim Patzner , Dag-Erling =?iso-8859-1?Q?Sm=F8rgrav?= , freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org References: <20070921161917.GA65081@eos.sc1.parodius.com> <86myvfqb6w.fsf@ds4.des.no> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Disposition: inline Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit In-Reply-To: User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.16 (2007-06-09) Cc: Dag-Erling =?iso-8859-1?Q?Sm=F8rgrav?= , freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Serial console/remote install discussion X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 12:31:19 -0000 On Sat, Sep 22, 2007 at 12:27:14PM +0200, Achim Patzner wrote: > Am 22.09.2007 um 11:52 schrieb Dag-Erling Smørgrav: >> Jeremy Chadwick writes: >>> I'd like to open up a discussion regarding FreeBSD serial console and >>> the aspect of installation via serial console. >> >> how about you go read loader(8) and loader.conf(5) first? > > And the documentation of his server's BIOS (if there is one). I've seen > people getting into hip-deep shit using serial console and BIOS > VGA-to-serial replication features at the same time... At different data > rates. Resulting in really cool side effects. I can imagine the result would be fairly amusing, but it ultimately depends on how the vendor implements the whole VGA-to-serial aspect of things. For example, I think Rackable's systems (using the Phantom) do things quite a bit differently than Supermicro. The generic walk-through description I gave at the bottom of my mail for Supermicro servers works reliably on pretty much all models made over the past 3 years. BIOS-level serial redirection is immediately released after POST, which means FreeBSD (boot0sio (optional), boot2/loader, and the kernel) are responsible from that point onwards. I totally agree that letting the BIOS handle everything (re: VGA-to-serial) is a questionable solution/idea, which is probably why Supermicro BIOSes let you configure retaining VGA-to-serial after POST or not. -- | Jeremy Chadwick jdc at parodius.com | | Parodius Networking http://www.parodius.com/ | | UNIX Systems Administrator Mountain View, CA, USA | | Making life hard for others since 1977. PGP: 4BD6C0CB |