From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Mon Nov 15 08:13:59 2010 Return-Path: Delivered-To: stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 548611065670 for ; Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:13:59 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from areilly@bigpond.net.au) Received: from nskntqsrv02p.mx.bigpond.com (nskntqsrv02p.mx.bigpond.com [61.9.168.234]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E32DB8FC13 for ; Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:13:58 +0000 (UTC) Received: from nskntotgx02p.mx.bigpond.com ([124.188.161.100]) by nskntmtas03p.mx.bigpond.com with ESMTP id <20101115045609.SBJQ24865.nskntmtas03p.mx.bigpond.com@nskntotgx02p.mx.bigpond.com> for ; Mon, 15 Nov 2010 04:56:09 +0000 Received: from johnny.reilly.home ([124.188.161.100]) by nskntotgx02p.mx.bigpond.com with ESMTP id <20101115045609.HCSD4790.nskntotgx02p.mx.bigpond.com@johnny.reilly.home> for ; Mon, 15 Nov 2010 04:56:09 +0000 Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:55:49 +1100 From: Andrew Reilly To: stable@freebsd.org Message-ID: <20101115045549.GB96011@johnny.reilly.home> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.3i X-RPD-ScanID: Class unknown; VirusThreatLevel unknown, RefID str=0001.0A150205.4CE0BD69.00D1,ss=1,fgs=0 X-SIH-MSG-ID: rRk2Gdb3TAD0zmQs0WyzOwJxyArnqyN48Z4QX81loRIGTUDCp8DeQ9reLP1Rv9GgxD9JJhqBNGQmaaztTY3Rs9mK Cc: Subject: Console options for legacy-free mini-itx server? X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:13:59 -0000 Hi there, I've replaced my old desktop with a laptop and a server, which is mostly working great. Naturally, the server is running FreeBSD-stable. It's built on an intel i3 MiniITX motherboard that has lots of SATA sockets, a respectable number of USB sockets, gigabit ethernet, eSATA, DVI, ... but no serial ports or PS/2 keyboard or mouse ports. Most of the time this is fine, but I've found that sometimes it is very nice to be able to debug something at a console. Particularly if something goes wrong when doing an upgrade of some sort. I've discovered that I can use the old VGA screen and USB keyboard for a console if I have them plugged in at boot time, but if something goes wrong after boot, plugging a keyboard in doesn't seem to help. If I find a USB-to-RS232 dongle, will the console mechanism be able to find it? I worry that only legacy-16550-ish serial ports need apply. Any other possibilities or common practices? Oh: the other thing about this system: I can't warm-start it, have to power down and then manually hit the power-on button. Attempting to reboot leaves the console sitting at something like "Stopping other CPUs" forever. I assume that this is a BIOS config problem, but haven't found the right control knob yet. I've tried turning hyperthreading on and off: no difference. Reading the kernel code around that message suggests that rebooting involves getting the keyboard controller to send an NMI, and I wonder if the legacy-free no-keyboard state of my system is having an effect on that, too? Cheers, -- Andrew