Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 17:58:01 -0800 From: Mike Smith <msmith@freebsd.org> To: Ryan Thompson <ryan@sasknow.com> Cc: Kazutaka YOKOTA <yokota@zodiac.mech.utsunomiya-u.ac.jp>, freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: 4.0-20000307-CURRENT kern.flp keyboard probe questions Message-ID: <200003110158.RAA02683@mass.cdrom.com> In-Reply-To: Your message of "Fri, 10 Mar 2000 19:30:52 CST." <Pine.BSF.4.21.0003101907050.8418-100000@ren.sasknow.com>
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> > > > >Isn't there a better way to identify a serial console? > > > > > > > > I don't understand. What do you expect the boot loader to do? > > > > > > I'm not sure, that's why I asked the list :-) Really, what I was asking > > > is if there is a better way to detect a serial console.. Rather than the > > > current logic of "If there is no keyboard, there must be a serial > > > console". I can think of N reasons why a box would have no keyboard > > > attached, besides having a serial console. > > > > Actually, there aren't very many. If you don't have a keyboard, you need > > a console of some sort. If you don't have a console, you've made enough > > modifications to be undaunted by removing two bytes from /boot.config. > > "Don't have a keyboard" != "No keyboard detected" != "Serial Console". No keyboard detected -> local console won't be used -> use serial console > Ok, so they can't be probed. However, I HAVE thought about it for a > minute, and, to be honest, I still don't see why my proposal is entirely > nonsensical. :-) Would you mind explaning your argument? For clarity, > I'll explain mine again... Perhapas we're just not on the same wavelength: > > >From boot(8): > > -P probe the keyboard. If no keyboard is found, the -D and > -h options are automatically set. > > Instead of that behaviour, I am suggesting a more forgiving behaviour: > > 1. Probe for a keyboard. > 2. Is there a keyboard? > Yes - Boot from the local console > No - Display "Keyboard not found. Using serial console in 10 seconds, > press any key to abort" This is as stupid as the "Keyboard error - Press F1 to continue" message that several BIOS vendors are so fond of. If there's no keyboard attached, you can't hit a key. Not very smart. > 3. Was a key pressed in 10 seconds? > Yes - Boot from the local console > No - Display "Booting from serial console" > Boot from the serial console There's also not enough code space in the bootstrap for this frippery. If you want to use a local keyboard, make sure it's plugged in. We don't have a diagnostic for when you forget eg. to install your disk drive either... -- \\ Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. \\ Mike Smith \\ Tell him he should learn how to fish himself, \\ msmith@freebsd.org \\ and he'll hate you for a lifetime. \\ msmith@cdrom.com To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-current" in the body of the message
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