From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Thu Jun 4 15:28:58 2009 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 12BFD106564A for ; Thu, 4 Jun 2009 15:28:58 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from tajudd@gmail.com) Received: from wf-out-1314.google.com (wf-out-1314.google.com [209.85.200.169]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D8E798FC0C for ; Thu, 4 Jun 2009 15:28:57 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from tajudd@gmail.com) Received: by wf-out-1314.google.com with SMTP id 24so337210wfg.7 for ; Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:28:57 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=domainkey-signature:mime-version:received:in-reply-to:references :date:message-id:subject:from:to:cc:content-type :content-transfer-encoding; bh=MHdcRM54z19Io3R3YrUVMZ73VFuB9/ODMirhWPsH/PM=; b=I1xxv3GzjGImIoCgv2GYii7nbsmm/KlYk1BtduWiNEeK9GVehNxEZblsHTrdx1MmLF OVWlA7n0BzU05zwnobRuc0d94oi5FnUp+MdLhp/Iqq1Gsws2plB4iJ8umI/xiBRwlDk7 rRQvVWl4997x9nKhzionqIXSHIquuqV04lE1o= DomainKey-Signature: a=rsa-sha1; c=nofws; d=gmail.com; s=gamma; h=mime-version:in-reply-to:references:date:message-id:subject:from:to :cc:content-type:content-transfer-encoding; b=BIUacOGb2mS4LBZGjg0NzWNaLVtrr896ki+Cec4ZPxDWZATl6mjTdeAqkCLN599gU8 mH2wSYwjyx3Rf47uRShTisfpyVoA5pm/ZIOySHvjppwmforowVQ2HL4B84q13JNfbKF9 UnIOzJckldKg7sYopeR5ITD8wv0tagsEIxxIg= MIME-Version: 1.0 Received: by 10.220.94.129 with SMTP id z1mr1674258vcm.39.1244129336578; Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:28:56 -0700 (PDT) In-Reply-To: References: Date: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 09:28:56 -0600 Message-ID: From: Tim Judd To: Wojciech Puchar Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Cc: "John ." , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Subject: Re: n00b question regarding installation via serial console X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:28:58 -0000 On 6/4/09, Wojciech Puchar wrote: >> Hello list, >> >> Is it possible to boot into the serial console from the installation >> CD, or must boot.flp be used as per > > make your own CD > > add file boot.config containing just one line: > > -P > > > to existing, make sure you it's bootable (mkisofs -b boot/cdboot > -no-emul-boot) and record > > > refer to > > man boot.config Sure that's enough? ttys is still going to mark the ttyd0 line as "off" and won't present a tty/login then. I think it's more complicated than that. And what if the boot process hangs for some reason? no console output either by your solution. Enabling a serial console on a typical install means editing 3 files. /boot/loader.conf /boot.config /etc/ttys loader.conf needs to know the COM port speed (default 9600), and what device to output the console. boot.config allows the keyboard usage via serial line (the -P probing doesn't always work, better to use -D dual) ttys enables the ttyd0 (aka COM1) port to be used to login/use the system. It's default is also 9600 Honestly, I've setup a diskless boot server (via my ALIX SBC router), and it runs the latest -RELEASE and I can launch sysinstall from the diskless machine and just work off that. The OP's intention may warrant a diskless server. I threw spinrite, memtest and freebsd all as possible options to boot off the network.