Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2007 05:31:19 -0700 From: Jeremy Chadwick <koitsu@FreeBSD.org> To: Achim Patzner <ap@bnc.net> Cc: Dag-Erling =?iso-8859-1?Q?Sm=F8rgrav?= <des@des.no>, freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Serial console/remote install discussion Message-ID: <20070922123119.GB98175@eos.sc1.parodius.com> In-Reply-To: <F10F5E63-0EC7-40CF-BB66-D2D052B73A1D@bnc.net> References: <20070921161917.GA65081@eos.sc1.parodius.com> <86myvfqb6w.fsf@ds4.des.no> <F10F5E63-0EC7-40CF-BB66-D2D052B73A1D@bnc.net>
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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 <koitsu@FreeBSD.org> 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 |
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