Topic: Console redirection during install

[Andre Courchesne - Consu]

Hi all,

  Does anyone know if the E-smith (v5.1.2) installation redirect the console to let's say COM1?

  I want to install on systems that do not have a video card and would like to do so using a terminal software running on my laptop connected to the E-Smith station via a serial null modem cable.

  Is that possible?

  Thanks,

Andre Courchesne - Consultant

[Serge Dutremble]

Some (if not all) motherboards will not even boot the BIOS if a Video card is not installed. (All you will hear are a series of beeps dependent on the make and version of the BIOS.

Not sure if there is a way around this.

If I were you, I'd install the cheapest video card I can get to make sure it boots.  

You may enable a console on one of the com ports (I have done this myself) by adding a line in the /etc/inittab file or even set the default console to a com port at the LILO prompt.  See the console how-to of the LDP for instructions.

Not sure if this can be done for the installation of SME 5.1.2.

Hope it helps.

Serge.

[Serge Dutremble]

Just to clarify,  the line starting with s0 was added to the /etc/inittab on a standard installation of SME 5.0.  I can now connect to the com1 using a nul modem cable and a notebook using Windows 95 hyper terminal.

# Run gettys in standard runlevels
s0:123457:respawn:/sbin/agetty 9600 ttyS0
1:123457:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty1
2:23457:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty2
3:23457:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty3

This works although not to redirect console output to the com port.  It also does not help at boot and is only available once the boot process is complete.

Serge.

[Serge Dutremble]

Looking at the LILO MAN pages, you will see that it is also possible to redirect (suposedly) the console as soon as the system starts the boot process.

Example:  serial=0,2400n8 initializes COM1 with the
              default parameters.

I tried it myself but all I get is the "LILO..........."  Nothing else so this may not be the only thing you need to do.

Anyone else has suggestions?

Serge