Title: Console Server Subject: Setup serial port on servers for getty and syslog info. http://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Remote-Serial-Console-HOWTO/ Serial client interface: minicom: exiting minicom: -a q Man minicom for much more ----------------------------------------------------------- sting 2. A grub.conf File That Supports Serial Console #boot=/dev/hda # Options added for serial console serial --unit=0 --speed=9600 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1 terminal --timeout=10 serial console default=0 timeout=10 title Red Hat Linux (2.4.20-8) root (hd0,1) kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 ro root=LABEL=/ console=ttyS0,9600n8 initrd /initrd-2.4.20-8.img ---------------------------------------------------- Listing 3. lilo.conf with Serial Console Support serial=0,9600n8 boot=/dev/hda map=/boot/map install=/boot/boot.b prompt timeout=50 message=/boot/message linear default=Linux image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.20-8 label=2.4.20-8 read-only initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.20-8.img append="root=LABEL=/ console=ttyS0,9600n8" ---------------------------------------------------- Enabling Logins and Tuning /etc/inittab id:3:initdefault: and add a line for agetty: co:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty ttyS0 9600 vt100 and delete or rename /etc/ioctl.save ---------------------------------------------------- /etc/sysconfig/init change the BOOTUP= line to say BOOTUP=serial ---------------------------------------------------- Cabling: Basically, there are two kinds of serial ports, DCE (Data Communication Equipment), normally Modem, printer, or serial device. DTE (Data Terminal Equipment), normally dumb terminals. Connecting a DCE device to a DTE device you can use a regular straight-through cable Connecting the same types together, you must use a null-modem cable. ----------------------------------------------------- Syslog: ---------------------------------------------------- Hardware: Cyclades (www.cyclades.com) makes a console concentrator called AlterPath; Digi (www.digi.com), Equinox (www.equinox.com) and Raritan (www.raritan.com). PC Weasel (www.realweasel.com) Build your own console concentrator Conserver (www.conserver.com). Resources for this article: www.linuxjournal.com/article/7507. 3