Serial console terminal type.

[Lamar Owen]

Ok, this has been something that has aggravated me for the longest, and finally 
I've decided to see what can be done about it.

I've googled all over for this information, and haven't found it yet.

There's lots of information on setting up a serial console, but little to no 
information about the terminal type needed for a serial console to properly 
show the anaconda interface, even in rescue mode, or when setting up the ip 
addressing for vnc installation.

In my case, I'm using minicom set to VT102 mode from a default fedora 
'konsole' (F12, konsole 2.4.2, KDE 4.4.2), and I've just getting a little 
tired of the 'reverse video question marks' interspersed in the line drawing 
characters, which makes it very difficult to use the interface.

I know, just an annoyance, but if it's just a command line parameter (and I 
don't find anything at http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Anaconda/Options or 
http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/KernelCommonProblems#How_to_set_kernel_boot... 
to tell me anything; I've booted with 'linux rescue serial headless' and the 
display is the same as without those options) I'll be glad to add that to the 
boot line and keep on trucking.

Or if it's a minicom setting, or simply using a different terminal emulator, to 
get reasonable display.....

[Lamar Owen]

On Friday 14 May 2010 12:23:53 pm Lamar Owen wrote:
>  Or if it's a minicom setting, or simply using a different
> terminal
>  emulator, to get reasonable display..... 
Following up to my own post:

The 'cu' non-emulator serial connection, found in the uucp package (this on 
F12 on the Intel laptop) produces a much better display when used with a 
serial console.  I use minicom at first, to send BREAK and to get through the 
bootup (cu gets disconnected during the kernel's console switching during 
boot), then use the following command line:
cu --line /dev/ttyS0 --parity none --speed 9600 --nostop dir
and the UI is more usable; no line drawing characters (konsole doesn't do 
linux console emulation, methinks), but at least I can see everything, even if 
the color scheme in the text-mode firstboot is hard to read through that.

I could probably use screen or similar; too bad seyon is so old; I remember 
using it a long time ago, and it was pretty good for the day.  Licensing, 
IIRC, was the big problem.  Getting ready to try CuteCom or gtkterm or qterm 
or.... :-)

[Dan Horák]

Lamar Owen píše v So 15. 05. 2010 v 14:20 -0400: 
>  On Friday 14 May 2010 12:23:53 pm Lamar Owen wrote:
>  > Or if it's a minicom setting, or simply using a different terminal
>  > emulator, to get reasonable display.....
>  
>  Following up to my own post:
>  
>  The 'cu' non-emulator serial connection, found in the uucp package (this on 
>  F12 on the Intel laptop) produces a much better display when used with a 
>  serial console.  I use minicom at first, to send BREAK and to get through the 
>  bootup (cu gets disconnected during the kernel's console switching during 
>  boot), then use the following command line:
>  cu --line /dev/ttyS0 --parity none --speed 9600 --nostop dir
>  and the UI is more usable; no line drawing characters (konsole doesn't do 
>  linux console emulation, methinks), but at least I can see everything, even if 
>  the color scheme in the text-mode firstboot is hard to read through that.
>  
>  I could probably use screen or similar; too bad seyon is so old; I remember 
>  using it a long time ago, and it was pretty good for the day.  Licensing, 
>  IIRC, was the big problem.  Getting ready to try CuteCom or gtkterm or qterm 
>  or.... :-) 
I am satisfied with gtkterm for serial consoles (not only on Suns)


Dan

[Lamar Owen]

On Saturday 15 May 2010 02:20:05 pm Lamar Owen wrote:
>  On Friday 14 May 2010 12:23:53 pm Lamar Owen wrote:
>  > Or if it's a minicom setting, or simply using a different terminal
>  > emulator, to get reasonable display.....
>  
>  Following up to my own post:
>  Getting ready to try CuteCom or gtkterm or
>  qterm or.... :-) 
Following up again: gtkterm works well, and has line-drawing characters.