n00b question regarding installation via serial console

[Tim Judd]

On 6/4/09, Wojciech Puchar <wojtek at wojtek.tensor.gdynia.pl> 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.