Connecting to a Headless machine, after install

[Bill Vermillion]

>    1. Re: Connecting to a Headless machine, after install
>       (Robert Watson)

> Message: 1
> Date: Sat, 8 May 2004 16:54:24 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Robert Watson <rwatson at freebsd.org>
> Subject: Re: Connecting to a Headless machine, after install
> To: Rob <stopspam at users.sourceforge.net>
> Cc: freebsd-stable at freebsd.org
> Message-ID:
> 	<Pine.NEB.3.96L.1040508165202.27309J-100000 at fledge.watson.org>
> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
> 

> On Fri, 7 May 2004, Rob wrote:
> 
> > Bruce Hunter wrote:
> > > I have setup a headless machine via a null modem cable. Instalation went 
> > > fine. The only problem now, is connecting to the machine after the 
> > > install. When I #cu -l /dev/cuaao/
> > > I see the boot process, but it gets to the date prompt but doesn't show 
> > > the login:
> > > i did install ssh, but won't let me login with the password I set for 
> > > root. Any other methods for connecting? This system is connected in my 
> > > local network, with a firewall protecting my systems.
> > > - i am not running xserver on this system
> ...
> > Funny, that I'm struggling with opposite problem: I do not get the
> > boot messages over the serial cable, but do get the login prompt,
> > which I do not understand :(.

> > For the login prompt, I have following in /etc/ttys on the headless PC:

> >    ttyd0   "/usr/libexec/getty std.9600"   unknown on  secure

> > but be sure the serial port is enabled in the BIOS, and you have
> > serial port support compiled into your kernel.
> > Your cu command should then work, I suppose.

> You both have half of the solution, apparently, just different halves :-).
> To configure my boxes for serial console operation, I do two things:

> (1) Enable the ttyd0 entry in /etc/ttys by changing "off" to "on"
> (2) Add the following line to /boot/loader.conf:
> 
>     console="comconsole"
> 
>     This one can be done in a couple of ways, including flags in
>     boot.config for the first stage loader. 

> The first action above tells init to launch getty+login on the serial
> port.  The second action above tells the kernel to direct /dev/console and
> low level console output to the serial port.  Note that nothing prohibits
> you from leaving ttyv0 turned on when running with a serial console so you
> could still log in on the VGA/keyboard console if you wanted to.  There
> are also some options in conscontrol(8) to send output to multiple console
> devices, but there are some limitations to multiple console operation.
> 
> Robert N M Watson             FreeBSD Core Team, TrustedBSD Projects
> robert at fledge.watson.org      Senior Research Scientist, McAfee Research
> 

I saw something similar on a headless Intel 1100R.  The default
serial port speed during the BIOS boot up did not match the port
speed that was set on the port when the system booted.   Resetting
the BIOS speeds to match the speed set in /etc/ttys cured that
problem.

> End of freebsd-stable Digest, Vol 59, Issue 7

Bill

-- 
Bill Vermillion - bv @ wjv . com