Serial console options

[Stefan Bethke]

Am 05.03.2009 um 16:57 schrieb Martin Cracauer:

> I finally have enough FreeBSD hardware piled up have things
> crossconnected with serial consoles.
>
> One question, though: one machine has a serial port capable BIOS.  If
> I use this, is there a way to do kgdb debugging over that connection?
>
> I think the real question is: if I use the serial port for the BIOS,
> will it be available as a port in FreeBSD?

Typically, when you enable the redirection, the BIOS will send output  
made with the usual BIOS calls (also) to the serial port, and will  
accept input from it. The serial port itself is not affected in any  
particular way, the BIOS is just using it.

Once the BIOS is out of the picture for console i/o (once the kernel  
starts up), the redirection does not matter at all anymore.

Conflicts can arise if you both have redirection enabled after boot,  
and serial console in the boot loader.  I've found setting the BIOS to  
only do the redirection for setup, but not after boot, works best.  I  
then configure booteasy, boot and loader for serial console.


Stefan

-- 
Stefan Bethke <stb at lassitu.de>   Fon +49 151 14070811