How to capture console messages during boot?

[John Howie]

Hi David,

Depending on your hardware, you can use a serial port as the console. If you are running on a server-class machine (from DELL or HP, for example), you should check the BIOS for this setting. Of course, you then need a serial cable and another machine to connect from. Also, depending on your equipment, using a serial port as console might disable the graphics/keyboard/mouse, meaning you get false errors/lack of errors.

Another extremely low-tech solution is simply to use your phone to record the boot sequence, and replay and pause the video. Simply point at screen and start filming! I must admit to having done that a few times...

Regards,

John

> On Jan 25, 2017, at 4:59 AM, David Christensen <dpchrist at holgerdanske.com> wrote:
> 
> freebsd-questions:
> 
> I am attempting to build a graphical workstation using:
> 
> toor at freebsd:/root # freebsd-version
> 11.0-RELEASE-p7
> 
> toor at freebsd:/root # uname -a
> FreeBSD freebsd 11.0-RELEASE-p1 FreeBSD 11.0-RELEASE-p1 #0 r306420: Thu Sep 29 03:40:55 UTC 2016 root at releng2.nyi.freebsd.org:/usr/obj/usr/src/sys/GENERIC  i386
> 
> toor at freebsd:/root # pkg info xorg | head -n 1
> xorg-7.7_2
> 
> toor at freebsd:/root # pkg info xfce | head -n 1
> xfce-4.12_1
> 
> 
> As I add software and adjust configuration settings, invariably I create or encounter issues.  Some of these generate warnings/ errors on the console when the system boots.  I'd like to capture console messages during boot, so that I can review them and fix things.
> 
> 
> How?
> 
> 
> TIA,
> 
> David
> 
> 
> p.s. STFW has yielded outdated and/or unsatisfactory solutions, including:
> 
> 	dmesg
> 	/var/log/messages
> 	Scroll Lock key and scrollback buffer
> 
> _______________________________________________
> freebsd-questions at freebsd.org mailing list
> https://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions
> To unsubscribe, send any mail to "freebsd-questions-unsubscribe at freebsd.org"