buggy ATA controller: I can install 4.11, but not 5.3 !?!

[Doug White]

On Thu, 31 Mar 2005, Rob wrote:

>
> --- Doug White <dwhite at gumbysoft.com> wrote:
> > On Thu, 31 Mar 2005, Rob wrote:
> >
> >> No, not at the moment. I may try 5.3 (or probably
> >> 5.4) later once again. What part of the output
> >> would be particularly interesting?
> >> I ask, because I am managing this PC at the other
> >> end of the world, giving instructions to a
> >> non-Unix, non-FreeBSD user overthere :).
> >
> > Ugh. That will make this really hard to debug then.
> > To get the verbose output you want to use a serial
> > console.  That output will say why it won't attach
> > the ata controller.
>
> OK, I will certainly try that then, giving the proper
> insturctions, since this Pentium1 FreeBSD PC will
> soon have a Windows PC next to it.
>
> However, I need a little advice/help: the handbook
> is still out-of-date for making serial console
> install floppies. Chapter 2.12 of the handbook talks
> about kern.flp and mfsroot.flp, whereas we have three
> floppies with 5.X install. Which one(s) of the three
> floppies of 5.X needs to be modified by the procedure
> of chapter 2.12 ?
>
> "Windows HyperTerminal" is then the way to go, isn't
> it?

The instructions there are outdated.

There aren't special floppies to activate serial console. You drop to the
loader command prompt (type '6' at the beastie menu) and type

set console=comconsole

and you should get an OK prompt on the serial console host.

-- 
Doug White                    |  FreeBSD: The Power to Serve
dwhite at gumbysoft.com          |  www.FreeBSD.org