configuring sio1 for serial console ...

[Freddie Cash]

On Wed, June 28, 2006 2:58 pm, User Freebsd wrote:
> Following hte instructions in the Handbook, I've added the following
> line to my kernel config:
>
> device          sio1 at isa? port IO_COM2 flags 0x10 irq 3
>
> but, when I try to build it:
>
> config: /usr/src/sys/i386/conf/kernel:71: syntax error
> *** Error code 1
>
> so, obviously that is wrong for 6.x? :(

Here's how I did it (taken from our internal wiki so there's no real
formatting):

Enabling a Serial Console

The following will allow you to use the Tyan SMDC hardware and Tyan
TSO software to remotely connect to a FreeBSD box and control it as if
you were sitting in front of it. It works at the hardware level,
giving you remote access to the boot sequence, BIOS messages, hardware
monitoring, and a serial console (over TCP/IP). You'll need to
configure the OS to use a serial console in order to see anything once
the boot loader and OS kernel take over. The following instructions
will get things working on FreeBSD.

1. Edit /boot/loader.conf to enable output to serial and video
consoles simultaneously:

hint.sio.1.flags="0x30"
console="comconsole vidconsole"
comconsole_speed="19200"
boot_multicons="yes"

2. Edit /etc/make.conf to set the serial console speed (used when we
recompile the boot blocks):

BOOT_COMCONSOLE_PORT=0x2F8
BOOT_COMCONSOLE_SPEED=19220

3. Edit /etc/ttys to enable the serial console and set the console
speed used:

ttyd1 "/usr/libexec/getty std.19200" vt100 on secure

4. Rebuild the boot loader

cd /usr/src/sys/boot
make clean
make
make install

5. Install the new boot blocks

bsdlabel -B /dev/ad4s1

6. Reboot

shutdown -r now

7. Voila!

All output will now go to the serial console and the video console
simultaneously. Once the init process starts, a separate getty process
will be loaded for the serial console. Connecting via the serial
console will display a login screen, same as connecting via the video
console, SSH, telnet, etc.

----
Freddie Cash
fcash at ocis.net