Wow, what do Netfinity systems come with already on? I heard on redhat.com that that distribution would work. The next box I get, I'll be probably installing serial style until ethernet is going anyways. I just was thinking what the least waste of money would be in doing this, having a bunch of extra software, and features I don't need in most systems places offer, or if anything preloaded with linux is a good deal. At 12:52 PM 10/13/01 -0400, you wrote: >Martin: > >I don't know specifically about the IBM Netfinity, but many, if not most >non-Intel computers will automatically use the first serial port for >communications if you boot without a monitor connected. I have even used a >Braille 'N Speak connected to my DEC Alpha this way. > > On Sat, 13 Oct 2001, Martin G. >McCormick wrote: > >> I have been behind on reading Email this Summer, but I >> just read the discussion concerning FreeBSD. This is a little >> off-topic because FreeBSD isn't Linux, but it is open-source, >> free, and very robust. This last Summer, I installed FreeBSD-4.3 >> on four IBM Netfinity servers. It took me a bit to get the hang >> of the process, but it is extremely blind-friendly if your system >> has at least one serial port and that port functions as Com1. >> >> You also need a DOS P.C. with a suitable screen reader >> and telecomm package such as Kermit or Procomm and a null-modem >> cable. >> >> What happens is that the FreeBSD installation CDROM has a >> routine on it that, in some cases, will start talking through the >> serial port if you have it connected and no local keyboard >> connected to the FreeBSD system. >> >> If your system doesn't talk to you on boot-up like mine >> didn't, all is still not lost. An alternative method of getting >> your serial console to work is to connect a local keyboard to the >> stubborn FreeBSD system and boot the CDROM. You will hear two >> beeps. At that point, hit any key except Return on the local >> keyboard and type >> >> boot -h >> >> and voila, the FreeBSD copyright notice starts spewing out the >> serial port. >> >> You certainly need a VT100 emulator to do the >> installation and it takes a little getting used to, but it does >> work and I could do an OS installation complete with hard drive >> formatting in about 25 minutes, once I knew what I was doing. >> >> When the system comes up fully, your serial port goes >> silent unless it is defined as a TTY, so you need to be able to >> configure the network port and log in to it over Ethernet after >> the initial installation. >> >> Interestingly enough, the serial port wakes up again each >> time you reboot or halt the system. You can boot in to >> single-user mode and fix things if you have to. I really like >> it, but Linux seems to have better sound card support. >> >> FreeBSD is just another fine open-source choice we have. >> I think it has much better security by default than Linux does, >> but Linux can be quite secure if you take the time to make it >> that way. >> >> Anyway, I figured I would share my experiences with the >> rest of the list regarding FreeBSD. >> >> By the way, you can download an entire 650-meg ISO image >> of the installation disk and burn your own CDROM if you have a >> good network connection or lots of patience. We have a good >> network connection at Oklahoma State and one of the mirror sites >> for FreeBSD seems to also have a good connection, so it only took >> a relatively short time to do the download. The first site we >> tried took well over a day, but it really didn't matter as the >> download kept getting aborted due to loss of the connection. >> >> The image did produce a bootable disk and I was able to >> use it for the installations. >> >> I probably should amend what I said at the first. If >> you have a Windows P.C. and JAWS or any of the other Windows >> screen readers, that will also work fine to communicate with the >> FreeBSD system's serial port. Your Windows terminal program >> should emulate a VT100 and the Comm port needs to be 9600, N, 8 >> and 1 in order to work with the remote console built in to the >> FreeBSD installation disk. >> >> Martin McCormick WB5AGZ Stillwater, OK >> OSU Center for Computing and Information Services Network Operations Group >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Blinux-list@redhat.com >> https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list >> > >-- > > Janina Sajka, Director > Technology Research and Development > Governmental Relations Group > American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) > >Email: janina@afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175 > >Chair, Accessibility SIG >Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) >http://www.openebook.org > >Will electronic books surpass print books? 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