On Wed, 17 Oct 2001, L. C. Robinson wrote: > On Tue, 16 Oct 2001, Jennifer E Jobst wrote: > > > * The kernel included on the latest versions of the Red Hat > > and Debian boot and install disks *do not* support serial > > console. > > I believe this is probably in error. In a post yesterday I > quoted a RedHat installation manual section that specifically > says that it is supported, and I have also proved from the kernel > config files that it is compiled into the 2.2.19 _installation_ > kernels, as well as the others. One has only to run the > following command to find out if it is also suppported in the > 2.4 kernels: > > grep -i 'console.*y' /usr/src/linux-2.4.2/configs/kernel-2.4.2-i386-BOOT.config LC is correct, and Jennifer is wrong as re the latest Redhat which is 7/.2. Here is the output of: grep SERIAL_CONSOLE * which I executed in /usr/src/linux-2.4/configs: kernel-2.4.7-athlon-smp.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y kernel-2.4.7-athlon.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y kernel-2.4.7-i386-BOOT.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y kernel-2.4.7-i386-smp.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y kernel-2.4.7-i386.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y kernel-2.4.7-i586-smp.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y kernel-2.4.7-i586.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y kernel-2.4.7-i686-debug.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y kernel-2.4.7-i686-enterprise.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y kernel-2.4.7-i686-smp.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y kernel-2.4.7-i686.config:CONFIG_SERIAL_CONSOLE=y > (this assumes you have the kernel-source package installed. I'd > do it, but it uses 90 meg, so I don't have it installed right now). > > I checked /usr/doc/kernel-doc-2.2.19/serial-console.txt, and you > may have gotten the syntax wrong. The example in the file reads: > > console=ttyS1,9600 console=tty0 > > Note that that there is no "/dev/" before the ttySx parameter. > You could also check that /etc/ioctl.save does NOT exist on the > install image or floppy. I suppose there could also be baud rate > problems. > > If you cannot get this to work (unlikely), it should be reported > to RedHat as a bug, and a corrected install floppy image could be > posted by them: they have to support people who run headless > rackmount servers, and who have to install and maintain large > networks remotely, so such a mistake could be an expensive one. > Otherwise, you would want to instruct your HOWTO readers in the > finer points of the proper syntax so that they don't run into the > same problems. > > > Thus, unless the user chooses to recompile the installation > > kernel to include serial console support, installing over a > > Again, if there is an error, recompilation is probably not the > solution. They might need only to remove /etc/ioctl.save, or > something similar, as instructed in the serial-console.txt file > (but this would still be a problem for new users, so a > replacement floppy image should be provided instead, preferably > by RedHat, in their updates directories). > > > null modem cable is not an option if you are using an i386 > > architecture machine and RH or Debian. If you're using some > > other distro... good luck, and let me know if it works! > > LCR > > -- 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? Read our white paper, Surpassing Gutenberg, at http://www.afb.org/ebook.asp Download a free sample Digital Talking Book edition of Martin Luther King Jr's inspiring "I Have A Dream" speech at http://www.afb.org/mlkweb.asp Learn how to make accessible software at http://www.afb.org/accessapp.asp