Usually the type of terminal problems you describe, when using curses library based programs (and the text install is curses based), come from not specifying a matching terminal type, since different terminal types often use radically different character sequences to control cursor placement, color, etc. This is normally done by putting a TERM=xxxx directive in the environment of the program, so that the program can obtain the proper escape sequences from a termcap or terminfo database of terminal types. The install program is going to assume, probably, that TERM=linux, which is an enhanced color superset of vt100, following ansi standards, that is used on the normal SVGA monitor consoles. So you would solve this problem by using an advanced ansi compliant color terminal emulation, such as those in the DEC vt500 series. Kermit has some of these, but I don't know how well it works with synths. A possibly easier alternative might be to find a way to tell the install program what kind of terminal you are using (or emulating). Lilo will pass environmental variables specified on the boot command line on to the bootup scripts, and I am guessing the other boot loaders will too. The install script may very well get the same environment. So one could also try adding: TERM=vt100 or a similar terminal type, depending in your terminal emulation, to the append line, too, just as you did with the console=ttyS0, making sure that the install disk has that terminal type in it's terminal database (which is likely to be reduced to just a few, to fit on the install disk, so one might need to be added). If someone can make this work, with a convenient windows or DOS terminal emulation, this scheme should be added to the HOWTOs and FAQs: I therefore suggest that any replies to this should be done in a fairly finished question-answer format, for the maintainers. An even better solution would be a finished shell script (possibly using cygwin), or other program that could automatically make necessary modifications to the install disk, thus smoothing the path for the non-technical newbie, who could then simply download the modification package and run it against a standard install disk, just answering a few questions, and maybe even ending up with an automated kickstart install. LCR On Fri, 19 Oct 2001, Ari Moisio wrote: > Janina Sajka 18.10.01: > >I'm sorry, I don't recall the specific command syntax to force boot over > >the serial port, so I won't guess at it. I know this has come up here > >before. Somone will either post that shortly, or you can find it in the > >list's archives. > > I tried this with Debian potato. I addded > console=ttyS0 > at the end of append line in syslinux.cfg file. > > I tried both minicom and frontdoor as terminal, former didnt't work at > all, latter with many problems. There were problems with end-of-line > character (ctrl-j instead of return etc.) and screen updates, some times > i got screenful of screen control sequences instead of menu and so on. > MOst of those problems could probably be avoided with properly > configured terminal emulator. > > After all it was the most awful LInux installation and took almost two > days but hey, it works now:-> -- L. C. Robinson reply to no_spam+munged_lcr@onewest.net.invalid People buy MicroShaft for compatibility, but get incompatibility and instability instead. This is award winning "innovation". Find out how MS holds your data hostage with "The *Lens*"; see "CyberSnare" at http://www.netaction.org/msoft/cybersnare.html