I've not tried it, but v2.1.25 adds the file
Documentation/serial-console.txt which gives instructions on how to
use a serial console. The instructions say nothing about applying any
patches, so I can only assume that it is now in Linus's kernel source.
> For the average user with a standalone PC running Linux, if there's a mono
> card (herc clone), then there is no scroll back...unless that's somehow
> been added recently.
[snip]
I agree with Alan Cox's earlier post: screen is the correct tool for
scroll back, not a more complicated console driver. The only case I
am aware of that would really need another way is the issue of boot
messages, and I think a serial console should cover that case pretty
well.
If you have a server machine with a mono card then perhaps you should
see about using syslogd to keep your error messages. Combined with a
cron job for rotating the log files you can maintain a "scroll back"
of an arbitrary period of time. You don't even need to modify the
server processes; try something like:
/usr/sbin/some_server 2>&1 | logger -t "some_server"
I missed the original post, so forgive me if I've missed something important.
-- Paul H. Hargrove All material not otherwise attributed hargrove@sccm.stanford.edu is the opinion of the author or a typo.