RE: Installing linux via serial port

Paul Jakma (Paul.Jakma@Digital.com)
Wed, 25 Aug 1999 15:51:30 +0100


Paul Jakma
Compaq EOMC
Eastpoint, Dublin.

> Linux
> 2.2 has serial
> console for a lot of platforms.
>
> The catch is BIOS support. In general you can get by without
> seeing BIOS
> information. Lilo can be told to use serial port too

hopefully not sounding like a salesman.. ;)

compaq have something called IRC - integrated remote console. Which is
integrated into a lot of newer servers (and available as an ISA board for
older ones). This allows complete control of the server - from POST
messages, BIOS setup, OS and on via a serial line. (ie for a terminal or
modem.) Can do things like callback aswell.

It works by snooping/intercepting keyboard and text-mode graphics in some
way (not sure how). So the OS doesn't even need serial-line support.
Incredibly useful, but not used/known too much cause of course NT has no
plain text interface. But it is very suited to Unix OS's.

regards,

Paul Jakma.

Opinions are mine not Compaq's.

-
To unsubscribe from this list: send the line "unsubscribe linux-kernel" in
the body of a message to majordomo@vger.rutgers.edu
Please read the FAQ at http://www.tux.org/lkml/