From: Ashwin M. <ash...@ya...> - 2004-04-23 12:55:04
|
> > firewall, I'm wondering if Devil Linux's default configuration includes > > serial connection? If so, at what baud rate? > > > You realize that you can SSH into your DL box to maintain it? > (if you enable SSH and allow it though the firewall) > Let us be frank. Serial port console access is something taken for granted, in any such compact distro which can replace some of the best router boxes in the market. This expectation is inspite of remote login possibilities for many reasons. with Regards, ASHWIN __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Photos: High-quality 4x6 digital prints for 25¢ http://photos.yahoo.com/ph/print_splash |
From: <hzu...@ra...> - 2004-04-23 13:02:25
|
On 04/23/2004 04:56:47 AM Mats Liljegren wrote: >Since I don't want to use a monitor and keybord when maintaining my >firewall, I'm wondering if Devil Linux's default configuration includes >serial connection? If so, at what baud rate? > >If not, I wonder if this is something that is planned for? So far we didn't have a need for it. Isn't it just a parameter you pass to the kernel? You can easily modify the boot loader config with the "custom-cd" script. Heiko |
From: Mats L. <mat...@bo...> - 2004-04-23 13:58:13
|
hzu...@ra... wrote: >On 04/23/2004 04:56:47 AM Mats Liljegren wrote: > > >>Since I don't want to use a monitor and keybord when maintaining my >>firewall, I'm wondering if Devil Linux's default configuration includes >>serial connection? If so, at what baud rate? >> >>If not, I wonder if this is something that is planned for? >> >> > >So far we didn't have a need for it. >Isn't it just a parameter you pass to the kernel? > >You can easily modify the boot loader config with the "custom-cd" script. > >Heiko > > This would probably take you a long way. How about the boot loader? I know LILO can do serial, but I know nothing about the boot loader Devil Linux uses. My question was more of the kind "Is this already implemented?". I _can_ live without it, it's just a little bit more hassle. But sure, it would have been nice if it came right out of the box, since I intended to use it for my initial setup. Now that I have network going, I could setup SSH. /Mats |
From: <hzu...@ra...> - 2004-04-23 15:26:28
|
On 04/23/2004 10:08:07 AM Peter Frischknecht wrote: >> Since I don't want to use a monitor and keybord when maintaining my >> firewall, I'm wondering if Devil Linux's default configuration >includes >> serial connection? If so, at what baud rate? > >I know how to make that work... >Two things must be done: > >1 - The kernel loader must have the following parameters passed on to >the kernel: console=ttyS0,9600n8 console=tty0 >They can simply be appended to the end of the kernel line in lilo. >The SEQUENCE of the parameters is IMPORTANT. >Whatever device comes first receives the boot messages. > >2 - Add following line in your /etc/inittab > ># Add a tty to the serial console >S0:2345:respawn:/sbin/mgetty -b -r -s 9600 -p "Serial Console Login: " >ttyS0 > > >NOTE: >To allow root login on Serial console, add Serial device entry (ttyS0) >in your /etc/securetty file. Otherwise you need to login as normal user >and su for root. That's easy to add, should we do it and use tty0 as the main console ? Heiko |
From: Bruce S. <bw...@ar...> - 2004-04-23 15:54:21
|
> That's easy to add, should we do it and use tty0 as the main console ? Yes, but ... How is that any different than just adding a mgetty for the serial port? - BS |
From: Heiko Z. <he...@zu...> - 2004-04-23 16:16:17
|
>> That's easy to add, should we do it and use tty0 as the main console ? > > Yes, but ... > > How is that any different than just adding a mgetty for the serial port? The boot messages won't show up on the serial console otherwise. We can add the line to inittab and comment it out. -- Regards Heiko Zuerker http://www.devil-linux.org |
From: Bruce S. <bw...@ar...> - 2004-04-23 17:17:44
|
> >> That's easy to add, should we do it and use tty0 as the main console ? > > > > Yes, but ... > > How is that any different than just adding a mgetty for the serial port? > > The boot messages won't show up on the serial console otherwise. But the previous poster (Peter) said the boot messages only show up in one console anyway. That's what's confusing me. And exactly what is a "boot message"? Is that just the kernel messages? After the kernel starts it's init program, do those messages show up both places? Does it cause it to hang if there isn't anything connected to the serial port? And what happens if there isn't a serial port in the PC? We want DL to be able to boot on the new "legacy free" PC's. > We can add the line to inittab and comment it out. Yes, it needs to be commented out by default. - BS |
From: Peter F. <pe...@em...> - 2004-04-23 18:46:32
|
On Fri, 2004-04-23 at 13:17, Bruce Smith wrote: > But the previous poster (Peter) said the boot messages only show up in > one console anyway. That's what's confusing me. I am going from my memory here...but as I recall, this is how it goes: The initial kernel boot messages will only show up in one terminal (whatever one is FIRST in the kernel image loading line)...the other one "looks" looked up, but once initrd finished its thing, a login prompt will appear. > And exactly what is a "boot message"? Is that just the kernel messages? > After the kernel starts it's init program, do those messages show up > both places? As I recall...only 1 place. It annoyed me too. > Does it cause it to hang if there isn't anything connected to the serial > port? Nope...It does not hang. > And what happens if there isn't a serial port in the PC? > We want DL to be able to boot on the new "legacy free" PC's. Yep...that is not REALLY a problem. The issue is what happens to the kernel loading messages (at boot time). If the system is hardwired for ttyS0, and you do not have a serial port, then you will NEVER see the kernel boot messages. > Yes, it needs to be commented out by default. Now...THAT I disagree with. It will not crash your system to have the init entry. The final effect is that IF you happen to have a serial port, then you can ALWAYS plug in a terminal emulator. All of the enterprise grade routers and SNMP switches have such serial connectivity. We should have it as well. I think that it should be ENABLED by default...and that it should point to ttyS0. It isn't really a security risk, because you STILL have to login. As a huge plus, a properly configured external modem would allow direct asyncronous access to your router, independent of the condition of the Internet. My 2 cents worth. -- Peter Frischknecht <pe...@em...> Empowering Solutions, Inc. |
From: Bruce S. <bw...@ar...> - 2004-04-23 19:06:49
|
> > Yes, it needs to be commented out by default. > Now...THAT I disagree with. > > It will not crash your system to have the init entry. I'm not worried about crashes, but in the past I've seen problems where a getty init entry starts respawning too fast (loop) because of nothing is hooked to the serial port. This was a LONG time ago, and might have been HP-UX instead of Linux, but I'd want to be really careful and test all kinds of different hardware before I put it in there uncommented by default. - BS |
From: <hzu...@ra...> - 2004-04-23 19:36:10
|
On 04/23/2004 03:06:46 PM Bruce Smith wrote: >> > Yes, it needs to be commented out by default. >> Now...THAT I disagree with. >> >> It will not crash your system to have the init entry. > >I'm not worried about crashes, but in the past I've seen problems where >a getty init entry starts respawning too fast (loop) because of nothing >is hooked to the serial port. > >This was a LONG time ago, and might have been HP-UX instead of Linux, >but I'd want to be really careful and test all kinds of different >hardware before I put it in there uncommented by default. That should be easy to test, just disable the serial ports in the BIOS and see what happens. When I remember it tonight, then I'll give it a shot. Heiko |
From: Bruce S. <bw...@ar...> - 2004-04-23 19:53:22
|
> >> > Yes, it needs to be commented out by default. > >> Now...THAT I disagree with. > >> > >> It will not crash your system to have the init entry. > > > >I'm not worried about crashes, but in the past I've seen problems where > >a getty init entry starts respawning too fast (loop) because of nothing > >is hooked to the serial port. > > > >This was a LONG time ago, and might have been HP-UX instead of Linux, > >but I'd want to be really careful and test all kinds of different > >hardware before I put it in there uncommented by default. > > That should be easy to test, just disable the serial ports in the BIOS and > see what happens. That would be a good test, along with a test on a good serial port with no cable attached. I think tests on other hardware are a good idea too (PC's without any serial ports). I know that sometimes Linux ignores the BIOS and probes for hardware anyway. I've seen this happen for IDE drives, not sure about serial ports. - BS |
From: Heiko Z. <he...@zu...> - 2004-04-23 20:26:44
|
>> >> > Yes, it needs to be commented out by default. >> >> Now...THAT I disagree with. >> >> >> >> It will not crash your system to have the init entry. >> > >> >I'm not worried about crashes, but in the past I've seen problems where >> >a getty init entry starts respawning too fast (loop) because of nothing >> >is hooked to the serial port. >> > >> >This was a LONG time ago, and might have been HP-UX instead of Linux, >> >but I'd want to be really careful and test all kinds of different >> >hardware before I put it in there uncommented by default. >> >> That should be easy to test, just disable the serial ports in the BIOS >> and >> see what happens. > > That would be a good test, along with a test on a good serial port with > no cable attached. > > I think tests on other hardware are a good idea too (PC's without any > serial ports). I know that sometimes Linux ignores the BIOS and probes > for hardware anyway. I've seen this happen for IDE drives, not sure > about serial ports. I don't have a box without serial ports.... -- Regards Heiko Zuerker http://www.devil-linux.org |
From: Tim T. <t....@co...> - 2004-04-23 22:58:52
|
Heiko Zuerker wrote: >>>>>>Yes, it needs to be commented out by default. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>Now...THAT I disagree with. >>>>> >>>>>It will not crash your system to have the init entry. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>I'm not worried about crashes, but in the past I've seen problems where >>>>a getty init entry starts respawning too fast (loop) because of nothing >>>>is hooked to the serial port. >>>> >>>>This was a LONG time ago, and might have been HP-UX instead of Linux, >>>>but I'd want to be really careful and test all kinds of different >>>>hardware before I put it in there uncommented by default. >>>> >>>> >>>That should be easy to test, just disable the serial ports in the BIOS >>>and >>>see what happens. >>> >>> >>That would be a good test, along with a test on a good serial port with >>no cable attached. >> >>I think tests on other hardware are a good idea too (PC's without any >>serial ports). I know that sometimes Linux ignores the BIOS and probes >>for hardware anyway. I've seen this happen for IDE drives, not sure >>about serial ports. >> >> > >I don't have a box without serial ports.... > > My laptop has none... Tim |
From: Heiko Z. <he...@zu...> - 2004-04-24 13:01:16
|
Tim Tait wrote: > > Heiko Zuerker wrote: > >>>>>>>Yes, it needs to be commented out by default. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>Now...THAT I disagree with. >>>>>> >>>>>>It will not crash your system to have the init entry. >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>I'm not worried about crashes, but in the past I've seen problems where >>>>>a getty init entry starts respawning too fast (loop) because of nothing >>>>>is hooked to the serial port. >>>>> >>>>>This was a LONG time ago, and might have been HP-UX instead of Linux, >>>>>but I'd want to be really careful and test all kinds of different >>>>>hardware before I put it in there uncommented by default. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>That should be easy to test, just disable the serial ports in the BIOS >>>>and >>>>see what happens. >>>> >>>> >>>That would be a good test, along with a test on a good serial port with >>>no cable attached. >>> >>>I think tests on other hardware are a good idea too (PC's without any >>>serial ports). I know that sometimes Linux ignores the BIOS and probes >>>for hardware anyway. I've seen this happen for IDE drives, not sure >>>about serial ports. >>> >>> >> >>I don't have a box without serial ports.... >> >> > My laptop has none... And here just somebody volunteered to be tester. :-)) I doubt that I have time during the weekend to at the changes to the boot loader, somebody else can prepare a ISO with the serial stuff for Tim ? Heiko |
From: <hzu...@ra...> - 2004-04-23 19:36:11
|
On 04/23/2004 02:44:27 PM Peter Frischknecht wrote: >On Fri, 2004-04-23 at 13:17, Bruce Smith wrote: >> And what happens if there isn't a serial port in the PC? >> We want DL to be able to boot on the new "legacy free" PC's. >Yep...that is not REALLY a problem. >The issue is what happens to the kernel loading messages (at boot time). >If the system is hardwired for ttyS0, and you do not have a serial port, >then you will NEVER see the kernel boot messages. The we just go ahead and use TTY0 as default. If somebody connects to the serial port, there's always the dmesg command.... We classify the serial access for administrative purposes only, not to see the system booting. ;-) Heiko |
From: Heiko Z. <he...@zu...> - 2004-04-23 13:25:17
|
>> > firewall, I'm wondering if Devil Linux's default > configuration includes >> > serial connection? If so, at what baud rate? >> > > >> You realize that you can SSH into your DL box to > maintain it? >> (if you enable SSH and allow it though the firewall) >> > > Let us be frank. > > Serial port console access is something taken for > granted, in any such > compact distro which can replace some of the best > router boxes in the > market. > > This expectation is inspite of remote login > possibilities for many reasons. I don't have any experience with serial consoles, wasn't this either serial or the monitor? Or does it work in parallel. When yes, how ? Anbody want's to send in a patch for this? -- Regards Heiko Zuerker http://www.devil-linux.org |