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Softpanorama
(slightly skeptical)
Open Source Software Educational Society |
May the
source be with you,
but remember the KISS principle ;-)
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Serial Console on Sun V210, V240
First of all you need null model cable. Specialists of old school can solder
their own but this art is essentially lost :-).
Sun server usually come with one
crossover 9-pin connector (silver colored -- Sun Part No. 530-3100-01). Don't
throw it out when you get with the server ;-). This connector can be used with a
regular Ethernet cable. That's the most convenient solution for server rooms as
you can use cable of any necessary length to position your laptop conveniently or
get to the desktop or workstation (if connecting to a Sun workstation or server,
use 25 pin connector --- Sun Part No. 530-2889-03 or equivalent). You can
also create you own or buy equivalent or use ready made cable used for managing
network devices like Cisco.
V210 and V240 have two management port: one serial management (marked SER
MGT) and one Net management ( marked NET MGT). You need to use serial management
port. Net management port is used to connect to
ALOM and you need to configure
it before that.
There are two typical way to use serial console for connecting to Sun servers,
for example, V210 and V240.
- Use Windows laptop with some Windows emulator (Hyperterminal,
Teraterm, etc).
- Use Sun terminal emulator (tip), in Windows SFU
or nearby Sun machine or if you have a laptop with Solaris installed.
No keyboard should be connected to the server/workstation on which you plan to
use serial console. Sun machines on power-up check the presence of the keyboard.
If something is plugged in, they assume the console input device is the keyboard.
If it doesn't see any keyboard, it redirects console input/output to serial port
"A".
Whether or not the Sun server has a videocard ("framebuffer" card) installed
is irrelevant. Some Sun workstations have a framebuffer built in. That's why the
test is always done for the keyboard presence.
Do not connect a keyboard to the Sun machine if you want to
use serial console
If you SHUT OFF YOUR TERMINAL, while it is connected to a running Sun machine,
you send a "break" signal via the serial line and the Sun will jump back into the
OK prompt, halting the OS. This can cause considerable confusion.
Note: you can upgrade to free version 6.3 (non-commercial
use)
Try these COM1 port settings:
- Bits per second: 9600
- Data bits: 8
- Parity: None
- Stop bits: 1
- Flow Control: None
I'm going to use a Dell C600 laptop an an example. The laptop has a 9pin serial
port at the back that corresponds to Serial port 1 (SER 1). In other cases you need
first to verify that you're "speaking" to the correct port (you can do this using
for example serial mouse and disconnecting your current mouse).
Using windows terminal you can use VT-100 or better.
You can connect to Sun server that has no keyboard or display attached anytime.
sometimes you need to press enter one of two times to see the output. You can disconnect
anytime by disconnecting cable (do not close you terminal).
Note: tip is available in SFU and
Solaris /etc/remote can be used with it. Connect
the appropriate serial cable from serial port on laptop (usually serial port 1)
to serial port A on target Sun system.
Use "tip hardwire" (not "hardware")
to open a connection to the headless box before booting it: From a Solaris
shell prompt on the local system, issue the command:
tip hardwire
OR
tip ser1
Notes
- This is "tip hardwire" (not "tip hardware").
- ser1 should be defined in
/etc/remote (see below)
hardwire is defined on Solaris in
the /etc/remote to use
port B (for laptop you need to correct this or add another line, see below):
cuab:dv=/dev/cua/b:br#2400
dialup1|Dial-up system:\
:pn=2015551212:tc=UNIX-2400:
hardwire:\
:dv=/dev/term/b:br#9600:el=^C^S^Q^U^D:ie=%$:oe=^D:
tip300:tc=UNIX-300:
tip1200:tc=UNIX-1200:
tip0|tip2400:tc=UNIX-2400:
tip9600:tc=UNIX-9600:
tip19200:tc=UNIX-19200:
UNIX-300:\
If you need to connect from serial port A you need to modify this entry
in /etc/remote or better add another
entry, for example ser1 :
ser1:\
:dv=/dev/term/a:br#9600:el=^C^S^Q^U^D:ie=%$:oe=^D:
After tip session established you
can boot the server. This tip session should be kept active as long as server remains
online.
You should be connected. Press enter a few times to see if you are getting a response.
If you are not, check your connections and make sure you have the right cable.
From within tip, you can access a tip menu by pressing ~? after a carriage return.
To quit the tip session, press ~. and to send a break character, type ~#
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To send
a break character, type ~#
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The hardwire parameter in the tip command refers to an entry
in the file /etc/remote which describes the serial port connections. By default,
hardwire specifies port B with 9600 baud, 8 data bits, no stop bits, and 1 parity
bit. Connect, via a null modem, serial port "A" of the Sun to your terminal's
serial port. Your terminal settings should be 9600 8N1, which are the default serial
settings of the Sun.
If you use tip, if possible, emulate a SUNTERM.
Behavior of the Serial Console
Now, depending upon the machine you have, and the revision of your PROM, you'll
either be greeted by a ">" prompt or an "ok" prompt. Machines that have everything
configured properly and a working OS will of course, begin to boot by themselves
rather than displaying a prompt.
If you want to stop the boot from happening so you can wipe out the OS to install
something else (or just perform maintenence) or make changes to the NVRAM, then,
before the OS starts to load from the HD, (essentially, right after it tells you
the hardware ethernet address, but before it says "boot device"), you need to send
a "break" signal.
- On a PC, this is done by holding down the CTRL key and tapping the
"Break" key (Pause/Break on most PC keyboards).
-
tip sends break
via "~#"
Once you've sent a break, as above, you'll be greeted by "OK" prompt
(FORTH interpreter prompt).
Notes:
- Those pages are written by people for
whom English is not a native language.
Some amount of grammar and spelling errors should be expected.
- This is a Spartan WHYFF (We Help You For
Free) site. It cannot replace the
best teachers and
the best books.
- The site contain some obsolete pages as
it develops like a living tree... Some links on older pages
are broken. Please try to use
Google, Open directory, etc. to find a replacement link (see
HOWTO search the WEB for details). We would appreciate if
you can
mail us a correct link.
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Solaris
Forums - Ctrl-Break in Serial Console
Ctrl-Break in
Serial Console
Author:
KurtGuenther Posts: 5 Registered:
8/1/05 |
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Nov 30,
2005 8:54 AM |
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I can't seem to get Ctrl-Break to work in a serial console.
I'm using Linux minicom, and I've tried two different keyboards.
Any ideas? Is there a "~break" command?
Re: Ctrl-Break
in Serial Console
Author:
mAbrante Posts: 505 Registered:
3/3/05 |
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Dec 1,
2005 1:34 AM (reply 1 of 3) |
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isn't it
ctrl+a b
in minicom?
//M.
Re: Ctrl-Break
in Serial Console
Author:
rajanikk Posts: 9 Registered:
12/23/05 |
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Dec 23,
2005 10:08 AM (reply 2 of 3) |
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try putty, using it u can send ctrl-break to serial console
using mouse. no need for keyboard.
|
In case of broken links
please try to use Google search. If you find the page please notify
us about new location
SunHELP UNIX Serial
Port Resources
Using Serial Consoles - (Solaris - Linux)
- To obtain a serial console connection to a Sun Blade 100/150 you will
need the following (These procedures will work to an Ultra 5/10 as well):
| NOTE: You will not be able
to make use of the serial console if the Sun server was booted with
the keyboard/mouse plugged in. In order to make use of the serial
console, you will need to disconnect the keyboard/mouse and reboot
the Sun server. On the Sun Blade 100/150, if the keyboard/mouse
are plugged in during the boot phase, all console output will be
redirected to the VGA console. |
Disabling BREAK on Sun console serial ports
Gentoo Linux Documentation
-- Gentoo Linux-SPARC Frequently Asked Questions
Sun Serial Port & Cable Pinouts
Complete pinouts
guide to Parallel, Serial, Network and Monitor Cables for the IBM PC
Ultraspec Workstation Cables
Null modem - Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
Amazon.com Tripp Lite Null Modem Cable Db9f-db9m Gold Connections (6 FT) Electronics
SunHELP
Serial Port & Cable Pinouts
RJ45 - DB25 RS232 serial converter cable, RJ45 - DB9
serial cable: Below are pinouts for an RJ45 - DB25
RS232 serial converter cable, part number 530-2889-01 and a
RJ45 -
DB9 serial cable, part number 530-3100-01.
(There is also an unknown part number which has the same pinout
except that the RJ45 BODY (black) is wired to RS232 pin 1 GND.)
Note that these are wired DCE. If you use the supplied RJ45
to DB25 RS232 adapter, you get a null-modem cable, suitable
for a terminal connection.
Machine Sun serial DB25 Machine DB9 adapter
RJ45 RS-232 adapter RJ45 RS-232 Pin
Pin part # 530-2889-01 Pin part # 530-3100-xx
1 (RTS) blue — 5 (CTS) 1 (RTS) blue — 8 (CTS)
2 (DTR) orange — 6 (DSR) 2 (DTR) orange — 6 (DSR)
3 (TXD) black — 3 (RXD) 3 (TXD) black — 2 (RXD)
4 (GND) red — 7 (GND) 4 (GND) red — 5 (GND)
5 (GND) green — 7 (GND) 5 (GND) green — 5 (GND)
6 (RXD) yellow — 2 (TXD) 6 (RXD) yellow — 3 (TXD)
7 (DSR) brown — 20 (DTR) 7 (DSR) brown — 4 (DTR)
8 (CTS) gray — 4 (RTS) 8 (CTS) gray — 7 (RTS)
How To: Build a Null-Modem Serial Cable
Connect Pin to Pin on each end.
25-pin 25-pin
2 --------------- 3
3 --------------- 2
4 --------------- 5
5 --------------- 4
7 --------------- 7
6 ---+
+----------- 20
8 ---+
+--- 6
20 ----------+
+--- 8
This is the traditional "full handshaking" null modem cable. Adapters wired
like this are available in most of the computer stores I've been in.
Now, if you want to convert straight to a 9pin connector Greg LeBlanc offers
the following insight: "You need to have full duplex, otherwise, you just get
output, but no return. (or, if you reverse the cable, you see nothing and can't
tell that your keystrokes are going through.) simply checking three pins with
a multimeter isn't cutting it. you need the following connections to have a
fully compliant cable...
25 pin 9 pin
pin 1 GND - pin 1 GND
pin 2 TXD - pin 3 RXD
pin 3 RXD - pin 3 TXD
pin 4 RTS - pin 8 CTS
pin 5 CTS - pin 7 RTS
pin 7 gnd - pin 5 gnd
pin 6 DSR - pin 4 DTR
pin 20 DTR - pin 6 DSR
Note that GND is frame ground and 'gnd' is Signal ground and the two should
not be tied together...
Some Null modem cables tie 6/20 together on the 25 pin side, this doesn't always
work with all equipment.
I included the 9-25 pin arrangement because most PCs use 9 pin mouse ports as
the serial port, and most Sun's use real 25 pin serial connections
Null Modem
Null Modem Cable Wiring Diagram
RS232 serial
null modem cable wiring and tutorial
Copyright © 1996-2008 by Dr. Nikolai Bezroukov.
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Last modified:
June 05, 2008
