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Serial Console on Sun V210, V240

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Using Windows Hyperterminal

Using TIP on Solaris

ALOM Setup

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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.

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.

Using Window Hyperterminal

Note: you can upgrade to free version 6.3 (non-commercial use)

Try  these COM1 port settings:

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).

Using Tip

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

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 ~#

To send a break character, type ~#

 

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.

Once you've sent a break, as above, you'll be greeted by "OK" prompt (FORTH interpreter prompt).


 

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Old News ;-)

Solaris Forums - Ctrl-Break in Serial Console

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?
 
 
isn't it
ctrl+a b
in minicom?

//M.
 
 
try putty, using it u can send ctrl-break to serial console using mouse. no need for keyboard.
 

Recommended Links


In case of broken links please try to use Google search. If you find the page please notify us about new location
Google     

SunHELP UNIX Serial Port Resources

Using Serial Consoles - (Solaris - Linux)

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 cable info

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

Etc

 

 

 


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Last modified: June 05, 2008