Serial Console on Solaris

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

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:

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 ~#

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.

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).

News	See also	Recommended Links	Using Windows Hyperterminal	Using TIP on Solaris	ALOM Setup
Solaris init States	Solaris Tips	Solaris root password recovery	Null modem cable info	Humor	Etc

Serial Console on Sun V210, V240

Using Window Hyperterminal

Using Tip

Behavior of the Serial Console

Old News ;-)

Recommended Links

Null modem cable info

Etc