hand, try to look for one that someone has written "NULL" on as they
do make pass-through 9-pin serial cables that are female on both ends.
(These cables were fairly common when using older KVM switches. 9 pin
pass-through cables were required for serial mice connections.)
Without the hand-writing it is frequently impossible to tell a
null-modem cable from a pass-through cable, so I recommend you use a
sharpie if you buy a cable new.
If the available computers nearby don't have a serial port, you'll want
to get a USB to Serial adaptor. I think at this point most of them are
supported by Linux, but I've managed to avoid needing them.
You should have full access to the BIOS/CMOS from the serial port. It is
a fun experience watching a machine perform POST over the serial port.
Minicom works well for serial access. I would go that route first, and
avoid the stty/screen bit if possible. Also, expect the 115k bit rate.
If it doesn't work, drop down to a lower speed. The BIOS is likely
configured for just one bit rate, though the console login may be
configured to accept multiple.
I suggest letting it boot up then playing around with the bit rate and
pressing 'enter' until the login prompt shows up. The getty shouldn't
change bitrates on you unless you send break (CTRL-A F in Minicom).
Cheers,
Steven Black
On Thu, Jul 16, 2009 at 10:48:16AM -0400, David Ernst wrote:
> You might also try the IU surplus store. I finally went there a month
> or so ago, and among the weird collection of stuff they have is a pile
> of cables for (iirc) $1 each. Doesn't matter what the cable is, it's
> the same price.
>
> http://www.indiana.edu/~surplus/
>
> I also might have such a cable if none of these other leads are making
> it. But I'd rather not even dig through my cable box unless I know
> that you'll need it. :)
>
> david
>
>
> On Thu, Jul 16, 2009 at 10:42:34AM -0400, Jordan Thevenow-Harrison wrote:
> > PC Max sells them. If they, for some insane reason, are out, I have one I
> > can lend you. I've never used screen for that, but have had success with
> > minicom :)
> > --
> > Jordan Thevenow-Harrison
> > jtth@jtth.net
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Jul 16, 2009, at 10:37 AM, Barry Schatz wrote:
> >
> >> I figured I should ask the list for some advice.
> >>
> >> A couple weeks ago a company next door to mine was moving, and giving
> >> away a lot of outdated computer equipment. I grabbed a 2U VA Linux
> >> server. After all, it's free (gratis) rackmount server and a piece of
> >> Linux history. However, I soon found out that there's no way I can
> >> actually get access to the darn thing. The BIOS is set to boot from
> >> the
> >> hard drive first, and the VGA hardware is turned off. My only hope is
> >> console access via the serial port.
> >>
> >> So here's the problem: I don't have a 9-pin serial cable. I don't know
> >> where I can get one short of ordering from Newegg or driving up to
> >> Fry's
> >> in Indy. I also don't know if I need a null modem to make the
> >> connection
> >> work. Do any of you on the list in the Bloomington area have such a
> >> cable?
> >>
> >> Also, I'm aware that I can use screen to interface with the serial
> >> port.
> >> If I recall, Kevin mentioned this bit of goodness:
> >> stty 9600
> >> screen /dev/ttyS0
> >>
> >> Any other bits of advice to help me root this box? I really just want
> >> to
> >> dban the drive and install a recent distro to make myself a
> >> fileserver.
> >>
> >> Oh and one more thing: the hard drive is Ultra2 SCSI LVD. I can't
> >> easily
> >> plug it into another machine to tamper with it.
> >>
> >> -Barry
--
Steven Black <blacks@indiana.edu> / KeyID: 8596FA8E
Fingerprint: 108C 089C EFA4 832C BF07 78C2 DE71 5433 8596 FA8E
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