On Thursday 09 October 2008, Hal Vaughan wrote: > I don't think the hardware is going to be the issue here. I'm pretty > sure it's a config issue. > > I have a Soekris Net5501 box I'm installing Etch on. I'm hooked up > to the box with a null modem cable for the console and it's also > hooked up to my LAN. I've setup a PXE boot on my DNS server using > tftpd-hpa. The 5501 starts up and I get data on the console (I'm > using either Minicom or the screen command to read/write to the > serial port). I do get the boot menu from the netboot, such as it is > (since pxelinux seems limited to 15 columns of display) and when I > get the prompt, I type "install" and Linux starts to load, including > the long row of dots, then the screen clears and the cursor sits on > the left side of the screen and nothing happens from then on.
I used a capture file and can add to this point: After typing "install" which should start the Linux kernel and initrd.gz, I get this: Loading linux....................... Loading initrd.gz..................................................................... Ready. After the "Ready." there is one character: 0x0A and nothing else. That's when I always lose communication. Nothing else appears, not even gibberish, and there's no response if I try to type anything new. > My guess is that once Linux loads communication is stopping with the > serial port. I don't think it's going at a different baud rate > because there's no garbage, but if it had a simple prompt, it could > come up so fast I miss it before the screen clears. > > Here is the file structure in /var/lib/tftpboot: > > . > > |-- boot-screens > | > | |-- boot.txt > | |-- f1.txt > | |-- f10.txt > | |-- f2.txt > | |-- f3.txt > | |-- f4.txt > | |-- f5.txt > | |-- f6.txt > | |-- f7.txt > | |-- f8.txt > | |-- f9.txt > | > | `-- splash.rle > |-- initrd.gz > |-- linux > |-- orig-bu > | > | |-- debian > | | `-- etch > | | `-- i386 > | | > | | |-- initrd.gz > | | > | | `-- linux > | |-- pxelinux.0 > | > | `-- pxelinux.cfg > | > | |-- boot.txt > | > | `-- default > |-- pxelinux.0 > |-- pxelinux.cfg > | `-- default > > `-- pxelinux.cfg.serial-9600 > `-- default > > I thought it might be a baud rate issue. The 5501 starts with 19200 > baud, so I altered pxelinux.cfg/default to use the same speed and to > specify the right console (before I added "CONSOLE 0" on one line, > I'd get double characters). Here's the pxelinux.cfg file: > > SERIAL 0 19200 > CONSOLE 0 > DISPLAY boot-screens/boot.txt > > F1 boot-screens/f1.txt > F2 boot-screens/f2.txt > F3 boot-screens/f3.txt > F4 boot-screens/f4.txt > F5 boot-screens/f5.txt > F6 boot-screens/f6.txt > F7 boot-screens/f7.txt > F8 boot-screens/f8.txt > F9 boot-screens/f9.txt > F0 boot-screens/f10.txt > > DEFAULT install > > LABEL install > kernel linux > append vga=normal initrd=initrd.gz -- > LABEL linux > kernel linux > append vga=normal initrd=initrd.gz -- > > LABEL expert > kernel linux > append priority=low vga=normal initrd=initrd.gz -- > > LABEL rescue > kernel linux > append vga=normal initrd=initrd.gz rescue/enable=true -- > > LABEL auto > kernel linux > append auto=true priority=critical vga=normal initrd=initrd.gz -- > > PROMPT 1 > TIMEOUT 0 > > I would think this would specify the right baud rate. Linux is > loading and so is initrd. It's just that I get no prompt or any > screen activity or response after both Linux and initrd load. I > tried stopping my term program (in this case screen) and starting it > again at 9600, which I saw somewhere should be the default baud rate, > but it didn't help and was still unresponsive. > > I've been using this page > (http://wiki.soekris.info/Installing_Debian_Linux_(4.0r1_Etch)) as a > guide and had the same problems when I did everything as that page > suggested. Then I changed and used the setup files from Debian, > which is how it's set up now. > > What am I doing wrong or what do I need to change so after Linux and > initrd.gz load I get a prompt or the Etch installer when it's done? > Do I need to include install files as well? I didn't see that > mentioned in any of the pages that discussed this. If so, would I > just snag a net install CD and copy all the files into a special > directory somewhere in /var/lib/tftpboot? > > Thanks for any help or pointers! > > > Hal -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
