Serial console install trouble

[ikamps@quicknet.nl]

I want to do a serial console installation on a i386 computer that
doesn't have a monitor or a keyboard. But because of some reason it
doesn't work instead of functioning like noted in the installation
instructions: "If you are booting with a serial console, generally the
kernel will autodetect this.  If you have a videocard (framebuffer) and
a keyboard also attached to the computer which you wish to boot via
serial console, you may have to pass the `console=<device>' argument to
the kernel, where <device> is your serial device, which is usually
something like ``ttyS0''." knowing that there is no keyboard or
videocard attached it should just work fine but it doesn't.

note 1: Its not a true console I'm installing from its a computer
connected to the computer where I'm installing Debian on thru a null
modem cable using a terminal emulation program set to 9600, no parity, 1
stop bit. The hardware is just fine as my test install of another serial
install enabled os demonstrated (FreeBSD to be exact)

note 2: I found something in the user-boot archives that might explain
this but doesn't give a solution: "However, the Hamm and Slink i386
installation disks did not support serial console.  The main problem was
that the standard kernel did not have serial support compiled in. the
serial device was in a module, and you had to get pretty far into the
installation before it was installed.  The last time I checked, the same
was true of the potato install disks.  I have not checked lately." I
think a new kernel for the install disks would fix it but. I'm not sure
I would like to hear if that would fix it or that I have to do it more
difficult.

(sorry for my not so good english)