Re: debian-user-digest Digest V101 #611

[Jim McCloskey <mcclosk@ling.ucsc.edu>]

Mike Fedyk <mfedyk@matchmail.com> wrote:

|> I'm trying to connect to a serial terminal on PPC/Linux.
|>
|> I remember doing it with minicom a while ago, but trying to do it again is
|> proving dificult.
|>
|> Is minicom the right tool for this?  I've configured it for the right serial
|> settings, but I can't figure out how to open the serial port and not try to
|> dial... :(
|>
|> I'll read the docs, but can someone point it to me really quick?

I'm not sure I've understood correctly what you want. But if you want
to connect a dumb terminal to a linux box through a serial port, then
what you need is the:

   Text-Terminal-HOWTO

which should be in /usr/share/doc/HOWTO/

Section 3 of that document is a quick fast-forward for people who hate
to read documentation. Briefly:

  . check that the terminal-type you want to use has an entry in
    /etc/termcap

  . edit /etc/inittab and add a getty command for the serial port you
    want to use (you'll probably find sample lines commented out in
    the file on your system which you can uncomment and modify to suit
    your needs (put in the right term-type and baud-rate especially))

  . connect the serial port on the terminal to the serial port on the
    linux box with a null modem cable

  . issue the command `init q' on the linux box to have the changes made
    in /etc/inittab take effect

  . you should see a login prompt on the terminal

Jim