Re: headless server with console on USB port

[Rainer Dorsch <ml@bokomoko.de>]

Hi Dan,

thanks for the quick response and explanations. That helps a lot to understand 
how it is supposed to work. I do not care about the BIOS output, I rarely 
touch bios settings, my usecase are OS upgrades, grub would be nice, but 
kernel output and a terminal is what I was hoping for.

I am wondering if ready-made usb-to-usb solutions exist, which contain the 
conversion to serial and back to usb internally....or if there are a serial 
crossover cable and two usb-to-serial adapters in some boxes in our cellar :-)

Thanks again
Rainer

Am Donnerstag, 18. August 2022, 14:41:06 CEST schrieb Dan Ritter:
> Rainer Dorsch wrote:
> > is it possible to run a console on a USB port of a headless server?
> 
> Yes and no.
> 
> The T20 doesn't seem to have iDRAC (IPMI) support, so BIOS/UEFI
> is not available through a serial console.
> 
> The first time you have an opportunity for a serial console is in GRUB;
> then again you have an opportunity for the kernel output; then finally
> you can have a login on a serial terminal.
> 
> You will need a USB to RS232 serial adapter, and then an appropriate
> cable to talk to your terminal device. The other end can also be a USB
> to RS232 serial adapter. In between you might have a 9 pin
> serial cable or a specially wired RJ45 (looks like ethernet)
> cable.
> 
> The name of the device should be something like /dev/ttyS0
> (S1,S2,S3...) or can be /dev/ttyUSB0. USB ports can be renumbered on
> each boot, but as long as there is only one serial adapter connected,
> it should always be recognized as /dev/ttyUSB0
> 
> -dsr-


-- 
Rainer Dorsch
http://bokomoko.de/