LAN console, hpux, rx1600

[Bob_Vance]

I am used to the LAN console on the non-Itanium HP servers. Everything shows up just like on the serial console port -- I have full control of the server, and get a console login prompt when the system is booted up.

However, on the rx1600, when I telnet to the LAN console, I can't do everything. For, example, on an install, I can control the boot from CD and start the install, but then all the text gets transferred only to the serial port. I have to use a serial cable to actually do the install. Further, once the system is booted, I don't get a console prompt. Basically, it's not really functioning as the console, like it does on the HP RISC servers.

I have enabled all the input/output devices in EFI setup, but no luck.

These systems actually dual-boot between RHas3 Linux and HPUX. I have the same issue under Linux. I was, however, able to determine that enabling a getty on /dev/ttyS2 gives me a console login after boot up on Linux.

So, what's the trick here?
Can you really use the LAN console as a substitute for the serial console?
How do I get a login prompt on it?

tks
bv

[timmy b. · Accepted solution]

Bob,

See if this answers your question.

http://docs.hp.com/en/A9901-96003/A9901-96003.pdf

[Bob_Vance]

Thanks, Timmy.

I had already found this document. It was helpful, but it was too terse for me to logically figure it out.

The bottom line is that I shouldn't have had the UARTs (serial ports) enabled for it to act like it does on the PARisc servers and HPUX.

What I discovered is that by having BOTH the LAN console *and* the UARTs enabled in the EFI interface, the serial port was overriding the LAN console. I was assuming that it would use all 3, since they were all enabled.

This is actually true -- up until the OS boots. At that point, the OS will determine the console port. The above document says that, but it didn't ring clear until actually playing with it. Enabling/disabling the serial ports is only relevant to the OS. Up until the OS is loaded and boot begins, output is mirrored to all the ports.


Some interesting points:


For Linux,

I have a getty on both ttyS0 and ttyS2.

1)
With the MP UART enabled, under Linux, it becomes ttyS0 and the LAN console becomes ttyS2. All the Linux boot output goes to ttyS0 and thus to the MP serial port and *not* the LAN console. But, once the gettys come up after the boot, I get a login prompt on both the LAN port (ttyS2) and the serial port (ttyS0).

A curious point about the above is that specifying "console=ttyS2" in the Linux boot string does not change the above behavior - the output still goes to ttyS0. I can't explain that.

2)
When I disabled the MP UART, then the LAN console becomes ttyS0. It shows output throughout the EFI *and* the Linux boot, which is what I was used to on the PARisc MPs and HPUX. Of course, nothing happens on the disabled serial port.


I'm still researching HPUX.


bv