Hi,

If you want to configure a serial console on your Dell PE R410 (or R710) server with CentOS 5.4 (or 5.3 and probably also the Red Hat Enterprise systems) you can use these guidelines.
In the Bios:

Under "Serial Communication":
Serial Communication: On with Console Redirection via COM1
Serial Port Address: Serial Device1=COM2,Serial Device2=COM1
External Serial Connector: Serial Device2
Failsafe Baud Rate: 115200
Remote Terminal Type: VT100/VT220
Redirection After Boot: Enabled (so grub displays)

Then you configure Grub:

title CentOS (2.6.18-164.6.1.el5) Serial
        root (hd0,0)
        kernel /vmlinuz-2.6.18-164.6.1.el5 ro root=LABEL=/ console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200n8
        initrd /initrd-2.6.18-164.6.1.el5.img

This makes the kernel display it’s messages on screen and over the serial console.

In /etc/securetty append:

ttyS0
ttyS1

This way root can log in using the serial console.

Finally configure the inittab (/etc/inittab) and add the following line:

co:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty ttyS0 115200 linux

Now reboot and enjoy pure serial console goodness over ip (ipmi).

(Oh, don’t forget to enable IPMI over lan in the iDrac configuration and to set a username, password and ip-address.
The iDrac 6 configuration flashes by when the server boots.)

Kind regards,

Koen

When connecting to a Juniper router’s console port, do not use your everyday DB9-DB9 serial cable!
Although the Juniper M7 qualifies as a computer which runs BSD, it won’t be able to communicate using this type of cable.

So, what cable should you use?
Use a standard Cisco Roll-over cable, and use an RJ45 - DB9 converter at the router’s side (or both sides, depending on wether the cable had a build in DB9 connection at one of it’s sides).

Use this command to read the BIOS dmi data in linux:
dmidecode

Reads mainboard type, bios version, memory banks, …

Needed command set:
tw_cli
    start the commandline

info c0
    display information about controller 0

rescan
    Detect new drives

maint remove c0 p1
    Remove the drive on Controller 0 Port 1

maint deleteunit c0 u1
    Remove the Unit 1 from controller 0

maint rebuild c0 u0 p1
    Rebuild Unit0 of Controller0 on Port 1

info c0 u0 rebuildstatus
    display status of rebuilding

New harddrive procedure (c0 u0, new drive in p1):
start the command line
    tw_cli
View controller information
    info c0
remove old drive if necessary
    maint remove c0 p1
Scan for new drive
    rescan
Delete default unit from new drive
    maint deleteunit c0 u1
View controller information
(p1 should not be in any unit, if it is, chances are you’ve done something terribly wrong)
    info c0
Add the new drive to Unit0
    maint rebuild c0 u0 p1
View controller information
(Unit0 should show up as rebuilding now)
    info c0
Exit the CLI
    quit

In short:
tw_cli
    info c0
    maint remove c0 p1
    rescan
    maint deleteunit c0 u1
    info c0
    maint rebuild c0 u0 p1
    info c0
    quit

———————————————————–
Warning:
    Please pay attention during this procedure.
    Failing to do so may result in massive data-loss!
(Nor FirstServed, not the writer, takes any responsibility for the content of this article or any result that may come from using it.