sun serial consoles via usb and linux

[Lennart Sorensen]

On Thu, Dec 04, 2008 at 04:50:41PM -0500, Neil Watson wrote:
> I'd like to ask your experience with getting a Linux laptop to act as a
> serial console for a Sun chassis via a USB port.  I have shiny new EEEPC
> that I'd like to use for my data centre trips.  I had this in mind.
> 
> EEEPC
> Minicom (Is there a better tool?)

Not really.  Some people like seyon, but I stick with minicom.

> usb-serial converter (Is there a Linux tested brand or model?)

So far I have had OK luck with a pl2303 based one I bought at canada
computers.  Worked out of the box with linux.  Windows did need a driver
installed, but worked fine there too.

> cable (Is this always a null modem?)

Depends on the pinout of the other device.

> SUN chassis serial port.
> 
> I've always found that getting the correct cable or ends if your cable
> is cat5 is a painful trial and error process.  Is there a specific
> cable that always works?

The right one always works.  The tricky bit is finding out what the
right one is.  Sun often used 25pin serial ports, where port A was wired
normally, but it also had a port B using non standard pins.  A special
sun adapter would convert the single 25pin port to two seperate serial
ports.

I would expact a null modem and a 25 to 9 pin adapter would do the job.

-- 
Len Sorensen
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