Hardware

Hi, have got monowall running nicely on this device.  Think it has a celeron 600mhz (maybe a 400mhz ?) and 256mb ram and a microdrive/cf.  3lans and a serial and 2 usb.

It runs fine, but it would be nice to be able to log in on the serial console.  This doesn't seem to work, have tried lots of different com port settings.

Does anyone have any experience with this type of issue.

Thanks in advance.
Chris

Have now tried pfsense, and that works perfectly with the serial console.  So there must be something different in the console setup in monowall that doesn't suit my box.

Thanks
Chris

[-h]

Chris23,

I had the same problem (no console) and after digging around I found out m0n0wall by default does not enable serial port console.  A simple config fix will remedy this.  Basically you need a boot option -h stored in /boot.config.  The HowTo below assumes you have a running m0n0wall that you can browse to use webGUI.

HowTo Enable Serial Console
====================
Overview: enable write mode to CF, append -h to /cf/boot.config which will be /boot.config during booting, and finally rebooting.

1) Login webGUI to: http://192.168.1.1/exec.php
2) Enter the following commands, one at a time:
  umount /cf
  mount /dev/ad3a /cf
  echo -h>/cf/boot.config
  sync; sync
  umount /cf
  reboot
3) Connect to console using 9600:8:n:1:hardware flow control
  PDS2100 needs a Null Modem 9pin cable

By default, Disable console menu is unchecked (ie allow displaying console menu).  So you should see the menu on the console to select ethernet interfaces, assign LAN IP address, reset admin password, reset to factory default, reboot or ping a destination.
To make sure it is unchecked, use webGUI and navigate to System, Advanced tab, Misc Console Menu item and verify that it Disable console menu is unchecked so you can see see the Menu.

Hope this helps.
jaywall

Also note that there was a beta version of the latest firmware released that specifically enables the serial console.

[boot.config]

I tried the latest beta generic-pc-serial-1.33b2.img but on my PDS-2100 the console is sending out "garbage".   Apparently /tty/console speed was set to 1355 baud while booting.   I fixed it by downloading the generic-pc-1.33b2.img (without serial) and then created the boot.config with -h and that worked fine.

PDS2100 are more than a decade old and this might be a problem isolated to them.

Thanks for the latest beta, keep up the good work!
jaywall

PS.  In case any one is curious, the details of stty commands are below:

PDS2100 with generic-pc-serial-1.33b2.img with /boot/loader.rc
$ stty -f /dev/console
speed 1355 baud;
lflags: echoe echoke echoctl
oflags: -oxtabs
cflags: cs8 -parenb clocal

PDS2100 with generic-pc-1.33b2.img with /boot.config
$ stty -f /dev/console
speed 9600 baud;
lflags: echoe echoke echoctl
oflags: -oxtabs
cflags: cs8 -parenb clocal

FreeBSD kernel detects the PDS2100 serial at boot time as follows:
sio0: <16550A-compatible COM port> port 0x3f8-0x3ff irq 4 flags 0x10 on acpi0
sio0: type 16550A, console