Re: NetBSD-7.0 boots OK and NetBSD-8.0 hangs/crashes during boot on a MacBook7,1

[Mouse <mouse%Rodents-Montreal.ORG@localhost>]

> I agree with Mouse, except that I also think it would be very helpful
> and useful to have a serial console on USB only devices.

Oh, sure, it'd be helpful/useful.  Lots of difficult things would be.

> I wonder if we could make the console a virtual device which is
> attached dynamically to a USB serial port if and when available.

I have no doubt that could be done.

I'm not sure how useful it would be.  It seems to me that the set of
times when it's most important to have a serial console overlaps
heavily with the set of times when the USB stack is least likely to
work.

So I guess my reaction is "probably better than nothing - but not by
all that much".

Reworking the USB stack so serial ports can run polled would probably
help, but my own experience echos Mike Pumford's.  I've even had times
when I've had boot troubles and a *PS/2* keyboard didn't work - and at
least half the times when I've used a USB keyboard as console keyboard
(which != a USB serial port as serial console) it's worked because the
BIOS and hardware have collaborated to give the illusion of a PS/2
keyboard.

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