>Number:         9233
>Category:       port-i386
>Synopsis:       i386 console(4) page out of synch with boot_console(4)
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       serious
>Priority:       medium
>Responsible:    port-i386-maintainer (NetBSD/i386 Portmaster)
>State:          open
>Class:          doc-bug
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Tue Jan 18 21:39:01 2000
>Last-Modified:
>Originator:     Jonathan Stone
>Organization:
	
>Release:        NetBSD-current kernel source supped on Jan 18 PST, 2000
>Environment:
	
System: NetBSD Cuisinart.DSG.Stanford.EDU 1.4P NetBSD 1.4P (CARDBUS) #28: Sun Dec 12 15:54:19 PST 1999 jonathan@Cuisinart.DSG.Stanford.EDU:/cuisinart/src/NetBSD/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/CARDBUS i386


>Description:

  The manual page for console(4) and other documentation sources
  (e.g., Matthias Drochner's README in sys/arch/i386/stand, the
  comments in sys/arch/i386/conf/GENERIC) are woefully out of synch
  with how serial console configuration works.

>How-To-Repeat:

	Try to set up serial consoles on an Intel L440GX+ motherboard
	with the BIOS configured to use com1 as serial console.
	Try and get NetBSD to use the same device as OS console.
	`you become trapped in a twisty maze of documentation,
	all different'.

>Fix:

The following patch to console(4) adds cross-references to
boot_console(4) and summarizes the state of the art, as desecribed on
port-i386 and UTSLing. It clarifies what console(4) was perhaps alrady
trying to say.

Similar cross-references could usefully be added elsewhere; e.g.,
Cross-references to boot_console(4) and ./biosboot_com0 in
sys/arch/i386/stand/README, and to boot_console(4) in the comments
about serial consoles and new bootblocks in
sys/arch/i386/conf/GENERIC.
>Audit-Trail:
>Unformatted:
		userland supped approximately Dec 18, 1999