Re: help with serial console Dell 860 NetBSD/pxe install

[matthew sporleder <msporleder%gmail.com@localhost>]

On Tue, Dec 6, 2011 at 10:00 PM, George Michaelson <ggm%pobox.com@localhost> 
wrote:
> Trying a headless lights-out install of NetBSD 5.1 on a Dell 860.
>
> I get pxeboot working, and have done a variety of installboot diddles to
> set com0, speed etc. I have successfully interrupted pxeboot, set
> console=auto and other twiddles, but once I do boot tftp:netbsd-INSTALL
> I get the basic spandrel plus the memory sizes, and then silence.
>
> nada. niet, null points. nothing.
>
> grub is confusing. I have got pxelinux working and installed ubuntu and
> debian this way, and FreeBSD. Love to do a NetBSD, want to try xen stuff,
> but this is a major roadblock right now.
>
> Any clues? kick me now moments? clue sticks of any size?
>
> -G
>

Do you have an install kernel named "netbsd" in your tftp boot dir?

It also sounds like your pxeboot.bin might not be using the serial port.

Can you include some screenshots of how far you get?

Here's a howto I wrote for netbooting/installing:
http://www.mspo.com/how-to/soekris.html