Re: serial console device, and installboot vs. /boot.cfg

[Valery Ushakov <uwe%stderr.spb.ru@localhost>]

On Fri, Feb 09, 2024 at 16:26:37 -0800, Steve Rikli wrote:

> On Thu, Feb 08, 2024 at 07:31:58PM +0300, Valery Ushakov wrote:
> > On Thu, Feb 08, 2024 at 00:40:07 -0800, Steve Rikli wrote:
> > 
> > > 0) is this setup for i386/amd64 serial console documented somewhere?
> > 
> > Probably not documented explicitly.  It's a bit hard to fit into the
> > Guide, b/c the details vary wildly from port to port.  I thought MD
> > section of the installation instructions has it, but x86 versions
> > seems to be silent about it.  A sutiable writeup would be welcome :)
> 
> Can you point to the "MD section" you're referring to, e.g. from other
> architecture port(s) which talk about console setup in the way you're
> thinking about? I used to look at INSTALL.* for sparc, alpha, and
> sgimips, but it's admittedly been a while.

I must have been thinking the sparc one here, and it does talk about
serial console here and there (editing ttys, etc), but not as single
section.  My bad.  I guess people that deal with sparcs are expected
to know the prom basics, and the installation guide gives the
necessary hints about Stop-A and BREAK, etc.

I now wonder if port-specific man pages might actually be a better
medium for this.  They are easy to find and read online, and they are
there on the system for you to consult when you need to remind
yourself how to switch to a serial console for say DDB debugging
session and then to switch back.  Say, man8/${MACHINE}/console.8 with
man4/console.4 that discusses /dev/console and constty and how to
configure ttys, etc.  Something like that.

-uwe