Re: Xorg startup with serial console

[Connor McLaughlan <cont6pro3%gmail.com@localhost>]

On Sun, Aug 9, 2020 at 6:54 PM Volker A. Brandt <vab%bb-c.de@localhost> wrote:
>
> Hi Connor!
>
>
> > On a standard boot with an attached keyboard, i can start the Xserver
> > and it says it uses a console like this:
> >
> > [   550.602] (--) Using wscons driver on /dev/ttyE1 in pcvt
> > compatibility mode (version 3.32)
> > [   550.602] (--) using VT number 2
> >
> > But when i do the boot via a serial connection without an attached
> > keyboard, i can not start the Xserver.
> > The error is that it would be missing a console driver:
> >
> > [  1043.586] (EE) xf86OpenConsole: No console driver found
> >         Supported drivers: pccons (with X support), pcvt, wscons
> >         Check your kernel's console driver configuration and /dev entries(EE)
>
> If I remember correctly, the OBP will not initialize the console at all
> if no keyboard is detected.  So the OS cannot see the console in the
> device tree, which is why you get this message.
>
>

There are machines like the T1000 that don't even have the possibility
to plug in a keyboard.
But there is an x8 PCIe slot where one could put in an XVR-300.

So i am practicing this scenario currently on an Ultra 25, where i
boot via serial and without keyboard and try to start up an Xserver on
the XVR-300.
Later i would add keyboard and mouse via ssh by using synergy.
This works on a system where the keyboard is attached without any problem.

But if i can't fire up the Xserver then there is no point in trying to
add a gpu to the T1000 in the first place.
Then the only possible thing one NetBSD is running on those machines
would be rendering via Xvfb and using a remote system to view this.

A remote possibility could be to use something like these
PCIe-Splitters to add a USB card in parallel to the GPU.
I am unsure if the presence of this card with attached peripherals
would be enough to be accepted as a console to the Xserver, even when
not recognized by OBP.

There are USB cards made by sun, but these are PCI and would require
an additional slot conversion. And i'm also not sure if those are
acceptable console sources for OBP.

Regards,
Connor