Evolutionary Dawn

Quite a while ago I purchased a IBM x330 server not realizing that I might need a VGA card to install linux on it. Well turns out I didn’t need one but it sure would have made life easier. This post when FINALLY completed will detail the instructions of how to install RedHat Linux on a IBM x330 purely through the serial port console.

Step 1. Configuring your console terminal

Now this might not help everyone but I happened to have a IBM 3151 Terminal, because we have a few AIX machines at work.

To configure the settings on a IBM 3151 (And I think most IBM Terminals - though don’t quote me on this) the magic keys are <ctrl><scroll lock>.

The terminal settings that worked for me are the following:

Terminal Type = VT200/8

EIA Baud Rate = 9600

AUX Baud Rate = 19200

EIA Data Format = 8/1/N

Aux Data Format = 8/1/N

Language = US (Haven’t tested any other)

Step 1b: If you don’t have a console terminal (source)

On the system you are controlling the install (Machine #1), type the following:

For Linux:
miterm -s 9600 -l /dev/ttyS0

If you want to capture output of the installation then use the script command:
script
miterm -s 9600 -l /dev/ttyS0
exit

Note: minicom, kermit, and others should work just as well as miterm.

For Windows:
HyperTerminal 9600, 8, N, 1

HyperTerminal can capture output if you need it to.

Other terminal programs will work as well.

Step 2: Telling the RedHat install where to output the console

If you have chosen to plug into:

serial 0 - Type this at the redhat install prompt

linux console=ttyS0,9600

The following might also work, but I did not do it this way:

linux serial

Step 3: Making the system use the console after the install

Add line to /etc/initab:

7:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 9600 ttyS0 vt200

Add line to /etc/securetty

ttyS0

Add line to /etc/lilo.conf

append=”console=ttyS0,9600 console tty1

Add line to /etc/sysconfig/kudzu

SAFE=yes

Just to make this clear, YES I DID BORROW ALOT OF THIS.

My source is: http://www.cpqlinux.com/serialinstall.html

But it was a pain for me to find the information when I had to do it.