Connecting to Sun Ultra 5 over serial line

[mal content]

Hello.

I'm trying to connect to a Sun Ultra 5 from my OpenBSD
laptop (a thinkpad) but I'm currently stuck. I have next to
no experience with serial communications, so I'm groping
around in the dark currently.

I have a serial cable with a null modem adapter connected
to the DB9 serial port on my laptop and the DB25 A serial
port on the Sun.

I'm using minicom, at 9600 baud and using the /dev/tty00
device.

When I switch on the Sun, I'm told that I should get some
console output and then the usual ok> prompt. I actually
get a lot of control characters and binary gibberish.

Where exactly do I start with troubleshooting? The cable
doesn't seem to be at fault, so I'm assuming that the
problem is software related.

cheers,
MC

[Spruell, Darren-Perot]

Post by mal content
When I switch on the Sun, I'm told that I should get some
console output and then the usual ok> prompt. I actually
get a lot of control characters and binary gibberish.
Where exactly do I start with troubleshooting? The cable
doesn't seem to be at fault, so I'm assuming that the
problem is software related.

It may have to do with flow control settings (should be 'none'), and do you
know for certain if the sun console is set to 9600?

I have good success with tip(1). It ships with the OS.

$ tip -9600 tty00

DS

[mal content]

# cu -l /dev/cua00
This works fine (here) from and to a Blade 100/SS4/SGI 02.

Hello.

The output from that command was colourful to say the least
and in fact caused xterm to glitch (the prompt was replaced
with strange control characters in that strange manner that
sometimes happens when you accidentally cat a binary
file).

No luck so far...
MC

[Jasper Lievisse Adriaanse]

Post by mal content
Hello.
I'm trying to connect to a Sun Ultra 5 from my OpenBSD
laptop (a thinkpad) but I'm currently stuck. I have next to
no experience with serial communications, so I'm groping
around in the dark currently.
I have a serial cable with a null modem adapter connected
to the DB9 serial port on my laptop and the DB25 A serial
port on the Sun.
I'm using minicom, at 9600 baud and using the /dev/tty00
device.

Instead of using minicom, can you try:

# cu -l /dev/cua00

This works fine (here) from and to a Blade 100/SS4/SGI 02.

Post by mal content
When I switch on the Sun, I'm told that I should get some
console output and then the usual ok> prompt. I actually
get a lot of control characters and binary gibberish.
Where exactly do I start with troubleshooting? The cable
doesn't seem to be at fault, so I'm assuming that the
problem is software related.
cheers,
MC

Cheers,
Jasper

[mal content]

Post by mal content
Hello.
I'm trying to connect to a Sun Ultra 5 from my OpenBSD
laptop (a thinkpad) but I'm currently stuck. I have next to
no experience with serial communications, so I'm groping
around in the dark currently.
I have a serial cable with a null modem adapter connected
to the DB9 serial port on my laptop and the DB25 A serial
port on the Sun.
I'm using minicom, at 9600 baud and using the /dev/tty00
device.
When I switch on the Sun, I'm told that I should get some
console output and then the usual ok> prompt. I actually
get a lot of control characters and binary gibberish.
Where exactly do I start with troubleshooting? The cable
doesn't seem to be at fault, so I'm assuming that the
problem is software related.
cheers,
MC

Hi,
make sure your keyboard is not connected to the Sun, otherwise it will not switch the console to the serial IF. Also make sure your connection settings are 9600-8N1. You might also find more help at http://www.obsolyte.com/sunFAQ/serial/.

Hello.

Yes, I have this guide onscreen now. My keyboard is already unplugged,
and I seem to be using the correct settings.

MC

[m***@arcor.de]

----- Original Nachricht ----
Von: mal content <***@googlemail.com>
An: ***@openbsd.org
Datum: 20.05.2006 00:01
Betreff: Connecting to Sun Ultra 5 over serial line

Post by mal content
Hello.
I'm trying to connect to a Sun Ultra 5 from my OpenBSD
laptop (a thinkpad) but I'm currently stuck. I have next to
no experience with serial communications, so I'm groping
around in the dark currently.
I have a serial cable with a null modem adapter connected
to the DB9 serial port on my laptop and the DB25 A serial
port on the Sun.
I'm using minicom, at 9600 baud and using the /dev/tty00
device.
When I switch on the Sun, I'm told that I should get some
console output and then the usual ok> prompt. I actually
get a lot of control characters and binary gibberish.
Where exactly do I start with troubleshooting? The cable
doesn't seem to be at fault, so I'm assuming that the
problem is software related.
cheers,
MC

Hi,
make sure your keyboard is not connected to the Sun, otherwise it will not switch the console to the serial IF. Also make sure your connection settings are 9600-8N1. You might also find more help at http://www.obsolyte.com/sunFAQ/serial/.

BR
Marcus

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[Chad M Stewart]

Being a U5, its used, which means someone could have changed the baud
rate of the serial port. :) I've got two U10s, a SS20, and 220R in
my basement^H^H data center. ;-)

If you can use a keyboard & monitor to get to the ok prompt, then you
can check the speed of the serial port. I can't remember the command
right now, but a search on the web should point in the right
direction. I don't recall if the U5s are like the U10s in this
respect, if so, then don't break the serial connection once the
machine is booted. Otherwise it'll do the equivalent of stop-a. My
main mail server was up over 500 days when I had to move things
around. I accidently pulled the serial cable, damn it. :)

-Chad

[mal content]

Post by Chad M Stewart
Being a U5, its used, which means someone could have changed the baud
rate of the serial port. :) I've got two U10s, a SS20, and 220R in
my basement^H^H data center. ;-)
If you can use a keyboard & monitor to get to the ok prompt, then you
can check the speed of the serial port. I can't remember the command
right now, but a search on the web should point in the right
direction. I don't recall if the U5s are like the U10s in this
respect, if so, then don't break the serial connection once the
machine is booted. Otherwise it'll do the equivalent of stop-a. My
main mail server was up over 500 days when I had to move things
around. I accidently pulled the serial cable, damn it. :)

Ah, well, there's the problem you see. I'm actually trying to get
a serial login as the last lot apparently set the console to some
ridiculous resolution that no monitor here can handle.

It's looking pretty unlikely that I'm even going to get that though,
this one might have to go for scrap. :(

MC

[mal content]

Post by mal content
Ah, well, there's the problem you see. I'm actually trying to get
a serial login as the last lot apparently set the console to some
ridiculous resolution that no monitor here can handle.
It's looking pretty unlikely that I'm even going to get that though,
this one might have to go for scrap. :(
MC

Power up the system whilst holding STOP & N
that will force the OBP to reset to default settings & all should be
well again.

Hah, well that pretty much settles it - this is a faulty machine.

I tried STOP-N on boot, no video and now the machine refuses
to acknowledge that the keyboard exists too.

Thanks to all who replied.
MC

[mal content]

Try holding STOP & F & powering up the system, this forces output via
serial port A
STOP-D forces a diagnostic power on. The NVRAM Parameter
diag-switch? is set to true.
Not supported by USB Keyboards.
STOP-F forces input and output to ttya. Input from the Keyboard is
disabled except for L1-A.
Not supported by USB Keyboards.
STOP-N forces a set-defaults of the NVRAM.
Not supported by USB Keyboards.

Hi. I tried all of the above, but the machine stubbornly refuses to
do anything useful.

Shame, really.
cheers,
MC

[Nathan Johnson]

By the way, in my experiences with Sun, you need hardware flow control
enabled. Also, you need to ensure that the cables you are using have
all of the pins connected, and you are correct in assuming that you
need a null style cable. Occasionally you'll find a crappy serial
cable where the hardware flow control pins are disconnected. On my
sun's (ultra 10 and ss20), they use the following by default: 8N1
9600 rts/cts

[Sevan / Venture37]

Post by mal content

Post by mal content
Ah, well, there's the problem you see. I'm actually trying to get
a serial login as the last lot apparently set the console to some
ridiculous resolution that no monitor here can handle.
It's looking pretty unlikely that I'm even going to get that though,
this one might have to go for scrap. :(
MC

Power up the system whilst holding STOP & N
that will force the OBP to reset to default settings & all should be
well again.

Hah, well that pretty much settles it - this is a faulty machine.
I tried STOP-N on boot, no video and now the machine refuses
to acknowledge that the keyboard exists too.
Thanks to all who replied.
MC

Try holding STOP & F & powering up the system, this forces output via
serial port A

STOP-D forces a diagnostic power on. The NVRAM Parameter
diag-switch? is set to true.
Not supported by USB Keyboards.

STOP-F forces input and output to ttya. Input from the Keyboard is
disabled except for L1-A.
Not supported by USB Keyboards.

STOP-N forces a set-defaults of the NVRAM.
Not supported by USB Keyboards.

[Sevan / Venture37]

Post by mal content
Ah, well, there's the problem you see. I'm actually trying to get
a serial login as the last lot apparently set the console to some
ridiculous resolution that no monitor here can handle.
It's looking pretty unlikely that I'm even going to get that though,
this one might have to go for scrap. :(
MC

Power up the system whilst holding STOP & N
that will force the OBP to reset to default settings & all should be
well again.

Sevan

[Bryan Irvine]

Post by mal content
Hello.
I'm trying to connect to a Sun Ultra 5 from my OpenBSD
laptop (a thinkpad) but I'm currently stuck. I have next to
no experience with serial communications, so I'm groping
around in the dark currently.
I have a serial cable with a null modem adapter connected
to the DB9 serial port on my laptop and the DB25 A serial
port on the Sun.
I'm using minicom, at 9600 baud and using the /dev/tty00
device.

I do this with minicom all the time. The gibberish is usually a wrong
speed setting.

Defaults are 9600 8-N-1, and no flow control.


--Bryan

[Lars Hansson]

Post by mal content
I'm using minicom, at 9600 baud and using the /dev/tty00
device.

Tried /dev/cua00?
---
Lars Hansson