Re: Recover serial console after upgrade

Per olof Ljungmark wrote:
> I am in the process of upgrading an old server, a Proliant DL360 G7. The
> virtual serial port at uart1 worked with 13.2, but after 13.4 it only works
> until some point in the boot process, then its gone.

Do you have Boot Environments?  If so then you could boot the
previously working one and then compare between the two and get the
newer one working.

I had serial console working on my 13.4R systems (Supermicros) before
upgrading them to 14 RELEASE.  Seems like it should work for you.

> I just assume this is a change with acpi? but unfortunately I have no idea
> how to get the console back, sysctl only reports uart0 and so does dmesg.

That almost sounds like an upgrade to the boot firmware (can't say
BIOS anymore with UEFI systems I guess) made a change there that
disabled uart1.  Is the onboard iLO working for you?  Can you use it
to look at the console to reconfigure the firmware?  If so then check
that serial console on that port is enabled.

If you don't have iLO then I guess it would be attaching a physical
display and keyboard to debug this.  But I would be looking very
closely at the firmware configuration.

> loader.conf:
> console="comconsole"

If you add vidconsole then you get both working and can see the screen
output on the video console too.

    console="comconsole,vidconsole"

I'll just note that at the beastie boot screen you can select "Escape
to the loader prompt" and then type in custom settings for that boot.
It would be possible to type this in there.  Which is how I have had
to find which port is active, by trying each of them in turn until I
found the connected one.

    set comconsole_port=...someotherportaddress...
    set console="comconsole,vidconsole"
    boot

> comconsole_speed=115200
> comconsole_port="0x2F8"

I have run into systems where the system console is on this port or
that port.  I suspect that some update has changed the system console
port to a different com port.

Bob