From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Wed Apr 25 14:18:13 2007 Return-Path: X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id F2B8116A408 for ; Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:18:13 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from dgl@kirk.dlee.org) Received: from vms048pub.verizon.net (vms048pub.verizon.net [206.46.252.48]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D418513C489 for ; Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:18:13 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from dgl@kirk.dlee.org) Received: from kirk.dlee.org ([71.178.107.244]) by vms048.mailsrvcs.net (Sun Java System Messaging Server 6.2-6.01 (built Apr 3 2006)) with ESMTPA id <0JH200IXU525FFX6@vms048.mailsrvcs.net> for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Wed, 25 Apr 2007 09:18:06 -0500 (CDT) Received: from kirk.dlee.org (dgl@localhost.dlee.org [127.0.0.1]) by kirk.dlee.org (8.13.6/8.12.11) with ESMTP id l3PEI5lR006997 for ; Wed, 25 Apr 2007 10:18:05 -0400 (EDT envelope-from dgl@kirk.dlee.org) Received: (from dgl@localhost) by kirk.dlee.org (8.13.6/8.12.11/Submit) id l3PEI5rf006996 for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Wed, 25 Apr 2007 10:18:05 -0400 (EDT envelope-from dgl) Content-return: prohibited Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 10:18:05 -0400 From: Doug Lee To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Mail-followup-to: Doug Lee , freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Message-id: <20070425141804.GC911@kirk.dlee.org> Organization: SSB + BART Group MIME-version: 1.0 Content-type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-disposition: inline User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.9i Subject: USB console or other alternatives X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:18:14 -0000 I'm one of these guys running FreeBSD 4.11 on very old hardware (a Pentium 166, specifically), and I want to upgrade to FreeBSD 6 or 7 soon but with new hardware. Being blind, I need to use something other than the video card for a console. I've been using a serial console for a long time, but serial ports are getting scarce. I need the console to become active during the boot sequence in case of problems, as it can with a serial console. As I did with FreeBSD 3 and 4, I will also want to activate this console during FreeBSD installation if possible, so I don't have to have someone else be here when I install it. Can modern hardware and a modern FreeBSD version provide console access before the kernel loads via USB or via anything other than an actual on-board or PCI serial port? Please Cc answers. Thanks very much for any info. -- Doug Lee dgl@dlee.org SSB + BART Group doug.lee@ssbbartgroup.com http://www.ssbbartgroup.com "Innovation is hard to schedule." -- Dan Fylstra