AutoBoot and serial console on PC164LX

Andreas Haumer (andreas@xss.co.at)
Fri, 28 Nov 1997 11:39:35 +0100

Hi!

Some time ago I reported a problem with the AutoBoot option on a
PC164LX motherboard. As this issue is still unresolved I would
like to ask if someone knows a solution or can give a hint.

Problem-description:

When I install a PC164LX based Linux server without keyboard
connected, the system doesn't boot automatically!

AlphaBios reports the missing keyboard and redirects all I/O
to the first serial port. This works fine. I have a terminal
attached to this port and I can watch the BIOS messages, jump
into the setup program, select the OS and manually boot the
system.
I also have the AutoBoot option enabled (Delay=10seconds), to
have the system booted without user intervention.
But the AutoBoot option doesn't work when there is no keyboard
connected! AlphaBIOS just displays the OS selection menu and
waits for user-input forever (well, or maybe it's a _very_ long
timeout: I gave up after 30 minutes)!
I can select the OS manually using the terminal's cursor
keys and start the OS with the Enter-key, though.

It _does_ boot automatically when there's a keyboard connected
to the PS/2 port.

This turns out to be a big problem because I want to use
PC164LX based Linux systems for my "communication-server"
application, and my customers won't be very happy if the
server doesn't come up automatically after reboot!
And I don't want to tell my customers "Hey, for sure it's
a server, but you have to connect a keyboard just to make
it boot..." :-(

I tried this with AlphaBios 5.60 and 5.60-3, but it
didn't make a difference.

For me it seems to be a AlphaBios problem, but I couldn't
find a version with this problem fixed.

Does anyone know this problem?
Does anyone know a solution?
Is there a AlphaBios newer than 5.60-3?

Any help is appreciated!
Thanks!

- andreas

-- 
 Andreas Haumer         | email: andreas@xss.co.at | PGP key available
 *x Software + Systeme  | phone: +43.1.6001508     | on request.
 Buchengasse 67/8       |        +43.664.3004449   |   
 A-1100 Vienna, Austria |   fax: +43.1.6001507     |

-- 
To unsubscribe: send e-mail to axp-list-request@redhat.com with
'unsubscribe' as the subject.  Do not send it to axp-list@redhat.com



Feedback | Store | News | Support | Product Errata | About Us | Linux Info | Search | JumpWords
No Frames | Show Frames

Copyright © 1995-1997 Red Hat Software. Legal notices