[U-Boot-Users] UBoot's terminal server

From UBoot manual:
"...There are several ways to access the serial console port on your target system, such as using a terminal server, but the most common way is to attach it to a serial port on your host. Additionally, you will need a terminal emulation program on your host system, such as cu or kermit. .."
My question is: How can I use Uboot shell wo RS232 COMport connection - are there ways to get rsh (telnet or whatever) server working on UBoot? Yes, I'm using RS232 currently, but what if I want to use UBoot shell through ethernet, how could I configure UBoot to make it setup "terminal server"?

On Mon, 2007-04-23 at 07:36 -0700, vvj wrote:
From UBoot manual:
"...There are several ways to access the serial console port on your target system, such as using a terminal server, but the most common way is to attach it to a serial port on your host. Additionally, you will need a terminal emulation program on your host system, such as cu or kermit. .."
My question is: How can I use Uboot shell wo RS232 COMport connection - are there ways to get rsh (telnet or whatever) server working on UBoot? Yes, I'm using RS232 currently, but what if I want to use UBoot shell through ethernet, how could I configure UBoot to make it setup "terminal server"?
It's possible to route console over the network interface via NetConsole. Read about it in doc/README.NetConsole.
regards, Ben

Thanks Ben, I tried this way - it does not work.
First - UBoot issue: when I enter "setenv stdout nc; setenv stdin nc'", the env var stays the same - I can see it from "printenv". I changed sources - set stdout and stdin to nc by default and erased env var. Loading default values did not help: still I see ... In: serial Out: serial Err: serial Net: Using MAC Address 12:34:56:78:9A:BD Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0 ... I searched source code for 6666 or 1a0a (1A0A) - default port - nothing found, except ncb.c from tools folder (linux app)
Second - my Fedora5 issue: It does not understand "nc -u -l -p 6666 < /dev/null &" - shows help topic on that
So I really doubt this could work in described way.

In message 10146755.post@talk.nabble.com you wrote:
I tried this way - it does not work.
Did you check if the required features are enabled in your board configuration?
I searched source code for 6666 or 1a0a (1A0A) - default port - nothing found, except ncb.c from tools folder (linux app)
You did not search thoroughly; I find more that 60 files:
-> find * -type f | xargs egrep 6666 | wc -l 61
One of them is - big surprise - drivers/netconsole.c
Second - my Fedora5 issue: It does not understand "nc -u -l -p 6666 < /dev/null &" - shows help topic on that
Seems you did not read the documentation either. Please reread the doc/README.NetConsole file, now from beginning to end, and pay special attention when it talsk about "some distributives (Fedora Core 5 at least)" - this could be important to your problem.
So I really doubt this could work in described way.
It can. You just have to do it right.
Best regards,
Wolfgang Denk

Dear Wolfgang,
I searched through latest (Uboot 1.2) doc folder, but did not find kind of text you mentioned: "...some distributives (Fedora Core 5 at least)..."
Also I recompiled Uboot to support NetConsole: I defined CONFIG_NETCONSOLE CFG_CMD_NET (in CONFIG_COMMANDS, wo it I had compiling errors) CONFIG_NET_MULTI (wo it I had compiling errors)
The problem is that when I define CONFIG_NET_MULTI, Uboot does not initialize network at startup - I cant use tftp or any network related. When I "run nc" - serial COM port shell dies, but do not see anything on host (I tried SuSe now)
What are the criteria which defines whether board is capable of netconsole or not? What means CONFIG_NET_MULTI and why network stuff - eth_init(bd_t) - does not launch when it is defined?
I have UBoot 1.1.2 from STlinux.com and 7100mboard
Best regards,
Viktor Volke

In message 10158334.post@talk.nabble.com you wrote:
I searched through latest (Uboot 1.2) doc folder, but did not find kind of text you mentioned: "...some distributives (Fedora Core 5 at least)..."
U-Boot 1.2.0 is not latest, it is actually quite old. Please use current code (top of tree from git repository).
I have UBoot 1.1.2 from STlinux.com and 7100mboard
Please contact their support group then. I don't know which changes they might have made.
Best regards,
Wolfgang Denk

On Mon, 2007-04-23 at 11:52 -0700, vvj wrote:
Thanks Ben, I tried this way - it does not work.
First - UBoot issue: when I enter "setenv stdout nc; setenv stdin nc'", the env var stays the same - I can see it from "printenv". I changed sources - set stdout and stdin to nc by default and erased env var. Loading default values did not help: still I see ... In: serial Out: serial Err: serial Net: Using MAC Address 12:34:56:78:9A:BD Hit any key to stop autoboot: 0 ... I searched source code for 6666 or 1a0a (1A0A) - default port - nothing found, except ncb.c from tools folder (linux app)
You need to set CONFIG_NETCONSOLE in your board .h file and recompile U-boot. This will let you redirect the streams.
Second - my Fedora5 issue: It does not understand "nc -u -l -p 6666 < /dev/null &" - shows help topic on that
There was recently a patch to the README.NetConsole file about using nc under Fedora Core 5. I believe you should try it without "-p". I'm a Debian/Ubuntu user, so can't really speak from experience.
regards, Ben
participants (3)
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Ben Warren
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vvj
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Wolfgang Denk