[rescue] RS6k serial console tips?

[Carl R. Friend]

   On Thu, 8 Apr 2004, Todd Carson wrote:

> I'm (still) trying to install AIX 5.1 on my RS/6000 model 250: now
> I can't get past the point where it asks for the system console
> (LED c31).
> 
>  From what I've read, I know that I can't select the graphics
> console here without an original IBM keyboard, which I don't have.

   When it comes up and asks to select the console on the screen (it
is doing that, right?) give the keyboard a <ESC>[001q sequence.  Note
that you'll probably have to do the <ESC> as a <CTRL>-[ due to the
oddball (RS/6000 'board) keymapping.  The <ESC>[001q is "longhand"
for "F1".  (The other approach is to hammer on the keyboard like a
chimpanzee until the '6000 accepts something.)

> I was under the impression, though, that I could select a serial
> console at this point. I haven't had much luck with this so far,
> though, and I was hoping people with more experience with RS/6000
> hardware and AIX might have an idea of what's going on.

   You _might_ be able to do that if you remove the keyboard and
framebuffer.

> 
> Here's how the system is behaving:
> 
> If I have a keyboard (a standard PC PS/2 keyboard, DEC-branded)
> plugged in, then the system will hang at LED c31 with no output
> to either the monitor or other machines connected to S1 or S2.
> Input to either the keyboard or the remote terminal emulators
> has no effect.

   How are you booting the system?  From CD or from the internal
disk (if you already have an older version of AIX on it)?

> If the keyboard is not plugged in, then the "Select the system
> console" prompt is displayed on the monitor, but still nothing
> is output to either serial port S1 or S2, and typing things in
> from a serial connection "blind" doesn't accomplish anything.

   That's truly bizarre.  Try the <ESC>[001q above on the keyboard.

> Tomorrow I'm going to check the place where I got the machine to
> see if I can pick up a keyboard that would work, but I'm not
> optimistic. Does anyone have any ideas as to why this prompt isn't
> being displayed on the serial console and what I can do about it?

   If the 250 is anything like a 220, a standard PS/2 keboard should
work OK but will need remapping at boot time.  Also, you'll get no
sound because the RS/6000 keyboards have integral speakers.

+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+
| Carl Richard Friend (UNIX Sysadmin)            | West Boylston       |
| Minicomputer Collector / Enthusiast            | Massachusetts, USA  |
| mailto:crfriend at rcn.com                        +---------------------+
| http://users.rcn.com/crfriend/museum           | ICBM: 42:22N 71:47W |
+------------------------------------------------+---------------------+