- [Using a serial console](#serial_console) - [How do I configure power-on settings (boot device, console, etc.)](#boot_admin) - [What devices does my system try to boot from (and how do I change it)](#boot_order) - [HP-UX Compatibility](#hpux_compat) * * * * * ### #### Using a serial console ([top](#general)) On most models, you can configure the Boot ROM to use a serial console instead of a locally attached keyboard and the framebuffer. The serial console will typically run at 9600 bps, 8 N 1 on Port "A" or "1". The procedure varies between models, but you *will* need a keyboard and monitor connected initially to configure the Boot ROM. The procedure is described below. There are some tricks you can play to force a serial console without initially connecting a keyboard and monitor. For models with removable framebuffers (such as the 720, 730, 735, and 755), simply remove the SGC framebuffer and the system will default to serial console. Apparently, [powering up with the keyboard disconnected](http://lists.parisc-linux.org/pipermail/parisc-linux/1999-December/008119.html) and [holding down the TOC (Transfer of Control) button on the side of the machine for 10 seconds while powering up](http://lists.parisc-linux.org/pipermail/parisc-linux/1999-December/008138.html) will force a serial console. The last two tricks do not appear to work on older models (such as the 715 and 735). See the [special instructions](serialconsole-712.html) for model 712 workstations. From [http://tldp.org/HOWTO/PA-RISC-Linux-Boot-HOWTO/index.html](http://tldp.org/HOWTO/PA-RISC-Linux-Boot-HOWTO/index.html) by Thomas Marteau, The Puffin Group and Deb Richardson. 1. Turn the PA-RISC machine on. Have both the keyboard and mouse connected. 2. During the boot process, the following message will appear: ~~~~ {.programlisting} Searching for Potential Boot Devices. To terminate search, press and hold the ESCAPE key. ~~~~ When this message appears, press and hold the Esc key until an options menu appears. 3. By default, you enter the `BOOT_ADMIN`{.code} console. In some 715s, the options menu looks like this: ~~~~ {.programlisting} b) Boot from specified device s) Search for bootable devices a) Enter Boot Administration mode x) Exit and continue boot sequence ?) Help Select from menu: ~~~~ Select `a) Enter Boot Administration mode`{.code}. This will bring up a `BOOT_ADMIN>`{.code} prompt. Everything else you do will be in `BOOT_ADMIN`{.code} mode. So now, everybody is in the `BOOT_ADMIN`{.code} console! 4. To change to serial console mode, type the following command at the `BOOT_ADMIN`{.code} command prompt: ~~~~ {.programlisting} path console rs232_a.9600.8.none ~~~~ 5. Power down, power up. Be ready to hit ESC on your terminal to break into the same options menu as in step 3. ####The full procedure captured from a 735/99. NetBSD/hp700: Changing from Local Console to Serial Console =========================================================== ~~~ {.programlisting} (c) Copyright. Hewlett-Packard Company. 1992. All rights reserved. PDC ROM rev. 1.1 IODC ROM rev. 1.0 240 MB of memory configured and tested. Selecting a system to boot. To stop selection process, press and hold the ESCAPE key. Booting from: scsi.6.0 SEAGATE ST3600N Selection process stopped. Searching for Potential Boot Devices. To terminate search, press and hold the ESCAPE key. Device Selection Device Path Device Type ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P0 scsi.6.0 SEAGATE ST3600N Search terminated. b) Boot from specified device s) Search for bootable devices a) Enter Boot Administration mode x) Exit and continue boot sequence ?) Help Select from menu: a BOOT_ADMIN> path Primary boot path = scsi.6.0 Alternate boot path = lan.080009-6265a6.0.0 Console path = graphics Keyboard path = hil BOOT_ADMIN> path console rs232_a.9600.8.none BOOT_ADMIN> reset Resetting ... ~~~ #### How do I configure power-on settings (boot device, console, etc.) ([top](#general)) All 700 series workstations have a Boot Administration command line utility in their Boot ROM which lets you configure various settings. For example, you can set whether the system automatically boots an OS, which device to try booting from first, determine the ethernet MAC address, set up a serial console, and possibly do some low level hardware access. To get to the `BOOT_ADMIN`{.code} prompt, you must press the `ESCAPE`{.code} key before it tries to boot an OS. Since these machines often take a long time between powering on and the brief window of time where you can hit the `ESCAPE`{.code} key, you must pay attention. It may take over a minute after pressing the power button before anything will show up on screen. Once you have escaped out of the `Selecting a system to boot`{.code} and `Searching for Potential Boot Devices`{.code} you need to type the "`a`{.code}" key to get to the `BOOT_ADMIN`{.code} prompt. Now, use the online help with the `HELP`{.code} command. `BOOT_ADMIN`{.code} menus options on a 735/99. ~~~ {.programlisting} (c) Copyright. Hewlett-Packard Company. 1992. All rights reserved. PDC ROM rev. 1.1 IODC ROM rev. 1.0 240 MB of memory configured and tested. Selecting a system to boot. To stop selection process, press and hold the ESCAPE key. Booting from: scsi.6.0 SEAGATE ST3600N Selection process stopped. Searching for Potential Boot Devices. To terminate search, press and hold the ESCAPE key. Device Selection Device Path Device Type ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- P0 scsi.6.0 SEAGATE ST3600N Search terminated. b) Boot from specified device s) Search for bootable devices a) Enter Boot Administration mode x) Exit and continue boot sequence ?) Help Select from menu: a BOOT_ADMIN> help The following commands are available: AUTOSELECT Display/Set state of AUTOSELECT flag BOOT Boot from Primary/Alternate path or Specified Device DATE Read/Set the Real-Time Clock EXIT Return to previous menu FASTBOOT Display/Set state of FASTBOOT flag FASTSIZE Display/Set FASTSIZE memory parameter FDDI_ADDR Display FDDI Station Address HELP Display Help information for INFO Display boot/revision information LAN_ADDR Display LAN Station Address OS Display/Select Operating System PATH Display/Modify Path Information PIM_INFO Display Processor Internal Memory Information RESET Reset the System SEARCH Search for boot device SECURE Display/set secure boot mode SHOW Display the results of the previous search BOOT_ADMIN> help autoselect AUTOSELECT/AUTO Display the state of the AUTOSELECT flag AUTOSELECT ON Enable AUTOSELECT at next boot AUTOSELECT OFF Disable AUTOSELECT at next boot AUTOSELECT enables the automatic search and selection of a boot device. The autoselection search process for boot devices is ordered: - primary boot device (as defined in Stable Storage) - SCSI at address 6 - SCSI at address 5 - FWSCSI at address 6 - FWSCSI at address 5 - LAN - Other devices connected to SCSI - Other devices connected to FWSCSI - EISA BOOT_ADMIN> autoselect AUTOSELECT ON. BOOT_ADMIN> autoselect off AUTOSELECT OFF. BOOT_ADMIN> lan_addr LAN Station Address: 080009-488879 BOOT_ADMIN> help path Set named path in Stable Storage: PATH [.] Display named path: PATH Display all paths in Stable Storage: PATH primary, alternate, console, keyboard [.] may be one of the following: eisa. (EISA adapter) fwscsi. (On-board FASTWIDE SCSI interface) lan. (Slider-card LAN interface) scsi. (On-board SCSI interface) graphics (Graphics Slot) hil (HP-HIL Module) parallel (On-board Parallel Port) rs232_a. (Serial Port A) rs232_b. (Serial Port B) For more information on device options, type HELP where = eisa, lan, rs232, etc ... BOOT_ADMIN> path Primary boot path = scsi.6.0 Alternate boot path = lan.080009-6265a6.0.0 Console path = graphics Keyboard path = hil BOOT_ADMIN> help lan LAN (IEEE 802.3/Ethernet LAN) Path Specification lan... 12 digit (hex) LAN server address max number of times to try a boot request (0 = default, 255 = infinite) max number of times to try a read request (0 = default, 255 = infinite) Example: to specify LAN address 123456-78ABCD with infinite initialization retries and default I/O retries, lan.123456-78ABCD.255.0 If one or more parameters are not specified, the following defaults will be used: = 000000-000000 = 3 tries = 6 tries BOOT_ADMIN> reset Resetting ... ~~~ #### What devices does my system try to boot from (and how do I change it) ([top](#general)) Use the `AUTOSELECT`{.code} and `PATH`{.code} commands in the [`BOOT_ADMIN`{.code}](#boot_admin) environment. #### HP-UX Compatibility ([top](#general)) NetBSD/hp700 will one day feature extensive binary compatibility with HP-UX programs, however this work has not been done yet.