I was also unable to install a newer bios using minicom. I just gave up and used a windows XP laptop with hyperterminal. I also used a USB to serial adapter - and that worked fine.
I think there are differences between the way hyperterminal handles xmodem transfers and how minicom does it. I would guess that windows and hyperterminal were used to develop the bios - so whatever differences there are, the bios update software has been 'customized' for windows xp and hyperterminal for the bios update task. It would be interesting to use a serial line sniffer to find out the differences. Re-reading your notes, I would guess that you don't and didn't need an upgrade to 133c. Are you booting into level 2 (command line login:..) or going for level 5 (Xwindows and window manager)? Level 5 is tougher - better to go for level 2 and feel around for awhile before trying X. Set up sshd so you can log in from another machine. This is helpful for killing off an errant Xwindow session or doing a soft reboot. Good luck. Bob G On Sun, 2010-01-31 at 21:17 +0000, Sebastian Robitzsch wrote: > Hi Aric, Bob and Martin, > > Thanks a lot for your help. Basically, I've used a USB to RS232 > connector since my laptop doesn't provide a serial port. Hence, I wasn't > able to use a pure serial-2-serial connection. And this has caused the > blank screen... > > So finally, I've borrowed another machine that provides a serial port - > and - everything works fine! (well - now I need to connect the box to > the internet to proceed with the net install) > > @Aric: I'm aware that I need to change grub afterwards. That's well > documented on the Internet. > Another thing: you have mentioned that ubuntu 9.04 and 8.10 didn't work > for you - since I'm relying on the 2.6.27 kernel I need to go for 8.10 > without compiling the kernel by myself. Could you explain briefly what > the issue was, please?! > > @Bob: I wasn't able to install the bios 133c. Even with the > serial-2-serial connection I got a "Transfer incomplete" with both > minicom and sx on different baud rates. But there is no need for me to > update it (so far :P) > > Thanks again for your help! > > > Cheers, > Sebastian > > Aric Warsaw wrote: > > Ubuntu 9.10 will run on the NET5501...I have it on a box running > > Asterisk. I tried 9.04 and 8.10 thinking they would be better, but > > never had any luck. For your situation, I would not use the USB port on > > the Soekris for serial connectivity...if I've read your posting/config > > correct. It'd get a null modem cable and plug directly to serial, then > > change your pxelinux.cfg and txt.cfg files to ttyS0 like @Martin says > > above. > > > > It looks like you are using serial for kernel menu and then switch to > > USB maybe??? That would cause the kernel to switch control and minicom > > to go dark. > > > > FYI....when you get ubuntu 9.10, if this is Karmic you're installing, > > then you have to make changes to grub and getty to make it boot > > correctly. The ssh server won't be installed by default, and I never > > found a way to get them installed via the serial installer. > > > > And as some advice, you may want to switch your console speed to > > something higher. I used 57600, and had to make all the appropriate > > changes, i.e. bios, grub, getty to make it happy. If I remember > > correctly, I had to change them even using 9600, so you'll want to prep > > yourself for that. 57600 helped the installing process move quicker. > > To each their own though. > > > > Aric W. > > _______________________________________________ > Soekris-tech mailing list > [email protected] > http://lists.soekris.com/mailman/listinfo/soekris-tech _______________________________________________ Soekris-tech mailing list [email protected] http://lists.soekris.com/mailman/listinfo/soekris-tech
