NetConsole with USB cable?

Hello Everyone,

I wanted to know if netconsole can be used via USB to grab a boot log off of a DockStar? Reason being is that I'm having issues with getting netconsole to work via eithernet. If so, what environment commands do I need to give uBoot and what commands does netconsole need to listen via USB?

Any other ports or configuration suggestions that might work here would be great!

Thanks...

~Jussi~

Jussi, netconsole does not use USB at all. I believe you mean "Can I use USB to talk to the hardware console of the Dockstar?" and the answer is yes, if you use a special USB device. The device you want is known as a CA-42 cable and it is sold as an accessory for Nokia phones. It is actually an implementation of a serial port, but using 3.3V signals (if I recall correctly) rather than the conventional serial port voltages. To use this, you'll have to cut off one end of the CA-42 cable and put a header on it so that it can be affixed to the serial port on your Dockstar. You'll have to open your Dockstar to access this port. You can then use a program like "putty" to interact with this port.

There are many posts on how to do this, both in this forum and on the greater Internet -- just Google for them.

The one big advantage of having a real console, as opposed to a netconsole, is that you can indeed see the output of the OS as it boots. Netconsole is confined to the uBoot and you cannot follow the OS boot once control is handed off to it.

Good luck.

Restamp,

Thanks for the clarification. I will search for this magical cable you speak of. I would rather go directly to the serial port on the dockstar (did not know it had one) anyways.

Again, thanks.

~Jussi~