From Servers4Linux

Contents 1 Help with Consoles 1.1 More on Serial Ports 1.2 Required Supplies 1.3 Using an Actual Serial Terminal 1.4 Using a Terminal Emulator 1.5 More on Specific Model Consoles

Help with Consoles

Have you heard this before (or had it happen to you)?

"I just bought a server. When I turn it on, the power supply make noise, lights come on, but I don't see anything! What gives?"

More likely than not, your server is working fine, you probably aren't connecting to the designated console. Most of these servers can send their displays to multiple devices. By default, it's usually a serial port, not the VGA port (regular computer video monitor). So that means the VGA port (if the server has one) doesn't do anything (the console is directed to a serial port).

Note that this makes for interesting opportunities during sales, because people quickly give up and conclude their server is "dead" when in fact it's working fine, they just don't know how to get console. So you can get the "dead" server for a song.

One of the things that makes a server a "server" is that they are intended to be run in (large) groups in racks. Since a big business has many, many of these in multiple racks, they usually don't bother to hook up keyboard, video (monitor), and mouse (KVM) to each one separately. Running servers without any display device is called running them "headless". Headless servers are usually configured to send console output to a serial port. Server makers recognize this. Older servers have nothing put serial ports on them, you can't hook KVM up to them if you wanted to. Other (newer?) servers have both KVM and serial ports, but these usually have the default display device set to a serial port.

Each server model's page here on Servers4Linux has a "how to get console" section, and idiosyncrasies with that particular model are written up there. For example, if you have a rx2620, and you're having console issues, read the page on rx2660's to find out about the strange little cable you have to buy to get console.

If the server has a lights out management (LOM) card, it's probably on a serial console directed through the LOM. .

More on Serial Ports

Required Supplies

If you're not used to using serial ports, you'll have to get a few things. First off, and most important, you'll need some adapters.

Using an Actual Serial Terminal

Using a Terminal Emulator

insert pic blah, blah

Once you get the terminal emulator connected, you'll get dialog from either the server itself, or on "real" servers with lights out management capabilities, the LOM processor. Here's an example of a LOM management processor on a HP rx2620 saying hello.

MP login:
MP password:
 *************************************************************************
  This is a private system.
  Do not attempt to login unless you are an authorized user.
  Any authorized or unauthorized access or use may be monitored and can
  result in criminal or civil prosecution under applicable law.
 *************************************************************************

MP login:
MP password:

More on Specific Model Consoles

Seems like every different model of server has their own little differences when using a console. If applicable, these are documented in Servers4Linux's writeup on that server model.