Re: Conserver problem

SEBRINT> Hello all, I just joined this list, I hope this is the
SEBRINT> appropriate address to use for troubleshooting questions, and
SEBRINT> if not, please let me know.

You've found the right place.  

SEBRINT> I have been troubleshooting a conserver/console issue for
SEBRINT> several months now, and I'm completely stuck. I have a Redhat
SEBRINT> Linux (RHEL 4.4) server that is hooked up to a Digi, but when
SEBRINT> I try to console to that server, I get nothing. The logs show
SEBRINT> that I have attached to the console, but anything I type
SEBRINT> (carriage returns, etc) are not echoed on the screen and do
SEBRINT> not show up in the console logs. 

I assume here that you have the RedHat box hooked up via a serial
cable to one of the serial ports on the Digi?  If you take that port
out of conserver control, can you telnet to the port and see anything:

    telnet digi 70xx

where xx is the serial port number on the digi.  Also, do you have
your linux box setup to use a serial console properly?  You'll need to
tell it to send output to ttyS0, and have /etc/inittab setup with a
proper agetty entry.  Something like this:

  co:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty ttyS0 9600 vt100-nav

Is this setup?

SEBRINT> Our network team (responsible for the physical cabling) has
SEBRINT> told me they found no problem with it, and it used to work a
SEBRINT> few months ago. I've tried restarting the console daemon on
SEBRINT> the console server, rebooting/resetting the digi, bouncing
SEBRINT> the dgrp processes, rebooting all the servers, and nothing
SEBRINT> seems to work.

Check your system config.

SEBRINT> What indications should I look for to see if this is a
SEBRINT> physical issue, or a software/config issue? How likely is it
SEBRINT> that the port on the digi is bad?

Can you get physical access to the Linux box and a dumb terminal and
plug in directly, bypassing the digi and confirming that you have
serial access.  Then work your way back up the chain adding in the
digi, then conserver.

Also, make sure your kernel boot config (I use grub) turns on the
serial console as well with the following example:

    default=0
    timeout=10
    serial --unit=1 --speed=9600
    terminal --timeout=10 serial console
    title Red Hat Enterprise Linux WS (2.4.21-32.ELsmp)
	    root (hd0,0)
	    kernel /vmlinuz-2.4.21-32.ELsmp ro root=LABEL=/ console=ttyS1,9600
	    initrd /initrd-2.4.21-32.ELsmp.img

This is a RHEL3u5 system shown above, and what we use.  It says ttyS1
because we use Rackable and the Remote Management Module uses ttyS1
for is stuff.

Good luck,
John
    John Stoffel - Senior Staff Systems Administrator - System LSI Group
  Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc. - http://www.toshiba.com/taec
	     john.stoffel@taec.toshiba.com - 508-486-1087