[Bug 917557] Re: Ubuntu Server edition does not recognize serial console during installation

[James Brierley]

It may be worth mentioning that Debian's own debian-installer (at least
when I last used it) does detect when installation is being conducted
over serial and adds a line to inittab enabling serial logins. This
should perhaps be adapted to add a ttyS0.conf for Upstart.

During a serial Ubuntu install, the relevant configuration *is* added to
the generated grub.cfg (i.e. the GRUB menu will appear on the serial
line) but console=ttyS0,9600n8 (or whatever) is not appended to the
kernel line so boot messages will likewise be sent over serial. And,
crucially, since Upstart has not been instructed to start a getty,
serial logins are not possible.

A workaround until this is fixed is to install over serial, then upon
reboot temporarily edit GRUB's kernel line with
console=ttyS{port},{baud} and single for single user mode. Then add the
relevant .conf for Upstart, change /etc/default/grub to append the
correct console parameters to the kernel line by default, run update-
grub, and reboot. You should then be able to see all your boot messages
and log in.

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/917557

Title:
  Ubuntu Server edition does not recognize serial console during
  installation

Status in “debian-installer” package in Ubuntu:
  Confirmed

Bug description:
  Ubuntu Server edition can install a system on a headless device but at
  no point during the installation does it ask whether the server should
  be set to actually use the console (com0:) in the future.  Since many
  servers are headless, there should be an option to activate the
  console.  The installer should detect whether or not the installation
  is done over serial connection and then base the default settings on
  the speed and other values used during the installation.

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