USB-VGA suggestions?

Fri Jul 21 02:58:49 UTC 2017

At  Robert Heller <heller at deepsoft.com> wrote:

> 
> At Thu, 20 Jul 2017 18:51:04 -0400 "Ubuntu user technical support,  not for general discussions" <ubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com> wrote:
> 
> > 
> > On 2017-07-20 18:34, Karl Auer wrote:
> > > Not me - but I have had experience with using USB-to-serial adapters.
> > 
> > While I appreciate the thought, Karl, I promise you, I know serial: I 
> > still have the RS-232 pinouts (both nine- and 25-pin) memorized, as well 
> > as the Procomm keystrokes, which translate nicely to Minicom.  Heck: 
> > just today, I ordered three USB-to-RJ-45 serial cables for switch and 
> > router console work.  But that's not gonna cut it for what I want, 
> > because I'd need to set up the serial in the BIOS, first.
> > 
> > Alas, it *also* occurred to me that my desire was really a fantasy: the 
> > BIOS, likewise, will almost certainly ignore any USB-VGA adapter I tried 
> > to use.  Which means, like it or not, in order to get the pesky blades 
> > to boot, I'll have to plug in to the VGA headers on the motherboards of 
> > the blades.  Which leaves me still boggling that they didn't have VGA on 
> > the blades to start with.
> 
> Do the blades have a *serial console* (as in /dev/ttyS0 aka "COM0:").  
> 
> Also: some of these servers have some kind of "management firmware" or 
> something like that.  It *should* be possible to do a boot and install that 
> way.  The management firmware might gain you access to a real or "virtual" 
> serial console.  Like maybe you ssh into the console/management "appliance", 
> which exposes the serial consoles for the blades or some such fun and games.
> 
> It *might* be possible to create a fully *non-interactive* boot-install using 
> a kickstart file, on a USB thumb drive.  At least enough to get you to a 
> basic system with a working sshd.

It occured to me that this being an *Ubuntu* list that "kickstart" might not
be a familur term. It is a *Red Hat Enterprise Linux* thing: a kickstart file
is a small configuration file included on the install media (or fetched off
the local network, or in the olden days from a floppy disk) that contains all
of the parameter settings for the install (eg partitioning scheme, network
config, initial accounts, packages to install, etc.). It allows for a
completely hands off install -- there is no need to interact with the computer
(server, desktop, or laptop) to install the operating system. Just insert the
install media and fire up the machine (or actually, just boot it off the
network with PXE using a bootp server), and go off to lunch. No need for
keyboard, mouse, or even screen.

> 
> > 
> > Thanks anyway, all...
> > 
> > -Ken
> > 
> > 
> > > On Thu, 2017-07-20 at 17:25 -0400, Ken D'Ambrosio wrote:
> > >> Hey, all.  I've got the weirdest server I've seen in some time: it's
> > >> got four (independent) blades, but no video. You can pop the slot
> > >> off, buy a VGA connector with a cable running to the VGA header, and
> > >> plug that in... but it's a PITA.  What it *does* have for every
> > >> blade, though, is USB -- two of 'em.  So if I had a VGA-to-USB
> > >> adapter, and a keyboard, I'd be golden.  But last time I looked,
> > >> Linux support for those adapters was kinda questionable.  Has anyone
> > >> had any good experiences?
> > > 
> > > Not me - but I have had experience with using USB-to-serial adapters.
> > > Linux supports those very well indeed, and Unix has had a serial
> > > console since God's dog was a puppy. A serial console will give you a
> > > fully-fledged command line interface. If you really, really want to you
> > > could run ppp over it and have an X terminal :-)
> > > 
> > > Plus a serial console gives you the ability to copy files to and from
> > > the server, which a VGA screen can't do.
> > > 
> > > Google something like "linux boot serial console" and go wild.
> > > 
> > > Regards, K.
> > > 
> > > PS: No, you don't need to go to eBay looking for 80x25 green screen
> > > serial terminals :-) Any laptop can do it, though few of them have
> > > serial ports these days, so you will need another USB-to-serial
> > > adapter. You will also need a terminal program to run on said laptop.
> > > If your laptop is running Linux you have minicom or one of a bunch of
> > > others including kermit. Since Microsoft canned HyperTerminal you will
> > > need to find another one - RealTerm, TeraTerm and of course puTTY will
> > > do the job.
> > > 
> > > --
> > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> > > Karl Auer (kauer at biplane.com.au)
> > > http://www.biplane.com.au/kauer
> > > http://twitter.com/kauer389
> > > 
> > > GPG fingerprint: A52E F6B9 708B 51C4 85E6 1634 0571 ADF9 3C1C 6A3A
> > > Old fingerprint: E00D 64ED 9C6A 8605 21E0 0ED0 EE64 2BEE CBCB C38B
> > 
> 

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