[syslinux] BTW, serial 0

[Dag Wieers]

On Wed, 11 Aug 2010, Bjørn Mork wrote:

> Geert Stappers <stappers at stappers.nl> writes:
>> Op 20100811 om 18:54 schreef Bjørn Mork:
>>> Gene Cumm <gene.cumm at gmail.com> writes:
>>> 
>>> > Since you absolutely require the serial console options, your best bet
>>> > is probably to remaster the discs and alter the configuration files
>>> > that are used to include these options.
>>> 
>>> BTW, is there ever a reason *not* to put "serial 0" into a syslinux
>>> configuration?
>>
>> The answer is another question:
>>
>>  What should do Syslinux
>>  when there is no serial port (at the default address) ?
>
> I would hope for nothing extra-ordinary.  I.e. the same as it would do
> without the serial statement.  And I believe it does.

-snip-

> AFAICS, adding "serial 0" gives the benefit of working on serial console
> systems without changing anything noticable for other systems.  But I
> was asking because I'm afraid I'm missing something.
>
> Like the reason why Debian is so reluctant to include "serial 0" in
> their default iso/pxe installation images.  I guess there must be a
> reason...

If I remember correctly, syslinux does consume one CPU at almost 100%
waiting at the prompt when serial is enabled. Unless that is fixed (which
I can't remember seeing).

     http://syslinux.zytor.com/archives/2008-November/011130.html

(which was an interesting thread nevertheless ;-))

So I can understand why enabling serial by default is not advisable.

Kind regards,
-- 
--   dag wieers,  dag at wieers.com,  http://dag.wieers.com/   --
[Any errors in spelling, tact or fact are transmission errors]