[syslinux] help configuring netboot over remote serial terminal

[Miles Fidelman]

Hi Folks,

I'm trying to install Debian onto a headless server (Supermicro 
X8SIE-LN4F motherboard).  The on-board IPMI BMC redirects the serial 
port to COM3, and I can talk to it just fine over a remote console 
connection.

I've been trying to install Debian remotely, and have the DHCP and TFTP 
servers working, and things seem to work (at least into the Splash 
screen) if I'm using a remote KVM terminal.

But... I can't seem to get remote serial working.

Currently, I've modified the following files to reac:

-------
tftp/debian-installer/amd64/boot-screens/syslinux.cfg
SERIAL 0 115200

tftp/debian-installer/amd64/boot-screens/txt.cfg
     append vga=788 initrd=debian-installer/amd64/initrd.gz -- 
console=ttyS0,
115200n8 earlyprint=serial,ttyS0,115200n8

tftp/debian-installer/amd64/pxelinux.cfg/default
SERIAL 0 115200
------

things get as far as displaying (on the remote serial console):
loading debian-installer/amd64/initrd.gz
which then disappears, and the cursor moves several lines down the screen

then everything hangs

of note, if I try to put
console 0
as the second line of pxelinux.cfg/default, then I hang earlier, with 
the message:
PXELINUX 4.02 debian-20101014  Copyright (C) 1994-2010 H. Peter Anvin et al
!PXE entry point found (we hope) at 9A4B:0106 via plan A
UNDI code segment at 9A4B len 44B0
UNDI data segment at 9412 len 6390
Getting cached packet  01 02 03
My IP address seems to be CF9A3B89 207.154.59.137 
ip=207.154.59.137:207.154.59.135:0.0.0.0:255.255.255.224
BOOTIF=01-00-25-90-39-71-1c
SYSUUID=534d4349-0002-3990-2500-399025001f71
TFTP prefix: Trying to load: pxelinux.cfg/default ok


Any thoughts on what I might be doing wrong?  Or at least some guidance 
as to which config file might need tweaking (I'm not quite sure which 
order these are getting executed in, or at what steps of the boot process.)

Thanks very much,

Miles Fidelman



-- 
In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice.
In practice, there is.   .... Yogi Berra