[syslinux] isolinux failing on serial console

[Gene Cumm]

On Sun, Apr 28, 2013 at 11:17 PM, Marc Pascual <marc.m.pascual at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 29, 2013 at 10:32 AM, Gene Cumm <gene.cumm at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Sun, Apr 28, 2013 at 7:47 PM, Marc Pascual <marc.m.pascual at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > Hi,
>> >
>> > I have a problem with isolinux failing to boot a kernel whenever I
>> navigate
>> > and trigger the menu via serial console. My test machine is a DL585 G2,
>> > with iLO2. Navigating and booting the kernels off of the video console
>>
>> How are you accessing the serial console?  Directly, via an external
>> serial console server, or the iLO?  Do you have any serial-related iLO
>> options enabled like redirecting the standard console to serial?
>>
> I used putty to connect to telnet to the serial console (used ssh as well,
> same result).
> I don't have any iLO options/settings as you've described.

So you used PuTTY to connect via a physical serial port over a null
modem cable to the physical serial port on the machine?  The
"telnet"ing to a serial console part seems a little confusing.

>> > works 100% of the time. With the serial connection however, I _sometimes_
>> > get a "menu.c32: not a COM32R image" error. Sometime it works fine. I
>>
>> http://www.syslinux.org/wiki/index.php/Common_Problems#Modules
>>
>> You shouldn't see it as a result of a serial console however if the
>> file transfer were corrupted or you somehow lost transfered blocks,
>> that might be understandable.
>>
>> What version?  I suspect something in the 4.0x range.
>
> Hm, I'm not sure how I can verify from iLO if the file transfer is
> corrupted. Yes, this is from the syslinux package that came with RHEL 6.4:
> [Linux: user at host Packages]$ ls sysli*
> syslinux-4.02-8.el6.x86_64.rpm

Thanks.

>> > suspect the serial connection is sending extra characters. I tried
>> running
>> > wireshark from my local pc, enabled telnet on the iLO2 GUI, and did some
>> > packet captures. However I don't have an idea of how it looks like when
>> > there are no extra characters sent, so I'm kind of lost there.

>> > here's my config:
>> >
>> > default menu.c32
>> > serial 0 115200
>> > # comment out to enable video console
>> > # console 0
>>
>> Have you tried to disable the standard console?  Considered leaving
>> the DEFAULT pointing to your real default option and using the UI
>> directive?
>>
>> The rest of your config (aside from wrapping) looks fine.
>>
>
> I had the standard console disabled at first but I don't have serial
> console enabled across all the machines I manage so I put it back as an
> alternative. I can use the UI directive but you reckon this is related?

I just wonder if there's something going on since both are active.
No, the UI directive is just a preferred use.

--
-Gene