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Author Topic: Using serial terminal  (Read 3909 times)

Offline gavinmc42

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Using serial terminal
« on: December 02, 2014, 01:04:42 AM »
Don't seem to be getting serial console working on the A+
Running 6.0 beta basic version

Got a FTDI dongle/cable on a PC with Hercules running 115200 baud

Get the message
Uncompressing Linux...done, booting the Kernel.

And that's where it stays, nothing else can be done with the serial port.

Checked keyboard and display work as normal.
Is there cmdline.txt option that needs changing?

Offline bmarkus

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Re: Using serial terminal
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2014, 06:21:43 AM »
By default serial console is not started. Add this line to the end of /opt/bootlocal.sh

Code: [Select]
/sbin/getty -L ttyAMA0 115200 vt100
and make a backup. No need to edit cmdline.txt

Please note serial console is not active during startup. Wait till bootlocal.sh executed at the end.
« Last Edit: December 02, 2014, 06:24:39 AM by bmarkus »
Béla
Ham Radio callsign: HA5DI

"Amateur Radio: The First Technology-Based Social Network."

Offline gavinmc42

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Re: Using serial terminal
« Reply #2 on: December 02, 2014, 08:37:31 PM »
Ok tried all that.

filetool.sh -b not working, edited bootlocal.sh not getting backed up.

filetool.sh -d shows what should be getting backed up. -b not doing anything.

any permissions need changing?

Offline bmarkus

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Re: Using serial terminal
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2014, 01:15:20 AM »

filetool.sh -b not working


What happenes when you execute? Try with sudo to eliminate permission issues.
Béla
Ham Radio callsign: HA5DI

"Amateur Radio: The First Technology-Based Social Network."

Offline gavinmc42

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Re: Using serial terminal
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2014, 02:35:28 AM »
Tried that, normally get a message saying backing up to ???.gz, but goes to prompt very quick and nothing seems to happen.

Offline gavinmc42

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Re: Using serial terminal
« Reply #5 on: December 04, 2014, 12:08:26 AM »
Tried SSH version,

Was able to add /sbin/getty .. to bootlocal.sh and back it up

Got a model A+ running 6.0 beta SSH version in console mode.

Basic version only has one partition, SSH has another partition with tce directory in it.
wonder if that is why filetool.sh -b does not work on basic.

OK now got serial console working on the X GUI version.

Think basic version might be just too basic.
Would be nice if that version did have serial console working by default.

Want to use it on Model A+ for robotics, hmm guess I will need a tce partition to hold code then?

Made new partition on basic version, copied tce from SSH version to it and it works.
MC looks weird in Putty serial terminal - B/W, mouse doesn't work:(

Now to make my own robot/A+ specific tce directory 8)
Console via the USB connector? USB uart chip to USB uart chip to PC?
Hmm bluetooth dongle console?






Offline bmarkus

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Re: Using serial terminal
« Reply #6 on: December 04, 2014, 03:02:20 AM »
Basic version runs in Cloude Mode with no persistent storage, everything in RAM including downloaded extensions and backup. Such content is list when system shut down. To have a persistent system, you need a /tce directory on a persistent storage media. Please read core concept on WEB and Core Book.

Serial line start will be added to beta2.
Béla
Ham Radio callsign: HA5DI

"Amateur Radio: The First Technology-Based Social Network."

Offline gavinmc42

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Re: Using serial terminal
« Reply #7 on: December 04, 2014, 03:56:56 AM »
Thanks, serial on boot will be useful.

Mostly been using SSH or GUI version.
1st time I tried the base version, now understand a bit more about TC concepts.

Seeing lots of changes in the 6.x/tcz directories, new 3.17.x versions of hardware related tcz's.
Must be nearly time to release?

Need to sort out my firewall issues, slows things down doing installs manually.

Been impressed with shell scripting programs, once they work, they run well.
2 weeks of sensor logs without error I think.
Python sensor stuff had lots of i2c issues.

Been 35yrs since I grepped.
Need to remember/relearn how to grep so I can check for errors:)


Offline bmarkus

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Re: Using serial terminal
« Reply #8 on: December 04, 2014, 04:58:34 AM »

Seeing lots of changes in the 6.x/tcz directories, new 3.17.x versions of hardware related tcz's.
Must be nearly time to release?


Correct. Base is nearly final, just few small remaining like serial terminal startup. What is happening is just testing, using it daily updating, fixing repo.
Béla
Ham Radio callsign: HA5DI

"Amateur Radio: The First Technology-Based Social Network."