[PVE-User] iDRAC, virtual serial console, boot log.

[Stefan Radman]

Ciao Marco

Are you using racadm command “console COM1” or "console COM2” to access the virtual serial console?
What’s your bootloader? GRUB or EFI?

The scenario you described (BIOS messages but none from the kernel) seems to indicate that the iDRAC serial console redirection uses a different port that the kernel console redirection.

Below is my own recipe for serial console over iDRAC.

It uses COM2 (ttyS1) as the virtual serial console whereas COM1 (ttyS0) is the physical serial port on the machine.
In my case the serial console is accessed with the “console COM2” command over SSH.

With the GRUB bootloader this has been working for me on all Dell servers so far from R610 (iDRAC6) to R640 (iDRAC9).

Stefan

iDRAC Serial Console with Linux

Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller 9 Version 3.30.30.30 User's Guide 
Setting up iDRAC communication > Communicating with iDRAC using IPMI SOL
> Configuring BIOS For Serial Connection <https://www.dell.com/support/manuals/en-uk/idrac9-lifecycle-controller-v3.3-series/idrac_3.30.30.30_ug/configuring-bios-for-serial-connection?guid=guid-7f595b10-988d-4197-be4c-358edb20cb1a&lang=en-us>
Configuration > BIOS Settings > Serial Communication
Serial Communication: On With Console Redirection via COM2
Serial Port Address: Serial Device1 = COM1, Serial Device2 = COM2
External serial connector: Serial Device 1
Failsafe Baud Rate: 115200
Remote Terminal Type: VT100/VT220
Redirection After Boot: Enabled

root at pve:~# systemctl enable --now serial-getty at ttyS1.service

root at pve:~# cat /etc/default/grub.d/serial-console.cfg 
# enable serial console on COM2
GRUB_TERMINAL="serial console"
GRUB_SERIAL_COMMAND="serial --unit=1 --speed=115200 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="noquiet console=ttyS1,115200n8r console=tty0"

root at pve:~# update-grub
root at pve:~# reboot

ZFS EFI boot
root at pve1:~# cat /etc/kernel/cmdline 
root=ZFS=rpool/ROOT/pve-1 boot=zfs noquiet console=ttyS1,115200n8r console=tty0
root at pve1:~# proxmox-boot-tool refresh
root at pve1:~# update-initramfs -u -k all


> On Jul 14, 2022, at 12:19, Marco Gaiarin <gaio at lilliput.linux.it> wrote:
> 
> 
> I come back on this topic, because i need some clarification.
> 
> I was used (on iLO, indeed, but is the same) to have virtual serial console
> on ssh, enabled on all boot phase (POST, boot loader, kernel boot, logon).
> 
> I'm trying to enable it on a PVE6 on a dell PowerEdge T440 server, and i can
> access POST, boot loader and logon. I've lost kernel boot, that is indeed a
> useful thing. ;-)
> 
> With GRUB i was used to add to /etc/default/grub (and i've tried also in
> systemd-bootd, with no luck):
> 
> 	GRUB_TERMINAL="console serial"
> 	GRUB_SERIAL_COMMAND="serial --unit=0 --speed=115200"
> 
> how can i set console in systemd-boot?!
> 
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> -- 
>  chi si convertiva nel novanta
>  ne era dispensato nel novantuno			(F. De Andre`)
> 
> 
> 
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