xref: /netbsd-src/share/man/man4/man4.x86/console.4 (revision 9fa9487eaa024ee2d28cfc0dc3aa2a750e49e50d)
1*9fa9487eSwiz.\"	$NetBSD: console.4,v 1.1 2021/06/03 07:41:26 wiz Exp $
2*9fa9487eSwiz.\"
3*9fa9487eSwiz.Dd September 6, 2006
4*9fa9487eSwiz.Dt CONS 4 x86
5*9fa9487eSwiz.Os
6*9fa9487eSwiz.Sh NAME
7*9fa9487eSwiz.Nm console
8*9fa9487eSwiz.Nd x86 console interface
9*9fa9487eSwiz.Sh SYNOPSIS
10*9fa9487eSwiz.Cd options CONSDEVNAME=string
11*9fa9487eSwiz.Cd options CONADDR=integer
12*9fa9487eSwiz.Cd options CONSPEED=integer
13*9fa9487eSwiz.Cd options CONS_OVERRIDE
14*9fa9487eSwiz.Cd options CONMODE=integer
15*9fa9487eSwiz.Sh DESCRIPTION
16*9fa9487eSwizThe
17*9fa9487eSwiz.Dq console
18*9fa9487eSwizdevice is used for
19*9fa9487eSwiz.Em kernel printf
20*9fa9487eSwizmessages and accesses to the
21*9fa9487eSwiz.Pa /dev/console
22*9fa9487eSwizcharacter special device in user mode.
23*9fa9487eSwizIt is attached to a hardware interface at boot time controlled by options
24*9fa9487eSwizin the kernel configuration file, or information passed by the boot loader.
25*9fa9487eSwiz.Pp
26*9fa9487eSwizBootblocks from
27*9fa9487eSwiz.Nx 1.4
28*9fa9487eSwizor newer select their console device from a compiled-in list,
29*9fa9487eSwizand then pass their choice of console device and console parameters to
30*9fa9487eSwizthe kernel.
31*9fa9487eSwiz.Pp
32*9fa9487eSwizAs of
33*9fa9487eSwiz.Nx 1.5 ,
34*9fa9487eSwizthe
35*9fa9487eSwiz.Ic consdev
36*9fa9487eSwizbootblock command allows changing the console device on-the-fly.
37*9fa9487eSwiz.Pp
38*9fa9487eSwizThe kernel will use the same console device as the
39*9fa9487eSwizbootblock; no special kernel configuration is required.
40*9fa9487eSwiz.Pp
41*9fa9487eSwizTo override
42*9fa9487eSwizthe bootblock's choice of console, or to use a serial kernel console
43*9fa9487eSwizwith older bootblocks, you must specify kernel config-file options to
44*9fa9487eSwizoverride the information passed by the bootblock.
45*9fa9487eSwizThe current option choices are:
46*9fa9487eSwiz.Bl -tag -width aaa
47*9fa9487eSwiz.It - the standard PC keyboard and display
48*9fa9487eSwiz(with either the
49*9fa9487eSwiz.Dq pc
50*9fa9487eSwizor the
51*9fa9487eSwiz.Xr wscons 4
52*9fa9487eSwizdriver)
53*9fa9487eSwiz.It - standard PC serial ports
54*9fa9487eSwiz(with
55*9fa9487eSwiz.Xr com 4
56*9fa9487eSwizdriver)
57*9fa9487eSwiz.El
58*9fa9487eSwiz.Pp
59*9fa9487eSwizThe available
60*9fa9487eSwiz.Em kernel configuration
61*9fa9487eSwizoptions are:
62*9fa9487eSwiz.Bl -ohang
63*9fa9487eSwiz.It Cd options CONSDEVNAME=string
64*9fa9487eSwizspecifies the name of the console device.
65*9fa9487eSwizValid values are
66*9fa9487eSwiz.Dq pc
67*9fa9487eSwizfor the pc keyboard / display (default)
68*9fa9487eSwizand
69*9fa9487eSwiz.Dq com
70*9fa9487eSwizfor a serial port.
71*9fa9487eSwiz.It Cd options CONADDR=integer
72*9fa9487eSwizsets the base address for the serial console port (default: 0x3f8).
73*9fa9487eSwiz.It Cd options CONSPEED=integer
74*9fa9487eSwizsets the baudrate for the serial console (default: 9600).
75*9fa9487eSwiz.It Cd options CONS_OVERRIDE
76*9fa9487eSwizcauses console information passed by the bootloader to be ignored and
77*9fa9487eSwizthe settings specified by the three options above (or the defaults) to be
78*9fa9487eSwizused.
79*9fa9487eSwizDefault behaviour is to use the settings from the bootloader if
80*9fa9487eSwizpresent, and to use option / default values only if no information was
81*9fa9487eSwizpassed.
82*9fa9487eSwiz.It Cd options CONMODE=integer
83*9fa9487eSwizallows to specify terminal control flags.
84*9fa9487eSwizThe argument is a
85*9fa9487eSwiz.Dq cflag
86*9fa9487eSwizvalue, see
87*9fa9487eSwiz.Xr termios 4
88*9fa9487eSwizfor details.
89*9fa9487eSwizDefault is
90*9fa9487eSwiz.Li ( CREAD | CS8 | HUPCL )
91*9fa9487eSwiz(8N1).
92*9fa9487eSwizThis option takes always effect, because mode settings are not passed
93*9fa9487eSwizby the bootloader.
94*9fa9487eSwiz.El
95*9fa9487eSwiz.Sh FILES
96*9fa9487eSwiz.Bl -tag -width /dev/console
97*9fa9487eSwiz.It Pa /dev/console
98*9fa9487eSwiz.El
99*9fa9487eSwiz.Sh EXAMPLES
100*9fa9487eSwiz.Cd options CONSDEVNAME=\&"\e"com\e"\&",CONADDR=0x2f8,CONSPEED=57600
101*9fa9487eSwiz.Sh SEE ALSO
102*9fa9487eSwiz.Xr config 1 ,
103*9fa9487eSwiz.Xr tty 4 ,
104*9fa9487eSwiz.Xr boot 8
105*9fa9487eSwiz.Sh BUGS
106*9fa9487eSwizThe console device is chosen early in system startup regardless
107*9fa9487eSwizif the specified driver / device is present in the system configuration file.
108*9fa9487eSwizIf the driver asked for by the bootloader or
109*9fa9487eSwiz.Dq Cd options CONSDEVNAME
110*9fa9487eSwizis not configured into the system, a panic is caused.
111*9fa9487eSwizBecause there is
112*9fa9487eSwizno console device, no explaining message will be printed.
113*9fa9487eSwizIf the driver is present, but the specific device instance not, kernel
114*9fa9487eSwizprintf will work, but
115*9fa9487eSwiz.Pa /dev/console
116*9fa9487eSwizbecomes a dummy.
117