[9fans] access to console of consolefs server?

[9fans] access to console of consolefs server?

[Axel Belinfante]

Suppose I have two machines in a computer room, a file server
and an auth server. I need (would like) remote console access to both.
So, I would run consolefs on the auth server. I understand how to
make the fs console available via the consolefs on the auth server.
Can I also  make the auth console available?
(my first thought was to make a loop from one serial port to another
 on the auth server, specify one as console in plan9.ini, and the other
 one in /lib/ndb/consoledb -- but then I won't have a console during
 boot... unless I just use a plain old terminal during booting -
 is that the trick?)



Thanks,
Axel.

Re: [9fans] remote access to console of auth/console server?

[Axel Belinfante]

To answer some of my own questions:
 - the console= line in plan9.ini just _adds_ console access via COM[12],
   instead of _replacing_ the normal access via keyboard/monitor
   (so no need for old terminal to watch/influence the boot process)
 - the loop from one serial port (specified in console= line in plan9.ini)
   to another (specified in /lib/ndb/consoledb) works, but 'costs'
   two serial ports.

New questions:
 - would it be possible to replace the fysical loop by some
   'loopback' code (that makes the console availabe via a 'virtual'
   serial port)?
 - would that make sense?   rephrased:
 - do I really need/want remote console access to the auth server, or can
   'every' administration task be done via normal remote login?
   How is this done at bell labs (where, as I understand, the auth server
   doubles as console server)?
   One advantage of access via consolefs rather than via normal remote
   login seems to be that clog can be used to log 'everything'.

Thanks,
Axel.

Re: [9fans] remote access to console of auth/console server?

[Axel Belinfante]

To follow up on my own message (and close the thread :-)
>    One advantage of access via consolefs rather than via normal remote
>    login seems to be that clog can be used to log 'everything'.

And also, being able to use  C consistently is nice as well.
Have now consolefs access to fs and auth server, and like it!

Axel.