Make sure you have the right kind of cable. A null modem cable bought at a computer store will do it. But it must be a null modem cable! Make sure you are using your serial port, and not your parallel port.
At a minimum, you should have (for a DB25 connector):
RxD Receive Data 2 - 3 TxD Transmit Data TxD Transmit Data 3 - 2 RxD Receive Data GND Signal Ground 7 - 7 GND Signal Ground
If you want to have flow control and hardware handshaking, you must have a full null modem cable:
Frame Ground 1 - 1 Frame Ground RxD Receive Data 2 - 3 TxD Transmit Data TxD Transmit Data 3 - 2 RxD Receive Data RTS Request To Send 4 - 5 CTS Clear To Send CTS Clear To Send 5 - 4 RTS Request To Send DSR Data Set Ready 6 - 20 DTR Data Terminal Ready GND Signal Ground 7 - 7 GND Signal Ground DCD Carrier Detect 8 - 20 DTR Data Terminal Ready DTR Data Terminal Ready 20 - 6 DSR Data Set Ready DTR Data Terminal Ready 20 - 8 DCD Carrier Detect
If you have a DB9 connector on your port, try the following:
DB9 DB25 RxD Receive Data 2 - 3 TxD Transmit Data TxD Transmit Data 3 - 2 RxD Receive Data GND Signal Ground 5 - 7 GND Signal Ground
Alternatively, a DB9-DB25 null modem cable:
DB9 DB25 DCD Carrier Detect 1 - 20 DTR Data Terminal Ready RxD Receive Data 2 - 2 TxD Transmit Data TxD Transmit Data 3 - 3 RxD Receive Data DTR Data Terminal Ready 4 - 6 DSR Data Set Ready DTR Data Terminal Ready 4 - 8 DCD Carrier Detect GND Signal Ground 5 - 7 GND Signal Ground DSR Data Set Ready 6 - 20 DTR Data Terminal Ready RTS Request To Send 7 - 5 CTS Clear To Send CTS Clear To Send 8 - 4 RTS Request To Send (RI Ring Indicator 9 not needed)
If you are not using a full null modem cable, you might have to do the following trick: on your computer side of the connector, connect RTS and CTS together, and also connect DSR, DCD and DTR together. This way, when the computer wants a certain handshaking signal, it will get it (from itself).
Now that you have the right kind of cable, connect your terminal to your computer. If you can, tell you terminal to ignore modem control signals. Try using 9600 bps, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit, no parity bits for the terminal's setup.
getty
Replace the stock getty
with getty_ps
as described in
section 2. Add an entry for getty
to use for your terminal in
/etc/gettydefs
:
#9600 bps Dumb Terminal entry
DT9600# B9600 CS8 CLOCAL # B9600 SANE -ISTRIP CLOCAL #S @L login: #DT9600
You can add HUPCL so the login is killed whenever you switch of the terminal (provided you use a proper null modem cable).
Edit your /etc/inittab
file to run getty
on the serial
port:
S1:456:respawn:/etc/getty ttyS1 DT9600 vt100
Restart init
:
linux# kill -HUP 1
At this point, you should see a login prompt on your terminal. Rejoice.
Party. Log in on your terminal and PC. talk
to yourself from
accross the room.