[Soekris] ConMute option in the 4801 bios?

[Jordan Share]

Jordan Share wrote:

> I've looked at the 4801 pdf available on the website, and I've googled, 
> but I can't find info on what the "ConMute" option would be.
> 
> My fervent desire is that it will allow me to turn off the video card 
> emulation whatnot, since I'm pretty sure that's what causes pxelinux to 
> spray garbage to the serial port.
> 
> I am somewhat leery of experimenting.  I guess I'm afraid that I will 
> somehow disable the serial port, although that does seem improbable.

Just to clarify, I do have the speed set properly, etc. on the serial 
port.  I don't have flakey hardware, the serial port works find as a 
terminal after the OS loads (and in the BIOS itself).  I have manually 
set the speed to 9600 on the BIOS, and am using that speed in the 
pxelinux config file, and for the kernel console, and for getty.  I'm 
just getting odd effects when the bootloader runs.

I believe this is because it is sending its data to both the serial 
port, and also the "console" (by "console" I mean what would normally be 
the video card/keyboard).  The console has some form of redirection to 
the serial port (intended for helping you use msdos via serial, 
according to the docs), which is semi-incompatible with pxelinux.

Similarly, when lilo boots pebble linux, you get:
LI
LILLOO  2222..22  LLooaaddiinngg  ppeebbbbllee..............................

I believe this doubling is due to the same issue (sending to the serial 
and the redirected "console").

Presumably, these bootloaders (pxelinux and lilo) are using BIOS calls 
to write data to the "console", but the OS does not (so you don't ever 
see it after the bootloader is done).

I have subsequently found the changelog for the bios, which indicates 
that the ConMute setting is only there to mute the bios POST messages:
http://www.soekris.com/Software/changelog.txt

Thanks anyway,
Jordan