Please enable serial console by default

Requests
1

Hi,

I’ve just installed the image DietPi_v115_Odroid-C1-(Jessie).img. Works well, but please enable serial console by default also, so there is some feedback there what is happening.

2

Hi Floyd42 ,

https://github.com/Fourdee/DietPi/issues/306

but no Milestone at the moment …

Think you know how to do this, but as long we need to do it by hand:

RPi:

https://github.com/lurch/rpi-serial-console

http://elinux.org/RPi_Serial_Connection#Preventing_Linux_using_the_serial_port



Odroid C1 - boot.ini

# Default Console Device Setting
# setenv condev "console=ttyS0,115200n8"        # on serial port
setenv condev "console=tty0"                    # on display (HDMI)
# setenv condev "console=tty0 console=ttyS0,115200n8"   # on both
3

Thanks for the pointer. Enable and disable it via a config is a nice thing. However, the console on display and serial port should really be enable by default, so everybody can see what is going on during 1st and 2nd boot. Later when the config menu is presented, there could be an option to choose what to keep on. I think a certain share of people still brings up the device using the serial console. And it is very disturbing when nothing happen there. The docs says that it re-sizes the SD card after the 1st reboot, so you are scared to turn it off if nothing happens after several minutes. In my case, it turned out, it was waiting for the network to become available. But all it said in the serial console is “Starting kernel …”

4

Hi,

Hmm … has pro and cons. I think, most people use hdmi output. Every modern TV or computer monitor can do this.
And almost anybody should have one at home.

Serial output via URAT has some hitch. Odroid for example needs 1,8 V I/O voltage, a very special URAT adapter (here or here). And Hardkernel say, you can burn your board with standard 5 V UART adapter.
http://forum.odroid.com/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=1204#p7330

But I don’t think, I will test it yet … :wink:
However to debug u-boot, serial console it’s the only way.

And yes, for C1 it’s essential, because their crappy micro sd-card support, to see what is going on. But in most cases, I will edit boot.ini and use DietPi-Automation (copy my own template over) and let the ball roll …
After two reboots (watching the leds), I have a preconfigured ready to use system with all wanted software installed.

5

Hi,

yes, the serial output is tricky with the 1.8V, so better buy a converter. And yes, you can plug in a HDMI device and a keyboard also easily. There are use cases for using one way or the other, depending what you plan to do with the device and how your “bringup lab” looks like. I’m not trying to convince anybody to move to serial. All I request is just that for first boot, both serial and HDMI should be enabled, so installing DietPi is really smooth for everybody - this is a “user experience” thing actually. I’ve see too many distributions and images where certain version have issues during boot and it really saves a lot of time if the output is on. In my case the issue was the network cable that is not connected. It’s a stupid mistake may, but such things happen in the field. You mentioned the micro SD issues, so we have two things on the list already now.

But I wonder, is the majority really using HDMI/Keybopard today and not the serial interface for the first bring-up? Maybe times have changed…

6

I second this request to enable the serial console by default, or at least have an option to enable it. I spent many hours thinking I had a problem with the PI, SD card or USB to tty cable!
I’m not able to use the HDMI connection, serial is the only way for me during the setup.

What’s the reason for disabling it by default on the Raspberry PI?

7

Hi Guys,

We’ve had a few requests for Serial console by default. For v119 we are working on support in dietpi-config to enable/disable serial console: https://github.com/Fourdee/DietPi/issues/306

I’ve also created a seperate ticket for enabling serial console by default on all DietPi images: https://github.com/Fourdee/DietPi/issues/343. As this will require updated DietPi images across all SBC images (big job), we will look into this when we can.

8



DietPi will be lightweight => DietPi vs Raspbian Lite

Only need for serial console is watching installation process without using hdmi output and for debugging.
After first installation you can use SSH in headless mode.

But you can always edit “cmdline.txt” by hand on FAT partition after writing image on sd-card to get it on work (Raspberry Pi). No big deal.

9

Yes, 1+ this, I spend 30 minutes or so last night checking serial cables before I had to resort to my HDMiPi screen. I don’t generally have access to a screen and getting a remote screen out is a bit of a pain. I believe this may be more difficult on a Pi3 though since the bluetooth uses the serial line I think.

Cheers,
Keith.