RE: [cobalt-users] Qube2 : Please Help! Serial Port Problems

["Ian Jukes" <ian.jukes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Lyle-

Thanks for your reply! I have followed your instructions to the letter.
Unfortunately, when I powered on my Qube with the password reset button
pressed, it displayed "Console ON". I think that rules out any console
messages interfering with the modem?

For your interest, the historical postings reveal one other user has posted
the same problem- but with a different modem. No-one ever posted a response.
However, I did email him to ask if he resolved the problem, and he said a
buying a new US Robotics Courier modem fixed it. His post had the subject
'Problems with 2.0.34C49-51 Kernels on Qube2'.

As budget is somewhat limited, and as all was working perfectly until the OS
update, I would rather not pursue this solution. Something must have changed
between kernel revisions. Incidentally, the Qube shipped with OS 2 update
already installed.

Any other ideas?

Ian.

-----Original Message-----
> From: cobalt-users-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:cobalt-users-admin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of Lyle Scheer
> Sent: 13 July 2000 6:27 pm
> To: cobalt-users@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: RE: [cobalt-users] Qube2 : Please Help! Serial Port Problems
>
>
> Try this:
>
> 	Shut-down your Qube2.  While holding down the password reset button, turn
> on your Qube2 and keep holding down the password reset button.  Your boot
> ROM will show one of three things on the LCD screen:
>
> 	1)  It will display Starting up...
> 	2)  It will display "Console: ON"
> 	3)  It will display "Console: OFF"
>
> If it displays #1, you have an older version Flash ROM and the theory I
have
> on what is going on is not likely to be the case.
>
> If it displays #2, my theory is disproved.  Power off and power on again
> with the button pressed to turn the Console off.
>
> If it displays #3, my theory is confirmed.  Power off and on again and
your
> serial console output should be turned off.
>
> My theory:
> 	- The original Qube2 Kernel had the serial console turned off, and you
> could never get console messages to the serial port.  Subsequent changes
> were made to the Boot Flash and to newer kernels.  Using the password
reset
> button on the newer boot flashes sets a CMOS variable which newer kernels
> read and then output console messages to the serial port or not depending
on
> the CMOS value.  My theory is that you had an older kernel, but perhaps
your
> unit CMOS was set for the console to be ON.  It didn't actually turn on
> until you updated the kernel.  Stray console messages might be confusing
> your modem.
>
> Please update the list and let us know if this helps.
>
> - Lyle
>