Power-Up 2-19
Console Device Options
The console device can be either a serial terminal or a graphics monitor.
Specifically:
•
A serial terminal connected to COM1 off the server control module. The
terminal connected to COM1 must be set to 9600 baud. This baud rate cannot
be changed.
•
A graphics monitor off an adapter on PCI0.
Systems running Windows NT must have a graphics monitor as the console device
and run AlphaBIOS as the console program.
During power-up, the SROM and the XSROM always send progress and error
messages to the OCP and to the COM1 serial port if the SRM console environment
variable (set with the set console command) is set to serial. If the console
environment variable is set to graphics, no messages are sent to COM1.
If the console device is connected to COM1, the SROM, XSROM, and console
power-up messages are sent to it once it has been initialized. If the console device is
a graphics device, console power-up messages are sent to it, but SROM and XSROM
power-up messages are lost. No matter what the console environment variable
setting, each of the three programs sends messages to the control panel display.
Messages
Sent By
Console Set to
Serial
Graphics
SROM
COM1
Lost, though a subset is sent to the OCP
XSROM
COM1
Lost, though a subset is sent to the OCP
SRM console
COM1
VGA, though a subset is sent to the OCP
Changing Where the Console Output Is Displayed
You can change where console output is displayed, assuming the SRM console has
fully powered up and the os_type environment variable is set to openvms or unix.
(The following does not work if os_type is set to nt.)
If the console environment variable is set to serial and no serial terminal is attached
to COM1, pressing a carriage return on a graphics monitor attached to the system
makes it the console device and the console prompt is sent to it. If the console
environment variable is set to graphics and no graphics monitor is attached to the
adapter, pressing a carriage return on a serial terminal attached to COM1 makes it
the console device and the console prompt is sent to it.