Remote Serial Console HOWTO
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5.1. Configure Linux kernel using LILO

For each image entry in /etc/lilo.conf add the line:

Figure 5-4. Recommended kernel parameters, LILO configuration

append="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,9600n8"

Sometimes the append line will already exist. For example

append="mem=1024M"

In this case, the existing append line is modified to pass all the parameters. The result is:

append="mem=1024M console=tty0 console=ttyS0,9600n8"

As a complete example, a typical /etc/lilo.conf configuration from Red Hat Linux 7.1 is:

Example 5-1. Complete LILO configuration, as installed by vendor

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
timeout=50
message=/boot/message
default=linux

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2
  label=linux
  read-only
  root=/dev/hda6
  initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.2-2.img

This is modified to

Example 5-2. Complete LILO configuration, modified for serial console

boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
prompt
default=linux
# Changes for serial console on COM1: in global section
#   Deleted: message=/boot/message
serial=0,9600n8
timeout=100
restricted
password=de7mGPe3i8

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.2-2
  label=linux
  read-only
  root=/dev/hda6
  initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.2-2.img
  # Changes for serial console on COM1: in each image section
  append="console=tty0 console=ttyS0,9600n8"

Now that we have finished configuring LILO, use the lilo command to install the new boot record onto the disk:

bash# chown root:root /etc/lilo.conf
bash# chmod u=rw,g=,o= /etc/lilo.conf
bash# lilo
Added linux *

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