[ltp] BIOS recognition of serial port

[Joachim Schrod]

>>>>> "nm" == nut megger <bmw_nutmegger@yahoo.com> writes:

nm> Problem: Cannot detect the serial modem located on
nm> port ttyS0 on the Ultrabay, so I am unable to connect
nm> to my ISP.

I have a T21, not an X21, and I have no serial port on the Ultrabay at
the side. (Mine has a serial port at the back.)

nm> I have the latest BIOS update installed and the serial
nm> port is ENABLED.  How do I get Linux to see the serial
nm> port?

After I enabled the serial port in BIOS, Linux always detected it
successfully. Both with SuSE kernels, and with self-compiled stock
kernels. Some tips:

 -- Try to locate and download PC Doctor for your system, from IBM's
    support pages.
 -- Check with PC Doctor that the serial interface works.
 -- PC Doctor will show columns with filled in values for working
    interfaces. Perhaps it's not ttyS0, but ttyS1?
 -- During boot, Linux must report on the serial interfaces. On 2.4
    kernels, that's after the pty configuration and before the floppy
    configuration; e.g., "ttyS00 at 0x03f8 (irq = 4) is a 16550A". If
    Linux doesn't output lines about the interfaces (with IRQ and
    IO port), there is no device that you would be able to access.
 -- If these lines are output, try to access the interface with
     "stty -a </dev/ttyS0" to test basic accessibility. You'll get an
    input/output error on non-existing devices. If device parameters
    are output, then it's time to go on and try minicom or kermit.
 -- If that doesn't work, check that you have no IRQ or I/O port
    conflict.

Hope this helps a bit.

Cheers,
	Joachim

--
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Joachim		     The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the
Rödermark, Germany   one that heralds new discoveries, is not "Eureka!"
<jschrod@acm.org>    (I found it!) but "That's funny..." [Isaac Asimov]