System Administration Guide: Advanced Administration

Chapter 2 Setting Up Terminals and Modems (Tasks)

This chapter provides step-by-step instructions for setting up terminals and modems using Solaris Management Console's Serial Ports tool.

For overview information about terminals and modems, see Chapter 1, Managing Terminals and Modems (Overview). For overview information about managing system resources, see Chapter 4, Managing System Resources (Overview).

For information about the procedures associated with setting up terminals and modems using Solaris Management Console's Serial Ports tool, see Setting Terminals and Modems (Task Map)

Setting Terminals and Modems (Task Map)

Task 

Description 

For Instructions 

Set up a terminal. 

Set up a terminal by using the Solaris Management Console Serial Ports tool. Configure the terminal by choosing the appropriate option from the Action menu. 

How to Set Up a Terminal

Set up a modem. 

Set up a modem by using the Solaris Management Console Serial Ports tool. Configure the modem by choosing the appropriate option from the Action menu. 

How to Set Up a Modem

Initialize a port. 

To initialize a port, use the Solaris Management Console Serial Ports tool. Choose the appropriate option from the Action menu. 

How to Initialize a Port

Setting Up Terminals and Modems With Serial Ports Tool (Overview)

You can set up serial ports with the Solaris Management Console's Serial Ports tool.

Select a serial port from the Serial Ports window and then choose a Configure option from the Action menu to configure the following:

The Configure options provide access to the templates for configuring these services. You can view two levels of detail for each serial port: Basic and Advanced. You can access the Advanced level of detail for each serial port after it is configured by selecting the serial port and selecting the Properties option from the Action menu. After a serial port is configured, you can disable or enable the port with the SAF commands. For information on using the SAF commands, see Chapter 3, Managing Serial Ports With the Service Access Facility (Tasks).

For information on using the Serial Ports command–line interface, see the smserialport(1M) man page.

Setting Up Terminals

The following table describes the menu items (and their default values) when you set up a terminal by using the Serial Ports tool.

Table 2–1 Terminal Default Values

Detail 

Item 

Default Value 

Basic 

Port 

 

 

Description 

Terminal 

 

Service Status 

Enabled 

 

Baud Rate 

9600

 

Terminal Type 

vi925

 

Login Prompt 

ttyn login:

Advanced 

Carrier Detection 

Software 

 

Option: Connect on Carrier 

Not available 

 

Option: Bidirectional 

Available 

 

Option: Initialize Only 

Not available 

 

Timeout (seconds) 

Never 

 

Port Monitor 

zsmon

 

Service Program 

/usr/bin/login

Setting Up Modems

The following table describes the three modem templates that are available when you set up a modem using the Serial Ports tool.

Table 2–2 Modem Templates

Modem Configuration 

Description 

Dial-In Only 

Users can dial in to the modem but cannot dial out. 

Dial-Out Only 

Users can dial out from the modem but cannot dial in. 

Dial-In and Out (Bidirectional) 

Users can either dial in or dial out from the modem. 

The following table describes the default values of each template.

Table 2–3 Modem Template Default Values

Detail 

Item 

Modem - Dial-In Only 

Modem - Dial-Out Only 

Modem - Dial In and Out 

Basic 

Port Name 

     

 

Description 

Modem – Dial In Only 

Modem – Dial Out Only 

Modem – Dial In and Out 

 

Service Status 

Enabled 

Enabled 

Enabled 

 

Baud Rate 

9600 

9600

9600

 

Login Prompt 

ttyn login:

ttyn login:

ttyn login:

Advanced 

Carrier Detection 

Software 

Software 

Software 

 

Option: Connect on Carrier 

Not available 

Not available 

Not available 

 

Option: Bidirectional 

Not available 

Not available 

Available 

 

Option: Initialize Only 

Not available 

Available 

Not available 

 

Timeout (seconds) 

Never 

Never 

Never 

 

Port Monitor 

zsmon

zsmon

zsmon

 

Service Program 

/usr/bin/login

/usr/bin/login

/usr/bin/login

The following table describes the default values for the Initialize Only template.

Table 2–4 Initialize Only - No Connection Default Values

Detail 

Item 

Default Value 

Basic 

Port Name 

— 

 

Description  

Initialize Only - No Connection 

 

Service Status 

Enabled 

 

Baud Rate 

9600 

 

Login Prompt 

ttyn login:

Advanced 

Carrier Detection 

Software 

 

Option: Connect on Carrier 

Not available 

 

Option: Bidirectional 

Available 

 

Option: Initialize Only 

Available 

 

Timeout (seconds) 

Never 

 

Port Monitor 

zsmon

 

Service Program 

/usr/bin/login

How to Set Up a Terminal, a Modem, and Initialize a Port (Tasks)

ProcedureHow to Set Up a Terminal

  1. Start the Solaris Management Console, if it's not already running.


    % /usr/sadm/bin/smc &
    

    For information on starting the Solaris Management Console, see Starting the Solaris Management Console in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.

  2. Click This Computer icon in the Navigation pane.

  3. Click Devices and Hardware —>Serial Ports.

    The Serial Ports menu is displayed.

  4. Select the port that will be used with a terminal.

  5. Choose Configure—>Terminal from the Action menu.

    The Configure Serial Port window is displayed in Basic Detail mode.

    For a description of the Terminal menu items, see Table 2–1.

  6. Click OK.

  7. To configure the advanced items, select the port configured as a terminal.

  8. Select Properties from the Action menu.

  9. Change the values of template entries, if desired.

  10. Click OK to configure the port.

  11. Verify that the terminal service has been added.


    $ pmadm -l -s ttyn
    

ProcedureHow to Set Up a Modem

  1. Start the Solaris Management Console, if it's not already running.


    % /usr/sadm/bin/smc &
    

    For information on starting the Solaris Management Console, see Starting the Solaris Management Console in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.

  2. Click This Computer icon in the Navigation pane.

  3. Click Devices and Hardware—>Serial Ports.

    The Serial Ports menu is displayed.

  4. Select the port that will be used with a modem.

  5. Choose one of the following Configure options from the Action menu.

    1. Configure—>Modem (Dial In)

    2. Configure—>Modem (Dial Out)

    3. Configure—>Modem (Dial In/Out)

    The Configure Serial Port window is displayed in Basic Detail mode.

    For a description of the Modem menu items, see Table 2–3.

  6. Click OK.

  7. To configure the advanced items, select the port configured as a modem.

  8. Select Properties from the Action menu.

  9. Change the values of template entries, if desired.

  10. Click OK to configure the port.

  11. Verify that the modem service has been configured.


    $ pmadm -l -s ttyn
    

ProcedureHow to Initialize a Port

  1. Start the Solaris Management Console, if it's not already running.


    % /usr/sadm/bin/smc &
    

    For information on starting the Solaris Management Console, see Starting the Solaris Management Console in System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.

  2. Click This Computer icon in the Navigation pane.

  3. Click Devices and Hardware—>Serial Ports.

    The Serial Ports menu is displayed.

  4. Select the port to be initialized.

  5. Choose Configure—>Initialize Only – No Connection.

    The Serial Port window is displayed in Basic Detail mode.

    For a description of the Initialize Only menu items, see Table 2–4.

  6. Click OK.

  7. To configure the advanced items, select the port configured as initialize only. Then, select Properties from the Action menu.

  8. Change the values of template entries, if desired.

  9. Click OK to configure the port.

  10. Verify that the modem service has been initialized.


    $ pmadm -l -s ttyn
    

Troubleshooting Terminal and Modem Problems

If users are unable to log in over serial port lines after you have added a terminal or modem and set up the proper services, consider the following possible causes of failure:

For more information on ttymon and SMF, see What's New in Managing Terminals and Modems?.