I'm setting up this server, and need to do some stuff on the KVM console. When the OS boots up (even into the installer) something switches the display into 1920x1080 mode and that makes it hard to see in the KVM viewer. Is there some loader or kernel option to tell it to keep VGA resolution?

there's a loader option but I don't know what it is.

there are also options to just use bigger fonts

The KVM viewer doesn't make it easy to scale down the stupid window.

And I haven't got serial setup and working yet.

there's a 'framebuffer' command

that loader.help talks about, which seems like what you'd want?

In the loader menu, I selected console "text". The graphics option is "off". Not sure why this is doing what it is...

that's for the OS etc, I believe

Where is loader.help?

//boot

I don't know how you get at it from in loader

tsoome would be the better person to check with, but it looks like we use the native EDID resolution

which looks like it gave you something huge

but 'framebuffer off' might do the trick? I don't know if you can do it interactively

that's the bit you need tsoome for

there's a toggle_framebuffer forth word, but I don't know if it's for the user or an implementation detail

but it looks like it flips the framebuffer off and redraws the screen

we pick the default recommended resolution from EDID, but you can use: framebuffer set XxY

thanks toomas, I was trying to work out the stack stuff that toggle_framebuffer wanted

I don't know what N would be :)

framebuffer off is really only good with bios boot to attempt to get to text mode

Hm, it's already switched to 1920x1080 before the loader menu is presented.

yeah, because EDID says so probably

This is while booting from USB.

that is, the screen it believes to be the screen has that resolution

Maybe I should try just unplugging the monitor?

yep, thats because your monitor is suggesting it.

I'd do what toomas says and break out and turn it down with `framebuffer`

'cos then you'll notice if the console goes somewhere weird

framebuffer command can be used from loader prompt, or you can add it to /boot/loader.rc.local

yeah, I meant the prompt since this is install media

Hi tsoome. Is there an easy way to tell it to keep the default or some small resolution?

this _is_ the default, otherwise what he just said :)

Well, the default when the firmware is running is something small like 800x600 (not sure what exactly).

otherwise if you unplug the monitor you'll get 800x600.

As soon as we run the loader, it changes.

framebuffer list will list the available resolutions

or if you run framebuffer 800x600 at the ok prompt

gwr: have you tried setting up SOL?

uh, 800x600 framebuffer?

if the IPMI port is configured, that might be easier

whichever way

Gah.. I can't even _read_ the output of the framebuffer command, tiny dark gray text on a huge black background :)

What can I type _blind_ ?

framebuffer set 800x600

ou, this is omnios?

OK. Resolution set, but text is still dark gray.

Yes, OmniOS

omnios does its own magic, they set some fixed resolution in attempt to present the screen in some way

is there an echo command? ESC[37m

OK, at least that I can zoom in and see things.

Thanks.

gwr: you said IIRC the system has an IPMI port, right?

set tem.fg_color=white

I'd rather keep a monitor on there for a while, as it can be tricky to get into the BIOS and such via the KVM (one is often too late to get in)

so keep the monitor on it

go in, configure the IPMI port

enable SOL (whatever they call it)

I'm using the IPMI

I don't see an enable SOL, as yet. Maybe I haven't found it.

what MB is it?

they all use different terms

i have a monitor on my home server, but it just collects dust

AsRock Rack X570D4U

set screen-font= should list you some options for glyph sizes but 800x600 does not give too many options there (large glyphs will end up with too small terminal size)

The IPMI KVM has the convenience of working from a comfortable position (not next to the server :)

it's under advanced in the setup

SOL gives you the convenience of copy/paste and kmdb from a comfortable position :)

and doesn't issues with browser compatability/quirks

or things like screen resolution issues :)

Advanced -> Super IO -> SOL :)

Is there a BIOS option to mirror stuff to the serial port?

SOL doesn't seem to be working. I can connect via ipmitool, but it acts like a disconnected serial port.

I'll chase that down later.

try booting w/ console as 'ttyb'

loader should mirror

but then illumos will only write to one console (whatever is passed to it from loader)

i think once that ticket about an smf temp disable exit code is integrated, distros could make things i think more seamless

Wow.. the damn colors. The dark blue for all the settings in the loader menu are dark blue on black (so basically invisible).

This KVM must show things darker than a normal monitor? Dunno...

does this help: asrockrack.com/support/faq.asp?id=31

I may have to go do this via the physical console.

That FAQ is for different (older) motherboards.

COM1 is wired out the back, COM2 goes to the BMC/IPMI

basically they can enable console-login:tty{a,b} + wscons, then whatever device is passed in as the console, that particular instance can temp disable itself

i have a change that does non-temp disable, but then if you boot w/ console set to something different, a bit of a pain

I use tem.bg_color=white tem.fg_color=black

can't see white on black too well...

I tried tem.fg_color=255 and that was a little better. "white" is apparently not 100%

Is "ipmitool -I lanplus ..." the right way to connect to that SOL?

I booted with console=ttyb but ipmitool is still connected to something unresponsive

... sol activate

yeah.. though did you configure it in the BIOS setup?

sometimes the settings are a bit confusing w/ it

I don't see anything under the BIOS settins for SOL other than enable/disable, and the port/irq. (2f8/3)

So _this_ is an interesting discovery: If at the loader menu, I toggle the "graphics console" on and then off, I get back to a resolution and colors that are actually visible in the KVM.

I guess "graphics" mode is on even though the console setting is "text" ?

do you have 'Legacy Console Redirection Settings' ? next to SOL menu?

the "text" is really unfortunate name

No such BIOS setting.

or windows emergency management services?

Nope nothing like that. This mode makes KVM work though.

(meaning I can see what I'm doing now :)

My AMI does provide SPCR only when windows EMS is enabled, but my system does not have BMC

I want to split the default (0s1) partiton, and I'm concerned about misalignment.

Anyone remember the various ways to specify the new partition size in format? (so the size will be 4K aligned)

Suffixes: mb, gb, tb ... and "e"? and "b"? What's "e"?

b is block

e is the end block

e means you're specifying the final block yeah

Huh. Not in the format man page :)

Or maybe I'm looking at and old copy.

that man page can probably drink :)

Someday I should take another whack at "megabyte aligned partitions everywhere"

btw: this page is suggesting to check serial port speed (claims 38 to be default) truenas.com/community/resources/how…herboards-alternative-to-jviewer.51

The whole "simulated geometry" thing (with odd-aligned "sectors" per whatever) really screws things.

format isn't simulating a geometry here really you're just picking block offsets

How can I be sure of that? :)

prtvtoc on the raw device should tell you what bytes per block size and just the offsets

thx

If I setup machines more than once every few years, I might remember that stuff :)

Out of interest why are you using slices?

It's a bootalbe NVMe that was setup that way by the installer. I'd like to carve out some space to use as a ZIL

Ah ok

If you still are having trouble with ipmi I can double check another x570d4u bios config at some point.

Though someone may have unplugged the system I was thinking of.

This look right?

partition> print

Current partition table (unnamed):

Total disk sectors available: 500101741 + 16384 (reserved sectors)

Part Tag Flag First Sector Size Last Sector

0 system wm 256 256.00MB 524543

1 usr wm 524544 172.00GB 361234687

2 unassigned wm 0 0 0

3 usr wm 361234688 64.00GB 495452415

4 unassigned wm 0 0 0

5 unassigned wm 0 0 0

6 unassigned wm 0 0 0

8 reserved wm 500101775 8.00MB 500118158

pmartition>

That seems to work.

I haven't used format in years, because zfs

When installing into a pre-configured rpool, do I need to take any manual steps to get the loader installed?

This is the OmniOS installer.

one way to find out :)