[gPXE] Task 67, gpxe hangs with AMIBIOS 08.00.14 enabled console redirection

[Shao Miller]

gPXE-Support wrote:...
>
> User who did this - John Rouillard (rouilj)
>
> Attached to Project - gPXE-Support
> Summary - gpxe hangs with AMIBIOS 08.00.14 enabled console redirection
> Task Type - Bug Report
> Category - Core
> Status - Unconfirmed
> Assigned To -
> Operating System - All
> Severity - Medium
> Priority - Normal
> Reported Version - Development
> Due in Version - Undecided
> Due Date - Undecided
> Details - gpxe crashes/hangs when used with bios redirection. In the 
> bios console redirection is set to
> always (other choices bootloader only, disable).
>
> Bios details:
>
> AMIBIOS
> Version   :08.00.14 
> Build Date:11/01/07 
> ID        :H8DMR000 
>
> Sample output:
>
> NVIDIA Boot Agent 
> 244.0538                                                     
> Copyright (C) 2001-2005 NVIDIA 
> Corporation                                     
> Copyright (C) 1997-2000 Intel 
> Corporation                                      
>                                                                                
> CLIENT MAC ADDR: 00 30 48 7D 33 02  GUID: 
> 00020003-0004-0005-0006-000700080009 
> CLIENT IP: 10.200.1.104  MASK: 255.255.240.0  DHCP IP: 
> 10.200.1.38              ?
>
> And that's all it writes. The test gpxe was build using:
>
>   http://rom-o-matic.net/gpxe/gpxe-git/gpxe.git/contrib/rom-o-matic/
>
> (3:37:09 PM) stefanha: Select: .kkpxe, undionly, skip the PCI ID, and 
> click "Get Image"
>
> If I build a gpxe with the same settings but using serial console with 
> COMPRESERVE I am
> able to see the gpxe boot info even though the bios console 
> redirection is unchanged
> from the original test case.
>
> System is a supermicro motherboard.
>
> -- rouilj
>
>
> More information can be found at the following URL:
> http://support.etherboot.org/index.php?do=details&task_id=67 
> <http://support.etherboot.org/index.php?do=details&task_id=67>
>

Not sure that this is the case for you, but beware of double-redirection 
efforts...  If your BIOS provides console-over-serial, then there's no 
need to compile gPXE with serial output; the BIOS will take care of it.  
If you compile gPXE with both "normal" PCBIOS console output as well as 
serial output and you have console-over-serial redirection enabled in 
your BIOS, then gPXE will output to the console, which the BIOS will 
redirect to the serial, but then gPXE will also output to the serial, so 
you'll have the output on the serial twice, which typically resembles 
garbage.

It might be useful to use a gPXE script and some 'echo' commands to send 
some output.

See also: http://syslinux.zytor.com/archives/2009-November/013426.html

Disclaimer: All claims and opinions are solely those of myself and do 
not and should not be perceived as representing the Etherboot nor the 
gPXE projects in any way.  Thank you for your understanding.

- Shao Miller
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