[This file is an excerpt from the README from sun patch 112352] How to install via a Serial Console When in the Device Configuration Assistant (DCA) you eventually end up at the "Boot Solaris" screen. The title is in the red line at the top of the screen. At the bottom is a green line showing the function key options you can use. Use the key to enter the "Boot Tasks" screen. On that screen use the down cursor key to highlight "View/Edit Property Settings" and hit the Space bar to select it. You can then hit the key to execute that function. You should now see a list of properties that can be set during installation. These are the same as the eeprom properties you would set in Solaris (man eeprom). Use the up and down cursor keys or page-up/page-down to navigate the list. Select a property be hitting the Space Bar. You will then use the key to change the property. Here is a list of the properties we need to change, what they default to, and what they need to be changed to: Property Name Default Value New Value output-device screen ttya input-device keyboard ttya You might also need to add a property to this list. Use to create a new property 'ttya-ignore-cd'. Set it's value to true. This is only needed if your cable does not supply CD and DSR correctly. The symptom of this is that the install appears to "hang" with no console output. Be sure to use a Null Modem cable between the COM port of the PC and the terminal or other system you are using. Note that these examples are for the COM1 serial port, known as ttya to Solaris. For COM2 you would use the ttyb port, etc. The baud rate for a serial console defaults to 9600, 8-bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit. You can change this be creating a property for the port you are using. Here is an example for setting COM1 to 38400 baud: (create property) ttya-mode 38400,8,n,1 Do a man of the eeprom command (or look at http:/docs.sun.com for the man page on the eeprom command) to see an explanation of this property. Anything faster than 38400 risks dropping characters, so it is not recommended that you go any faster than that for doing an installation. When you have the properties set up the way you wish, hit the key to go back to the "Boot Tasks" screen. From there you hit to get back to the "Boot Solaris" screen. It will reload the various drivers using during the boot process to insure your new property values are honored. At this point you should be using the serial console and have the "Boot Solaris" screen showing on your serial device screen. To enter a function key value, use the Escape key and the number for the function you wish to use. For example, to enter the equivalent of , enter: <2> Do not configure the video card for your system during installation. Exit out of the kdmconfig program without testing the selection it gives you to install in the text-only mode using your serial console. Now proceed as you would to install any system. After you have completed the installation, be sure you don't leave the serial port configured as the console device, unless that is what you want it to be of course. To use the normal keyboard you need to set input-device to be the keyboard and output-device to be the console. It is recommended that you use the eeprom command to do this once the system is up and then reboot the system.