Eric Van Hensbergen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:

> We actually have two console over ethernet systems that we are playinga round
> with.  One operates completely over raw ethernet using broadcast and a special
> Frame ID which is discarded by systems that don't care. We then run a modified
> syslog catcher which prepends the MAC Address of the sender to the message.  You
> 
> can then use typical Syslog filter mechanisms to get rid of what you don't want
> to see.  You can also do MAC->IP->Hostname translation.

Is there a reason for not using for a multicast destination mac address,
instead of broadcast?  

> The other system is a bit more complicated and is more for use in the kernel.
> It uses a modified Java telnet client and a UDP protocol.  It opens up a new
> "tab"bed frame for each host connected and gives you two way communicaiton.  The
> 
> IP address of the console "server" (where the Java application is running" is
> passed via DHCP or as a kernel argument.
> 
> The first method is really light-weight, but implicitly one way.  It's usefull
> for logging and seeing what the hell is wrong with a system that's not booting.
> We have versions running in LinuxBIOS and in the kernel.  The second method is
> more of a KVM replacement, but doesn't handle things like panics very will (when
> 
> you TCP/IP stack may go out to lunch).  It's also pretty heavy weight to put in
> the BIOS.
> 
> Some middle ground between the two is probably the most usefull.  If there's
> general interest, I'll see about including our raw-ethernet console in our
> open-source submission to LinuxBIOS (along with Sis635 support). *

There is definentily interest..


Eric

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