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| author | LiudmylaNad <l.nadolina@vyos.io> | 2026-09-28 13:02:19 +0200 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | GitHub <noreply@github.com> | 2026-09-28 12:02:19 +0100 |
| commit | c7cf82ee3e6e693af6913250587bf4e715d8b687 (patch) | |
| tree | 51c9aadd19d7c6d7a33dc67c74544423ff0cc2cb | |
| parent | 1fc10613e91ca3a1abbfde9989168eccb1c28d86 (diff) | |
| download | vyos-documentation-c7cf82ee3e6e693af6913250587bf4e715d8b687.tar.gz vyos-documentation-c7cf82ee3e6e693af6913250587bf4e715d8b687.zip | |
docs: Update Serial console page to VyOS 1.5 standards (#2250)
* docs: Update Serial console page to VyOS 1.5 standards
* Remove a passage with outdated information
---------
Co-authored-by: Daniil Baturin <daniil@baturin.org>
| -rw-r--r-- | docs/configuration/system/console.md | 144 |
1 files changed, 97 insertions, 47 deletions
diff --git a/docs/configuration/system/console.md b/docs/configuration/system/console.md index 9017fa30..c22fab9f 100644 --- a/docs/configuration/system/console.md +++ b/docs/configuration/system/console.md @@ -1,59 +1,109 @@ +--- +myst: + html_meta: + description: | + A serial console provides text-based access to the router's command + line over a serial device, useful for diagnostics, upgrades, and other + situations where SSH access is unavailable. + keywords: serial console, text-based interface, serial device, baud rate +--- + (serial-console)= -# Serial Console +# Serial console + +A serial console is a text-based interface that provides access to the +router's command line via a serial device. + +For routine local access, a serial console offers no advantage over a +directly attached keyboard and screen. -For the average user a serial console has no advantage over a console offered -by a directly attached keyboard and screen. Serial consoles are much slower, -taking up to a second to fill a 80 column by 24 line screen. Serial consoles -generally only support non-proportional ASCII text, with limited support for -languages other than English. +There are some scenarios where serial consoles are useful. Remote +systems are usually administered over {ref}`ssh`, but sometimes console +access is the only way to diagnose and correct software failures. Certain +system upgrades may also require console access. -There are some scenarios where serial consoles are useful. System administration -of remote computers is usually done using {ref}`ssh`, but there are times when -access to the console is the only way to diagnose and correct software failures. -Major upgrades to the installed distribution may also require console access. +## Configuration ```{cfgcmd} set system console device \<device\> -Defines the specified device as a system console. Available console devices -can be (see completion helper): -* ``ttySN`` - Serial device name -* ``ttyAMAN``- Serial device name for some arm64 systems -* ``ttyUSBX`` - USB Serial device name -* ``hvc0`` - Xen console +**Enable a serial console on the specified device.** + +`<device>` is the device name, in one of the following formats: + +- `ttySN`: Standard serial device. +- `ttyAMAN`: ARM serial device. +- `usbNbXpY`: {abbr}`USB (Universal Serial Bus)`-to-serial converter, + addressed by its bus path. +- `hvcN`: Xen console. + +`N` is a number in all formats. In `usbNbXpY`, `X` and `Y` are the bus +and port parts of the converter's USB path and can contain dot-separated +numbers. + +A USB serial converter must be connected upon commit. Otherwise, the +commit fails. +``` + +Example: + +```none +set system console device ttyS0 ``` ```{cfgcmd} set system console device \<device\> kernel -When set, the selected serial console is used as the kernel boot console. -When removed, the kernel boot console falls back to tty0. - -:::{note} -Only one serial console can carry the ``kernel`` option. -When VyOS is installed via serial console, this option is set automatically -for the serial interface used during installation; usually ``ttyS0`` or -``ttyAMA0``. -::: -``` - -```{cfgcmd} set system console device \<device\> speed \<speed\> - -The speed (baudrate) of the console device. Supported values are: -* ``1200`` - 1200 bps -* ``2400`` - 2400 bps -* ``4800`` - 4800 bps -* ``9600`` - 9600 bps -* ``19200`` - 19,200 bps -* ``38400`` - 38,400 bps (default for Xen console) -* ``57600`` - 57,600 bps -* ``115200`` - 115,200 bps (default for serial console) - -:::{note} -If you use USB to serial converters for connecting to your VyOS -appliance please note that most of them use software emulation without flow -control. This means you should start with a common baud rate (most likely -9600 baud) as otherwise you probably can not connect to the device using -high speed baud rates as your serial converter simply can not process this -data rate. -::: +**Output kernel messages to the specified device.** + +By default, the router sends them to `tty0`. + +The specified device must be a `ttyS` or `ttyAMA` device, and only one +device can receive kernel messages. Otherwise, the commit fails. +``` + +```{note} +If you install the router from a serial console, the installer sets this +option automatically on the device used during installation, usually +`ttyS0` or `ttyAMA0`. +``` + +Example: + +```none +set system console device ttyS0 kernel +``` + +```{cfgcmd} set system console device \<device\> speed \<1200 | 2400 | 4800 | 9600 | 19200 | 38400 | 57600 | 115200\> + +**Configure the console baud rate.** + +The default is `115200`, except for `hvcN` (Xen) consoles, which default +to `38400`. +``` + +```{note} +Many USB-to-serial converters lack hardware flow control. Without it, a +converter may silently drop data at high baud rates. If you cannot +connect at a high rate, set the speed to `9600`. +``` + +Example: + +```none +set system console device ttyS0 speed 115200 +``` + +```{cfgcmd} set system console powersave + +**Enable screen-blank power saving on the local VGA console.** + +When enabled, the local console blanks the screen after 15 minutes of +inactivity and powers down the monitor after 60 minutes. This does not +affect serial consoles or SSH sessions. +``` + +Example: + +```none +set system console powersave ```
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