niedzielski / ubuntu_serial

Building Ubuntu for serial IO and converting to and from VMs.

Copyright 2012 Stephen Niedzielski. Licensed under GPLv3.

Recipe for Creating a Serial Installer

1. Download the latest Ubuntu Server LTS daily.
2. iso=precise-server-amd64.iso
3. mkdir iso_r
4. sudo mount "$iso" iso_r
5. cp -a iso_r iso_rw
6. sudo umount iso_r
7. rmdir iso_r
8. Edit iso_rw/boot/grub/grub.cfg.
9. Under the "Install Ubuntu Server" entry, append: console=ttyS0,115200n8
10. Before the first menuentry add: 1. serial --unit=0 --speed=115200 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1 1. terminal --timeout=2 serial console
11. Edit iso_rw/isolinux/isolinux.cfg.
12. Comment out: #ui gfxboot bootlogo
13. Append: serial 0 115200 0×003
14. Edit iso_rw/isolinux/txt.cfg.
15. Under the "Install Ubuntu Server" entry, append: console=ttyS0,115200n8
16. sudo genisoimage -input-charset utf-8 -r -V 'Ubuntu Server' -cache-inodes -l -b isolinux/isolinux.bin -c isolinux/boot.cat -no-emul-boot -boot-load-size 4 -boot-info-table -o "$iso" iso_rw
17. sudo chown $(id -u):$(id -g) "$iso"
18. sudo rm -rf iso_rw

Installation on VM

Note: Ubuntu Server 12.04 LTS consumes about 1.8 GB. I recommend a 4 GB install.

1. socat UNIX-CONNECT:/tmp/precise_server_serial_0_pipe PTY,link=/tmp/precise_server_serial_0_pty&
2. echo stty cols $COLUMNS rows $LINES (Copy and paste this after logging into the VM.)
3. screen /tmp/precise_server_serial_0_pty 115200

Note: sudo adduser "$USER" dialout

Updating the Grub

1. Edit /etc/default/grub.
2. GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="console=ttyS0,115200n8"
3. GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="console=ttyS0,115200n8"
4. GRUB_TERMINAL=serial
5. GRUB_SERIAL_COMMAND="serial --speed=115200 --unit=0 --word=8 --parity=no --stop=1"
6. Write the changes to /boot/grub/grub.cfg: sudo update-grub.
7. sudo reboot 0.

See also: info -f grub

Convert to a Real HDD

1. Insert the disk.
2. mount to find the disk.
3. sudo umount #/media/...
4. Ensure it's hosed sudo mkfs.vfat -I #/dev/sdX to prevent misconceptions.
5. time vboxmanage clonehd --format RAW ~/VirtualBox\ VMs/precise_server_serial_0/Snapshots/\{0295b898-a4c5-415a-805e-69b70d00feb9\}.vdi ~/work/ubuntu_serial/precise_server_serial_0.img. This took about two 13 seconds. Note: avoid the pitfall of grabbing the root VDI. You can also write straight to /dev/sdX. If all works well, you should see a file that's exactly 2 GB. Note: don't use qemu-img convert. It's appears to be busted!
6. time sudo dd if=precise_server_serial_0.img #of=/dev/sdX. This took about 18 minutes to copy over a USB to SD converter on a class 10 card and about 27 and a half minutes on an unmarked card, and about five and half minutes over a USB to SATA converter. If all works well, you should see some parititons in gparted.

Boot QEMU from a Real HDD

sudo qemu-system-x86_64 -nographic #/dev/sdX (Exit it with ctrl-a x).