I use VyOS on a Protectli Vault FW4B. I have used the console port many times. I have a cable that is an RJ45 on one end and USB-C on the other. I’ve plugged it in to my Linux laptop, run this command as root:
screen /dev/ttyUSB0 115200
And boom, I was in at the login prompt for VyOS.
I need to get in to do some things. When I run the screen command, I just get an empty terminal window like this:
I can’t get it to show anything. I can’t even figure out the escape sequence. I have to kill the screen command.
If I leave my cable plugged in and reboot the OS from an ssh connection, I see everything at first. I see the BIOS boot screen. I see the Grub screen and can make a boot selection. But as soon as Grub choose a VyOS image, I lose it and go back to empty.
This is my console settings in the VyOS config:
# show system console
device ttyS0 {
speed 115200
}
What am I doing wrong? I want to do some upgrade work, but only if I can guarantee console access in case something doesn’t come back online.
What VyOS version are you running? And what type of console did you choose during the installation (What console should be used by default? (K: KVM, S: Serial, U: USB-Serial)? (Default: K)?
When I boot up 1.5-rolling in Grub I can select ‘Boot options’ > ‘Select console type’ and see the options for tty (graphical) or ttyS (serial). Did you set console type to ttyS?
The Protectli devices use the console port for emulating a screen during boot time so that you could access the bios and see the boot menu during startup.
I believe I have mine set to KVM boot, and don’t generally have issues with the serial.
$ show version
Version: VyOS 1.5-rolling-202405221805
Release train: current
Release flavor: iso
Built by: <myemail>
Built on: Wed 22 May 2024 18:05 UTC
Build UUID: f3017193-ca4d-40a2-a464-814989a9bcd1
Build commit ID: fad55b3e9790f6
Architecture: x86_64
Boot via: installed image
System type: bare metal
Hardware vendor: Protectli
Hardware model: FW4B
Hardware S/N: 123456789
Hardware UUID: Unknown
Copyright: VyOS maintainers and contributors
Also, what’s strange, I have not done a full reinstall since the first install 2 years ago. I have done upgrades. The console used to work. So while I don’t recall which console I chose to install, I believe I chose KVM, the default. I did the original install over this same console cable with the same laptop client.
Later when I can bring it down I will connect and reboot and see if I have a boot option and can select serial and see what happens.
How would I set the default so on reboot it chooses serial?
I’m not sure I understand your last part. If I choose serial, I will get everything on serial and also on KVM after booted? If I choose KVM, I will get everything on video but then also serial after booted?
I looked at my grub settings and I believe I have KVM right now, and I definitely cannot see anything on serial after booted.
It’s not a configuration command, it’s an operational command. It’s present in 1.5-rolling-202410081209 at least, and I suspect anything past that as well.
Aha, thanks. I just got into the console by choosing serial from the boot options at the Grub menu.
I am installing a new build from this week. My container crashed again with the same error yesterday. I keep losing DNS because of this, so for my network, it’s critical. Hopefully there’s something “stuck” or misconfigured somewhere that a new built image fixes. If not… I won’t know what to do.
