Once upon a time, you shipped a fit-pc with a BIOS that could be switched to output via the serial port (enabling headless operation). (The user could then configure loaders and OS to use the serial port for console as well.)
Is that going to be possible with the fit-pc2i, to help make it a true networking device?
Headless operation?
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yawarra_paul
- Posts: 60
- Joined: Tue Oct 06, 2009 12:32 pm
Re: Headless operation?
Hi Irad,
Does that mean you will not be doing it, or that it is not possible? What would it take to make this a configurable option? On the fit-PC2i in particular we have had enquiries for this feature.
Best regards,
Paul McGowan
Does that mean you will not be doing it, or that it is not possible? What would it take to make this a configurable option? On the fit-PC2i in particular we have had enquiries for this feature.
Best regards,
Paul McGowan
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irads
Re: Headless operation?
After initial BIOS configuration there is usually no need to change BIOS setup. So a fully functional headless setup can work fine without BIOS redirection.
Re: Headless operation?
Well, you can say that, and it's true that one isn't often changing the BIOS (usually!), but where you want to have an alternative media to boot to and changing that requires BIOS access, this BIOS redirect feature is needed. Remote access essentially requires it...
Is it just too costly to provide an alternative BIOS that uses serial and instructions to flash it... with warnings that you can't support it? Because if you can provide it, you know it works, but you don't want to support it for those who would use it, fine! At least we could get the feature and chances are, if we want that feature, we know what we're doing, so we're not going to email wondering why nothing shows up on our monitors...
Something like the fit-pc slim diskless is half the price of your competition, and in my experience it's a great product! But adding a BIOS that can be used over serial would really seal the deal for greater deployment across data centers, etc.. Serial/headless is key for the remote access applications where this product would be great.
-T
Is it just too costly to provide an alternative BIOS that uses serial and instructions to flash it... with warnings that you can't support it? Because if you can provide it, you know it works, but you don't want to support it for those who would use it, fine! At least we could get the feature and chances are, if we want that feature, we know what we're doing, so we're not going to email wondering why nothing shows up on our monitors...
Something like the fit-pc slim diskless is half the price of your competition, and in my experience it's a great product! But adding a BIOS that can be used over serial would really seal the deal for greater deployment across data centers, etc.. Serial/headless is key for the remote access applications where this product would be great.
-T
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irads
Re: Headless operation?
It's more of a keep-it-simple issue.
In the first generation of fit-PC we had BIOS COM port redirection.
There were many cases of users unknowingly setting redirection and finding it next to impossible to return BIOS to the display. If you dig in the fit-PC1 forum you will find the evidence.
Of course, it is possible to add on that BIOS reset, jumpers etc, but in my view redirection is serving a fraction of the target market, and these users are sophisticated enough to work around the problem.
In the first generation of fit-PC we had BIOS COM port redirection.
There were many cases of users unknowingly setting redirection and finding it next to impossible to return BIOS to the display. If you dig in the fit-PC1 forum you will find the evidence.
Of course, it is possible to add on that BIOS reset, jumpers etc, but in my view redirection is serving a fraction of the target market, and these users are sophisticated enough to work around the problem.
Re: Headless operation?
Well, if the issue is not cost, I would hope you'll consider making a serially redirected BIOS available for download in an obscure place, with suitable caveats to those of us who would grab it and to anyone who mistakenly comes upon it ("Don't install this unless you know what you're doing, this is unsupported, you are probably looking for our normal BIOS at this (link) location, if so please go there, etc..")?