This one time, at band camp, David Kitchens said:

> I hear you there! I have a Sharp Zaurus handheld which runs Linux and it
> even has a keyboard! To be able to use it with a standard pc would be
> wonderful! Manuel... !!!! Please???  :)
>
> Dave
>
> > I know that would be tremendously helpful for me, if the generic PC
> > image came built with support for the console on com1,9600,8,n,1 with
> > 3 wire serial console support. I would much rather attach a terminal,
> > or a serial terminal server, to my monowalls rather than a pc keyboard
> > and mouse.

it already has support for it.  you must configure it, though.  if you
have a linux box, use the attached script to create a custom m0n0wall
image.  what you need to do is add a line to loader.rc file (found in
/boot on the boot fs image)
	set console=comconsole

then install that image on your m0n0 box.

if you have some other *nix, you can easily modify the script.

i realise that it might be nice to be able to configure the console from,
say, the console!  or the webgui.  but there is usually a need to do this
only once.

truthfully, there is a way of configuring it from the webgui, but it's not
really any easier.  however, if you don't have a *nix box, it's probably
the only way.  it requires unmounting /cf, remounting it read/write, then
issuing a few commands in exec.php

	umount /cf
	mount /dev/ad0a /cf     # <-- or whatever your boot device is
	cp /cf/boot/loader.rc /cf/boot/loader.rc.temp
	echo "set console=comconsole" > /cf/boot/loader.rc
	cat /cf/boot/loader.rc.temp >> /cf/boot/loader.rc
	rm /cf/boot/loader.rc.temp
	sync                    # <-- i'm paranoid    (a reboot should
	umount /cf              # <-- really paranoid  do these anyway)

and then reboot.  the changes will be permananent.  if you need to go back
to vga/keyboard console, you can perform similar magic in exec.php, only
you'll have to re-create loader.rc one line at a time using echo commands.
there is no shell, no editor, no grep in m0n0.

jj