Serial vs. STI console selector was: Re: [parisc-linux] Beta CD

[herrold]

On Tue, 14 Nov 2000, Paul J.Y. Lahaie wrote:

> This is to answer all the questions about sti console.  Currently, in the
> CVS tree, serial console and STI console cannot be turned on at the same time.
>
> This means that a choice between serial/sti needs to be done at compile
> time.

> If you have any more questions or suggestions, feel free to email me or
> post on this list.  Thank you.

... Query --

Background: Back in the early 70's with a HP 8090 <?>, IBM 1401, IBM
1620, and IBM 360/40, we faced such issues (Don't ask my age,
please)  -- The solution was to probe for, and look for 'sense
switches' in unusual state -- that is -- Some condition which we
could examine, and yet not hose up the boot proces on the host. --
CapsLock set on a keyboard driver -- DSR on a serial line, a
'console sense switch' normally kept off but turned on ... so on.
Sort of like working through a qualitative analysis flowchart in
non-organic chemistry.

Is this possible, to allow support of both, with a single kernel?

-- Russ