Configure Alix BIOS

Setting serial console speed

By default serial speed on Alix BIOS is set to 38400 baud. I had mixed experiences running FreeBSD over serial at anything other than 9200 baud so that's what I recommend (and it's what the flash installer will configure by default). It's handy to set the Alix BIOS to 9200 too so that it all runs at the same speed. Here's how to do it:

• connect Alix via a serial null modem cable to your box
• You can use 'cu' (in FreeBSD base) or gnu 'screen' to get a serial terminal going (change /dev/cu.usbserial to whatever serial device is).

sudo cu -s 38400 -l /dev/cuaU0

or

sudo screen /dev/cu.usbserial 38400

• press 's' during memory test to enter Alix BIOS
• press '9' change serial speed to 9200
• press 'q' to quit and 'y' to save changes.

This is how it looks when configured correctly:

BIOS setup:

*9* 9600 baud (2) 19200 baud (3) 38400 baud (5) 57600 baud (1) 115200 baud
*C* CHS mode (L) LBA mode (W) HDD wait (V) HDD slave (U) UDMA enable
(M) MFGPT workaround
(P) late PCI init
*R* Serial console enable
(E) PXE boot enable
(X) Xmodem upload
(Q) Quit

Save changes Y/N ?