How to use minicom over serial connections
Minicom is a text-based modem control and terminal emulation program for Unix-like operating systems, originally written by Miquel van Smoorenburg, and modeled after the popular MS-DOS program Telix. Minicom includes a dialing directory, ANSI and VT100 emulation, an (external) scripting language, and other features. Minicom is a menu-driven communications program. It also has an auto zmodem download.
A common use for minicom is when setting up a remote serial console, perhaps as a last resort to access a computer if the LAN is down. This can be done using nothing more than an old 386 laptop with a minicom floppy distro such as Pitux or Serial Terminal Linux. It is even possible to use the Windows Server Emergency Management Services console in Windows 2003. Windows NT4 also had a similar feature, where one could enable an emergency serial line command prompt.
Linux comes with many serial text and gui based serial communication programs. My favorite is minicom – friendly menu driven serial communication program.
If you are addicted to DOS / Windows TELIX (a telecommunications program originally written for DOS and was released in 1986), minicom is for you under Linux / UNIX.
minicom Common features / usage
=> Setting up a remote serial console
=> Access a computer / server if the LAN is down
=> Connect to embedded Linux / BSD device via null modem cable
=> Connect to Cisco routers for configuration
=> Connect to dump device i.e. device w/o keyboard and mouse
=> Dialing directory with auto-redial
=> Support for UUCP-style lock files on serial devices
=> Separate script language interpreter
=> Capture to file
=> Multiple users with individual configurations
Let us see how to configure minicom for my Soekris net4801 Single Board Computer / embedded Linux device.
Install minicom
Use apt-get under Debian / Ubuntu Linux, enter:
$ sudo apt-get install minicom
If you are using Red hat Linux (RHEL) / CentOS / Fedora Linux, enter:
# yum install minicom
How do I use minicom?
First, make sure Linux has detected serial ports. Use setserial command to set and/or report the configuration information associated with a serial port.
Setup minicom
The -s option use to setup minicom. Type the following command at shell prompt:
$ minicom -s
ome terminals such as the Linux console support color with the standard ANSI escape sequences. Type the following command start minicom with colours:
$ minicom -s -c on
When minicom starts, it first searches the MINICOM environment variable for command-line arguments, which can be over-ridden on the command line. Thus, if you have done:
$ export MINICOM="-m -c on"
Start minicom
$ minicom
minicom will assume that your terminal has a Meta or key and that color is supported. You can add MINICOM variable to your shell startup script such as ~/.bash_profile.
minicom keyboard short cut keys
Use the following keys:
- UP arrow-up or k
- DOWN arrow-down or j
- LEFT arrow-left or h
- RIGHT arrow-right or l
- CHOOSE (select menu) Enter
- CANCEL ESCape
Configure serial port
You need to configure serial port. Use up and down arrows to select menus. Press down and select Serial port setup:
- Press A to setup serial device name such as /dev/ttyS1
- Press E to setup Bps/Par/Bits
- Press [ESC] to exit
- Save setup as DFL
- Exit
More on shortcut keys
To activate help menu press [CTRL+A] followed by [Z] for help on special keys:
minicom in action
You need to connect your serial device such as router or modem using modem cable. Once connected power on device and type minicom command without -s option:
$ minicom -c on
The soekris embedded Linux / BSD board with AMD 266 Mhz CPU + 256M RAM. This device connected to my computer using DB9 null modem cable. During the development you need to use minicom to install Linux kernel, format filesystem and configure device.
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