Howdy...after lots of reading I've managed to get an old Zenith 8086 portable set up as a dumbterm. The only problem is that the only hardware config I've had any success with requires disconnecting my trackball and plugging the terminal into its port (/dev/ttyS0). Anything else gives me getty respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes.

Here's my current hardware setup wrt serial ports etc... serial trackball on /dev/mouse -> /dev/ttyS0 internal modem on /dev/modem -> /dev/cua1 Straight-through RS232 cable w/ a null modem adaptor and various gender changers on it which connects (sometimes) the 8086 to the 586.

I've got two 9-pin male ports on the back of my 586, but it seems like the modem has control over the second 9-pin port for some reason. I've tried changing the IRQ for that 9-pin port to be different from /dev/cua1, but then getty respawns too fast when i change my getty respawn to ttyS2 or whatever. Basically, i can't get my dumbterm to work off of anything besides my mouse port...help! :)

Thanks,
- Eric

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Eric Sakowski aka Lem aka Ouroboros
Computer Operator, Systems Dept., RU Libraries Tech Services
http://remus.rutgers.edu/~worm