minicom (Pete's notes)

• Install minicom
  • Red Hat Fedora
  • Set serial device protections
  • MAC OS X
• Create default config file
• Create personal config files
• Using minicom's dialing directory
• Using the laptop and console access cable kit

Install minicom

Red Hat Fedora

rpm -e minicom
rpm -i minicom-2.00.0-2.i386.rpm


Set serial device protections

chmod a+rw /dev/ttyS0
chmod a+rw /dev/ttyS1
chmod a+rw /dev/ttyUSB0

MAC OS X

apt-get install minicom

Create default config file

/usr/bin/minicom -s
Save setup as dfl

Create personal config files

To create /etc/minirc.com1, log in as root and do

minicom -s
select Serial port setup
select A and change the Serial Device to /dev/ttyS0
select E and E to change the Speed to 9600
back at the main menu, select Save setup as..
use com1 as the file name
select Exit from Minicom

Do a similar thing for minicom.modem, with a Serial Device of /dev/ttyS01 for the modem built into the 3Com PCMCIA card when it's plugged into gazelle.

Do a similar thing for minicom.keyspan, with a Serial Device of /dev/ttyUSB0 and a Speed of 9600.

Once the setup files named minicom.com1, minicom.modem and minicom.keyspan exist, set up aliases to use them conveniently. Edit ~/.bashrc to set up the aliases. Here, the -o is used to skip modem initialization when using the COM1 port.

alias com1='minicom -o com1'
alias modem='minicom modem'
alias keyspan='minicom -o keyspan'

Using minicom's dialing directory

Using the laptop and console access cable kit

• 7507 CONSOLE (male DB25) to
• Cisco/NSC End adapter to
• cable
• Generic PC End adapter to
• COM1 on PC

• LS1010 CONSOLE (male DB25) to
• Cisco/NSC End adapter to
• cable to
• Generic PC End adapter to
• COM1 on PC

• Juniper M20 MGMT (male DB9) to
• Xyplex End adapter to
• cable to
• Generic PC End adapter to
• COM1 on PC