[Guide] How to use ipmitool SOL with Asrock motherboards (alternative to JViewer)

[microbug]

Edit: The guide has been moved to the Resources section: https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...srock-motherboards-alternative-to-jviewer.51/

 

[Ericloewe]

Very interesting. I just checked my Supermicro X11SSM-F and I could get to the SoL console via SSH directly without ipmitool. The BMC runs a very limited, very annoying shell, where show system1/sol1 followed by start system1/sol1 redirects the serial console to the SSH session.

By the way, you should post this as a Resource. If you have any questions or need help, just ask me.
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/

 

[microbug]

Very interesting. I just checked my Supermicro X11SSM-F and I could get to the SoL console via SSH directly without ipmitool. The BMC runs a very limited, very annoying shell, where show system1/sol1 followed by start system1/sol1 redirects the serial console to the SSH session.

By the way, you should post this as a Resource. If you have any questions or need help, just ask me.
https://forums.freenas.org/index.php?resources/

That must be nice! I couldn't find a similar command for Asrock's BusyBox OS.

I've submitted this as a resource here: https://forums.freenas.org/index.ph...ck-motherboards-alternative-to-jviewer.54797/. I will modify the original post to point to the resource.

 

[m0nkey_]

Any chance you can provide instructions for Windows users?

 

[microbug]

Any chance you can provide instructions for Windows users?

Unfortunately ipmitool doesn't run under Windows. You'll need to make a Linux VM (e.g. with VirtualBox). You could use a lightweight distro like CentOS minimal. The only significant difference to just any old VM is that you'd need bridged networking (VM connected directly to the network, not behind NAT). Once you have a Linux shell, you can use the resource. Apparently you can use cygwin as an alternative to a VM, but I wouldn't use it as VMs are easier.

Edit: I'll update the guide with this info.

 

[Ericloewe]

Ah, thanks for helping out. Usually I have to do all of the work moving stuff. ;)

I'll just point the Resource to use this thread as the discussion thread and delete the old one.

 

[Arwen]

You might add in the section for trouble shooting for When I type ~. my SSH session closes

You can use ~~. to exit. (That's Tilde, Tilde, Period.) Add as many Tildes as needed, for the depth of your SSH and IPMITool sessions.

(I've had 3 nested SSH sessions before due to un-usual network firewalling / configuration.)

 

[Arwen]

Note that this works for the ASrock Rack board C2750D4I used in the FreeNAS Mini.
Had to use serial port 0x3F8 in BIOS but 0x248 in FreeNAS... (Though I don't know if that
was necessary.)

 

[microbug]

Note that this works for the ASrock Rack board C2750D4I used in the FreeNAS Mini.
Had to use serial port 0x3F8 in BIOS but 0x248 in FreeNAS... (Though I don't know if that
was necessary.)

You might add in the section for trouble shooting for When I type ~. my SSH session closes

You can use ~~. to exit. (That's Tilde, Tilde, Period.) Add as many Tildes as needed, for the depth of your SSH and IPMITool sessions.

(I've had 3 nested SSH sessions before due to un-usual network firewalling / configuration.)

Thanks, I've added both of these to the guide. How did you change the serial port in the BIOS on the C2750D4I? I can't see an option for it on the E3C224D2I.

 

[Arwen]

The BIOS option for the serial port was in the general I/O section. I don't remember it and can't take a snapshot.
As I said, I don't know if it was necessary.

 

[Degermeister]

This has been tested to work on the following motherboards:

• E3C224D2I
• E3C336D2I (not tested but its IPMI firmware and BIOS are identical to the E3C224D2I)

Can confirm that it works on the E3C236D2I.

Any chance you can provide instructions for Windows users?

After setting it up according to the guide (by using ipmitool in a linux VM) I decided to try ipmiutil for Windows and it seems to be working ok.

Commands are executed differently compared to ipmitool but the two I'll be using are:

Activate SOL:

Code:

ipmiutil sol -a -U admin -P changeme -N 10.0.0.2

Reboot in to BIOS:

Code:

ipmiutil reset -o -b -U admin -P changeme -N 10.0.0.2

Edit: Also, thanks a lot microbug for the guide!

 

[cods69]

Any chance you can provide instructions for Windows users?

Unfortunately ipmitool doesn't run under Windows. You'll need to make a Linux VM (e.g. with VirtualBox). You could use a lightweight distro like CentOS minimal. The only significant difference to just any old VM is that you'd need bridged networking (VM connected directly to the network, not behind NAT). Once you have a Linux shell, you can use the resource. Apparently you can use cygwin as an alternative to a VM, but I wouldn't use it as VMs are easier.

Probably an obvious suggestion, but I'm just using another Windows install on a Virtual Box with an older version of Java, to get to a working IPMI.
Works for me anyway and seemed easier than fudging around too much, or rolling back my main Windows box.

Either way, nice to have another alternative. /thumbs up :)