New post: How to user HP iLO2 Virtual Serial Console via SSH on Ubuntu

Signed-off-by: Ettore Dreucci <ettore.dreucci@gmail.com>

content/blog/ilo2-vps-ssh-ubuntu.md

@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+---
+title: "HP iLO2 VSC via SSH on Ubuntu"
+tags: ["hp", "ilo", "ssh", "vsp", "tty", "grub"]
+categories: [recipe, sysadmin]
+description: "How to user HP iLO2 Virtual Serial Console via SSH on Ubuntu"
+date: 2020-06-25T11:46:08+02:00
+author: "Ettore Dreucci"
+draft: true
+---
+
+## [[recipe]({{< ref "/categories/recipe" >}}), [sysadmin]({{< ref "/categories/sysadmin" >}})]: How to user HP iLO2 Virtual Serial Console via SSH on Ubuntu
+
+I’ve an old HP ProLiant DL360 G5 rack server with Ubuntu 16.04 at a remote location. Sometimes I’ve the need to remotely connect to it and look at the boot sequence.
+
+iLO2 web interface has a Java applet to use the remote console but unfortunately with last versions of Firefox and Chrome it doesn’t work anymore.
+
+So here we are:
+
+### Configure GRUB to use VSP
+
+To use and control GRUB via a virtual serial port we have to configure it:
+
+1. In `/etc/default/grub` we need to change this lines:
+
+   ```
+   GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=15
+   GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=false
+   GRUB_TIMEOUT=15
+   GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="text console=tty0 console=ttyS1,115200n8"
+   GRUB_TERMINAL=console
+   ```
+
+   That way the kernel messages are being redirected to tty0 and ttyS1
+
+2. Create `/etc/init/ttyS1.conf` to start a getty on the vsp with:
+
+   ```
+   # ttyS1 - getty
+   #
+   # This service maintains a getty on tty1 from the point the system is
+   # started until it is shut down again.
+    
+   start on stopped rc RUNLEVEL=[2345] and (
+               not-container or
+               container CONTAINER=lxc or
+               container CONTAINER=lxc-libvirt)
+    
+   stop on runlevel [!2345]
+    
+   respawn
+   exec /sbin/getty -8 115200 ttyS1
+   ```
+
+### Connect to iLO2 via SSH
+
+iLO2 support old key algorithms and chipers so we need to specify those:
+
+```
+ssh -o HostKeyAlgorithms=ssh-rsa,ssh-dss -o KexAlgorithms=diffie-hellman-group1-sha1 -o Ciphers=aes128-cbc,3des-cbc -o MACs=hmac-md5,hmac-sha1 ILO2_IP_ADDR
+```
+
+### Start the VSP
+
+```
+hpiLO-> VSP
+
+Starting virtual serial port.
+Press 'ESC (' to return to the CLI Session.
+
+hpiLO-> Virtual Serial Port active: IO=0x03F8 INT=4
+Ubuntu 16.04 ttyS0
+
+login:
+
+Job done ??
+
+Other CLI commands available:
+
+HP CLI Commands:
+
+POWER    : Control server power.
+UID      : Control Unit-ID light.
+NMI      : Generate an NMI.
+VM       : Virtual media commands.
+VSP      : Invoke virtual serial port.
+VSP LOG  : Invoke virtual serial port data logging.
+TEXTCONS : Invoke Remote Text Console on supported platforms.
+```
+