ettore.dreucci.it/content/blog/ilo2-vps-ssh-ubuntu.md

title, tags, categories, description, date, author, draft

title	tags	categories	description	date	author	draft
HP iLO2 VSC via SSH on Ubuntu	hp ilo ssh vsp tty grub	recipe sysadmin	How to user HP iLO2 Virtual Serial Console via SSH on Ubuntu	2020-06-24T23:46:08+02:00	Ettore Dreucci	false

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.