CONS(4)                 GENIX Programmer's Manual                 CONS(4)



      NAME
           cons - SYS16 console interface

      DESCRIPTION
           The console is available to the  processor  through  the  CPU  Board
           serial port.  It acts like a normal terminal, except when the system
           is powered on, reset, experiences a panic condition, or is rebooted.
           Under  these  conditions,  the console is in local ROM monitor mode.
           The system can be booted using the `k' or  `o'  commands.   The  `h'
           command lists the ROM monitor commands available.

           When certain error conditions arise, the kernel will print  diagnos-
           tic messages on the console.  Among others, these conditions include
           hard disk and tape errors, process deaths due to  insufficient  swap
           space, and system panics.

      FILES
           /dev/console

      SEE ALSO
           tty(4), reboot(8)

      DIAGNOSTICS
           None.

      BUGS
           Some versions of the kernel are  compiled  with  debugging  features
           that  affect  the  console's  behavior  on input.  In this case, two
           character sequences starting with the ASCII character SOH  (control-
           A)  are interpreted at interrupt level by the kernel itself, produc-
           ing various diagnostic printouts or causing the kernel to take vari-
           ous  drastic  actions.  To input SOH itself, it is necessary to type
           it twice in succession.






















      Printed 11/16/83                                                        1