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The Linux Serial HOWTO

David S.Lawyer dave@lafn.org original by Greg Hankins

v2.07 May 2000

This document describes serial port features other than those which should be covered by Modem-HOWTO, PPP-HOWTO, Serial-Programming-HOWTO, or Text-Terminal-HOWTO. It lists info on multiport serial cards. It contains technical info about the serial port itself in more detail than found in the above HOWTOs and should be best for troubleshooting when the problem is the serial port itself. If you are dealing with a Modem, PPP (used for Internet access on a phone line), or a Text-Terminal, those HOWTOs should be consulted first.

1. Introduction

2. How the Hardware Transfers Bytes

3. Serial Port Basics

4. Is the Serial Port Obsolete?

5. Multiport Serial Boards/Cards/Adapters

6. Configuring the Serial Port

7. Serial Port Devices /dev/ttyS2, etc.

8. Interesting Programs You Should Know About

9. Speed (Flow Rate)

10. Locking Out Others

11. Communications Programs And Utilities

12. Serial Tips And Miscellany

13. Troubleshooting

14. Interrupt Problem Details

15. What Are UARTs? How Do They Affect Performance?

16. Pinout and Signals

17. Voltage Waveshapes

18. Other Serial Devices (not async EIA-232)

19. Other Sources of Information

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