Connecting UNRAID VM serial ports to 2 VMs on the same UNRAID server

[E-ManN]

Hi All,

 

I have been searching for days now and have not found a solution yet.

 

I'm trying to use a Linux mint VM and VSI OpenVMS on x86 VM, both on the same UNRAID server and have them share a serial connection using the Linux mint VM as the serial console connection for the VMS server VM.  Yes I know nostalgia here ... but when I first started working after University my 1st job was a VAX Operator.

 

Much appreciated if someone knows how to set this up.  I've tried suggestion I googled and can't get it working.

 

I have this working on my VMWare Pro Workstation host with the serial connection for both VMs a named pipe.

 

I want to get this working on my UNRAID server in hopes to set up another VAX and get a VAX cluster going between the two systems.

 

 

thanks,

 

E 

Edited April 12 by E-ManN
typo

[SimonF]

12 hours ago, E-ManN said:

Hi All,

 

I have been searching for days now and have not found a solution yet.

 

I'm trying to use a Linux mint VM and VSI OpenVMS on x86 VM, both on the same UNRAID server and have them share a serial connection using the Linux mint VM as the serial console connection for the VMS server VM.  Yes I know nostalgia here ... but when I first started working after University my 1st job was a VAX Operator.

 

Much appreciated if someone knows how to set this up.  I've tried suggestion I googled and can't get it working.

 

I have this working on my VMWare Pro Workstation host with the serial connection for both VMs a named pipe.

 

I want to get this working on my UNRAID server in hopes to set up another VAX and get a VAX cluster going between the two systems.

 

 

thanks,

 

E 

Looks like it should be possible. https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/serial-port-between-two-vms.63833/

 

I dont have the XML to enable as yet, also socatis not install within Unraid so would need to get a package for that also.

[SimonF]

I have been able to get this to work.

 

To get socat for 6.12 do, if extra does not exist mkdir /boot/extra

cd /boot/extra
wget      https://slackware.uk/slackware/slackware64-15.0/slackware64/n/socat-1.7.4.3-x86_64-1.txz
installpkg socat-1.7.4.3-x86_64-1.txz

 

For next release will need to be 1.8 this version is not compatible with 6.12.

wget https://mirrors.slackware.com/slackware/slackware64-current/slackware64/n/socat-1.8.0.0-x86_64-1.txz

 

You only need to install once downloaded. Packages in extra get loaded at boot.

 

This is the XML added to each VM.

 

Debian

    <serial type='unix'>
      <source mode='bind' path='/tmp/foo'/>
      <target type='isa-serial' port='1'>
        <model name='isa-serial'/>
      </target>
      <alias name='serial1'/>
    </serial>

 

Unraid-VM

    <serial type='unix'>
      <source mode='bind' path='/tmp/foo2'/>
      <target type='isa-serial' port='1'>
        <model name='isa-serial'/>
      </target>
      <alias name='serial1'/>
    </serial>

 

Then run -dd is only to give debug data.

 

root@computenode:/usr# socat -dd  UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/foo  UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/foo2  
2024/04/13 08:22:30 socat[17649] N successfully connected from local address AF=1 "\0\0\xEE\0\0\xEE\0\0"
2024/04/13 08:22:30 socat[17649] N successfully connected from local address AF=1 "\0\0\xEE\0\0\xEE\0\0\xEE"
2024/04/13 08:22:30 socat[17649] N starting data transfer loop with FDs [5,5] and [6,6]

 

 

[E-ManN]

21 hours ago, SimonF said:

Looks like it should be possible. https://forum.proxmox.com/threads/serial-port-between-two-vms.63833/

 

I dont have the XML to enable as yet, also socatis not install within Unraid so would need to get a package for that also.

 

Thanks a lot SimonF for the speedy reply.  I will work on it this weekend to see if I can get it working.  Awesome !    🙂 

 

forgot to mention that I am on UNRAID 6.12.10 Pro version .... yikes how stupid of me that I forgot to mention this !

 

so if I am understanding your setup I should use the socat-1.7.4.3-x86_64-1.txz version

 

but for the next release of UNRAID I will need to install the socat-1.8.0.0-x86_64-1.txz version.

 

Not sure if you can tell me this but, will I have to keep installing the latest version of socat each time UNRAID OS is upgraded ... or  after each upgrade I should check it it still works and if not search for latest version of socat?

 

anyhow thanks again ... will go to my lab later and try this out.  🙂 

 

thanks,

 

E

 

Edited April 13 by E-ManN
more info

[SimonF]

1 hour ago, E-ManN said:

Not sure if you can tell me this but, will I have to keep installing the latest version of socat each time UNRAID OS is upgraded ... or  after each upgrade I should check it it still works and if not search for latest version of socat?

I think 1.8 should be fine for future upgrades there is a change to ssl libs between 6.12 and 6.13 hence the package change.

[E-ManN]

4 hours ago, SimonF said:

I think 1.8 should be fine for future upgrades there is a change to ssl libs between 6.12 and 6.13 hence the package change.

 

Kool ... thanks for the info. I expected as much.

 

update ...

 

Ok.  So playing around in the lab this am. As per the instructions

1)      I installed  socat-1.7.4.3 on my UNRAID 6.12-.10 Pro server

2)      I configured the serial connection in the XML file for my OpenVMS VM as outlined in the steps

3)      I configured the serial connection in the XML file for my Linux mint VM (Serial console machine) VM – on the same UNRAID server as OpenVMS VM.

 

4)      Powered up both VMs and then from command prompt on UNRAID server ran

a.       socat -dd  UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/foo  UNIX-CLIENT:/tmp/foo2

b.       got the desired connection results

5)      Went back to my linux mint console VM and checked the tty ports

6)      Then tried a screen connect to get a console session on my OpenVMS VM from my Linux Mint VM … screen failed to open – used à sudo screen /dev/ttyS0 115200   

 

Should I be using another command on my Linux mint machine to get console display from the OpenVMS VM ?

 

This is what the UNRAID console session for the OPenVMS VM looks like in UNRAID VM Console (VNC) …

 

and this is what I am trying to get on my Linux Mint VM with the serial console connect.

 

I feel like this a brain freeze on my part … so close but missing something. I’m reading up on socat whitepapers.  I’m not a Guru Linux guy but learning.  J

 

 

Thanks,

 

E

Edited April 13 by E-ManN
typo

[E-ManN]

brain fart on me .. i got it working.  Had to change the port=1 to port=0 on both vms in the XML file as the tty connect I was using was to port0  .. ah duh !.

 

I now have console session on Linux mint VM.

 

 

Thanks A million SimonF .. you are a Rockstar !

 

 

Edited April 13 by E-ManN
typo