[NTLUG:Discuss] sharing 3 simple serial port succesess

[Fred James]

All
I asked my questions on this list, so in case someone may wonder I 
should like to briefly share 3 simple successes (more detail upon 
request), and say thank you for all the help.  These were all dependent 
on serial ports on Linux, so they are all interrelated so to speak.

(1) extra serial ports - I installed 2 PCI cards, each with 2 DB9 serial 
ports, into a Linux box, then I installed setserial, and rebooted - 
presto, it was like magic
(1.1) I used a null modem cable between two ports at a time (process of 
elimination) to identify which port was which

(2) I used null modem cables to connect 4 UNIX servers (from their 
console ports), one to each of 4 serial ports on the box described in item 1
(2.1) I installed minicom, and set and saved a configuration for each 
server/serial port
(2.1.1) minicom name_of_configuration, and bingo!

(3) monitor temperature in server room - on the same Linux box (item 1) 
I connected a Link12 serial port connector to a serial port, a straight 
through phone wire (Rj11 to Rj11), and a Interior Temperature Sensor 
from AAG (TAI-8520)
(3.1) I installed DigiTemp v3.3.2
(3.2) I wrote a Bash script to call digitemp and handle the output - 
daily reports plus warning email if temperature gets up to a set point.
(3.2.1) This last also required that I install mail and postfix, and set 
relayhost="smtp.as_required_by_our_mail_server.net" in /etc/postfix/main.cf

Thanks again for all your help
Regards
Fred James