SMB console connection with Mac OS X terminal

[G_W_Albrecht]

More than 10 years ago i did struggle in vain to establish console CLI connection with Mac OS X terminal. Adapter cables at that time needed drivers not incuded in OS X and also used different chipsets. This has changed a lot as drivers are now included and it is easy to have the serial console running !

First, plug the USB cable into your Mac and connect the other side to the console USB port.

• Open terminal and change directory: # cd /dev

• Look for a device name containing usb:

• Issue: # ls | grep -i 'usb'
  cu.usbserial-DA01I373
  tty.usbserial-DA01I373

• Connect to SMB:

• # screen tty.usbserial-DA01I373 115200

• Connect to GAiA appliance:

• # screen tty.usbserial-DA01I373 9600

  Disconnect:

• Ctrl+A then Ctrl+\

  This procedure works with the micro USB console port on 700/1400 a.o. - but what about the USB type-C to USB-2.0 type-A cable for 15xx, 1600 and 1800 ? @Mikael added the link to the needed drivers, and here is the procedure:

  First, install the driver and wait for the chache being rebuild. Then plug the USB cable into your Mac and connect the other side to the console USB port.

• Open terminal and change directory: # cd /dev

• Look for a device name containing usb:

• Issue: # ls | grep -i 'usb'
  cu.SLAB_USBtoUART
  tty.SLAB_USBtoUART

• Connect to SMB:

• # screen tty.SLAB_USBtoUART 115200

• Disconnect:

• Ctrl+A then Ctrl+\

[PhoneBoy]

On my older Mac, I was actually doing this with Z-Term.
Z-Term is a 68k Mac program, which should give you an idea of how old that program is 🙂
Nice to know it can be done with native tools, though.

[G_W_Albrecht]

68k Mac - yo, i still own the Motorola CPU manuals 😉 My oldest was a Mac Plus (+ external floppy drive)...

Still have a Classic II somewhere.

[PhoneBoy]

I remember having an upgraded "Fat Mac" (originally came with 512k, but was upgraded with third party hardware).

[G_W_Albrecht]

My dearest was a Mac IIfx - used it for 12 years...

[G_W_Albrecht]

The procedure also works with GAiA appliances - you only have to replace 115200 with the number from https://support.checkpoint.com/results/sk/sk108095

[Mikael · Accepted solution]

This has sure been an issue but as long as you have a cable with a FTDI FT232R chip in it I have not had any issues over the last 10+ years...

BUT, that brings the question about the 1500´s that only have USB-C serial console. 

sk159712 mentions a Silabs-driver that does exist for Mac...
https://www.silabs.com/products/development-tools/software/usb-to-uart-bridge-vcp-drivers 

But I have not yet managed to get that to work. Has anyone gotten them to work with a Mac?

Cheers

[G_W_Albrecht]

Thank you for the reply and link ! I have tested and added the steps for USB type-C to USB-2.0 type-A cable and 15xx, 1600 and 1800 SMBs !

[Mikael]

I was happy to find the driver so I figured I wasn't the only one looking.

And for clarity, the devil is in the details...

Just as you wrote you used a USB-2.0 Type-A cable and that works (I tried multiple cables and all works).

When I initially tested I used USB-C to USB-C cables directly to my Mac. I tested with both the "charge cable" and a Thunderbolt-3 cable... none of them worked (nothing was discovered when running dmesg).

A bit annoying having to go from USB-C to USB-A to USB-C, but I guess it has to do with "down-grading" to USB-2.0.

Cheers

[G_W_Albrecht]

The USB type-C to USB-2.0 type-A cable is the one that comes with the 15xx / 1600 / 1800 and and uses the Silicon Labs CP210x USB to UART Bridge Virtual COM Port. USB-C to USB-C cables will not work...