CONS(4) Device Drivers Manual (vax) CONS(4)

cons
VAX-11 console interface

The console is available to the processor through the console registers. It acts like a normal terminal, except that when the local functions are not disabled, ^P (control-P) puts the console in local console mode (where the prompt is ‘>>>’). The operation of the console in this mode varies slightly per-processor.

On either the VAX-11/780 or 785 the following commands may be used after placing the console in local mode with ^P.

 
Re-enter conversational mode if the processor was halted.

 
Halt the CPU. On an 11/780 or 785 the processor is not stopped by entering local console mode.

(set terminal program) Re-enter conversational mode if the processor is still running.

(proceed) Get out of ODT mode.

If you hit the break key on the console, then the console LSI-11 will go into ODT (console debugger mode).

On an 11/750 or an 11/730 the processor is halted whenever the console is not in conversational mode.

Return to conversational mode.

Return from remote diagnosis mode to local console mode.

(11/750 only) When in console mode on an 11/750 which has a remote diagnosis module, a ^D will put you in remote diagnosis mode, where the prompt will be ‘RDM>’.

The VAX-8600 (8650) console normally works in the same way as the 11/750, except that there are many additional modes and commands.

 
Return to conversational mode.

Halt the processor if HEX debug enabled.

Halt the processor if in normal mode.

With the above proviso's the console works like any other UNIX terminal.

/dev/console
 

tty(4), reboot(8)

VAX Hardware Handbook.

The cons interface appeared in 4.0BSD.
June 5, 1993 NetBSD 9.4