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Use minicom on Linux Mint 21

Prereqs

  • a PC (BIOS/UEFI) running Linux Mint 21
  • internet connection
  • a serial/console cable
  • a Cisco device (switch, router)

Setup

Install minicom

Refresh the cache and install the package.

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sudo apt update; sudo apt install minicom -y

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guru@lab:~$ sudo apt update; sudo apt install minicom -y
[sudo] password for guru:     
Hit:1 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy-security InRelease
Hit:2 http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu jammy InRelease
...
...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.10.2-1) ...
Processing triggers for mailcap (3.70+nmu1ubuntu1) ...
guru@lab:~$

Identify serial port

Your Cisco device is connected to the Linux Mint LAB-PC using a serial cable. On that PC, run the following command to list the available serial ports. Note down the name of the serial port (e.g. /dev/ttyUSB0) corresponding to your device.

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dmesg | grep tty

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guru@lab:~$ dmesg | grep tty
[    0.206150] printk: console [tty0] enabled
[18977.539042] usb 1-4: pl2303 converter now attached to ttyUSB0
guru@lab:~$

Configure and use minicom

In the terminal, run the following command to start the "Minicom configuration" and then "Minicom".

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sudo minicom -s
sudo minicom

In the Minicom configuration menu, use the arrow keys to navigate and configure the settings as follows:

  • Select "Serial port setup"
  • Set the serial device to the one you noted down earlier (e.g. "/dev/ttyUSB0")
  • Set the baud rate according to your device's specifications (e.g. "9600")
  • Leave other settings at their default values, unless you have specific requirements
  • Press "Save setup as dfl" to save the configuration.
  • Press "Exit from Minicom".

These settings will be saved in file /etc/minicom/minirc.dfl for all future runs.

Alternative use

Instead of doing the setup first, you can give the correct parameters on the commandline instead. Minicom will open and display the terminal window.

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sudo minicom -b 9600 -D /dev/ttyUSB0

Press Enter to access the switch/router prompt. To exit Minicom, press the keyboard shortcut Ctrl A followed by the letter X

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Welcome to minicom 2.8

OPTIONS: I18n 
Port /dev/ttyUSB0, 14:06:27

Press CTRL-A Z for help on special keys


<press ENTER>

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