Support for Windows PuTTY connecting straight to a local serial port

[u/mdw/putty] / doc / using.but

diff --git a/doc/using.but b/doc/using.but
index bd9e939..0fb7127 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/using.but
+++ b/doc/using.but
@@ -491,6 +491,37 @@ protocol}\q{Raw}, from the \q{Protocol} buttons in the \q{Session}
 configuration panel. (See \k{config-hostname}.) You can then enter a
 host name and a port number, and make the connection.
 
+\H{using-serial} Connecting to a local serial line
+
+PuTTY can connect directly to a local serial line as an alternative
+to making a network connection. In this mode, text typed into the
+PuTTY window will be sent straight out of your computer's serial
+port, and data received through that port will be displayed in the
+PuTTY window. You might use this mode, for example, if your serial
+port is connected to another computer which has a serial connection.
+
+To make a connection of this type, simply select \q{Serial} from the
+\q{Connection type} radio buttons on the \q{Session} configuration
+panel (see \k{config-hostname}). The \q{Host Name} and \q{Port}
+boxes will transform into \q{Serial line} and \q{Speed}, allowing
+you to specify which serial line to use (if your computer has more
+than one) and what speed (baud rate) to use when transferring data.
+For further configuration options (data bits, stop bits, parity,
+flow control), you can use the \q{Serial} configuration panel (see
+\k{config-serial}).
+
+After you start up PuTTY in serial mode, you might find that you
+have to make the first move, by sending some data out of the serial
+line in order to notify the device at the other end that someone is
+there for it to talk to. This probably depends on the device. If you
+start up a PuTTY serial session and nothing appears in the window,
+try pressing Return a few times and see if that helps.
+
+A serial line provides no well defined means for one end of the
+connection to notify the other that the connection is finished.
+Therefore, PuTTY in serial mode will remain connected until you
+close the window using the close button.
+
 \H{using-cmdline} The PuTTY command line
 
 PuTTY can be made to do various things without user intervention by
@@ -649,11 +680,14 @@ a remote command or script from a file
 The \i\c{-m} option performs a similar function to the \q{\ii{Remote
 command}} box in the SSH panel of the PuTTY configuration box (see
 \k{config-command}). However, the \c{-m} option expects to be given
-a local file name, and it will read a command from that file. On
-most Unix systems, you can even put multiple lines in this file and
-execute more than one command in sequence, or a whole shell script;
-but this will not work on all servers (and is known not to work
-with certain \q{embedded} servers such as routers).
+a local file name, and it will read a command from that file.
+
+With some servers (particularly Unix systems), you can even put
+multiple lines in this file and execute more than one command in
+sequence, or a whole shell script; but this is arguably an abuse, and
+cannot be expected to work on all servers. In particular, it is known
+\e{not} to work with certain \q{embedded} servers, such as \i{Cisco}
+routers.
 
 This option is not available in the file transfer tools PSCP and
 PSFTP.