If you're having trouble setting the serial parameters when launching a serial session using Putty on Linux and encounter an error message like "can't find option to set serial line speed," don't worry. This issue is not uncommon, and it can be easily resolved. In this article, we'll walk you through the process of configuring Putty for serial communication and setting the appropriate serial parameters.
Installing Putty on Linux
Before we dive into the configuration process, let's make sure you have Putty installed on your Linux system. You can download Putty from the official website (https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html) and install it using your preferred package manager or by following the instructions provided in the downloaded archive.
Launching Putty
Once Putty is installed, open a terminal window and type "putty" followed by the Enter key. The Putty configuration window will appear, as shown below:
Session -> Host Name (or IP address):
Connection -> SSH -> Host Key Algorithm: (choose your preferred algorithm)
Data -> Serial line -> Serial line: /dev/ttyS0
Setting the Serial Line
In the example above, we have set the serial line to "/dev/ttyS0". This is the default serial port for many systems, but it may vary depending on your specific hardware configuration. If you're unsure about the correct serial port for your system, you can check the documentation for your hardware or use the "ls /dev/ttyS*" command in the terminal to list all available serial ports.
Configuring the Serial Parameters
With the serial line set, we can now configure the serial parameters. To do this, click on the "Serial" category in the left-hand column:
Session -> Host Name (or IP address):
Connection -> SSH -> Host Key Algorithm: (choose your preferred algorithm)
Data -> Serial line -> Serial line: /dev/ttyS0
Serial -> Serial line settings:
Setting the Serial Line Speed
The "Serial line settings" tab is where we can set the serial line speed and other parameters. To set the line speed, select the desired baud rate from the "Speed" dropdown list:
Serial line settings:
Speed: 9600
Setting Other Serial Parameters
Depending on your specific application, you may also need to configure other serial parameters such as data bits, stop bits, and parity. These settings can be found in the "Data bits", "Stop bits", and "Parity" dropdown lists, respectively:
Serial line settings:
Speed: 9600
Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 1
Parity: None
Saving Your Configuration
Once you have configured the serial parameters to your liking, you can save your Putty session for future use by clicking on the "Save" button:
Session -> Host Name (or IP address):
Connection -> SSH -> Host Key Algorithm: (choose your preferred algorithm)
Data -> Serial line -> Serial line: /dev/ttyS0
Serial -> Serial line settings:
Speed: 9600
Data bits: 8
Stop bits: 1
Parity: None
Session -> Save
- Install Putty on your Linux system.
- Open Putty and set the serial line to the correct port.
- Configure the serial parameters in the "Serial line settings" tab.
- Save your Putty session for future use.
With these steps, you should be able to launch a serial session using Putty on Linux and configure the serial parameters as needed. For more information on Putty and serial communication, check out the following resources: