Dell function key escape sequences when using serial console
Anyone who has ever played around with serial console operation, be it over a serial cable or with an IPMI-like serial redirection over LAN, has known the joys of trying to find working alternatives to the function keys. Since one of the things you’ll be likely to do with a serial console is to enter the BIOS setup, and entering the bios setup usually requires the use of F1, F2 or F10, this is a bit of a poser.
Luckily for us, Dell in it’s neverending wisdom has seen fit to display all necessary escape sequences for its Serial BIOS at boot time. The only hitch is that this screen flashes by so quickly that it’s impossible to read unless you’ve been gifted with x-ray eyes. Armed with the Print-Screen key and Photoshop, we did some twenty reboots of the server and were able to decipher the following shortcuts:
Dell Serial Bios keyboard shortcuts
F2 <ESC>2
F3 <ESC>3
F4 <ESC>4
F5 <ESC>5
F6 <ESC>6
F7 <ESC>7
F8 <ESC>8
F9 <ESC>9
F10 <ESC>0
F11 <ESC>!
F12 <ESC>@
End <ESC>k
Insert <ESC>+
Delete <ESC>-
PageUp <ESC>?
PageDn <ESC>/
Use the <ESC><Ctrl><H> key sequence for <Ctrl><H>
Use the <ESC><Ctrl><I> key sequence for <Ctrl><I>
Use the <ESC><Ctrl><J> key sequence for <Ctrl><J>
Use the <ESC><X><X> key sequence for <Alt><x>, where x is any letter key, and X is the upper case of that key
Note: Use your keypad for the <ESC>n sequences!
