How to use the command microcom (with examples)

Microcom is a minimalistic terminal program that allows users to access remote devices via a serial, CAN or telnet connection from the console. It is a handy tool for establishing connections to serial ports and telnet hosts.

Use case 1: Open a serial port using the specified baud rate

Code:

microcom --port path/to/serial_port --speed baud_rate

Motivation:

The motivation for using this command is to open a serial port connection to a remote device. This is useful in situations where you want to interact with the device through a serial console.

Explanation:

• --port: Specifies the path to the serial port. Replace path/to/serial_port with the actual path to the port, e.g., /dev/ttyUSB0.
• --speed: Sets the baud rate for the serial connection. Replace baud_rate with the desired baud rate, e.g., 115200.

Example output:

microcom --port /dev/ttyUSB0 --speed 115200

In this example, the microcom command opens the serial port located at /dev/ttyUSB0 and sets the baud rate to 115200. Once the connection is established, you will be able to interact with the remote device through the serial console.

Use case 2: Establish a telnet connection to the specified host

Code:

microcom --telnet hostname:port

Motivation:

The motivation for using this command is to establish a telnet connection to a remote host. This is useful for accessing devices such as routers, switches, or servers over a network.

Explanation:

• --telnet: Specifies the hostname and port of the remote host separated by a colon. Replace hostname with the desired hostname or IP address, and port with the desired port number.

Example output:

microcom --telnet 192.168.0.1:23

In this example, the microcom command establishes a telnet connection to the host with the IP address 192.168.0.1 on port 23. Once the connection is established, you will be able to interact with the remote host through the telnet session.

Conclusion:

Microcom is a versatile command-line tool for accessing remote devices. By using the --port and --telnet options, you can easily establish connections to serial ports and telnet hosts, respectively. This allows you to interact with the remote devices directly from your console, making it a valuable tool for system administrators and developers.