Minicom: A Serial Communication Program For Linux

           Minicom is a powerful and simple text based serial communication program which distributed under GNU Public License for Linux based operating systems. Sometimes Minicom is preinstalled with Debian Linux.
It has a very simpler configuration menu and GUI interface. You can connect to all devices with this program includes CISCO routers, PBX systems,etc. Minicom has a Dialing directory with auto dialing feature. Individual users can use their own configurations with Minicom. Minicom also features to capture the serial data and save to a file in local directory. Minicom can be used with your physical serial devices like TTY.

Install Minicom from yum repository(Fedora & CentOS)

[root@server ~]# yum -y install minicom
Loaded plugins: langpacks, presto, refresh-packagekit
Setting up Install Process
Resolving Dependencies
--> Running transaction check
---> Package minicom.x86_64 0:2.5-6.fc15 will be installed
--> Finished Dependency Resolution
Dependencies Resolved
=================================================================================
 Package Arch Version Repository Size
=================================================================================
Installing:
 minicom x86_64 2.5-6.fc15 fedora 247 k
Transaction Summary
=================================================================================
Install 1 Package(s)
Total download size: 247 k
Installed size: 801 k
Downloading Packages:
Setting up and reading Presto delta metadata
Processing delta metadata
Package(s) data still to download: 247 k
minicom-2.5-6.fc15.x86_64.rpm | 247 kB 00:01
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Transaction Test Succeeded
Running Transaction
Warning: RPMDB altered outside of yum.
  Installing : minicom-2.5-6.fc15.x86_64 1/1
Installed:
  minicom.x86_64 0:2.5-6.fc15
Complete!

Installation In Ubuntu and Debian OS's
user@ubuntu:~$ sudo apt-get install minicom


How to configure Minicom
Step1:

[root@server ~] minicom -s
(now you will get a Minicom configuration menu like below screenshot)

Minicom configuration menu

Step2: Now select "Serial Port Setup" from the main menu(see above screenshot, and you will get a menu like below screenshot.)



Step3: press "A" to change Serial device.Change to /dev/ttyS0        (capital "S" and zero "0")
Step4: Press "E" to configure Port setings as your device needs.
(For me, again Press "C" for bits per second: 9600 , Data bits:8, Parity:None, Stop bits:1, Flow control:None, etc.)
Step5: Select "Save setup as dfl" (from the main configuration menu) to save as Default.
Step6: Select "Exit from Minicom" (from the configuration menu) to Exit from configuration menu.

How to use Minicom
[root@server ~] minicom


Minicom has started..

LABELS: CentOS, Debian, extra-tips, Fedora, linux, Minicom, Redhat, Serial Communication, Ubuntu