This will guide you to prepare a installation media from Windows and install ubuntu into Soekris net6501.

Stuffs you need:

• a USB stick that CAN BE RECOGNIZED by net6501 device.
  Not sure? Attach it to net6501 and reboot. If you can read the SIZE of this stick while booting, it is.
• an ISO file for ubuntu server 32-bit. Version 16.10 is tested.
• rufus. Guide and download point at https://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/create-a-usb-stick-on-windows.
• a working serial connection from your workstation to your net6501, software included.

Prepare installation media:

• Use rufus to build the USB stick. Check the guide above.

Install:

1. Link net6501 to your computer using serial connection and start the link. In this case, I’m using the default setting (Speed=19200, Data bits=8, Stop bits=1, Parity=None, Flow control=XON/XOFF).
2. Boot your net6501 with USB stick attached.
3. Hit ctrl-p to go into bios.
4. Type “boot 81” (without quotes) and press enter to boot from USB.
5. You will see that something wrong with gfxboot.
6. Type this text below SLOWLY and press enter. DO NOT COPY AND PASTE:
   install console=ttyS0,19200
7. Do not press any key related to screen mode selection. It will be passed.
8. Choose a language and continue installation steps as normal.

Finalize:

Grub configuration need to be adjusted for using serial as console.

Edit /etc/default/grub and change to these lines below:
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX="console=ttyS0,19200 noplymouth"

Then run update-grub.

 

Hope this help you.