Boot messages serial console problem on RH7.

[Przemyslaw Tokarski <przemek zpk u lodz pl>]

Hello The List

 Can anybody give me any directions on how to solve the following 
problem ?

I installed a new (not an upgrade ) RH 7.0 Linux system which is to be
accessible only via a serial line. It will be located in the basement and
controlled from a Windows NT machine by the use of a Hyperterminal
application. The boot prompt appears on the serial console so do boot
messages, however the [OK]`s and [FAILED]`s produced by start-up scripts
are not appropriately aligned - not under each other, moved toward 
left side of the console window and only black and white. Also when the 
file system is being checked periodically a "progress bar" is not being 
displayed which is very useful considering that the machine is not in 
the same room and I can not easily check what it is doing (disk activity).
What`s worse I can not edit system files when the machine runs in 
single-user mode - when I try to leave vi it gives me lots of beeps and 
not much else (unless I change terminal emulation setting to ANSI which 
causes other problems). I connected a monitor to the system in question 
and checked that [OK]`s and [FAILED]`s are displayed properly as is 
filesystem check "progress bar" so I believe /etc/sysconfig/init`s 
BOOTUP variable is set rightly. Terminal settings are probably also OK as 
I "downgraded" the machine to RH 6.0 and everything was fine. What has 
changed beetween RH 6.0 and RH 7.0 with regard to the aforementioned.

I`d be grateful for any hints...
Przemyslaw Tokarski
Lodz, Poland