HackAAPL: Hacking Apple Products

In order to access servers or network gear via a Mac you will first likely need a Bluetooth to RS232 adapter or USB -> Serial (DB9) adapter. This will of course allow to access the serial/console port on the desired device. After this is setup, accessing a console view for the device is rather simple in OS X.

1. Launch OS X Terminal (/Applications/Utilities/Terminal).
2. Discover what your USB or Bluetooth to Serial device is by typing “ls /dev/tty*”
3. Output will look like:

macbook$ ls /dev/tty*
/dev/tty.Bluetooth-Modem
/dev/tty.usbserial
/dev/tty.Bluetooth-PDA-Sync

4. Type “screen /dev/tty.usbserial 9600” to connect to your device
5. Then start typing. To quit the screen app, type control-A, then control-\.
6. In order to break you can type Control-A, Control-B. To break more than once, just do Ctrl-A, Ctrl-B, Ctrl-B, Ctrl-B.