Quote:
Well, take a notice: most servers have dedicated console port. Only few PCs I know of can pull console on anything other than graphics adapter and you can diagnose hardware errors without prior running, if you even can, the operating system that redirect output to something like serial port- the "buried shovel" syndrome. If a true server malfunctions, you can still gain access from dedicated, like on serial port, console, where you can perform hardware maintenance.
Every Linux kernel I've seen has included the netconsole module, which allows access to input and output via (amongst other things) the serial port. More to the point, running headed really isn't an option when your server is in a datacentre in Manchester :) Virtualisation helps a bit.