[NTLUG:Discuss] USB instead of serial for debugging purpose

[satyam venkat]

we are developing an IP appliance (small embedded device) currently we use serial port as console debug.
   
  In the new version, we don't want to have serial port. We want to use usb port as console port to spit out all debug messages.
   
  We use linux 2.6.
   
  My question is:
  Serial port driver is so simple it can be initalized either by bootloader or early part of kernal initialization. 
   
  We don't want to put usb port in the boot loader. But we rather start the boot loader at very early part of linux kernal initialization. i.e before filesystem, kernal, network stack is up. In other words we want to start "usb driver" as one of the first one to initalize during early part of Linux kernal start up to see all debug messages (which might be helpful to debug field issues incase if there are any kernal issues later on after deployed).
   
  Is it possible to do that? Appreciate your comments if anybody experience similar kind of issues.
   
  thanks,
  SAT
   
  NOTE: Basically we want to use USB port instead of serial port for debugging purpose. so that we don't have to expose serial port (i.e save few bucks on plastics) instead use USB port for debugging purpose without loosing much debug messages during early part of Linux kernal startup.

 		
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