minicom DOCUMENTATION suggestion - "-s" command line option

[imadept]

RE: minicom: Lack of "Direct Connection" documentation

Dear minicom team ...

I'm a relative newbie with Linux.  I got a new USB-to-RS232 adapter, but 
I've had a devil of a time trying to get it working and talking to an 
operational (under XP hyperterm) single board computer (NOT a modem). 
First I had to determine if the correct driver was loaded and the device 
was available.  Then I got minicom loaded and operational easily enough, 
but no matter what I did, it always stayed "Offline".   I read 
everything I could find about configuring minicom with no success ... 
until I found a random article online ...
     http://gumstix.org/connect-to-my-gumstix-system.html
In the minicom section, it says to use "minicom -s" to start up minicom, 
and without any understanding of the reasoning, I blindly tried it on my 
system.  It worked!  It allowed me to setup the serial port parameters, 
and then forced a direct connection!  That is exactly what I needed.

I went back and read the man page for minicom, and I just can't figure 
out the meaning of the -s command line option as it relates to 
"connect", "OnLine", or a "direct connection".

Would it be possible to add to the documentation?  Here is a suggestion:
link
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
COMMAND-LINE

-s   Setup or Direct Connection.   Root  edits the system-wide defaults 
in /etc/minicom/minirc.dfl with this option.  When it is used, minicom 
does not initialize, but puts you directly into the configuration menu. 
This is very handy if  minicom  refuses  to  start  up because your 
system has changed, or for the first time you run minicom. For most 
systems, reasonable defaults are already compiled in.  Use this option 
for a "direct connection" to force minicom to go OnLine immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you just execute "minicom" (without the -s option) is there any way 
to force the com connection "OnLine"?  I couldn't find any information 
relevant to that.

In the following website:
     http://linux.about.com/od/commands/l/blcmdl1_minicom.htm
it states that "Minicom is run setuid root on some computers".  Is there 
any way to allow 'regular' users to run minicom as an alternative to Win 
Hyperterminal?

Thank you for your comments regarding this matter.
Blessings in abundance, all the best, & ENJOY!
Art in Carlisle PA USA