Android early boot console over usb

Question

I'm trying to port newer kernel versions onto my Nexus S device.

Most newer kernels panic very early on in the boot process. I would like to debug this. However, since the phone has been provided to me by my school, I cannot get a hold of a serial port (if it does exist..not sure)

I'm not sure what keywords to search for..I have found this recurring phrase UEFI which I don't understand.

Is there any way I can obtain the messages via USB onto my PC?

Answer 1

It is indeed possible to setup a serial console to capture the boot-loader and Linux-kernel console messages over the USB port of a Nexus S. Essentially one needs to setup a USB-to-UART converter modified to fit the micro-USB port of the Nexus S.

Detailed instructions with screenshots are available in this article.