linux console redirection is garbled junk on 1950

[Eric]

Despite much reading and many options, I cannot make the console
redirection work on the poweredge 1950.  I can get it working so that
I can solproxy into it and use the bios and even the grub bootloader
just fine, but right after the bootloader picks a kernel, the kernel
bootup messages and/or the subsequent getty I run are a garbled serial
nightmare.  This is with Debian etch using their 2.6.17-2-amd64
kernel.  I've tried many getty and stty options, etc.

Any ideas?  Thanks,
eric

-- 
http://ir.iit.edu/~ej