console login

sorry if this is a dumb question but I am fairly new here...  Is there a
way to require users to provide user/password when connecting via RS232
console?

passwd (followed by enter key on console)

if by that you mean to use passwd to set the root password (as it is blank
by default), I have done so. This will work for telnet and ftp, however I
can still log on using my serial port without being prompted for
anything...and have full root privileges that way :-(

You should run any of the known login tools on your serial line. (agetty or
similar). This kind of programs will send a greeting and waits for user
name and password.

I am working of the factory (qtopia) rootfs. Turns out that busybox uses
some defaults, if it can't find /etc/inittab (which doesn't exist). So my
solution was: Create /etc/inittab like this:

::sysinit:/etc/init.d/rcS
::respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttySAC0 115200 vt100
::restart:/sbin/init
::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/reboot
::shutdown:/bin/umount -a -r
::shutdown:/sbin/swapoff -a