diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 6688893..8ed37e6 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 a.out
 *.o
 fake-values
-essai serial/t
+essai
+serial/t
 doc/*.toc doc/*.log doc/*.aux doc/*.pdf
 
 
diff --git a/serial/serial.c b/serial/serial.c
index 5a51a57..f086c13 100644
--- a/serial/serial.c
+++ b/serial/serial.c
@@ -146,21 +146,27 @@ retval = retval < 0 ? -1 : retval;
 switch (retval) {
 
 	case -1:
-		fprintf(stderr, "omg ?\n");		break;
+		fprintf(stderr, "omg ?\n");
+		byte = -1;
+		break;
 
 	case 0:
-		fprintf(stderr, "timeout\n");		break;
-
-
+		fprintf(stderr, "timeout\n");
+		byte = -99;
+		break;
 
 	default:
-		return -99;
+		if (retval==fd) {
+			read(fd, &byte, 1);
+			fprintf(stderr, "got 0x%02x\n", byte);
+			}
+		else	{
+			fprintf(stderr, "%d bad fd ?\n", retval);
+			byte = -3;
+			}
+		break;
 	}
 
-
-
-
-
-return -3;
+return byte;
 }
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------- */