[vox-tech] Problem using GUI apps for dialup/PPP in RH7.3

[Peter Jay Salzman]

couple of notes:

begin Jeff Newmiller <jdnewmil@dcn.davis.ca.us> 
> On Fri, 31 May 2002, Ron Erhardt wrote:
> 
> a) serial to modem works? (apparently)
> b) ppp module loaded ("lsmod" has ppp? "modprobe ppp" to insert...)

redhat comes with just about everything built as a dynamically loadable
module.   "lsmod" tells you which kernel modules are currently loaded.
the ppp module needs to be loaded for ppp to work.

if you don't see "ppp" in the output of lsmod, try doing "modprobe -a
ppp".  that pulls the ppp module in the kernel.

when you run pppd, it *will* log messages to /var/log/messages (as long
as you use the debug option, which is prolly "-d").   these messages
will be invaluable.

> c) /etc/ppp/options okay? (right serial port)
> d) chatscript  happy with your modem?
> e) sometimes there is a symbolic link "/dev/modem" that points to the
> appropriate serial port device ("/dev/ttyS0"?) that is missing or pointing
> at the wrong device...
> f) any messages in /var/log/messages or other /var/log/ file?
> 
> If none of these things appear to be wrong to you, telling us which things
> you checked and how (verbatim output is often helpful)  may jog our
> collective minds a bit.
 
one thing that might be useful here is to try to set up the modem by
hand.   the ppp-howto is much too big for my tastes, (and i second jeff
that you can safely skip the whole section on configuring the kernel -
i'm sure redhat provides a good default kernel), but there's good stuff
in there.

when i first configured my modem (which took 3 weeks when i first
installed linux!), the ppp-howto's description on setting up a
connection by hand was, confusing but very helpful.

if i remember correctly (it's been a LONG time since i've used a modem),
it goes something like this:

1. set up the config files /etc/ppp/options, /etc/resolv.conf by hand.
2. use minicom to make a connection to your ISP
3. run pppd (with options- see the howto for details).


pro:
   * you gain confidence that your system works
   * you get a net connection
   * you gain familiarity with the low-level "what's going on".
cons:
   * all the "complicated stuff" that GUI tools are supposed to hide are
      now front and center.
   * you spend more time configuring the modem than you prolly want to.


if memory serves me correctly, the ppp-howto has 3 sections which may
be useful: a "question and answer" section, a trouble shooting section
and a section on some GUI tools.

it's difficult to say much more without more information.  i recall
there being some kind of "modem-tool" or "modemtool" when i used to use
redhat, but that was over 2 years ago.

come to think of it, after i was able to make a ppp connection "by
hand", i finally got the GUI stuff to work by:

1. modem-tool (sp?) - the redhat modem tool gui
2. net-cfg (net-config?  netcfg?) - the redhat network connection gui

the first gui set up the hardware description of the modem.  the 2nd gui
defined the connection, including DNS, ISP phone number, chat script,
etc.


from what i recall, a chatscript is kind of like a conversation.  for
example,

when ISP sends "connection made"
send newline
when ISP send "login:"
send "ron"
when ISP sends "password:"
send "mypassword"

it takes care of logging in and authentication.  there are two other
ways of authenticating: pap and chap.  i think pap is standard (i'm
talking out of my butt right now.  corrections welcome).


what we really need is someone who has configured a modem under redhat
GNOME.   can someone jump in?

we also need more information - can you give explicit instructions on:

* what you've tried
* the results of what you tried.

that would help pinpoint where the problem is.

pete