Re: LINUX/PPP

[rhorer@medics.jsc.nasa.gov (Kyle Rhorer)]

There seems to be quite a bit of talk about getting Linux PPP working.
Although I am no expert, I found it quite simple to get things set up.
First, if you don't already have it, get ppp-2.1.2b.tar.gz from
sunsite.unc.edu.  Unpack it, compile the programs using the included
instructions, and put the resulting binaries wherever you please.  You will
have to adjust the examples I provide below to reflect the locations of the
programs on YOUR system.

I modified the /etc/ppp-on script that came with my system and moved it to
/usr/local/bin.  It reads:

------
#!/bin/sh
#
#       ppp-on
#
#       Set up a PPP link

LOCKDIR=/var/spool/uucp
DEVICE=modem

if [ -f $LOCKDIR/LCK..$DEVICE ]
then
    echo "PPP device is locked"
    exit 1
fi

/usr/sbin/pppd connect "/usr/sbin/chat -f /etc/ppp/phoenix" /dev/$DEVICE 38400
------

Not terribly robust, but it works.  /dev/modem is a symlink to /dev/cua1 on
my system.  Next, I created the /etc/ppp/phoenix script referred to above.
I put the file in /etc/ppp because that directory has root-only read
priveledges.  This file has plaintext passwords in it, so you don't want
the general public being able to read it :-)

------
ABORT BUSY ABORT "NO CARRIER" "" atdt####### "CONNECT" "\d"
username>--username> *youruseridhere* password> *yourpasswordhere* keys: 7
------

This script WILL NOT work for you unless you use the same service provider
I do!  Read the man page for chat (included in the ppp-2.1.2b.tar.gz
package) to find out how to write your own script.

Finally, I have my /etc/ppp/options file which tells pppd how to behave.

------
crtscts
debug
defaultroute
lock
modem
ipcp-accept-local
------

Again, your system may require different options.  Read the pppd man page
(included in ppp-2.1.2b.tar.gz) to learn what these mean, and about other
options you may need.

As you can see, the process is really very simple.  It just involves
reading the man pages for pppd and chat!  Of course, that would be hard to
do if you didn't know that pppd and chat were the two man pages you needed
to read :-)  My Slackware distribution came with ppp-2.1.2a.tar.gz, which
didn't work.  I had to get the "b" revision to get things going.  The
newest Slackware comes with the "b" revision.  Hope this helps everyone!

73,
Kyle

--
"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Kyle Rhorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . rhorer@medics.jsc.nasa.gov