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Running pppd under Linux
You, too, can use your NYIQ.NET dynamic PPP account with
Linux! Read here how...
- Prerequisites:
- linux kernel has support for TCP/IP and PPP compiled in (kernel 1.1.14 or later).
If `cat /proc/net/dev` shows 4 or more 'ppp' devices, everything should
be alright, otherwise: reconfigure and recompile your kernel (no help
can be provided, we assume you know how to operate your own system)
- `pppd` and `chat` programs must be present on your system : different
linux distributions put them into different places.
Newer distributions have them in /usr/sbin/ , older ones in /usr/lib/ppp/ .
- modem has been configured to a known, working, sane configuration that
does error correction, has a fixed DTE baudrate, employs hardware
handshaking, connects successfully and returns CONNECT messages. Don't even
try to get any further without having your modem sorted out first, or you
will spend DAYS figuring out why your connection doesn't perform well, if
at all!
- Procedure:
- Create a shell script named 'ppp.start' , containing:
#!/bin/bash
pppd /dev/modem 38400 connect `chat -f iq.chat` mru 1500 crtscts defaultroute :
(Note that the ` is the apostrophe over the TAB key !!!)
pppd and chat must be in your path, otherwise specify the full path to
these programs in this shell script. Replace "/dev/modem 38400" with the
appropriate serial device (/dev/ttyS0 .. ttyS3 for COM 1 to COM4) and speed
your modem is connected to. The last parameter is " : " this is
according to the man page the <local_IP_address>:<remote_IP_address> .
Both local (your assigned IP address) and remote IP is negotiated
automatically and does not have to be given. If you have a static IP number,
you might wish to make this <your assigned IP>:
As chat -f has a parameter of "iq.chat" (here, too, you might have to give
the full path, unless you call ppp.start from the directory this file is to
be found in) , you must create a file of the same name with expect/reply
pairs in them. Example:
- Create a file named 'iq.chat', containing:
"" ATDT17188310370 CONNECT "" host: ppp ogin: kai assword: blah
The functions of these expect/reply pairs should be clear.
The first expect pair is empty (""), kai is the user here, blah is his
password. Make sure the permissions of this file are 600 (or similar),
otherwise other users might be able to see your login/password. Use the
'chmod 600 iq.chat' command.
It is strongly recommended to read the man pages for chat and pppd and the
"SETUP", "README" and "README.linux" files in the pppd distribution.
- Make sure your /etc/resolv.conf contains something like this:
domain nyiq.net
nameserver 206.102.112.2
nameserver 204.70.128.1
[...]
You must have one or more nameservers in it, or hostnames will not resolve properly
(symptom: `route` without the -n appears to be stuck, as it can't translate
IP numbers to names, and you can never pull up any web pages or telnet/ftp to
any place!).
It is recommended that you run your own caching nameserver: Things will be a
lot faster that way. Check the
Linux Network Administrator's guide (550K gzip'd!) for details. (a LDP
document, available in book form from O'Reilly and Associates, too).
- Connecting :
Executing 'ppp.start' should connect you successfully:
$ ppp.start
If you don't have the current directory in your $PATH, you will have to call
it as './ppp.start' of course.
The dialup progress can be monitored by doing a
`tail -f /var/adm/messages` (preferably in another shell window) ,
if your syslog.conf is configured to log the "local2" facility to that log.
If you use the 'debug' or -d option with pppd, the connection report is much
more verbose: be warned that your real login/passwd appears in the
log (which might be world-readable!), though.
After you have connected, `route -n` should show a new 'default' route going
to ppp0 and one for the terminal server on our side, also going to ppp0.
At this point, everything should be working fine.
- You might wish to create a 'ppp.down' script as well, containing the
line:
kill -1 `cat /var/run/ppp0.pid`
Executing ppp.down will disconnect your session and delete the default route
from your routing table.
- Liability by the author:
None. You type it in, you burn yourself, you learn. Or else.
- Woo. Altavista has found us,
without this page ever being advertised. Check it out, it's great.
Created: Oct. 27, 1995
Last modified: Dec. 27, 1995
© 1995, Kai Schlichting (kai@9inch.org)