Newbie wants to go online .....

[av1998]

I have just installed Corel Linux successfully. I am very happy that all the hardware are detected and the GUI worked out fine as well.

Now, it's sitting there doing nothing productive. What can I use my Linux box for ?
I have looked at the productivity tools such as StarOffice and WordPerfect, but the downloads take at least 2-3 hours. On top of that, I can't even get online. I've tried to configure KPPP with my local ISP but it still spits back at me with a 'pppd daemon died unexpectedly' bullcr@p !

Please help me use my new Linux box for something useful and beneficial. At least help me connect to the Internet, please. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/frown.gif Thank you.


[This message has been edited by av1998 (edited 24 November 2000).]

[This message has been edited by av1998 (edited 24 November 2000).]

[This message has been edited by av1998 (edited 24 November 2000).]

[Harvey]

try some software called wvdial to get online. works everytime for me.
maybe it's on teh CD, if not you can download it online, from some other computer, and put it on a floppy or something, i think it's pretty small.

You can find it on Freshmeat

[quandary]

Also make sure you're not using a Winmodem.

[av1998]

It's an old piece of US Robotics External Sportster, which I believe isn't a WinModem.

As for the wvdial, can I please get more information on how to install it ? I have downloaded the QtWvDialer ..... it comes in the form of a .tgz file. Now, I am a complete newbie with no prior knowledge of how to run a .tgz file in Linux. Please guide me through this in detail, step-by-step all the way. Thanks.

[av1998]

help ... anybody ?

[Hawkeey]

Well you can use your Linux box for a lot of things!!!
1) Web server
2) FTP server
3) Windows domain server
4) Windows share server
5) Print server
6) Internet connection sharing (IP Masquerading... way better than Windows ICS)
7) If you look at the GNU programs, there's free software for everything.

Hmmm.... about internet woes, first did you configure everything correctly? Do you have the right ttySO#? Also are you using the protocols, init strings, and etc.? Does your modem actually dial?
You can anything with Linux that you can do on other platforms. That 2-3 hour download... get used it. Do it while your sleeping or something like that. That's what I do.
Personally I recommend Debian GNU / Linux because it supplies with so many programs that you can obtain in a very quicky fashion. If you have the Redhat packaging system, that works too. I was skeptical about Linux at first, but after a couple months, I've come to appreciate the true power and beauty of it.
Linux has the best GUI ever since you can change it to so many things. Windows and Mac only have the same old boring thing. Linux can emulate both those interfaces plus better, more intuitive, and more attractive ones! And better yet, it's all free. That's the best thing about Linux it's all free. Don't even try spending a dime on anything except maybe $10 for the OS on CD.

[donxc2]

What was the exact error message that kppp gave you? Are you using PAP or CHAP authentication wuth kppp. I have to use a script for compuserve, and just use a normal CHAP authentication with GTE.
Need more info.
Thanks
Don
Part 2:
tar -zxvf filename.tar.gz works for me and Mandrake 6.5.
Others have posted tar xvzf filename.tar.gz working for them.
Then cd to filename dir and read install file. You may want to use the file manager thing for this.

Will probably tell you to enter ./configure from a terminal, then to enter make from a terminal, then to su from a terminal which requires you to enter root password, then to enter make install from a terminal.

That should get your tar.gz file compiled for you in the default directories that everything goes in.
There is a much more elaborate and detailed NHF on the subject of compiling that would be a good reference for you.

Hope it helps
Don

[This message has been edited by donxc2 (edited 25 November 2000).]

[This message has been edited by donxc2 (edited 25 November 2000).]

[fuzzy]

Here's the kppp thing. EVERYONE has this issue with kppp. That's why I stopped using it. (I only dial out, now from the command line.) To do that, I first run pppconfig like this:

pppconfig

Then follow all the prompts (leave the connection name as provider), answering all the questions and such, then when you want to go online just do this:

pon

You should be online in no time.

As for kppp, you need to do this (slight security risk, by the way, but it's the only way it will work)

The first thing I would do is, as root, edit the /etc/ppp/options file. To do this, at a prompt, type
emacs /etc/ppp/options
(or use whatever editor you prefer if you don't like emacs... I personally like vi). At around line 37 is should read
auth
Change that to read
# auth
Also further down it should read
lock
Change that to read
# lock

Save that and exit your editor, then go back to a terminal (at the command line).
When I did this to make kppp work (way back when), I also needed to change some permissions:
I gave the pppd file rx permission for users:
chmod a+rx /usr/sbin/pppd

I made /usr/sbin/pppd setuid for root (this is the security risk thingy)

chmod +s /usr/sbin/pppd

and made the device (modem) accessible for users

chmod a+rw /dev/ttyS1

(The device is whichever your modem is. COM1 in windows is /dev/ttyS0 in linux, COM2 is /dev/ttyS1, and so on.)
I also would add your regular user to the "dialout" and "dip" groups
adduser joebloe dialout and adduser joebloe dip.

A pain in the rear but it worked for me very well when using kppp (again, I use the command line more and more so using the pon command to connect is just much easier for me than messing with kppp or gnomeppp or whatever... actually, if you have WindowMaker, wmppp works great. It just uses your settings you made with pppconfig.) Anyway, good luck!

------------------

Politicians have one thing in common with baby diapers...
They both need to be changed regularly for the same reason.


[This message has been edited by fuzzy (edited 26 November 2000).]

[av1998]

I am really starting to feel that perhaps I'm not smart enough for this ... http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/frown.gif

I have tried the kppp changes suggested above by editing the 'options' file -- still doesn't work.

I have tried connecting using 'pppconfig' and 'pon' -- doesn't work as well.

I tried to install 'wvdial' but I don't think I'm doing it right because I didn't get the executable.

It's truly frustrating that I have chosen the most 'fool-proof' distro in Corel Linux, but yet I can't do anything at all with my brand new Linux box. I should have known that I just don't have the intelligence for this. http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/frown.gif

Thanks for all of you who have tried to help me out. I sincerely appreciate all your time and effort.

[fuzzy]

Hmm... it's not smarts, my friend.
I am in no way a computer savvy person. That was info forwarded to me when I was having those issues with kppp (i didn't even know what ppp was!) and it did work.
What ISP do you use? Don't say AOL because it ain't gonna work.
Tell me what it is you have as in, what type of online service are you using and such, and if you had problems using pppconfig.
Believe me, this is the one thing that really had me stumped for a while but I managed to get it going so don't give up yet! http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/smile.gif
That's why we're here!
What happened when you used pppconfig?
What happened when you used pon?


------------------
Politicians have one thing in common with baby diapers...
They both need to be changed regularly for the same reason.
--Anon.

[fuzzy]

By the way, what have you read? Ooh! Wait!
Go to your local bookstore RIGHT NOW and get either Debian/GNU Linux for Dummies or something like that. I know there's also a Corel Linux book out.
But best yet!! This month's Maximum Linux magazine has a whole article on HOW to get online using PPP!
The info provided for KPPP is slim but perhaps the article, as a whole, can help.
Again, it ain't smarts... just some patience. Believe me. I am a radio producer, not computer-techy-savvy-smarty guy and, after some patience and hair-pulling, got online.
I love Debian (it's wonderful, even if it is Corel... http://www.linuxnewbie.org/ubb/wink.gif ) so give it a few more shots.
Read ANYTHING you can get your hands on.
Like THIS DEBIAN BOOK (http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/debian/chapter/index.html). Believe me, once you get past this, you will be very happy.
(Also, give Storm Linux or Mandrake a shot if Corel is stubborn).

------------------
Politicians have one thing in common with baby diapers...
They both need to be changed regularly for the same reason.
--Anon.

[av1998]

fuzzy: Thanks for the motivation. I have been trying Linux since 1-year ago with Red Hat 6.0 ..... Never managed to get it working. Then 4 or 5-months ago, I decided to give Corel Linux a shot because of various positive reviews regarding its simplicity towards newbies. However, up 'till today I still can't install software or even connect to the Internet ! It's absolutely pathetic and I feel like a complete loser.

When I execute kppp, the 'pppd daemon died unexpectedly' still pops at me. When I run 'pppconfig' and 'pon', the modem dials and connects successfully because I could see the lights on my external modem showing connection. Then, all of a sudden, the lights go off ..... showing that I've been disconnected.

My ISP is a small, local ISP. It is not AOL, I'd never go to AOL. The ISP gave me all the necessary information when I called on Friday. So, I know I've entered the correct information into the system. I will continue reading and trying, fuzzy. Thanks for your advice and your help. I hope I will eventually work things out with Linux some day.

[fuzzy]

Originally posted by av1998:
fuzzy: Thanks for the motivation. I have been trying Linux since 1-year ago with Red Hat 6.0 ..... Never managed to get it working. Then 4 or 5-months ago, I decided to give Corel Linux a shot because of various positive reviews regarding its simplicity towards newbies. However, up 'till today I still can't install software or even connect to the Internet ! It's absolutely pathetic and I feel like a complete loser.

When I execute kppp, the 'pppd daemon died unexpectedly' still pops at me. When I run 'pppconfig' and 'pon', the modem dials and connects successfully because I could see the lights on my external modem showing connection. Then, all of a sudden, the lights go off ..... showing that I've been disconnected.

My ISP is a small, local ISP. It is not AOL, I'd never go to AOL. The ISP gave me all the necessary information when I called on Friday. So, I know I've entered the correct information into the system. I will continue reading and trying, fuzzy. Thanks for your advice and your help. I hope I will eventually work things out with Linux some day.

So you know for sure if it uses PAP or CHAP or whatever, right? I'm happy my ISP uses PAP -- make sit easier on my end to set up.
If you run kppp, do it with the log screen open (you can select that before you hit "connect" and see what it says when it drops you. Perhaps that will give you some ideas.
Also, I believe, if you open a second terminal, you can run the command "tail -f /var/log/messages" then in the first terminal type "pon" and watch what shows up in the second terminal. That, too, may give you some clues that you can share with us as to what the problem may be. Okeedoke?
Keep pluggin'. We'll get you online.
Also, search throughout this site for other posts or help files about this same problem.

------------------
Politicians have one thing in common with baby diapers...
They both need to be changed regularly for the same reason.
--Anon.

[Harvey]

if you want to try wvdial again, download the source, it should be a file like
*.tar.gz

from the command line
tar xvzf wvdial.tar.gz

then it will uncompress and unarchive it.
change to that directory and read the README and INSTALL files

[navy-linux]

I am going to throw my two cents in here also.
You said that you got all the info from your ISP. I hope that meant the DNS numbers. I had this same problem when I first started out also. I read all I could here, and in a couple of other how-to's. I have my internet working like a charm now. I also use NetZero and bluelight that use encrypted logons.
One of the mistakes I made, was putting a coma in the place of a period in the DNS numbers. It is sometimes hard to see when you are going back to look at it. If I am not sure, I will just retype them to be sure I have the correct one there.
There are a couple of good how-to's that helped me get online in no time.
That was my two cents worth. Not sure if it will be of much help though.