kppp is driving me crazy

Hello guys,
I am trying to connect to internet through kppp for about 4 weeks now
but I had no success. I My ISP is access4less and I am dialing from
Alabama. The Kppp agent dials, the ISP answers and I get a message
saying 'CONNECT' but then after about 30 seconds I get a message saying
that 'pppd has died unexpectedly' or something like that. I had same
problems on Mandrake 9.2, Red Hat 7.2, Peanut Linux 9.5 and on Knoppix
3.x. When I viewed the error log file, it seems the kppp is waiting a
response from my ISP and my ISP doesn't respond as expected. I tried to
send empty string to my ISP but it didn't work either. (BTW my ISP uses
PAP authentication). I have tried all kind of different settings in the
kppp including inserting pauses in the script, sending empty string,
adding noauth and defaultroute options but nothing seems to work and I
get same error all the time.

Now the funny thing is that I can connect to internet using command line
without a hitch. I give following command to get connected to my ISP:

/usr/sbin/pppd noauth user myname defaultroute /dev/ttyS4 115200
noipdefault usepeerdns connect "/usr/sbin/chat -v OK ATDT5940031 CONNECT "

My secrets files also work fine and I have no problem with these.

I have spent enough time on this problem than I can really afford. Do
you guys have any suggestion? I would certainly appreciate your help.

Rhoniel

On Sat, 17 Jul 2004 18:03:49 -0500, Rhoniel wrote:

> Hello guys,
> I am trying to connect to internet through kppp for about 4 weeks now
> but I had no success. I My ISP is access4less and I am dialing from
> Alabama. The Kppp agent dials, the ISP answers and I get a message
> saying 'CONNECT' but then after about 30 seconds I get a message saying
> that 'pppd has died unexpectedly' or something like that. I had same
> problems on Mandrake 9.2, Red Hat 7.2, Peanut Linux 9.5 and on Knoppix
> 3.x. When I viewed the error log file, it seems the kppp is waiting a
> response from my ISP and my ISP doesn't respond as expected. I tried to
> send empty string to my ISP but it didn't work either. (BTW my ISP uses
> PAP authentication). I have tried all kind of different settings in the
> kppp including inserting pauses in the script, sending empty string,
> adding noauth and defaultroute options but nothing seems to work and I
> get same error all the time.
>
> Now the funny thing is that I can connect to internet using command line
> without a hitch. I give following command to get connected to my ISP:
>
> /usr/sbin/pppd noauth user myname defaultroute /dev/ttyS4 115200
> noipdefault usepeerdns connect "/usr/sbin/chat -v OK ATDT5940031 CONNECT "
>
> My secrets files also work fine and I have no problem with these.
>
> I have spent enough time on this problem than I can really afford. Do
> you guys have any suggestion? I would certainly appreciate your help.
>
> Rhoniel


make sure that pppd is setuid root
make sure /etc/ppp/options exist and there are no wrong entries, when
you are not sure, leave it empty.
uncheck the option use lock file
remove the lock in /etc/ppp/options

--
Chaos, panic & disorder - my work here is done

http://beginnerslinux.org
http://repo.mine.nu

repo wrote:

> make sure that pppd is setuid root
> make sure /etc/ppp/options exist and there are no wrong entries, when
> you are not sure, leave it empty.
> uncheck the option use lock file
> remove the lock in /etc/ppp/options
>

I have done all that, and it still doesn't work. I'm running SuSE 9.1.

tnx jk


--

(This space intentionally left blank)

>repo wrote:
>
> make sure that pppd is setuid root
> make sure /etc/ppp/options exist and there are no wrong entries, when
> you are not sure, leave it empty.
> uncheck the option use lock file
> remove the lock in /etc/ppp/options
>

Hi,
Thank you for your reply but I have tried all these tricks already. I am
lo running as root. I have tried with having all the possible options in
'/etc/ppp/options' file including making it empty and 'lock' option is
unchecked in kppp as well as in '/etc/ppp/options' file. I am still
getting same error. Here is the messages from error log:

Jul 17 20:03:48 localhost pppd[2642]: pppd 2.4.1 started by root, uid 0
Jul 17 20:03:48 localhost pppd[2642]: Using interface ppp0
Jul 17 20:03:48 localhost pppd[2642]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/tts/4
Jul 17 20:04:18 localhost pppd[2642]: Terminating on signal 15.
Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Connection terminated.
Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Receive serial link is not 8-bit
clean:
Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Problem: all had bit 7 set to 0
Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Exit.

Again I have no problems connecting to internet using the command line
as I have mentioned in my original post.

Any ideas?

Rhoniel

Rhoniel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Thank you for your reply but I have tried all these tricks already. I am
> lo running as root. I have tried with having all the possible options in

What is "lo" ?

> '/etc/ppp/options' file including making it empty and 'lock' option is
> unchecked in kppp as well as in '/etc/ppp/options' file. I am still
> getting same error. Here is the messages from error log:

> Jul 17 20:03:48 localhost pppd[2642]: pppd 2.4.1 started by root, uid 0
> Jul 17 20:03:48 localhost pppd[2642]: Using interface ppp0
> Jul 17 20:03:48 localhost pppd[2642]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/tts/4
> Jul 17 20:04:18 localhost pppd[2642]: Terminating on signal 15.
> Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Connection terminated.
> Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Receive serial link is not 8-bit
> clean:
> Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Problem: all had bit 7 set to 0
> Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Exit.

This either means that the modem is in a looped-back state, or the remote
host is presenting a prompt or menu and reflecting back what pppd sends
sans the 8th bit. It's most likely the latter, where the usual cause is
that, after encountering CONNECT, chat or the pppd dialing/configuration
frontend sends a carriage-return rather than sending nothing. Sending
"" (or '') sends a carriage-return. It's also surprising to me that the
command line chat script "... CONNECT " works.

If you can configure kppp to send nothing then do it. I avoid using
pppd frontends and so don't know if kppp imitates chat or not, but
a chat script ending in CONNECT \c doesn't send anything, provided
the script is in a file specified by the chat -f option (a chat script
on the command line should end in CONNECT \\c ).

> Again I have no problems connecting to internet using the command line
> as I have mentioned in my original post.

> Any ideas?

End the command line chat script with CONNECT '' and see if it still
connects.

--
Clifford Kite Email: "echo xvgr_yvahk-(E-Mail Removed)|rot13"
PPP-Q&A links, downloads: http://ckite.no-ip.net/
/* "PPPoE has many advantages for DSL service providers, and
practically none for DSL consumers."
- David F. Skoll */

In article <KMkKc.203842$(E-Mail Removed) e.rogers.com>,
James Knott wrote:
>repo wrote:
>
>> make sure that pppd is setuid root
>> make sure /etc/ppp/options exist and there are no wrong entries, when
>> you are not sure, leave it empty.
>> uncheck the option use lock file
>> remove the lock in /etc/ppp/options
>>
>
>I have done all that, and it still doesn't work. I'm running SuSE 9.1.

OK - I give up - what happens? Does the modem or computer catch on
fire or somethin? Try Bill Unruh's paper at

http://axion.physics.ubc.ca/ppp-linux.html
http://www.theory.physics.ubc.ca/ppp-linux.html

Please remember that nearly every ISP in the world is set up for windoze
lusers whose brane would explode if they had to do ANYTHING more than
clicking on some goofy icon. You DON'T want to be looking for a login
prompt of any kind. This means a "chat" script that looks like

ABORT BUSY ABORT 'NO CARRIER' "" AT&F1 OK ATDT2662902 CONNECT \d\c

Note: AT&F1 = USR/3Com AT&F (AT&F0) = Rockewll & Lucent

That one has been working for me for the past nine years.

Old Guy

Moe Trin wrote:

> In article
> <KMkKc.203842$(E-Mail Removed) e.rogers.com>, James
> Knott wrote:
>>repo wrote:
>>
>>> make sure that pppd is setuid root
>>> make sure /etc/ppp/options exist and there are no wrong entries, when
>>> you are not sure, leave it empty.
>>> uncheck the option use lock file
>>> remove the lock in /etc/ppp/options
>>>
>>
>>I have done all that, and it still doesn't work. I'm running SuSE 9.1.
>
> OK - I give up - what happens? Does the modem or computer catch on
> fire or somethin? Try Bill Unruh's paper at

I was able to get it going by creating the file /etc/ppp/peers/kppp with the
contents:

plugin passwordfd.so
noauth


--

(This space intentionally left blank)

Clifford Kite wrote:

> Rhoniel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>
>>Thank you for your reply but I have tried all these tricks already. I am
>>lo running as root. I have tried with having all the possible options in
>
>
> What is "lo" ?


Sorry but this was a typo.


>
>
>>'/etc/ppp/options' file including making it empty and 'lock' option is
>>unchecked in kppp as well as in '/etc/ppp/options' file. I am still
>>getting same error. Here is the messages from error log:
>
>
>>Jul 17 20:03:48 localhost pppd[2642]: pppd 2.4.1 started by root, uid 0
>>Jul 17 20:03:48 localhost pppd[2642]: Using interface ppp0
>>Jul 17 20:03:48 localhost pppd[2642]: Connect: ppp0 <--> /dev/tts/4
>>Jul 17 20:04:18 localhost pppd[2642]: Terminating on signal 15.
>>Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Connection terminated.
>>Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Receive serial link is not 8-bit
>>clean:
>>Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Problem: all had bit 7 set to 0
>>Jul 17 20:04:24 localhost pppd[2642]: Exit.
>
>
>
> If you can configure kppp to send nothing then do it. I avoid using
> pppd frontends and so don't know if kppp imitates chat or not, but
> a chat script ending in CONNECT \c doesn't send anything, provided
> the script is in a file specified by the chat -f option (a chat script
> on the command line should end in CONNECT \\c ).
>
>
> End the command line chat script with CONNECT '' and see if it still
> connects.
>
Ok. I entered the command with CONNECT '' it it can still connect
to the ISP. But off course I don't understand what difference would it
make. In the past I have also tried adding many combinations of null
expect/wait/send sequence in kppp login script and I got the kppp to
connect to my ISP only twice in last 2 months. When I disconnected and
tried to reconnect without changing any settings it didn't connect. So I
guess it was lucky chance. I just wanted to know was I doing anything
wrong while running kppp but I guess after 4 linux distributions and 2
months its just my ISP which has kppp non-friendly login process.

I know that I can always connect using the command line script but I
wanted to connect to internet using kppp so that my wife can use Linux
too. But I guess Linux is still not ready for a noob like me and I
simply cannot spend this much time tweaking the OS, as my day job has
nothing to do with computers. So I guess I'll be checking the Linux seen
again sometime next year when I can spare some more time. I appreciate
for all the help that you folks have provided me on this forum.
Regards,

Rhoniel

Rhoniel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Clifford Kite wrote:
>> Rhoniel <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>> If you can configure kppp to send nothing then do it. I avoid using
>> pppd frontends and so don't know if kppp imitates chat or not, but
>> a chat script ending in CONNECT \c doesn't send anything, provided
>> the script is in a file specified by the chat -f option (a chat script
>> on the command line should end in CONNECT \\c ).
>>
>>
>> End the command line chat script with CONNECT '' and see if it still
>> connects.
>>
> Ok. I entered the command with CONNECT '' it it can still connect
> to the ISP. But off course I don't understand what difference would it
> make. In the past I have also tried adding many combinations of null

For some ISPs a carriage return will trigger a login prompt, and PPP will
not start on their end. It sounded like that was happening with kppp,
but if the PPP link is established with that change in the chat script
then it's not causing the problem with kppp.

> expect/wait/send sequence in kppp login script and I got the kppp to
> connect to my ISP only twice in last 2 months. When I disconnected and
> tried to reconnect without changing any settings it didn't connect. So I

>From what others have said in this thread, kppp apparently does some
rather strange things. IMHO for no good reason. One thing mentioned
was that it messes with the PAP/CHAP secrets files *at every connection*
(not just whatever is used to configure kppp) and pppd frontends SHOULD
NOT do that.

> guess it was lucky chance. I just wanted to know was I doing anything
> wrong while running kppp but I guess after 4 linux distributions and 2
> months its just my ISP which has kppp non-friendly login process.

I don't believe this has anything to do with your ISP. The blame is
entirely kppp's, if it's default behavior is to mess with the secrets
files at each connection. Any frontend that does that by default should
be taken out and shot.

--
Clifford Kite Email: "echo xvgr_yvahk-(E-Mail Removed)|rot13"
PPP-Q&A links, downloads: http://ckite.no-ip.net/
/* On Linux be root, on Windows reboot.
-Josef Müllers */