modem install, how to do, start with the basics

Hi,
I have Redhat version 9.
I have installed everything when I installed the OS. AT that time I did
not have a Linux compatible modem (tho the box said that it was), and
did not have a network hooked up. Now on my dual boot machine I have
both, and the both run well on the windows98 side. And the Linux side
ignores them, the manuals ignore them, the on line help suggests thing
like minicom which I can not find, and dev\modem, which does not seem
to be there, and similar frutile things.

I am frustrated enough to try an re-install. Is there any hope? This
should be a simple thing, and yet I can not find even the basics on the
modem installation.

Sean

"Sean Cleary" <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:

> the on line help suggests thing like minicom which I can not find,

So? Install 'minicom' from the RH9 distribution, and follow your "on
line help" (or the ppp HOWTO, or the modem HOWTO, or ...).

--
Maurizio Loreti http://www.pd.infn.it/~loreti/mlo.html
Dept. of Physics, Univ. of Padova, Italy ROT13: (E-Mail Removed)

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 17:55:02 -0800, Sean Cleary wrote:

> Hi,
> I have Redhat version 9.
> I have installed everything when I installed the OS. AT that time I did
> not have a Linux compatible modem (tho the box said that it was), and
> did not have a network hooked up. Now on my dual boot machine I have
> both, and the both run well on the windows98 side. And the Linux side
> ignores them, the manuals ignore them, the on line help suggests thing
> like minicom which I can not find, and dev\modem, which does not seem
> to be there, and similar frutile things.
>
> I am frustrated enough to try an re-install. Is there any hope? This
> should be a simple thing, and yet I can not find even the basics on the
> modem installation.
>
> Sean

Buy an external modem, or you are going to have to compile a specific
kernel driver. It isnt all that hard (read the howtos), but you dont seem
to know enough to be delving head first into a kernel compile.

Most external SERIAL modems are hardware devices, and will just work. For
example, I have a SwanSmart Turbo external 56K modem (not that I use it
now I have ADSL!) Its always worked beautifully with Linux, as have many
cheap external modems I've played with.

Link your first serial port to the special modem device and then put your
modem on "com1"

ln -s /dev/ttyS0 /dev/modem

Run something like "wvdialconf" or "kppp" and see how you go!

Cheers

Tim

--
"Linux... because rebooting is for adding new hardware!"

http://home.swiftdsl.com.au/~tmccoy
MSN: (E-Mail Removed)
ICQ: 160341067

On Wed, 26 Jan 2005 17:55:02 -0800, Sean Cleary wrote:

> Hi,
> I have Redhat version 9.
> I have installed everything when I installed the OS. AT that time I did
> not have a Linux compatible modem (tho the box said that it was), and
> did not have a network hooked up. Now on my dual boot machine I have
> both, and the both run well on the windows98 side. And the Linux side
> ignores them, the manuals ignore them, the on line help suggests thing
> like minicom which I can not find, and dev\modem, which does not seem
> to be there, and similar frutile things.
>
> I am frustrated enough to try an re-install. Is there any hope? This
> should be a simple thing, and yet I can not find even the basics on the
> modem installation.
>

A reinstall won't cure anything.

As others have said, try installing minicom or kermit. rpmfind.net is a
good place to start; if yum exists for RH9 that may be a place to start as
well.

/dev/modem is nothing but a short-hand 'pointer', if you will, to the real
modem device, which will reside at /dev/ttySX, X being a digit. The two
serial ports found on many machines are /dev/ttyS0 and /dev/ttyS1; my
internal modem is at /dev/ttyS4. The external modem, if I ever get my
digi board running, will be at /dev/ttya01. The tty* names are names for
hardware ports. /dev/modem is a soft link (like a pointer) to the real
hardware device.

You can find commands using 'whereis' or files in general by using
'locate'.

Yes, there is a steep learning curve. But there are extensive HOWTOs
available. Expect to spend time looking for answers, and doing some work
yourself.

It's a different world from Windows. Windows is great until it breaks.
Once it breaks, you're screwed, and may as well reinstall and start over.

Many of us have linux installations that have been running for years,
being continuously upgraded and kept current.

"Sean Cleary" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Hi,
>I have Redhat version 9.
>I have installed everything when I installed the OS. AT that time I did
>not have a Linux compatible modem (tho the box said that it was), and
>did not have a network hooked up. Now on my dual boot machine I have
>both, and the both run well on the windows98 side. And the Linux side
>ignores them, the manuals ignore them, the on line help suggests thing
>like minicom which I can not find, and dev\modem, which does not seem
>to be there, and similar frutile things.
>
>I am frustrated enough to try an re-install. Is there any hope? This
>should be a simple thing, and yet I can not find even the basics on the
>modem installation.
>
>Sean

Another little trick that I use on new/unknown systems is to boot a
current CD distro (like Knoppix) and see if the hardware is
recognized. If so, I check which modules it uses and add them to my
installed distro. I'm not sure if you have the experience/background
to make this approach work for you BUT I use it successfully on a
regular basis.

Good luck!
--
------------------------------------------------
http://www3.sympatico.ca/dmitton
SPAM Reduction: Remove "x." from my domain.
------------------------------------------------

I have changed to an external modem.
I am a beginner, and can only access the web via the windows part of my
system.
I do have a lnx-bbc disty disk, but it looks small.

Also why is linux so much slower than Win98 to do things like start a
program?

And thank you for your current advice.

I need to know how to install something from a disk when I selected
'install all' in the setup. Why did it not install then?

I have found a modem file and a miniterm file. clickinig on them did
nothing.

Sean

> Also why is linux so much slower than Win98 to do things like start a
> program?

I'd say you've done something strange during the installation. What are
the specs of the machine? Any machine I've ever installed Linux on has
always destroyed a Windows install for speed. If this machine doesn't have
much RAM, then consider NOT using KDE or Gnome (the old versions, at
least) and you'll notice a huge improvement. Many of the older
applications have long startup times - these days its not an issue!

Enabling DMA may also be a good start. Google for how to do it.

Cheers

Tim

--
"Linux... because rebooting is for adding new hardware!"

http://home.swiftdsl.com.au/~tmccoy
MSN: (E-Mail Removed)
ICQ: 160341067