Connecting Linux to Syclone

This very quick guide will help you with the basics of Linux dialup configuration. It is not yet finished. Comments to webmaster@syclone.net.

First-of-all, don't forget that most Linux distributions come packaged with a modem dialer built in. this guide is a quick-and-dirty, nuts-and-bolts solution to getting Linux to dial in on a highly generic system. These changes may break or confuse a distribution's setup.

Failing a built-in dialer, you may also have the useful (but sometimes buggy) linuxconf program, which will manage most of these setting automatically.

Getting Started:

This guide makes several important assumptions:

You are somewhat familiar with Linux, and know how to move around the filesystem.
Your modem is properly installed.
Your kernel is compiled with modem and PPP support.
The programs pppd and chat are compiled and running properly, and that you have the sh shell.
You know the device name (eg. /dev/ttyS1) of your modem.
Files are in Slackware-like places.

If you are lost so far, please check the Linux Documentation Project, a Linux user's group, a local guru, or your Linux distributor for help. A list of HOWTOs will follow.

Be sure you know your Syclone username and password as well. :)

Thanks go to Fred Butzen and Christopher Hilton for their extensive book, The Linux Network, (ISBN 1-55828-589-X) from which these scripts are adapted. Errors are our own.

/etc/resolv.conf

The following lines in /etc/resolv.conf will tell your system to use our nameservers to resolve IP address numbers into domain names (human-readable dotcom names)

nameserver 63.80.112.2
nameserver 63.80.112.3

/usr/sbin/ppp-on

This script connects to Syclone by executing the PPP daemon, pppd.

/etc/ppp/ppp-on-dialer

This is the chat script that talks to our server and negotiates your username and password.

Connecting

Connect to Syclone by typing ppp-on. (Make sure the file has execute permissions. The easiest way: chmod +x ppp-on). Your modem should click on and attempt to dial in to Syclone. After several seconds, you can try looking for your ppp interface by running /sbin/ifconfig. If you see an interface called ppp0, you are connected.

Now What?

You should be able to use programs such as telnet, lynx, and pine. Enjoy!

Hanging up

One way to hang up the modem is to find out the dialer's process ID (its pid) from ps -aux and send it the hangup signal:

kill -HUP pid

Writing a script that will exit more gracefully is an exercise left to the reader. :)

Syclone wants to hear your success stories (and war stories)...
Drop us a line at webmaster@syclone.net and let us know how you're doing!

References:

The Linux Network, Fred Butzen and Chrisopher Hilton, ISBN 1-55828-589-X, IDG Books

Linux Documentation Project http://www.linuxdoc.org

Helpful Articles:

CONFIG-HOWTO: (Avoid PPProblems Section) http://www.linuxdoc.org/HOWTO/Config-HOWTO-4.html#ss4.12