NAME
pppconfig - configure pppd to connect to the Internet
SYNOPSIS
pppconfig [--version] | [--help] | [[--dialog] | [--whiptail] |
[--gdialog] [--noname] | [providername]]
DESCRIPTION
pppconfig is a dialog based interactive, menu driven utility to help
automate setting up a dial out ppp connection. It provides extensive
explanations at each step. pppconfig supports PAP, CHAP, and chat
methods of authentication. It uses the standard ppp configuration
files and sets ppp up so that the standard pon and poff commands can be
used to control ppp. Some features supported by pppconfig are:
- Multiple ISP’s with separate nameservers.
- Modem detection.
- Dynamic DNS.
- Dial on demand.
- Allow non-root users to run ppp.
- Uses the gdialog GUI dialog replacement if possible.
Before running pppconfig you should know what sort of authentication
your isp requires, the username and password that they want you to use,
and the phone number. If they require you to use chat authentication,
you will also need to know the login and password prompts and any other
prompts and responses required for login. If you can’t get this
information from your isp you could try dialing in with minicom and
working through the procedure until you get the garbage that indicates
that ppp has started on the other end.
pppconfig allows you to configure connections to multiple providers.
For example, you might call your isp ’provider’, your employer
’theoffice’ and your university ’theschool’. Then you can connect to
your isp with ’pon’, your office with ’pon theoffice’, and your
university with ’pon theschool’.
It can determine which serial port your modem is on, but the serial
port must already be configured. This is normally done when installing
Linux.
It can help you set your nameservers, or, if your ISP uses ’dynamic
DNS’, it can set up ppp to use that.
It can configure ppp for demand dialing, so that your ppp connection
will come up automatically. It will not, however, start pppd for you.
You must still start pppd yourself (’pon’ will do it). Pppd will then
wait in the background for you to attempt to access the Net and bring
up the link.
If you select "Static" in the "Configure Nameservers" screen pppconfig
will create a file in the /etc/ppp/resolv directory named after the
provider you are configuring and containing "nameserver" lines for each
of the IP numbers you gave. This file will be substituted for
/etc/resolv.conf when the connection comes up. The provider name is
passed in the ipparam variable so that 0dns-up knows which file to use.
The original resolv.conf will be put back when the connection goes
down. You can edit this file if you wish and add such things as
"search" or "domain" directives or additional nameservers. Be sure and
read the resolv.conf man page first, though. The "search" and "domain"
directives probably do not do what you think they do.
If you select "dynamic" in the "Configure Nameservers" screen pppconfig
will configure pppd for ’dynamic DNS’ and create a file in the
/etc/ppp/resolv directory named after the provider you are configuring
but containing nothing. When the connection comes up the nameservers
supplied by your ISP will be added and the file substituted for
/etc/resolv.conf. You can edit this file if you wish and add such
things as "search" or "domain" directives or additional nameservers.
If you select "None" in the "Configure Nameservers" screen pppconfig
will create no file in /etc/ppp/resolv and will leave /etc/resolv.conf
alone. ipparam is not set to the provider name and so is free for the
administrator to use.
FILES
/etc/ppp/peers/provider is the standard pppd options file for the
default service provider.
/etc/ppp/peers/<name> is the pppd options file for the provider that
you have named <name>.
/etc/ppp/peers/provider.bak is a backup copy of
/etc/ppp/peers/provider.
/etc/chatscripts/provider is the standard chat script for the default
service provider.
/etc/chatscripts/<name> is the chat script for the provider that you
have named <name>.
/etc/chatscripts/provider.bak is a backup copy of
/etc/chatscripts/provider.
/etc/ppp/resolv is a directory where resolv.conf files for each
provider are stored.
/etc/ppp/ip-up.d/0dns-up is a script that arranges for the correct
resolv.conf file to be copied into place when a connection comes up.
/etc/ppp/ip-down.d/0dns-down is a script that arranges for the original
resolv.conf file to be copied into place when a connection goes down.
/etc/init.d/dns-clean is a script that runs 0dns-down at bootup to
clean up any mess left by a crash.
/var/run/pppconfig is a directory where temporary files created by
0dns-up are stored.
/var/run/pppconfig/resolv.conf.bak.<provider> is a backup copy of the
original resolv.conf file. 0dns-down restores /etc/resolv.conf from
it.
/var/run/pppconfig/0dns.<provider> is a backup copy of the resolv.conf
file for <provider>. 0dns-down uses it to determine if
/etc/resolv.conf has been overwritten by another process.
/etc/ppp/pap-secrets and /etc/ppp/chap-secrets are described in the
pppd documentation. pppconfig may add lines to these files and will
change lines that it previously added.
NOTES
pppconfig requires pppd 2.3.7 or higher.
TO DO
Add full support for MSCHAP.
BUGS
Don’t tell pppconfig to find your modem while pppd is running.
SEE ALSO
pon(1), poff(1), gpppon(1), plog(1), pppd(8), chat(8), and whiptail(1).
AUTHOR
pppconfig was written by John Hasler <jhasler@debian.org>.
COPYRIGHT
This man page may be treated as if it were in the public domain. I
waive all rights.