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¶
chat(8), gpppon(1), plog(1), poff(1), pon(1), pppd(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.