Linux Kppp KDE Dial-Up

This describes how to configure the KDE dialer, kppp, for connecting to GHG Internet Service from Linux. The location of the configuration files may be different for your particular distribution. Red Hat 6.0 was used to develop this documentation. It is beyond the scope of this document to provide information on modem installation and configuration. It is assumed you are able to get a dial tone with your modem.

Fixed width font indicates commands you need to execute at the shell prompt and the pound sign, #, indicates the prompt for the root account while the dollar sign, $, indicates the prompt for a non-root account.

1. Begin by creating a symbolic link for the appropriate Communications Port or COMM port. In this example we are using COMM port 1, ttyS0. You may also need to set the permissions to allow non-root users to use the modem device.

   # cd /dev
   # ln -s ttyS0 modem
   # chmod 666 ttyS0

Here is an example of what the permissions should look like once you are done.

   # ls -l ttyS0
   # crw-rw-rw-   1 root     tty        4,  64 Apr 12 05:35 ttyS0

2. Next you will need to make sure the setuid and setgid bits are set for the pppd program so non-root users can execute it. pppd is the Point-To-Point protocol daemon.

   # cd /usr/sbin
   # ls -l pppd

You should see similar permissions like this.

   # -rwsr-sr-x   1 root     root       120020 Apr  9  1999 /usr/sbin/pppd

If not, turn on the setuid and setgid bits.

   # chmod 6755 pppd

Also, remove the lock option from /etc/ppp/options because kppp will use its own lock file.
Change permissions on the /var/lock directory so kppp can create a lock file.

   # chmod 777 /var/lock

Next create the file /etc/resolv.conf with the DNS nameserver entries for GHG. Lines begining with the pound sign (#) are comments and are not required.

Modifying resolv.conf with kedit
Figure 1. - resolv.conf file in kedit

3. Add entries to your PAP secrets file and your CHAP secrets file. The files contain your login ID and password to GHG and are used to authenticate the connection.

   # cd /etc/ppp
   # kedit pap-secrets
   # kedit chap-secrets

Add an entry for your user name and password in your pap-secrets file. In this example username is the user name and password is the password The chap-secrets file has the same format as the pap-secrets file. Add the same entry to your chap-secrets file too. Enter an astrisk, *, for the server field and IP address field. Note: This is a fictitious account.

Modifying pap-secrets with kedit
Figure 1. - pap-secrets file in kedit

4. Launch the kppp application and click the Setup button. You can launch kppp as a non-root user since we have set up the permission to the modem and pppd program above. If you cannot locate an icon for kppp, you can always launch it from a terminal window by issuing the kppp command. The ampersand will cause kppp to be launched in the background.

   $ kppp &

Figure 2. - kppp Main Window

5. From the accounts window, click on the New button to add a new account.

Figure 3. - kppp Accounts Window

6. Click on the Dial tab and type in a Connection name in the field provided. The connection name will help you identify where you are connecting to in the kppp Main window (Figure 2). It will also help you identify this configuration information so you can modify it later. Enter the the dial-in phone number for GHG select PAP for authentication. You may check or uncheck the Store Password option based on your personal preference. By checking it, you will not have to type your password each time you dial into GHG. It is less secure and should be used with extreme caution. Especially if you are accessing GHG from a public terminal or laptop computer.

kppp Accounts Dial Setup
Figure 4. - kppp Accounts/Dial Window

7. Click on the IP tab and select the Dynamic IP Address option.

kppp Accounts IP Setup
Figure 5. - kppp Accounts/IP Window

8. Click on the DNS tab. Enter ghg.net as the Domain Name. Next, type in the Primary Domain Name Server's (DNS) IP Address and click the Add button. Do the same thing for the Secondary DNS IP Address. Also check the option Disable existing DNS Service.

kppp Accounts DNS Setup
Figure 6. - kppp Accounts/DNS Window

9. Click on the Gateway tab. Check the Default Gateway and Assign the Default Route to this Gateway options.

kppp Accounts Gateway Setup
Figure 7. - kppp Accounts/Gateway Window

Click on the Ok button to complete the new account setup.

10. After editing the Gateway and clicking Ok, you should be back at the main cofiguration window. Click on the Device tab. Set the Modem Device entry to the symbolic link created in step 1. Leave the defaults for Flow Control and Line Termination as shown in figure 8 below. Set the Connection Speed for your particular modem and check the Use Lock File option. You may also want to increase the Modem Timeout.

kppp Device Setup
Figure 8. - kppp Device Window

11. Click on the Modem tab. You may want to increase the Busy Wait option. Set the Modem Volume in the middle or all the way to the right so you can hear your modem dial the phone number and begin the handshaking process with GHG.

kppp Modem Setup
Figure 9. - kppp Modem Window

12. Click on the PPP tab. You may want to increase the pppd Timeout option. Check or select the options Dock into Panel, Show Clock, Disconnect on X-server shutdown, and Minimize Window on Connect. Finaly, click the Ok button to return to the kppp Main Menu.

kppp PPP Setup
Figure 10. - kppp PPP Window

13. You are now ready to test your connection and begin using GHG as your Internet service provider. Enter your Login ID and Password and click the Connect button.

kppp PPP Setup
Figure 11. - kppp Main Window

After a connection is made and you are using KDE as your desktop, the kppp dialer will minimize into your KDE panel and appear as a set of modem lights. You can disconnect by issuing a single-click on top of the modem lights icon and then click Disconnect when presented with the pop-up dialog.

Remember that Linux is a community effort. If you have suggestions for improving this document, please contact us with your feedback.

GHG Corporation