Bela Lantos wrote:
>
> Hi everyone,
>
> Since I installed Mandrake 5.3 I have problem with pppd dying unexpectedly
> because of timeout. Even though I increased timeout to 2 min, it still dies.
> However, if I dial again, the second time it connects OK. This problem doesn't
> exist if I dial in as ROOT, only as user. It wasn't so in Mandrake 5.2. I am so
> disappointed with it, that I am going to dump Linux from my desktop and stick
> with Win95. At least it doesn't double my phone bill.
Turn on debugging and see if anything obvious pops up. Check your log
files and see if anything is listed there when the connection is
dropped.
> 5.3 would also hang if I tried to shutdown with CTRL_ALT_DELETE at the killing
> of the gpm daemon -> corrupted file system. My mouse is a serial mouse. My
> friend's is a PS/2, he doesn't have this problem. I uninstalled the
> "initscript", and installed the one from Mandrake 5.2. It works fine.
Do you need gpm? It doesn't sound like you're very comfortable at the
command line, so I'm wondering if it's even necessary for you to run
it. If you don't need it, turn it off. Problem solved. And if there
IS a bug, how about submitting it to Mandrakesoft through something a
bit more 'official' than the newbie mailing list? It's been a while
since I've seen Gael or anyone else affiliated with Mandrakesoft posting
to this list.
> I also installed Red Hat 6 on another partition. It is missing kpackage and
> glint, which is a very ugly error from Red Hat. Pppd works fine as ROOT, but
> when I try to bring up kppp the following is the message:
What does this have to do with Mandrake, might I ask? As for it missing
kpackage and glint, who REALLY cares? Glint sucked rocks through a
straw! Try gnorpm or (horror of horrors!) the command line! As for
kpackage, I tried it with Mandrake and just gave up on it. While
uninstalling packages, it would magically up and lose root privileges
every few minutes forcing me to restart the program. Thanks, but no
thanks.
> "pppd is not properly installed!
> The pppd binary must be installed with the SUID bit set.
> Contact your system administrator."
And if you use the supported tools, it works just fine. Odd, that. Try
configuring with netcfg and using '/sbin/ifup ppp0' and '/sbin/ifdown
ppp0' and everything is fine. Be sure to check the box that says 'Allow
users to activate the interface', else normal users will get an error
when they try to dialup.
> I click OK to the message, then try to dial with kppp, and the following is the
> message:
>
> "Sorry, can't create modem lock file."
So check the permissions on the /var/lock directory to make sure your
user can write there.
> Do these Linux companies know what they are doing? Since Red Hat received so
> much investment, and Mandrake became successful their products are not worth
> buying unless you are a programming guru who can fix the ugly errors.
This KPPP problem doesn't exist on my copy of Mandrake, and I haven't
seen any other postings about 'works as root, not as user' from anyone
else in the past 3 or 4 months that I've been using Mandrake.
As for the 'programming guru' comment, I'll be the first to admit that I
couldn't code my way out of a paper bag. My Mandrake installation and
subsequent use has been completely trouble-free and without any need to
program anything.
> I am very upset about their carelessness. Linux will not win the hearts of
> people this way. I am now not recommending it to anyone until it will be
> praised on the newsgroups.
I'm sick and tired of people posting to this mailing list who've seen a
mention of Linux somewhere, bought a distribution, installed it, and now
stare blankly at the monitor wondering what they hell they're supposed
to do. And when something doesn't work exactly the way they think it
should, they're completely baffled as to what to do! Linux provides you
with more debugging information that you could ever imagine -- if you
know where to look for it (hint, try /var/log)
Linux on your personal machine IS NOT and will NEVER be like running
Windows. Windows allows you to be an end-user. No sense in worrying
about where you files are stored or how to configure your POP client to
retrieve your mail -- Windows will take care of that for you. Linux
forces you to be an administrator. This is a powerful system that
allows you to undertake tasks in a variety of ways. It's up to YOU to
make something of it.
So quit stomping your feet and tossing a temper tantrum and ask for help
WITHOUT the "threats" to give up Linux. You'll get alot further.
--
Steve Philp
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
