Provided by: pppconfig_2.3.23_all bug

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.