Provided by: pppconfig_2.3.26_all 
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.