dockapps/wmppp.app/HINTS

Hints for WMPPP

Generic
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WMPPP supports various commandline options, 'wmppp -h' prints
help about them...


WindowMaker
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WindowMaker users simply drag and drop the WMPPP dock.app on
the WindowMaker Dock (preferred) or the Clip.

Now press the rightmouse button on WMPPP's outer edges and
select "Settings..." from the popup menu that appears.

Enable the 'Start when WindowMaker is started' option, then
click on the 'OK' button in the Docked Applications Panel.


Afterstep
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Afterstep users put something like this in their .steprc
"Wharf wmppp - MaxSwallow "wmppp" wmppp &"


Other WindowManagers
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For other windowmanagers, WMPPP runs nicely as a 64x64
pixel shaped icon on your desktop.

BTW, FVWM can swallow it too, so we've heard ;-)


Dragging WMPPP
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Be sure to drag WMPPP on it's outer edges, WMPPP is a bit
picky due to the large gfx pixmap it keeps ;-)


Usage
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WMPPP supports the following commandline options:

	-h              helpscreen
	-display        X server display (default = 0:0)
	-geometry       +XPOS+YPOS, initial window position
	-i <device>     Interface to monitor (ppp0, ppp1, etc)
        	        EXPERIMENTAL!
	-t              set the on-line timer to MM:SS instead
    	            of HH:MM (default is HH:MM)
	-u <rate>       (1..10), default 5 seconds
	-v              print wmppp's version number


Note: When you start up WMPPP and make a connection to your ISP,
it will first display the CARRIER or CONNECT for 60 seconds on a
succesfull connect, after those 60 seconds, the CARRIER/CONNECT
value will dissapear and the Speed-O-Meter will take it's place.


Creating PPP dialup scripts
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Since we've dropped the graphic configuration GUI,
you'll have to create some dialup scripts yourself
for usage with WMPPP and/or WMiFS.

Because a very good PPP HowTo already exists,
it's quite pointless for us to explain to you
how you should and can make them...

Read the PPP HowTo, and you'll see that it's very
easy to create your own PPP scripts ;-)


As an extra service, we've provided some example ppp scripts
which you can find in wmppp/example-scripts/ directory.

These are the ppp scripts both authors use, you just need to
fill in your ISP's phonenumber, your loginname and password
in wmppp/example-scripts/wmppp-chat like:

	OK ATDT1234567
	ogin:MyUserName
	word:MyPassWord

Save it, and copy all files in wmppp/example-scripts/ to
/etc/ppp/ for example...


Setting up the WMPPP rc files
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WMPPP can launch your own ISP scripts for the V (connect)
and X (disconnect) buttons and a hidden one that takes care
of redialing in case your connection breaks.

You can define them in your ~/.wmppprc like:

	speed: /etc/ppp/getmodemspeed
	start: /home/ppp/wmppp-start
	stop: /home/ppp/wmppp-stop
	ifdown: /home/ppp/wmppp-restart

Note: The option 'speed:' is to define the location where
'getmodemspeed' resides, getmodemspeed is a little program
that's responsible for the WMPPP CARRIER/CONNECT display.

You'll also need two entries in your 'chatfile' i.e.

	REPORT CARRIER
	REPORT CONNECT

This will make chat log all connects and carriers to
/etc/ppp/connect-errors, which getmodemspeed needs,
that is, if you want WMPPP to display your CARRIER
or CONNECT resp.

Also make sure that you use a recent ppp package (2.3.3),
because older chat versions (chat is part of the ppp package)
doesn't provide sufficent logging features, and because
the older ppp versions have (major) security holes...

p.s. All major _recent_ Linux distributions like Debian,
RedHat and SuSe ship with proper ppp versions as standard.


Linux Distribution ppp script info
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RedHat users who use ControlPanel for example to set up ppp
scripts (we don't, we assure you ;-) ) can launch the appropiate
RedHat ppp scripts, same applies to Debian and any other other
distribution which provide a simular non-standard ppp setup
feature for setting up ppp scripts.

See the documentation that ships with your Linux distribution
for more info (if needed).

Of course you may also use your previous created ppp scripts.


Permissions to allow non-root ppp connections
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WMPPP will connect just fine when run as root, but if you want
to run WMPPP as a non-root user, there are a few files and
programs to make permissions changes to.

WMPPP (actually pppd) needs access to the device file your
modem is on, so if you use COM1, then the modem device file
you use is /dev/cua0 or /dev/ttyS0 (depending on your Linux
and kernel version).

Change the permissions so that it is world read/writable:

	chmod 666 /dev/cua0  or
	chmod 666 /dev/ttyS0

The ppp daemon also makes calls to the kernel which require root
permissions. The pppd daemon must be owned by root, and then have
it's set-user-id bit turned on. This way, the pppd daemon will
always run as SUID root. Change the owner and SUID bit like:

	chown root.root pppd
	chmod +s pppd


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Note: If you run a site where users may not fiddle with the
      PPP scripts, read INSTALL > Info For Site Admins!