mirror of https://github.com/tLDP/LDP
295 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
295 lines
13 KiB
Plaintext
<!doctype linuxdoc system>
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<article>
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<title>
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ISP-Connectivity-mini-HOWTO
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<author>Michael Strates, <tt>mstrates@croftj.net</tt>
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<date>v2.0.1, 2001-11-28
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<abstract>
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This document describes how to setup PPP, connect up to your
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ISP, configure mail and news, get a permanent IP (if available),
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get a domain name, and have a bonda fide system running
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in a little over thirty minutes.
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</abstract>
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<toc>
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<p>
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<!-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -->
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<sect> Introduction
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<p>
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The main goal of this document obviously is to make the new user
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friendly with the many terms of connecting your Linux PC up to
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the Internet, obtaining IP addresses, domain names, and setting things
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up. This guide is intended for the intermediate user in mind, although
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intelligent newbies shouldn't have any problems.
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<p>
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<!-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -->
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<sect1> New versions of this document
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<p>
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New versions of this document will be periodically posted to
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<it>comp.os.linux.answers</it>. They will also be added to the
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various anonymous FTP sites who archive such information,
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including:
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<p>
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<tt>
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<htmlurl url="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO"
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name="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO">
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</tt>
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<p>
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In addition, you should generally be able to find this document
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on the Linux Documentation Project page via:
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<p>
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<tt>
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<htmlurl url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/"
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name="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/">
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</tt>
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<p>
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<!-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -->
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<sect1> Feedback
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<p>
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I certaintly welcome any feedback about this HOWTO, spelling mistakes,
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how it all worked out, thankyou notes and critisisms. I hope I helped
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a few people with this HOWTO, and if I did, I'd be really happy to
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hear from you.
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<p>
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<tt>
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<htmlurl url="mailto:mstrates@croftj.net"
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name="mstrates@croftj.net">
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</tt>
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<p>
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<tt>
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<htmlurl url="http://linloft.home.ml.org/"
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name="http://linloft.home.ml.org/">
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</tt>
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<p>
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<!-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -->
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<sect1> Standard Disclaimer
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<p>
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No liability for the contents of this documents can be accepted.
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Use the concepts, examples and other content at your own risk.
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As this is a new edition of this document, there may be errors
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and inaccuracies, that may of course be damaging to your system.
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Proceed with caution, and although this is highly unlikely,
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I don't take any responsibility for that.
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<p>
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Naturally, there are probably better and easier ways to do things
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in this document. There will always be another way in the Linux
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World. This is the way I've done things, and that's the way I'll
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be presenting them in this HOWTO.
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<p>
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<!-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -->
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<sect1> Copyright Information
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<p>
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This document is copyrighted (c)1997 Michael Strates and
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distributed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License,
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which can be obtained from
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<a href="http://www.fsf.org/licenses/fdl.html">http://www.fsf.org/licenses/fdl.html</a>.
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<!-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -->
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<sect> Connecting to the Outside World
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<p>
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In this document, we'll explain how to do this using PPP (Point
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to Point Protocol), a popular protocol nearly always used over the
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Internet. It allows your modem to <tt>speak</tt> to the outside
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world. This is what applications like Trumpet Winsock in Windows
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3.x did, and many other programs that you've probably have never
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seen.
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<p>
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In Linux, we use a thing called chat to do the dialing up to the
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ISP and then use a utility called pppd to 'use' the connection. In
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a sense, chat is your dialer, and pppd is your protocol. We'll
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describe how to setup both below.
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<!-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -->
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<sect1> Talking and Communicating with pppd and chat
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<p>
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Probably the easiest way to go about things is to make a shell
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script in root's home directory called <tt>ppp-connect</tt> and
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involke the script whenever you wish to make your connection. We'll
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discuss this method.
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<p>
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Open up your favourite editor as root on ~/ppp-connect. You'll
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then have to decide on your parameters.
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<p>
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<it>pppd connect 'chat -v "" "your_init_string" "" ATDTisp_number
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CONNECT "" ogin: your_username word: your_passwd' /dev/tty(0/1/2) speed
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modem</it>
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<p>
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pppd involkes /usr/sbin/pppd on my system, then loads up chat to do the
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dialing. Chat sends <it>your_init_string</it> to the modem, then
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dials <it>isp_number</it>. It then waits for CONNECT, then waits for
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ogin: (l removed as the first character is sometimes lost), sends
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<it>your_passwd</it>, chat then terminates and hands the show over to
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pppd.
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<p>
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The last of the command specifies your modem port (mine's /dev/ttyS1). In
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most cases it will be ttyS1 (COM2: in DOS), ttyS0 (COM1: in DOS), or if
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your using Slackware, cua1 or cua0. The speed is the speed of the modem. I
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use 115200 for my modem (a 33.6k). If you have got a fairly recent
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computer (one with a 16550 UART), then I wouldn't go any lower than 57600.
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Otherwise, for 14.4k 38400. Modem just tells pppd that it's a serial/modem
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based connection. Remove the -v option if you don't want verbose logging
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to your logfiles.
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<p>
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The scenario below is one of a person who dials up an ISP that
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automatically starts PPP for them, ie; they don't have a shell that
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actually starts. This is his command in his ~/ppp-connect:
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<p>
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<it>pppd connect 'chat "" "ATZ" "" ATDT555-1800
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CONNECT "" ogin: johnny word: blackjak' /dev/ttyS1 115200
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modem</it>
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<p>
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But for some people, they're ISP starts up a shell and doesn't
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automatically start PPP this may be a problem. Luckily, chat can deal with
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that too. You just add another command to your chat script. For example,
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below this johnny character is using an ISP that just dumps him to a
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shell, requiring him to type ppp to get a ppp connection. His shell prompt
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ends with a $.
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<it>pppd connect 'chat "" "ATZ" "" ATDT555-1800
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CONNECT "" ogin: johnny word: blackjak $ ppp' /dev/ttyS1 115200
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modem</it>
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<p>
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If it's more than one word, ensure you quote it. I hope you can see the
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drift of this, and are able to create your own script up to suit your
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connection. Simply modify either the first johnny or the second johnny
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script to suit your taste, port, server, etc and save the file.
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<p>
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Now you've made your file, ensure that only root can execute, read or
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write to it. This is extreemly important. Also make sure nobody can
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read your logfiles, if you decide to leave the -v option in, as your
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password is seen in cleartext in the logs (I don't see much need for -v,
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if you don't know what I'm talking about, leave -v out).
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<!-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -->
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<sect1> IP's, Domain Names and Subnets
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<p>
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For most people using the options above, a changing IP address won't
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bother them. These people include basic, easy going users, that just have
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dialup accounts, and aren't very technically minded. For those people,
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skim read this section, I'll come to important things you need to do to
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setup your system properly. Newbies, skip the sections dealing with
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permanent IP, Domain Names, Subnets, and just read the last bit of this
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section.<p>
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Getting a permanent IP address might be free for your ISP, so if in doubt
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ask them. Personally, I'd pay for a permanent IP address. It lets you send
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e-mail to and from using a unique IP or domain, etc. If you want to get
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yourself a permanent IP, write an e-mail to root@yourisp.com, and ask him
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nicely if he can arrange a permanent IP for you.
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<p>
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When you get your permanent IP address, grep through your /etc directory
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to find where your old IP addresses are. I had to change files in my
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sendmail directory and /etc/hosts. There are some other key files that you
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will only discover with grepping. Open up /etc/hosts, and add your new IP
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address in the standard format. Reboot your computer, and you should be
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ready to go.
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<p>
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You'll now need to change your chat script to reflect your new settings.
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If you are forced into PPP as soon as you start your connection, you'll
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need to tell your System Administrator of your ISP to ensure their PPP
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system recognises that you have a permanent IP address and allocates you
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that instead of a changing one. If you get dumped at a shell prompt, and
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you need to type ppp or something to start the connection, instead of
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typing that, change your ~/ppp-connect script to send this instead of just
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ppp or whatever when it sees $ or whatever your shell prompt is.
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<p>
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<it>/usr/sbin/pppd :Your_IP_Address</it>
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<p>
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Substitute your IP address for the IP address your ISP gave to you. Be
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sure you encapsulate the thing in " " marks when you put it into your chat
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script. If this doesn't work, consult your ISP where your PPP daemon is
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located, and ask him for the command to give. You could just try leaving
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it as is and seeing if the server will recognise you and give you your
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rightful address.
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<p>
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The next thing probably to do is to get yourself a domain name. I know
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that in Australia, .asn.au and .org.au are free. In the United States, you
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can get a .us domain for free, but they tend to be long. If your in
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Australia, you must go to
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<htmlurl url="http://www.aunic.net/" name="http://www.aunic.net/">
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to register your domains. In the United States, it is
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<htmlurl url="http://www.internic.net/" name="http://www.internic.net/"> .
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<p>
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To register domains you need to be able to provide DNS services, and gorey
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stuff like that. If your ISP can't provide these, throw out an official
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.asn.au or whatever domain out the window, and get a Monolith Internet
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Domain.
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<p>
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Monolith offer free domains to anybody and anyone all around the world.
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Everything is done without human interaction, via a web forms interface
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with your browser. Your domain comes in the form of Your_Choice.ml.org.
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Monolith will then host the DNS locally for you. If you want to send and
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receive mail from that domain, ask your ISP to become a mail exchanger for
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you.
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<p>
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Go to
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<htmlurl url="http://www.ml.org/" name="http://www.ml.org/">
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and fill out an application, enter the NIC with your username and
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password, and make a FREED domain. You'll need to enter your IP address,
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so have that ready. Your domain will be in the DNS in a couple of days.
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<p>
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Okay now, we'll move onto the newbies section, or for those people who
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can't get a permanent IP address or a domain name. All you have to do is
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edit /etc/hosts as root, call your site something that won't clash, give
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it a 10.10.10 or something for an IP address and reboot your computer.
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<p>
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There you go, you've just setup your computer with pppd and chat in just
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ten minutes. Now let's move onto the next section, which deals with
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Electronic Mail.
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<!-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -->
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<sect> Electronic Mail on your Linux Box
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<p>
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One of the most important aspects of the Internet, is it's fasinating
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capaiblity to transfer mail to and from countries, or more locally
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perhaps. Linux is extreemly strong in easy mail packages for the console.
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The one we're going to document today is called Pine (Program for Internet
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Mail and News), made by the University of Washington, and to download the
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mail, a program called Fetchmail, made by Eric S. Raymond. Both should be
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included in your Linux distribution.
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<p>
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Fetchmail is a program that downloads your e-mail from your server using
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POP, transfers the mail onto your computer and then deletes it off the
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server, much like programs like Eudora or Microsoft Internet Mail/Exchange
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do. To configure and automate fetchmail, you use a file in your home
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directory called .fetchmailrc. Simply open up ~/.fetchmailrc
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(Remember: your doing this bit as yourself, not as root) with your
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favourite editor and observe the command lin eoptions below:
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<p>
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<EM>poll mail.yourisp.com proto pop3 user login_name password your_passwd</EM>
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<p>
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<EM>user login_name with pass your_passwd is login_name here</EM>
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<p>
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All you have to do is replace <EM>mail.yourisp.com</EM> with the name of
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the mail server of your ISP, <EM>your_passwd</EM> with your password, and
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<EM>login_name</EM> with your login name.
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<p>
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An important thing to note. For Pine and this procedure to work correctly,
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your login name must corrospond with the login name you use on your ISP.
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That is your local login name must match the one you use on your server,
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and your e-mail address.
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<p>
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Next, ensure that .fetchmailrc has the correct permissions (user
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read/write only) and your laughing. Fetchmail can be started in two ways,
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in standard mode (where it'll fetch messages from the server and
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terminate), or in daemon mode (where it will stay active, and
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check/download mail every X seconds). To use daemon mode, type
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<it>fetchmail -a -d(Seconds between Polls)</it>. -a ensures it downloads
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all mail. To use the standard mode, just type <it>fetchmail -a</it>.
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<p>
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Next, you need to setup Pine. Open up Pine, by typing pine at your prompt,
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choose Setup - Configuration. Setup your userdomain as the domain in your
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e-mail address, for example jack@linux.org, would be linux.org. Next,
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setup smtp-server as your POP mail server (the same you used in the
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fetchmail setup). So we enter www.linux.org. If you want news, setup your
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nntp server to your ISP's news server.
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<p>
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So there you have it folks, everything should be working now. To connect
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up to your ISP, just run ~/ppp-connect as root. Then, to get your e-mail
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run fetchmail -a as yourself. To browse your e-mail and news, use
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Pine. Install a text-based browser such as Lynx to browse the web if you
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like.
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<p>
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<it>Send any comments questions and suggestions to
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mstrates@croftj.net</it>
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<p>
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</article>
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