LDP/LDP/retired/ISP-Connectivity.sgml

<!doctype linuxdoc system>
<article>
<title>
ISP-Connectivity-mini-HOWTO
<author>Michael Strates, <tt>mstrates@croftj.net</tt>
<date>v2.0.1, 2001-11-28
<abstract>
This document describes how to setup PPP, connect up to your
ISP, configure mail and news, get a permanent IP (if available),
get a domain name, and have a bonda fide system running
in a little over thirty minutes.
<p>
<bf>Archived Document Notice:</bf> This document has been archived by the LDP
because it does not apply to modern Linux systems. It is no longer
being actively maintained.
</p>
</abstract>
<toc>
<p>

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<sect> Introduction
<p>
The main goal of this document obviously is to make the new user
friendly with the many terms of connecting your Linux PC up to 
the Internet, obtaining IP addresses, domain names, and setting things
up. This guide is intended for the intermediate user in mind, although
intelligent newbies shouldn't have any problems. 
<p>

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<sect1> New versions of this document
<p>
New versions of this document will be periodically posted to
<it>comp.os.linux.answers</it>.  They will also be added to the
various anonymous FTP sites who archive such information,
including:
<p>
<tt>
<htmlurl url="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO"
name="ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO">
</tt>
<p>
In addition, you should generally be able to find this document
on the Linux Documentation Project page via:
<p>
<tt>
<htmlurl url="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/"
name="http://sunsite.unc.edu/LDP/">
</tt>
<p>
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<sect1> Feedback
<p>
I certaintly welcome any feedback about this HOWTO, spelling mistakes,
how it all worked out, thankyou notes and critisisms. I hope I helped
a few people with this HOWTO, and if I did, I'd be really happy to
hear from you. 
<p>
<tt>
<htmlurl url="mailto:mstrates@croftj.net"
name="mstrates@croftj.net">
</tt>
<p>
<tt>
<htmlurl url="http://linloft.home.ml.org/"
name="http://linloft.home.ml.org/">
</tt>
<p>
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<sect1> Standard Disclaimer
<p>
No liability for the contents of this documents can be accepted.
Use the concepts, examples and other content at your own risk.
As this is a new edition of this document, there may be errors
and inaccuracies, that may of course be damaging to your system.
Proceed with caution, and although this is highly unlikely, 
I don't take any responsibility for that.
<p>
Naturally, there are probably better and easier ways to do things
in this document. There will always be another way in the Linux
World. This is the way I've done things, and that's the way I'll
be presenting them in this HOWTO.
<p>

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<sect1> Copyright Information
<p>
This document is copyrighted (c)1997 Michael Strates and
distributed under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License,
which can be obtained from
<a href="http://www.fsf.org/licenses/fdl.html">http://www.fsf.org/licenses/fdl.html</a>.

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