[GLLUG] mgetty (linux-user at egr.msu.edu)

[Tom Schouten]

hi Chick,
thanks for answering.

and thanks for the tip on Netzero. i tried that before (using firefox/linux) 
and indeed didn't succeed.

> Is this to be a dial-up substitute for a broadband connection, Tom?  If  
> so, the woman will need a dial-up ISP account.

> If this is to be a substitute for another dial-up server, can't you just  
> swap them out and try it?  Maybe I misunderstand the situation.


let me explain a bit more:

basicly, i'm doing the reverse: i'm basicly setting up a 1-user dialup ISP 
at her house, to be independent of any commercial ISPs. it would just need a 
working phone line. mgetty should allow: 
 1. to at least log in (to have a simple serial terminal link)
 2. make a ppp connection (to have an IP link)

mgetty is like ordinary getty, but with support for modems. it provides a 
login prompt on a terminal line, or starts a ppp connection.

mgetty picks up the phone when it ring, then decides from the data stream if 
the user dialing in is using ppp (is using us as an ISP) or not. in the 
former case, mgetty starts pppd, in the latter case, it gives just a login 
prompt.

the only thing she has to do then, is to turn on the computer and connect 
it to the phone line. then i can call in from belgium, the computer will 
answer the phone, and i can log in to fix things. (her PC has cygwin + ssh 
installed).

now the problem i have is that we don't have 2 phone lines here at the 
house to try it out (one would be the ISP/login server, the other the ppp 
client or minicom client), and i don't know anyone in the area who has 
a phone line, a modem, and a separate internet connection (for irc/im) and 
knows what i'm talking about...

so what i'm asking is for someone to try:

 1. to use minicom, type AD<phone number>, wait for a login prompt, 
    and try to login with the user:password i provide.

 2. to use ppp, and try to establish a connection with the same 
    user:password