Newly installed Ubuntu on 2nd hard drive, dual boot is working but can't get modem to be recognized on Ubuntu drive. I purchased an external 56K modem and installed, but it wasn't recognized either. So uninstalled it and reinstalled my original modem. Here is my info:

MS XP Home on 80G HD#1 (70% free)
Linux Ubuntu on 80G HD#2 (50% partition for \)
Modem is PCI SoftV92 Speakerphone
Ubuntu Kernel 2.6.12-9-386
Ubuntu 5.10 Built on 20050317 Ubuntu 19
H. Peter Anvin
ISO Linux 2.04 2103-04-16

I have tried to download the scanModem.gz file on XP drive in C:temp, but when boot into Ubuntu on 2nd drive can't find the file to copy to Linux account. I also tried to download it onto a pen drive, but can't get that to reach a destination for some reason. Newbie!!! This CD came with book Beginning Ubuntu Linux, From Novice to Professional by Keir Thomas. Any help appreciated!!!!!!!!!

Evenin!

I won't be able to offer a lot of help with the modem specifically, but rather some knowledge around it, then move your post on over to the hardware forum. My quick suggestion regarding the modem is to use the external, you'll likely have more luck with it.

One of the biggest differences I've found when teaching someone newly converting to linux from windows is drive structure. There is no longer a such thing as C: and D: drives. Linux chooses to use an easier identifying nomenclature to describe where the device physically is located on the computer and which partition of that drive we are working with. So, back to where you mention your C: drive. This is going to likely be your /dev/hda1 device in linux, but isn't necessarily true and without further investigation, is quite impossible to know (whereas /dev/hda1 is specific enough to describe which hard drive it is, and which partition we are referring to). So, assuming C is /dev/hda1 and also assuming Ubuntu auto-mounted it, we'd browse to the directory attached to that device (mounting drives at a particular directory is how to access them, it takes a bit of getting used to, but I think once you get the hang of it, you'll find it very nice to be able to 'move' drives around). To browse there in the command line you use the cd command. So for my purpose we'll assume the directory is located in /mnt and is called hda1. So assuming the /mnt/hda1 directory exists, we can:
cd /mnt/hda1
And then we can list the contents with ls:
ls
If we see folders and files we recognize from the booting into windows, luck will be on our side So then we continue forward to temp:
cd temp

And finally we need to copy this file to our linux partition to allow execution and to keep things where they belong (linux specific files on linux, windows on windows, for ease of browsing):
cp scanModem.gz /tmp
This copies the file to the linux temp directory. Then you can unzip it (un-gzip it):
gunzip scanModem.gz
And finally probably execute it (though I'm not familiar with the file, I assume it's a script which will need to be executed, but beware before blindly executing things, know what they contain and what they will be doing or else you could just be unloading a virus or a backdoor onto your system):
./scanModem

Anyway, my above is hopefully just a bit to get you going, it's by no means an exhaustive example of what you may need to do, rather a slight insight to some scenarios you may see along the way.

Good Luck!

Moving to Linux - Hardware

Cool

I have made a copy of your post and will dig into it right away!! I did get a modem from a computer parts store (not a retail outlet) and the salesperson used Linux so that made it a little easier. He looked up a modem made by US Robotics that he said was listed for Linux use, but it was internal. I did get it, installed it, and my windows system recognizes it and I can use it, but when I go to Linux and auto-detect it, it won't show up. So I'm taking it back. I did find a new, inexpensive, external serial modem on ebay so that is my next trial. He suggested that I take a beginning class on text editing and command line since I told him I was clueless but very interested in learning it. When I received your note it was very nice to be talked to like the "clueless" person I am!!! Step by step directions are what makes sense to me at this point so thank you very much. I'm sure the beginners book that came with the Ubuntu CD will make more sense as I progress, but it even assumes the reader knows the basics of text/command line usage. Thanks again.

When you are under windoze, see what com port it uses. If it is com5 for example, it should be /dev/ttyS4 for Linux. I think the internal serial ports start at ttyS4 or 5. May want to try them. If it is a true modem and not a winmodem it should work it's just finding the right port. It still uses a serial port even though it is in a PCI slot.

Hope that helps.

:

Howdy. Well I received the V.92 serial modem (Best Data) purchased on eBay for good price and it took right off. Now am following my Beginners book that came with my CD for ubuntu to get things fine-tuned. I did disable my other modem so plan on using this one for either XP or ubuntu, seemed to hang up a bit if I left both active. Can't wait to get into it more and experiment, already nice to know I'm part of the "abnormal" crowd! PS I know the more of the updates I download the more junk I will have that might not need, but it is a good idea to just let the Package manager do its' thing for online respositories?

Hi, a quick update. The modem I installed in last post worked well for several days. Now I can't get on internet, here are a few details:

* I updated my kernel (not sure of the number, but I read that if you change kernels that you may need to reconfigure some things, maybe modem?)
* I have reconfigured my modem and put in isp information (same as before).
* I installed Firestarter and it was recognized on my dial-up. Now I can't get on-line to see if inbound settings for isp have been recognized? I'd like to uninstall Firestarter and wait until I am more comfortable using Linux but the Synaptic Package Manager didn't seem to cooperate.
* I disabled my internal modem on the cpu and only use the external. I can get on-line if I log on to hd0 where Win XP Home is, which is using the external modem. Linux is on hd1.

When you upgraded the kernel, did you include support for the serial ports? It may be under devices, character devices, serial drivers. It should be the 8250/16550. It won't see the serial ports if that is not in there.

Hope that helps.

Thanks, not sure if I included support for serial. If I go to devices, I can't find a specific listing for character devices, then serial drivers. How will it be listed exactly? Also, what are the numbers 8250/16550, are they they update numbers? I will be leaving for a month 4/24/ in the am so may not be able to get back to you for awhile. Thanks again for any notes and I'll keep you posted.

I think there is something else you have to turn on for it to show up. I can not remember what it is but I think it is on the first page of the config and up at the top somewhere. It was a long time ago that I ran into this one. The 8250 stuff is the number on the chips. Most all rigs use the same chip. That standard is pretty old for sure.

I'll see if I can find it. I have looked a bit but now it has ticked me off because I can't find it and I KNOW it is there somewhere. :-|

Thanks for the note, hope you find what you're looking for!! I'm in KS now for a little while, mom's surgery went well this am so that was good news. Let me know if you find the info., I won't be able to follow up for a couple of weeks but am keeping the "diary". Thanks...