My modem no longer works properly!
 

Hi all,
An annoying problem has cropped up, could anyone help please?!

A few days ago, we had a bit of a power outage. Now, when I log in, I get
a few messages saying that a portion of my disk has uncorrectable errors.
Anyway, thats not the main problem.

I can log into the internet using kppp (btw, I'm using SuSE 7.3) with no
problem, but when I log out and try and log back in, the "kppp" icon shows
the familiar lightning flash status, and then logs out. When I look at the log it
says
"Cannot open /dev/ttys0: Device or rescource busy"

Its as if the OS has got a lock on the modem even when I "hang up" and won't let go. If I try
and use wvdial from the command line, I get the above "Cannot open" message before I
can even type any command (ATZ etc.) in.

This has just started to happen today. I have tried switching the modem off and
then back, but this doesn't work; the only way to be able to log back onto my ISP
is to power down the PC and then up again....every time. Windows doesn't have this problem- I can
log on as and when I want.

How can I remedy the situation?

With best wishes

Paul

The contents of my kppp log file are as follows: (some irrelevant details snipped)

wvdial:-->WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.42
wvdial:-->Initializing Modem
wvdial:-->Sending: ATZ
wvdial: ATZ
wvdial: OK
wvdial:--> Sending: AT Q0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
wvdial: AT Q0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0
wvdial:OK
wvdial:-->Model initialized
wvdial:-->Dialing BT Internet
<snip>
wvdial:-->pppd: Terminating on signal 15
wvdial: Caught signal#15! Attempting to exit gracefully...
wvdial:--> pppd: Script /detc/ppp/ip-down started
wvdial:--> pppd: Terminate Request(Message: "User Request")
wvdial:-->pppd: connent time 1.1 minutes
wvidal:-->Disconnecting at time <whatever>

Then, trying to reconnect

wvdial:--> WvDial: Internet dialer version 1.42
wvdial:-->Cannot open /dev/ttyS0: Device or resource busy

file problems huh?
 

It may be that your file system problem does have something to do with it. It may be that one of the files is corrupt. Linux is file based remember?

I would try to fix the drive problem first, then see if the modem works.

Maybe someone else has a better idea?

:D :D :D :D

Look under /var/lock for a stale modem lock file.

Hi Dalek and Rolf,
Thanks for your help. It seems things have got a bit worse since my last message!

When I log back into Linux, I find that I can't use the modem at all now! The log file says that "Device or resource busy"...I've done a ps -aux | grep ppp
(saves me sorting through all those other processes :) and the only one I find is /usr/bin/smpppd - and of course, if you kill this (as root), then ppp doesn't work anyway! I did this because a friend suggesting that a pppd process wasn't being killed between dials and re-dials.

I'm beginning to think that that power outage we had a few days ago did more damage than suspected. In addition to the multiple (but repeated) messages about "Uncorrectable Errors" (Linux still boots OK though), I am now getting messages on shut down saying things like httppd killproc: I/O error, CRON daemonkillproc: I/O error; kdmkillproc: I/O error etc. I only had time to scribble down a few of them.

I'm very wary about doing a FSCK on Linux. I know it can screw your OS up terribly, and I've only ever done it on Solaris (when it was somebody's elses machine so it was OK :-) ..in this latter case, Solaris wouldn't boot so a Fsck was necessary, but Linux grumbles a bit, spits out the same "end-request: I/O error {DriveReady SeekComplete Error}...{Uncorrectable Error}" message about 30 times but boots up.

Its enough to drive a man to drink! :)

Best wishes

Paul