Modem Script Support

orbit · 08-29-2007, 08:07 PM

Hi all .. On Slackware12, I have just setup an sl-modem driver to work with my acer laptop which is a wonderful thing when I am travelling. However, I am a little concerned at the number of commands needed to run in order to get the modem to start.

Would it possible to automate the following commands into one script?
(for the record, I have no experience in scripting and after some initial reading on bash commands, I feel pretty confused with all the syntax and am really not sure what to do).

The commands needed to start the modem are as follows:
(from a root terminal in kde)

1. ifconfig eth0 down #turn off LAN interface.
2. ifconfig eth1 down #turn off Wireless interface.
3. /etc/dakar-rules/slmodemd start --alsa hw:0 --country=AUSTRALIA #configure modem driver and country.

4. /usr/sbin/slmodemd #start modem daemon, N.B. this causes the terminal to pause with the daemon running, it is needed for kppp to connect and it has to remain open for the duration that you want the modem to work, it can be manually terminated with ctrl-c).

# Q. would I need another terminal to automatically open here to continue the command set, since the daemon command pauses the ability to input new commands, or would there be another way to continue the process..?

5. /usr/bin/kppp #(this command needs to be run as user?, not root.. or it can't connect to x server. ... how do i run a user command in a root terminal?).

* After kppp is disconnected and closed, would it be possible to automatically stop the modem daemon that is running in the terminal (ctrl-c), then exit that terminal shell, and then bring the networks back up *

# something perhaps like:

6. kill kppp # disconnect, close and exit kppp
7. ifconfig eth0 up # bring LAN interface up.
8. ifconfig eth1 up # bring wireless interface up.
9. exit #(the modem daemon terminal)

Any advice, suggestions or examples of how to get this to work will be gratefully received.

Thank you all very much in advance.

Orbit

ChrisScott · 08-30-2007, 01:49 PM

Hi Orbit.

Your commands are pretty much a script already!

Start with

Code:

#!/bin/bash

To get bash to interpret the script. Then just list the commands above with two exceptions.

1) Run /usr/sbin/slmodemd in the background by following the command with a ' &' character.
2) use sudo -u username /usr/bin/kppp to run as an unprivileged user.

ChrisScott · 08-30-2007, 01:54 PM

Oh yeah. You can use this useful test after the daemon incase it takes a while to get going...

Code:

/usr/sbin/slmodemd &

checkRunning='false'

while [ "$checkRunning" != 'true' ]; do
    /usr/bin/kppp
    if [[ $? == 0 ]]; then
        checkRunning=true
    fi
    sleep 1
done

That will keep trying the command every second until it works!

Hope that helps.

orbit · 09-04-2007, 10:51 PM

Hi ChrisScott,

Thank you very much for your advice, the modem initialisation is now automated.

Have a nice day

Cheers

Orbit