Hello,

I took the leap and decided to install Ubuntu 8.04 on my mom's computer. I considered it an experiment and, unfortunately, it's failing.

She gave me her computer (running XP) to fix after it was infected with some nastiness. Removing all malware was a hassle and I realized that she really only used the computer for surfing and writing the occasional letter/paper. So I installed 8.04 and configured all the necessary users and moved all of her photos, etc. to the new build. I don't have dialup service at my place, so I couldn't configure her modem from home (or so I thought) and decided that I should be able to talk her through it over the phone. I was wrong.

After trying to do everything through the "System => Administration => Networking" method AND the "pppconfig & pon/poff" method presented here without any luck (kept getting "cannot stat" messages despite trying various ports /dev/modem, /dev/ttySx and verifying group permissions), I got off the phone with her to do more research.

I found this page after my ordeal, so it looks like modems aren't configured automagically as they should be. Great, so I know now I should use the scanModem tool and go through the steps to install the correct driver and blah blah blah.

So now to my questions:

Does my understanding of the problem seem reasonable? Meaning, am I missing something obvious?

Any advice on what to do at this point considering she lives over 2.5 hours away and may not have any internet access nearby to download any tools or drivers? I am thinking I probably should get everything on a CD and mail it to her. Then I can talk her through the fix. If I do that, I want to make sure I include everything that might possibly be needed to help get this dialup connection configured. Any advice on what should go on that CD?

Will scanModem work on a motherboard-integrated modem? I thought I might have read something that said it was only for PCI modems.

If scanModem is useless to me, what is my next move?


From this experience, I can say that Ubuntu failed the "just give it to mom and it will just work" test. That is sad... I had higher hopes.

If there is any further information that I can provide that will help solve this issue, please let me know. Thanks in advance.

Use the scan modem tool and some of the distros come with a few soft modem drivers in their repository which you can install through your package manager. You need to find out what chip your modem has.

Thanks for the reply Larry.

I understand what scanModem is supposed to do: let me know what chipset my modem actually is. As far as the drivers go, are you implying that I won't have to download anything after finding out that information?

See, my problem is that I have to put everything that might possibly be needed onto a CD and mail it off. If I have to put 100 different potential drivers on there, so be it. I just don't want to be talking them through the use of scanModem and the installation of drivers only to find out I have to some how send them more files.

So can I just burn scanModem onto this CD and mail it off and be content that everything will work when they get the CD?

Thanks again for any further info...

Oh, and just to clarify: scanModem is not already installed in the Ubuntu 8.04 distro? And they don't configure the modem automagically? Shouldn't it really at least do one or the other?

Well, after looking a bit more online, I figured out how to use lspci to determine the chipset used on their modem. Then after further digging, I found necessary Linuxant driver. I wasn't too excited to pay $20 for a modem driver, but found that Dell offered the driver for free download (I assume they bought it from Linuxant for that purpose).

Anyway, I've sent the appropriate driver via email and when they happen to go somewhere with web access, they'll bring that driver home and I'll talk them through the next bunch of steps.

Just posting here for completeness and posterity. If I run into any further bumps, I'll follow-up.