http://www.linux.com/howtos/Remote-S...-minicom.shtml

On quick glance, setserial does not look like something you need. You have a new kernel, a modern machine, and a fairly recent modem, etc..
minicom looks fairly straight forward.. I am not using a modem right now, I'm using ethernet, otherwise I'd install minicom and see how it went.
Can you get us a copy of all the errors produced when you typed 'sudo kppp' ??
There's no button as you say, however if you type something like:
sudo kppp > logfile
then all output will be directed to a file in your current directory, named logfile. Use whatever name you like. Then copy the file and post it here.

NOTE: I would consider it somewhat weird to have to be root or sudo, to use kppp.
You could locate the program itself (kppp) in the /bin or /usr or /usr/bin directory and see who owns it, and what group.
While you're at it, if you can get to the USERS/GROUP editor for the system, make sure that you as a USER are a member of the GROUP that is the modem. The group is probably named MODEM. Make sure your user account is a member of that group.

Thanx again -

yes I think Minicom will be far the better tool, but sure not much as a gui. I'll be messing with it meanwhile to try and be more conversant with it, and await your reply.

Meanwhile I have several PCI hardmodems purchased, mostly 3cp5610A, which should bypass this serial headache. But we do need to know how to deal with this particular serial modem (actually I have TWO of them now!). My main thought is that one needs to be using the full KDE interface rather than Gnome, simply because Best Data provides instruction using KDE which doesn't seem to run right in a Gnome environment.

If it would be better with you to go private or use Yahoo! IM, it might make this easier?

Ron

Tell ya what, I agree RE: chatting on IM.. One in here would be great. I recently reinstalled my OS, without Dropline Gnome (it was a mistake installing that LOL) and for some reason I am missing the SSL component to run my IM client (Gaim). WHat I WILL do now though, is see if I can get the SSL restored/re-installed, and update here.
My email address on my LQ profile is the same as I use for IM (using MSN profile, I don't use Yahoo, but I may be able to connect to you at a Yahoo address, it's pretty capable)

Now, if you think the serial modem is a headache, you may want to think twice about using a PCI modem.
Check if it is in the HCL anywhere, and post the make/model/chipset here if you know that stuff, and I'll poke around after I mess with my SSL encryption.

Do they have a private chat here? I'll happily chat with you, but I thought we had to be paying/contributing members?
Finally, the Best Data info should work the same in KDE and Gnome; perhaps different GUI tools, but the underlying stuff should be the same.
Chat soon

UPDATE: Whew! Not a matter of 'click-click' to get Gaim working.. Hadda repair my shared libraries a few times, and drill some holes through the firewall.. However, I am now back online so if you would like to chat, I should be there. (I think I have it set up right).

Its been so long since I've used my analog modem are the driver for you serial port loaded modprobe 8250. Im running slackware my serial driver is built into the kernel yours might be to. Here's some more info http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=178924

Boow:
Device Manager shows 3 serial entries
8250
16550A for ttyS1 and for ttyS0

ttyS_ links appear within /dev/
and within /sys/class/tty/

strlist for /dev/... and for /org/freedesktop/Hal/devices/pnp_PNP0501 ...

One would think that'd be enough, but it's not working! Modems are such a huge pain, huh?

none of these show my serial modem 56SX92 as connected to any of those, unless that PNP0501 thing be it - I don't know where that came from! Obviously then all that's needed is some command which will establish a link in a useful manner. I surely don't know what I'm doing on this!

Now working on that with setserial and with minicom, but thus far have not discovered the right commands, so still need help.

the link you provided may prove helpful, thanx

Unless I missed it it doesn't look like the serial module is loaded. That's needed to make the modem work.

Also, double check the tty it's being assigned to through demesg. That modem will work in Linux as it's a hardware modem. To be honest adding modems can be a real pain in the *ss but it can be dome.

Right now I'm heavily medicated but I'll take a better look at this thread tomorrow.

... didn't work, forgotten just what but like not found, yet platform serial 8250 shows up in device manager.

I moved my cable connection from COM2 to COM1 and bingo, the modem works on ttyS0 (moved from ttyS0), showed some life at last and dialed, altho immediately disconnects. Odd, it was fine on COM2 in winXP.

And since have run wvdialconf, which apparently cleaned up a bunch of tangles from using gnome-ppp, kppp, minicom, setserial... newbie problem. Between that and perhaps phoning my ISP I think I'll be okay now.

Linux distro-builders really need to clean up dialup configuration; the mysteries would chase most any newbie away. Nobody wants a computer these days without internet! I'm a linux newbie but a puter oldie, and this took me over a solid week. Without great help from LQ and Ubuntu forums I would never had made it.

But I figure I can get it working okay now, thanks all.

Yea lol my best data just conked out on me. It was less than a year old but what do you expect for 15 bucks. screw it now that I get 1mbit downloads on broadband.