Ok, I've managed to get Mdk9.0 installed, and my Conexant HCF modem working, now I just have to fix the problem that all web pages go to:
Unknown host url

I've hunted about, and think it's a problem with specifying the correct DNS nameserver to use.
There's a Linux FAQ for BTInternet, my ISP, with some nameservers listed.A quick online webpage reveals some more BTI info:A forum search revealed this thread, and I tested the ping and route commands suggested, and get the same ping results. I don't have any NIC related problem.

I've tried changing many hosts (.allow, .deny, .conf, ) and resolv.conf files but with no success. I also tried setting manual DNS IPs in KPPP.

what do you get with
telnet www.google.com 80
and/or
telnet 216.239.51.101 80

If you get "connected", enter:
GET /

I had problems because of the net card. I still don't know exactly why, but if I do "ifdown eth0", then my Internet conection works properly!!!!. I hope I will find why. So, try to disable ethernet card.....

Well I dont have any ethernet/LAN cards to conflict with. Just thinking, I did notice LISa is running, which is for LANs right?

Cunning plan: If I can load sites via their IP/without converting their names, I can use the IP of www.network-tools.com (66.46.181.116) to load it's page, and then get other site's from that, such as LQ (64.179.4.146)

But first to try telneting to google.

It shouldn't matter about LAN issues or LISa, its just a name resolving issue, the format of /etc/resolv.conf being:

nameserver 123.123.123.123
nameserver 234.234.234.234

Any nameservers will do as long as you have a route to world... For some reason your ppp link isn't over-writing this file as it should.

Cheers,

Finegan

P.S. Proud, dig the signature, nice idea...

Ah, I've only entered the IPs I think, not put nameserver before them.

However, my latest poking with telnet and the MCC have taken me back a stage, my /dev/modem/ cant be found by pppd. It isnt there, but the ttySHCF0 (or something similar) is, so I'll try re-installing the drivers if a few reboots doesnt cure it (I doubt it will, this isn't Windows )

FYI the telnet and using IPs in a web browser resulted in:Better than unknown host?

I dunno, the first was google and the second a nameserver, google is weird, so it doesn't make for a good test as its many hosts spread out over many different IPs, the second was an http connect to a nameserver, which is almost undoubtedly not running something on port 80, so either of them may have failed and you DO have a route to world+dog. If ifconfig has a ppp0 listed with a point to point IP to IP line, you should be alright... simple pings make for the best test, my first test is always pinging yahoo, mainly because it makes for a quick set of keystrokes and yahoo hasn't been down since '96. If you can't ping out, there's probably something dodgy with your ppp connection to BT, which I would just search the forums for; being a yank, I have little to no knowledge of any of the oddities BT might have introduced in their dial-up schema.

Cheers,

Finegan

pppd option:
usepeerdns

For the curious who no longer rely on dialup, my ppp setup adds a new file called /etc/ppp/resolv.conf which looks like a copy of /etc/resolv.conf with the DNS settings from my ISP in there as well and somehow activates that as the one my system uses till I hang up.

I'd already tried that Darin, it's already in /etc/ppp/options iirc
Adding it to the kppp options list too caused an error.

Thanks Finegan

I'm gunna try to re-install my sucky modem, and try putting nameserver before those entries.

Edit:
Found another good Dial Up Modem Install guide

One of BT's nameservers failed at a test via DNSreport.com

They already have nameserver before them now...
My modem works as any user again.
I'm just gunna check something about a domain line, and mylogin, and then I'll break down and cry at this annoying problem

That server aint failing now btw.

Proud, you ever get your modem working?
heres some of my config info if it helps:

/etc/ppp/options:
lock
modem
/dev/modem
115200
crtscts
#debug
asyncmap 0
defaultroute
noipdefault
usepeerdns
ipcp-accept-remote
ipcp-accept-local
user "me@isp.com"

/etc/ppp/pap-secrets:
"me@isp.com" * "mypass"

I symlinked chap-secrets to pap-secrets, AFAIK that lets your connection using pap or chap since either file uses the same syntax.

my /etc/resolv.conf has just "search isp.com" in it while I'm offline.

I have a nice external USRobotics hardware modem though so I don't have to worry about any software modem junk.

kppp worked first for me before I got my cmd line ppp to work, I think it uses the "usepeerdns" setting by default. I grepped it's command to help me set up regular ppp. While kppp is connected just "ps -ef | grep ppp" and it shows all the commands kppp passes.

And, like fin said as long as you have a route to world any valid DNS server will work, but your ISP's will usually be faster.

Amazingly I havent found time to test it since making that post
All those options seem to be the one's I've selected via kppp, but I'll check.
I think it may be to do with something odd like the search or icpc-accept- lines

Update: No progress, nothing seems to be helping

OMFG! Do you know what it was? Damned Shorewall doenst work for most Mdk9.0 users, including me! Installed Guarddog instead. Thanks to who ever's post tipped me off!
Yay web via linux

Edit: Works as not-root user too
Thankyou LQ!