I've never used linux before, installed slack 8.1 today. Having trouble w/ DSL setup. Any advice, or links to information which would help would be *greatly* appreciated; six hours of searching google and reading through HOWTO's have yielded no results.

First, is there a pppOe client included w/ the distribution? If so, I am not able to find it, or do not know how to install it.

So i moved on assuming I needed to download Roaring Penguin. I cannot do this from the linux box w/ no internet connection, so I downloaded it to a windows computer and put it on a floppy. It doesn't appear I can access the FAT floppy from linux, and I can't find any roaring penguin install images to RAWRITE to a floppy.

It would appear I need the DSL up to install pppOe, and I need pppOe to get DSL up... Is the situation really that helpless?

If you are trying to install rp-pppoe into your box, I would sugges you get the one supplied with Slackware's extra directory (see sample link);

Once you copy it to a floppy, you should be able to mount the floppy with the default installation of slackware by issuing the command at the command line prompt: mount -t msdos /dev/fd0h1440 /mnt/floppy (assuming you have the mount point 'floppy' under /mnt);

Then just copy the tgz file to your tmp directory (i.e. copy /mnt/floppy/rp-pppoe-X-Y-i386-Z.tgz /tmp

and install it (i.e. installpkg /tmp/rp-pppoe-X-Y-i386-Z.tgz )

once you install it you need to configure it. And to do that you run the setup script under /usr/sbin/adsl-setup (I believe that is the location of it).

If the location of the script is under /usr/sbin, then you would do the following at the command prompt:
/usr/sbin/adsl-setup

From that point on, you just answer the questions is prompts you with, and then just make sure your NIC works and your modem is connected, before running the adsl-start script.

GL

LNXman,

Thanks A LOT! for the help. I expect it will take a long time (and a lot of reading) to get comfortable w/ linux, but my internet connection is the only thing I really need. Your help saved me from having to reinstall windows and start all over.

As a sidenote, many people have (rather strongly) suggested that since I have no linux experience slack was the worst distribution I could choose. My thinking was that if I was going to learn linux, I might as well really *learn* linux.

Does anyone have any thoughts on this? How did other people get started?

Thanks again.

I was told the same thing when I started to use Linux. So, I tried Red Hat...didn't like it. I felt that it was too "bastardized". I tried Corel...pretty, but I didn't like it either. Then I said the heck with it and tried Slackware anyway...and I haven't looked back. I have since taken a look at Xandros and Yoper, but that was it...I just wanted to see what they looked like and never intended to switch anyway. I think I have learned more about Linux with Slack because it doesn't do everything for you...you have to learn a little before you get going. Besides...if I just wanted the OS to do everything for me without having to know anything, I would have stayed with Windows. If you are serious about learning Linux...and you have a little patience...then I think Slack is a good choice.