Hi, From one NooB to another I have to edit files from a terminal session logged in as root. It's not the recommend but you can also log in as root from a level 3 prompt, startx. You will be able to use your graphical interface. Regards, Ramon -----Original Message----- From: D Brewer [mailto:interscientific@xxxxxxxxx] Sent: Wednesday, December 17, 2008 8:42 PM To: discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: unable to connect with internal modem under Ubuntu Jacques, Thank you _very_ much for your extensive investigation and solution! I haven't figured out how to edit the /etc/ppp/pap-secrets file. When I access it through the file manager, Ubuntu tells me I don't have the permissions necessary to open the file. Is this something I need to do via the terminal? If so, what are the commands I need to use? I'm new to Linux, so please forgive my ignorance about this. Devon --- On Wed, 12/17/08, Jacques Goldberg <Jacques.Goldberg@xxxxxxx> wrote: > From: Jacques Goldberg <Jacques.Goldberg@xxxxxxx> > Subject: Re: unable to connect with internal modem under Ubuntu > To: "Linmodems" <discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, "Devon Brewer" <interscientific@xxxxxxxxx> > Date: Wednesday, December 17, 2008, 12:52 PM > Devon and list: > this thread was long and I believe that I solved it - > sufficiently general saga worth being in archive. > > Devon has an HSF modem in his Ubuntu 8.04 box. > He correctly installed the driver but could not achieve a > connection. > I have the same modem on my RedHat modified (aka Scientific > Linux) in my box. > I met no problem getting connected first to my University > then to Devon's ISP http://www.nocharge.com/ with S.L. > I then loaded my old Ubuntu 7.10 Live CD, installed the > driver (from the generic file, not the precompiled), from > Linuxant. > Either with wvdial or with the Ubuntu > System->Administration->Network tool, I immediately > got connected to my University but experienced the same > rejection as observed by Devon with his ISP. > I have no scruple disclosing the username, password and > phone number of his ISP because they are publicly displayed > on the Web page quoted above. The username was aptly chosen > as "guest" by the ISP. > > The debugging option of pppd (syslog) made me find out that > the cause was a PAP rejection. > > Lo and behold, the file /etc/ppp/pap-secrets on the Ubuntu > 7.04 Live CD, and probably every Ubuntu distro, contains a > block of restricted user id's to which dialling is > denied. Of course my RedHat based system does not have that > block. > > Sure enough, "guest" is in the blacklist !!! > > Devon: locate that line in /etc/ppp/pap-secrets , insert a > # at the beginning to make it ignored by pppd, and let me > know if you get connected, as I did. I am really eager to > know that you too can now connect. > I tried with the Ubuntu network manager above, not with > wvdial, because Ubuntu sufficiently mocks Windows in hiding > things and decides for the user what he wants to do without > letting him ask, user assumed to be readily dumbed to the > 200 % level by Microsoft. Simply, I never could find how to > disable the Ethernet and Wifi interfaces under Ubuntu: you > disable them, within up to 30 seconds they are back, forcing > routes and DNS's which you do not want for the analog > modem connection. > > Jacques > > Jacques
