need linux advice

[bucky]

Well..I know linux users dislike suggesting distros, I like linux alternative software, and browsers, I replaced my dialup machine with damn small and added a gig or so to it and now it is getting flaky and dsl has closed the door on general forum use..I would like an updated browser and my programs to work better but when I move up to the 2.6 kernals., ubuntu, pclinuxos, antix7, vector5.9,xubuntu they do not like the various modems that damn small recognized.. and windows is already obsolete or new and not my internet machine...
so here I am with win95 and opera on a p166 with p3 600 and 700 mhz linux boxs with 512 meg ram and a 1.5ghz xp box that cannot dial a connection...where do I turn? I need advice..

[bucky]

ok..I have vector 5.9 std gold on a p3 600mhz with 512 meg ram...I log in as root, not recommended, and set up a dial-up account and it dials..so the browser is available to user but the chestnut dialer will not work unless I am root...I went to group as root and added user name to the tty::5:username...but it made no diff as user...and went to properties of chestnut and changed access to user then back as no diff...how do I get the user access to the port?...dialer?..closer...almost.......

[Dapper Dan]

Are you able to get connected to the net as root? As regular user? Not sure on this. If so, Most of the dialers I've dealt with (wvdial, kppp etc.) want you to be root when accessing the net. I'm not familiar with the particular dialer you are using though.

[devils casper]

I had exactly similar problem with KPPP. Only root could connect/dial through KPPP. I had to set SUID bit of kppp.
Try this

chmod +s <dialer_binary>

[bucky]

Thanks for the response...
yes.. I can log in as root and connect...perhaps the trick is to skip the user for now and root myself down to owner and let other users of the box log in as user....the system was obviously set up with this in mind...maby this is the case on some of the others I was playing with also...Hmmm...

[devils casper]

Have you tried setting SUID bit?

[bucky]

sorry, I do not know what that means?

vector crashed and burned..but it liked my modem..as root

so dial up is dead?.antix m7 will not use the robotics 56k serial, ubuntu and puppy dont do dial up,pclinuxos is to much for the box, mulinux and deli are not enough for the box, whats left?

these are all nice distros but I would like to use dial-up as my remote location makes high speed very pricey

the box again is p3 600mhz 512 meg pc 100 ram, ati agp rage pro,crystal 4281 pci snd, fm8818 hardware modem with rockwell chipset or us robotics serial external.

any suggestions at all

[googled first]

dsl has closed the door on general forum use..

The official damnsmalllinux forum? You were told that directly? dsl has become a one man project, so maybe Roberts is just falling behind on forum maintainence

I use dsl on an old laptop but hesitate to recommend it as a every day distribution. Just my opinion. As other distributions become more homogenized, this one certainly dances to it's own drummer.

[bucky]

well..I was not talking to Robert on the phone if that's what you mean...I have registered several times over the past year with no response and when I register with the old user name and password it says I am already a member...but I can not log in and the board only shows the "you are'nt welcome message"...so evidently since I can connect to all the other forums...damnsmall is closed...but I understand the time restrains on robert if it is a one man show. problem is I like the little distro and it will dial a connection but all the programs are specific and hacked a little and as such I want it but I want it to work better. the solution is another distro as I am not a programmer. vector looks good but I need to be root to access the net and that is not suggested so it is a rock and a hard place..I have a few other issues with the install..graphics I think but in progress.

I just want a stable distro that can connect via dial-up and can use programs I like...which are fairly standard, abi with spell, gqview with gimp or imagemagick, audacity, opera and firefox, xine and mplayer, a calc,calendar,dictionary.drawing to scale like dia.all basics and I wanted to use this machine. as a new machine would justify only a system known to work.

[googled first]

I have posted* to that forum recently after nearly a years absence. Try requesting a change of password under your original user name. Worth a shot.

Apologies to any one who might feel slighted by my 'one man project' comment. Robert S has been the sole developer for some time. He may well have help on other aspects.

*Under the user name "muddywaters". My choice of name here could best be described as "unfortunate".