PPP dial-in configuration PPP dial-in accounts normally rely on specific login scripts and /etc/ppp/option.tty files to control the various pppd options. This is annoying and requires extra steps. The pppdialin module is a general- purpose solution which puts an end to this necessity. 11.. PPrriinncciipplleess A PPP account is associated with a login script. This script is used to control the various options of the /usr/sbin/pppd utility. A different login script is generally needed for every type of PPP account (dedicated, fixed IP, etc.). Furthermore, some configuration is needed in scripts like /etc/ppp/ip-up. The pppdialin module provides a general solution to ease all that. +o It enhances the normal PPP account dialog and lets the admin enter various pppd and routing parameters. +o The information is stored in the file /etc/pppdialin.conf. +o A utility /usr/lib/linuxconf/lib/pppparms is used to extract the parameters for a specific account and output them, in a useful way, for a shell script. +o A general-purpose login script /usr/lib/linuxconf/lib/ppplogin takes advantage of the pppparms utility. 22.. SSeettttiinngg tthhee ddeeffaauullttss You must set various defaults, which are inherited by all accounts. Some fields of this dialog have no counterpart in the PPP account dialog: they affect the behavior of the ppplogin script. 22..11.. UUssiinngg ppppppdd 22..33 There are currently two version of the PPP daemon in use: pppd 2.2 and 2.3. Unfortunately, some key options have been renamed in 2.3, so a single ppplogin script can't work for both. This checkbox instructs the ppplogin script to support one or the other. 22..22.. AAllllooccaattee rreemmoottee IIPP ffrroomm ttttyy nnaammee This checkbox tells the ppplogin script to simply use the tty name as the remote IP. This assumes that there is an entry in the DNS which associates an IP to the tty name for your DNS domain. You have a bunch of entries like (case insensitive): ttys0.your_domain.com x.y.z.1 ttys1.your_domain.com x.y.z.2 etc... Note that it is a very good idea to allocate IPs this way. You NEED proper DNS configuration for the IPs you allocate anyway. By using this strategy, you completely avoid the /etc/ppp/options.tty files. When you add new modems to your server, you simply assign one IP per modem (per tty) in the DNS and that's all. Unless you select this option, you must either provide the remote IP number manually (the next field) or you are on your own. 22..33.. IIddllee ttiimmee After a certain amount of idle time, the PPP daemon may disconnect the link. You must specify this in seconds. A 0 means that the feature is not used. 22..44.. MMaaxxiimmuumm ccoonnnneecctt ttiimmee This sets the maximum duration of a PPP session. This does not correspond to any PPP daemon option, but some session monitors may use this information to kill sessions which last too long. A value of 0 disables this feature. We expect to deliver a complete solution (a monitor) for this in the future. 22..55.. LLooccaall IIPP nnuummbbeerr Enter here the IP number used for the local side of the connection. All PPP sessions share the same one. One often uses the IP number of the first Ethernet adapter. This is the default value that will be used if this field is left blank. You may want to specify another value if you intend to do firewalling based on the interface number (you wish to differentiate the firewalling rules based on the interface so you can tell eth0 traffic apart from PPP traffic). 22..66.. PPrriimmaarryy DDNNSS Enter the IP number of your first DNS here. This IP number will be passed to the client using the PPP protocol. So there is no need to tell the client (the user) about the DNS. 22..77.. SSeeccoonnddaarryy DDNNSS If you have two DNS servers, enter the IP of the second one here. 22..88.. OOtthheerr ppppppdd ooppttiioonnss 22..99.. PPoosstt ccoonnnneecctt ccoommmmaanndd 22..1100.. PPoosstt ddiissccoonnnneecctt ccoommmmaanndd 33.. FFeeaattuurreess ccoonnttrroolllleedd bbyy ppppppddiiaalliinn This is a feature list offered by the pppdialin module. You control those features either from one PPP account dialog or by setting the default in the policy section of the user account menu. 33..11.. PPPPPP ppaarraammeetteerrss In this section, enter the parameters specific to the PPP protocol and session. 33..11..11.. CCooppyy ffrroomm aaccccoouunntt The current PPP account will inherit, field by field, the settings of this account. The effective value of each parameter is obtained by computing this inheritance. The default values (set in the default PPP parameters menu) are overridden by this "parent" account and then by the value entered in this account. 33..11..22.. AAllllooccaattee rreemmoottee IIPP ffrroomm ttttyy nnaammee Same as the default. 33..11..33.. RReemmoottee IIPP nnuummbbeerr Use this field to allocate a fixed IP. This is used generally for a dedicated 24/7 link. 33..11..44.. PPrriimmaarryy DDNNSS Same as default. 33..11..55.. SSeeccoonnddaarryy DDNNSS Same as default. 33..11..66.. IIddllee ttiimmee After some idle period, the PPP daemon may disconnect the link. You must specify this in seconds. A 0 means that the feature is not used. 33..11..77.. MMaaxxiimmuumm ccoonnnneecctt ttiimmee Same as default. 33..11..88.. OOtthheerr ppppppdd ooppttiioonnss The PPP daemon has a very large option set. You may want to specify some here which are not handled by the dialog. 33..11..99.. PPoosstt ccoonnnneecctt ccoommmmaanndd Enter the path and argument of a command which will be executed once the connection is established. This is optional. 33..11..1100.. PPoosstt ddiissccoonnnneecctt ccoommmmaanndd Enter the path and argument of a command which will be executed after the connection has ended. This is optional. 33..11..1111.. DDeelliivveerr ttoo tthhiiss ddoommaaiinn Enter the name of a mail domain. Once the connection is established, the following command will be executed: /usr/sbin/sendmail -qRdomain This is useful for non-dedicated accounts, where the client is running an smtp server. 33..22.. RRoouuttiinngg You can set up static routes at connect time by entering a list of network/netmask pairs. This is optional. 33..33.. IIPPXX ooppttiioonnss The PPP protocol may be used to carry IPX packets as well as IP packets. In this section, you control the minimum IPX options needed. 44.. SSttaattuuss ooff tthhiiss mmoodduullee The pppdialin module has been introduced in Linuxconf 1.10r26. The /usr/lib/linuxconf/lib/ppplogin has been enhanced to support the pppparms. This is considered experimental. 44..11.. TThhee ppppppddiiaalliinn mmoodduullee aanndd PPAAPP llooggiinn Unfortunately, the PPP daemon (pppd) can't accept a new option after a PAP authentication. This makes the pppdialin module much less useful for PAP. Once the pppdialin has gained widespread usage, we intend to modify the pppd daemon so it supports this. For now, use PAP (no login script) for normal setup and ask clients to use a login script for those who need special handling (routing, fixed IP, email queuing, etc.).