How do I make my Lucent modem work?

[WonderAboutLinux]

Hi guys!
I'm a newbie in Linux, I recently installed, after have tried as many distros as I could get hold on, DSL (Damnsmall Linux). The distro is very good, and I think it is what I needed. However I seem to be stuck when it comes to the use of Internet. I can't go on the net. I have download drivers for my modem (Lucent I56LVP) but I don't know how to use them, I dunno how to make it work, I need to get command lines to make it work.

As I know that DamnSmall Linux is Knoppix based I thought that I could find much more help in this forum than in any other one!

I have to say guys, this is the best Linux forum ever found on the net. I have never seen such forum keeping in touch and helpful. Keep it up!

Thx guys!

Someone who knows nothing about Linux!

[Robin T Cox]

Hi WAL

You need to download a copy of the Lucent modem driver tar file ltmodem-8.26a9.tar.gz from: http://www.heby.de/ltmodem

Unfortunately DSL doesn't have the requisite code for compilation, so you will have to derive the drivers in Knoppix. You need 2 files: lt_modem.o and lt_serial.o and these have to be compatible with the kernel used in the versions of Knoppix and DSL you're using.

Having tried to install drivers in DSL in this way, and having got a dial-up connection of sorts, unfortunately I found that it kept bombing out, and giving me DNS errors whenever I tried to access web pages.

On the other hand, Knoppix is easy to get online with, using a Lucent WinModem, and I recommend that you use it. If downloading is a problem, just buy the Knoppix CDROM.

There's a very helpful guide to getting online here:
http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2050#9512

[WonderAboutLinux]

Thx Robin for ur reply! But unfortunatly I have a crappy PC (Compaq Presario 4540, 48 ram, AMD k6 233 mhz) and I would doubt that Knoppix would work fine on my PC as how DamnSmall does.

Thx for the links; that driver is the one that I have! I have read that article before and the problem I'm having is to find those 2 files lt_modem.o and lt_serial.o, I don't where there are nor how to get them, can U help me? Btw I have 2.4.22 kernel, I think it fits this driver!

This driver is the only hope that I ve got for my internet installation, I'm ready to take the risk, even though U unrecomand it:), I think DSL is the only distro that could work fine on my PC, I have tried a lot of distros (Libranet, Mandrake, Fedora, U name it) and DSL is the only that could work so well!!!

Plz, help me! Other wise it is the return of Win 98!:(*sucks*

[Robin T Cox]

Hi again WAL

I see no reason why Knoppix would not work on your system, although as you only have 48k RAM you may need to use a swap file (as explained on the Knoppix CD).

You get the 2 files lt_modem.o and lt_serial.o by compiling them from tar file ltmodem-8.26a9.tar.gz. You can't do this in DSL because it doesn't support compilation. As the DSL you're using is based on kernel 2.4.22 you'll need to get hold of a copy of a linux distro (such as Knoppix 3.2, if i remember correctly) that is based on the 2.4.22 kernel and will support compilation.

The steps are simple, and below is a print-out of my shell console as I compiled these drivers in Knoppix 3.3.

Note: The $ sign is the command line prompt, against which you enter commands like ls. The following printout then shows the sequence of commands, followed by the computer's response, during the first steps of compilation.

knoppix@ttyp1[tmp]$ ls
ltmodem-8.26a9.tar.gz
knoppix@ttyp1[tmp]$ tar -zxvf ltmodem-8.26a9.tar.gz
ltmodem-8.26a9/
ltmodem-8.26a9/1ST-READ
ltmodem-8.26a9/build_module
ltmodem-8.26a9/build_rpm
ltmodem-8.26a9/build_deb

Note: this is computer generated list, which I have snipped to save space here. The list ends:

ltmodem-8.26a9/scanmodem
ltmodem-8.26a9/FileList.txt
ltmodem-8.26a9/source.tar.gz
knoppix@ttyp1[tmp]$ ls
ltmodem-8.26a9 ltmodem-8.26a9.tar.gz
knoppix@ttyp1[tmp]$ cd ltmodem-8.26a9

Note: At this stage, go into KDE and click on the document ltmodem-8.26a9/1ST-READ for a complete explanation of the compilation process.

knoppix@ttyp1[ltmodem-8.26a9]$ ls
1ST-READ FileList.txt build_module scanmodem utils
DOCs build_deb build_rpm source.tar.gz
knoppix@ttyp1[ltmodem-8.26a9]$ sudo ./build_module

Note: The computer will now go into its compilation routine, during which you will see full on-screen explanation of what is happening. At the end of the process, you will see:

Enter, to finish ./build_module

Copying newly compiled drivers to folder ../drivers-2.4.24-xfs as a backup,
as the source/ folder will be deleted during next run of: build_module
total 566
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 543629 Mar 22 11:35 lt_modem.o
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 30088 Mar 22 11:35 lt_serial.o


Making symbolic links: lt_modem.o lt_serial.o autoload ltinst2 ltuninst2

A diagnostic record has been saved to BLDrecord.txt and BLDrecord.txt.2
To install the modem drivers in the Search Path for modules, run:
./ltinst2
This command does require Root permission.
For advanced User alternatives to this installation route,
involving assembly of RPM or Debian installers, read DOCs/Options.txt


knoppix@ttyp1[ltmodem-8.26a9]$ ls
1ST-READ Utility_version_tests.txt cleanup ltuninst2
BLDrecord.txt autoload drivers-2.4.24-xfs scanmodem
BLDrecord.txt.2 build_deb lt_modem.o source
DOCs build_module lt_serial.o source.tar.gz
FileList.txt build_rpm ltinst2 utils
knoppix@ttyp1[ltmodem-8.26a9]$

Note: The driver files lt_modem.o and lt_serial.o are now in the ltmodem-8.26a9 folder, and you can use them as described in steps 9 onwards of the following post:
http://www.knoppix.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2050#9512

Hope this helps.

[WonderAboutLinux]

Thx a lot Robin for ur reply! Now everything makes sense! Now I understand why nothing works on DSL! As soon as I can I'm going to download Knoppix 3.2, I'm gonna take ur word for it!

Hey by the way, as we know that Knoppix and DSL are based on Debian, can ./build_deb work on them? What about ./build_rpm for Red HAt, can it work?

Some also to try out Debian or Slackware, what do U think? are they hard for a newbie? (answering this question, don't forget my crappy computer!)

WAL!!!

[Robin T Cox]

Hi WAL!

Sorry I can't help you with build_deb or build_rpm - but I imagine that if you have installed either Debian or RH on your hard disk as a regular distro, then these are the commands to use instead of build_module. With the CD ROM version of Knoppix we are using build_module because we have a read-only filesystem (we can't save modules to /lib/modules/2.4.2x-xfs on the CD). (Perhaps someone more experienced than me can confirm this.)

With regard to other distros, I can't comment from personal experience on either Debian or Slackware, but I think you'll find they are more difficult for a beginner than Knoppix. My advice would be to stick with Knoppix until you are thoroughly familiar and comfortable with it, and only then think about venturing further afield based on more knowledge and experience of what you are doing. Too many people seem to dabble in Linux and get discouraged when things don't work. This is a shame, because it's much better to build on what you know will work, and make a success of it.

For more info about other distros, however, the following are useful:
http://www.distrowatch.com/
http://www.rodsbooks.com/distribs/

Regards

Robin