alright... deep breaths....
okay... here's the deal... i got this broadxent modem thing that needs a driver. one of the fine people on this forum helped me find the driver. it seems to install fine. now i got 2 sets of instructions for this driver. one is the set that came with the driver. (used for a different version of linux- mandrake i think) the other is by a knoppix user who got it to work on there computer. i followed the original instructions which ( in the end) tell me to go to minicom after installing it and dail out from there... it dials but nothing happens. SO- i then went to the second set of instructions that tell me after installing it (which i did) to type 'pppd call isp nodetach' i do that and get and error saying 'etc/peers/isp (or something or other)' doesn't exists. i'm think that if i do the pppd stuff i need to set up something- i have no clue how to do that because i haven't the slightest clue what i'm doing. i do 'info pppd' and get lots of stuff that i frankly don't understand. this is probably extremely simple... i'm sooo lost. can anyone help? driver w/ knoppix instructions here......
http://linmodems.technion.ac.il/arch.../msg00316.html
p.s. i'm running from the CD

Windows XP, Vista, 8.1, Linux Knoppix, Office XP, (6 CDS)
$10.00
KNOPPIX 9.1 Linux Install & Live DVD 32bit & 64bit
$19.99
Knoppix Live GNU Linux System 9.1 on Bootable CD / DVD / USB Flash Drive
$5.99
KNOPPIX USB DVD OS , BEST OF ALL HIGHLY RECOMENDED
$11.99
Knoppix Linux Bootable OS v8.6 "Original Live Operating System" 16G USB Stick
$20.85
VINTAGE SOFTWARE | KNOPPIX STD 0.1 (SECURITY TOOLS DISTRIBUTION)
$7.57
$8.00
Knoppix Linux Bootable OS v8.6 "Original Live Operating System" 32G USB Stick
$21.42
$7.00
Knoppix 5.0.1 ULTRA RARE Linux DVD - Linux Pro Extra August 2006
$33.72