Linux Networking question

If you make pppd suid root, then all your users should be able to do this.

chmod u+s pppd           (It appears you've already done this)
chown root.root pppd     (This may be the problem)

If this doesn't help, turn on the debug logging in the ppp-options file, and post the output from the messages file when
you try to go online as both root, and a normal user.

All right, I've checked on that and root is the owner of pppd, however your comment got me thinking and after re-reading my question I'm wondering...what should the permissions be on my
/dev/modem ?? (this is a link to /dev/cua0) right now the permissions on the link and the actual file are r w - r w - - - -
should i adjust these? both files are obviously owned by root.

oh, btw I can't find the ppp-options file...where should that be?
Sorry I forgot to mention this.

why don't you use pppd 2.3.1 with dial on demand ?
bye

Are you using the usernetctl wrapper or are you trying to use pppd directly?
I'm using redhat 4.2, I think redhat 4.1 is the same.  I just made a symbolic link from /usr/sbin/usernetctl to /usr/local/bin/ppp.  Now I can start ppp from any user by doing a ppp up.(down by ppp down)
I did not have to change the permisions on anything.
BTW ppp-options is /etc/ppp/options

I was unable to find a file called "usrnetctl" I didn a "find / -name usrnetctl -print" and came up with nothing, is it possible there is that much of a difference between 4.1 and 4.2? I found a "usrcfg" in "/usr/bin" but don't know if this is the same file?
tks for your input though.

You may want to consider upgrading a few packages to make it work.  I'll see what package its in.  It's much easier.

I tried a month to get it to work in redhat 4.0  It just wouldn't work unless I was root.(tried making the scripts suid root and everything)  The only way was to make a script that called pppd and did everything itself; but it bypassed the redhat configuration stuff.

Has anyone thought to investigate the possibility of it being because when a ppp link is started the daemons that be try to write to files, such as the lock file, and a /proc/net/dev file etc.
And these are in directories which are otherwise possibly Root owned.  Just a thought anyway, Running Windows just nwo so I can't try the theory out for unless I disconnect and reboot...=)


Nica.

usrnetctl is in the netcfg package.  Netcfg requires the latest version of python, pythonlib and initscripts.  You may also need to upgrade a few shared libs.  It will let you know when you try to install them.

If you don't know already, /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts contains the scripts the netcfg uses.  For example it calls ifup ifcfg-ppp0 to bring up ppp.  I was never able to get the scripts to work for users other than root.(set user id root doesn't work for some reason)  I think that is why they make the usernetctl wrapper in 4.2