kppp from the command line?

[DJA]

Ralph Shumaker wrote:
> Ralph Shumaker wrote:
> 
>> Can I start kppp from the command line and have it automatically dial 
>> in?  Like maybe:
>>
>> sudo kppp ispname username password dialnow

I don't know if you can do that, but why would you want to? Kppp is a 
KDE GUI frontend for for pppd anyway. It's much easier to configure a 
user from within Kppp. There you will have all the above info.


>> [rafael at rafa ~]$ man kppp
>> No manual entry for kppp
>> [rafael at rafa ~]$

Kppp is really a KDE applet. So you'll find help in KDE's help system.


> I've had some limited success figuring it out on my own.  But I can't 
> seem to get any further (though I haven't given up).  This is what I 
> have currently:
> 
> [rafael at rafa ~]$ sudo /usr/sbin/kppp --dev /dev/modem -c ispentry
> Password:
> kbuildsycoca running...
> Error: "/var/tmp/kdecache-rafael" is owned by uid 500 instead of uid 0.
> Link points to "/var/tmp/kdecache-root"
> Error: "/var/tmp/kdecache-rafael" is owned by uid 500 instead of uid 0.
> Link points to "/var/tmp/kdecache-root"
> Error: "/var/tmp/kdecache-rafael" is owned by uid 500 instead of uid 0.
> Link points to "/var/tmp/kdecache-root"
> Error: "/var/tmp/kdecache-rafael" is owned by uid 500 instead of uid 0.
> Link points to "/var/tmp/kdecache-root"
> [rafael at rafa ~]$ ICE default IO error handler doing an exit(), pid = 
> 12972, errno = 0
> 
> One thought that comes to mind is "suid 0" or whatever that is (from my 
> lurking on the list)(never messed with it), but that would not 
> accommodate the link pointing to ...-rafael instead of ...-root, not to 
> mention the dangers of "suid 0".  And the ispaccount info is in root's 
> files, not rafael's nor any other user's.
> 
> Is it not possible to run "sudo kppp"?  Or perhaps it is not possible to 
> have it auto connect

Kppp (from KDE menu system) runs /usr/bin/kppp which I think is a 
pam-aware secure wrapper for /usr/sbin/kppp (or vice versa, I can't 
remember).

The way it's set up (for security reasons), Kppp can only be run as root 
unless you do something special.


> (Once I get it working, I will put it into a script which is executable 
> by anyone on this machine and then set up an icon to invoke the script. 
>  I would like to have this icon autoconnect when activated, then kppp 
> put its own icon into the system tray.  And this part probably needs 
> something on the command line to specify it:  Upon disconnect, I want it 
> to bypass the dialog that allows you to configure the settings and just 
> quit instead.)
> 
> I guess I still need some tweaking for both sudo *and* kppp to get it 
> right.

Here's the trick:

Create a group (e.g. modemusers). Add all users you expect to use the 
modem to that group. Now create an entry in /etc/sudoers file to allow 
anyone in that group to run /usr/bin/kppp (or is it /usr/sbin/kppp! - a 
little googling will get you to which info you need to figure out which 
version of kppp to run).

After you have that set up and tested, create a script which you can run 
from a KDE panel icon and you're good to go. When Kppp is running it 
docks itself into the panel where you can monitor its status or disconnect.

This works for me on the few systems I maintain for dial-up users.

-- 
    Best Regards,
       ~DJA.