Re: [SLUG] diald and new kernels

[Jim Hague <jim.hague@xxxxxxx>]

On 17-Aug-2001 Luke McKee wrote:
> Could someone who is successfully using diald please
> throw me a few tips and their kernel .config file.
> In your case do you use tap or slip loopback devices?
> It would be great - thanks.

I haven't used it since my cable modem arrived, but I used it for years before.
Most recently with the ethertap device. As far as kernel config goes, I see I
had CONFIG_ETHERTAP=m in my .config. I do remember that it takes a bit of
finding through the menus.

If you're trying to use Ethertap, you'll need to make sure you have tap devices
created:

crw-r--r--    1 root     root      36,  16 Feb 22  1999 /dev/tap0
crw-r--r--    1 root     root      36,  17 Feb 22  1999 /dev/tap1
crw-r--r--    1 root     root      36,  18 Feb 22  1999 /dev/tap2
crw-r--r--    1 root     root      36,  19 Apr  3  2000 /dev/tap3

and if using via a module the right aliases set in /etc/conf.modules (or
/etc/modules.conf depending on your distro):

alias tap0      eth
options tap0    -o tap0 unit=0
alias tap1      ethertap
options tap1    -o tap1 unit=1
alias tap2      ethertap
options tap2    -o tap2 unit=2
alias tap3      ethertap
options tap3    -o tap3 unit=3

BTWE, I trust you've found the Diald HOWTO -
http://www.linuxhq.com/ldp/howto/Diald-HOWTO.html.

> Is there something else that does diald's job better?
> see the previous email on the subject I am still
> having issues.

As others have mentioned, pppd these days has a 'demand' option. This will
bring up the link on demand and drop it after a certain period of inactivity.
Diald's value over and above that is that it allows you to be far more precise
about the triggering of the link and dropping the link; pppd has no equivalent
of the diald ruleset which lets you (for example) specify that DNS queries
should not bring the link up, but HTTP traffic should. Diald's extra
functionalities may or may not be useful here; in the old days of timed calls
to ISPs here in England, being able to tailor your calling behaviour was very
useful. Nowadays less so.

HTH. Oh, if you want a copy of my old configs, ask.

-- 
Jim Hague - jim.hague@xxxxxxxxxxxx (Work), jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Play)
Never trust a computer you can't lift or you don't control.