[ale] Help needed for a Non-Profit project - if not Linux thenwill go Windows

Geoffrey esoteric at 3times25.net
Sun Apr 6 18:41:40 EDT 2003


Greg wrote:
> Yes, that's how I am doing it.  I went to Suse since it is so easily 
> configurable.  It recognizes the modem, seems to connect, but won't
> dial out.  I need to do some googling on the type of modem and what
> it takes to connect.  I am sure that I am not feeding it some
> variable that it needs.  I have heard of modems that need some
> customized strings or variables to work.

Try accessing it from the command line with minicom.

> 
> Greg
> 
> 
>> -----Original Message----- From: ale-admin at ale.org
>> [mailto:ale-admin at ale.org]On Behalf Of Geoffrey Sent: Sunday, April
>> 06, 2003 12:30 PM To: ale at ale.org Cc: Watson McKeel; Keld;
>> FreeBytes Director Subject: Re: [ale] Help needed for a Non-Profit
>> project - if not Linux then will go Windows
>> 
>> 
>> Greg wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>> BTW  If anyone has modem configuring foo then please share the
>> 
>> knowledge.
>> 
>>> We are this --->| |<----- close to getting a Linux project off
>> 
>> the ground.
>> 
>> Wish I could be there!  Anyway, I've had very good success with
>> SuSE 8.1 and configuring modems.  Use YAST2:
>> 
>> yast2->Network Basic->Modem configuration
>> 
>> From there, hopefully it will auto detect the modem.  If not, then 
>> you'll have to configure it manually.
>> 
>> If it is detected, select to configure/change it.  From that point,
>> it's pretty straight forward.  I've done this for static ip as well
>> as dhcp, it works well.
>> 
>> 
>>> Greg Canter
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> -----Original Message----- From: ale-admin at ale.org
>>>> [mailto:ale-admin at ale.org]On Behalf Of Geoffrey Sent: Saturday,
>>>> April 05, 2003 11:48 PM To: ale at ale.org Cc: Watson McKeel;
>>>> Keld; FreeBytes Director Subject: Re: [ale] Help needed for a
>>>> Non-Profit project - if not Linux then will go Windows
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> I'd like to help, but will be out of town.
>>>> 
>>>> One note, I'd be interested in knowing how anyone plans to lock
>>>> you out of the command line with win98.  If you've got a
>>>> browser, you fire up command.com and you've got a dos window.
>>>> 
>>>> I've done something very similar to what you're looking for
>>>> though.  Had a slide show fire up from boot for my wife during
>>>> conference week.  It's pretty straight forward, you call startx
>>>> from rc as the last thing to run. In the .xinitrc file it
>>>> simply called the browser passing to it the location of the
>>>> slideshow.  Worked like a champ.
>>>> 
>>>> If you're still looking for assistance late next week I'll be
>>>> back in town, let me know.
>>>> 
>>>> Sorry, I would have loved to get involved on this one.
>>>> 
>>>> Greg wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> I am helping out at a non-profit called Free Bytes 
>>>>> (http://www.freebytes.org) that is providing support to the
>> 
>> Atlanta Food
>> 
>>>>> Bank for an initial order of 30 computers - out of a possible
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> future order
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> of several hundred.  We are looking for an OS that can be
>>>>> installed on machines that will immediately dial up via modem
>>>>> to an ISP, have a web browser come up so folks can use a web
>>>>> based form for ordering food shipments, and the box must be
>>>>> configured so that it will not
>>>> 
>>>> allow the user
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> to get to a command line or otherwise play with the machine.
>>>>> A working model must be done by this week and not only is
>>>>> there a time
>> 
>> crunch, but
>> 
>>>>> since the first distro we went with (a Slackware derived
>> 
>> version) failed
>> 
>>>>> miserably (only 1 successful install out of 4 machines and
>> 
>> even then the
>> 
>>>>> modem is almost unconfigurable). We need a solid victory or
>>>> 
>>>> Windows 98 will
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> be installed on all machines (it is an all or nothing project
>>>>> -
>>>> 
>>>> only 1 OS
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> will be selected).  MS Windows is our back-up if a Open
>>>>> Source solution cannot be found.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Here are the HW requirements: RAM:	64 MG (sorry, we have
>>>>> little ram and the machines
>>>> 
>>>> have varying slots)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> HD:	1 GB is the lowest size, we can put other hard
>>>> 
>>>> drives in the PCs (all
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> less than 1 GB, though) CPU:	Pentium 133 MHz Modem:	We need
>>>>> an easily customizable interface so we can
>>>> 
>>>> easily customize
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> it.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Here are the SW requirements Boot to a browser after the X
>>>>> windows comes up. GUI (for a browser and for a button to push
>>>>> that will do a
>>>> 
>>>> shutdown/halt)
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> Need to have good looking fonts on browser. A button to push
>>>>> that will do a shutdown/halt Can meet the HW requirements. 
>>>>> Easily installable.  I understand that given enough time
>>>> 
>>>> any one can figure
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> out how to make a modem work, but we don't have the time or
>>>>> the
>>>> 
>>>> folks who
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> have a high level knowledge of a *nix to configure the modems
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> to work.  Our
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> installers have primarily Windows experience and work
>>>>> primarily
>>>> 
>>>> on Saturdays
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> for several hours.  A member of the Free Bytes staff will go
>>>>> out to the field to deliver, configure, and do a field test
>>>>> of the PC's as well as teach the end users and supervise the
>>>>> initial install and test.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Time Line: If I cannot find a easily configurable distro by
>>>>> Sunday
>>>> 
>>>> night and no one
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> steps up with a viable alternative/solution, then I will have
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> to call the
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> project manager at Free Bytes and tell them to go ahead with
>>>> 
>>>> Windows 98.  We
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> would like to do a demo this week to the customer with a
>>>>> Linux
>>>> 
>>>> box and show
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> how easy it is (think kiosk). If I can get a workable
>>>>> solution
>> 
>> by Sunday
>> 
>>>>> night I will call and tell the Free Bytes project manager we
>>>> 
>>>> can use Linux -
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> with a demo box to follow by mid week.
>>>>> 
>>>>> Current Problems: * HD size: most modern Linux distro's are
>>>>> horribly bloated
>>>> 
>>>> and we don't
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> have the time to take out every single thing as well as the
>>>> 
>>>> fact that the
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> minimum for most distro's is about 1.7 GB anyway.
>>>>> 
>>>>> * Needs to be easily installable.  We may have to do
>>>> 
>>>> several hundred of
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> these boxen.
>>>>> 
>>>>> * Time.  We bet on a solution that has not worked out and
>>>> 
>>>> does not have an
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> easy way to automatically crank up the modem and easily
>>>> 
>>>> configure the modem
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> so we lost valuable time already.  A solution needs to be
>>>>> done
>>>> 
>>>> ASAP - (in 2
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> days) and a working model by this Wed (so I can have a
>>>>> working
>>>> 
>>>> box in the
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> project manager's hands by mid week).
>>>>> 
>>>>> What I need help with: Suggestions on a good distro. I intend
>>>>> to try several of my
>>>> 
>>>> old ones this
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> weekend.  The modern ones (RH and Suse bombed) An already
>>>>> scripted distro that can be installed that will
>>>> 
>>>> provide a kiosk
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> or even just simple window manager, browser and a method to
>>>> 
>>>> easily configure
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> the modem. Suggestions on good modem cards and/or external
>>>>> modems that
>>>> 
>>>> work well with
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> Linux.  I know about the Linux hardware compatibility list
>>>>> but
>>>> 
>>>> I want real
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> world advice. Any suggestions on how to EASILY configure
>>>>> modems. ( I only
>>>> 
>>>> have experience
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> with TCP/IP and Linux). Any help to come by next Saturday to
>>>>> put some boxes out the
>>>> 
>>>> door - unless I
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> have to recommend a Windows solution. Either Linux or a BSD
>>>>> solution is ok.  I know it can be
>>>> 
>>>> done, I just don't
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> have the time now (already spending 12 hrs at work daily) to
>>>>> do
>>>> 
>>>> it and test
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> it myself and Free Bytes needs it soon too.
>>>>> 
>>>>> What I don't need help with: Any politically motivated
>>>>> flames.  I don't have the time
>>>> 
>>>> nor the mind.  The
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> customer wants a simple computer solution and has already
>>>>> seen
>>>> 
>>>> a Windows box
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> and considers it the standard to beat. We need to have a
>>>> 
>>>> solution that is
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> realistic and will work.  The customer doesn't care about the
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> how - just the
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> what.  I will not hesitate to recommend a MS solution to help
>>>>> them feed people. I am sorry, but the hardware and other
>>>>> requirements are not
>>>> 
>>>> negotiable.  I
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> really wish we had modern boxes with already installed
>>>>> <distro
>>>> 
>>>> here> that
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> automagically just needed the phone # to work, but that is
>>>>> not
>>>> 
>>>> the reality.
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> What is in the requirements is all we have to work with
>> 
>> (unless some one
>> 
>>>>> donates several hundred bigger/better/faster/newer computer's
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> in the next 4
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> days).
>>>>> 
>>>>> So, can any one help ?  in any way ? even advice on modems
>>>> 
>>>> is needed.  It
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> would be nice if several dozen or even a few were to come by
>>>> 
>>>> next Saturday
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> to help with installs too, but right now I need to get a demo
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> working within
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> the requirements. If it passes muster, then we will worry
>>>>> about
>>>> 
>>>> the initial
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> order of 30.
>>>>> 
>>>>> If you want to help, then please email me at
>>>> 
>>>> runman at speedfactory.net  If
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> anyone wants to seriously help take on this project AND CAN
>>>> 
>>>> REALLY REALLY
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> DONATE THE TIME then just ask and we can talk on the phone to
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> night - but at
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> any rate I need to give the project manager the word not
>>>>> later
>>>> 
>>>> than Sunday
>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>>> night.
>>>>> 
>>>>> TIA,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Greg Canter
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> _______________________________________________ Ale mailing
>>>>> list Ale at ale.org http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> -- Until later: Geoffrey		esoteric at 3times25.net
>>>> 
>>>> The latest, most widespread virus?  Microsoft end user
>>>> agreement. Think about it...
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________ Ale mailing
>>>> list Ale at ale.org http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
>>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________ Ale mailing list 
>>> Ale at ale.org http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
>>> 
>>> 
>> 
>> -- Until later: Geoffrey		esoteric at 3times25.net
>> 
>> The latest, most widespread virus?  Microsoft end user agreement. 
>> Think about it...
>> 
>> _______________________________________________ Ale mailing list 
>> Ale at ale.org http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
>> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________ Ale mailing list 
> Ale at ale.org http://www.ale.org/mailman/listinfo/ale
> 
> 

-- 
Until later: Geoffrey		esoteric at 3times25.net

The latest, most widespread virus?  Microsoft end user agreement.
Think about it...

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