[plug] pppd troubles

[Craig Ringer]

> Oct 30 18:08:33 portal pppd[280]: Couldn't create new ppp unit: Inappropriate ioctl for device

> Does anyone know either what's going on or (even better) how to fix it?

Not really. It doesn't look like the problems I'm having, could easly be 
an issue local to the system. I didn't see any "pppoe:" entries there - 
are you using the in-kernel pppoe driver instead? If so, try the 
user-space rp-pppoe (just "pppoe" in debian) instead. Also, if you're 
trying to use sync mode, don't (unless you connection works perfectly).

BTW one of the least useful linux error messages is "Inappropriate ioctl 
for device" btw. Its _so_ good at masking whats actually going on...

> (voodoo and virgin sacrifice have already been tried

OOh, can I try that latter one too? *grin*


BTW, on my modem issues the status is - almost certainly a modem/line 
problem. I switched my modem from ANSI dsl mode to G.DMT (!!) on 
westnet's request (I thought we all used G.Lite actually, but clearly I 
was wrong as the modem is pre-configured by WestNet to ANSI). Small 
improvement but not fixed. So they're sending me a DSL-500 to try 
instead, hopefully that'll fix it.

So those of you considering getting ADSL with Westnet, it looks like 
there is no linux-specific problem, or at least what I'm encountering is 
not one.

In fact, I've got to commend them for their handling of the fact that we 
  use a linux firewall/router. They were able to direct me to rp-pppoe 
to make sure I had the right version (yes), asked for syslog extracts 
(and understood them), responded usefully to long emails full of 
technical details, and at no point ever said "we don't support that". I 
haven't heard "start->run" yet, either.

This may be helped by my repeated mention of tests run using a w2k 
laptop showing the same problem, and hints that the LINK light on the 
modem points to a modem , not OS , issue. Still, imagine trying that 
with, say, Telstra. They just seem to hire a higher grade of techie.

BTW a quick warning: the DSL-300 has a command line but is almost 
totally undocumented AFAIK, even westnet have only minimal documentation 
they say. OTOH the DSL-500's config can be badly corrupted by using the 
command line to make changes from what I've heard so its not much better.

Heh. Back to work, I have a website edition to finish.

-- 
Craig Ringer
GPG Key Fingerprint: AF1C ABFE 7E64 E9C8 FC27  C16E D3CE CDC0 0E93 380D
	-- if it ain't broke, add features 'till it is. (or:)
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