PPP Over Null Modem

[The Muppett]

I am currently working on a project to build a PPP server on my RH 6.1 linux box.
I have access to the serial port via getty added to INITTAB that works ok, I have dialed the system from a terminal emulation program and that works OK via mgetty in inittab.
Now I want to use PPP over a null modem and the PPPD seems to start ok with the command PPPD -DETACH CRTSCTS LOCK LOCALIP : REMOTEIP /DEV/TTYS0 38400 & run at each end of two linux boxes with a null modem cable strung between them, it shows a PID and reports that PPPD starts sucessfully in MESSAGES.
But what I want to know is should an interface show up in the IFCONFIG or do I need to start/configure an interface.
I want to understand each stage of the process so I am testing each senario as I go.
Anybody got any pointers.

Thanks in advance.....

[jumpedintothefire]

ifconfig should show something like this:

ppp0 Link encap:Point-to-Point Protocol
inet addr:10.2.0.141 P-t-P:10.2.0.150 Mask:255.255.255.255
UP POINTOPOINT RUNNING NOARP MULTICAST MTU:1500 Metric:1
RX packets:481 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 frame:0
TX packets:524 errors:0 dropped:0 overruns:0 carrier:0
collisions:0 txqueuelen:10

LOCALIP REMOTEIP are actual ip addresses right?

[The Muppett]

PPP does not show up on the IFCONFIG, I only have the ETH0 and LOOPBACK, so do I have to configure an adapter manually and start it after the PPPD is started.

[jumpedintothefire]

No pppd should configure and bring up the interface. Do you have mgetty still configured in inittab? Try # out that line and restart init (init q). Then add DEBUG to your pppd string. ie:
PPPD -DETACH CRTSCTS DEBUG LOCK LOCALIP :REMOTEIP /DEV/TTYS0 38400 &

Where are you starting pppd from? the command prompt? or inittab? From inittab it should look something like:

pd:2345:respawn:/usr/sbin/pppd /dev/ttyS1 nodetach

The CRTSCTS DEBUG LOCK LOCALIP :REMOTEIP parts would be placed into /etc/ppp/options.ttyS0 file.