modems

[djf]

This os sucks.
I bought a copy of RH9 on Wed. It took me until late last night to finally get my sound card to work, I had to install sndconfig, then spent I don't know how much time trying to run it, itkept telling me it didn't exist, even though I could SEE it with LS in the SBIN directory. Don't lie like a dog and tell me something doesn't exist, when you really mean I don't have authority. Finally got it to work loggin in as root.
Modems? I had better luck under DOS 2.0 with a 1440 modem than I have had with linux. I have 3 ISA PNP's, all set to be COM3, TTYS2, linux can see and configure them all, but repeatedly gets failure to activate error 8, I haven't even begun to dig thru the doc to find out what an error 8 is, I'm so frustrated now, RH9 is close to being back on the shelf at CompUsa. Haven't the distro people at least learned a bit by peoples experiences?

[djf]

I guess I get to answer my own questions. The Gnome network configurator DID see the modem but DID NOT correctly set up the descriptors or init strings. The only thing I could see it had done correctly was to create the [dialer MYISP] section with my userid, ph# and password.
I dug thru a ton of other items and found out about WVDIALCONF. After stumbling a bit, I was able to create a new wvdial1.conf, it did indeed successfully detect my modem and set up the init strings, etc, but no password, etc. Then I get to really cuss at emacs for a while, until I find the text editor under accessories. I merge the stuff generated by WVDIALCONF into my normal ISP dial up sections, and it worked.
So I am now online under RH9.
It is INSUFFICIENT that people now say, "Oh, well, go get an external modem!" Many people have only a single pc, if they can't get the modem to work, they can't get online to find out how to get the modem to work, net result, Linux gets cursed aot and ends up back on the store shelf. A modem, for all intents and purposes, must now be considered by the OS as vital as a monitor. It is totally UNREASONABLE that I spend over a day to find out about sndconfig. It would have taken the Installer less than 100 milliseconds to do all that was needed to get my card running, and save me the frustration and ill will that resulted. Open source is fine, but open source without standards is anarchy, and business WILL NOT TOLERATE putting enterprises on systems that do not meet minimum standards of reliability, maintainability, and availability. I know a little about what I am speaking here. I have been an MVS sysprog since before most of you were born. Regards,
djf

[GhostDawg]

Did you do your research before installing RH and did you check the Hardware Compatibility List?

[djf]

I read thru parts of the redbook, and parts of the CD. I had, in fact, already installed RH6.1 on the box, but that was about a year ago, and I was using an external modem and did care or try the soundcard.
Immediately before I installed it on the box I had the problems with (Dell Optiplex w/400M Celeron, 128M Ram, and 6G hd), I had installed RH9 on a highly specialized machine I have that has a 600M Celeron, 18G scsi, 4G scsi, and 4 G ide, it went flawlessly.

I guess I should buy that book "Installing Linux for dummies"...

What I am doing is offering constructive criticism from a techie standpoint, you NEED single points of control for the software and hardware that is on your boxes. No one in the real, live business world has time to do alot of web searching to find some obscure utility. The Linux distros need a basic core of system control/backup restore/diagnostic commands.

My intent was to have one box with a Gnome front end, and the other with KDE. But I got so tied up and frustrated by the modem stuff, I ended up with Gnome on both. (which, I will give them credit, has drastically improved since 6.1)
It HAS to be able to support the hardware thats out there. Even if its LOTS better than windoze, people would be more than hesitant (especially in poor economic times) to go out and buy new modems just to run RH just so they can get on the Internet to get their email.

I did, at least, find out about the winmodem issue, which is an intresting technical piece of info.

Just got my first good nights sleep in 3 days, so,
less grumpily yours,
regards,
djf