How to manually configure Morningstar PPP for incoming/outgoing connections.

How do I manually configure Morningstar PPP for incoming and/or outgoing connections on my SCO server? Although this can be done easily through the Internet Manager (on Internet FastStart Release 1.0.0 and later), the layered Morningstar PPP product must have all connections configured manually.

This is broken into two parts, one for outgoing and one for incoming PPP connections. Note that this article assumes you have working modems on both systems.

OUTGOING CONNECTION:

For outgoing Morningstar PPP connections, there are only three files that need to be modified, all in the /usr/lib/mstppp directory. If you have installed the Morningstar layered product, you will need to create these files to have the following permissions:

            -rwx------   1 root     bin            0 Nov 12 11:57 Autostart
            -rw-r--r--   1 root     sys            0 Nov 12 11:57 Devices
            -rw-------   1 root     sys            0 Nov 12 11:57 Systems

To set up a dialout connection, first configure the modem to use a specific dialer (from /usr/lib/uucp/atdial* ), by adding an entry in the /usr/lib/mstppp/Devices file that looks something like this:

atdialACCURA tty1A 38400

The file follows the format "dialer modem-tty baud-rate".

Then, configure the /usr/lib/mstppp/Systems file for dialout: remoteip Any;5 ACU 38400 1-408-427-6800 "" "" in:--in: \dnppp word: \qtest123 (all one contiguous line), where "remoteip" is the IP address of the remote PPP machine, the 38400 matches the Devices file speed, "nppp" is the PPP account name to log in as, and "test123" is the account password.

Finally, in /usr/lib/mstppp/Autostart, add an entry such as: /usr/lib/mstppp/dialout localip:remoteip auto exec /usr/lib/mstppp/exec.dialout netmask 255.255.255.0 idle 60 debug 5 (all one contiguous line), where "dialout" is the script that runs to set up pppd and routing; "remoteip" matches the Systems file, "localip" is the IP address to use on the client side of the connection; "auto"-bring up the link anytime there is traffic for that connection; "exec.dialout" is the script that sets up modem conditions and IP addresses for the connection; the netmask is set for a class C address; the idle time is set to 60 seconds; and debugging level 5 (output to /usr/adm/pppd.log) is set.

There are many other options you can add to this Autostart entry; run `/usr/lib/mstppp/pppd help` for more information.

To activate the pppd process for this connection, run:

/usr/lib/mstppp/Autostart

and then check for an active interface with `ifconfig -a`. You should also see a pppd process with the correct IP addresses running; use `ps -ef | grep pppd` to verify this.

For troubleshooting information, see other articles in this database.

INCOMING CONNECTION:

For incoming connections, there is only one file that needs to be modified, also in the /usr/lib/mstppp directory:

/usr/lib/mstppp/Accounts

If you have installed the Morningstar layered product, you will need to create this file to have the following permissions:

            -rw-r--r--   1 root     bin            0 Nov 12 12:28 Accounts

nppp localip:remoteip exec /usr/lib/mstppp/exec.dialin netmask 255.255.255.0
idle 60 debug 5

As with the outgoing connection, there are many other options you can specify in the Accounts file, run `/usr/lib/mstppp/pppd help` for more information on those advanced options.

Also note that there will not be a pppd process for incoming connections until the PPP negotiation begins.

The final step is to create the "nppp" account. Using the Account Manager (through scoadmin), create an account with the home directory of /usr/lib/mstppp and a shell of /usr/lib/ppp/ppp. A corresponding /etc/passwd entry for this user would look like this:

            nppp:x:212:100:PPP account:/usr/lib/mstppp:/usr/lib/ppp/ppp

Comments and suggestions always welcome - tom@tkrh.demon.co.uk