Bug 51546

Summary: kppp fails to dial when receiving first string from modem
Product: [Unmaintained] kppp Reporter: Alejandro Villar <alx5000>
Component: generalAssignee: Harri Porten <porten>
Status: RESOLVED WORKSFORME    
Severity: normal    
Priority: NOR    
Version First Reported In: unspecified   
Target Milestone: ---   
Platform: openSUSE   
OS: Linux   
Latest Commit: Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Alejandro Villar 2002-12-05 20:38:34 UTC
Version:            (using KDE KDE 3.0.4)
Installed from:    SuSE RPMs
OS:          Linux

When kppp opens a connection to my modem, the modem automatically sends a null-character line, just before kppp sends any AT or ATZ commands. WvDial just ignores that line, same as Windows DUN, but kppp keeps on waiting for the modem to send OK (what, obviously, won't happen).
Moreover, if I set kppp to a short modem timeout, it will just hang it while connecting.
Comment 1 J E Drews 2003-03-09 05:35:44 UTC
SuSE 8.1  kdenetwork 3.0.4     Kppp in SuSE cannot write to chap-secrets or pap-secrets. Please see the following in the SuSE support data base: " kppp not working in SuSE 7.0"  Excerpt: For security reasons, since SuSE 7.0 kppp no longer uses the superuser ID, and consequently, kppp can no longer execute or write to files with root permissions. Due to this kppp, cannot edit the files /etc/ppp/pap-secrets and /etc/ppp/chap-secrets .   Solution:   You must login as root and edit the two files /etc/ppp/pap-secrets and /etc/ppp/chap-secrets .   Both files have the same format:  loginame        *       password   FOR EXAMPLE  arcor   *       internet   This is most likely not a Kppp bug. NOTABUG   
Comment 2 Alejandro Villar 2003-03-09 13:18:21 UTC
I think you didn't get my meaning... It's not the ppp part that fails, nor the pppd daemon 
(works correctly with wvdial). KPPP is unable even to send a first string (AT or ATZ). It's the 
way kppp handles incoming strings what fails. If kppp ignored nonsense strings, or if it 
ignored at least the first one (just like wvdial does), there would be no problem. But it keeps 
on trying to read the first string and waiting for OK, without having sent _any_ single string.
Comment 3 Gianfranco Liporace 2004-05-24 20:39:13 UTC
I've the same problem here with a D-link DFM-560EL modem, "pon" & "poff" programs from Debian work fine.
Comment 4 Andrew Laughton 2005-02-15 08:01:41 UTC
KPP has a default preinit time of about 50 milliseconds.
I needed to increase this time to 70 milliseconds before my external modem is usable.
Maybe the default time needs to be longer ?

The above is off the top of my head, I am doing this online and I cannot see what the settings are while I am using it.
Comment 5 Tim Hull 2005-02-17 01:27:08 UTC
I think I'm having the same issue trying to get kppp to interface with a phone used as a USB modem - before it even tries to dial it hangs waiting for an OK.
This device works fine with pon/poff in Debian.  Because of these issues, I think it would be best if future kppp releases ignored any characters sent by the modem before init strings are sent,and offered a kind of "stupid mode" which makes kppp less stringent about feedback from the modem.
Comment 6 Harri Porten 2005-02-17 01:29:51 UTC
Any of you has the possibility to compile kppp from sources to try out a
patch that I could provide?


Comment 7 Richard Neill 2005-11-24 04:48:19 UTC
I have the same problem using a (new) Genius GM56EX serial modem (with Mandrake 2006). As per default, what I see is a series of square characters across the line. (i.e. KDE's rendering f what are probably null bytes). Then Kppp waits for $MODEM_TIMEOUT seconds before restarting.

BUT if I reduce $MODEM_TIMEOUT to below about 60 seconds, the connection fails during authentication.

I set the Pre-init delay to 100ms, and the problem is gone.

What does Kppp need to do?

1)If it gets a string of garbage, it should re-initialise the modem. It should also give the user a helpful message.

2)$MODEM_TIMEOUT is used for 2 different things. Setting up the modem itself (for which a low value is desired); and Setting up the internet connection - dial/CHAP/etc (for which a fairly high value is desired). These 2 functions ought to be split out. 
I'd suggest having "Modem Timeout" in the modem tab as present, defaulting to 5 seconds, and creating "Connect Timeout" in the Accounts tab, defaulting to 60 seconds.

3)The default pre-init delay ought to be a bit higher. Saving a few ms isn't worth the reliability issues. Admittedly, this is the first time I have hit this bug in about 10 modems.

Comment 8 Andrew Crouthamel 2018-11-02 04:22:32 UTC
Dear Bug Submitter,

This bug has been stagnant for a long time. Could you help us out and re-test if the bug is valid in the latest version? I am setting the status to NEEDSINFO pending your response, please change the Status back to REPORTED when you respond.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!
Comment 9 Andrew Crouthamel 2018-11-16 02:42:41 UTC
Dear Bug Submitter,

This is a reminder that this bug has been stagnant for a long time. Could you help us out and re-test if the bug is valid in the latest version?

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!
Comment 10 Justin Zobel 2022-12-07 00:23:52 UTC
Thank you for reporting this issue in KDE software. As it has been a while since this issue was reported, can we please ask you to see if you can reproduce the issue with a recent software version?

If you can reproduce the issue, please change the status to "REPORTED" when replying. Thank you!
Comment 11 Bug Janitor Service 2022-12-22 05:18:18 UTC
Dear Bug Submitter,

This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least
15 days. Please provide the requested information as soon as
possible and set the bug status as REPORTED. Due to regular bug
tracker maintenance, if the bug is still in NEEDSINFO status with
no change in 30 days the bug will be closed as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME
due to lack of needed information.

For more information about our bug triaging procedures please read the
wiki located here:
https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging

If you have already provided the requested information, please
mark the bug as REPORTED so that the KDE team knows that the bug is
ready to be confirmed.

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!
Comment 12 Bug Janitor Service 2023-01-06 05:22:12 UTC
This bug has been in NEEDSINFO status with no change for at least
30 days. The bug is now closed as RESOLVED > WORKSFORME
due to lack of needed information.

For more information about our bug triaging procedures please read the
wiki located here:
https://community.kde.org/Guidelines_and_HOWTOs/Bug_triaging

Thank you for helping us make KDE software even better for everyone!