The Modem is busy

[wreal_kool]

Hey everyone,

I'm having a dialup modem problem. My PC has a real hardware modem (not a winmodem). Whenever I use kppp in my Kubuntu Linux distro on one partitiion, I get the message: "The modem is busy". Whenever I use kppp in my other Linux distro (Lycoris Desktop/LX), a different partitiion, everything works perfectly.

Does anyone have any idea why it's working in one Linux distro & not the other? I've configured both distros identically with kppp, so I'm stumped as to what might be causing the problem.

Any help would be welcome. TY in advance.

 

[zipperman]

My experience

Thats why i went to cable,and other reasons too.
Dial up servers cannot accomadate all possible users.
I thought an external was a great idea.I was lucky and got a refund.
Call them on it and they might give you another phone number so you have 2 choices.But i'd move on to later tech.

DUN is history.

 

[wreal_kool]

Thx for replying

Thanx for replying. I have multiple dialup access phone number, however, that doesn't seem to be the problem. The phone # isn't busy, the Linux kppp software appears to find that 'the modem is busy'. I know the problem isn't a busy phone line, because I've booted my other Linux sytem on a different partition that is on the same hard drive & the modem works perfectly. I've even done this multiple times very late in the early morning when very few people are using the dialup access #s. It makes no difference.

After doing some online research, I think the problem may be that one system recognizes & can deal properly with shared IRQs & the other can't. The problem with that of course is that I'm not sure how to reconfigure the system to get the IRQs to not be shared or to get the modem to be on the primary COM1 or COM2 ports.

Let me know if you know how to do that. The modem card is in an ISA slot and it doesn't have any jumper shunts on the card to set it up as a primary COM port. I think the BIOS boot system or windoz automatically recognized & configured it to avoid any conflicts with the other serial interfaces that are on enabled on the mother board. I'm going to disable COM2 from the BIOS after typing this post. That may cause the serial port on the modem card to be auto reconfigured on reboot.

cheers

 

[zipperman]

Jusst guessing

First is it Windows or Linux that has the problem ?
I don't have a clue about Linux.Find a forum that has this topic.
It appears you can't afford a newer pc and want to have this one a little longer.But as long as you have a way to browse the Internet,why make
such an issue of this.It's not fair to ask this type of ?
..........
But as i recall you have 2 comport connections.Com1 is for 1 and 3
The other Com 2 is for 2 and 4.It's been a long time since i used an ISA card.
What Windows is it.? Being such an old system try your Public Library as they have books on the older systems.
But i think the modem is set somewhere for Com 1 or Com2.
So you have to know which it is.
But call your server.If you don't have one then i won't help you try to get free internet service.

 

[wreal_kool]

The system has Windows 98 installed on it, Lycoris Amethst Desktop/LX Linux, & Kubuntu Edgy Eft Linux, each on their own hard drive partition. The modem works fine in W98 and Amethst Desktop/LX Linux, but it doesn't work in Kubuntu Edgy Eft Linux (which is the OS that I want it to work in because it is 3 yrs newer than the older version of Linux (i.e. Lycoris Amethst Desktop/LX is 3 yrs older than Kubuntu).

I originally posted in this forum because I thought it also discusses Linux systems. If I errored in my understanding, please let me know the url to the proper TechSpot forum?

As for the COM to IRQ port mapping.. Usually COM1 uses IRQ4, and COM2 uses IRQ3 and in the Linux world they map to /dev/ttyS3 & /dev/ttyS2, respectively. When the ports are shared, I think the mapping = COM1 uses IRQ1 or IRQ4 and COM2 uses IRQ2 or IRQ3.

I rechecked my configuration & the modem is using IRQ 4, so it is configured for COM1 use in W98 & /dev/ttyS2 use in Linux. Since the serial port & modem work perfectly in W98 & Lycoris Amethst Desktop/LX Linux, but not in Kubuntu, then it is obvious that the problem is in the Kubuntu software configuration somewhere. I just wish I knew what to do to get Kubuntu to recognize it properly too. I currently have both of the Linux systems configured identically & for some inexplicable reason kppp (the dialup dialer in Linux) doesn't work in Kubuntu.

As for being able to afford a newer computer.. that's not an issue. As for wanting to have & use this system longer.. that is definitely a correct assumption! It's a very well designed mother board & it has a great processor Intel Pentium II (don't laugh).. this thing rocks even with a later version of the Linux kernal (version 2.6.x. Why buy something new when this hardware is perfectly suitable and plenty fast enough to do the job?? It seems to me that the software is what's failing in this situation, unfortunately. And it isn't an incompatibility issue either. Linux has not dropped dialup support from their kernal for a 16550A UART modem.

As for being fair or not to ask this type of question.. Why do you think it isn't fair? Many people still use dialup service and more & more people are moving to Linux because of the low cost & reliability/stability it provides.

I don't understand your comment "But call your server". I guess you mean ISP?? If that is what you mean, then I don't see that as relevant. The problem isn't related to a dialup access number or a server issue. It's apparently a Kubuntu software anomaly of some kind, considering the serial port & modem work properly with my other OSes (W98 & Amethst Linux) & ISP.

Nonetheless, thx for your input.

cheers

 

[zipperman]

Calling ISP

Why not if your paying them and can't connect.
Thats what their there for.They will soon tell you it's a OS problem,not their service.That will eliminate 1 thing for me to guess about anyway.
As far as the right place,this might be ok,but your topic title won't attract
Linux users.Start a thread
"Modem problem useing Linux"
Also use google.Type all this in search,
Title:Linux + Forum
BTW,My P2 mmx W98se was one of my best systems.
But i didn't use ISA devices.
It's all you need for The Internet,but i hope you upgrade to cable or Sympatico.
Software makers working together with M$oft made it necessary to upgrade.
Windows 95 had A B and C versions,but you had to buy them all at full price.
This was unfair if they screwed up A and then B.