Hi Omer,
On Mon, 8 Nov 1999, Omer Zak wrote:
> Suggestion for a project for a youngster who is looking for a niche which
> would give him satisfaction, fame and riches:
> How about developing PPP configuration scripts for the other
> distributions?
> Then the Technical Support would need only to tell the newbie to download
> the script from their Web site and run it and answer its questions (of
> course, presented in a nice GUI - which Tk and Python can easily provide).
Your idea in it self is wonderful, but I see a small snag about it. In
general terms, all login scripts for all ISPs in Israel should be the
same. As they are all compatible to the Windows 95 login scheme. If we are
to take ISDN connections for example, I've configured kisdn with no
special parameters, and it worked like a charm both connecting to Actcom,
Netvision, Internet Gold and the Technion, without changing anything.
Now, as far as I can recall, each of the X-windows envs, has it's own
modem and dial-up configuration program that users can use. But the real
problem isn't getting them connected via that tool, the problem is as
follows. Imagine the following Tech support phone call:
Tech: Hello, how may I help you ?
Cust: Hi there, I would like to configure my modem under RedHat 6.0.
Tech: Are you currently running in X-Windows ?
Cust: No, I can't start my X, it says something about a missing X-Server.
I don't have an X-Server in my network.
Tech: No, No, and X-Server is ..... you need to install it. What is your
display adapter ?
Cust: Oh, I have blah-blah-blah
Tech: Oh, I'm sorry, that card isn't supported yet by linux. Ok, lets
try a generic blah-blah-blah
Cust: ....
Tech: ....
Cust: Ok, I got X going. Now what ?
Tech: well, you need to install the blah-blah-blah.rpm
Cust: rpm ? I didn't buy a motor, I bought a Linux box, blah-blah-blah
Tech: ...
Cust: ...
Tech: did you install dialup support in your Linux box ? while
you were installing it ?
Cust: Ah .... No. I thought it ment that I let other people connect to
my modem.
At this point the Tech-guy would most probably go crazy, after sending
over 30 minutes understanding the customer. So, as I said before, nothing
is simple. Never say that it is simple, cause no matter how simple it is
to you, cause you are used to one thing, you never know what you might
find.
What would eventually happen is that ISPs would create their own
customized Linux distributions. For example, lets take Actcom, they will
make a few distributions for their clients, one as a workstation, one as a
dial-up mail server, etc, etc, etc .... which at this point, seems like
the best idea that I could think of.
Best regards,
Nir Simionovich
Artnet Experts, Ltd
..... Technionus Dormus Farmus Administratus Regularus .....
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