Well I've tried all the suggestions from the list and my modem is still locking up. This will probably be my last message from Linux until I can get this fixed because it is getting so bad. I have posted about this before but here are the symptoms:
Sometime after I terminate a internet session my modem is locked by a process, for example, Feb 5 12:17:01 XYF pppd[222]: Device ttyS0 is locked by pid 218 When I run "ps ax" I get the following, 218 S0 S 0:00 /usr/sbin/pppd call provider I have tried killing this process but am told, XYF:/home/kent# kill 218 bash: kill: (218) - No such pid I have tried "killall pppd" and "killall chat" as root and this doesn't reset the modem. I tried editing /etc/chatscripts/provider and changing 'OK' to 'OK-AT-OK'. That didn't work. I tried using the modem dialer program minicom. I used the hang-up and reset part of the program and that didn't help. I tried removing the lock, rm /var/lock/LCK..ttyS0 that didn't help. It seems like the modem is locked any time I let the system set for awhile (off line). I ran xconsole to see if I could find anything that might be locking the modem. I discovered "cron.daily" runs. Also there was an email program exim trying to get mail so I edited a file and shut that off. I shut off the "blackout screen" in X. Basically taking pot shots in the dark. None of this helped. My modem works just fine in windows so I don't think it is a defect in my modem. It is a zoom 56k model 2919, two months old, purchased so I would have a modem to use under Linux. Doesn't seem like such a good investment right now. The problem I'm having was present from day one but has increased in frequency so that now I seem to spend most of my computer time shutting my computer off and turning it back on trying to reset my modem. A reboot won't do it. Sometimes I have to shut my computer off 4 or 5 times before it will reset. Once used to suffice. I'm probably forgetting something I've tried but that is the bulk of it. Does anyone know what else I can try? Thanks, Kent