After compiling kernel after kernel for a year and a half or more, I have
been trying unsuccessfully for more than a year to get 2.1.X kernels working
right on two different Debian boxes, with only one pretty successful
compile--2.1.66, when PPP worked properly. 2.1.79, like several other
kernels, compiled ok, but PPP failed. Even though PPP was in the kernel (as
evidenced by boot messages), when starting up ppp from a script a message
was received that ppp is not supported in this kernel; in all these failures
on my current debian box, a message comes up that /dev/ttyS3 is busy.
Messages show (if I half understand) that a connection is made, but when
pppd is called, it cannot access /dev/ttyS3.
I fear there may be something idiosyncratic about the Debian
setup, but others seem to be able to compile without a problem. I do know,
however that others have had this exact problem. I had tried to compile
2.1.79 using the debian method (make-kpkg, I think): the same thing
happened as has been happening all along.
I am writing after much consideration to ask whether this is something other
people have experienced. If not it's something wrong with my own system, or
because I am compiling in the ordinary way on a Debian box. I want to stay
with Debian, but this thing bothers me, and I would change distributions if
necessary. Before doing this, and jeopardizing my well-loaded system, I
need to find out what is this problem.
I don't understand all this new information about compiling PPP and kernel
together, maybe this is an FAQ? And maybe it is something that deserves a
mini-howto? Is it really necessary. The new kernels have more up to date
drivers, I am using 2.3.2 from the Debian hamm distribution.
I've tried to keep up to date with the unstable Debian hierarchy, libraries,
and all the software in the Documentation/Changes file. My machine is
pretty much stock, AMD K5 PR120 overclocked to 66MHz (PR133), 32MB RAM,
USRobotics Sportster 33.6 Fax/Voice Modem. It always works ok with the
2.0.X kernels. But I need to compile in some more recent capabilities, like
MCA and parport.
TIA for any advice or help; I'll pass it along to the at least one other
person who has had the exact same symptoms (who doesn't use Debian,
that's one important point).
Alan Davis
--
"Our loyalties are to the species and the Alan E. Davis
planet. We speak for Earth. Our adavis@netpci.com
obligation to survive is owed not just to Marianas High School, Science Dept
ourselves but also to that Cosmos, ancient AAA196, Box 10001
and vast, from which we spring." Saipan, MP 96950
Northern Mariana Islands
---Carl Sagan GMT+10