Copernet servers are linux compatible. I'm responding right now. They just can't provide technical service. I posted a very detailed howto about 6 mo ago but it has crawled off the boards. Anyway...


I believe the T20 has a serial port. If so, you will save yourself much grief if you can get hold of an external serial port modem Actiontech or bestdata work great. US robotics are harder to find and expensive. Most esp modems can be found at thrift shops for under $10. If not look for one on the 'net. REMEMBER...serial port NOT USB !!! Don't try to use the onboard modem unless you are a masochist or more experienced with winmodems. Unfortunately, dialup is one of the most difficult things a newb can do in Linux if you try to use a winmodem. Check out linmodems.org and you will see that it is not for the faint of heart.

Linux has drivers built into the kernel for External serial port modems so it is a lot easier.

Next, in the BIOS set your lappy to enable the serial port.
I don't use Fedora, but there should be an administrative center that has ability to setup network configurations. This is where you will tell the OS that you are using your serial port with a POTS (plain old telephone service)modem. Most hdwr configurations should be set to ttyS0 ... that's a zero not an "O".

Next, install wvdial, Kppp or Chestnut-dialer (probably wvdial. Install it ONLY from the Fedora repositories because these builds are made specifically for Fedora...later you can install from other sites). These are phone dialers necessary to connect to the net. (FF, IE do not do it by themselves)

Let us know how far you get and we will try to help from there.

There are a number of forums around for help with Linux. For one specifically dedicated to Fedora:

http://fedoraforum.org/

Lil gave you some good generic advice. And I know there is at least one person on these (Copper's) forums that has some experience with Fedora. I don't know whether that experience includes dial-up. Hopefully he strolls by before too much longer.




Lil, I just saved a single page from Google cache where you were in the middle of an extended tutorial. This was from Jan 16 - 18, 2008. You numbered your sections, and this page has sections 6 through 20. Section 8 is "quick dial-up modem howto".

The files (html, image, etc) total 402 kB. If you provide me a way, I would be happy to send them to you. (I am not sure you use Copper's email.) And/or I would, if you desire, be happy to re-post Section 8 on this thread. (Hmmm, section 8 ... why do I suddenly think of Maxwell Klinger? )

Feel free to email me at my Copper address. Or send me a private message. Just be warned I haven't tested that feature yet. Also, be aware that the page I save has the search term highlight from Google cache and the marks of the proxy I went through. (I don't have good luck with Google directly from Tor.)

Linux browser and E-mail info can be found at:
http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/
http://www.mozilla.org

Starliner

I've concluded it is is next to impossible to find a T20 user's guide on the Internet. (Apparently one used to be available as PDF, but now an IBM ftp link is broken, the Lenovo website is totally unhelpful, etc.) But according to this page, for a T42 you use F1 at power-on. Maybe it is the same for T20. If not, try the escape key, F2, and F10 (individually on separate attempts). I list those just because those are common ones for accessing the BIOS. If none of that works, you probably need to find out from a T20 owner. Is there a possibility your son can tell you how to get into the BIOS?

Hmmm ... Just to make sure we aren't missing the obvious, some computers will tell you on the boot-up screen what key to press to get into the BIOS. You might double check.

Once you do find an owners manual, you will want to look for two things.

1.) Instructions on how to connect a serial modem to the computer.
2.) You will want to be on the look-out for instructions as to whether or not you must also disable one of the COM ports on your computer. While not always the case, it is not unusual to find oneself dealing with a motherboard which has this requirement.

Once you've connected your modem, before we send you down the road of frustration and ruination, let's try the simplest solution first. Boot your computer. Sign on to your user account (root or superuser not necessary). Go to the top of the desktop. Click System>Administration>Network Device Control. If the Network Device Control window opens, look for and click once on an entry like ppp0 (that's ppp[zero]). Then click Activate. If your modem lights up, somethings working. You may get an error message, but that's okay because you haven't fully set Linux up to beam up to the Internet. Click Deactivate right away. You're not going any farther until you do some more work.

After you've done these things, go to Copper's main website, copper.net, with another computer and go to the Support pages where you will find instructions on how to configure your Windows computer to work with Copper's servers.

Don't let the Windows label fool you. There are enough similarities between Windows and Linux set-ups that you'll be able to get a clue. You will look for information on username, password, mail server addy (both incoming and outgoing), POP3 and SMTP ports, flow control, and the like. Take short but meaningful notes on the various points. While Fedora 9 does not set up in exactly the same way that Windows would at least you'll have a little bit of a clue on what to do when it comes time for the actual set-up process.

Setting up in Fedora 9 is straightforward. I did not have to download anything like a dialer. It all comes with Fedora.

Start with the steps we have given you so far. Then we'll move on...

No problem, jimmymac, no problem at all...

Might go check the local thrift shop. The one here supports the local childrens center and they usually have a box of them for $3-$4. You might have to look for an AC adapter ($1-$2). Most of them are 9v AC (not DC). Look for something that fits mechanically. Since it's AC it doesn't matter if the center post is pos or neg. It should be able to supply at least 700mA.

good luck

I believe that since Linux was inspired by UNIX, it was designed primarily as a networked OS and consequently, ethernet connections to networks was more important and prevalent and the developers acted accordingly, supplying NIC drivers for ethernet cards as a priority. Windows was not designed originally with networking in mind and therefore, modems were the best way to hookup users via dialup in the early days. So MS and vendors focused on modems....and proprietary drivers to go along with them. This is just my guess as to how it played out. I could be wrong.

In fairness, I can only tell you what my experience has been to date, and that is that most USB modems are Winmodems, meaning that the drivers to run these are designed for Windows. It's possible that since I have stopped using dialup on a regular basis, USB support has advanced, but you best check on linmodems.org for any updated info concerning USB modems with Linux.

These links may be dated but are fairly exhaustive concerning Linux and modems -->here and --> here.

I spent a fair amount of time getting a couple of winmodems to work and it was interesting, but there is a point of diminishing returns and I advise newbs accordingly. It doesn't mean you can't get winmodems to work, it's just that it is one of the harder tasks a new Linux user can tackle.

Hope this helps.

I recently got an agere SV92PP card modem with an 11c1 0620 chipset to work with Ubuntu 9.04. It was quite a slog for someone just getting acquainted with Linux but the forum guys compiled a file that self installed. This is a $10.00 modem. Walmart has a modem for $50.00 that doesn't rely on Windows software and they say you just plug it in and it works. The old style modems were self contained. If you have a modem installed you need to download and install a program called Scanmodem to identify your chipset and also tell you how to proceed. You then subscribe to the linmodems forum for free and there are some great experts who can advise once you post the Scanmodem readout.

Based on what I've read (including the modem HOWTO -- I believe the same one Lil linked to, but I am on the wrong computer to check) controller based USB modems exist and at least a subset (maybe all) of them are supposed to work on (recent) Linux by default. The magic term in all of this seems to be "ACM". I have no experience with it and I have heard one report that somebody (who says he didn't try very hard) didn't get it to work.

At the same time I was checking eBay for serial modems I also wanted to check to see what they had in the way of what I'll call ACM modems. (I have in the back of my mind that at some point I may get one just to see how they work -- but no definite plans.) I have now checked twice and don't get any matches on USB modem with ACM. I have found several modems that were controller based and claimed to work with Linux. I am guessing these were ACM, but I don't know for certain. I would like to see some that just come right out and state that fact.