The kppp Handbook: Installation
Description: KPPP Internet Dialer
Keywords: KPPP Dialer Internet PPP IP PAP CHAP

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### 2. Installation

`PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO READ THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS! THANK YOU!`

### 2.1 How to obtain kppp

kppp is an application for the KDE project http://www.kde.org. It is part of the kdenetwork package that can be found on ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/, the main ftp site of the KDE project.

The homepage linked to from http://www.kde.org/apphomepages.html is currently located at http://devel-home.kde.org/kppp/index.html.

### 2.2 Requirements

In order to successfully compile kppp, you need the latest versions of `libkdecore` and `libkdeui`. All required libraries as well as kppp itself can be found on ftp://ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/.

### 2.3 Compilation and installation

`PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO READ THE FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS! THANK YOU!`

I haven't been able to test kppp on anything else but Linux, but you should be able to get pppd to work on a variety of platforms including but not limited to SVR4, Solaris 2, Linux, FreeBSD, NetBSD, SunOS 4, AIX 4, OSF/1 as long as you have pppd installed on those systems.

If wish to compile kppp on a platform different from Linux, please check briefly the first couple of lines of pppstats.cpp and make sure the defines and includes are O.K. Most likely however they should be fine. Please inform me of any necessary changes.

In order to compile and install kppp on your system, type the following in the base directory of the kppp distribution:

> `

>     % ./configure
>     % make
>     % make install

> `

This will install kppp with the setuid bit on.

Make sure that the pppd's option file which usually resides in `/etc/ppp/` exists, but is empty. pppd requires it to exist, but it must be empty otherwise pppd will not take its options from kppp.

Again: Should you run into problems, please report them to me.

### 2.4 Preparing Your Linux System for a PPP Connection

In order for kppp/pppd to work your kernel must have ppp support compiled in. If this is not the case get yourself the latest version of pppd from any of the popular Linux archives and recompile your kernel with ppp support enabled. Don't fret since this sounds scarier than it actually is. Don't forget to install pppd afterwards. If unsure whether you have a kernel with ppp support issue `dmesg` at the command prompt and look for something like this:

> `

>     PPP: version 2.3.0 (demand dialling)
>     TCP compression code copyright 1989 Regents of the University of California
>     PPP Dynamic channel allocation code copyright 1995 Caldera, Inc.
>     PPP line discipline registered

> `

Update: kppp since version 1.5.32 tries to find out itself if the kernel supports PPP. If not, you will be notified on start of kppp. This feature is not well tested, so you should not rely on it for now.

There were changes in the kernel PPP from Linux version 1.2.x to 2.0.x which forced the programming of a new pppd daemon. In most distributions, the pppd daemon can be found in `/usr/sbin`. For kernel versions 1.2.x, the correct version of the pppd daemon is 2.1; for kernel versions 2.0.x, the correct version is 2.2. or newer; for kernel versions 2.1.x and 2.2.x you need pppd version 2.3. If you don't know what version of the pppd daemon your system has, you can type:

> `

>     % pppd --version

> `

None of the pppd daemons actually have a --version option, but putting the option in will cause the pppd daemon to error out from a unrecognised option and print out a list of options, which includes the version of the pppd daemon.

### 2.5 More about ppp/pppd

The following sites may be of interest for further information about the ppp protocol, pppd and networking in general:

- Linux PPP FAQ: http://metalab.unc.edu/mdw/FAQ/PPP-FAQ.html
- Linux PPP HOWTO: http://metalab.unc.edu/mdw/HOWTO/PPP-HOWTO.html
- http://www.thoughtport.com:8080/PPP/index.html
- The Network Administrators' Guide: http://metalab.unc.edu/mdw/LDP/nag/nag.html

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