PPPHowto

Instructions for Familiar 0.5.2

Using a terminal emulator with your serial connection as you did for the initial installation, wait for the iPAQ to boot (you'll see messages on its progress), and then log in as root (without the quotation marks), with the default password of rootme (again, don't type the quotation marks).

chmod u+s /usr/sbin/sshd

modprobe ppp_async

ssh-keygen -b 512 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key -N ''

ssh-keygen -d -b 512 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key -N ''      

sshd

exit

Now your handheld is ready for PPP. Set up your desktop computer according to the instructions below, initiate a PPP connection, and then ssh into your iPAQ to continue using it.

If your desktop machine runs Linux, the following command may be sufficient (without further configuration) - you need to run this as root:

/usr/sbin/pppd /dev/ttyS0 115200 192.168.0.1:192.168.0.2 nodetach noauth debug nocrtscts lock user ppp connect "/usr/sbin/chat -v -t3 ogin--ogin: ppp"

(the double quotes in the end can also be single quotes)

This will attempt to bring up a PPP link, with your desktop machine taking an address of 192.168.0.1 and your handheld allocated an address of 192.168.0.2 - if these addresses clash with others on your network then you may need to change the numbers. If this works, use ssh root@192.168.0.2 to log in to your handheld.

Even after you have PPP working, the handheld won't know how to look up the numerical addresses corresponding to domain names. To fix this, find out the numerical address of your DNS name server (not its domain name!), and run the following command, replacing NAMESERVER-IP-ADDRESS with the appropriate numerical address:

echo nameserver NAMESERVER-IP-ADDRESS >/etc/resolv.conf

Once you have PPP working, you may want to look at the PostInstallHowto page.

Set up your handheld

Make sure that /sbin/pppd or /usr/sbin/pppd exists. Some root images do not have PPP, like task-bootnet.jffs2. If your image does not have PPP, install the ppp ipkg. ssh is also particularly helpful.

*note: in familiar 0.52 it appears to be in /usr/sbin/pppd

Make sure that /etc/passwd contains a line like

ppp::101:101:PPP User:/home/ppp:/sbin/pppd

Create /etc/ppp/options.

mkdir /etc/ppp

echo "-detach

defaultroute

noauth

nocrtscts

lock

lcp-echo-interval 5

lcp-echo-failure 3

/dev/ttySA0

115200" > /etc/ppp/options

Add the PPP modules to /etc/modules so that they are loaded whenever you boot.

echo "slhc

ppp_generic

ppp_async" >> /etc/modules

If you are making these changes on a running iPAQ you will want to load these modules now since they were not in /etc/modules at boot time:

insmod slhc

insmod ppp_generic

insmod ppp_async

Make sure /etc/modules.conf has the appropriate aliases.

echo "alias char-major-108    ppp_generic

alias /dev/ppp          ppp_generic

alias tty-ldisc-3       ppp_async" >> /etc/modules.conf

Make sure /usr/sbin/pppd is executable by user ppp:

chmod 4755 /usr/sbin/pppd

Generate SSH keys so you can login remotely

ssh-keygen -b 512 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key -N ''

ssh-keygen -d -b 512 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key -N ''

Now start the sshd service

sshd

The sshd service will start automatically when you reboot, this get's it up and running now. (on Familiar 0.5.2 with task-bootserial sshd will not be started automatically until grep is installed)

Set up your PC

Create an /etc/ppp/peers/ipaq file containing the following:

-detach

noauth

nocrtscts

lock

user ppp

connect '/usr/sbin/chat -v -t3 ogin--login: ppp'

/dev/ttyS0

115200

192.168.1.100:192.168.1.101

Note: you may need to adjust the /dev/ttyS0 line to whatever tty you actually have the serial cable plugged into. It's likely either /dev/ttyS0 or /dev/ttyS1, (corresponding to DOS COM1 and COM2 respectively).

Note: you may need "local" added to the above, if /var/log/messages shows modem hangup immediately after the first LCP negotiation.

Note: I needed to add "local" to the ipaq ppp config options file too:

echo local >>/etc/ppp/options

Making the connection

Connect the serial cable between the host and the iPAQ

Make sure that you are not logged in at the serial console, (you should see the login: prompt in minicom)

Close minicom or any other terminal program that may have a connection to your serial port

Finally, execute pppd on the host, (as root)::

pppd call ipaq

or, on a Debian box, you can run (as any user)::

pon ipaq

A successful connection will report local and remote IP Addresses. What can I do with it?

Now that you have a PPP connection, you have full TCP/IP networking between the host and the iPAQ. You can access either one from the other using the IP addresses reported when the PPP connection was established, (I like to add the IP addresses to my /etc/hosts file so I can simply type ipaq rather than 192.168.1.101).

Some fun things you can do with this connection include:

Using FTP to transfer files back and forth

Using the hosts keyboard/mouse on the iPAQ with x2x

Or let the iPAQ manage a screen of its own on your host (there may be better ways to do this, however it worked for me on a SuSE 7.1 system): Start a "naked" X-server on the host: X :1 & This should also work if another server is already running. Usually you can switch screens with Ctrl+Alt+Fx (x=7,8,..) ** Now give your iPAQ permission to draw on the new screen. Bring up an xterm on the new screen: xterm -display :1 ** Switch to the new screen and do: xhost + ** Let the iPAQ windowmanager take control over that screen - on the iPAQ enter blackbox -display :1 &

Voila, your iPAQ now has a mouse, keyboard, 1024x768x16bpp... - JuergenWallner

Running X programs on the iPAQ with display set to the host: xterm -display 192.168.1.100:0

Running X programs on the host with display set to the iPAQ: gimp -display 192.168.1.101:0

Using IP masquerading, (see IPMasqHowto), to let the iPAQ have network connectivity to the rest of the internet.

Note: Familiar 0.5.2 task-bootserial needs grep to be installed for sshd to work. also, you need to generate the keys for sshd with: ssh-keygen -b 512 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_key -N ''; ssh-keygen -d -b 512 -f /etc/ssh/ssh_host_dsa_key -N ''

-CarlWorth

Troubleshooting PPP connections

LCP ?

You seem to be lacking support for PPP async. Check that the configuration matches what is described above: Familiar still requires those changes (5.2.1: why not preconfigured?). Make sure the kernel on your PC has support for PPP async - you'll find it under Network Device Support. If you are new to compiling kernels, take a look at the Kernel-HOWTO in the Documentation subdirectory.

2002/05/09: Getting LCP Config Timeouts on 0.5.2? See below about pppd unable to start due to not root.

Lots of LCP EchoRep messages?

Your pppd is in debug mode. Check the /etc/ppp/options file on your desktop computer to remove the debug line.

Lots of "sent LCP ConfReq id=0x1 ?"?

On your iPAQ,

echo "asyncmap 0" >> /etc/ppp/options

special note for Intimate (as of 2001-04-01)

There are 2 changes to the handheld files:

replace the the command in /etc/passwd with /usr/sbin/pppd
replace the device in /etc/ppp/options with /dev/tts/0

(ColinMarquardt adds on 2001-07-23: the executable flag of pppd gets lost during the Intimate installation. Do a

chmod a+x /usr/sbin/pppd

)

(SEWilco? adds on 2002-05-09: Familiar 0.5.2 can not start pppd because it is not root. Make it setuid.

chmod u+s /usr/sbin/pppd

)

Added noauth to ipaq side PPP config. (Ross Reedstrom)

/dev/ttyS0 changed to /dev/ttySA0 and commentary on the use of rlogin/rcp via the guest account (Paul Healy 30 Jan 2001)

user ppp added ( Henry Palonen, 19.5.2001)