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Title: ISDN: PPP daemon doesn't work anymore

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ISDN: PPP daemon doesn't work anymore

Applicable to
S.u.S.E. version: 4.3, 4.4
Kernel version: 2.0.25

Symptom 1:

The PPP daemon /sbin/ipppd crashes. In /var/log/messages appears approximately the following:
Dec 18 20:19:58 paddys pppd[11707]: ioctl(PPPIOCGUNIT): Invalid argument
Dec 18 20:19:58 paddys pppd[11707]: Exit.
Dec 18 20:20:17 paddys kernel: isdn_ppp_bind: Can't find usable ippp device
This problem appears exactly, when the remote station hasn't reacted to a dialling trial.

Cause 1:

Error in the PPP/ISDN code in Kernel.

Solution 1:

Symptom 2:

The ipppd doesn't crash, but nevertheless reports Can't find usable ippp device

Cause 2:

From ftp://ftp.franken.de/pub/isdn4linux/FAQ/de-i4l-faq.html:

Frank Meyer (fm@textware.k.eunet.de) writes:

I had the same problem too. In my case it was, that after about 5 minutes - after this one several of these messages appear in the file /var/log/messages- the ipppd firstly announced: "started". Then it ran! OK, then I have distributed a couple of test-prints in the ipppd source and I have been able to narrow the problem down: The ipppd calculates during the initialisation a random number (I don't know anymore where), and uses for that gethostid(). That leads straight into a DNS look up. As a result, the computer tries to address the declared nameserver in /etc/resolv.conf. However, since the ipppd hasn't still completely started, the nameserver can't be reachable. This leads into the messages. The solution was very simple: I have entered in /etc/hosts/ my computer, not only with the shortname (e.g. isdn), but with the complete name, including the domain declared in /etc/resolv.conf, too; i.e. e.g. x.x.x.x isdn isdn.who.knows.where Afterwards everything was calm and it ran! The function setipdefault() is called a little bit earlier, which executes (in options.c) gethostbyname(). This, of course, leads into a DNS look up, and causes as well the message: "isdn_ppp_bind: Can't find usable ippp device". Therefore, there would be 2 things to change in the source, to avoid a DNS look up. It's easier to enter the own name in /etc/hosts; I've done it with the installed Ethernet card's IP address.

Solution 2:

Enter the used IP numbers in /etc/hosts and make sure, that the keyword hosts is before bind in /etc/host.conf, e.g.:
order hosts nis bind

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See also:

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Keywords: ISDN, PPP, IPPPD, PPPD, PPPIOCGUNIT, CAN'T FIND USABLE IPPP DEVICE, ISDN_PPP_BIND

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Feedback welcome: Send Mail to kfr@suse.de (Please give the following subject: SDB-isdnppp)

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SDB-isdnppp, Copyright SuSE GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany - Version:
SuSE GmbH - Last generated: 07. Oct 1999 16:43:28 by maddin with sdb_gen 1.00.0