Re: SEUL: ezppp sucks rocks

[George Bonser <grep@oriole.sbay.org>]

On Sun, 8 Feb 1998, Mark Stone wrote:

> You certainly have the right approach to this matter, but I'd take it a 
> step further. Have the fillin form create two pre-assigned file names,
> like .pppconfig and .ppppisp. Have a predefined alias in .bashrc that
> says something like:
> alias dialppp='pppd .pppconfig /etc/ppp/.pppisp'

Actually that is the idea.  You have a small script or alias that does
something like this:

The user issues a command like inet-connect myisp

And a command like this is issued ... pppd file /etc/options.$1

Thats all there is to it.  It is an easilly constructed command line and
the configs are easy to set up with GUI forms to a flat text file.
 
> First of all, few people are going to need to make a ppp connection to
> more than one provider. I've had a ppp account for years, and never had
> occaision to make use of another.

While that used to be true, the growth in corporate intranets has found
many people having their ISP and a different number/usename/password to
get onto the intranet.  Concentric Network is one example of an ISP that
is pushing "virtual private networks" that give the corporate intranet the
appearance of having hundreds of local POPs.  A salesman can make a local
call, give a username and password and be connected directly to the
intranet. They would need a different username/password to surf the
internet.

> By the way, I would stock up .bashrc with a number of useful aliases. You 
> could really help the user out a lot that way, at east in the beginning.

I agree. There is no reason that dir can not be aliased to ls. It would
make moving around a lot easier for the raw newbie.  


George Bonser 
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