OS/2 Shareware BBS: 35 Internet/35-Internet.zip/pcnt4v11.zip/README.TXT

Text File | 1999-03-13 | 8KB | 174 lines

                        PPPCNT OS2 PPP CoNnecTion Utility

                         (ala UNIX style PPP connection)

                  Copyright GIGAplexed Consulting Services 1998
                  A REXX example that drives PPP customizations)

Prereq's

    PPP module
    Warp 3 Used Version 2.0 Revision 1.12 for testing Warp 3.
    Warp 4 contains the proper revision of PPP module already.

    OS2 Version 3 or higher (I haven't tried with earlier versions) with a
    working configuration of PPP. Please DO NOT use this package to install
    PPP. It won't do that for you.

    NOTE: Where referred to slippm.exe and 'Dial Other Provider' are the same.


Assessment: This installation makes almost no change to your environment.
Uninstall can be as simple as getting rid of the parts listed in pppcnt.lst.
Config.sys is not changed. One thing is that the resolv file gets changed on a
connection basis, but the original is maintained in 'resolv.ori' should you need
it for some reason.

  WHY A UTILITY TO DO THIS? (if you don't care go directly to 'WHAT TO
DO ...')

If you have never used IBM's Global ISP then you may not know the difference
but believe me, the dialer.exe is a great deal nicer than slippm.exe. (ie 'Dial
Other Provider') But still I hate using another window to drive something
connection oriented, that I use on a regular basis. Actually slippm was reverse
engineered to include PPP. It's annoying interface is stark, requires you to hit
enter to launch your connection and asks 'Select OK to Exit'. Well if I
canceled the app don't I want to exit? Also they did not implement any of
the custom window save features like holding the 'alt' key and moving
window permanently to a new location. On the good side this GUI is pretty
rock solid in terms of problems. This utility DOES NOT DISPENSE entirely of
slippm! You should still enter your connections via this GUI and test them for
success. Then proceed to use PPPCNT.

You may already have a connection(s) defined within slippm? I thought to
myself, wouldn't it be neat to just setup the connection info in slippm and
then go off and launch ppp.exe directly by hand. (which slippm does) So for a
while I had this little command file to start my connection from an icon which
worked pretty dandy. Unless of course I was spaced or stoned and invoked
the cmd file multiple times, then we had problems.

So I needed an indicator on the desktop but did not want the full GUI and
lacked the proper specs to define the shared data area that would tell me
when ppp was up and operational. Think about it .... ppp has to talk to you
through some common programming communication medium to signal the
event, then my little widget can say 'we're ready!'.

SO after a long walk in the park I devised a way to CHEAT!

My application knows when things are happening by using pstat to display
Process ID info. I guessed and tested to find the shared memory name.

Now my utility could go from red to yellow and finally knew when to turn on
the green light. But how was I to reset the icon to red when ... nothing was
left running? Another trick up my sleeve. The REXX signal instruction
provided just the trick.

  WHAT TO DO TO MAKE YOUR PPP GO GO GO ...

                     Click for Warp 3 or Warp 4 Downloads.


Download the '.zip' file and unzip to \TCPIP\ETC or for warp 4 use
\MPTN\ETC. Run 'dial other providers' and if it does not contain any dialer
definitions create at least one. Also test dial these accounts from that dialer.
It creates initial pointers in the TCPOS2.INI file that will manage which
connection is active/last. Now you are ready to procede to create the
PPPCNT account icons on your desktop without further need for dial other
providers. Run PINSTALL 'account name'. (no quotes) Account name is one
that is displayed in your Dial Other Providers screen. (under name) You can
PINSTALL for as many accounts as are defined. Using an existing icon updates
it and does not create new.

This will check for PPP's existance on your machine and install a traffic light
icon on your desktop with the appropriate account name.

The icon's WPS setup information requires that the 'start minimized' button
be set. This alleviates a slight contention problem in execution. (window is also
unnecessary except for debug purposes. So if you are looking at the window
that launches PPP titled 'your connection name' and wondering why things
are proceding slowly, you have your answer. Minimize the window or bring
the 'PPP Connection' window to the front.

If you have an internal variable volume modem you may want to manually edit
the appropriate modem command string in Dial Other Providers to attenuate
the sound. For USRobotics it is Mx where x=0 (off) and x=3 (for the deaf
rocker) DO NOT set the '&M' parameter or you will turn error correction off
and make your connection so slow as to be useless!

Now just 'click' and away you go!

  Shutting Down the Connection

To shutdown, select 'PPP Connection' from the task list. (control-esc) In that
window (PPP's log) hit control-C. (and note red light is set back on when
window goes away) It should be noted that care should be taken not to hit
control-C twice as the first cancels PPP then the second will cancel the exec
prior to the red light being set on the icon. Should this happen, proper icon will
be set next time application is invoked. (in other words this is a trivial issue)

Slippm saves the connection info in TCPOS2.INI and pppcnt.cmd reads it each
time it executes so changes made within slippm are automatically used.

CUSTOMIZATION ICONS

PPPCNT has the facility to specify alternate action icons. I ship a sample, ace,
duce, three card to show you how it works. Get creative and make your
own. Have a cool one, send it to me for inclusion in the package.

                 example: pinstall IBM three.ico two.ico ace.ico


where 'IBM' is an account name defined in the 'dial other provider' window.

Case sensitivity in account name is important! Also if you invoke pinstall for a
connection icon which already exists on your desktop, it is redefined. The icon
names are maintained with the account name in TCPOS2.INI.

  DEBUGGING AND ERRORS

If there is an error message and exec is still running you can just switch to the
'PPP connection' window in the task list. The problem is that when the exec
concludes the window usually goes away faster than you can see. In that
case, it is easiest to modify the WPS object in the folllowing manner and let
the window hang with all the info at completion.

If you you need to see (or suspect) error messages that disappear too quickly
it is most convenient to uncheck the 2 boxes on the 'SESSION' page for
settings of the WPS object. (right click icon and select 'settings') Uncheck
these...

Start Minimized
Close Window on Exit

If you experience difficulty you may contact me at
[e-mail]. Please be sure to include enough info so that
my response may be thorough.


Change History
______________

04/26/98 Formal introduction

04/28/98 Scripts now work (tested with Compuserve)
         Made changes with "@" so that password is not displayed in log
         Added custom icon feature

05/06/98 Noted condition when double control-C is hit from PPP Connection
         as leaving status icon in confused state. (ie green when gone)
         This is because first control-C returns to exec (RXppp) from PPP and
         second cancels exec prior to resetting icon.
         If it hurts ... don't do it! Reinvocation will sync ... trivial.

         Added more checks for 'PPP running' in starting stage.

06/04/98 Fixed problem with objectids and shorter account names

11/28/98 Modifications for Warp 4. Kept as separate zip file. (fairly trivial)

02/22/99 Added nameserver resolution file setting and maintenance of original
         resolve file (as resolv.ori) should the user want it for some reason.

03/12/99 Added null setting for empty modem strings per a bug report.
         Also set CCVIEW=NO so you cannot accidentally reinvoke.