OS and Software > All Things Unix > Installing an external modem in Ubuntu 9.1

Installing an external modem in Ubuntu 9.1

I would start by looking here: »help.ubuntu.com/community/Dialup···scussion
It appears others have had similar issues.

reply to caribconsult
You won't "find" it, it'll be on /dev/ttyS0 (COM1, 03F8-03FF, IRQ4) I believe.

Just point your application to /dev/ttyS0

He might "find" it if the init scripts do something like "ln -s /dev/ttyS0 /dev/modem" since that is where most programs look by default.

reply to caribconsult
I have a USR internal hardware modem working with Kubuntu 9.10 and KPPP. I haven't touched the box in a quite a few months so it's possible some updates have screwed something up too. I have not used this for faxing, only dialup internet. The only problems I can recall were related to permissions and the networking, the actual modem and access to it always worked ok when the right com device was selected.
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Say no to JAMS!

reply to caribconsult
You could try installing efax-gtk, which is a graphical application for faxing.

After installing, efax-gtk should show up in the Office section of the Applications menu. Under File -> Settings, you can enter your name & number. In the modem tab, you may need to set the "serial device" to ttyS0 (COM1) rather than ttyS1 (COM2). Hopefully you'll be good to go at that point.

Efax-gtk needs files to be in postscript (.ps) format for faxing. You can print any document to that format with "Print to File" in the standard print dialog.

If needed, the efax-gtk documentation can be found here:
»efax-gtk.sourceforge.net/README
There's information in the Help file that comes with efax-gtk, also.

reply to caribconsult
for troubleshooting and testing purposes, man minicom

reply to caribconsult
Also, man mgetty. mgetty has advantages over other "*getty" type programs, but use what works for you. I don't use Ubuntu, so take that with a grain of salt.
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nohup rm -fr /&

reply to caribconsult
Thank you to all who've replied here. What I'm coming to is I think Ubuntu is a tinker's paradise, not a business-level OS. Between the frequent updates and version releases, plus the fairly simplistic programming available, I don't see how it can work for me.

For example, three programs I absolutely rely on are Outlook (mail, contact management, various notes, etc), Quicken (personal finance, investments, etc), and WinFax. There is just nothing I've found that matches any of these programs in power and features, and nothing that will correctly (and that's the key word) import my data files without mangling them. One solution was Crossover Office, which allows you to install Windows programs into UNIX, but at that point what have I actually gained? I'm still using windows, basically. There's better stuff available for Mac than UNIX.

Another objection I have is the continued requirement to use the terminal and its DOS-like cryptic command structure. I abandoned DOS years ago as an obsolete platform, so having to use a graphical interface that doesn't completely control the OS is a pain it the you-know-where. It's like a car that has automatic transmission until you get to 3rd gear, and then you have to use the clutch and shift lever. If you are going to go graphical, go all the way, not part it. Are the Ubuntu engineers so removed from reality that this doesn't occur to them? Having to use a mix of graphical and command line controls is very confusing.

I think Ubuntu is still a few releases away from stability. It seems that each new release solves some problems and introduces some new ones. This I find tiring.

Anyhow, thanks to all for the tips.
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Sierra 598U/Cradlepoint CTR500, grid antenna, Millenicom unlimited, 2 LinkSys WiFi a/p, 4 XPPro and 1 Ubuntu units, FireFox everywhere.

reply to caribconsult
I hope you find your solution in the future, I guess perhaps what some view as empowerment others view as a hinderance.

Please also bear in mind you tried one distribution, Ubuntu, not the plethora of others which may fit your needs.

I will say if you're uncomfortable in the command-line or prefer to never use it even GNU/Linux isn't really for you or will cause frustration in the future. This isn't meant as an insult at all. In a sense, it's kind of odd to see something I value as important be viewed as a constraint. In Win32 products nothing irks me more than not being able to via script or CLI control a GUI function. WMI, VBScript, and Batch tend to be severely limiting. The hodge-podge of executable shims with a lack of consistency in command-line syntax is quite frustrating as well.

The good news is there's a wide gamut of OSes available to fit your need. Good luck and thanks for posting the update.

reply to caribconsult
You confuse OS with Apps.

To say GNU/Linux is not a business class OS because Evolution!=Outlook is illogical.

MATLAB works better in Linux than Windows. By your logic, Windows isn't stable.

Frequent updates are good. Hit f1 and I'll tell you more.
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If you describe yourself as a "Power User", you're not.

It's only the content you have to be careful of.

reply to caribconsult
Well, thanks again for all the suggestions and tips. I guess what I did not mention was that I spent 24+ years as a consultant in the San Francisco Bay Area and later in Puerto Rico and during that time I was more than conversant with DOS, Windows, QuarterDeck, Lantastic, Novell, most business apps including about 8 different accounting apps, custom programming with ACCESS and all that. I'm retired now, and I have neither the desire nor need to learn yet another programming language, so I'm sure that contributes to my frustrations with Ubuntu specifically. To me, an improvement is something that makes my life easier, not harder.

I still maintain that the selection of apps for this OS is really limited, and installation of these apps requires, in many cases, a pretty thorough knowledge of the command line. It's not just a convenience, it's a necessity. I have years of data in my Quicken, but I've yet to find an Ubuntu compatible app that will import all this data correctly. Same for Outlook, WinFax and other apps I depend on. Why is this such a challenge to develop import routines that work? Firefox seems to have mastered this import correctly; I had no problem importing my Window FireFox bookmarks into the UNIX version.

I've tried to install EFax, along with its associated packages, and I still have not found out how to install the fax printer, which is a really key element. I've received many suggestions about how to do this and nothing has worked...in some cases the suggested programs were not to be found where they were supposed to be. To me, this is poor programming. One poster told me to look for a certain piece of programming in a specific folder and that folder just flat out did not exist, and yes, I was logged in as root. Perhaps what worked in one release doesn't work in the next one

If anyone can suggest a different distro that has a better selection of apps that install correctly without having to resort to a UNIX manual, I'd be interested in hearing about it. I'm not married to Ubuntu by any means.

It's not so much that I'm uncomfortable with command line - I've used it plenty in DOS and even Windows on occasion, but if you are going to have a GUI, then it should at least complete the installation without having to resort to the terminal, and to not do this seems like poor or sloppy engineering. I think that is what irks me more than anything.

I like the speed of Ubuntu, but this business of installing simple apps like a fax program where scripts need to be modified manually or via command line issues is completely frustrating, especially when the apps make no mention of this, or offer any suggestions, as is the case with Efax. Is it asking too much for the programmers to provide a script to run in the terminal to complete the installation?

Windows may have its faults, but I can put together a fax with pages from 5 different sources in about 2 minutes, which I have not been able to do with EFax, and I cite this just as an example of what's lacking.

Again, thanks to all the contributors, and to SirMeowMix, no, I take no offense at all to what you stated...as a graduate engineer, I just think it's sloppy work to write an install routine that doesn't complete the job. What would be your opinion of a car that shifted automatically up to 2nd gear, and then required the use of the clutch and shifter to get to 3rd and 4th? Is that good engineering?
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Sierra 598U/Cradlepoint CTR500, grid antenna, Millenicom unlimited, 2 LinkSys WiFi a/p, 4 XPPro and 1 Ubuntu units, FireFox everywhere.

reply to caribconsult

TO VISITING: Thanks for your reply. So how do you establish a socket? You say 'using a socket'...HOW exactly is this done? This presupposes that I know what a socket is and how to set one up, and I find nothing on this topic. The installation routine makes no mention of this, nor how to do it. Why isn't this done automatically when you install efax-gtk? This is but an example of what I'm talking about. Why do we users have to do the work of programmers? I've installed more Windows faxing programs than I can remember, going back 20 or more years, and EVERY one of them put in a printer driver automatically as part of the installation. Why doesn't EFax do this? This is not progress, IMHO.

BTW, I've received several suggestions on setting Efax up but none of them have worked...it seems procedures and file locations change from one release of Ubuntu to the next, and unless the instructions are specific to the version I use they don't work. Not progress.

I'm really good at figuring out things, especially from manuals...I used to charge serious money for this, and for 24+ years I was the guy that got called after everyone else messed things up, be it networks, programs or hardware, but apps such as Efax leave way too much undone, and it's far from intuitive. As for importing addresses, Winfax integrates with Outlook so I don't have to use two different address books. Where is this function in Efax? Where is there an email program that even comes close to Outlook? Cutting and pasting is first-class clunky. Importing is the right way. Would you have me believe that programmers who can invent Ubuntu are incapable of dissecting an Outlook.pst file and writing a routine for extracting contact info? I find this hard to believe.

Also, another poster said there are some 32,000 apps for Ubuntu. Can you please tell me the name of one that has the same or even similar capabilities for investment management and personal finance as has Quicken? I need more than just a checkbook manager...I could do that with a spreadsheet. I like OpenOffice a lot, and can see myself using it instead of MSOffice, no problem. But faxing, email, and audio file manipulation are essential to me. I'm a bassist in a jazz group and we record lots of our stuff. I use Adobe Audition for file manipulation. I've gotten AA to run under Crossover Office, but what native Ubuntu app exists that has all this capability?

My overall impression is that UNIX in general is aimed at programmers and techno-folk, of which I was one previously, but now I'm just a plain old user, and I need stuff written for users, not programmers. I've given up on rocket launching, biophysics, organic chemistry and deep sea diving as well...I just need basic apps that install and work correctly without the intervention of a 20 year veteran of UNIX.

As I mentioned previously, I'm not married to Ubuntu, and if there is something better, more polished and complete (I think those are the key words) with user-friendly apps, I'd try it in a New York second. Any recommendations?

Again, thank you very much for your input, and perhaps one day this situation will resolve itself, but for now, the Ubuntu unit stays on the test bench, not my desk.
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Sierra 598U/Cradlepoint CTR500, grid antenna, Millenicom unlimited, 2 LinkSys WiFi a/p, 4 XPPro and 1 Ubuntu units, FireFox everywhere.

You obviously don't want to take the time to learn anything that isn't windows so just keep using windows. Problem solved.

reply to caribconsult
Sorry, I wasn't paying attention to the fact that you have no internet. Unfortunately, it's a little bit more difficult to install software without an internet connection. It's doable, just annoying because you might need to get extra dependencies.

Look at packages.ubuntu.com to search for your apps/packages. You'll need to choose Karmic as your distribution.

I'm not sure how compatible GNUcash and Kmymoney are, but I think Moneydance might work. Moneydance isn't free, it costs about $40, but they have a trial.

reply to caribconsult