I recently posted messages to the "linux.setup" newsgroup
but I have had no helpful responses.  This may be a problem
in the Kernel itself or perhaps in the RPM files, or
related "SysVinit" or "initscripts" files:

---
In a couple of previous messages I reported I was having
problems
using an external Modem on COM2 when I upgraded to Kernel
version
2.0.36-1.  I've continued to work on the problem without
success.

I downloaded the latest Kernel version 2.0.36-3 files.  I
installed
them with "rpm -Uvh --force".  The same COM2 problem showed
up.
I then checked "initscripts" and "SysVinit" and found that I
already
had the latest 5.1 versions (SysVinit 2.74-4 and initscripts
3.67-1).
I tried to install the 5.2 versions ("SysVinit 2.74-5" and
"initscripts-3.78-1") using

rpm -Uvh --force

but the result was:

failed dependencies:
       redhat-release <= 5.1 conflicts with initscripts-
3.78-1

Since the installation failed, I did not re-install 2.0.35-2
--
it should be intact.  Any suggestions would be welcome.


---
Earlier Message:

I've been reading Mark Bratcher's problems regarding RH
Linux 5.2
and his internal COM2 modem and I think there may be a more
general
problem with the 2.0.36 Kernel.

I'm running a Gigabyte 5486AL motherboard (486DX4/100).  I
have a
mouse on COM1 and my external modem on COM2.  I started out
with RH
Linux 5.1 which comes with Kernel version 2.0.35-1 and I've
been
using it as a remote client to my ISP through "Network
Configurator"
PPP through /dev/modem on COM2.  I've been stepping my way
through
upgrades one at a time, so I previously upgraded to Kernel
version
2.0.35-2 without problems.  However, yesterday I tried
upgrading
to Kernel version 2.0.36-1 and I could no longer dial out.
When
you click on "activate" the modem DTR light would come on
for a
moment and then turn off.  It was on for about a 1/4 second.
I
checked the "Network Configurator" settings and everything
seemed
to be ok.  I tried "a few other things" but nothing seemed
to
help.  So I eventually reloaded Kernel version 2.0.35-2 and
it's
working again.

Does anybody have an suggestions for setting changes?  Does
anybody
know of any other problems on the serial ports?

The following is some further information:

Last upgrades just before the Kernel upgrades:

Upgraded "pam" to "pam-0.64-4.i386.rpm" version
Upgraded "ftp" to "ftp-0.10-4.i386.rpm" version

Things I noticed while running with Kernel version 2.0.36-1:

1.  I think I saw some references to 2.0.35 stuff during the
system
boot.  This is hard to tell since some of the boot messages
go by
pretty fast for human eye reading on a DX4/100.  Is there a
way to
store this as a text file?  Is it already being stored
somewhere?

2.  After 2.0.36-1 upgrade, the "finding module
dependencies" during
system boot was still looking for 2.0.35-2 dependencies.
This
is definite.

3.  Also, system boot page still refers to 2.0.35 kernel.
This
latter is probably not relevant since it's probably just a
text file
somewhere that's printed to the tty before the login.

Reinstalling Kernel version 2.0.35-2:

The following errors were returned by rpm:

"cannot remove /lib/modules/2.0.36-1/misc - directory not
empty"
"cannot remove /lib/modules/2.0.36-1 - directory not empty"
"cannot remove /usr/src/linux-2.0.36 - directory not empty"
"package /usr/src/linux-2.0.36/drivers/block/ali4xx.c not
found in
file index"

---
I also tried addressing "/dev/ttyS1" instead of "/dev/modem"
through
"Network Configurator".  That made no difference.  However,
Minicom
had no problem using the COM2: port.