I believe this may be a repeat of a previous bug as I have seen references to this before. On a hang-up and re-dial with a chat script pppd generates the following error after the connection passes thru and before it can hand of the IP address. write: warning: Input/output error (5) This results in a re-boot for to clear it up. (barring any other method available). I have killed the process, reset the modem, stopped restarted ppp blah blah. current experimenting with rawhide ppp 2.3.9.1 to see if that fixes problem and oh yes that beast can't seem to find char-major-108.
pppd has nothing to do with being able to find char-major-108 -- that's a kernel module. If the message annoys you, you can add the line alias char-major-108 off and the message will go away. There will be a ppp-2.3.10 in the next RawHide/Lorax trees that you can also try. Does the problem you are referring to happen every time, or only some of the time, on a hang up and redial? ------- Additional Comments From 09/20/99 15:17 ------- char-major-108 refers to ppp_generic which indeed may be a kernel issue but if so it came from pppd not liking a stock kernel. I hadn't recompiled yet. Of interest to note is that I recently wiped the server and started over with (RH6.0) and this error doesnt occur. The alias off command was used by me prior to that. The modem hangup error happened about roughly once a week but not under RH5.2. I have a few ideas but they are hard to prove. 1.) One of the ISP routers has a different ppp connect method that creates this problem. (counter-example is that I used to be able to connect to a friends ISP but now my chat scripts fail with a modem write error every time. (his ISP is texas.net). 2.) I also am about ready to try pppd-2.3.10. 3.) In closing I am confused, I have done this for a while and the errors are puzzling. I can cross test on my W95 box and I hate to say I dont get the error. But, that isnt really an acceptable answer, it just means W95 is just too stupid to break. Another possiblility is that the upgrade method is still abit unclean and it leaves something left over that causes this problem. Dont like that much either but... I must consider all options when trouble-shooting. So if the wipe re-install if that fixes the problem is cheesy but works, but is not a good enough solution, that's just too Microsoftie for my taste. Regards, Henri
The char-major-108 message is just because the new pppd supports a new PPP architecture that started up in the 2.3 kernels, so this pppd will be ready for folks who wish to upgrade their kernels. It's a *really* long shot, but please try ftp://people.redhat.com/johnsonm/ppp-2.3.10-3.i386.rpm and see if it fixes the problem. The chances are really very, very slim, but it might be another manifestation of a bug I just fixed.
Oh, and in the FWIW department, I agree. Don't wipe/reinstall... I've only upgraded and never reinstalled on both my home and work Red Hat Linux machines, and the idea of reinstalling for no good reason is painful.
Since I can't recreate this and haven't heard back, I'm closing this bug report. Re-open it if you find any more data that I can use to diagnose this. Thanks!