This document will guide you through the installation of Benoit Papillaut's GPL driver for the SpeedTouch USB and SpeedTouch 330 modems made by Thomson (formerly Alcatel) on GNU/Linux.
Download the latest version from sourceforge project's »»
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What you need to download is the modem's microcode provided with Thomson's drivers. You have two possibilities:
It can be found in the form of two files:
Warning:
Just download Thomson's drivers and uncompress them. Do NOT install them. You only need them for the microcode (ie a piece of software loaded into the modem at initialization)
Benoit's drivers work very well with 2.4.x series, but it is possible to make them run under 2.2.18 and highers as they use USB code from 2.4.x kernels.
If you're not at ease with kernel compilation, don't be happy worry and pray. Recent distros are likely to provide an operationnal kernel (Mandrake 8.x/RH 7.x/Debian Potato/Woody/Sid for example). Nevertheless, it is preferable to build your own kernel for many reasons that could not be explain in this document. Another good reason to do so is that you can apply a patch on a kernel module, preventing a bug when your connection is restarted.
As a conclusion :
If you choose to build a new kernel try to pick a recent one: USB support is getting better with versions.Url to download Linux's kernel : http://www.kernel.org
NB : Avoid 2.4.5 like the plague as it keeps swapping and trashing all the time
pppd should work from 2.3.11 version (this was the elder version we had for testing)
NB : If you have a 2.4.x Linux kernel, you must use a 2.4.x pppd (2.2 kernels run fine with both 2.3.x and 2.4.x pppd daemons).
This is a two step job:
To allow Benoit's drivers to work, your kernel has to have a
few options enabled. Configure it with your everyday options
and carefully add the following ones:
Depending on your USB controller (chipset on motherboard/pci
card), you'll have to choose between two modules: UHCI or
OHCI
Without explaining the whole thing, these are two USB
incompatible standards.
This is why you have to know which chipset is yours.
To determine which to use :
# lspci -v | grep USB
You should obtain something like :
usb-ohci : CMD technologies Inc|USB0670B
usb-uhci : USB Controller: Intel Corporation 82371AB PIIX4 USB
(rev 01) (prog-if 00 [UHCI])
If your chipset uses OHCI standard, you'll have to pick usb-ohci
(surprising !).
If, on the contrary, it uses UHCI standard you'll have to choose
between usb-uhci or uhci. They should work both, but in case
you have problems setting usb support with a module, pick the
other one, and pray !
<M>/<*> Support for USB (CONFIG_USB)
<*> Preliminary USB device filesystem
(CONFIG_USB_DEVICEFS)
<M> UHCI (Intel PIIX4, VIA, ...) support
(CONFIG_USB_UHCI)
<M> UHCI Alternate Driver (JE) support
(CONFIG_USB_UHCI_ALT)
<M> OHCI (Compaq, iMacs, OPTi, SiS, ALi, ...) support
(CONFIG_USB_OHCI)
<M> PPP (point-to-point protocol) support
(CONFIG_PPP)
<M> PPP support for sync tty ports
(CONFIG_PPP_SYNC_TTY)
# cd /usr/src/linux
# patch -p1 --dry-run <
/path/to/drivers/n_hdlc.c.diff (watchout: two - before
dry-run ! )
If you don't get error message, type the real command to
currently patch the kernel sources
#patch -p1 < /path/to/drivers/n_hdlc.c.diff
NB: Kernels >= 2.4.18 include our n_hdlc patch so you have not to apply the patch anymore
You can continue, now :
Character devices --->
[*] Non-standard serial port support
<M> HDLC line discipline support
[*]Unix98 PTY support
# tar xvzf speedtouch-xxx.tar.gz
cd into the new directory and type :
# ./configure && make
If everything ran fine su root and finish the install by
typing :
# make install
Greetings, the drivers should now be installed
NB: check your path if you can't run modem_run, as it is copied
in /usr/local/sbin
Cd into your /dev directory :
# cd /dev
Check ppp devices existence doing :
# ls *ppp*
If the ls command gives you an output go to the next
step, else create all ppp devices typing :
# ./MAKEDEV ppp
# pppd --version.
Drivers are tested with pppd 2.4.0 and 2.4.1. They also run fine with older versions, per example pppd 2.3.11 shiped with the Potato Debian GNU/Linux.
To configure pppd, you'll have to edit 4 files.
You should have an /etc/ppp/options file, edit it and keep these 4 lines in it (comment all extra lines with a #)
------------------ /etc/ppp/options Beginning
-------------
noauth
usepeerdns
lock
noipdefault
------------------ /etc/ppp/options End
------------------
Create /etc/ppp/peers/adsl :
# mkdir /etc/ppp/peers
# touch /etc/ppp/peers/adsl
Copy and paste what follows (without the "---" ;) )
-------------------/etc/ppp/peers/adsl
Beginning------------
#
# This file could be rename but its place is under
/etc/ppp/peers
# To connect to Internet using this configuration file
# pppd call adsl updetach, where "adsl" stands for the name of this
file
#
debug
kdebug 1
noipdefault
defaultroute
pty "/usr/local/sbin/pppoa3 -m 1 -c -vpi 8 -vci 35"
sync
user "your_login_here"
noauth
noaccomp
nopcomp
noccp
novj
holdoff 4
persist
maxfail 25
usepeerdns
------------------/etc/ppp/peers/adsl
EOF------------------
If for an unknown reason pppoa3 failed, you can still try the old pppoa2 daemon. You
should change the pty "/usr/local/sbin/pppoa3 -m 1 -c -vpi 8 -vci
35" line by pty "/usr/local/sbin/pppoa2 -vpi 8 -vci 35"
For more details about pppoa2/3, type "man pppoa3, man pppoa2".
Don't forget to adapt the vpi and vci values in the
line :
pty "/usr/local/sbin/pppoa2 -vpi 8 -vci 35"
- VPI : Virtual Path ID
- VCI : Virtual Circuit ID
What are their function ?
That's a good question. They are used to identify your
Virtual Path Connection (VP) and your Virtual Circuit
Connection (VC).
They simplify the network management, minimizing connection
delays. They allow cell commutation too.
An ATM network looks like this :
VC--------|----|-------------|----|--------
VC--------| VP | | VP |--------
VC--------|----| Transmition |----|--------
| Path |
VC--------|----| |----|--------
VC--------| VP | | VP |--------
VC--------|----|-------------|----|--------
2 protocols can be used by providers to identify their
users: CHAP or PAP.
Depending on your provider, edit /etc/ppp/chap-secrets
or /etc/ppp/pap-secrets.
These fields look like this :
-------------------/etc/ppp/chap-secrets
Begining--------------
# client server secret IP addresses
"your_login_here" "*" "your_password_here" "*"
-------------------/etc/ppp/chap-secrets
End-------------------
If you don't know what protocol is used by your provider, you can fill in both files, it won't hurt.
Edit /etc/modules.conf (or /etc/conf.modules if your system is a bit old) and add the following lines :
alias char-major-108 ppp_generic
alias /dev/ppp ppp_generic
alias tty-ldisc-3 ppp_async
alias tty-ldisc-13 n_hdlc
alias tty-ldisc-14 ppp_synctty
alias ppp-compress-21 bsd_comp
alias ppp-compress-24 ppp_deflate
alias ppp-compress-26 ppp_deflate
Some entries are useless, but once again they won't hurt !
# modprobe ppp_generic
# modprobe ppp_synctty
# modprobe n_hdlcThen, check that usbdevfs is mounted :
# modprobe usbcore
# mount none /proc/bus/usb -t usbdevfs
# modprobe usb-uhci or usb-ohci or uhci
# modem_run -f /path/to/mgmt.o
or
# modem_run -f /path/to/alcaudsl.sys
# pppd call adsl updetachWait for a few seconds (20) and check if the link is up by
typing :
# ifconfig ppp0
You should have a description of the interface.
If not, well it's time to look for help (and so to read the
next part of this howto).
First of all, read the archive
of this mailing list before subscribing. Your problem may
already have a solution.
To subscribe to the list, send an email to speedtouch-request@ml.free.fr
with subscribe as the subject.
Serveur : irc.freenode.net
Channel : #speedtouch
Known nicknames :
benoit : Benoit PAPILLAULT
francois : François ROGLER
GomGom : Edouard GOMEZBenoit PAPILLAUT's Driver homepage
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