The Linux Kernel Speedtouch Driver for Mandrake 10.1

To get your modem working you will need to save some things on a floppy disk so you can install them in your new Mandrake system. If you have an old green (revision 0) modem, use the mgmt.o file from this tarball for your firmware. If you have a newer SpeedTouch 330, this zipfile has the firmware you need. Also, save a copy of this page so you can open it with a browser and copy and paste commands into a terminal or text editor (avoids typos).
Before you reboot into an offline environment, consult this table and make a note of your ISP's VPI.VCI numbers and also whether they use PPPoA or PPPoE. If you get the choice choose PPPoA as it's easier. If you have to use PPPoE save a copy of the br2684ctl bridging utility on the floppy as well. Several other things you'll need are on the Mandrake CD's

The Mandrake Control Centre

Mandrake has a graphical interface tool, Mandrake Control Centre, for installing software and configuring your system. You can try to set up your internet connection with it. With Mandrake 10.1 Official I was able to use the Mandrake Control Centre to get online with PPPoA on one of our computers. If it works for you too that's definitely the way to go.
If you downloaded Mandrake yourself you'll still need to save the firmware on a floppy. For legal/licensing reasons Mandrake can't make the firmware available to download so it can't be in the iso's. If you have a silver (rev 4) SpeedTouch 330 use the ZZZL_3.012 file. If you have a purple (rev 2) SpeedTouch 330 use the KQD6_3.012 file. Old green (rev 0) modems use the original mgmt.o. Copy (and rename) the firmware to /usr/share/speedtouch/mgmt.o then setup your connection with the Mandrake Control Centre.

If the Mandrake Control Centre route didn't work or if you use PPPoE you'll need to try something else. First check what you have installed. If you've already tried to setup the modem with the Mandrake Control Centre and it didn't work, some of these packages will have been installed automatically so don't be surprised if they're not on the list. Open the Mandrake Control Centre and click on

Whilst you've got the Mandrake Control Centre Open you might want to remove DHCP, for me it causes the boot process to hang for about a minute while it tries to configure a non-existent eth0 connection.

Secrets

Now you need to edit either /etc/ppp/chap-secrets or /etc/ppp/pap-secrets. If you don't know whether your ISP uses chap or pap authentication then just edit both files. It won't do any harm. You'll need to be root to write there so open a terminal and enter su then the root password to become root, then launch a text editor with the path to the file you want to edit. I like Gnome so I use gedit but kate, kedit, vim, emacs - whatever. Use the editor you like.

It'll probably print some warnings in the terminal but don't be put off, they're harmless. Add just one line to the end of the file

Change username@isp for the username your ISP gave you (it usually has an @isp bit at the end) and change password for the password you chose when you set up your account with your ISP. Then do the same for /etc/ppp/pap-secrets. Don't miss out the spaces in the " "*" " bit. If you tried to setup the connection with the Mandrake Control Centre those details should already be there but there's no harm in checking

The Firmware

If you're not sure what revision your Speedtouch is, use the command

Now unzip/untar the firmware. Put in the floppy disk you saved the firmware on. If your modem is a revision 2 or 4 then

Now copy it to /usr/share/speedtouch. If you have a revision 4 modem copy the firmware to /usr/share/speedtouch/mgmt.o with this command in a root terminal.

If you have a revision 2 modem it's the same thing but with the other file

If you have an old green stingray revision 0 modem, untar the speedmgmt.tar.gz

And with a root terminal copy the mgmt.o file it contains to /usr/share/speedtouch

If your ISP is PPPoE skip down to the PPPoE section

PPP Over ATM

Copy and paste this into text editor of your choice. Launch it with a root terminal so you'll have permission to write in the /etc folder. Pass it the argument /etc/ppp/peers/speedtch so that it creates the correct file.

Change username@isp for the username your ISP knows you by (often, but not always, it has an @isp bit at the end. It may be @bt, for example) Also, change the 0.00 at the bottom for the VP/VC values for your country/ISP

Connect on Boot

To connect on boot, you need to put those two commands in a script and have them run automagically during the boot process. In the root terminal open create /etc/init.d/dial with a text editor

Copy this into it.

Tidying up

You just have some loose ends to fix now.

• Change the permissions on that script so it can be executed
• Make a symbolic link pointing at it from /etc/rc5.d

Reboot and you should be online.
Please report any problems to the mailing list

PPPoE

With a root terminal use the text editor of your choice to create the plain text file /etc/ppp/peers/speedtch

Copy and paste this into it but change username@isp for the name your ISP knows you by (often it has an @isp bit at the end, it may be @bt, for example)

br2684ctl

Put in the floppy disk with the br2684ctl-010226-1.i386.rpm on it and then install it with this command in a root terminal

Modules

You'll need to have this module loaded and the simplest way to do that is to have it load on boot. Edit /etc/modprobe.preload

Add this to the end of it

Connect on Boot

To connect on boot, you need to put these commands in a script and have them run automagically during the boot process. With the root terminal use a text editor to create the plain text file /etc/init.d/dial

Copy this into it. Change VP.VC for the VPI/VCI numbers for your country/ISP. For example in Switzerland it's 8.35

Tidying up

You just have some loose ends to fix now.

• Change the permissions on that script so it can be executed
• Make a symbolic link pointing at it from /etc/rc5.d

Reboot and you should be online.
Please report any problems to the mailing list