-This is the README file for ppp-2.3, a package which implements the
+This is the README file for ppp-2.4, a package which implements the
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) to provide Internet connections over
serial lines.
-In this first beta release, the ports for SunOS, Solaris, NetBSD and
-Digital Unix (OSF/1) are believed to be working correctly. The Linux
-port mostly works, but still has some known bugs (demand dialling
-doesn't work correctly). The remaining ports haven't been tested
-extensively. The NeXTStep port is not included here since it hasn't
-been updated from 2.2 yet. For information on its current status, see
-http://www.thoughtport.com:8080/PPP/.
-
Introduction.
*************
- Kernel code, which establishes a network interface and passes
packets between the serial port, the kernel networking code and the
PPP daemon (pppd). This code is implemented using STREAMS modules on
-SunOS 4.x, Solaris 2.x, System V Release 4, and OSF/1, and as a
-line discipline under Ultrix, NextStep, NetBSD, FreeBSD, and Linux.
+SunOS 4.x and Solaris, and as a line discipline under Linux and FreeBSD.
- The PPP daemon (pppd), which negotiates with the peer to establish
the link and sets up the ppp network interface. Pppd includes support
for authentication, so you can control which other systems may make a
PPP connection and what IP addresses they may use.
+The primary platforms supported by this package are Linux and Solaris.
+Code for SunOS 4.x is included here but is largely untested. I have
+code for NeXTStep, FreeBSD, SVR4, Tru64 (Digital Unix), AIX and Ultrix
+but no active maintainers for these platforms. Code for all of these
+except AIX is included in the ppp-2.3.11 release.
+
Installation.
*************
that system. The supported systems, and the corresponding README
files, are:
- Digital Unix (OSF/1) README.osf
Linux README.linux
- NetBSD, FreeBSD README.bsd
- NeXTStep README.next
Solaris 2 README.sol2
SunOS 4.x README.sunos4
- System V Release 4 README.svr4
- Ultrix 4.x README.ultrix
-
-(Unfortunately, AIX 4 is no longer supported, since I don't have a
-maintainer for the AIX 4 port. If you want to volunteer, contact me.)
In each case you start by running the ./configure script. This works
out which operating system you are using and creates symbolic links to
user-level code, and (as root) `make install' to install the
user-level programs pppd, chat and pppstats.
-The procedures for installing the kernel code vary from system to
-system. On some systems, the kernel code can be loaded into a running
-kernel using a `modload' facility. On others, the kernel image has to
-be recompiled and the system rebooted. See the README.* files for
-details.
-
-
-What's new in ppp-2.3.
-**********************
-
-* Demand-dialling. Pppd now has a mode where it will establish the
-network interface immediately when it starts, but not actually bring
-the link up until it sees some data to be sent. Look for the demand
-option description in the pppd man page.
-
-* Idle timeout. Pppd will optionally terminate the link if no data
-packets are sent or received within a certain time interval.
-
-* Pppd now runs the /etc/ppp/auth-up script, if it exists, when the
-peer successfully authenticates itself, and /etc/ppp/auth-down when
-the connection is subsequently terminated. This can be useful for
-accounting purposes.
-
-* A new packet compression scheme, Deflate, has been implemented.
-This uses the same compression method as `gzip'. This method is free
-of patent or copyright restrictions, and it achieves better
-compression than BSD-Compress. It does consume more CPU cycles for
-compression than BSD-Compress, but this shouldn't be a problem for
-links running at 100kbit/s or less.
-
-* There is no code in this distribution which is covered by Brad
-Clements' restrictive copyright notice. The STREAMS modules for SunOS
-and OSF/1 have been rewritten, based on the Solaris 2 modules, which
-were written from scratch without any Clements code.
-
-* Pppstats has been reworked to clean up the output format somewhat.
-It also has a new -d option which displays data rate in kbyte/s for
-those columns which would normally display bytes.
-
-* Pppd options beginning with - or + have been renamed, e.g. -ip
-became noip, +chap became require-chap, etc. The old options are
-still accepted for compatibility but may be removed in future.
-
-* Pppd now has some options (such as the new `noauth' option) which
-can only be specified if it is being run by root, or in an
-"privileged" options file: /etc/ppp/options or an options file in the
-/etc/ppp/peers directory. There is a new "call" option to read
-options from a file in /etc/ppp/peers, making it possible for non-root
-users to make unauthenticated connections, but only to certain trusted
-peers. My intention is to make the `auth' option the default in a
-future release.
-
-* Several minor new features have been added to pppd, including the
-maxconnect and welcome options. Pppd will now terminate the
-connection when there are no network control protocols running. The
-allowed IP address(es) field in the secrets files can now specify
-subnets (with a notation like 123.45.67.89/24) and addresses which are
-not acceptable (put a ! on the front).
-
-* Numerous bugs have been fixed (no doubt some have been introduced :-)
-Thanks to those who reported bugs in ppp-2.2.
+N.B. Since 2.3.0, leaving the permitted IP addresses column of the
+pap-secrets or chap-secrets file empty means that no addresses are
+permitted. You need to put a "*" in that column to allow the peer to
+use any IP address. (This only applies where the peer is
+authenticating itself to you, of course.)
+
+
+What's new in ppp-2.4.0.
+************************
+
+* Multilink: this package now allows you to combine multiple serial
+ links into one logical link or `bundle', for increased bandwidth and
+ reduced latency. This is currently only supported under the
+ Linux-2.3.99pre5 or later kernels.
+
+* All the pppd processes running on a system now write information
+ into a common database. I used the `tdb' code from samba for this.
+
+* New hooks have been added.
+
+For a list of the changes made during the 2.3 series releases of this
+package, see the Changes-2.3 file.
+
+
+Compression methods.
+********************
+
+This package supports two packet compression methods: Deflate and
+BSD-Compress. Other compression methods which are in common use
+include Predictor, LZS, and MPPC. These methods are not supported for
+two reasons - they are patent-encumbered, and they cause some packets
+to expand slightly, which pppd doesn't currently allow for.
+BSD-Compress is also patent-encumbered (its inclusion in this package
+can be considered a historical anomaly :-) but it doesn't ever expand
+packets. Neither does Deflate, which uses the same algorithm as gzip.
Patents.
Contacts.
*********
-Bugs in the the SunOS, Solaris 2, NetBSD and Ultrix ports, and bugs in
-pppd, chat or pppstats should be reported me at:
-
- email: Paul.Mackerras@cs.anu.edu.au
-
- mail: Dr Paul Mackerras
- Dept. of Computer Science
- Australian National University
- Canberra ACT 0200
- AUSTRALIA
-
- fax: +61-6-249-0010
-
-Bugs in other ports should be reported to the maintainer for that port
-(see the appropriate README.* file) or to me.
+The comp.protocols.ppp newsgroup is a useful place to get help if you
+have trouble getting your ppp connections to work. Please do not send
+me questions of the form "please help me get connected to my ISP" -
+I'm sorry, but I simply do not have the time to answer all the
+questions like this that I get.
-Thanks to:
+If you find bugs in this package, please report them to the maintainer
+for the port for the operating system you are using:
- Brad Parker (brad@fcr.com)
- Greg Christy (gmc@quotron.com)
- Drew D. Perkins (ddp@andrew.cmu.edu)
- Rick Adams (rick@seismo.ARPA)
- Chris Torek (chris@mimsy.umd.edu, umcp-cs!chris).
+Linux Paul Mackerras <paulus@linuxcare.com>
+Solaris 2 Adi Masputra <adi.masputra@sun.com>
+SunOS 4.x Adi Masputra <adi.masputra@sun.com>
Copyrights:
***********
-All of the code can be freely used and redistributed.
+All of the code can be freely used and redistributed. The individual
+source files each have their own copyright and permission notice; some
+have a BSD-style notice and some are under the GPL.
Distribution:
The primary site for releases of this software is:
- ftp://cs.anu.edu.au/pub/software/ppp/
+ ftp://linuxcare.com.au/pub/ppp/
-($Id: README,v 1.7 1996/08/28 06:30:32 paulus Exp $)
+($Id: README,v 1.23 2000/04/13 11:59:40 paulus Exp $)
projects / ppp.git / blobdiff