redhadt 6.1 won't let user accounts access ISP.

[zinfadel]

Hi all.
How come when I'm logged on a user account in my Redhat linux 6.1, I can't access the internet. Even if I do SU in a terminal window, it still won't let me. The only way is if I'm logged on as root.
I changed all the priveliges in linux conf, but still doesn't work.

Also, Gnome likes to lock up quite a bit.
I know I don't have the best pc around. I picked up this second hand packard bell.
It's a p133 with 40 megs of ram.

Any info on this problem is appreciated.
Thanks.

[scmgk]

Not being a Linux user myself, I cannot help you. However, being a Unix user, I'll tell you this: NEVER connect to the internet and surf/mail/blah blah as root unless absolutely necessary. In fact, I can't thnk of a single reason why one needs to be on-line as root.

I understand you probably can't do anything else right not, but....

P.S. what's the output of the command you type in to connect as a normal user?

[CMonster]

First let's get Gnome out of the way - it is still very buggy - use KDE instead.

Now regarding the Internet, what exactly do you mean that it wont let you access the Internet? What messages are you getting? Is it when you try to establish a ppp connection or when you try to open the browser or what?

Here is another odd-ball question, when logged in as a regular user can you play a music CD or do you get a message that you do not have permission to use the device?

I bet you just need to set the permissions on the items you are having a problem with. You have to log on as root or do a SU and reset the permissions for these items. It is relatively easy with KDE - you just right click the device or executable file, go to properties and then you will figure it out.

Once you get familliar with KDE you may give up on Gnome.

While it is true that it is not a good habbit to log on as root as for everyday tasks and surfing the Internet, the cautions are often overstated when talking about an average person just trying to learn Linux on a spare box. If you don't have any important personal information or mission critical data to safeguard the worst you could do is to screw things up so much that you format and reinstall - like the time I decided to delete the "nobody" account - what was "nobody" doing there anyway....never do that.... the next time I booted there was a message at the login prompt that said, "Go away! You do not exist!" ...I kid you not.

Anyway, give me some more information and I will get back to you. I'll make it a special point to respond from my Redhat 6.1 box.

George

[zinfadel]

Thanks George for responding. First of all, let me tell you that I don't have anything of inportance on this linux box. Just got this old pc to mess around with linux. Ok now, concerning the permissions thing; I do have, at least, well, I think I have all the privileges enabled for the user in concern, which I did in linux conf. Su won't even work..
Here's what I do step by step.

I'll log in using my user account in kde,
I'll click the kppp dialer, a root password window pops up and of course, if I put my root password in there, then click ok, it just keeps coming back.. Even if I open up a terminal window and su to root, which shows that I did su to root, then go to kppp dialer, the same thing happens. I've checked several folders and files which I think is some of the one's it may call to when trying to connect to the internet using kppp, and they're all user enabled already. So, I'm not sure what else to do.
The problem with the lock up's may be solved.
You see, I have only a 1 meg on board video card, which I set up like this: 800x600 16 bit. I just change the bit to 8 bit, 256 color. Seems more stable now.
Anyway, if you great and wonderful people out there have any more suggestions, I loved to hear them.
Let me tell you about my system first.
I have a packardbell ( I know,but it was giving to me, and by the way, a hardware modem was swapped for the soundcard/modem thing and works fine),
p133, 40 ram 1 gig hard drive with 300 megs for win95, and the rest is set for linux.

Took like 4 installs to get the dual boot thing to work right.
Thanks guy's..
zinfadel@hotmail.com

[CMonster]

Okay, I am now logged onto my Redhat Linux 6.1 box as "George" and I used kppp dialer to establish this connection and post this reply. I had to enter the root password same as you, but mine worked after I changed the permissions for "kppp" and "consolehelper" in /usr/bin - I still have some issues to work out and then I will get back to you. First off, I think it is dumb to have to give ythe root password to use the dialer - what if I had a user I wanted to give access to dialup networking but I didn't want them to know the root password?

Anyway try this: First. logged in as root, go to /usr/bin using the KDE file manager (superuser mode), right click "kppp" and under permissions set group to "users" then go to "consolehelper" (still /usr/bin) and do the same thing - exit file manger, log off and log on again as "yourself"* - kppp will still prompt you for the root password but it should let you dail after that (note: This is a strange setup Redhat is using - once you change the permissions for kppp in Caldera Openlinux 2.3 kppp does not ask for a root password).

Still not working? Put the Redhat CD in the drive and reformat - just kidding! But do put the CD in the drive; now using KDE file manager go to "Redhat" then "RPMS" and find "kppp networking" package - click it and "kpackage" will open it, uncheck "Upgrade" check "Replace files" and click INSTALL.
That should replace any corrupt files. Try everything again..

Isn't Linux fun? http://www.sysopt.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by CMonster (edited 03-10-2000).]

[zinfadel]

Hi Cmonster, George.

Well, I tried to do what you said, but I don't have the options, Meaning, when I go to "RPMS", and find kpp network pakage, does not give me any option what so ever to replace files, just to uninstall it. I did verify one file that something was wrong with, and I'm sure it's due to the fact that I put in user where it once was root. I did it in sbin, because where you told me to do it, it was a shortcut, and it would not take when I put it in there. So not a thing has worked that I tried to do to fix my problem. I don't know about you guy's, but I can see why Linux will never be main stream. I've had more problems in the 10 days with it, then I've had in 3 years with windows 95/98 total. It may be fine and I'm sure it is using it as a server, and maybe just in text mode.

I don't know what else to do. One of the 5 or 6 times I installed it in the past 10 days, it did let me use my user account, but after suing into root. But with this recent install, which I did a custom install not no more. I was just following directions from this web site that I got, which let's me boot win95 or linux, and that does work.

I hate to sound pesimistic( I know, I can't spell)and I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel yet, but I would like to make a chage in linux and have it work for once.

Thanks guys, and I'm still open for suggestions..
Zinfadel.

[CMonster]

Well, First off did you browse the CD using the KDE file manager? If you found the "kde networking" RPM and open it kpackage should give option to install.

I still have to take another look at Redhat's default security model and groups, but I will get back to you on that. Would you be interested in trying Caldera Open Linux 2.3? (I could send it to you) It is a little more updated than the Redhat 6.1 but it does not come with gnome. With Caldera you also get LISA (LInux System Administration) tool which can be very helpful to new Linux recruits.

email me.

George

[zinfadel]

Hi George.
How are you?
First of all, let me thank you for helping me out so much. I appreciate you doing this. Ok, now back to the problems.
well, the only option in kpackage is to uninstall it. I do see a thing that is greyed out that say's " Examine". However, using Gnome Rpm( that we both hate so much), it say's that everything is ok with it. I was getting a error message where I changed the group owner from root to my user, but I chaged it back, now that's ok.. I think I may have been making some head way though. I tried to make another account with kppp after suing on to root. It let me make it, but then when I tried to connect I get this message first,
" PPPD is not properly installed, the binary must be installed with the suid bit set, contack your system add bla, bla, bla.
I then click that to go away, then my connecting window box for kppp comes up, I then click connect, then I get a message saying my modem is locked. So maybe this is where we have to concentrate on now, the modem. How do I unlock it?

On a upbeat note:
I did manage to download and install Kicq, and it's working good, though of course I have to use root still.

That is very nice of you offering my Caldera Linux, but how would you get it to me George?

If you'd like George, you can email me at zinfadel@hotmail.com Plus I'd like to say some things in email that I don't want to post on here.

Ok George, thanks so much for all the help and I'll be looking forward to hearing from you again..

Zinfadel