1. A few days ago I requested help connecting to the internet through an USB dial-out modem. I am disappointed to say I received no replies. I am not sure where else to go with my question, nor can I understand why nobody bothered to answer.

2. I did further investigation while waiting for a reply, and learned that:

    a.  My system unit has a linmodem with the Conextant (Rockwell) chip set and that support for that chip is unavailable in GNU/Linux.
    b.  My USB modem, a brand new US Robotics 5637, is not supported as a USB device under GNU/Linux.
    c.  The recommended work-around is to load DOS, Win95, or Win98; allow them to configure the modem, then bring up GNU/Linux using LOADLIN.

3. I am disappointed with this solution. If an antiquated version of Windows will drive contemporary hardware that a current version of GNU/Linux will not, there's no place for GNU/Linux in mainstream PC operations. To offer it as a competitor to Windows borders on fraud.

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You didn't received replies because people probably don't know how to solve this particular problem. I don't know how to help you either.

US Robotics is famous for being unsupported with Linux (kernel), even with the main Linux distributed by Torvalds, full of blobs.

If you really need connection through a modem, I think that the Lucent chipset is supported, but I'm not sure. Maybe somebody here knows. And a modem is very cheap actually, so you can buy another easily.

And we aren't competing with Windows. Windows don't even is in the run. GNU/Linux provide freedom, Windows provides slavery, and that's everything I'm going to say about Windows.

It seems like there are only two free programs for internal modems:

http://linmodems.org/

And only one of them supports ppp.

You should buy an external modem that uses the serial port, seems like most of them work.

I feel your pain, I really do. I too am a new gNewSense user, and a particularly unskilled one too.

It is completely unfair to compare GNU/ Linux to an 'antiquated' version of Windows. The reason Windows will support it is because it has the backing of corporate capitalism. It is not in the interest of manufacturers to provide driver support as they are happy to collude with Windows.

gNewSense will always struggle to 'compete' with Windows because it is just that- a struggle. Free as in freedom is a fight against capitalism and is a political struggle.

It is part of the wider fight for a better society, and, historically, both capitalism and governments have colluded against building an alternative economy inside a capitalist society.

when trying to go to the internet with a modem i strongly recommend to use a serial modem (with adapter USB to serial if necessary) use wvdial (configure /etc/wvdial.conf) and start the Internet with terminal "sudo wvdial" if this goes, you can use gnome-ppp or kppp for dial-in. If you want to use your Connexant Modem there is only one way: You have to buy an unfree driver from linuxant. It goes but every time you got a new kernel, you need a new driver. The best way is to use a serial modem and you will have no more modem problems.

Greeting emerald

[Dialer Defaults] Modem = /dev/ttyUSB0 Init1 = ATZ Init2 = ATQ0 V1 E1 S0=0 &C1 &D2 +FCLASS=0 Charrier Check = no Stupid Mode = yes Modem Type = Analog Modem Phone = [use the number of your provider] New PPPD = yes ISDN = 0 Username = [your name given from provider] Password = [your password given from provider] Baud = 230400

This is my wvdial.conf for my serial modem and so should your look like. I use gnome-ppp an all goes perfectly with gNewSense deltah2.2.

I use two serial modems 1. Devolo MikroLink 56k Fun II and 2.Sitecom Serial Modem V92. Both types work perfectly with linux. If I have some questions don't hesitate to post it to the forum, if I am able to solve it, I will do it as soon as possible.

With greetings emerald

I know that going to internet with a 56k modem is a tricky thing, therefor I wright it for a serial modem step by step. 1. Connect your modem to PC 2. in a terminal 'sudo gedit'. 3. In gedit 'Open' 4. click 'File System'. 5. click 'etc' and at the end of the table you will find a file called "wvdial.conf" 6. click it an make the entries according to my wvdial with your datas. 7. Save the entries. 8. Open a terminal 'sudo wvdial' and at this point you should hear you modem working and you are connected to the internet. In a new terminal you should with 'sudo apt-get install gnome-ppp' to install gnome-ppp a dial-tool with which its possible to change the call number, name and password without always to edit wvdial.conf. Hope this tips are helpful for you.