Global Linux-TIA HOWTO
version 2.0T (updated 12/16/95) by Irish
This document will describe how to get your Linux box to connect to a
generic site via TIA, The Internet Adaptor. I take no responsibility for
your use of this information, but corrections are welcome.
I will not attempt to describe all that can be done over this connection
once established, but I will refer you to other documents or sites that
will contain the relevant information.
That done, let's do it!
1.0 What is TIA?
The Intenet Adaptor was written by the fine folks at marketplace.com. It is
used to simulate a SLIP connection from a shell account. It costs $25 for a
single user license, site licenses are available. It works with any client
OS that uses standard TCP/IP and SLIP networking, and clients.
1.1 How does TIA work?
It is important to understand how TIA works in general, to be aware of its
limitations. First, you do not need to install TIA on your machine. It
runs on your remote host only. What you need is the TCP/IP and SLIP
protocols installed in your kernel (more on that in a bit), and some clients.
Here's what happens: you send network requests from your machine to your
remote host over the SLIP link. TIA grabs them and sends them out to the Net
at large. Then, incoming data is sent back from the Net to your account on
the remote host, where TIA grabs it and sends it back over the SLIP link
to your machine. So, to the Net it appears as if you are working out of
your account on the remote host, but to you it looks like you are really
connected right to the Net.
As you can see, this can confuse stuff that is incoming from the Net. For
example, talk doesn't work via TIA, because the incoming talk request
tries to start the remote hosts talk daemon, not yours.
The other big difference between TIA and real SLIP is you are NOT assigned
your own IP address; remember, you are only converting a dialup account to a
SLIP connection.
1.2 What about Term?
What about it? My opinion; Using Term is like using a crank to start
your car, a lot of work and completely unnessesary. Of course, if you
don't have root access to your machine for one reason or another, and
you can't persuade someone who does to install SLIP and dip, then you
won't have much choice. If you really want to know more about Term, read
the HOWTO on Sunsite.
1.3 What about SLiRP?
This is new, and it's free because it's GPLed. TIA isn't free, but it's
real cheap, real stable, and well supported and documented. Go ahead and
try it if you wish. I have heard that the following information works for
SLiRP with only minor modifications, but please don't mail me with
questions because I really don't know anything about it. Don't get me
wrong, obviously I have nothing against free software, but TIA is what
I know and use. Besides, for me TIA is free, because the Admin here
purchased a site license. Maybe you can convince yours, it's worth it,
for you and them.
Enough already! How do I set it up?
2.0 Preparing your Linux machine
In a nutshell, here's what's required. I'll explain each of these in detail.
-> Compile your kernel to include SLIP and TCP/IP
-> Edit some files in /etc
-> Install and configure dip
You will also need to get the TIA binary appropriate for your remote host
and install it. All of the relevant info for this is available at TIAs home
site.
NOTENOTENOTE: TIA 2.0.5 is out now. It supports, among other things,
CSLIP and PPP. There are very few changes required to use CSLIP, and they
are noted below. A PPP HOWTO will be forthcoming soon, as well as
documentation on some new features. Watch this space!
That's it! Let's get started.
2.1 Compiling your kernel
If you have never done this, you should. And you should read the FAQ
first, but don't worry, it's easy. If you want, you can e-mail me and
I'll help.
I'll assume that you have here, for the sake of brevity. When you 'make
config', look for "Network Devices". Say 'y', of course, then say 'y' to
SLIP and TCP/IP, (Tia 2.0.5 users: say 'y' to CSLIP instead/also) and 'n'
to everything else, unless you have ethercards or need some other protocol
for something else. If you don't do this, it won't work! Finish compiling
and installing the new kernel, then,
2.2 Edit some files in /etc
These files will set up your routes to your remote host. /etc is the
directory for system configurations. Replace everything in double quotes
with the appropriate values, naturally (but don't include the quotes -
they are there for reference). There are three files you need to edit,
they are:
/etc/hosts:
127.0.0.1 localhost
192.0.2.1 "your.hostname.domain"
"XXX.XXX.XX.XX" "remote.hostname.domain remote" #<-- Note the abbreviation.
/etc/host.conf:
order hosts, bind
multi on
/etc/resolv.conf:
domain "yourdomainhere"
nameserver "XXX.XXX.XX.XX" #<- Usually the same as in /etc/hosts
To use an NNTPserver, put this line in your /etc/profile:
export NNTPSERVER="remote.hosts.nntpservername"
2.3.1 Dip
Dip is what you will use to dial up the remote host, start TIA, and
convert the line to SLIP. It comes in the "N" set of Slackware, along
with a bunch of clients and utilities, some of which you may want to
install also =). It is also available at Sunsite in an individual tar file.
Once you have it installed, you will need to have a dip script, Here's
a sample, just plug in the appropriate stuff where the double quotes
are (but don't include the quotes, they are there for reference).
----------CUT HERE--------------------------------
main:
get $local "your.hostname.domain"
get $remote "remote.hostname.domain"
port cua"?" #<-- Your port here
speed 38400 #<--You may be able to use 57400 in newer
reset # kernels
init AT "string of commands" #<--don't use spaces in your AT command string
wait OK 5
# This will redial. If it doesn't work, play with the wait time (listen
# to your modem). If it still doesn't work, mail me.
# See also; the note at the bottom of the script re: error codes.
dial:
dial "phonenumber"
print Dialing...
if $errlvl != 0 goto error
wait BUSY 20 #<--You may need to change this wait time
if $errlvl == 0 goto dial # to suit your modem
login:
print Connected and Logging in...
wait ==> 60 #<-- This wait and send get me past my
send 4\n #<-- hosts Annex. Change for your site!
wait ogin: 60
if $errlvl != 0 goto login_error1
send "LOGIN"\n
wait assword: 60
if $errlvl != 0 goto login_error2
send "PASSWORD"\n
loggedin:
wait "SYSTEM PROMPT" 60
if $errlvl != 0 goto shell_error
send tia\n
wait software. 60
if $errlvl != 0 goto tia_error
print Starting TIA...
get $mtu 296 #<--Tia recommends 1500, but this is faster
default #interactively. Ftp may be slower, so adjust to taste.
done:
print CONNECTED to $remote with address $rmtip
mode SLIP
# TIA 2.0.5 users: change the above line to
# mode CSLIP
goto exit
error:
print Dialing Error
login_error1:
print No Login
login_error2:
print No Password prompt
shell_error:
print No shell prompt
tia_error:
There was a problem starting TIA
exit:
\r #<--This will error out with the -v flag, but work when
#run normally (ends dip at a local prompt).
-------------CUT HERE-----------------------------
2.3.2 Dip notes
Newer versions of dip don't return modem status codes (BUSY, NO
CONNECT, etc.), they use numbers instead. Here's a table:
0 = OK
1 = CONNECT
2 = ERROR
3 = BUSY
4 = NO CARRIER
This would make your dial section look like this:
dial:
dial "phonenumber"
print Dialing...
if $errlvl != 0 goto error
wait 1 20
if $errlvl != 1 goto dial
Thanks to Lee Olds (lee@eskimo.com) for that bit.
\n = newline, \r = carriage return. You may require one or the other (or
both) in the appropriate places. If the ones provided don't work, experiment.
After editing this file, rename it, say, remote.dip and put it in /root.
Then, as root, run 'dip remote'. Use the -v flag the first time to debug
it ('dip -v remote'), this will show you all the steps dip takes.
Dip will only run as root, but there is a way to make it run from a user
account. For now, if you need this info, ask. I may include it in this
file later if enough people want it.
If dip errors out right away, try removing the comments from the script.
3.0 Now what?
Hey, if all went well, you are now connected to the Net! Try a 'telnet
remote' (remember that abbreviation in your hosts file?). You should get
the remotes telnet login prompt. Go on, try it! You can now telnet/FTP/etc.
anywhere on the Net from your local machine. How? Your machine is using
the remote as a nameserver to resolve addresses (resolv.conf). Experiment,
find out what works and what doesn't.
You will not be able to use services that are not provided already on your
remote host! For example, if your server doesn't allow telnets, chances
are you can't do it either. Why? Because TIA is only re-directing what
is already available.
3.1 News and Mail
I have found a News Reader that is fairly simple to install and use. It
is a true NNTP newsreader, which means no local news transport is required
to make it work (you don't have install Cnews or INN). It does require
that you have access to an NNTPserver, naturally, but most ISPs have this.
If you are able to use MSWIN apps like WinVN with your provider, this will
work too. It is text based, but has color and mouse support, and runs
fine in an rxvt window. SLRN is still beta, but I have been using it
exclusively for a while now, without any problems.
I am still looking for a good Mail Reader of the SMTP/POP3 variety, that
will work no matter what state the local mail transport is in (from
non-existent to fully functional). It doesn't have to be X based, but
that would be a plus. If you have any suggestions, please send tham along
to me. I am aware of things like popclient, but this seems a little
clumsy to me, and I'd like to find a mail reader that at least handles
the retreival chores.
3.2 Mosaic/Netscape
Obviously, you will need to have X running for this to work, but it's
a simple matter of FTPing the binary, unpacking it, and installing it.
3.3 Remote X
You can run remote X applications via TIA. The TIA-X HOWTO is
available at the places listed below.
4.0 Misc.
If I've left anything out, or you still have questions, I read my mail
daily. This information gets updated fairly regularly, so keep checking
back every so often (I'll change the version numbers). Naturally, the
more you contribute, the more info will be included here, so don't
hesitate to tell me about whatever you have to offer.
If you would like some help, or are having trouble with your setup, I'll
help but you must send me the following info:
1. A copy of your three /etc files.
2. A copy of your script output, run with the -v flag (please remove
your password from this!)
Even if you don't have anything to contribute, but used this info
sucsessfully, PLEASE MAIL ME. I want to know how useful this really is.
4.1 References
Sunsite is the FTP site sunsite.unc.edu, a veritable plethora of everything
Linux, including almost every FAQ, HOWTO, and README written.
Marketplace.com is the home of TIA, the only place it is available.
The homesite of the newsreader SLRN is space.mit.edu, in /pub/davis
I am Irish, irish@eskimo.com, available for comment on Linux almost
everyday, when I'm not petting my cat or hugging my kid.
This HOWTO is available in the following places:
http://www.eskimo.com/~irish
ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/u/i/irish
ftp://sunsite.unc.edu/pub/Linux/docs/HOWTO/mini/TIA