Re: ISP does not 'support' Linux
On Fri, 2002-11-29 at 23:35, Chris Lale wrote:
> Here's an idea arising from the 'Non-Linux-aware ISP: please spoon feed'
> thread. How many ISP's helplines say 'we do not support Linux'? Most
> ISP's seem to have a webpage with connection instructions for Windows
> users. Why not instructions for Linux?
>
> Suppose everyone with a dialup account were to email their ISP(s) with a
> customised set of instructions suitable for them to put on their
> website? They might at least start to think about it. I have attached a
> possible template. Comments welcome!
I had some thoughts on this, but my plan was a rather larger project.
Create an XML file format for all the details required:
DNS servers
Dialup number
Authentication type
etc
Write a config utility (or modify pppconfig or whatever) to read it, and
only ask the remaining questions such as username and password.
There might need to be some way of specifying multiple entries with
descriptions to be displayed by the config program - for example, names
of cities displayed which can then be mapped to dialup numbers.
Then the tricky bits - persuade other distros to use the same XML files
(maybe even write a windows one to help it along), and persuade the ISPs
to make it available on their CDs and websites - or even on websites of
local LUGs if the ISPs won't do it. You could also supply a cgi or
similar thingy to display the info nicely on the website for people
using OSes that don't have compatible configurators.
There's more work in this plan, of course ...
Richard
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