[lug] Dialup modems and Linux

[J. Wayde Allen]

On Wed, 4 Sep 2002, D. Stimits wrote:

> I just noticed the wvdialconf, and would also agree. Maybe write the 
> file /etc/wvdial.conf first with the tool. If it does not offer the 
> ports you want to test, then manually edit the file, don't take any 
> refusals from a tool to do what you want, vi, emacs, and friends, are 
> the final authority on what ports can be tested as a configuration.

That's my opinion, but what tends to happen is we try a configuration
wizard and it doesn't work so we try another one.  If one works for a
specific case it is then talked up as being the best thing since sliced
bread until if fails for someone else.  This is not all bad mind you, but
the danger is in losing the ability to look beneath the pretty veneer of
the GUI to see what is broken or why the thing doesn't work in a
particular case.  Worse, is the reverse engineering that may be needed to
figure out how to repair the damage that can be done by a configurator
that fails.

- Wayde
  (wallen at lug.boulder.co.us)