Topics:

• PPPStatus
  • Characteristics
    
  • Requirements
    
  • Instalation
    
  • Configuration File
    
  • pppstatus.cfg Variables
    
• runonboot
  • Definition
    
  • Options
    

Characteristics

• Theme (Change the colors)
• Top Speed
• Shows local IP address
• Verify if there's a connection every 100 miliseconds
• Receiving/Transfering data LED's
• Connection time
• 10x77 graphic, updated every second
• Constant change of modem speed, for better graphic interaction
• Interface selection (ppp0, ppp1 ...)
• Selection beetween two exibition modes: Monochromatic, VGA
• Check for new e-mails
• LOG file where all the datas of all conections are stored
• Costs Calculator

Requirements

     For the instalation of PPPStatus, you will need the following

• ncurses library
• GNU make

Instalation

     Instalation is very simple, as you can see above:

PPPStatus~$ make
* become root
PPPStatus~$ su
PPPStatus~# make install

Configuration File

     PPPstatus uses two methods for default configurations changes: pppstatus.cfg, and flags      The configuration file (pppstatus.cfg) is interpreted, followed by the flags. In case your're using flags, it will be the method used by pppstatus, because the interpretetions of the configuration file will only be overposted by the used flags. (only the used ones) There are two paths for pppstatus.cfg:

• ~/.pppstatus/pppstatus.cfg - For normal users
• /var/log/pppstatus.cfg - For root or who are using runonboot.

.pppstatus.rc Variables

     Here are they: interface, video, speed, high_contrast, user_email

Interface: PPPStatus watches * interface (* can be ppp0, ppp1, ppp2 ...)
Video: Choose between Vga (colored) and mono (black and white)
Speed: Interaction speed beetween the graphic and the conection
Bytes_info: You can see the data received/trasmited as Bytes, Kbytes or Mbytes
User_email: check the user email

Definition

     runonboot makes your life much easier because PPPStatus will be autolaunched, saving your time and leaving it in whatever terminal you want. One privilege developed for Slackware, Red Hat or Debian Linux users.

Options

     Understanting the flags

Flag -t : you specifies the terminal you want pppstatus runs on boot (You'll probably want to put a tty that doesn't work as a terminal) The most commons examples are the terminals 8 to 12.
Flag -d : you specifies your linux distribution so the program can update all the new data in the right places

     In case you're using slackware distribution and wants to run PPPstatus on tty 12, do the following:

~$ runonboot -d slack -t 12

     In case you use the runonboot remember that the configuration file (pppstatus.cfg) is on (/var/log), just like the log file (pppstatus.pppX.MM-YYYY.log)

X means Interface number (1,2,3,4,...), MM the month and YYYY the year.