[NTLUG:Discuss] pppd questions

[lee]

did you mention you're using a redhat distro?  /usr/sbin is not in the 
default path for a user, but it is for root.  so, i'm sure you'll ask 
that when you su to root, then how come it doesn't work then, when you 
*are* root?

(please, i invite those with more experience to correct anything that 
i'm wrong about here...)

if you just su, you inherit the login environment of the user you're 
su'ing from.  if you su -l, then you will have real login environment of 
root.  try it and see:

[user at host]$ echo $PATH
/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin

[user at host]$ su
Password:

[root at host]# echo $PATH
/usr/local/bin:/bin:/usr/bin:/usr/X11R6/bin

[root at host]# su -l
[root at host]# echo $PATH
/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/bin/X11:/usr/X11R6/bin
                     ^^^^^^^^^

several solutions to get around this:
edit /etc/profile and add the /usr/sbin directory to the default path, or
edit ~/.bash_profile and add the /usr/sbin directory to each user's path, or
create a symlink in /bin that points to /usr/sbin/pppd

make sure that pppd is executable by everyone, or investigate a group 
situation where only members of a certain group will have permission to 
execute pppd.

-- lee

Geremy L. Hamlett wrote:
> The problem was DNS nameserver in the resolv.conf file.  The DNS's were 
> being put in to /etc/ppp/resolv.conf  and not into /etc/resolv.conf. I 
> don't know why, but now it works.  Mabey this will help the few of you 
> who responded w/ similar problems.  
> 
> Now that I my pppd working as root. I can't get it to work as another 
> user.  I have checked all the permisions and can't figure this one out.  
> My pppd executable is in /usr/sbin/.  When I try to run it as a normal 
> user it says that pppd does not exsist.  When I su to root and run pppd I 
> get the same problem.  Now What am I missing?  I can only get pppd to run 
> when I am logged in as root.
> 
> 
> Thanks for all your help.