[hcflinux] only root can access /dev/ttySHCF0 first time afterreboot

[Linuxant modem support]

Hi,

only root can load kernel modules, that's why root has to load the modules
before a user can use the device.

I think the easiest work around is to have the modules loaded automatically
during the boot process.

You can add this line to the file "/etc/rc.local".
---
/sbin/modprobe hcfpciserial
---

Regards,

Jean-Simon Durand
Technical specialist / Linuxant
www.linuxant.com
modem.support at linuxant.com


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Leonard" <richard at sooming.freeserve.co.uk>
To: <hcflinux at lists.linuxant.com>
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2003 4:57 AM
Subject: [hcflinux] only root can access /dev/ttySHCF0 first time
afterreboot


I have a strange problem. My Conexant HCFPCI modem works well, except that
after each reboot, I must connect as root the first time I try. Thereafter
my normal user account works OK.

I connect using the pon script, which leaving out a few options is
basically: exec /usr/sbin/pppd call ${@:-provider}. Running this as a normal
user first time after reboot causes pppd to give the error "Failed to open
/dev/ttySHCF0: No such device". Same result from user doing a /usr/sbin/pppd
call provider. The device is right there, and root can use pon to connect
through it just fine.

Oddly, I tried using another front end to pppd, and kppp connects perfectly
when run as a normal user, but I'm trying to avoid kde on this slowish box.


Details:
Libranet 2.8 (libranet's gui dialer, lppp, has the same problem as pon)
Installed the generic tarball (hcfpcimodem-0.99lnxtbeta03042700) a couple of
months back, which compiled fine and ran hcfpciconfig without difficulty.
Device IDs and so on are the same as on the Mandrake 9.1 installation on
this box, when I used the rpm to install.

crw-r--r--    1 root     root     240,  64 Sep 19 08:00 /dev/ttySHCF0
-rwsr-x---    1 root     dip        481336 Mar 18  2003 /usr/bin/kppp
-rwxr-xr-x    1 root     root          956 Nov 24  2002 /usr/bin/pon
-rwsr-xr--    1 root     dip        234504 Nov 24  2002 /usr/sbin/pppd

I'm a member of dip. Changing the owner and/or group of /dev/ttySHCF0 to dip
makes no difference.

I've searched the list archives, googled, read man pages, changed
permissions, groups and memberships every way I can think of, and have got
nowhere. I simply can't work out why running pon as root works, or running
kppp as a normal user works, when the suid bit on pppd should have the same
effect. If need be I can keep kppp around, but would prefer not to have to.
All advice now received with deep gratitude, and apologies if there is
something obvious I have missed.

Thanks in advance
Richard