[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread] 

List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Announcement: Daemon for managing dialup internetconnections
From:       Bjoern Kahl <Bjoern.Kahl () kiel ! netsurf ! de>
Date:       1999-06-25 6:50:18
[Download RAW message or body]


On 24-Jun-99 Matt Koss wrote:
>  On ©t, 24 jún 1999, Bjoern.Kahl wrote:
> >Hallo !
>  
>  Hi,
>  
>  as you might know, I have started some work on ConnectionWatcher
>  myself and I would like to know some things about your program.

 Hallo !

 I haven´t recognized, you have started, but if I remember correctly,
 you are that person, who asked first about a way to find out if we
 are connected.


>  How does the user specify the type of the connection ?
>  How does your program starts / stops connection ?
>  Is it possible to set that the program will use e.g. kppp or kisdn
>  for connecting ?


 I am not sure, we are speaking about the same things ?


 What I wrote is a backgroundservice, without a native gui where a user
 can set some thing. (Not really true. I am writing on a gui now.)

 Of course, I do not re-invent everything. I use the normal commands
 like SuSE's ppp-on to start or stop a connection (better explaint
 on the web. My english is not good, most text on
 <http://home.netsurf.de/bjoern.kahl/netmgr/index2.html> was heavily
 spell- and grammar-fixed by my girlfriend).

 What to use to start/stop connection is freely configurable, as long
 as it could be used on commandline. If there is a way to run kppp
 from commandline, it could be used.

 But I don't know why we should use it. (Never understood why kppp,
 xppp, kisdn and friends make sense: I configure how to connect or
 disconnect when I install the system, and after that point, i just
 type in "goonline" or click on a button, which in turn start isdnctrl
 or pppd. (Normal user should not play with systemconfiguration, and
 networksetup is part of systemconfiguration, IMHO. Especially on
 multiuser machines).)

>  My idea was to create a general Connection Watcher with a CORBA
>  interface.
>  Apps like kmail, konqueror, caitoo or icq clients would then only
>  connect to
>  the CORBA signal and they would get info when connected /
>  disconnected.
>  Interface definition would also contain methods for connecting and
>  disconnecting.

   This is what I have done. Its working. Example:
   I receive my mail and news using a single crontab-entry:
   "00 3 * * * /usr/local/NetMgr2/bin/runjob -r 10"

   "runjob" (part of NetMgr-system) register itself with my NetMgr,
    request the netmgr to run predefined job #10, and exist.
   NetMgr then:
   - try to establish a connection,
   - starts that job (in my case a shellscript running "fetchmail",
     "sendmail -q" and "suck")
   - disconnects after return of the job,
   - loggs used time (so, on a multiuser-machine, you could charge user
     for connectiontime)

   Of course, other clients can register themself at the any time,
   running other predefined jobs or simply request the server to
   establish a connection.

   The predefined job way is for thinks, user should be able to do, but
   would require root (like "sendmail -q"). NetMgr runs as root, so user
   can execute (via netmgr) network-related programms requiring root.

   Normal way is, a programme (like Caitoo) register itself with
   NetMgr, requests a connection if needed, waits for the
   connection, use it, withdraw onlinerequest, unregister, exits:

   ( Pseudocode: )
   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

   init() {
      ....
      NetMgr_register(applicationame,0);

      /* may be, if you want */
      netmgrsocket = NetMgr_getsocket();
      NetMgr_requestlink(NETMGR_CMD_NOTIFY, all_events_you_want_to_have);
      ...
   }

   mainloop {

      ...

      /* start connecting */
      NetMgr_requestlink(NETMGR_CMD_GOONLINE);


 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
      /* pooling, (bad but possible) */

      for (;;) {
         NetMgr_requestlink(NETMGR_CMD_LINKSTAT, &rp);
         if (rp->rt.ls.status & NETMGR_LIF_ONLINEFAILED)
           .... /* failure exit */
         if (rp->rt.ls.status & NETMGR_LIF_ONLINE)
           .... /* ok exit */
         do_some_thing_else();
      }
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
      /* waiting (better - requires you to request the needed events
         via "NETMGR_CMD_NOTIFY") */
      ...
      select(n, readset, writeset, exclset, timeout);

      if (FD_ISSET(netmgrsocket, readset)) {
        NetMgr_processio();
        NetMgr_querylink(NETMGR_CMD_NOTIFYCHECK, &rp);
        if (rp->rt.no.status & NETMGR_NOTIFY_ONLINE)
          ... /* ok exit */
        if (rp->rt.no.status & NETMGR_NOTIFY_ONLINEFAILED)
          ... /* failexit */
      }
      ...
 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

      /* use link */
      ....

      /* don´t need the connection any longer */
      NetMgr_requestlink(NETMGR_CMD_GOOFFLINE);

   }
      
--------------------------------------------------------------------

  The NetMg will establish a link as soon as and as long as there is
  any programme registered *and* requesting to be online. Of course,
  the NetMgr may be restricted to certain times (via disable and
  enable-commands - buildin timerules are a good idea, will do that
  next weekend). There are commands to go permanently online (without
  a programm beeing registered) and offline again. Everything is
  multiuser-save.

>  I have started some work on it using the code from Caitoo, and also
>  created a kcm module for general configuration ( type of connection,
>  time interval ).

   This is really great. (I know, I wrote I don't understand sense of
   kpp, lisdn etc. but, if people use it, its ok.) I would be really
   happy, if I may use your kmc module for configuring NetMgr. It has
   only one Configfile (key - value pairs) which could easily created
   using your kmc. (See install-chaper on web or downloaded files.)


>  Dialog would also contain a preferred app for connecting ( this would
>  require some cooperation on kppp / kisdn side ).

>  I just hope that the functionality will be similar.

   I don't know, what you have done. But we really should try to merge
   things. Have a look at my web-page: The whole source and
   documentation is online browseable and downloadable available. 

   May be, we should discuss details by private email (not over the list).


   Ciao
         Bjoern

-- 
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Björn Kahl ++ Max-Planck-Str.26 ++ 24211 Preetz ++ (ISDN) 04342 76882 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
 Weitergabe und/oder gewerbliche Nutzung meiner Adresse/TeleNr untersagt.

[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]