It's much harder to get on the Net with Linux than it is with Windows. Instead of simply clicking an Internet connection wizard and following the step-by-step instructions, for instance, Linux requires you to know a bit more about your connection than you might like. Fortunately, there are reams of documentation and some clever utilities that can help.
Before
You Start
First, you need to make
sure that you installed all the necessary protocols, utilities, and modules
when you set up Linux. In many cases, you'll already have everything you
need installed, such as TCP/IP, the basic network protocol; pppd, which
connects you to your ISP; and chat, which tells pppd how to connect when
you set up Linux. Check your distribution's documentation for details,
or read this Linux
networking how-to for step-by-step instructions.
Set
Up Your Connection
Once you have everything
installed, you need to set up your connection. These PPP
and ISP
hookup how-tos hold all the details you need to configure your system
to dial out and connect to your ISP.
Of course, that's the hard
way. An easier way is to install any of the more user-friendly graphical
PPP
clients, such as X-ISP,
kppp,
GnomePPP,
or EzPPP. These utilities
function much like Dial-Up Networking in Windows. You simply enter your
login ID, password, ISP's phone number, DNS addresses, and such. The utility
takes care of the rest.
Linux
Distributions
Better yet, many distributions--including
Red Hat, Debian, and Caldera--pretty much assume that you'll want to get
Net-connected, so they throw everything you need onto their disks and into
their setup routines. You get all the protocols, Web browsers like Netscape
Navigator and Lynx, email programs, and graphical setup and administration
utilities without having to download anything.
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