Documentation of GPRS Easy Connect (version 3.0.0 or higher)
This documentation is written by Péter Simon (simon d0t peter {} gprsec d0t hu)

  1. What is GPRS Easy Connect?

  2. What is SG program?

  3. Downloading, installing of GPRS Easy Connect

    1. Depedencies

      1. Perl modules

        1. Installing needed Perl modules

          1. Offline installing

          2. Online installing

        2. Installing needed Perl modules for Mandriva/Mandrake.

      2. Other programs

    2. Installing GPRS Easy Connect with own Installer program

    3. Installing GPRS Easy Connect from outer source

  4. First steps before try getting connection

  5. Using IRDA

  6. Using Bluetooth

  7. Supported phones (2005.10.21.)

  8. Supported providers (2005.10.21.)

  9. GPRS Easy Connect made by

  10. Special thanks to

  11. Troubleshooter

    1. Connection built, got IP(s), DNS(s), seem like all OK, but there's no data transmittion

    2. Connection drops after 2 minutes

    3. I tried everthing but couldn't connect, what can I do?

  12. How to start the program after installation?

1. What is GPRS Easy Connect?

GPRS Easy Connect is a free (GNU GPL) Perl-Gtk2 based GUI program for Linux (version < 3.0.0 supports FreeBSD too) what can configurate and manage Internet connection for mobile phones. GPRSEC supports COM, USB, IrDA, Bluetooth connections on GPRS, EDGE and UMTS technologies.

2. What is SG program?

SG is the console version of GPRS Easy Connect. This program can build needed Internet connection scripts for pppd and chat programs.

3. Downloading and installing of GPRS Easy Connect

GPRS Easy Connect is available from our site:
http://www.gprsec.hu/modules/downloads/list.php?category=1

It contains GPRSEC and SG program too.

3.1. Depedencies:

3.1.1. Perl modules:

Usually you can find all needed modules for all Linux Distributions on their Package CDs or online package database. Your best choose would be using of those with your Package Handler program.
If you don't find some Perl modules on your source you can download those from Internet.
If you are Mandriva/Mandrake user click here.

You need following modules if you want to install one or more needed Perl modules for program from source:

Compress-Zlib-1.34
http://search.cpan.org/~pmqs/Compress-Zlib-1.34/

ExtUtils-Depends-0.205
http://search.cpan.org/~rmcfarla/ExtUtils-Depends-0.205/

ExtUtils-PkgConfig-1.07
http://search.cpan.org/~rmcfarla/ExtUtils-PkgConfig-1.07/

Needed modules for GPRSEC:

Glib-1.081 (minimal: 1.05)
http://search.cpan.org/~tsch/Glib-1.081/

Gtk2-1.081 (minimal: 1.05)
http://search.cpan.org/~tsch/Gtk2-1.081/

Note: Version number of Glib and Gtk2 must to be same!

Gtk2-TrayIcon-0.03
http://search.cpan.org/~mlehmann/Gtk2-TrayIcon-0.03/

Gnome2-VFS-1.021
http://search.cpan.org/~tsch/Gnome2-VFS-1.021/

Gnome2-Canvas-1.002
http://search.cpan.org/~tsch/Gnome2-Canvas-1.002/

Gnome2-1.021
http://search.cpan.org/~tsch/Gnome2-1.021/

Encode-2.10
http://search.cpan.org/~dankogai/Encode-2.10/

Getopt-Long-2.34
http://search.cpan.org/~jv/Getopt-Long-2.34/

3.1.1.1 Installing needed Perl modules.

Order of depedencies:
Compress-Zlib-1.34-->ExtUtils-Depends-0.205-->ExtUtils-PkgConfig-1.07-->
Glib-1.081-->Gtk2-1.081-->Gtk2-TrayIcon-0.03-->
Gnome2-VFS-1.021-->Gnome2-Canvas-1.002-->Gnome2-1.021-->
Encode-2.10-->Getopt-Long-2.34

3.1.1.1.1 Offline installing

After downloading, you need to unpack the moduls. Open a console as root, go where you downloaded that, eg.:

cp ~/downloads/

unpack package, eg.:

tar -xzf Compress-Zlib-1.34.tar.gz
cp ./PACKAGE_NAME

Compile Perl module:

perl Makefile.PL
make
make test
make install

Repeat unpack and compile steps in order what you red above while don't you finish last one module.

3.1.1.1.2 Online installing

You can install Perl modules by automaticly download, compile and install from CPAN.
Open a console as root and type or copy the following lines step by step:

perl -MCPAN -e 'install Compress-Zlib-1.34'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install ExtUtils-Depends-0.205'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install ExtUtils-PkgConfig-1.07'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install Glib-1.081'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install Gtk2-1.081'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install Gtk2-TrayIcon-0.03'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install Gnome2-VFS-1.021'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install Gnome2-Canvas-1.002'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install Gnome2-1.021'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install Encode-2.10'
perl -MCPAN -e 'install Getopt-Long-2.34'

3.1.1.2 Installing needed Perl modules for Mandriva/Mandrake

Never use CPAN for Gtk2 and Gnome2 modules, because Mandriva had patched Gtk2 and uses for Mandriva's helper applications (eg.: Mandriva Contorll Center, etc.). The CPAN modules are NOT patched and Mandriva's helper applications won't work anymore. If you don't find needed modules' packages on your Installation disks, then you can use easyurpmi.zarb.org to find an online rpm source base for your Mandriva/Mandrake distribution, where you can find your needed modules in rpm format. Also you can download needed modules from the mirror sites of Mandriva.

a) Gtk2 modules:
Note: Usually the needed perl-Gtk2 modules can be found on intallation CDs.

Or you can download directly needed Gtk2 modules eg. from here:
ftp://ftp.u-strasbg.fr/pub/linux/distributions/NAME_OF_DISTR/devel/YOUR_DISTRIBUTION/i586/media/main/

Where
NAME_OF_DISTR can be: mandrake or mandriva
YOUR_DISTRIBUTION can be: 10.0, 10.1, 10.2, 2005, 2006.0, etc

You need to download and install the following rpm files:

perl-Gtk2
perl-Glib
perl-Gtk2-TrayIcon

b) Gnome2 modules:
Note: Usually the needed perl-Gnome2 modules can be found on intallation CDs.
Or you can download directly needed Gnome2 modules eg. from here:

ftp://ftp.u-strasbg.fr/pub/linux/distributions/NAME_OF_DISTR/devel/YOUR_DISTRIBUTION/i586/media/contrib/

Where
NAME_OF_DISTR can be: mandrake or mandriva
YOUR_DISTRIBUTION can be: 10.0, 10.1, 10.2, 2005, 2006.0, etc

You need to download and install the following rpm files:

perl-Gnome2-Canvas
perl-Gnome2-VFS
perl-Gnome2


c) Installing downloded modules:

You can install the downloaded rpm files as root like this:
Open a console as root and go where is your downloaded rpm file eg.:

cp ~/downloads/

Install rpm file eg.:

urpmi perl-Gnome2-Canvas-1.002-3mdk.i586.rpm

etc...

3.1.2 Other programs

wget-1.9.1
http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/wget/

ppp-2.4.x
http://ppp.samba.org/

These two programs are very elemental program, so you will found these on your installation CDs and you can install them easily with your package handler program.

3.2. Installing GPRS Easy Connect with own Installer program

After you downloaded GPRS Easy Connect and are sure all depedencies are installed, you can begin install the program as root. Open a console and go where you downloaded it, eg.:

cp ~/downloads/

Unpack GPRSEC, eg.:

tar -xjf ./GPRS_Easy_Connect_300_Install.tar.bz2
cp ./GPRSEC_VERSION_NUMBER

Where VERSION_NUMBER can be different, but it is same the package version. In this sample this is 300.

Type:

./INSTALL

All instruction will be showed what you have to do. Installer report you errors and the successful installing.

3.3 Installing GPRS Easy Connect from outer source

There would be many different packages of GPRS Easy Connect for different Linux Distributions. In every case you must to you must to use your distribution's own package handler program. Usually this handler program will be install all depedencies too. If not, you should install missing programs manually. (See above.)

4. First steps

You need to set minimal informations up in the program:
Phone type, provider - check username and password -, connection port. Save parameters and click on Connect button.

5. Using IrDA

You need to preparation your computer for using Irda.
You can find a good documentation about waking up IrDA under Linux here: http://www.hpl.hp.com/personal/Jean_Tourrilhes/IrDA/IrDA.html

6. Using Blootooth

You need to preparation your computer for using Bluetooth.
You can find a good documentation about waking up Bluetooth under Linux here: http://medien.informatik.uni-ulm.de/~frank/bluetooth/bluetooth-howto.html

7. Supported phones

You can find list of currently supported phones on http://www.gprsec.hu/modules/phones/list.php.

8. Supported providers

You can find list of currently supported providers on http://www.gprsec.hu/modules/providers/index.php.

9. GPRS Easy Connect made by

Péter Simon (simon d0t peter {} gprsec d0t hu)

  • Main program

  • Gtk widgets

  • Connection scripts

  • A part of documentation

  • English, Hungarian translate


Gábor Pintér (pinter d0t gabor {} gprsec d0t hu)

  • SG program

  • Installer program

  • Homepage

  • Connection scripts

  • A part of documentation


Andrea Bravetti (brand77 {} gmail d0t com)

  • Gtk widgets

  • Lot of patches

  • Alghorythms

  • Ideas

  • Italian translate

10. Special thanks to

Webspace: Christian Hamar
Domain: Miklós Honti
Splash image: Zoltán Csáki
Webspace for the 1st 2 years: "Oregon"

Translators:

Honza Mach
Pasi Kuokkanen & Ronja Kuokkanen
David Lacravate
Jakub Kasprzycki
Andreas Krause
Jonathan Stevano
Francesco Di Mare
Tomás Mateo
Altan Demirkilic
David Szedely
Nikita Bukhvostov

Testers are available from http://www.gprsec.hu/modules/about/


11. Troubleshooter
(Ordered just to came to mind.)


11.1 Connection built, got IP(s), DNS(s), seem like all OK, but there's no data transmittion

Possibility reason #1:
Somehow /etc/resolv.conf didn't come into existence. (There's no usable DNS servers.)

Solution:
Check your /etc/ip-up file. If you use dynamic DNS it must to contain a cp command from /etc/ppp/resolv.conf to /etc/resolv.conf. If it doesn't, you should re-install GPRSEC or copy from Installer of GPRSEC ip-up file to /etc/ppp.

Possibility reason #2:
Your shorewall doesn't enable ppp connection. Typicaly when you use ethX for Internet defending it with shorewall firewall and you change Internet connection to ppp with GPRSEC.

Solution:
Change shorewall firewall to ppp connection or turn it off (not recommended).

11.2 Connection drops after 2 minutes

Possibility reason #1:
There's time limit in /etc/ppp/option file.

Solution:
Delete or comment with a # mark the following lines in /etc/ppp/option file eg.:

# lcp-echo-interval
# 30 lcp-echo-failure 4

11.3 I tried everthing but couldn't connect, what can I do?

Send us Bugreport including a Console output. Please do this steps:

Be sure before you do the next steps, you've set everything in GPRSEC's setup and saved that!
Eg. with mc program open for edit ~/.gprsec/run file. Comment line begining filename like this:

# filename(etc...)

Save file and, if you use mc, press CTRL+O to show a clean console and type:

/usr/sbin/pppd file ./run

In this case the connection's getting build and echoes all things into this console. Yes, we need this output text. Please copy and attach to your Bugreport too.
Don't forget to uncomment line filename after this.

12. How to start the program after the installation?

You can make a desktop entry to program. Eg.: right click onto desctop->new application link->select /usr/bin/gprsec->select an icon from /usr/share/gprsec/images/icons.

Or you can start the program using a console, just type: gprsec.