slipdialout(1) Version 1.0(08-30-90) slipdialout(1)
NAME
slipdialout - establish SLIP connection over dialout modem.
SYNOPSIS
/usr/sbin/slipdialout [-v] [-b baud] [-l line] -s ip_source -d ip_dest
[-n] telno | systemname
DESCRIPTION
Slipdialout is used to call up a host, terminal server, or router that is
cappable of supporting SLIP and then establishing a network connection.
It is convenient to think of slipdialout as operating in three phases.
The first phase is the connection phase in which the connection to the
remote host is established. Slipdialout then enters the conversation
phase in which the user logs into the host or terminal server slip
account. At this point you may be prompted to enter an Internet number or
hostname for both the local and remote hosts. The last phase entails
pressing the Esc key to exit slipdialout and start SLIP. The -v option
is the only one that applies to all three phases.
-v Causes diagnostic traces to be printed.
Connection Phase
slipdialout uses the same mechanism that uucp does to establish a
connection. This means that it will use the control files very similar
to uucp called /etc/slip/Devices and /etc/slip/Systems. This gives
slipdialout the ability to choose from several different media to
establish the connection. The possible media include telephone lines and
direct connections. The Devices file contains a list of media that are
available on your system. The Systems file contains information for
connecting to remote systems, but it is generally readable only as
superuser.
The destination parameter from the command line is used to tell
slipdialout what system you wish to connect to. In many cases
destination will be different than the IP destination given with the -d
flag. Destination can be blank, a telephone number, or a system name. A
telephone number is a string consisting of the tone dial characters (the
digits 0 through 9, *, and #) plus the special characters = and -. The
equal sign designates a secondary dial tone and the minus sign creates a
4 second delay. A system name is the name of any computer that slip can
call.
If slipdialout's default behavior is invoked (not using the -l option),
slipdialout will use destination to determine which medium to use. If
destination is a telephone number, slipdialout will assume that you wish
to use a telephone line and it will select an automatic call unit (ACU).
If the destination is not a telephone number, then slipdialout will
assume that it is a system name. Slipdialout will follow the uucp
calling mechanism and use the slip versions of Systems and Devices files
to obtain the best available connection. Since slipdialout will choose a
speed that is appropriate for the medium that it selects, you may not use
the -b option when destination is a system name.
10/89 Page 1
slipdialout(1) Version 1.0(08-30-90) slipdialout(1)
The -l option modifies the default behavior and is used to specify a
device associated with a direct connection. If the connection is truly a
direct connection to the remote machine, then there is no need to specify
a destination. This is the only case where a blank destination is
allowed. On the other hand, there may be cases in which the specified
device connects to a dialer, so it is valid to specify a telephone number
as a destination.
slipdialout accepts several options. The -l and -b options play a part
in selecting the medium; other options are used in configuring the line,
and specifying local and remote Internet hostnames or numbers.
-bbaud Specifies the transmission speed (300, 1200, 2400, 4800,
9600, 19200). The default value is "Any" speed which will
depend on the order of the lines in the /etc/slip/Devices
file. Most modems are either 1200, 2400, 9600, or 19200
baud. Directly connected lines may be set to any speed
supported by the hardware.
-lline Specifies a device name to use as the communication line.
This can be used to override the search that would otherwise
take place for the first available line having the right
speed. When the -l option is used without the -b option, the
speed of a line is taken from the Devices file record in
which line matches the second field (the Line field). When
the -l and -b options are both used together, slipdialout
will search the Devices file to check if the requested speed
for the requested line is available. If so, the connection
will be made at the requested speed, otherwise, an error
message will be printed and the call will not be made. In the
general case where a specified device is a directly connected
asynchronous line (e.g., /dev/tty00), a telephone number
(telno) is not required. The specified device need not be in
the /dev directory. If the specified device is associated
with an auto dialer, a telephone number must be provided. If
destination is used with this option, it must be a telephone
number.
-n Request user prompt for telephone number. For added
security, this option will prompt the user to provide the
telephone number to be dialed, rather than taking it from the
command line.
-s Specifies the source hostname or Internet address in standard
dot notation. This may be the same name as returned from the
uname or hostname commands. In most cases it will not. Care
must be taken to specify the correct name as little error
checking can be done. If the wrong name is given all network
traffic on the local and/or remote host may stop.
Page 2 10/89
slipdialout(1) Version 1.0(08-30-90) slipdialout(1)
-d Specifies the destination hostname or Internet address in
standard dot notation. This may be the same name as returned
from the uname or hostname commands on the remote host. In
most cases it will not. Care must be taken to specify the
correct name as little error checking can be done. If the
wrong name is given all network traffic on the local and/or
remote host may stop.
Conversation Phase
After making the connection, slipdialout runs as two processes: the
transmit process reads data from the standard input and, except for lines
beginning with Esc passes it to the remote system; the receive process
accepts data from the remote system and passes it to the standard output.
Normally, an automatic DC3/DC1 protocol is used to control input from the
remote so the buffer is not overrun. Lines beginning with an Esc have a
special meaning.
The transmit process interprets the following user initiated commands:
Esc . terminate the conversation. SLIP is not started.
Esc y terminate the conversation and start SLIP.
Esc n return to the point before the Esc was pressed.
EXAMPLES
To dial a system whose telephone number is 9 1 201 555 1234 using 19200
baud (where dialtone is expected after the 9):
slipdialout -b 19200 -s ip_source -d ip_dest 9=12015551234
If the speed is not specified, "Any" is the default value.
To login to a system connected by a direct line:
slipdialout -l /dev/tty01 -s ip_source -d ip_dest
or
slipdialout -l tty01 -s ip_source -d ip_dest
To dial a system with a specific line and speed:
slipdialout -b 9600 -l tty00 -s ip_source -d ip_dest
To dial a system using a specific line associated with an auto dialer:
slipdialout -b 19200 -l tty00 -s ip_source -d ip_dest
To use a system name:
slipdialout -s ip_source -d ip_dest systemname
10/89 Page 3
slipdialout(1) Version 1.0(08-30-90) slipdialout(1)
FILES
/etc/hosts
/etc/slip/Systems
/etc/slip/Devices
/var/spool/locks/*
SEE ALSO
slipattach(1M), slipdetach(1M), slipon(1M), hosts(4)
Page 4 10/89