Hi everyone...I decided to take the plunge and try out Linux...very cool but I'm having difficulty installing a generic (Soft56k) PCI modem. I tried out Mandrake 9, Red hat 7.1, Lycoris hoping one of them might detect the modem...no go. Any suggestions (other than purchasing a new modem)? Hence I'm back to using Windows yet again...

Howdy, dEdE

I know you don't want to purchase another modem, but take a look at this webpage for the scoop on WinModems vs Linux. Even if you should return to Windows, you'd probably be ahead to get a good external modem in place, and if you should do that, you'll most likely have great success with it under Linux. I've found that the US Robotics and Zoom externals work very well with Linux. I'm currently using the Zoom 3049 ext that I found for about $70 at the local computer store.

Perhaps someone else here will have more input. Anyway, good luck whichever route you take...

see if it uses a lucent chipset on the modem
if so you can read up on how to configure the
modem here Linmodem help, you can also read more up about your situation here
Linmodem website

But in most cases it is alot easier to just get another modem
that is hardware controlled and NOT a winmodem
thats my 2 cents

Thanks for the input! I believe I have a lucent chipset on the modem so will pursue that course...I was happy the day I rid myself of the extra wiring required for external modems and would like to keep it that way.

Anyone know if this is something the Linux experts might look at for future distributions...i.e. try to incorporate more internal PCI modems (winmodems) or is this an impossibility?

Again, kind thanks for the feedback!

they are already doing something for winmodems for linux..but being that
every winmodem practically has different set of driver information and cant use basic configuration setup as a hardware non-windmodem type...its hard to put every type of winmodem configuration into a linux distro...
but they have been working on the for some time now....i havent heard
anything lately about the subject..so i dont know exactly how far along
this subject is or if it is even continuing....

good luck

Thanks for the info Chris..you've been a big help!