On Tue, Sep 25, 2001 at 01:17:19PM -0400, Gan Uesli Starling wrote:
> Thanks to Eric J Fox for this link to VNC main site...
> 
> Permit me to clarify. When I said...
> 
> > I already can do this...
> >
> > VNC_Client <-> SSH <-> Ethernet <--> SSH <--> VNC_Server
> >
> > ...I'd rather do this...
> >
> > VNC_Client <-> SSH <-> mgetty <-> SSH <-> VNC_Server
> >
> 
> ...what I meant was, how might I do it over telco lines using mgetty?
> That is, if neither client nor server share either a LAN or even an ISP 
> between them, but only a pair of telephone modems, how can I do that?
> Do I have to set up a PPP, CHAP and all that like I do with the ISP? 
> What is the BEST way?

Hi Gan, 

Pleased to see you've recovered your equilibrium. :))

You want PPP.  Because

VNC_Client <-> SSH <-> Ethernet <--> SSH <--> VNC_Server

is really

VNC_Client <-> SSH <-> tcp/ip <--> SSH <--> VNC_Server

or, in detail, 

SSH <-> tcp/ip <-> Ethernet <-> tcp/ip <--> SSH

which you'll change to

SSH <-> tcp/ip <-> PPP <-> tcp/ip <--> SSH

IOW, PPP is a layer-2 (link layer) protocol, just like Ethernet. 
Everything else stays the same, albeit slower.  

There is *nothing* magical about an ISP.  They provide modems
connected to computers (of some sort) that run PPP on their serial
ports.  Not a few of them do it with NetBSD, too.  The only difference
between them and you (technically, that is) is that the ISP's
computers are connected to other high-speed lines, the cost of which
it attempts to defray by selling dial-up service.  

I've never tried to set up pppd to answer the phone.  It's one of
those things that's easy if you know how, from what I can tell.  I'm
sure I've seen a pretty good description of it, but I can't seem to
find it online right now.  I'll let you know if I track it down.  

--jkl