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I set up a Compaq LTE5280 120MHz 80MB RAM laptop (no CD-ROM drive, no USB, 
no modem or ethernet or wireless, has serial, IR, parallel port, and 
working sound) for a neighbor to use for email, with BL2.  I tried two 
known good PCMCIA modems (one is always ttyS3, the other identifies as 
ttyS1 or ttyS2 depending whether I leave IR enabled as com2) and one 
external modem (ttyS0 - plugged into com1).  A known good phone line (I 
also tried mine, which works with other laptops) and cords.  BL finds the 
modems but 'no dial tone'. (Puppy cannot even find them, after 30 min or 
so of very slow operating since it was wasting most of the memory on stuff 
like modules for cd-rom, usb, printing and sound, and rox filer).

The external modem works in DOS with kermit, and I went online with it. 
In linux kermit says something about a file not being accessible (UDCP?), 
locked.  There is a lynx for DOS but I would like her to also have access 
to a javascript graphical browser.

The hard drive in there was moved over from another computer where a 
pcmcia modem worked with the same software setup.  I cannot test with BL3 
loop or floppy BL2 because kernel 2.2 does not work.  'fatal kernel too 
old' or 'machine check exception error' or 'read-only file system'.  I did 
not test with BL3 on hard drive and kernel 2.4 .

I have gotten OSS sound to work on laptops where Puppy with Alsa failed. 
How would I approach getting the modems to work here?

PCMCIA network card works perfectly.

I have one Toshiba laptop where only the built-in AMR winmodem works, and 
it prevents all other modems from working (IRQ problem?).  This has no 
built-in modem that I can find, but something in BIOS mentions RJ-45 and 
IRQ setting for it.  You can also set sb io port and irq.  I did not see 
anything conflicting with IRQ3 or IRQ4 (external modem in com1).

I temporarily gave her my first linux laptop, a 100MHz Toshiba with 24MB 
memory, a CD-ROM drive, and Opera 8 (uses less RAM).  It even has a 20 
minute battery and does 800x600 framebuffer and sb sound.  She can use 
links2 non-graphically to read some mail.  svgalib does not work 
(scrambled screen even in VGA mode), which is typical of laptops and LCD 
monitors.  I have other laptops she could use, but would like to solve 
this modem problem.

I can try a 4-wire instead of 2-wire phone cord.  But the 2-wire ones work 
with two other laptops and the same modems.  Except for a couple where the 
plug catches on the wires.

I had set her up a 500Mhz desktop (works with BL, puppy refuses to work on 
it, I forget why) but she cannot see the monitor with her bifocals and 
there is no room for it downstairs where she sleeps.

Perhaps her neighbor has broadband and a WEP wireless signal she could 
share.

Sindi Keesan