🚀 go-pugleaf

I have a text based Redhat 7.1 server, no KDE or Gnome and I want to to dial
the internet via a modem whenever it boots and then to redail if the link
fails.

Under 6.X this was simple....

I have installed linuxconf-1.26r1-1.......rpm this at least has the ppp
configuration back in it.

I set up the ppp0 interface exactly how I did in 6.X and reboot the server,
when it starts it does all the normal stuff and pauses at;

"Bringing up interface ppp0" just like normal.
The lights on the modem flash, TX/RX DTR as expected, then
The modem activity ceases and The server sits on a timeout, eventually fails
with an error message .....Status 6 (which in the man for pppd is, could not
lock com port)
and then the server continues to boot as normal.

If once the server is up I go into linuxconf ppp0 and click the connect
button, the modem goes through the same light flashing cycle, and eventually
I get a window pop up telling me that the process has taken longer than
expected and asks if I want to kill it.

I know that;
The hardware and modem are perfectly OK, if I remove the 7.1 drive and
install a 6.2 then it boots and connects to the net exactly as it should.

The 7.1 installation is clean "out of the box" with nothing other than the
linuxconf rpm installed.

Does anyone have an answer for this ?

Like all questions asked of the news gorup it is Super Urgent :)

Thanks in advance
Chris.