DistributionWatch Review: Red Hat Linux 6.1 - page 7

Red Hat Linux: A Mainstream Linux

New in Red Hat Linux is RP3, a PPP program that automates the process of connecting to the Internet with a dial-up connection. It's similar to the widely used pppsetup program in that it takes all the relevant information about a dial-up connection--modem location, modem speed, phone number, username, password--and passes that configuration information to another program, in this case wvdial.

Where RP3 adds value is the extra monitoring capabilities after you've made a connection. You can use RP3 to track online usage, either by the minute or as the cost of the call. (For international users who pay by the minute for Internet connectivity, this capability is important.) In addition, you can configure RP3 to confirm with you when you want to make a connection.

One minus: RP3 is an X-based application, not accessible from the command line. This means that if you're using Linux in command-line mode, you'll need to manually configure a dial-up connection on your own, a task not covered in the Red Hat Linux documentation.