Very Computer

Help. I am using tip on a Sparc 1+ running SunOS 4.1.4 with
SupraFax 28.8 modem. The setup has worked for months and
all of a sudden starting malfunctioning ....

When I give the number explicitly, tip never dials and sez "connected"

     > #  tip 5551234
     connected

Makes no difference what number I try.

And when I start tip with a label that is an entry in
/etc/remote, then the modem dials & makes busy signal
noises at the same time.

     > # tip best
     [dials and busy noise at same time]

I am mystified. Everything worked fine for 4 months and now
it's kaput ... but for tip only. kermit and uucp seem to still
be able to use the modem just fine.

My guess is that tip is keeping state some where I can't
find -- I have rebooted the machine and reinitialized
the modem to no avail.

I would replace the modem except that it works fine
with kermit and uucp.

I feel like I am overlooking one crucial fact. All
hints welcome!

Thanks,
-f

SFWR:

Augmented tip that came with CSLIP. Has advanced
scripting capabilities. However, I kept /bin/tip-orig
and it displays the same problem (the advanced
scripting features are not at issue since it never
gets that far.

PROBLEM:

Explicit number -- no dialing, sez connected.

Label in /etc/remote --
dials the first two or three numbers, then a busy signal
noise starts on top of the dialing; it dials a couple
more numbers, and then remainder of dialing aborts.  No
connection is made.

This happens only when I call tip with a label that is
an entry in /etc/remote.  

When the problem first started, it made ringing noises at
the same time, but now they are busy noises.

Back when it made ringing noises, then tip <number>
still worked.

CONTEXT:

kermit works fine -- at 28.8
uucp works -- at 9600 [OK, max speed of my link]
tip <number> no dial, sez connected
tip <remote-label> busy and dial at same time
  this is the crucial one, cause I use it to start TIA
  for my internet connection.

I'm sure that nothing has changed on the level I
change things. Ie /etc/remote and /etc/login.script.unix-best
are the same as they have been for months.

Was messing with X redirect in TIA true, but
that was at the remote end, how could that effect
dialing?

TRIED:

rebooting machine -- didn't work

looking for uucp lock files which man page sez they share --
  couldn't find any in /var/spool/locks/LCK

THEORY:

1. modem is screwing up -- I never heard of one dialing
and ringing at same time.

2. some file or lock is in wrong state -- the last
time I sucessfully used tip, I may have exited
ungracefully, don't remember.

FILES: state of relevant files from the tip man page:

  ~/.tiprc                 initialization file
     dont have one

  /var/spool/locks/LCK ..* lock file to avoid  conflicts  with UUCP
     not there between calls [good]

  /var/adm/aculog          file in which  outgoing  calls  are logged
     cant find one    

  /etc/phones
     none

  /etc/remote
     unchanged since things used to work

plus
  /etc/login.script.unix
    also unchanged since things used to work, but doesn't matter
    cause never gets this far.

MODEM HARDWARE

  ATI3
  V1.200-02-V34_DS

  SupraFAXModem 288

  Built: April 26 1995 13:46:14

  OK

  ATI10
  101,104,115,120,121,123,140,141,142,143,144,146,147,149,150,151,153,154,157,190

  SupraFAXModem 288

  101=Class 1 FAX           104=Class 2 FAX           115=V.17 14.4Kbps FAX
  120=World Wide support    121=V.23                  123=Blacklisting
  140=V.32bis 14.4Kbps data 141=SilentAnswer          142=CallerID
  143=MNP10                 144=MNP10/Cellular        146=AT\S config display
  147=V.FC 28.8Kbps data    149=V.FC 24.0Kbps data    150=Enhanced &F options
  151=Enhanced rate control 153=V.34 28.8Kbps data    154=SilentAnswer Plus
  157=RINGING response code 190=FLASH memory

  OK

  AT&V
  ACTIVE PROFILE:
  B1 E1 L2 M1 N1 Q0 T V1 W0 X1 Y0 %C3 %E0 %G1 -K0 &C1 &D2 &K3 &Q5 &R1 &S0 &X0 &Y0
  S00:000 S01:000 S02:255 S03:013 S04:010 S05:008 S06:002 S07:050 S08:002 S09:012
  S10:014 S11:095 S12:255 S18:000 S23:062 S25:005 S26:001 S36:007 S37:000 S38:020
  S40:104 S41:131 S44:131 S46:138 S48:007 S91:012 S95:000 S109:062 S110:014

  STORED PROFILE 0:
  B1 E1 L2 M1 N1 Q0 T V1 W0 X4 Y0 %C3 %E0 %G1 -K0 &C1 &D2 &K3 &Q5 &R1 &S0 &X0
  S00:000 S02:043 S06:002 S07:050 S08:002 S09:012 S10:014 S11:095 S12:050 S18:000
  S23:062 S25:005 S26:001 S36:007 S37:000 S40:104 S41:131 S46:138 S95:000

  STORED PROFILE 1:
  B1 E1 L2 M0 N1 Q0 T V1 W1 X4 Y0 %C3 %E0 %G1 -K0 &C1 &D2 &K3 &Q5 &R1 &S0 &X0
  S00:000 S02:043 S06:002 S07:050 S08:002 S09:012 S10:014 S11:095 S12:050 S18:000
  S23:062 S25:005 S26:001 S36:007 S37:000 S40:104 S41:131 S46:138 S95:000