dnichols@d-and-d.com (DoN. Nichols) wrote in message news:<ckplpr$lh1$1@fuego.d-and-d.com>...
>
> That would be a reasonable test -- and if it *does* work, check
> for difference in the modem's configuration -- echoes especially.
>
> Good Luck,
> DoN.

actually it was an \ character in the modem's init string in the chat
script that was unescaped. and initially pppd was started as a daemon
by the rc script with "demand" in /etc/ppp/options but after failing
with "chat script failed" i reverted to the origial configuration of
"pppd call ispX" without removing pppd from the rc script. next boot,
guess what? "/dev/cua00 busy" since pppd without a call or
demand+connect option means dial-in operation, pppd assumes device is
already opened by *getty* (i think?) and LCP requests are present, no
data/carrier/DTR/CTS/whatever -> pppd thinks somebody else is using it
for something else -> device busy. so the problem was an unescaped
backslash and some double bit errors between display and keyboard.