Hello Brook,

   B> I am trying to make pppd work through a cell phone (not
    > via GPRS, but rather using its basic modem capability).
    > Using kermit I can connect to the phone, dial, log in,
    > etc.  When I try via pppd/chat though, it seems like
    > chat times out reading the first expect string.

As a 'data-point', when I tried this with a friend's mobile
phone this "just worked": I plugged in his phone where I
usually plugged in a serial fixed-line modem and no changes
to the software or configuration were required.

   B> I suppose one possibility is that this is because the
    > CD signal on the serial port is not set.

Hmm, it's odd that your phone doesn't set that. Does it work
if you assert that at the computer end (say by looping the
computer's DTR output back into its DSR and DCD inputs)?

- Andy Ball