I have never used this operating system and I'm wondering how do you install programs on Novell Netware? What does the process look like?

You don't - its a NOS.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Network_operating_system
It was subsumed by OES. You run it as part of SLES.

Well not entirely correct.

NETWARE is a Platform. Novell Migrated to Linux and OES


You can install software on NETWARE. NETWARE runs NLMs (Netware Loadable Modules). But you won't find much out there that is not tightly linked to server operations. Things like GWAVA (Email scanner / Archiver) for Groupwise can be installed on a NETWARE box. Netware can also run Java Apps (Assuming you have Java Loaded).

The process to install will vary with the application. For instance GWAVA is tightly integrated with Groupwise.

Netware development stopped several years ago and Novell carried forward with SLES (SuSE Linux Enterprise Server) and OES (Open Enterprise Server). This platform allows any linux software to be installed.

I still have a cluster of NETWARE Servers, but the vast majority of what I manage is now OES running on SLES. Have to say for stability NETWARE still RULES.

Netware is tricky to classify - it is a hang-over from when Novell was an evil proprietary company so much of the language associated with it is designed to aid marketing. We can drive ourselves nuts with nomenclature...

I thought it was a bit like GNU - in that, you don't install software to gnu.

"Platform" is probably good - in the older use of the word. People call gnu/linux a platform these days.

I don't think it is an operating system in the sense that OP is thinking, which I suspect is the bottom line. Novell now advertise netware as part of OES and SLES - you run these things: how does that work? Is it just like the dedicated netware boxes running in a hypervisor (say) or is it more having a collection of netware modules ported to run on linux?

The core applications from NETWARE have been ported to linux. OES (Open Enterprise Services) composes the central part of what was NETWARE. Things like eDirectory (Around long before Microsofts active Directory), eDirectory integrated DNS and DHCP Services, iPrint, iFolder (around long before the Apple 'i'), NetStorage and more all have been ported from NETWARE into a proprietary package for Linux, now called OES. OES is made specifically to run on SLES (SuSE Linux Enterprise Server) which is a hardened version of Linux.

For a comparison of Netware to OES, you can look here:

For small Businesses (100 Users or less) Novell has wrapped many of their products into OWS (Open Workgroup Suite) Small Business Edition. This comes with things like Groupwise, eDirectory, Zenworks. Licencses for SLES and OES as well as licenses for SLED (SuSE Linux Enterprise Desktop) which is a streamlined version of Open SuSE.

No I don't work for Novell, but I do use Novell products a lot. I prefer Novell over Microsoft any day.

cheers. Thanks for the clarification.