I am relatively new to Linux, but have many years experience under CPM, DOS and Windows. I am presenting using openSUSE Linux 10.2 (but I am seriously questioning the wisdom of this decision!!)

I administer 2 servers, server1 (NetWare 4.1) and server2 (NetWare5.0). I am trying to set up access to my Novell servers, using the Netwhere client. I have all but given up accessing server1 for now, as the IP services on it do not appear to be compatible. I cannot locate a suitable copy of ipxutils anywhere that will run on SUSEOpen Linux 10.2, all seems geared to Red Hat. Does anyone know where I can get a copy of ipxutils or something similar for SUSE? My guess is that Novell is keeping access down in order to prevent users from keeping their older IPX servers. The newer Netware client for Linux only has IP services!

I have gotten into server2, running only IP services, as NW 5.0 and up had compatible IP and IPX. I set up the Novel client for Linux under my root user and I can get in and access files fine. However, when I try to access the server under another user on the same Linux box (I try not to keep in root for everything), I get the following error:

Error: Could not mount server.
failed: Server server2 belong to tree OSTROWLAW2 and you are not authenticated to it.

Rather than continue to rip out the last remaining shreds of hair I have left, I decided to see if someone could please help.

Thanks
Alan

mabye have a look at ncpfs ??? I think that it's still included in SLES10 so I'd imagine it still current.


You could also have a look at running NFS on your 4.1 box but I think both of those products are 'end of life'

Is there any reason that prevents you from upgrading one or both of your servers to Netware 6.5? or even linux ? the current versions of eDirectory (8.7.3.9 or 8.8sp2) are FAR superior to that which you're probably running now.

IPX is very antiquated, Novell made a popular choice by dropping it (I DO miss it sometimes tho) since the rest of the industry was IP based.

I can honestly say that I happily use SLED10 100% of the time at work to admin about 400 Netware servers worldwide (and a ton of linux servers as well) but they are all NW6.0 or 6.5 with IP (no IPX)


Search http://rpm.pbone.net for ncpfs...


Here's a quick link to 32bit for 10.2 ...

http://rpm.pbone.net/index.php3/stat....i586.rpm.html

Good luck.

From what I understand, the Netware client for Linux runs on SLED 10, doesn't run on SUSEOpen 10.2. Not sure if it runs on 10.1. But, the Netware client only uses IP, not IPX.

I can access my server using IP on NW5.0, just can't access the 4.1 server. I have IP on the 4.1 server, don't quite know what the problem is.

As far as an upgrade of my servers, my philosophy is: 1 project at a time. First, get at least 1 Linux WS working and learn from it. Need to access the networked printers, scanners, etc. Then, move from there.

As far as ncpfs, last night I tried to install Fedora 6, then put Ncpfs and Ipxutils on. I could not find a version of Mars-Nwe which was compiled for my version of Fedora, and I still don't know how to do it myself (I am a ) I then tried to install the Netwhere client. I got absolutely nowhere with netwhere! I couldn't even get the login interface to come up.

I am definitely NOT having fun with this little project. I did purchase SLED, but I don't like the fact that the updates are only included for 1 year and I would be in a perpetual $$ paying cycle with Novell. I wanted to get off the Microsoft train, not on the Novell train. But, I have it in the box, just haven't tried it yet. Am I wrong -- isn't this a perpetual $50/year for each box?

==You could also have a look at running NFS on your 4.1 box but I think both of those products are 'end of life'==

Don't know much about NFS -- what is involved here, where do I get it, etc?

Thanks for your help. Yes, I am at wits end here.

The official Netware client for linux is 'designed' for SLED does seem to work on opensuse 10.2 (I confirmed this today) as does the Groupwise 7 client (if you use GW) and yes, I understand that the new client is IP only unfortunately.

For what it's worth, I successfully installed ncpfs-2.2.6-24.i586 on my sled10 laptop without issue but I do not have any older NW servers running IPX to test it with.

If you installed ncpfs look at /usr/share/doc/packages/ncpfs there are example scripts here, a FAQ and a README that may help you out.

If you don't want to pay Novell for updates then don't, SLED will continue to function and you can still find any necessary patches and install them yourself. The re-occuring $50 (??) cost does enable you for patches and such but it also get's you a _supported_ platform for 4 years (mabye 3, not sure ) personally, I think that $50 per year is a resonable cost for a longterm, supported, business oriented OS (since I don't pay for a Windows license nor antivirus, firewall, spyware, popup blocker, defrag etc... software I feel that I'm coming out ahead)


I'm definately not goint to try to tell you how to coordinate your efforts but it seems that alot of these troubles you're going thru are due to an extremely old version of Netware (4.x) and IPX. perhaps it would make more sense to upgrade that box first ???? you'll definately have a better experience with all the new linux stuff if you cut out the legacy products.

Another link to helpful stuff...

http://www.novell.com/coolsolutions/feature/17015.html

Dunno if I'm helping at all or just making things more difficult for you (sorry if that's the case)

Whatever you do, don't give up....


Cheers

Thanks again. More good stuff, more information, more things to try.

I am really being pulled in a lot of different directions. On the one hand, some of the users in my Wordstar user group are advising me to give up on Novell entirely, and just set up a Linux server. So, before I even dive into that, I need to understand Linux better. And, to use Linux, I need to access my Novell servers.

I'll try the ncpfs utilites and see how it goes. Do you know if ncpfs accesses Netware servers by IPX or only by IP?

As far as SLED, doesn't the $50.00 charge amount to $50.00 per year per machine?

Thanks again.
Alan

I went back to the drawing board and worked on just configuring ncpmount. I managed to get my SYS volume mounted under IPX only on my old NW4.1 server. HAPPY! Now, I need to figure out the rest of the package (how to mount ALL of the volumes, printing, etc). At least I'm making some progress.

Thanks for all your help! I'll be back, not done yet!

Alan

WooHoo!!! good work!

Persistance pays my friend

I completely understand why folks in your usergroup are advising you to migrate to linux, and I also understand your reservations, there's nothing, and I mean NOTHING that compares to Netware print and file, performance scalability granular ACL's etc.. not to mention user file salvage ability and of course eDir. I DO feel a bit sad tho, everytime I retire a Netware server in favor of a linux server (just for a brief moment tho :-)

If/when you do decide to migrate to linux for your servers keep Novell in mind, SLES/OES is a pretty nice enterprise grade solution AND you can still have eDirectory (although redhat/solaris/aix and hpux are also supported)


The $50 cost of SLED is per machine but how much are you spending now on MS per seat licensing ?
Not to mention the hidden cost that go with windows (3rd party software and alot of maintenance)

One thing that I will say that I hope might 'encourage' to to adopt linux for your servers instead of Netware is the far greater flexibility in administrative capabilities.. yeah all of the typical Novell utils still work fine (console1,imanager,imonitor etc..) but, connect to the server via an ssh session and there is just sooo much more information you can get (as ooposed to the netware console). Sure, it will take bit to learn these things but it WILL make it easier, frankly I can't imagine trying to do as much as I can now _without_ linux servers and an ssh session.

Regardless, I'm glad you're making progress (and learning linux in the process), your marketability will only increase with a linux skillset.

Dave

Well, one more thing. Do you know the ins and outs of ncpmount? I mounted both of my Netware servers, both IPX, but could only mount 1 volume on each server. I tried using consecutive lines in my /etc/rc.d/rc.local file like this:
ncpmount -S server1 -V SYS -U "user" -P "password" /"mountpointdirectory"
ncpmount -S server1 -V SECRETARY -U "user" -P "password" /"mountpointdirectory"
But, only mounted the first volume. Do you have any experience with this? I would be surprised if you could only mount 1 volume at a time(!?!?)

Thanks a million for all your help. Making progress.

Got it, just delete the -V command and don't designate a volume and ALL volumes are mounted.

I am really making progress here, next stop: DOSEMU and WINE, to get my old apps working on Linux (and have them read off the server).

One more thing. I set up a trial server at home (NW5.0 with IPX) and got everything running. I was going to do the "grunt" work of setting up Dosemu and Wine at home, then transport everything into the office.

Everything was peachy. ncpmount worked just as here. Then, after I moved the \mountpointdirectory into the user's \home\username\server directory, I lost it. It ceased to operate as a startup file. If I copy the information in the file and run it at the prompt, it works fine. Just won't work as an "autoexec" file (whatever the shell equivalent in Linux is).

Also, even entering the information at the command line in another user (not root) it stopped working.

I tried to restore all the language in the file /etc/rc.d/rc.local file back to the original:
ncpmount -S server1 -U "user" -P "password" /"mountpointdirectory"

Still, no longer worked outside of root or as a startup file. Weird.

What's happening here?

Thanks
Alan