From: jmd@cube.handheld.com (Jim De Arras)
Subject: Re: AppleTalk and 3.0. It does not work.
Organization: Hand Held Products, Inc.
Date: Tue, 6 Oct 1992 01:58:45 GMT

In article <1992Oct3.115657.15290@csus.edu> eps@futon.SFSU.EDU (Eric P. Scott)  
writes:
> Test machine: NeXTstation (25MHz), 32MB RAM, nbuf=128
> 
> NetInfo options:
> 	AppleTalk
> 		Enabled YES
> 		AppleTalkPhase 1
> 		NetID [as assigned by administrator]
> 		NodeID 1
> 		ZoneName [as assigned by administrator]
> 	AppleTalk/AppleShare
> 		Enabled YES
> 		ResourceForks SHOWN
> 		CharacterEncoding MAC-ROMAN
> 
> Connections were made to both a dedicated AppleShare 2.0 server
> and a Mac II running System 7.0 + TuneUp 1.1.1 + AppleTalk and
> EtherTalk upgrades/fixes from Network Software Installer 1.2.2
> (note that Apple released a newer version a few days ago).  The
> AppleShare server is on LocalTalk through a Shiva FastPath.
> The 7.0 system was switchable between LocalTalk and EtherTalk
> (Phase 1 and Phase 2, although I didn't try Phase 2).
> 
> + All AppleTalk Zones were visible.
> + The NeXT took a noticeable amount of time to find all the nodes
>   in a Zone.
> + New nodes would be discovered, but removed nodes would not be
>   purged.
> + Attempts to log in as a Guest user usually failed with "Invalid
>   User Name or Password.  Please try again."  This was
>   repeatable.  Curiously enough, after switching to "Registered
>   User" and clicking OK (which would, of course, fail), switching
>   back to "Guest" would work!  (This was true for both AppleShare
>   2.0 and System 7.0.)
> + It is not possible to provide authentication without the
>   NeXTSTEP Window Server running (for example, when logged onto
>   the true console).
> + Machines whose names contained certain "high bit" characters
>   would be accessible through the browser, but not in either
>   standard shell.
> + Shutting down file sharing resulted in NO notification to the
>   NeXT user!  (Macs pop up an alert.)
> + There is no way to specify which volumes to mount; all
>   available are mounted, which may partially explain the lengthy
>   setup delay.  Also, it seems to be necessary to manually
>   perform Update Viewers to make files appear (or browse
>   elsewhere and come back).
> + There is no clear indication when a volume was not mounted due
>   to lack of server permission.
> + The "Disconnect" option in AppleTalk Preferences sometimes
>   refused to work, even when no obvious file reference existed.
> + Logging out did not unmount AppleShare servers.  Logging in
>   again would wedge the automounter resulting in NFS getattr
>   failures on terminals or a hopelessly hung Workspace when
>   attempting to browse AppleShare, making it impossible to log
>   out.  (Reboot seems to be the best course of action here.)
> + The automounter didn't always dismount properly at shutdown,
>   with the message "CAUTION: some processes wouldn't die"
>   appearing.
> 
> "Really looking forward to NeXTSTEP 3.1"
> 
> 					-=EPS=-

I concur with about 90% of the above, and dispute none of it.  I also cannot  
properly access a MacLan server, this is a package that runs on a PC an exports  
local and PC network drives as Appleserve.  It works flawlessly on the Macs  
here, but is kinda random to the NeXT.  Some volumes never show up, some always  
do, and a couple come and go.

Jim