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Prosoft Releases Mac OS X Client for Netware

Posted by pudge on from the the-computer-is-the-network dept.

JSherman writes "Prosoft Engineering has released a client that enables Mac OS X to connect to a Novell network. The client is pure TCP/IP, and is not tied with AppleTalk. Its been possible for Macs to connect to Netware Servers for a long time by using Novell's Native File Access, but this is a much better method since it's an actual client that will remember your user ID and password when connecting to servers, and it allows you to browse the NDS tree. This is great news for all of us that use Apple computers in the Enterprise. Mac OS X progress marches on."

3 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. Platform potpourri by Mr.Intel · · Score: 3, Informative

    Not only can you get a NetWare client for the MAC (OS X) but you can download the demo from an ASP page. For those who don't want to bother with the reg info, here is the link to download it directly. The serial they gave me was 9602-3082-0060-5950-2. I assume it is time limited or some such other nonsense.

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  2. Re:How is this news? by AndyDeck · · Score: 5, Informative

    The news is that this is (reportedly) a native NCP client. LDAP/NIS/AD are all directory services - NCP is a file access protocol. Totally different animals.

    This client is intended to permit a Mac user to map directly to a Netware volume without the old Netware (or Prosoft) for MAC NLMs, and without the new Native File Access pack NLMs - both of which, in different ways, forced the Netware server to look like a Mac server. A native NCP client goes the other way - it permits the Mac to use the Netware resources natively.

    The advantage to the native Mac client is one less layer of indirection when accessing Netware-served files. The benefits should include improved security (relative to the Nw4Mac/NFAP methods), theoretically improved performance, better support for features such as clustering, etc.

    In my opinion, Novell would be better off releasing sufficient information about NCP for third parties to create their own clients if they do not intend to write their own. I'm still waiting for the Linux equivalent to this client to appear, for instance. (as far as I can tell, ncpfs only supports IPX not native IP)

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    The Crystal Wind is the Storm, and the Storm is Data, and the Data is Life
  3. maybe not, skippy by stego · · Score: 4, Informative

    Both of my 'real jobs' have had Netware networks. I don't like Netware, but having a Mac client is a good thing.