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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."

6 of 41 comments (clear)

  1. How is this news? by Auckerman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    MacOS 10 has had support for LDAP and NIS. 10.2 will have support for Active Directory. Now explain to me why I should PAY for a Novell client, when all I have to do is read some documentation.

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    Burn Hollywood Burn
    1. Re:How is this news? by Dephex+Twin · · Score: 3, Insightful

      What's the point of automatic transmission when all I have to do for manual is press the clutch and shift gears?

      Some people don't have the time, patience, and/or skill to implement stuff like netware themselves in a convenient manner. What do you think about GUI wrappers for things that can be done in the CLI?

      If you don't see the use of this, you aren't looking beyond your world, IMO.

      --

      If you want to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe. -- Carl Sagan
    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. Re:How is this news? by Auckerman · · Score: 3, Insightful
      "Some people don't have the time, patience, and/or skill to implement stuff like netware themselves in a convenient manner."


      Then they should NOT be an admin. Lazy admins are the reason why many networks are insecure. This is not to be construed as an arguement against GUI's, which have their place, but merely an arguement that reading documentation to learn how to do something is what an admin is supposed to do.

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      Burn Hollywood Burn
  2. 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.

    --
    ASCII tastes bad dude.
    Binary it is then.
  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.