NetWare for Linux

Linux is an open -source product supported by many individuals on the Internet, along with several new startup companies that have begun to produce additional utilities and products for the Linux community. In particular, Caldera produced NetWare for Linux, which can be installed on its version of Linux, as well as those from Red Hat Linux and some other variants. Although the product probably should not be used as a substitute for NetWare in a large environment, it is suitable for providing NetWare services to a few clients in a LAN. You might also use it when performing a migration to Linux when you have a few clients that need to continue using NetWare for some period. You can move your files and printers to Linux servers, configure NetWare for Linux, and then allow those few clients to make use of it. Also, in 2002, Caldera, which had acquired SCO, changed its name to The SCO Group. You can visit its Web site at www.caldera.com or www.sco.com.

NetWare for Linux provides functionality for the following:

• Novell Directory Services (now called the eDirectory)

• NetWare File Services

• NetWare Print Services (and NetWare Distributed Print Services)

• NetWare Client support

• NetWare user account security and authentication

The installation can be performed on a Caldera Linux system quickly using a setup file or manually on other Linux systems. To update the Caldera version, you need only to change your directory to the installation CD and enter the following command:

  ./update.NWS4L  

When the procedure finishes, you need to reboot. Other commands that are useful include these:

• nwserverstatus ” Shows status information about the Linux NetWare server.

• /etc/rc.d/init.d/netware start ” Starts the NetWare server.

• /etc/rc.d/init.d/netware stop ” Stops the NetWare server.

You also can install Caldera NetWare for Linux client on Linux systems. This allows Linux clients to connect to the Linux server that runs the NetWare services or to an actual NetWare server. In this way, both ordinary NetWare clients and Linux clients can share the same information. Some useful commands for the client include the following:

• nwlogon < netware user name > ” Log on to NetWare if using NDS. You also can log on to a particular context using the nwlogon command and connect to a specific NDS tree.

• nwlogin -s < server > -b -u < NetWare username > ” Log on to the server when using the bindery instead of NDS.

• nwlogout -s < server > ” Log off the particular server.

• nwlogout -t < tree > ” Log off a particular NDS tree.

• nwwhoami ” Display status information about your process, showing the NDS trees to which you have connected, the username used, and so on.

• nwprint < filename > ” Allow the client to submit files to print.

Accessing files on a NetWare-enabled Linux server is done in the same manner as for other files in the Linux file system. The NetWare files appear under the /NetWare/bindery directory (if using bindery services) or the /NetWare/NDS directory (when using NDS).