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Connection to UNIX via NFS
When you like to connect to a UNIX system ( the "grand-pa" of all Multi-User/
Multi-tasking/ Network- operating systems, which was already well
established when Bill Gates wrote his first line of code), you have to decide:
UNIX and MS Windows (in all versions) are NOT
compatible and cannot directly communicate with each other:

To have these system communicate with each other, one system
needs to be adapted to support the
"Communications Language" of the other system:
Make UNIX understand Microsoft
Windows Networking
This is possible by installing on the UNIX system:

I am NOT covering this, because this site is covering MS Windows
and I will therefore not go into the details of the UNIX-commands
to install and configure SAMBA (which you get for free as
source-code and which you have to compile YOURSELF on tour UNIX
system).
For more details on SAMBA: http://samba.anu.edu.au/samba/
Make Microsoft Windows understand
UNIX Networking
you need to use:
- TCP/IP protocol
- NFS Client (Network
File System)
NFS is the standard method for UNIX systems to connect to
each other, and now you need a PC/ Windows version to establish a
connection from a Windows95/WindowsNT system.
While TCP/IP is included in both Windows95/WindowsNT4 (otherwise Microsoft would have serious marketing/sales
problems in this new world of the "Internet"
connectivity, which is based on TCP/IP),
there is NO "Client for NFS"
included with Windows95 or Windows NT4, nor does Microsoft offer
any such NFS-client as additional product.
There are several companies offering NFS-client (have a look at
shareware sites like http://www.shareware.com or http://www.windows95.com for more details).
I am covering here the NFS-client, which I have used already
myself (other client use similar
setup-parameters, because they all need to do the same job:
use NFS, so the following information may be also
helpful , if you are using a different NFS Client):
"Sun Microsystems" (http://www.sun.com) is a major player in the UNIX workstation market and
played the major role with NFS
( actually NFS was originally developed by Sun).
"SunSoft" , a subsidiary of Sun (http://www.sun.com/software/index.html) offers a full suite of connectivity software, which
includes:
- Solstice Network Client (NFS Client)
(www.sun.com/netclient/overview)
A 30-day evaluation copy can be downloaded:
http://www.sun.com/netclient/overview/download
The following pages cover the installation of the Solstice
NFS Client for both Windows95 and WindowsNT4,
because the setup/configuration is mostly identical, exceptions
are shown separately.
Start: I assume, that the network-board has already been
installed and configured and that the TCP/IP protocol is
installed.
Editing
the HOSTS-file
In my examples, the UNIX system does NOT include a DNS server( so
it is required to edit the "hosts"-file
on the Windows-system ,location of "hosts"-file
is covered below) and does NOT include a DHCP-server (so it is
required to manually assign the IP-addresses):
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example of Editing Hosts:
- name/ip of the UNIX-server: ggtbel00
- name/ip of the Windows-PC: am01 |
NOTE: the "hosts"-file
is a simple TEXT-file. When adding a new line, make sure that you
press the <ENTER>-key at the end of each line (which is
sometimes missed-out when using the NOTEPAD-editor), otherwise
the system will NOT read that line properly, i.e. it will NOT be
able to translate that name into the IP-address !
Lets verify (and TEST) the network-setup BEFORE installing the
NFS-Client:
In the "Control-Panel", select the Network-applet:

Win95 |

WinNT4 |
Please, click on the Icon to select
Windows95 or WindowsNT4 |
Editing the HOSTS-file
Installation of
Solstice NFS Client 3.1
Network Client-Cache
Customize Solstice
NFS Client 3.1
Browsing the UNIX
Network
And for a multi-server setup: Networking to UNIX and Novell Netware
Windows95
Start
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On a Windows95 system,
make sure, that you have installed:
- Client for Microsoft Networks
- your Network-Adapter
- TCP/IP-protocol
Verify the TCP/IP-properties:
tab "IP-address": define the IP-address of
the Windows-PC, subnet-mask
should be
the default (255.255.255.0)
tab "Gateway": define
(and ADD) the
IP-address of the UNIX-server as
Gateway address
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Verify, that the connection to the UNIX-server is 'valid'
(that the TCP/IP setup is correct and that the network-board and
cables work properly) by 'Pinging' the
UNIX-server:
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On Windows95, a sample of a "hosts"
file
called "hosts.sam" is
created during the
installation of TCP/IP in your
WINDOWS-directory, just make a copy
to the name "hosts",
then edit hosts.
make a "ping"
to the UNIX-server,
first using the IP-address and then also
using the UNIX-server name (to verify,
the the name-resolution via "hosts" is
working properly). |
WindowsNT4
Start
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Once you have installed on a WindowsNT4
system the network-adapter, all required
Network- "Services"
are installed.
make sure, that TCP/IP-protocol is
installed and configured properly with:
- IP-address of the Windows NT system
- Subnet-mask (default: 255.255.255.0)
- as "Gateway", enter
the IP-address of
the Unix-server
Verify under the tab:"Bindings",
that all components are active and
have a "binding" |
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Make sure, that you located the "hosts"-file
(installed during TCP/IP-setup in the
DRIVERS/ETC directory of the WindowsNT Systems32 directory) and
that Hosts has been edited to define
the names of the UNIX-server and Windows NT system.
Verify, that the connection to the UNIX-server is 'valid' (that
the TCP/IP setup is correct and that the network-board and cables
work properly) by 'Pinging' the
UNIX-server:

"ping" using the IP-address
and also using the UNIX-server name (testing, that the
name-resolution via "hosts"
is working properly).
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