Artisoft Technical Bulletin Updated: 06.30.94 Running LANtastic v5.0/6.0 in an OS/2 Virtual DOS Machine Page 1 of 5 Engineers: AEJ/MWF/BDB Your computers running OS/2 can use LANtastic features by running the network software in an OS/2 Virtual DOS Machine (VDM, or VMB). Computers running OS/2 can use LANtastic features by running the network software in an OS/2 Virtual DOS Machine (VDM or VMB). A VDM is a protected-mode environment set up by OS/2 in which sufficient memory is set aside to simulate an operating system, in our case, DOS. Picture a VDM as a remote boot image. It exists on the OS/2 desktop as an icon, similar to a launchable program. When the user double-clicks on it, the device literally "boots" into the memory set aside for it. Note: Before you begin, make sure you have the latest version of the FSFILTER.SYS file. LANtastic will not run using the version included in most OS/2 packages. The correct version of this file is available on the Arti-Facts bulletin board. See the LANtastic User's Manual for information on downloading files from the Arti-Facts BBS. Note: DEL and ERASE commands are not supported with wildcards (*, ??) 1. On a computer running DOS, or in a DOS window on an OS/2 computer, prepare a bootable floppy diskette. It's recommended that you use a 1.2 MB or 1.44 floppy diskette. To create a bootable floppy disk, type FORMAT A: /S at the DOS prompt, where "A:" represents the drive containing the diskette you want to create. Hint: Just about any version of DOS will be all right, (DOS 3.2 is not recommended). If the disk is formatted using MS-DOS 6.2, then ServicePak XR06200 is required to use MSDOS 6.2. 2. Using a text editor, create a CONFIG.SYS on the bootable floppy diskette. It should contain these commands: DEVICE=FSFILTER.SYS FILES=50 BUFFERS=32 LASTDRIVE=Z FCBS=16,8 You may also include any other commands that you want executed from the CONFIG.SYS. Hint: If you want to put HIMEM.SYS or EMM386.EXE on this floppy, you'll have to use the OS/2 versions. These can be found on the hard drive in the OS2\MDOS directory. 3. Create an AUTOEXEC.BAT for the bootable floppy. It should contain these commands: @ECHO OFF PROMPT $P$G PATH=C:\;A:\;C:\LANTASTI; C: CALL C:\LANTASTI\STARTNET.BAT As with the CONFIG.SYS, you may also include any other commands that you want executed. Hint: Notice that we're calling up STARTNET from the hard drive. Later on we'll be installing the NOS to the hard drive. This is important. Installing the entire NOS to the hard drive in the beginning will not work. Note: Don't load SHARE. It will not work inside a VDM. File locking is handled by OS/2. Record locking is NOT supported and databases should not be accessed by multiple users from on an OS/2 server. File locking is functional. 4. At the OS/2 machine, open a DOS window. Choose the OS/2 System icon, choose Command Prompts, then choose the DOS Window icon. Hint: DOS windows open in OS/2 very much like Windows except a DOS 5.0 emulator is loaded rather than true DOS. The extended DOS 6.0 commands are not available even if the hard drive is formatted with DOS 6.0. 5. In the DOS window, change to the directory C:\OS2\MDOS. Hint: This is the directory that holds the DOS emulation files. 6. Download the file FSFILTER.SYS from the Arti-Facts bulletin board, as instructed in your LANtastic User's Manual. LANtastic will not run using the older version of FSFILTER.SYS included in most OS/2 packages. Copy the new FSFILTER.SYS to the bootable floppy diskette. Hint: Native OS/2 DOS does not support FORMAT /S. WARNING! Do not attempt to run LANtastic without obtaining and loading FSFILTER.SYS. 7. Create a virtual DOS image file on the OS/2 computer. To do this, enter the following at the prompt: VMDISK A: C:\OS2\MDOS\LANTASTI.IMG where A: is the drive containing the bootable floppy diskette. Hint: This is the image that will become the bootable VDM. Note: VMDISK will return a CRC error if the floppy disk is formatted with MS-DOS 6.2. ServicePak XR06200 is required to use MS- DOS 6.2. 8. Place the LANtastic installation diskette in a floppy drive. At the DOS prompt, type A:INSTALL . Run the LANtastic installation program as directed in Chapter 2. When the installation is complete, follow the bulleted steps below if you want the OS/2 computer to share a drive resource with other nodes on the LANtastic network. þ At the C:> prompt in the VDM type NET_MGR . þ Select Shared Resources Management. þ Select a resource that you want to share. þ Select Disk Drive Type, then choose OS/2. þ Repeat steps 3 - 4 for each drive resource you want to share. Press Esc at each screen to return to the NET_MGR main menu. 9. If the hard drive is formatted HPFS, change Disk Drive Type for the " . => C:\LANTASTI.NET" resource to OS/2. You won't be able to see any directory listings unless you do this. 10. If you are configuring the machine as a server, edit the STARTNET.BAT file and add the following switch to the SERVER line: SERVER C:\LANTASTI.NET/NO_5D Without this switch, you'll be able to log into the machine but you won't be able to see any resources. Note: LANtastic running in a VDM does not support file and record locking or print sharing. THIS IS NOT A LANTASTIC LIMITATION. It is the nature of OS/2. 11. Close the DOS window by double-clicking in the upper left corner of the window. Hint: Remember that this is a Virtual Machine, not a DOS session, so EXIT will not close the window. 12. Open the Command Promps object. 13. Click the right mouse button on DOS FULL SCREEN to bring up a menu. Choose Copy to create a new object for the virtual DOS machine. Note: You can choose DOS, but DOS FULL SCREEN will allow you to run WIN.EXE (from OS/2 for Windows) or WINOS2.EXE (from regular OS/2) from within the VDM. Hint: A Windows application can run two ways on an OS/2 server: full screen or seamless window. In full screen you load a full Windows session with Program Manager, etc. In a seamless window you run a single program that is using Windows code but seems to be running on the OS/2 desktop (hence the moniker "seamless.") 14. Click on the New Name box and enter a name for the object. For example you might type "LANtastic VDM" . Hint: The name will be displayed under the icon on the desktop. 15. Click the left mouse button on the new object, then click the right mouse button to bring up the object menu. Click the arrow next to the Open menu option to bring up the Settings menu, then choose Settings. Hint: The right mouse button in OS/2 generally brings up the property settings for the object you're clicking on. The SETTINGS selection brings up an on-screen notebook that contains all the properties for this object. You'll hear the term Extended Attributes, or EA's. The properties you set in this notebook are stored in the EA's. 16. Click on Session to bring up Session parameters, then click on DOS Settings. Hint: Because this is a virtual machine, you need to be able to define the CMOS-type settings you'd have on a real machine. The DOS setting provides this mechanism. 17. Click on DOS_STARTUP_DRIVE. Click on the Value box and type in the drive and path as created in step 7 (C:\OS2\MDOS\LANTASTI.IMG). Click on Save. Hint: This is why it's essential that the image be bootable. It works the same as a boot ROM install. If the image is faulty, you can get all sorts of errors. IMPORTANT FOR 2MBPS CARDS You must exclude the memory address for the rambase in the DOS settings just as you would using EMM386. Select on EMM_EXCLUDE and insert the applicable RAMBASE range (D800-DFFF is the default) under value. 18. To allow printing, or if you're running CSPRINT from the VDM you must: þ From the OS/2 Desktop, click on OS/2 System, then click on System Setup. þ Click once with left button to select Spooler, then click once with right button to open a menu. þ Select Disable Spooler to allow direct access to the printer port. Hint: If printing works from another application outside the VDM but not in the VDM, this is probably the culprit. 19. Restart the virtual DOS machine by double clicking on the new object (LANtastic VDM in the example above) and the network will load. The OS/2 machine will now function as a LANtastic server and/or workstation. Hint: If you watch the VDM, it will look just like a computer booting. If you get errors, treat them just as you would for a stand-alone machine. Make your changes to the configuration files then close the VDM by double-clicking in the upper left-hand corner. Special Considerations for OS/2 Workstations and Servers þ The network adapter card must be in 8-bit mode. If you have Service Pak XR06055, available from IBM, you may be able to run in 16-bit mode. þ You cannot NET USE drives on your local computer from the virtual DOS machine. You can (and should) NET USE your local printers if your machine is configured as a Server. þ If you're using OS/2 V2.1, you must install the LANtastic server with the NO_5D switch. For example SERVER/NO_5D. þ Don't run the DOS SHARE program in the virtual DOS machine. SHARE does not function correctly in VDM. Please be aware that sharing a database from the OS/2 VDM is not supported since record locking will not function and data corruption may occur if multiple users access the same database. File locking IS functional. þ Don't install LANtastic on workstations running NetWare DOS if you're connecting to an OS/2 server. Doing so may cause file save errors. þ VMDISK returns a CRC error when a floppy disk is formatted with MS-DOS 6.2. ServicePak XR06200 is required to use MS-DOS 6.2. Troubleshooting OS/2 Problems Problem: Directory of redirected drive only shows one or a few files 1) Add NO_5D switch to SERVER line (step 10) 2) Change the DRIVE TYPE in Shared Resources to OS/2 (step 8 and 9) 3) Make sure you have the latest version of the FSFILTER.SYS file. (step 2) LANtastic will not run using the version included in most OS/2 packages. The correct version of this file is available on the Arti-Facts bulletin board. See the LANtastic User's Manual for information on downloading files from the Arti- Facts BBS. Error: On-board ram failure. 1) Ethernet cards may need 8-bit mode. This is definitely necessary for OS/2 2.0 unless Corrective Service Pak (CSP) XR06055 has been installed. Standard troubleshooting for this problem is to upgrade to OS/2 2.1. 2) 2MBPS cards may need RAMBASE excluded in the virtual memory assigned to the VDM. (Step 17). You must exclude the memory address for the rambase in the DOS settings just as you would using EMM386. There is a line labeled EMM_EXCLUDE that brings up a place for the user to insert the rambase range (eg, D800-DFFF). Problem: Error writing to disk at workstation running Novell DOS. Not a supported operation. Workstations must be using MS DOS or PC DOS. Error: CRC error running VMDISK Disk has probably been formatted with MS-DOS 6.2. Making a VDM with DOS 6.2 requires CSP XR06200. ARTISOFT, Inc. makes no warranties as to the completeness or accuracy of this document. LANtastic is a registered trademark of ARTISOFT, Inc. Company names, brand names, and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.