Subject: [netatalk-admins] Strange problems with Netatalk (AppleTalk)...
From: Steve Frampton (frampton@alcdsb.on.ca)
Date: Tue Feb 02 1999 - 15:47:51 EST
Hello!
I am having a couple of problems with Macintosh file & print sharing with
AppleTalk/Netatalk. I am running the kernel 2.0.36 on an x86 with plenty
of RAM (128 Mb), plenty of disk (about 3 Gb), using the
netatalk-1.4b2+asun2.1.0-10a.i386.rpm
The first problem occurs when I attempt to restart the Netatalk package.
Netatalk always starts successfully the first time, when the server is
booted. However, if I type '/etc/rc.d/init.d/atalk stop', followed by
'/etc/rc.d/init.d/atalk start' (or just do a 'restart'), I get the
following messages:
Starting AppleTalk services: (backgrounded)
[root@bowser frampton]# AppleTalk not up! Child exited with 1.
[root@bowser frampton]# nbp_rgstr: Connection timed out
Can't register bowser.flarc.edu.on.ca:Workstation@*
[root@bowser frampton]# nbp_rgstr: Connection timed out
Can't register bowser.flarc.edu.on.ca:netatalk@*
AppleTalk not up? Huh??
In order to get AppleTalk running again, I have to reboot the server.
I don't know if this is relevant, but here is my /proc/appletalk:
Type local_addr remote_addr tx_queue rx_queue st uid
and my /proc/atalk_iface:
Interface Address Networks Status
eth0 005A:81 005A-005A 0
lo 0000:00 0000-0000 0
and my /proc/atalk_route:
Target Router Flags Dev
005A:00 005A:81 1 eth0
0000:00 0000:00 5 lo
I've got AppleTalk compiled into a custom kernel -- tried it first as
a module, but in an attempt to resolve this problem I compiled support
directly into the kernel -- no change. :-(
The second problem I am seeing is when the "At Ease" software on the Mac
reads the setup information from the server to a local Mac (this happens
upon boot up). Sometimes this seems to work flawlessly, and other times
the Mac seems to hang for indeterminant periods of time before it either
succeeds or the angry site administrator reboots the Mac. This seems to
happen when there is more than one user accessing the shares at a given
time. (The site administrator is laughing at my multi-user Linux system
for not allowing concurrent access!) Could this be caused by some sort of
locking issue with the Users.dat/Users.idx file? Or a problem with the
Netatalk package itself?
I really need to get this working. The IT manager is looking into other
solutions. Thankfully NT has more than proven itself in other locations
as not being up to the task. :-) However, proprietary solutions such as
Solaris and 'Taz' are being suggested. ;-(
Anybody have any idea what the problems are? Any advice would be greatly
appreciated.
P.S. I notice the most recent netatalk RPM's are 1.4b2+asun2.1.2-2.
Anything new/changed in these that have addressed the problems I
mentioned? Also, would upgrading my kernel to 2.2.1 likely improve
Appletalk support?
--------------< LINUX: The choice of a GNU generation. >--------------
Steve Frampton <3srf@qlink.queensu.ca> http://qlink.queensu.ca/~3srf
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b28 : Sat Dec 18 1999 - 16:16:17 EST