Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ginosko!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!mcdchg!ddsw1!ddsw1!karl From: karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Karl Denninger) Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc Subject: Re: problem with Novell ELS II... Keywords: shell problems(command.com & net3.com) Message-ID: <[250c7428:5420.3]comp.ibmpc;1@ddsw1.MCS.COM> Date: 12 Sep 89 04:00:04 GMT References: <836@xroads.UUCP> <2674@orion.cf.uci.edu> Lines: 73 >----- >Response 2 of 2 (5420) by mrichey at orion.cf.uci.edu on Sun 10 Sep 89 21:38 >[Mike Richey] >(57 lines) > >In article <836@xroads.UUCP> firewind@xroads.UUCP (Tom Parker) writes: >> >>I was following the comments on the problem with ELS II and running dos >>programs. Whenever a dos program was exited, command.com couldn't be found >>and the workstation shell would crash. Does anybody know what causes this? >>I set up a search path for command.com and all sorts of stuff with no result. >Okay, I know this sounds really dumb, but this has worked fro me and many >others, here goes: > >In the autoexec.bat file of the network boot disk, don't set the >DOS prompt command, (Many people set it to PROMPT $P$G ) >Don't set it in the System Login Script, because it will be executed >when someone logs in on the File Server Work Station. If you wish to >set the prompt at the FS/WS, either key it in by hand, or set up >a batch file with the prompt command in it (I call mine prmpt.bat) >and DON'T make any reference to it in the autoexec.bat file on the >server boot diskette. I take it that this means that you can't do this from a workstation either?! >The other item is to not set the comspec to a netware device. Leave >in the server floppy, DOS will ask you to insert it. This is a heck of >a lot better than rebooting the fileserver without downing it first. > >Does Novell know of the problem? Yes, they've known of it since the >earliest day of Non dedicated Netware (2.0a) like since 1987. They >keep improving the situation, but have not seemed to get it right yet. >Be glad tou're not running ELS I. (FLAME ON MAXIMUM INTENSITY) How can a company such as Novell sell TRASH like this? We are considering using their products, but this kind of crap is enough to make us reconsider. There is simply no excuse for this kind of problem. They've known about it since 1987, eh? And it is STILL not fixed? So the bottom line is that a ND server is just a wish, and that you had better use a dedicated server, eh? Nice piece of (misleading) advertising they do with that so-called "non-dedicated" baloney. Does this ALSO happen with workstations, or is only the server affected? If this is also a problem on workstations, then the product is completely unusable -- our users will not deal with that kind of restriction. What ELSE doesn't work in ELS II? Should I just tell a client of ours that is considering an ELS installation to not bother, and use something like Xenix-net if they insist on doing a network? At least with Xenix-net I can talk to SCO if there are problems, and they will actually try to fix them. One other thing -- I tried to talk to Novell a while back about some configuration issues. They wanted $200 AN HOUR to talk to me on the phone -- BEFORE a sale! That is preposterous! I bet they want the same amount of money to fix bugs, too. Is there ANYONE out there in the PC Marketplace with a reasonable file-server solution for LANs that works, and won't break the bank? Is there a solution for those who want to network say a half-dozen systems, and can't afford multi-thousands in support on a yearly basis -- they simply want something that WORKS and that is it? Does such a company exist? The more I hear about Novell, the more I dislike them. -- Karl Denninger (karl@ddsw1.MCS.COM, !ddsw1!karl) Public Access Data Line: [+1 312 566-8911], Voice: [+1 312 566-8910] Macro Computer Solutions, Inc. "Quality Solutions at a Fair Price"