Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!decwrl!public!btr.btr.com!thad From: thad@btr.btr.com Newsgroups: comp.sys.3b1 Subject: Re: Starlan Woes Keywords: starlan HDB bsdslan Message-ID: <1642@public.BTR.COM> Date: 7 Feb 91 13:06:19 GMT Sender: thad@public.BTR.COM Followup-To: comp.sys.3b1 Organization: BTR Public Access UNIX, MtnView CA, Contact: cs@btr.com 415-966-1429 Lines: 158 crtb@helix.nih.gov (Chuck Bacon) in <944@nih-csl.nih.gov> writes: I have two 3b1 systems, both with HDB and starlan. I've tried to configure them both using the menu, and not insinuating any probably wrong ideas of my own. [...] If I try cu from one end to the other, I get a connected message, and cu hangs forever with no response from the other end. If I try Uutry, I get timed out. No other part of uucp gets past apologizing for failure (even with a cute mail message from uucp). [...] So here are some of my configuration files; I wonder if some kind soul might explain what they do. [...] Welllll, some of this networking stuff requires "laying on of the hands" but nothing so drastic as dancing under the full moon in one's Jockey shorts while swinging dead chickens over one's head (THAT ritual is for HD problems :-) Perhaps the best "answer" is a (re-)post of working config files. The key to getting StarLAN working properly on the 3B1 for both cu and uucp (at least for me) was the use of /usr/lib/uucp/Sysfiles (which is NOT documented in the O'Reilly "Managing UUCP and Usenet" book) and not well documented elsewhere. This all presupposes you're also using HDB on the 3B1. The reason I initially switched to HDB was for the "e" protocol which dramatically increased transfer performance from 2Kbytes/sec (standard UUCP "g") to approx 50Kbytes/sec (with the "e" protocol) over the same StarLAN network. Here are extracts from the actual files in daily use on my systems: /usr/lib/uucp/Sysfiles: service=cu systems=Systems.cu:Systems \ devices=Devices \ dialers=Dialers service=uucico systems=Systems.uucico:Systems \ devices=Devices \ dialers=Dialers /usr/lib/uucp/Systems.cu: (Note that "access0" is a StarLAN RS-232 NAU) # StarLAN entries for cu activity # amiga Any STARLAN - access0 "" \r\d\r in:--in: nuucp thadlabs Any STARLAN - thadlabs "" \r\d\r in:--in: nuucp tlabs3 Any STARLAN - tlabs3 "" \r\d\r in:--in: nuucp tlabs4 Any STARLAN - tlabs4 "" \r\d\r in:--in: nuucp tlabs5 Any STARLAN - tlabs5 "" \r\d\r in:--in: nuucp /usr/lib/uucp/Systems.uucico: # StarLAN entries for uucico activity # thadlabs Any STARLAN_NAU,eg - thadlabs "" \r\d\r in:--in: nuucp tlabs3 Any STARLAN_NAU,eg - tlabs3 "" \r\d\r in:--in: nuucp tlabs4 Any STARLAN_NAU,eg - tlabs4 "" \r\d\r in:--in: nuucp tlabs5 Any STARLAN_NAU,eg - tlabs5 "" \r\d\r in:--in: nuucp /usr/lib/uucp/Systems: (contains "standard" non-StarLAN uucp and cu info) /usr/lib/uucp/Devices: STARLAN starlan - Any STARLAN STARLAN_NAU,eg starlan - Any STARLAN \D.serve pc_uucp STARLAN_UU,eg starlan - Any STARLAN \D.serve SLAN_uucico /usr/lib/uucp/Dialers: STARLAN_NIU "" "" \r\d\r\d\r DIAL:-\r\d\r\d\r-DIAL: \D "" \d\d\c pc_uucp "" "" NLPS:000:001:102\N\c SLAN_uucico "" "" NLPS:000:001:101\N\c SLAN_login "" "" NLPS:000:001:1\N\c nls "" "" NLPS:000:001:1\N\c /usr/net/nls/starlan/dbf: 1:na:NULL,:/usr/net/servers/sl #Remote Login 102:n:NULL,:/usr/net/servers/uucplogin #Mail/File Transfer Continuing with Chuck's questions: 1. Does anyone have a sheet showing what utterances are interpreted by whomever hears those strings which start with NLPS? Those numbers presumably mean something, but of course the documentation is mum. The StarLAN docs are quite comprehensive (from my recollection). Contrasted with the "Device Driver Guide", the StarLAN manuals all bear copyrights and I cannot legally copy them for anyone UNLESS I receive a signed document from a pertinent party at AT&T permitting reproduction "at cost". If anyone at AT&T sees this and knows how to arrange for legal copying of out-of-print but copyrighted documents, please email me. The "good will" can only be a win-win situation for AT&T and the AT&T User Community (especially when the interested parties already possess the pertinent hardware). 2. The NLPS codes end in 1, 101, or 102. In particular, SLAN_uucico ends in 101. It would appear that there is no server for that. Should I add to /usr/net/nls/starlan/dbf a line something like 101:n:NULL,:/usr/lib/uucp/uucico #UUCP ? If you peruse the file extracts (above), you'll see this is not necessary. Damifino how some of this "magic" works, but it does! :-) My areas of expertise do NOT (yet) include networking; I muddle through the docs and try "reasonable" things until it works. 3. Has anyone managed to get cu to work over starlan? Yes! Works fine (for me) with the config files as shown above. 4. Do those ",eg" endings mean anything? Or was that just a slavish copying of the "for-instance" examples in the comments? The "e" means first try "e" protocol (which assumes an error-free connection as StarLAN is), then, if not available (at both ends), use "g" protocol. 5. Finally, how about the r-utilities in bsdslan.cpio? Can I get these utilities up without succeeding with UUCP, or must UUCP come first? Though I haven't tried them yet, all indications are (from their docs) the "bsdslan.cpio" utilities will work just fine. Apart from feeling really dumb that I haven't gotten uucp working over starlan, should I consider feeling dumber since if I can't get uucp up, I probably won't succeed with bsdslan either?! (I can feel fairly comfortable with my ability to detect tortured logic, though). You obviously didn't see my initial condemnation of HDB UUCP during January of last year ("... even Mother Theresa would go on a killing rampage ..." :-) As I reiterate time and time again, there is NO such thing as a dumb question. If you don't know, ASK. And, believe me, there WILL be answers forthcoming. I don't want to sound like I'm on a soapbox, but one, of many, things I like about the 3B1/UNIXPC is the user community who is always there to help. The responses I see here in these newsgroups remind me of the people who helped me when I first started with computers (a l-o-n-g time ago :-) and that's why I kinda jump in as a way of repaying those who helped me and to encourage others to do the same when they are able and willing to do so. There's NO obligation to chime-in with one's own responses, but if you have something to say, do it! It's my informal observation that the ratio of readers to posters is probably greater than 100 to 1, but that's no problem. It's also my observation the 3B1/UNIXPC community comprises a calibre that is rarely seen in other SIG newsgroups. If you think I would have openly posted my home address (re: the WD2010 group buy and the Device Driver distribution) to ANY of the other newsgroups which I frequent, you better think again! :-) To those who've asked, I sincerely ENJOY helping others when I can. Don't ask me why, I dunno. Some have said I should have gone into teaching, but my hobbies and interests require a "bit" more $$$. Ah, well. :-) Thad Thad Floryan [ thad@btr.com (OR) {decwrl, mips, fernwood}!btr.thad ]