An automated menu-driven plug 'n play DOS boot disk for accessing NetWare servers by IP/IPX.

The boot disk can be constructed using Novell's 32-bit client (NLM) or the 16-bit client (VLM) or even both. Choices for protocols (TCPIP or IPX or both), frame types, topology (ethernet, token-ring, fddi), TCPIP-settings, nic driver detection, packet-driver support, connect-information, and more can be made using menus and saved to user-profiles on diskette to prepare for fully automated sessions.

When PXE and WinPE/BartPE (see NwDskPe) are not applicable an NwDsk diskette can be used for processing images between workstations and NetWare servers using Deploy Center or Ghost (even Multicast), or server to server using Storage Manager. It can also serve as the starting point for launching a pre-configured unattended installation of your client OS like XP, W2K, NT or W98 from a NetWare server. Next to that NwDsk is being used as a sole TCP/IP stack (Novell's 32-bit TCPIP or by packet driver on 16/32-bit ODI layer) to serve Citrix's DOS ICA client, VNC's DOS viewer, the Arachne browser, DOSRDP (Terminal Services for DOS), and the IP DOS print server PPRD.

New with version 3.40:

• Added support for LZ-DOS and 4DOS

• Added support for TinyHost (DOS-Host Remote Access by Java-client over NetWare-TCPIP)

• Updated all FreeDOS components matching FreeDOS 1.0 release

• Many updated components, many updated drivers (ODI16, ODI32, NDIS2)

Recent improvements:

• Added Step-by-step-mode (hold down [SHIFT] when starting MODBOOT).

• Added AutoVir to UBCD images (auto AntiVirus-Suite update using Wget).

• Added JNOS2 image (TCP-Suite: HTTP/FTP/SMTP/FTP-server, etc.).

• Added images for Bart's Network Boot Disk à la NwDsk (see fdmsrrc).

• Added support for general UBCD FreeDOS Boot Disk (also in MsDOS and OpenDOS flavors).

• Added RDP (DOS Remote Desktop Connection client) image.

• Added improved MsDOS 7.10 image (more room for utilities after removing embedded logo).

• Added Arachne (DOS Browser/Email) image.

• Added USB support (facilitating imaging to/from your USB flash-disk).

• On Dell GX280 with USB-keyboard/mouse this is supposed to work when ONLY EHCI is selected.

• Added support for multiple NICs (option to ignore certain NICs when multiple NICs detected).

• Added FdNwd288.img Ultimate NwDsk (2.88 image for bootable CDROM).

• Added support for Citrix ICA Client for DOS.

• Added option to skip ramdisk when booting NwDsk from a harddisk.

• Added utility What1632 to check available PCI Nic drivers.

• Added (improved) plug 'n play support for PCI PCMCIA/CardBus cards like Intel PRO/100 CardBusII (see FAQ 9).

• VNCviewer for DOS available.

• Complete unloading and reloading of 16- and 32-bit Client (thanks to Pavel Novy) without needing to reboot.
  
  Use this to connect to different trees using different protocols or to debug your SLP configuration by multiple reloading of the Client without rebooting.

• NwDsk can act as a Pure IP Print Server to replace the old IPX-based NPRINTER.EXE (see SFX-images to download FD1632LP.EXE).

Introduction

The original NwDsk is a professional network boot disk for connecting to Novell NetWare servers. The boot disk can be constructed using Novell's 32-bit client (NLM) or the 16-bit client (VLM) or even both. Choices for protocols (TCPIP or IPX or both), frame types, topology (ethernet, token-ring, fddi), TCPIP-settings, nic driver detection, packet-driver support, connect-information, and more can be made using menus and saved to user-profiles on diskette to prepare for fully automated sessions.

Next to the NetWare core business, there are now also general network boot disks (packet driver based) and Microsoft network boot disks (enhanced and up-to-date versions of Bart's) available under the hood of NwDsk.

Feature list:

• Features 32-bit (NLM) and 16-bit (VLM) NetWare client

• Supports TCP/IP (NLM) and IPX/SPX (NLM & VLM) protocol (even simultaneously)

• Supports 32-bit ODI Nic drivers (NLM) and 16-bit ODI Nic drivers (NLM & VLM)

• PCI Nic auto-detection (uses pre-saved list to speed up detection)

• ISA Nic auto-selection (selects single ISA Nic upon PCI Nic auto-detection failure)

• Multiple Nic detection support (option to exclude certain Nics)

• Supports multiple Frame types (including SLOT auto-detection with 32-bit ODI drivers)

• Autodetects Ethernet, Token-Ring (LSB/MSB/SROUTE), FDDI (SROUTE) topologies

• TCP/IP and SLP fully configurable by dialogs (SLP-diagnostics by SlpInfo.bat)

• Client fully unloadable and reloadable without rebooting (both 16- and 32-bit client)

• Packet Driver support on IPX (VLM & NLM) available (Wattcp, Ghost Multicast)

• Supports USB (facilitating imaging to/from your USB pen-drive/flash-drive)

• IP LPD print server module available (NDPS aware NPRINTER alternative)

• Minimum hardware requirements: 386, 16 MB Ram, Nic, 1.44 MB floppy drive

• Can be made to boot (without user intervention) from a bootable CDROM

• Fully automated by (timed) dialog boxes, choices can be saved to profiles on diskette

• All dialog boxes can be hidden from end-user

• Modular design (add/drop components as you wish)

• Very easy driver plugin support (user can build and add own driver modules)

• IP-address and/or MAC-address are captured into ENV-vars (IPADDR, MACADDR)

• Also in 8-char format (IPADDR8, MACADDR8) for conditional (short-name) mappings

• User can add NetWare login-scripts and/or batch-files which autorun after login

• Already-run detection available (NwDsk will not run twice in a row on same PC)

• User may allow/deny login per MAC/IP-address (in exception to the rule above)

• Integrity check available (immediate abort when diskette has been compromised)

• Scroll back console screens (press SCROLL-LOCK and ARROWS to scroll the screen)

• Supporting >64MB memory (Himem)

• UDMA IDE hard disk support (FreeDOS)

• Can also be used to boot from hard disk (skipping ramdrive)

• Fits on one diskette inluding Nic drivers and various add-ons

• Default diskette supports: Mouse, Cdrom, Ntfs-readonly, int.-Keyboard, NC-clone, ...

• Extra available modules: Linux-EXT2, Long File Name, FdAPM (suspends CPU), ...

• FreeDOS supported and included (much lighter & faster, but less compatible: try it!)

• OpenDOS (DrDOS) supported and included

• Absolutely free!

Visit NwDsk for documentation, FAQ, and more downloads.

Any comments, questions, bug-reports, new drivers to nwdsk@TAKETHISOUTveder.com.

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