***************************************************************** * ParBench ParNET Installation Scripts Disk * * V3.0 * * ©1992 By Vernon Graner * ***************************************************************** ***Background*** This disk was born out of frustration when I tried to install what appeared to be a rather simple program from Software Distillery. After wrestling with the DOCs for a couple of hours and FINALLY getting all the MountLists and C: commands in the right places, I had a working ParNET installed. I then decided that for some users, the install would be almost impossible without some form of simple installation Icon, so I built one, then another, and so on until I had a complete collection of ParNET installation scripts. *** Using This Disk *** The first step in creating a working ParNET is to READ THE SOFTWARE DISTILLERY DOCS on how to build the special parallel cable that is used to connect the two Amigas in the NET. After doing so, TURN THE POWER OFF ON BOTH AMIGAS and then connect the cable between them. (Rumor has it that Software Distillery has a financial interest in the 8520 VIA Chip factory, but *I* don't believe it! :>) After switching on both Amigas, all that's left to do is run the scripts on this disk. **** 2 Amigas With Hard Disks **** **** Installation Step by Step **** To get a working PARBench between the 2 Amiga with hard drives: 1. Boot both machines normally 2. Choose one Amiga to be designated the 'Host' and one Amiga to be designated 'Client' (It makes no difference which ones) 3. Insert the PARBench disk into the 'Host' Amiga. 4. Doubleclick the 'Install.Host' icon. 5. When the script is finished, remove the PARBench disk and place it in the 'Client' Amiga . 6. Doubleclick the 'Install.Client' icon. ParNET is now installed and ready to run on both machines. Now all you need to do is start ParNET by opening the drawer on your SYS: partition on the HOST machine and double clicking on the 'boot.host' icon. Do the same with the client machine with its boot.client icon. If all is working properly, the two machines should post drive lists for each other, then negotiate a connection. At this point, a disk icon labled NET should appear on both machines. If this is not the case, then check the trouble-shooting guide at the end of this document. The next step is to edit a file that PARBench has created called 'PARNet-DriveList' located in the S: directory of both machines. Due to a limitation of ParNET, no drives will be visible on either machine until they have been 'Touched' or CD'd to. This list will be copied to the RAM disk so that on starting PARNET each Amiga will know what drives are to be 'touched' on the remote Amiga. The list has a series of drives in it and you should uncomment the drives you expect to be available at all times. Since there is no way to be certain that a disk will be in the drive at the time of boot, Floppy Drives are usually commented out. The last step in the installation is to use the Install.Icons script to make the special Node.rinfo files that parnet requires for icons. To install icons on the drives you want to appear on the remote machine, simply click the Install.Icons icon, then hold down the shift key and doubleclick on the drive you would like an icon copied to. For example I usually would add an icon to the sys: partition of my A3000 by clicking once on the Install.Icons icon then hold the shift key and click twice on the WB_2.x icon on the workbench. *** Other possible setups: *** *** When only 1 Amiga has a Hard Disk *** In this example setup, you could use an A2000HD as a host and an A500 with no hard drive as a Client. To do so, you would connect the cable, boot the A2000HD normally and then insert the ParBENCH disk into the A2000HD's drive. Now you would click the Install.Host Icon and answer the questions, and then wait for it to finish. Then you would insert the ParBENCH disk into the A500 and reboot it. While the A500 is rebooting, open the ParNET drawer on the A2000HD's SYS: partition and click the Boot.Host icon. In a moment the A500 will boot from the ParBENCH disk and then you may use the Host A2000HD, its workbench and its Startup-sequence. If you like, you can create a script in the S: directory of the Host Machine (A2000HD in this case) for the client machine to find and boot from. The only case where this would not work would be if the Host machine uses Version 2.04 of Workbench and if the Client machine used V1.3 Kickstart and had no hard drive of its own. In this case using the SYS: partition on the Host machine will fail because WB2.04 commands REQUIRE a 2.04 kickstart to function. The AddIcons script simply makes Icons for the NET: device. If you open the Network disk icon on your screen and you don't see any icons for the other machine, you need to run this script.This script is of the 'Shift-Click' type. Simply select the drive you want to add a ParNET Icon to and then Shift double click the AddIcons Icon. To allow your machines to post an accurate list of drives for each other, you must go in and edit a script file that ParBENCH creates on each machine in the S: directory. The file is called: >>ParNET-DeviceList.{machine}<< where {machine} is either Host or Client. Use your favorite text editor to alter this list to comply with the drives that exist on your machine. Any questions can be directed to me or to Software Distillery as I have included their entire distribution archive. Vernon Graner Regional Product Specialist Commodore Business Machines (512)-288-2515 VOICE History of changes: 1.0 First release 1.1 Fixed Bugs in the Client Install script. 1.2 Changed the script names to more conventional "Host" & "Client" from "Server" and Client. Hopefully less Confusing! 1.3-1.9 Small improvements to the scripts including error checking syntax and echo commands to inform the user. 2.0 Added remove Icons for people that requested and also fixed bugs in protection system to prevent people from removing the parnet from the install disk!! 2.5 A number of changes for this revision: a..Workbench 2.0 drawers used a..Create a ParNET-Drivelist.{machine} to Mount Icons Automatically. c..Added a NetSTAT Icon to Utilize the NetSTAT Command d..Added an 'Add Icons' Icon to shift-click on new drives in order to easily add ParNET Icons to them. e..Boot a non-hard drive Amiga client from a Host Amiga Drive using S:Startup-ParNET Known Bugs: Sometimes when a system is using ARP instead of the standard AmigaDOS, a "Unknown Command Key "" " is returned. Solution? Don't use ARP! :> PS: LEGAL NOTICE- *I* am not responsible for you blowing up your Amiga, or your getting divorced by spending too much time playing with ParNET or anything else like that! I made these scripts to be a service to other ParNET'ers and that's the end of it. No Guarantees. Void where Prohibited. All rights deserved. Oh Yeah, the scripts ARE Copyrighted so don't rip um'... just distribute um! (And DON'T charge people for um ok? Thanx.) Also, special thanks to Don Pope for bug fixes and Ben Owen and Creative Imagery for the cool icons! Also, an extra special thanks to John DiLullo. **** Troubleshooting Guide: **** Here are a few things that seem to crop up: Problem: INSERT VOLUME PARBENCH IN ANY DRIVE --------Make sure the floppy disk containing the ParBENCH scripts is labeled PARBENCH As all the scripts make reference to this name! Unknown Command '.KEY' --------Looks like you have ARP installed. I don't know a work around for this one 'cept DON'T USE ARP. :> INSERT VOLUME NET: IN ANY DRIVE --------The ParNET install most likely could not find all the files needed. Try a NET.Remove and then re- install the Host & Client. I CAN'T MAKE IT WORK! In my experience, the most common reason for a ParNET to fail is an incorrectly assembled cable or a blown 8520 chip. The 8520 chip (versatile interface adaptor or VIA) is VERY fragile. If you plug the cable in with the power on or run the cable thru an A/B box that is make-before-break or if you plug in an extremely long parnet cable that has been coiled up on a wool rug in the fall, the 8520 chip may blow up. If it does, your printer will most likely also cease to function when connected to that port. The Amiga has two 8520 chips that control floppy drive access, printing, mouse, joystick and other things. The bad news is that it has very little protection built in and will rarely survive even one "oops". The good news is that most of the time it is a socketed chip and should be replaceable for less than $50 (alot cheaper if you do it yourself). I have managed to destroy about four of them in the time I have been PARneting (about 2 years now) and most of them were from silly mistakes, like a cable built wrong or connecting the cable with the power on. One way to diagnose the 8520 is to swap the two of them inside your machine. If ParNET starts to work but your mouse or floppy quits, then you've got a blown 8520. If you still have questions, you can call me voice and I'll be happy to help you set up a ParNET of your own.