www.riscos.com Technical Support: Acorn Omniclient User Guide

Appendix A: Installing Internet

In the earlier chapter Introduction to TCP/IP we outlined different ways in which you could set up OmniClient. You'll have to edit some configuration files to do so. This chapter tells you how to make those changes and install the software. It assumes you are using the desktop, and are familiar with simple use of it. If you have any problems refer to the RISC OS User Guide supplied with your RISC OS computer.

Configuration files

The configuration files that you need to edit are held within the Internet Application. Rather than refer them all the time by their lengthy full pathnames, we'll just use the leafname. The files are supplied on the Network distribution disc as:

Filename	Leafname
$.!Internet.files.hosts	hosts
$.!Internet.files.extensions	extensions
$.!Internet.files.mimemap	mimemap
$.!Internet.files.networks	networks
$.!Internet.files.protocols	protocols
$.!Internet.files.services	services

The hosts, networks, protocols and services are collectively known as the databases.

What the files do

• The hosts file gives the host names and the Internet addresses of all the computers you wish to refer to by their hostname.
• The extensions file allows `from' extensions to be added when converting from RISC OS to Host, and `to' extensions to be removed when converting to RISC OS from Host.
• The mimemap file maps the each content type to (a) particular file type(s).
• The networks , protocols and services files contain databases of network, protocol and service names. These files are unused by the TCP/IP Protocol Suite (Release 2), and are provided to support any extra software that uses TCP/IP protocols.

The files specify the default values normally used on all computers that support the TCP/IP protocols; consequently, you shouldn't ever need to edit them. If you do, you should see respectively the UNIX networks, protocols, and services manual pages.

There are also more configuration files which can be modified and they are as follows:

Filename	Leafname
$.!Boot.Choices.Internet.routes	routes
$.!Boot.Choices.Internet.startup	startup
$.!Boot.Choices.Internet.user	user

What these files do

Any extra *Route commands, apart from the default route that can be set using !InetConf can be put into the routes file.

The user file is generated by InetSetup which includes the configurations set by the user. It shouldn't be edited by hand unless you know what you're doing.

Any special configuration options that cannot be set using !InetConf can be put into the startup file. It is executed immediately after the automatically generated Startup file.

InetSetup Configuration

InetSetup does most of the configuration of the software. It sets the principal host name of a computer. It configures each interface setting their Internet addresses, their netmasks, the driver modules to be used and establishes the routing information. It also defines where to find the configuration files for the databases. Finally, it sets whether or not the station will forward packets between multiple interfaces, and hence whether it acts as a TCP/IP gateway.

Different ways to configure the software

There are some decisions you have to make on how to configure the software. This section outlines what those decisions are. For details of how to configure the choices you make, see Installing the TCP/IP Protocol within OmniClient, and the instructions and examples in the files you'll need to edit.

Ways to set the Internet address of each interface

You can set the Internet address of each interface in three ways:

• you can set it explicitly on the computer to which it's fitted
• you can use the interface name to look up the Internet address in the hosts database
• you can use the physical address to look up the Internet address using Reverse ARP exchanges with an ARP server.

Ways to establish routing information

If you are using gateways, you need to ensure that each RISC OS computer knows its location, and the route to subnets other than the one to which it is connected. There are three ways you can do this:

• Use the *Route command to explicitly define the routing of each gateway. For example:

Installing the TCP/IP Protocol within OmniClient

Backing up the distribution discs

In setting up stations you'll need to alter the software. You must not alter the distribution discs themselves; always work on copies of them, made either on media that you can access from other computers (i.e. an Acorn file server) or that you can take to other computers (i.e. a floppy disc):

• If your RISC OS computers can access an Acorn file server, make a directory on the file server called (say) TCP_IP, and open its directory display. Put the Network distribution disc in the floppy drive, open its directory display, select all the files and drag them to the TCP-_IP directory display. Dismount the floppy disc. Repeat this process for the Applications distribution disc.
• Alternatively, use the Backup option from the floppy disc drive's icon bar menu to back up the two distribution discs to another pair of floppy discs.

Where you can install the software

When you actually install the software for a particular station, you can do so on any media you like, such as a hard disc, floppy discs or a remote file server. All that is important is that you preserve the directory structure that is on the distribution discs - things that are in the same directory must stay together.

• If you're installing the software on a hard disc or an Acorn file server, we suggest you make a directory called (say) TCP_IP to hold the software. This directory can be anywhere you like - it needn't be in the root directory.
• You don't have to do this, and may prefer to put the software in a directory that already contains other applications.

Configuring the software

Run !InetSetup and the required configuration changes can simply be made by following the necessary menus and entering the details as required:

• AUN
• Access
• Internet

Edit the Hosts file

If you need to edit the hosts file this can be done through the Internet-Host names option and then double-clicking on the Hosts file.

Edit the file so that it contains the Internet addresses and host names of all the RISC OS computers you wish to refer to by host name. (If a computer's host name isn't in here you'll instead have to use its Internet address whenever you want to communicate).

If you want to add any UNIX hosts to the file, their addresses and names must match those in your UNIX /etc/hosts files. For a small number of hosts you'll probably find it best just to print out and copy a UNIX hosts file. For a larger number of hosts, you might find it better to copy across your UNIX hosts file later.

If you need help, see the comments in the supplied hosts file, and the UNIX hosts manual page.

After you have finished editing the hosts file and the required updates have been made you simply save the file so the changes can take effect.

Further Reading

The following variables are used to configure the software but are for further reading purposes only:

Variable	Notes
Inet$EaCount	This sets the number of Ethernet cards present
Inet$Email	This sets the email address associated with the machine.
Inet$EtherDevice	This sets the driver module to be used to interface the TCP/IP software with your Ethernet interface
Inet$EtherIPAddr	This sets whether your station has an Ethernet interface that you wish to configure for use with TCP/IP, and (if so) sets the Internet address, or specifies that it be looked up using Reverse ARP.
Inet$EtherIPMas	This sets the netmask for an Ethernet interface; the default is correct for most cases.
Inet$EtherType	This sets the type of Ethernet device used.
Inet$HostName	This sets a station's principal hot name
Inet$IsGateway	This sets whether the machine is to forward IP packets, and hence whether it will act as a gateway.
Inet$LocalAddr	This sets the local address of the machine.
Inet$LocalDomain	This sets the local domain of the machine.
Inet$MimeMappings	This sets the mapping of content types to file types.
Inet$Path	This sets the pathname of the directory containing the Internet application.
Inet$Resolvers	This sets the Internet resolver module IP addresses.
Inet$RouteDOptions	This sets whether RouteD - the Internet routing module - is run and (if so) with what options.
Inet$Started	This sets whether the Internet application has started or not.
Inet$Startup	This sets the pathname for the startup file.
InetDBase$Path	This sets the pathname of the directory containing the database files.
InetLogs$Path	This sets the pathname of a directory containing the logs file.
InetSetup$Dir	This sets the directory of the inetsetup file.
InetSpool$Path	This sets the pathname of the directory containing the spool file.