Subject: [netatalk-admins] netatalk, Quark and new ethernet software from Apple

From: Dave Ritter <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 07 Dec 1999 08:07:17 -0600

Apple's new G4's and iMacs come with newer ethernet software than the
network sw on the 8.6 CDs. This ethernet software seems to only affect Quark
XPress in our networks. The problem go like this; a mac user with a new G4
opens a quark doc, when saving the doc directly to the netatalk server the
G4 appears to be doing nothing while saving, meaning the watch spins but
there are no "network activity arrows" in the upper left corner of the menu
bar. after 30 seconds or so the server disconnects from the mac, all volumes
that are related to this server go too, other volumes from other servers
stay. After reconnecting, the document that was being saved to the server is
where you saved it but, sometimes it is corrupted and is not able to be
opened any more. I have ruled out my network, switches, hubs, patch cables
and network cards. I even tested this with a crossover cable to the server
directly from the G4, same problem.

It doesn't seem to make any difference if I use tcp/ip or appletalk.

I even reinstalled RedHat 6.1 and the only added netatalk, same prob. I
swapped network cards on the server, no diff.

I set up personal file sharing between two G4s and tested Quark, this works
fine. "Apple" appleshare file servers work fine, My Netware file servers do
not have this prob.

A blue and white G3 works fine, with old 8.6 drivers.

Copying the same file with the Finder to the server
works fine, other programs work fine.
I have tried using Quark 4.0.4 and 4.1 (even 3.32).

What all this boils down to is Apple changed something in the ethernet
drivers and Quark does not like it when writing to a netatalk server.

the details are...

Intel PIII 500
256 megs ram
3com 100mbit ethernet cards / tried Bay Networks FA310tx ethernet cards
36 gig hardware RAID 5 array composed
of 4 - 18 gig Quantum SCSI Drives (one spare)

3com 100 mbt switch

RedHat 6.1
netatalk-1.4b2+asun2.1.3

no routing

here's a bit of the message log...
-----

Dec  7 03:42:18 houprod2 afpd[1060]: ASIP session:548(2) from
206.138.67.100:49152(0)

Dec  7 03:42:18 houprod2 afpd[1014]: server_child[1] 1060 done
Dec  7 03:42:24 houprod2 afpd[1061]: ASIP session:548(2) from
206.138.67.100:49153(0)

Dec  7 03:42:24 houprod2 PAM_pwdb[1061]: (netatalk) session opened for user
mac by (uid=0)

Dec  7 03:42:24 houprod2 afpd[1061]: login mac (uid 504, gid 504)
Dec  7 03:46:59 houprod2 afpd[1061]: afp_alarm: child timed out
Dec  7 03:46:59 houprod2 afpd[1061]: 193880.65KB read, 151614.76KB written
Dec  7 03:46:59 houprod2 PAM_pwdb[1061]: (netatalk) session closed for user
mac

Dec  7 03:46:59 houprod2 afpd[1014]: server_child[1] 1061 exited 1
Dec  7 03:48:19 houprod2 afpd[1094]: ASIP session:548(2) from
206.138.67.100:49154(0)

Dec  7 03:48:19 houprod2 afpd[1014]: server_child[1] 1094 done
Dec  7 03:48:28 houprod2 afpd[1095]: ASIP session:548(2) from
206.138.67.100:49155(0)

Dec  7 03:48:28 houprod2 PAM_pwdb[1095]: (netatalk) session opened for user
mac by (uid=0)

Dec  7 03:48:28 houprod2 afpd[1095]: login mac (uid 504, gid 504)
Dec  7 03:49:46 houprod2 afpd[1095]: afp_alarm: child timed out
Dec  7 03:49:46 houprod2 afpd[1095]: 7.39KB read, 16.48KB written
Dec  7 03:49:46 houprod2 PAM_pwdb[1095]: (netatalk) session closed for user
mac

Dec  7 03:49:46 houprod2 afpd[1014]: server_child[1] 1095 exited 1

---------

these lines 
"Dec  7 03:46:59 houprod2 afpd[1061]: afp_alarm: child timed out"
seem to coincide with the Quark problem

if anyone could fill me in as to where to look for other server logs, if
they would help, please let me know

I hope that someone can prove me wrong....maybe I'm missing something
obvious.

Dave Ritter
[email-masked]