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What is the Macintosh Secure File Server or MSFS?
The MSFS is a set of client software that allows a Macintosh computer to use AFS file space (like Wolfware) and kerberos authenticated printing (like Wolfcopy) by connecting to a translator server machine. The translator server machines are unix based and understand how to us AFS file space while acting as an Apple Share IP (asip) servers which can be connected to by a modern macintosh. The technology is similar to that used in Apple's iDisk service.
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What is required to use the MSFS?
The MSFS must run on a power macintosh which has the Appearance Manager, Open Transport 1.2 or newer, and AppleShare 3.8 or newer installed. The earliest version of MacOS which came with these packages preinstalled was MacOS 8.6.
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Where can I get the installer for the MSFS?
From the campus install server neworder.unity.ncsu.edu. Run the network browser from the Apple menu and click on the Connect to Server... icon in the top part of the window (Hint: looks like a hand pointing or a globe with network wires attached). When the dialog appears type in afp://neworder.unity.ncsu.edu and push the Connect button. Click the guest button to get a list of volumes and double click on the Apple System Files volume. When this volume opens, find the MSFS folder and double click the installer for Mac Secure File Server.
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How do I connect to my AFS space ?
Using the Network Browser in the Apple menu. (If you don't have a network browser then chances are you need to upgrade your MacOS.) Run the network browser and click on the Connect to Server... icon in the top part of the window (Hint: looks like a hand pointing or networked globe). When the dialog appears type in afp.ncsu.edu and push the Connect button. If everything works you should get a dialog asking for your Unity id and password. After the login is successful a list of volumes to mount will appear. Choose Home or any other you desire by double clicking on its name.
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Why can't I just use the Chooser to click on a server name to get to my AFS space?
The Chooser relies on Ethertalk (also called Appletalk) network protocols to list servers available (for techies network binding protocol or NBP). These protocols are broadcast protocols and are not available on the Internet. Also Apple has stated that it is moving away from Ethertalk with the release of the Appleshare IP (ASIP) servers. Like web servers and ftp servers, ASIP servers use TCP/IP, client/server protocols that have been available on the Internet since it was started. The advantage of this is two-fold. First ASIP is about twice as fast as Ethertalk. Second ASIP clients allow any machine, anywhere in the world to use any Internet Service Provider to connect to the the ASIP servers. So we give up a little ease of use to gain a lot of speed and location independence. To make the MSFS easier to use we have created a single address that can be used to connect to MSFS servers at NC State. That address is afp.ncsu.edu. (Hint: afp stands for Apple File Protocol).
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Does MSFS work with MacOS X?
The answer is yes if the Classic.app is running. On MacOS X the Chooser must be used to start the connection to afp.ncsu.edu as the classic network browser is not supported. This assumes that the MSFS is installed under Classic MacOS 9.1. To make the connection open any Classic MacOS application, select the chooser from the Apple Menu and click on Appleshare. Next click on the Server IP Address... button in the lower right side of the Chooser window. Type in afp.ncsu.edu into the Enter Server IP Address: dialog and click connect. A dialog asking for your Unity ID and password should appear. After successful Unity login you will see a list of volumes to mount. If this is your first time then select Home. As of March 2001 the Connect to Server... option of the Go... menu in the X finder can not be used to connect to the MSFS servers.
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What is afp.ncsu.edu?
The internet address afp.ncsu.edu is the virtual network name of the bank of AFP to AFS translator machines used to access AFS file space at NC State. AFP stands for Apple File Protocol. These machines can be thought of as Appleshare servers which understand AFS.
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Can I really get to my AFS or Wolfware file space from home using MSFS?
Yes. In fact, just like Apple's iDisk, you can access your file space from any where on the internet, including dialing in from home if the mac your are using has the MSFS installed and if your clock is set to the same time as it is here on campus. The time part is very important as the machine's clock must be within 3 minutes of the time our MSFS servers use. This can be assured by setting the Date and Time control panel to use the time server named time.ncsu.edu. Be aware that if you are using a 28.8 or 56 kb dial up modem the MSFS will be so slow that you may not want to use it. Cable, T1, satellite, dsl, or wireless ethernet connections should work just fine from any where in the world the internet reaches. We have successfully tested with folks in Australia.
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What is the AppleVolumes file?
The AppleVolumes file is a Simple Text (i.e. ascii text) file which
contains a list of unix paths with AppleShare volume names under which
the Finder shows the contents of the AFS directory structure. Basically
this is the "entry point" into the AFS file system. Example an Apple
Volume with one line:
/afs/unity/users/t/tester "Tester's Home"
would show up on in the Network Browser's volume list as Tester's
Home and would allow a Mac to see everything in that unix folder and all
folders under that one in the AFS file system. The AppleVolumes should
always be stored in the user's Home disk. If changes are made to
the AppleVolumes file then all mounted volumes should be unmounted (by
dragging to trash) and the server selected again in the Network Browser.
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What if I want to mount my course locker?
The MFSF installer creates a folder on your desktop named "Put Contents
in your Home" which contains a template AppleVolumes file. Mount your Home
disk using the Network Browser and copy the template AppleVolumes to Home.
Double click Home:AppleVolumes to edit it with simple text or teach text.
Add a unix path to your class locker and give it a name like:
/afs/unity/lockers/class/mycourse001 "My Course Section 1"
Add as many lines as you need, one for each entry point into afs i.e.
one for each class locker. Avoid make an entry point to the global
class folder as it mounts read only the translator machine will not allow
you to write into your course locker in this case. Once you have
all the entries into the AppleVolumes. Save the AppleVolumes file in Home,
quit Simple Text, and throw way your Home volume. Use the Network
browser to connect again to afp.ncsu.edu and mount your new volume(s).
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What is the .AppleDouble directory that I see in my home afs space when I ftp or ssh to a unix machine and look at a listing of my files?
Unix file servers, like the afp translators, do not understand how to store Macintosh files that have a data fork (stores text, etc) and a resource fork (stores icons, fonts, etc) because they can not use a disk formatted with the HFS or HFS+ file system. The translator machines "fake" this needed feature by storing the resources for every file in inside a hidden folder name .AppleDouble. These are created as needed by the translator.
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Can .AppleDouble folders be removed?
No. Some files and all applications will be corrupted if the .AppleDouble folder is deleted. Also if a folder exists without a .AppleDouble in the same folder, copying files to that folder will give Error -50 (Bad Parameter Block) and abort the copy.
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Why do applications that use navigation services sometimes crash
when saving or opening files ?
If unix symbolic links (symlinks) are used in a folder that you are accessing thru the AFS Translator then all Nav Services applications will crash upon their displaying of a open or save dialog. Do not make symlinks. Remove the ones that are on the folders you mount. Use the afs command fs mkmount in stead of symlinks.
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I tried to created a dot file like a .wrapaccess file but it does
not work and when I look at it by ftp or ssh its name starts with :2e.
A "feature" that the original developers of the translator software designed was to keep users that shared a unix based filespace from editing or overwriting their unix configuration files or dot files. Since all these files were, at the time, useless on the macintosh the developers saw fit to make the translator software change any file that starts with a period to :2e.
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When I try to copy a file to a certain folder I get an Error -50 (Bad Parameter Block) why and how can it be fixed?
Error -50 can occur in 2 situations:
a) A folder does not contain a .AppleDouble folder to store resource
forks in and the file being stored has resources (i.e. an icon).
Cure this problem by using Nifty SSH or telnet to connect to a unix machine,
cd into the folder in question and mkdir .AppleDouble if it does not exist.
or
b) when the AFS permissions on the .AppleDouble directory are not correct.
This can arise when someone uses a unix program to set permission on a
folder but does not set permissions the .AppleVolumes folder inside.
To fix this problem use Nifty SSH or telnet to a unix machine, login, cd
to the folder in question, then cd to the .AppleDouble directory inside
that folder. Now type fs sa . <your unity id> rlidwk where
<your unity id> is replaced by the id you logged into the unix machine
with.
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Sometimes when I use the Network Browser to connect to afp.ncsu.edu I get an error saying something about not being able to find the UAM required for this server.
The Bad UAM error means part of your MSFS install is missing or bad. Please reinstall MSFS. For those more tech. minded it means that the KClient V4 User Authentication Method file stored in System Folder:AppleShare Folder is missing.
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Not very often but sometimes, when I use the Network Browser to
connect to afp.ncsu.edu I get an error saying "doSession error".
This indicates a problem with the translator machine. Please contact the help desk at 919-515-HELP(4357) or email help@ncsu.edu to report the problem.
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What is an error -5002?
The error -5002 is officially "Can't Decode Authenticator". This usually means that there is a problem with the translator server and should be reported to 515-HELP or help@ncsu.edu. For the geek this usually means that the /etc/srvtab (kerberos V4) on the translator machine is bad, missing, or contains a key with the wrong version number.
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