NetWare DOS Shell on DOS 3.21-6.22
This page is a quck look at the NetWare DOS Shell versions 3.02 and 3.32 PTF 1994 (NET33X.EXE) on MS-DOS versions 3.21, 4.01, 5.0, 6.0 and 6.22 on an 8088, 286 and 386. This was done mostly to (1) check compatibility and (2) check memory use.
The testing was all done under 86Box emulating an IBM PC with an 8088 CPU, 256KB of RAM, two 360KB 5.25" floppy drives and a 3Com 3C503 ISA network card. This reflects pretty much the minimum configuration you'll manage to run a NetWare client from the 90s on and still have enough RAM left over to run something small. You could get away with one less floppy drive but 256K of RAM is probably the minimum - 128K should be enough to load the network client but you won't have enough left over to run the login command.
In all cases ODI drivers were used. Its possible the older packet drivers may use less RAM but I can't get them to work (problem with emulator or configuration issue with NetWare Server) and driver availability outside of popular 80s network cards is pretty poor/non-existant.
This client also supports EMS and XMS when appropriate hardware and software are present. I've not bothered testing this as if you've got extended memory available you're probably better off using the VLM client and I've never encountered a proper EMS card before.
The screenshots below are all pretty uninteresting as the client looks largely the same regardless of DOS version. The screenshots are really just to demonstrate it works and to demonstrate how much RAM is free once you're logged in.
The overall results are:
- Any DOS from 3.0-6.22 works fine.
- The NetWare 4.11 version of login.exe won't work on 256K of RAM
- Version 3.02 of the DOS Shell uses a little less RAM than the final version (from NET33X.EXE) but is only compatible with DOS 3.x and 4.x
- DOS 3.21:
- DOS uses 43.5KB of RAM
- v3.02 uses 62.2KB
- v3.32 PTF from 1994 uses 74.2KB
- DOS 4.01:
- DOS uses 55.1KB of RAM
- v3.02 uses 62.7KB
- v3.32 PTF from 1994 uses 74.3KB
- DOS 5:
- DOS uses 53.3KB of RAM
- NETX 3.32 PTF from 1994 uses 74.3KB
- DOS 6.0-6.22:
- DOS uses 54.3KB of RAM
- NETX 3.32 PTF from 1994 uses 74.2KB
Contents
- MS-DOS 3.21, netx 3.02
- MS-DOS 3.21, netx 3.32 PTF 1994
- MS-DOS 4.01, netx 3.02
- MS-DOS 4.01, netx 3.32 PTF 1994
- MS-DOS 5.0, netx 3.32 PTF 1994
- MS-DOS 6.0, netx 3.32 PTF 1994
- MS-DOS 6.22, netx 3.32 PTF 1994
MS-DOS 3.21, netx 3.02
217,616 bytes free memory (212.5K) on boot.
Note that this emulated PC only has 256K of RAM total.
Start the network client with a batch file.
Link Support Layer, network driver and IPX protocol started. These are from the
DOS/ODI Workstation Services Disk that came with my copy of NetWare 3.11 so its the
first version of lsl.com and ipxodi.com.
Shell started and attached to a NetWare 3.2 server.
Started logging in.
Logged in!
Total free memory after the network has started and logged in: 153,888 bytes (150.3K)
MS-DOS 3.21, netx 3.32 PTF 1994
This is the latest release of the DOS Shell (3.32 PTF from NET33X.EXE).
LSL.COM and IPXODI.COM are from DOSUP8.ZIP while 3C503.COM (the ODI driver
for the emulated NIC) is from DOSUP5.ZIP. Free memory at the start is
217,616 bytes as before (same emulated PC, same DOS 3.21 boot disk).
LSL beeps when it complains about the missing NET.CFG.
ODI driver...
IPX/SPX Protocol. Note the error in my batch file: I'm running netx.com but the
actual filename is netx.exe - surpsingly dos seemed to know what I meant and ran
netx.exe anyway.
NETX Started and bound to my NetWare 3.2 server (as instructed by shell.cfg - without
setting a preferred server it binds to my NetWare 4.11 server and 256K is not enough
RAM for the netware 4.11 version of login.exe).
Logging in...
Logged in!
Free memory after login: 141,568 bytes. The newer version of the NETX client
uses an additional 12,320 bytes of conventional memory compared to 3.02. This version
does support expanded memory if you've got it.
MS-DOS 4.01, netx 3.02
Note that this is a DEC OEM version of MS-DOS 4.01 (came with a DECstation 325sx). It
may or may not match the Microsoft boxed OEM version. Free memory on startup: 205,744 bytes (200.1K).
Note that this emulated PC only has 256K of RAM total so DOS is using aroudn 56K of RAM on its own.
LSL.COM started.
NIC ODI driver started.
IPX/SPX Protocol started
NETX Shell started and attached to the server.
Login prompt
Logged in!
Free memory after login: 141,568 bytes (138.3K)
MS-DOS 4.01, netx 3.32 PTF 1994
Note that this is a DEC OEM version of MS-DOS 4.01 (came with a DECstation 325sx). It
may or may not match the Microsoft boxed OEM version. Free memory on startup: 205,744 bytes (200.1K).
Note that this emulated PC only has 256K of RAM total so DOS is using aroudn 56K of RAM on its own.
LSL.COM started.
NIC ODI driver started.
IPX/SPX Protocol started
NETX Shell started and attached to the server.
Login prompt
Logged in!
Free memory after login: 129,616 bytes (126.6K)
MS-DOS 5.0, netx 3.32 PTF 1994
Note that this is a DEC OEM version of MS-DOS 5.0 (came with a DECpc). It included a 4th install
disk (that MS-DOS Setup does ask for) that contains an online DOS Help program. The startup banner,
as you can see in the screenshot, contains a DEC copyright. I've no idea what, if anything, DEC
modified but is possible this versions memory usage may differ from the retail MS-DOS 5.0 release.
Free memory here on startup (from a clean bootdisk made with format /S) is: 207,616 bytes (202.8K).
LSL started
NIC ODI Driver started
IPX/SPX protocols tarted
NETX Shell started and attached to the server.
NetWare 3.2 login prompt
Logged in!
Free memory after login: 131,584 bytes (128.5K). DOS5 and the NetWare client are using just over
half of the emulated PCs 256K of RAM.
Free memory in more detail (new in DOS 5)
MS-DOS 6.0, netx 3.32 PTF 1994
This is also an OEM version of MS-DOS from DEC - it came with a DECpc on DEC-branded disks.
Unlike the version of DOS 5 above it isn't obviously altered from the regular Microsoft version but
I don't have access to the retail MS-DOS 6 release so I can't be sure.
Free RAM on startup is 206,528 bytes (202K)
LSL started
NIC ODI driver started
IPX/SPX protocol started
NETX Shell started and attached to the server.
NetWare 3.2 login prompt
Logged in!
free memory after login: 130,496 bytes (127K)
Full mem /c output:
MS-DOS 6.22, netx 3.32 PTF 1994
This is a regular microsoft branded OEM copy of MS-DOS 6.22. Results are identical to
the DEC OEM copy of DOS 6.0.
Free RAM on startup is 206,528 bytes (202K)
LSL started
NIC ODI driver started
IPX/SPX protocol started
NETX Shell started and attached to the server.
NetWare 3.2 login prompt
Logged in!
free memory after login: 130,496 bytes (127K)
Full mem /c output:
Disclaimer & Comments
I'm not a netware expert, don't have any of those fancy novell certifications and have never administred a netware network; I've just played with it at home occasionally since 2004 or so. Email me if you've got any suggestsions or corrections for this page or any extra information you think is worth including here. My address is david at this websites domain name (without the www bit of course).