At 8:47 AM -0700 5/10/02, Don Bruder wrote:
>In article <l03102800b9015e41b095@[172.16.7.4]>,
>  hauke@Espresso.Rhein-Neckar.DE (Hauke Fath) wrote:
>
>>  At 17:28 Uhr -0700 9.5.2002, dakidd wrote:
>>
>>  [Q: NetBSD and tcp over localtalk; nice drawing snipped]
>>
>>  >So... Is there a way, short of writing my own localtalk driver (a rather
>>  >daunting task...) for me to get the PowerBook back to being able to see the
>>  >'net? As of right now, the only information I've been able to find
>>  >regarding networking has been ethernet based. With this old monstrosity,
>>  >that's not really a viable option (or is it? SCSI<-->Ethernet, perhaps? but
>>  >that runs into $$ I don't have to spare...)
>>
>>  Getting a 2nd hand SCSI-Ethernet bridge would be the only way, I'm afraid.
>>  IIRC, there is suport for at least one of them in NetBSD.
>>
>>  MacBSD does not do localtalk, nor do we support encapsulating ip in ddp
>>  (AppleTalk).
>
>I was afraid I'd get that answer... Guess that means NetBSD isn't likely
>to ever be anything more than a "toy" for me. The main reason for trying
>to get it running on the PowerBook (the least-used machine in the setup)
>in the first place was to act as various network services for the LAN,
>taking the load off the PM 7500.
>
>Thanks for the response, even if it isn't the answer I wanted to hear.

I'm not sure I understand the situation, or if I do that you got the 
right answer.

NetBSD does not support LocalTalk (AppleTalk over 230kbps serial 
lines) however it does support EtherTalk (AppleTalk over Ethernet) if 
the NetATalk package is added.  (The kernel support is built in.) 
The latter should work over any supported Ethernet connection whether 
built-in, or added via SCSI.

NetBSD *can* support LocalTalk via any appropriate router.  These 
routers were frequently sold as printer-bridges (most recently when 
the iMac was introduced and lacked a LocalTalk-capable serial port). 
Even when advertised as single-device printer-only boxes they 
frequently actually support up to 4 computers doing AppleShare and 
even encapsulated IP traffic.  In other words, if you find one for a 
good price it's probably worth a try.
-- 
The opinions expressed in this message are mine,
not those of Caltech, JPL, NASA, or the US Government.
Henry.B.Hotz@jpl.nasa.gov, or hbhotz@oxy.edu