Long before Microsoft learned about networking, and even before the
Internet was known outside academic circles, corporate environments
shared files and printers using file and print servers based on the
Novell NetWare operating system and associated protocols.[1] Many of these corporate users
still have legacy networks using these protocols and want to integrate
this support with their new TCP/IP support.
Linux supports not only the TCP/IP protocols, but also the suite of
protocols used by the Novell Corporation's NetWare operating
system. These protocols are distant cousins of TCP/IP, and while they
perform similar sorts of functions, they differ in a number of ways
and are unfortunately incompatible.
Linux has both free and commercial software offerings to provide support
for integration with the Novell products.
We'll provide a brief description of the protocols themselves in this
chapter, but we focus on how to configure and use free software to
allow Linux to interoperate with Novell products.
