LANtastic Compatibility Questions and Answers ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Users and manufacturers often have questions about whether an application is compatible with the LANtastic Network Operating System. Some of the commonly asked questions are: Q: "How do I know if my application is compatible with the LANtastic Network Operating System?" A: Although the only way to assure compatibility is through comprehensive testing, the following checklists can help you determine whether an application may already be compatible. An application is very likely compatible with LANtastic if: * It is compatible with MS-DOS 3.1 and above. * It is advertised as "network aware," and/or as supporting DOS-based LANs. * It is advertised as NetBIOS compatible. * It uses DOS file and record locking conventions via SHARE.EXE. * It supports other DOS-based peer-to-peer LANs such as IBM PC LAN or Microsoft's MS-NET. An application is likely not to be compatible with LANtastic if: * It is advertised as compatible with only Novell NetWare. Specifically, it uses the Netware API or is in an NLM format. * It was designed for pre- 3.1 versions of MS-DOS. An application may or may not be compatible if: * It requires physical access to a hardware device (dongle, tape drive adapter, etc.). * It was designed as a single-user application. * It is a TSR (Terminate, Stay Resident) program. Q: "I get a 'Sharing Violation' error message whenever a second user tries to run my network aware program. How do I mark a file as shareable on a LANtastic server?" A: There are two issues here. Let's cover them one at a time: First, files do not need to be marked as shareable on a LANtastic server. LANtastic relies on DOS's SHARE.EXE program for file and record locking support. In fact, LANtastic does not have its own file system, it uses DOS for all file operations. So, when your program opens a file, it will need to open it in a DOS file sharing mode. Most popular computer languages support shared file opens and the language reference manual should have full details. Second, what causes a "Sharing Violation" when you know your software is network aware? This will happen if two users attempt to access the same network file and the first user has exclusive access to that file. If you get a sharing violation right as the second user tries to start up a program from a network drive, then it's probably because the first user has exclusive access to an executable or overlay file associated with the application. To correct this, mark the program's executable and overlay files as read-only using the DOS ATTRIB command. For example, issuing this command ATTRIB +R *.EXE in the program directory will mark all executable files as read-only. Use the same command on all .OVR or .OVL files as well. If you still have problems, contact the product manufacturer or Artisoft Technical Support. Q: "I have heard about Artisoft's LANtastic Compatibility Program. Do I have to enroll in this program to get help resolving a possible compatibility problem with my application?" A: No, you do not. If you have a problem running any application with LANtastic, contact our Technical Support department and Artisoft will work with you to find a solution. Application developers/manufacturers who are interested in the LANtastic Compatibility Program's benefits may obtain more information about it by calling Artisoft at 602/293-4000 If you have questions about a specific application, whether you believe it is compatible with LANtastic or not, please call our free Technical Support help line at 602/293-6363. Our expert technical support staff is available Monday through Friday 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (MST) to assist you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARTISOFT, Inc. Makes no warranties as to the completeness or accuracy of this document. LANtastic is a trademark of ARTISOFT, Inc. Brand names, company names, and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.