Open source equivalent of INTERLNK / INTERSVR

[Ruud]

I'm using MS-DOS's INTERLNK / INTERSVR so now and then and I was wondering if somebody wrote an open source equivalent. I think that it is hard to do because FreeDOS hasn't an equivalent available yet, AFAIK.

I'm looking forward to any pointer!

 

[Plasma]

There is DDLINK. It's not open source, but it's free.

 

[Ruud]

DDLINK is not using directories as INTERLNK / INTERSVR does. INTERLNK / INTERSVR creates a kind of mini-LAN where the complete file system of the server is visible and available through drive letters. I'm looking for open source so I can see how it is done and maybe I can write my own version.

 

[acgs]

I think this might be what you want. It contains the source, but I'm not sure about how well it works:

https://cyberside.net.ee/files/util/system/dosrif.zip

Also, I think there hasn't been interest among the FreeDOS developers to duplicate this functionality, but it has been done outside of Microsoft. While not open source, there is the freeware DOSRIFS2 (rename the file with a .zip extension):

http://svardos.org/repo/?a=pull&p=dosrifs

Some programs providing similar features, but for DOS <-> Linux use, are the open source EtherFlop and EtherDFS.

http://ethflop.sourceforge.net
http://etherdfs.sourceforge.net or https://github.com/BrianHoldsworth/etherdfs-server

 

[Caluser2000]

Have you tried FILELINK from OpenDos/DRDos? Or File Marvin https://www.briggsoft.com/fmdos.htm

 

[acgs]

Have you tried FILELINK from OpenDos/DRDos? Or File Marvin https://www.briggsoft.com/fmdos.htm

Both of these programs work the same way DDLINK does. They're essentially LAPLINK clones and don't allow mapping drives from the server to the client. Also, neither provides source code to examine.

 

[Ruud]

I think this might be what you want. It contains the source, but I'm not sure about how well it works:

https://cyberside.net.ee/files/util/system/dosrif.zip

Also, I think there hasn't been interest among the FreeDOS developers to duplicate this functionality, but it has been done outside of Microsoft. While not open source, there is the freeware DOSRIFS2 (rename the file with a .zip extension):

http://svardos.org/repo/?a=pull&p=dosrifs

Some programs providing similar features, but for DOS <-> Linux use, are the open source EtherFlop and EtherDFS.

http://ethflop.sourceforge.net
http://etherdfs.sourceforge.net or https://github.com/BrianHoldsworth/etherdfs-server

Via via I ended up here yesterday evening: https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/util/system/dosrif/

But thank you for the links anyway because Cyberside and Svardos contain a lot of other goodies.

I knew about ethflop and etherdfs because ethflop regurlary pops up in "PC and clones" asking for debug reports. But I'm not a Linux user (yet, it will change: I already have my misgivings with W10 but I don't want W11 at all) and "Dos packet drivers" does ring a bell but that's all.

 

[acgs]

Via via I ended up here yesterday evening: https://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/util/system/dosrif/

I'm not sure what you mean by "Via via", but at least you found an alternate (FreeDOS) source. I knew I'd seen the programs somewhere before, but couldn't remember where. So, a new search turned up the other sites.

But thank you for the links anyway because Cyberside and Svardos contain a lot of other goodies.

Anytime. Please keep us updated on your progress, I'd love to see an improved INTERLNK/SVR available as open source!

I knew about ethflop and etherdfs because ethflop regurlary pops up in "PC and clones" asking for debug reports.

I figured you probably did, being that you're a long time member here. But I felt I should mention it because the DOS side of those projects might have some clues on how to do the client part of your program. FYI: Svardos is maintained by the author of Etherdfs & ethflop.

 

[Eudimorphodon]

FWIW, between EtherDFS and EthFlop it's EtherDFS that's a closer analogy to INTERLNK; ethflop hooks onto the "block-device" BIOS calls so unless you want on the server side to dish out raw image files or raw access to a DOS FAT12-formatted disk device it's probably less useful. But the client side of EtherDFS should definitely work as a template for writing your own Interlink replacement, since it links onto the file-level disk APIs. It happens to use a packet driver as the communication medium with the server end but I don't think there's any good reason you couldn't rewrite it to use a serial link or whatever.

 

[Ruud]

If any one is interested to have a look at it:
I unpacked the sources of version 2. First I'm a Pascal guy so C is not my favorite programming language. To run the makefile I used Borland C 3.0's MAKE. I added the full path to the TCC and MAKE commands. ((I think there is a way to tell what the path is but at the moment I have no idea) I ran MAKE and found out that the ASM files were not assembled so I created a liitle BAT file to do that for me. Ran MAKE again and ended up with error messages that pointed to routines found inside the various ASM files. But here ends my knowledge.

Anyone interested to have a look at it? Thank you in advance!

My reason: I like to tinker with old PCs, preferably 8088 machines. And, if possible, I want to use my own tools, written in Pascal (because that's fun for me). So I'm going to convert these C files into Pascal. If I get it to work in Pascal, I can use it as basis for other tools. Maybe far fetched but you never know: what about a little network based on RS-232? BTW., for peer-to-peer I prefer the LPT port so that's another reason to alter/convert the program.

 

[Ruud]

I'm not sure what you mean by "Via via",

If I use "Google translate" for just "via" it says: by the way of. "Via" is also Latin for "road". In Dutch "via via" is used like "I went here, went there, was pointed there and as result ....". Another rough translation: "To make a long story short".