The PortShare¬ software enables your Macintosh to share modem ports with other Macintosh computers connected to your network. So a modem or a serial printer (like ImageWriter or StyleWriter) can be used from any computer on the network.
The 20-page manual can be compressed into few paragraphs (System 7 users can use Balloon Help¬):
Installation (both clients and servers):
1. If you are using a MacPlus with a system software version 6.x.x, make sure that the AppleTalk file is located in the "System Folder". AppleTalk version 48 or later is required!
2. Place the PortShare file into "System Folder" (into the "Extensions" folder if you use System 7). Make sure that AppleTalk is switched on.
3. Reboot computers.
On the server (i. e. on a Macintosh with a serial device attached):
1. Select PortShare in the Chooser and click "Options...".
2. Check the "Share Local Port" box, enter the name for your modem (or what you have connected to the modem port) in the "Port Name:" field, and click "OK".
On a client:
1. Select PortShare in the Chooser and select the port name.
2. Click "Options..." and select the "Use Remote Port" button.
If you want to use your local modem port, select the "Use Local Port" button.
When your modem port is being used by a network user, you can see his/her name in the "Options..." dialog box. You can also click the "Disconnect" button to interrupt the session.
Any Macintosh can operate simultaneously as a PortShare server and as a PortShare client: even when somebody works with your modem, you can use modems/printers/etc. attached to other computers at the same time.
Some communication programs use the serial port in a rather "illegal" way, and they can make PortShare very unhappy, so: SAVE YOUR CURRENT WORK before using a communication program with PortShare the first time.
If you use PortShare to share your printers, you can meet problems when something goes wrong: printer drivers aren't robust (don't check for error codes, for instance). So we recommend to patch printer drivers:
The ImageWriter driver: resource PDEF 5, address 0x0604:
old data: 45EF 0020 2452
new data: 6D18 246F 0020
The StyleWriter driver (before v.7.2.2): resource PDEF 5, address 0x0752:
old data: 45EF 0020 2452
new data: 6D1E 246F 0020
The StyleWriter driver version 7.2.2 checks for errors and shouldn't be patched.
The ImageWriter LQ driver seems to process error codes correctly.
------------------------ Demo Version -------------------------
This demo version of PortShare has a limited session time (2 min).
------------------------ Commercial Version -------------------
To obtain the full version of PortShare, call our distributors.
In North America:
GlobalWay
PO Box 1631
Campbell CA 95009-1631
U.S.A.
Phone: (800) 262-4722
Intl: +(1)-408-866-4722
In Europe:
Melog Software
Kurzer Buckel 1
D-W6900 Heidelberg
Germany
Phone: +(49)-6221-167842
Fax: +(49)-6221-167824
CompuServe: 100042,1634
All customers that buy PortShare¬ before May 20, 1992 will be able to upgrade to PortShare¬ Pro for shipping and handling fee only.
1) Server/client interface was changed to make it compatible with PortShare Pro; now you can mix PortShare and PortShare Pro on your network.
2) "Buffered Output" option - previous versions of the client software always buffered output data. This could result in problems with short time-outs when using slow lines. Now "buffered output" can be switched off - on slow lines it shouldn't result in a noticeable change of performance.
3) Some changes were made to allow applications to call a driver synchronously from a completion routine or a VBL task (as MacTerminal does when it sends break).
4) Apple's printer drivers (ImageWriter, StyleWriter, etc.) will now close the port when the job is done, thus releasing the PortShare server.
The client software was modified to avoid crashes of not-so-robust programs (like Zterm or Apple printer drivers) when the session with a remote port has been broken.
