---------------------- PortShare Pro 1.x ----------------------
The PortShare™ Pro software enables your Macintosh to share serial communication ports (i.e. modems/printers/etc. attached to the modem or printer ports) with other Macintosh computers connected to your network.
The PortShare Pro can run only under System 7, but it can communicate with PortShare™ version 1.2 or higher installed on computers running System 6 or System 7.
*** This version is compatible with AppleTalke Remote Access (ARA, see attached files) ****
---------- PortShare and PortShare Pro - what's new? ----------
A PortShare Pro server:
- can share any serial communication port registered with the Macintosh Communications Toolbox (CTB) architecture.
- can share several ports simultaneously.
- can group shared ports with functionally equivalent devices into "port groups".
- has the "Always Drop DTR" option.
- supports AppleTalk transitions, so it reenables network services when AppleTalk is made active after it was switched off.
PortShare Pro client:
- creates virtual CTB ports to access remote ports or port groups.
- can create several virtual CTB ports each connected to its own remote port/group.
- can use port groups: if a group is used, it connects to the first available device in the group (if your local port belongs to this group, it is picked first).
- can redefine both modem and printer ports as virtual ports for non-CTB-compatible applications/tools (so you can use your favorite terminal emulator with a remote modem and print on a remote serial printer like ImageWriter).
- can connect to local ports, thus enabling access to non-standard devices for both local and remote non-CTB-compatible applications/tools.
- checks the password for the selected remote port/group immediately when entered.
- can remember passwords for several ports/groups.
---------- PortShare and PortShare Pro - what to use? ---------
For small networks with only one serial device to be shared, we recommend PortShare. We also recommend it for low-end computers running System 6.
We recommend PortShare Pro for computers running System 7 that have several serial devices attached, for big networks (where the port group feature is important), and for power users that use several simultaneous communication sessions.
PortShare Pro 1.2 or higher is necessary for computers with ARA and Serial Port Arbitrator software installed.
------------------------- Demo Version ------------------------
This demo version of PortShare Pro has a limited session time (2 min).
--------------------- Short Instructions ----------------------
The manual can be compressed into a few paragraphs (you can also use Balloon Help™):
Installation (both clients and servers):
1. Place the PortShare Pro file into the "Control Panels" folder. Make sure that AppleTalk is activated.
2. If ARA is installed on your computer, place the PortShareTask file into the "Extensions" folder. Without ARA installed this file is not necessary.
3. Reboot computers.
On servers (i. e. on Macintosh computers with serial devices attached):
1. Open the PortShare Pro control panel.
2. Select the port you want to share in the left section of the panel.
3. Click the "Shared" box, enter the name for your modem (or what you have connected to this port) in the "Network Name:" field.
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for each port you want to make shared.
5. Close the control panel.
On a client:
1. Open the PortShare Pro control panel.
2. Click the New button to create a virtual port.
3. If you want to use non-CTB-compatible applications with a remote port, select the "Virtual Modem" button. In this case when a non-CTB-compatible application opens the modem port, it opens this virtual port instead. You can select the "Virtual Printer" button to redefine the printer port. For CTB-compatible applications you can select "CTB device" and enter a name for this virtual port.
4. Click OK. The icon for the virtual port created should appear in the left section of the PortShare Pro control panel.
5. Select a shared port you want to use from the list in the right section of the panel. If your network has zones, a pop-up menu should appear above the list. Select "AppleTalk Zones" from this menu to see zones. Select the zone with the PortShare or PortShare Pro server(s) you want to use and click Open. Select the shared port you want to use.
6. Repeat steps 2-5 if you want to create several virtual ports.
7. Close the control panel.
When your communication port is being used by a network user, you can see his/her name in the "Status" field.
Any Macintosh can operate as a PortShare Pro server and as a PortShare Pro client simultaneously: even when somebody works with your port(s), 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 Pro very unhappy, so: SAVE YOUR CURRENT WORK before using a communication program with PortShare Pro the first time.
If you use PortShare Pro to share your printers, you can meet problems when something goes wrong: printer drivers aren't robust (don't check for error codes, etc). 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.
---------------------- Commercial Version ---------------------
The release date for PortShare Pro should be May 20, 1992.
To obtain the full version of PortShare Pro, call our distributors.
Thanks to our beta-testers and to everybody who has reported his/her ideas about the PortShare™ and PortShare™ Pro products.
This is the list of changes in the PortShare™ software:
---------------------- PortShare Pro 1.1 ----------------------
1) The server/client interface was modified to support automatic flow control features of the serial drivers.
2) The buffer allocation procedure was changed, so the performance should be better on high-speed lines.
---------------------- PortShare Pro 1.2 ----------------------
1) PortShare Pro is now compatible with AppleTalk Remote Access. If ARA is installed on your computer, you should also install the PortShareTask background-only application (put it into the Extensions folder).
2) 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.
3) Added support for AppleTalk Network Transitions.
4) The Status box in the PortSharePro control panel now displays the name of the application or system tool that is using the port.
