Netatalk 4.0 - Future-proofing Apple File Sharing

[shirsch]

@NJRoadfan . Any chance of a brief cookbook (or even a list) for setting TashTalk/TashRouter + netatalk up in the manner you describe?

 

[pl212]

That (a guide) would be really fantastic, actually... I've made this kind of thing work in the past but it's always felt a bit cobbled-together...

 

[NJRoadfan]

I have to go thru and recreate the steps. The in-progress version of A2SERVER already sets this up automatically. The biggest pain is creating a persistent TAP interface on boot, which differs depending on the Linux distro. You need to create a systemd service for TashRouter too.

 

[finkmac]

I wrote something up in the tashrouter thread. It's still working fine for me.

 

[shirsch]

Ah - I recall seeing that at the time and just plain forgot about it. It certainly answers all my initial questions. Thanks for the reminder!

 

[NathanHill]

I figure I should document this, just in case someone else contemplates the futility of life while trying to figure out what went wrong.

I have restored a Performa 475. It's great. I am using a ZuluSCSI Slim with WiFi built in. Bit of a hassle to get the DaynaPort drivers working, but eventually, I had success! I was able to log in to a public FTP site and verify that I was on the internet. However, I have installed Netatalk in VirtualBox on my old Mac mini server, but despite tinkering with afp.conf, trying every permutation of setting, and pouring through the Netatalk documentation and ZuluSCSI documentation for a clue, Chooser on System 7.5.5 would hang when trying to access my AppleTalk Share.

I was certain I had misconfigured Netatalk. Or maybe misconfigured 7.5.5.

Until... I updated the ZuluSCSI firmware. Now, it connects flawlessly. So if you are having trouble using ZuluSCSI with the wifi function and AppleTalk is not cooperating, update the firmware. And have fun.

 

[iantm]

Needless to say, this will be a massive undertaking. I am looking for collaborators to make this happen. If you or someone you know has a knack for C (or is willing to learn) I can offer a job that is unpaid but comes with the glory of keeping the dream of Apple file sharing alive for the next generation.

I was thinking about how I might bridge this network gap this morning. I wish I could say I could contribute code, but that’s not in my wheelhouse. I’d gladly contribute $ to the cause, help test and troubleshoot.

 

[NJRoadfan]

Most of the items on the list have been completed already....

 

[slipperygrey]

I was thinking about how I might bridge this network gap this morning. I wish I could say I could contribute code, but that’s not in my wheelhouse. I’d gladly contribute $ to the cause, help test and troubleshoot.

Thank you for the sentiment, I will certainly let you know if/when the project opens up for donations.

As NJRoadfan points out, the original roadmap proposal has been largely achieved (not least thanks to his contributions).

What remains of the original roadmap is to rewrite the indexed search backend for Spotlight. Recently, we have added an UAM using modern cryptography to the list. You can see the living roadmap here: https://netatalk.io/docs/Roadmap

 

[saybur]

It's an impressive list of accomplishments, congrats to y'all for getting that much work done! I know I'm not speaking for just myself: your contributions are really appreciated.

I was wondering if the SQLite backend was considered ready for general use? I'm still on Berkeley but was figuring I'd migrate over once it was considered fully stable.

 

[slipperygrey]

The SQLite backend is flagged as stable as of v4.4.0!

It is truly the future-proof option. Debian for instance has flagged Berkeley DB for removal in Debian Duke in... 2029 ^^;

Edit: I wrote a migration guide a while ago during the beta test phase.

 

[NJRoadfan]

I have been testing the SQLite backend with A2SERVER. Already found a few minor issues that should be fixed in the next release of Netatalk.

 

[slipperygrey]

netatalk 4.5.0 beta is now available for adventurous users

we have introduced advanced ARC cache and a wide range of deep optimizations that speed up file operations, especially noticeably when you enumerate a large number of files, i.e. when browsing a remote volume

see the new manual chapter on caching for instructions to to configure optimal cache for your deployment

this is also the version where the friendly new color volume icons for Classic Mac OS announced a few weeks ago are fully functional

we've made a lot of changes under the hood, therefore this beta release to give you all a chance to poke around with it before we roll out a production ready version

 

[finkmac]

ooo colour icons. this is awesome.