HOWTO: Set Up and Troubleshoot Macintosh Communications

• Microsoft Visual C++, Macintosh Cross-Development, version 2.0

SUMMARY

This article is designed to help you properly set up and troubleshoot network and serial communications between a PC and a Macintosh for file transfer and debugging.

This article is divided into four sections:

1. Verify network communication parameters

MORE INFORMATION

SECTION 1: VERIFY NETWORK COMMUNICATION PARAMETERS

Verify the Physical Network Connection

What type of network cable are you using: ThinNet (coax cable that looks like cable TV wire), ThickNet (fat cable with 15 pin connectors on the ends), or Twisted Pair (looks like telephone wire)?

ThinNet and ThickNet are considered active networks and allow direct connections between the two computers. Twisted Pair is a passive network and requires both computers to be plugged into a net hub or similar device before the network connection can be active between the two machines. Simply hooking up two machines using Twisted-pair will not work unless one of the network cards is a net hub or there is a net hub between the two network cards.

Verify the Macintosh Network Settings

1. Verify the Macintosh communications setup by clicking the Macintosh Control Panel on the Apple Menu (the Apple icon at the leftmost position of the menu bar). Verify these settings:

   a. Sharing Setup control panel

         Under Network Identity, type and note the Macintosh Name. Don't
         worry about the Macintosh Owner field; Visual C++ doesn't use it.
   

   b. Network control panel

         Ensure you are using EtherTalk. Note the Zone you are located in. If
         it says < No zones available >, you are in a peer-to-peer network and
         no zone is required.
   

   C. Visual C++ Debug Monitor control panel

         Make sure this and the other Visual C++ Macintosh components are
         installed. Ensure that Network (AppleTalk) is highlighted in
         the connection list. Click Settings; then type and note the debug
         password (Case sensitive).
   

2. Restart the Macintosh computer to ensure that the current network and debug settings are used.

3. Make sure the Visual C++ File Utility and WLM Debug Output are both up and running. You can check this by looking in the Application Menu. Click the icon that appears in the far right of the menu bar. This is similar to the Task List in Windows.

   NOTE: These can be made to start automatically when the computer starts by creating aliases to these two programs and moving the aliases to the System Folder:Startup Items: folder. To create an alias, click the program icon and then click Make Alias on the Finder File menu.

   You are now finished verifying the Macintosh communications setup

Verify the PC Network Settings

1. Ensure that Appletalk is installed and running under Windows NT. Check this by clicking the Networks icon in the Control Panel. If it isn't installed, click Add Protocol, and add AppleTalk.

2. Within the Visual C++ development environment, complete these steps:

   a. On the Project menu, click Settings, and then click the Debug tab.

         "Executable for Debug Session:"
   

             This is the location for the executable on the local Windows NT
             computer. Under a Debug build, it is usually here:
   
                <project_dir>\MacDebug\MyProgram.EXE
   
             For Release build, it is usually here:
   
                <project_dir>\MacRel\MyProgram.EXE
   
         "Remote Executable Path and File Name:"
   
            This is where you want the remote executable to be placed.
            Macintosh uses colons (:) as a separator between folders
            (analogous to directories on PCs). Unlike PCs, Macintosh
            hard drives are addressed by their full volume names as
            opposed to single hard drive letters. The proper format for
            specifying the full path on the Macintosh is:
   
                <Macintosh HD name>:<Folder>:<Program Name>
   
            So, to specify a filename "My MacProg" to be stored on a hard
            drive named "BobHD" in a folder (directory) named "Testing",
            you would enter:
   
                BobHD:Testing:My MacProg
   
      b. On the Tools menu, click Options, and click the Debug tab.
   
         1) Ensure that Remote Debugging is enabled.
   
         2) Click the Connection button.
   
             - Ensure that Platform: is set to Macintosh.
   
             - Ensure that Connection: is set to Network (AppleTalk).
   
             - Click Settings, and make sure Macintosh Name, Macintosh Zone,
               and Debug Monitor Password all match up with what is set on the
               Macintosh (see previous section). If there is no Zone, enter
               "*" as Macintosh Zone.
   
   

SECTION 2: VERIFY SERIAL COMMUNICATION PARAMETERS

Due to a bug with serial communications on the Visual C++ Cross-Development Edition, the network Macintosh Name and Zone are required.

Ensure that you have the null modem cable properly connected between the two computers. Also note which serial port you are using on both machines. For Windows NT, it may be COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4. For Macintosh, it may be either MODEM (phone handset symbol) or PRINTER (printer symbol).

Verify the Macintosh Serial Settings

1. Verify the Macintosh serial settings by clicking the Macintosh Control Panel on the Apple Menu (the Apple icon at the leftmost position of the menu bar). Verify these settings:

   a. Sharing Setup control panel

         Under Network Identity, type and note the Macintosh Name. Don't
         worry about the Macintosh Owner field. Visual C++ doesn't use it.
   

   b. Network control panel

         Note the Zone in which you are located, even if it says < No zones
         available >.
   

   c. Visual C++ Debug Monitor control panel

         Make sure this and the other Visual C++ Macintosh components are
         installed. Ensure that Serial is highlighted in the connection
         list. Click Settings. Note the connection settings and make sure
         you are using the correct port the serial cable is attached to.
   

2. Restart the Macintosh to ensure the current serial and debug settings are used.

3. Make sure the Visual C++ File Utility and WLM Debug Output are both up and running. You can check this by looking in the Application Menu. Click the icon that appears in the far right of the menu bar. This is similar to the Task List in Windows.

   NOTE: These can be made to start automatically when the computer starts by creating aliases to these two programs and moving the aliases to the System Folder:Startup Items: folder. To create an alias, click the program icon and then click Make Alias on the Finder File menu.

   You are now finished verifying the Macintosh communications setup

Verify the PC Serial Settings

Verify the PC serial settings within the Visual C++ development environment by following these steps:

1. On the Project menu, click Settings, and click the Debug tab.

   Executable for Debug Session

         This is the location for the executable on the local Windows NT
         computer. Under a Debug build, it is usually here:
   

            <project_dir>\MacDebug\MyProgram.EXE
   
         For a Release build, it is usually here:
   
            <project_dir>\MacRel\MyProgram.EXE
   
      Remote Executable Path and File Name
   
         This is where you want the remote executable to be placed.
         Macintosh uses colons (:) as a separator between folders
         (analogous to directories on PCs). Unlike PCs, Macintosh
         hard drives are addressed by their names as opposed to single
         letters. The proper format for specifying the full path on the
         Macintosh is:
   
            <Macintosh HD name>:<Folder>:<Program Name>
   
         For example, to specify a filename "My MacProg" to be stored on a
         hard drive named "BobHD" in a folder (directory) named "Testing,"
         you would enter this:
   
            BobHD:Testing:My MacProg
   
   

2. On the Tools menu, click Options, and click the Debug tab.

   a. Ensure that Remote Debugging is enabled.

   b. Click the Connection button.

   c. Set Platform: to Macintosh.

   d. Set Connection: to Network (AppleTalk).

   e. Click Settings and make sure Macintosh Name and Macintosh Zone match

         up with what is set on the Macintosh. If there is no zone or
         Macintosh name, type anything for the Macintosh name and "*" as the
         Macintosh Zone.
   

   f. Leave the Debug Monitor Password blank, and click OK.

   g. Set Connection: to Serial, and click OK. You are now finished

         verifying the PC communications setup.
   

SECTION 3: TROUBLESHOOT FILE TRANSFERS (MFILE)

MFILE is the utility that Visual C++ uses to transfer files between the PC and the Macintosh. This is usually executed by: the build process, the "Update Remote Output File" option under the Tools menu, or a command entered at the command line.

1. Ensure that the communication settings are correct on both the Macintosh and the PC as documented in Section 1 or 2 of this article. Improper configuration and setup are the main causes of communication problems.

2. If you are using a serial connection:

   a. Exit Visual C++. Visual C++ takes over the serial port when it

         starts. This will prevent you from testing the serial connection.
   

   b. Try to use Terminal or a similar communications program to

         communicate to a communications program running on the Macintosh.
         This is all documented in the Macintosh Components Help file on the
         Macintosh in the Visual C++ 2.0 Folder. There is a help section
         called "Troubleshooting: Communication Problems" that explains this
         in more detail.
   

   c. Ensure that the Visual C++ File Utility is up and running. As noted

         in Section 2 of this article, you need to make sure the Macintosh
         Name and Zone are entered into the Network connections settings on
         the PC side.
   

3. If you are using a network connection:

   a. Ensure that the cables are connected properly. If you are on a

         network with other computers, check to see if you can "see" other
         computers or printers on the network.
   

   b. Ensure that the network protocols are installed and running on each

         of the computers.
   

   c. Go through Section 1 of this article, and verify that everything is

         is set correctly.
   

4. Ensure that the Macintosh has a name in the Sharing Setup applet in the Control Panel. Also make sure the name set in the Connection Settings on the PC matches. Check the Help file mentioned in Step 2 of this section for additional suggestions.

5. If you are receiving an MFILE error (MFxxxx), check to make sure the Visual C++ File Utility is actually running and that it is in the user's Startup Folder on the Macintosh. This error occurs when the Macintosh can't be found or the Visual C++ File Utility is not started.

6. If you are receiving one of the following errors, make sure the name of the remote output file is specified on the Debug tab reached by clicking Settings on the Project menu:

       - MF4017 (no Mac specified for volume mount) or
       - MF4007 (all source files must be on the Mac xxx is not)
   

   The typical cause of these errors is that the name of the remote output file is not entered correctly. Please refer to Section 1 or 2 of this article for a discussion of how it should be entered.

SECTION 4: TROUBLESHOOT REMOTE DEBUGGING PROBLEMS

Ensure the communication settings are correct on both the Macintosh and PC as documented in Section 1 or 2 of this article. Improper configuration and setup are the main causes of communication problems.

1. Check for conflicting INITs. INITs are like device drivers. They are in the System Folder in the Extensions Folder. There is already at least one known conflict with the Procomm SCSI drivers (see the release notes). Remove any unnecessary INITs.

2. Try to run the application standalone. Just like the Intel debugger, a very unstable application can cause unusual behavior in the debugger.

3. Try building and debugging one of the sample applications such as HELLO. If you can debug the sample application, there may simply be a problem with your application binary itself.

4. Restart the Macintosh. Sometimes the Macintosh may have been in an unstable state that prevented proper debugging to occur.

5. Try switching the connection from Serial to Network or vice-versa. This will require use of a Null-modem cable for a serial connection. It may be just the physical connection or driver problem.

6. If you are using a Macintosh with a 680x0 processor, check the Memory Control Panel. In one unconfirmed case, 32-bit addressing being off caused a debugger failure.

7. If possible, try accessing another Macintosh. If this works, you may have a configuration problem with the Macintosh or a conflict with at least one of the INITs installed.

Keywords          : MFILEIss kbtshoot
Version           : MAC:2.0;
Platform          : MACINTOSH
Issue type        : kbhowto