Novell SHELL.CFG and Windows

• Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0, 3.0a, 3.1, 3.11

SUMMARY

The following contains information on the NetWare SHELL.CFG file settings that apply to Microsoft Windows.

The SHELL.CFG file is a NetWare configuration file used to define configuration options for the NetWare shell components IPX, NET3/NET4/NET5/NETX, and Net BIOS. It should be located in the start-up directory of the network shell programs. Many network installations do not have a SHELL.CFG present by default; in this case, one may be created by using a non-formatting text editor, such as Windows' Notepad or the MS-DOS 5.0 Editor.

MORE INFORMATION

SHELL.CFG accepts the following options that relate to Windows:

   SHOW DOTS=ON/OFF
   ----------------

   The MS-DOS directory entries (.) and (..) represent the current and
   previous directories in the directory tree structure, respectively.
   NetWare does not normally show these directory entries. This can
   make File Open dialog boxes in Windows applications difficult to
   use because the (..) will not be available to easily return to a
   directory level. The SHOW DOTS=ON option allows these entries to
   appear. However, this new shell functionality is not compatible
   with earlier versions of the NetWare administration utilities
   MAKEUSER and BINDFIX.

   If planning to use SHOW DOTS=ON, make sure these utilities have
   been updated with the new versions supplied in the workstation
   shell update package. Consult your NetWare documentation and/or
   Novell for more information.

   NOTE: With Novell Netware 3.1.1, the line SHOW DOTS+ON/OFF can be
   added to the NET.CFG file for the same effect.

   FILE HANDLES=
   -------------

   As a default, NetWare allows 40 files to be open simultaneously
   across the network. This default limit can be easily exceeded
   within a multitasking environment such as Windows. If this occurs,
   errors may occur when starting applications or opening files.

   To correct this problem, increase the default number of NetWare
   file handles by using this parameter. FILE HANDLES=60 is
   recommended.

   NOTE: The new Novell requestor (VLM.EXE) does not use the file handle
   statement in the NET.CFG file. All modifications to the number of file
   handles to be used in the NetWare environment should be made in the
   CONFIG.SYS file.

   NETBIOS BROADCAST COUNT=5
   NETBIOS BROADCAST DELAY=10
   --------------------------

   Applications that use Net BIOS communications, especially 3270
   network terminal emulation packages, require specific timing on Net
   BIOS broadcasts. If problems occur with Net BIOS sessions hanging
   or locking up, try setting these parameters to the recommended
   values above.

For more information on other SHELL.CFG options, see the "NetWare Supervisor Reference Guide." Note that some of these options are new and will not be present in earlier versions of the NetWare documentation.

For additional information, contact Novell technical support.

The products included here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.