This manual addresses EtherShare environments with OS X clients. If you are using classic Mac OS up to Mac OS 9.x, please refer to the EtherShare 2.6 manual. This is available on the HELIOS website.
The software which makes up EtherShare provides file server functions for Mac computers connected together in an AFP network. EtherShare is based on powerful multitasking/multiuser features. With EtherShare, it is very easy to expand the power of your network at a later date, when the amount of work and the number of users increase.
HELIOS EtherShare runs on top of the foundation provided by HELIOS Base. Please read the HELIOS Base manual for installation instructions and other important details.
While maintaining complete compatibility with the AFP specification, the EtherShare file server allows access to documents and applications throughout the whole network.
To network your host system and thus your Mac computers with Windows PC compatible computers use PCShare. To provide real-time remote file access for web clients, use WebShare (see B “Glossary”).
The cross-platform program HELIOS Admin is an administration tool which can be used to configure EtherShare from any connected client workstation. It can also be used by regular users to check the configuration. However, they are prevented from making any changes.
HELIOS Admin communicates with EtherShare through the HELIOS Admin server, which runs on the host while HELIOS Admin needs to be installed on the client workstation. The communication between these two programs takes place through a TCP/IP connection which allows managing multiple servers remotely and supporting concurrent TCP/IP connections (see “Logging on to the HELIOS Admin server” in the HELIOS Base manual).
The EtherShare print server program (“papsrv”) is a central spooler for print jobs destined for PostScript devices such as PostScript printers and photo-typesetting machines.
One or more printers can be connected to EtherShare simultaneously either through TCP/IP, or connected directly to the host via a serial interface. Print jobs are received from the network and temporarily stored on the host before being sent to the assigned printer (print spooling). This considerably improves the throughput of the workstations on the network, since they can immediately dispatch their print jobs and do not have to wait for the printer. Other connection types are also supported (see 6 “The EtherShare print server”).
EtherShare allows PostScript devices to be directly connected to the print server via a serial interface, so it is not necessary for them to support the Apple PAP (Printer Access Protocol). The interface between such printers and networks is implemented in the print server, which allows such printers to be accessed from any workstation as if they were directly connected to the workstation. However, problems may occur with applications that send images as binary bitmap data, since serially connected PostScript printers interpret certain binary codes as control signals. Accordingly, we recommend network connected printers, which are able to handle 8-bit data (see 6.4 “Configure printers manually”). In addition, it is much faster than a serial connection, which is an important factor, e.g. for images.
All printers should be driven through the print server, in order to take advantage of the EtherShare print job spooling feature – please select the corresponding printer queue from Apple’s “Printers & Scanners” system preferences pane and NOT the printer which the queue is connected to.
In addition to printing to the assigned printer and providing spooling functions, the print server automatically interprets messages returned by the printer and forwards them to the appropriate user via e-mail and the “srvmsg” tool. Apart from convenience, this feature allows rapid reaction to situations such as “paper out” or “paper misfed”.
The font server is an integral part of the print server. It reduces network loading, increases throughput and allows central administration of printer fonts. See Font including (Mac OS 9 clients only!) in 6.2 “The print server in operation” for information on this feature.
On Windows platforms, HELIOS EtherShare adds full AFP compatibility for Mac network clients to connect to Windows volumes and printers. HELIOS EtherShare on Windows offers the same user experience as on other HELIOS server platforms, including support for Spotlight search, and Time Machine backups to EtherShare volumes. Administrators will note that the “dt” tools are slightly different on Windows, with the primary difference that “dt sync” is not included. Hence the “Syncs” tab does not appear in HELIOS Admin
Within this manual, “UNIX” is used frequently. Generally, when referring to a server, it can be read as UNIX or Windows server. However, the Windows NTFS file system, and the UNIX file systems are different in many respects. So topics related to the UNIX file system, may or may not be applicable to the Windows server.
There are several HELIOS drivers and applications included for installation or use on Mac network clients utilizing HELIOS server volumes and print queues.
HELIOS Permissions (described in 8.1 “HELIOS Permissions”)
HELIOS TCP Printer driver (described in 6.3 “HELIOS TCP Printer”)
HELIOS Admin application (described in 3 “HELIOS Admin”)
HELIOS Meta plug-in (described in 8.4 “The HELIOS Meta plug-in”)
HELIOS LanTest (described in 8.5 “HELIOS LanTest”)
HELIOS Spotlight search (described in 8.6 “HELIOS Spotlight search”)
HELIOS WebShare Manager, which facilitates project collaboration, with automatic file synchronization (described in its own manual)
The EtherShare client applications distributed with HELIOS G8 run on OS X 10.11 and later. Users with older Macintosh clients can install an older HELIOS software suite, e.g. CD026, and then do an overinstallation with HELIOS CD027. This enables the “Unsupported” folder in “HELIOS Applications > MacOS” which contains software versions of the EtherShare client applications that will work with client workstations prior to OS X 10.11.
The “Client software installation checklist” (“HELIOS_Install_Checklist.pdf”) lists all the options, and is included in the “Documentation” folder in the “HELIOS Applications” volume.
For new features in the EtherShare software see the HELIOS website:
www.helios.de Go to HELIOS Product Versions – New Features
For HELIOS Base, the foundation used by all HELIOS products, see the HELIOS Base product web page:
www.helios.de Go to Products > Base