[comp.protocols.appletalk] SLIP via MacTCP?

jay@argosy.UUCP (Jay O'Conor) (06/06/90)

I've done a little investigation into how MacTCP works.  I've figured
out that It only supports directly connected Ethernet boards, or an
Ethernet gateway such as FastPath.  It only supports those two data link
types because there are seperate code resources to deal with each data
link type.  However, it is possible to install code resources to deal with 
other data link layers.
Has anyone done this to implement SLIP?
If not, has (or will) Apple make the information known on how to write
such a code resource to work with MacTCP?


Thanks!

Jay O'Conor
jay@maspar.com

Gavin_Eadie@UM.CC.UMICH.EDU (06/06/90)

> link type.  However, it is possible to install code resources to deal with
> other data link layers.
> Has anyone done this to implement SLIP?
> If not, has (or will) Apple make the information known on how to write
> such a code resource to work with MacTCP?
 
"Has anyone done this to implement SLIP?" ... yes, we have. But (a)
we have implemented SLFP, not SLIP, and (b) there are inherent
problems with the software architecture and the MacTCP timing that
make this a less than perfect solution.
 
"will) Apple make the information known" ... I'll let John at Apple
speak for the company, but I will say that some aspects of the way
MacTCP interacts with LAP layers is under examination so that LAP
layers will be easier to write in the future.
 
Gavin Eadie
U of Michigan Information Systems

veizades@apple.com (John Veizades) (06/07/90)

There will be a document available to developers as part of the next 
release of MacTCP that will describe the interface that MacTCP requires to 
LAP layers.  This functionality will only be available with the next 
version of MacTCP since there are several problems that have to be 
corrected with MacTCP for it to work with a SLIP style interface.

John Veizades...
Apple Computer, Inc.