1. DP83905.zip Driver
2. README File Contents

README Driver File Contents (DP83905.zip)

Hi there! You read README file for installing NeOS (Network Enhanced
Operating System), peer-to-peer LAN for DOS based PC-s.


  LICENCE AGREEMENT

This is the first usable NeOS version. Of course, I would like to
get a million dollar selling it, but, it's more likely I will get
a beer when I upload this files.

With this copy of NeOS you can connect 5 computers, which is I believe
enough for personal use. Fell free to experiment and evaluate NeOS, and if
you find it usable, instead of sending me some money (which I know you
wouldn't) send me a postcard. So, let's call this software POSTCARDWARE.


  FILES

After unpacking 'NeOS-10.ZIP', there must be 8 files:

 readme       -  this file
 neos.man     -  ASCII manual for installing and using NeOS v1.0
 neosh.hlp    -  NeOS help file
 install.exe  -  program for installing NeOS network
 config.exe   -  NeOS configuration program
 net.exe      -  logins, logouts, mail, message, ...
 neos.com     -  resident part of NeOS network
 ne2000.com   -  packet driver for NE2000 adapter


  HARDWARE & SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS

 - 286 or higher microprocessor
 - DOS 5.0 or higher
 - 256KB RAM
 - 200KB disk space (C:)
 - NE2000 compatible card (or any other ethernet card with packet driver)


  HOW TO INSTALL NeOS

 - Make a temporary subdirectory and unzip NEOS-10.ZIP in it

   Example (assuming NEOS-10.ZIP file is on floppy A:)

     c:\>md tmp
     c:\>cd tmp
     c:\tmp>pkunzip a:neos-10.zip

 - Type INSTALL to install NeOS and follow the instructions (they
   are self explanatory)

 - Remove the temporary subdirectory because it is no longer needed
   and read the file NEOS.MAN located in C:\NEOS.NET. It is rather
   long (cca. 40 KB), and can be viewed with any text editor.

 - Run program CONFIG to share resources (must be started on each
   station that will share it's resources), and program NET to log
   on the network, etc...

 - Remember that each time you share new resource with program CONFIG,
   you must restart NeOS in order to make it visible for the network
   users. NeOS configure itself at boot time. You don't have to reboot
   but simply unload NeOS with parameter minus ("neos -") and load it
   again by typing "startnet" or "neos"

 - If you have network adapter other then NE2000, manually change
   startup file STARTNET.BAT in C:\NEOS.NET directory. Note that
   packet driver vector must be 0x60 !


  NeOS FEATURES

 - NeOS is probably the first real peer-to-peer network in a DOS world.
   You will never see terms like "SERVER" or "CLIENT" (like in real
   distributed environments). Network resources are distributed across
   the network and this shouldn't bother you. Lots of actions are
   performed in the background without special notice - logins, logouts,
   resource mounting and unmounting, ...

 - NeOS is probably the only DOS network in which you can, for instance,
   access 250 CD-ROM drives with only one login. NeOS is not limited with
   23 available disk letters (it's really neat when you actually use it)

 - NeOS is very efficient. Some benchmarks showed 30% better results then
   NetWare Lite 1.10 (or Personal NetWare in Novell DOS 7.0). It's even
   faster then Lantastic 3.0. What benchmarks? XCOPY-ing large files from
   machine to machine simultaneously. Please, use COMMAND.COM with DOSKEY
   installed, because this speeds things when DOS is waiting on a command
   line.

 - NeOS uses standard disk-caching programs (SMARTDRV or SCPLUS). Probably
   the best of them is shareware HYPERDKX. You can pay the HyperWare 25$
   after a 30 day period and use it instead of SMARTDRV. It's really, really
   fast and very robust.

 - NeOS is compact, requires very small amount of memory (typically
   less then 40KB) and can be loaded high (you must use QEMM386 or
   something similar)

 - And other unique features (bugs, undocumented interrupts, ...). Just
   joking, I am not a MICROSOFT employee.


  FUTURE

We make every effort to produce this software as robust and stable as we
could. When used in controlled environments with "good" programs, NeOS
works perfectly. But, DOS is DOS, newer built for multitasking, and thus
very vulnerable. On the other side, DOS is at the end of it's career. It
will be widely used for at least 5 years, but new OS' are on the way. So,
the first thing we would like to do is to implement NeOS in other popular
OS', like WINDOWS and, my favorite - 32-bit OS/2, maybe UNIX. We will
"standardize" NeOS protocols (TCP/IP) and even more simplify things.
Today's networks are, after all, complicated to use (think of average user
- 90% of all). We have many ideas on how should modern network look like
and showed only a little with NeOS. With stable and robust multitasking
OS, things should look much fancier.

We cover OS/2 with documentation thanks to IBM branch here in Croatia.
MICROSOFT is a different story. So, our next project includes NeOS for DOS
and OS/2 environments. Currently, I don't know how to do NeOS for WINDOWS
(4.0)!

We produced, as we believed, a respectable software with minimal resources
and informations. With professional technical support we can do much more!
Someone interested?

                                Igor Bujanovic
                                University Computing Centre - Zagreb
                                e-mail: igor@smile.srce.hr

                                Address for POSTCARDWARE:
                                SRCE (for Igor Bujanovic)
                                J. Marohnica bb
                                41000 Zagreb
                                CROATIA