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Aufs: Turning Macs into Workstations

What is aufs?? It stands for Appletalk file protocol UNIX File Server, but that doesn't tell you a whole lot about what it is used for. Aufs is an application program that is part of the CAP (Columbia Appletalk Package for UNIX) software package. When aufs runs on a UNIX host ( ea, harbor, ei, etc.), it allows the host to act as a file server for the Mac (Mac+, Mac SE, Mac II, etc). For a Mac to use a UNIX host as a file server a couple of requirements must be met.

• Must have at least a 512K Mac
• Must have Appleshare Software on the Mac
• Mac must be connected to the Ethernet (Kinetics Box)

When these requirements are met, your Mac turns into a workstation. ``Whats the big deal?'' you say. With "just" a Mac you are limited to what you can do by the amount of disk space you have. However the combination of having aufs on the UNIX host and Appleshare on the Mac allows the ability to store, retrieve, and share both UNIX and Mac files. You can store application programs on the server and retrieve them as needed; it is as if the UNIX hosts is an external disk drive attached to your Mac. You are no longer using a Mac, you are using a "Super Mac"!

Aufs runs on all ECN architectures and Appleshare is standard with Apple System 6.0 software. Type

                            man aufs

for more detailed information on aufs. See your site specialist for more information on Mac file server access privileges and Appleshare.

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