Personal NetWare
| Industry | Computer networking software |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1983 |
| Products | NetWare Lite, Personal NetWare |
NetWare Lite and Personal NetWare are now obsolete peer-to-peer local area network solutions created by Novell during the 1990s, designed for DOS- and Windows-based personal computer environments, primarily serving individual users and small businesses.
NetWare Lite
In 1991, Novell introduced NetWare Lite 1.0 (NWL), an affordable alternative to its traditional server-dependent NetWare. Known internally as "Slurpee," this product rivaled Artisoft's LANtastic by providing peer-to-peer networking capabilities that did not require dedicated servers, enabling resource sharing across all connected PCs.
To limit multiple installations within the same network, NetWare Lite embedded a serial number within its EXE files; however, this restriction was relatively simple to circumvent. The subsequent release, version 1.1, was distributed alongside DR DOS 6.0. Additionally, components from NetWare Lite were incorporated into Novell’s NetWare PalmDOS 1.0 in 1992.
A localized Japanese edition titled "NetWare Lite 1.1J" supported four distinct platforms (DOS/V, Fujitsu FM-R, NEC PC-98/Epson PC, and Toshiba J-3100) up until 1997. Updates for this version were provided through files named DOSV6.EXE, DOSV.EXE, and TSBODI.LZH.
Version 1.1 also featured an updated iteration of Novell’s Snipes game called NLSNIPES.
Personal NetWare
Released in 1994 under the codename "Smirnoff," Personal NetWare 1.0 (PNW) brought considerable improvements over its predecessor. Its ODI/VLM 16-bit DOS client supported loadable Virtual Loadable Modules (VLMs), enhancing modularity, while the server leveraged Novell's DOS Protected Mode Services (DPMS) to minimize conventional memory consumption and operate in protected mode. The disk caching mechanism transitioned from NLCACHE to NWCACHE, streamlining configuration and boosting performance with DPMS integration. Personal NetWare also included the network-capable game NetWars 2.06.
The Japanese variant, "Personal NetWare J 1.0," maintained support for the same four platforms until 1995 and received updates through files such as P10J0?.EXE, PNDOSV2.EXE, and PNDOSV1.LZH.
Western editions underwent five maintenance updates, whereas Japanese versions had two; both regions saw enhancements to the VLM client suite (from versions 1.0 to 1.21) extending through November 1996 (Western) and April 1997 (Japan). These revisions introduced additional MLID drivers—including support for SLIP and PPP protocols—and broadened language options.
In 1994, Personal NetWare was packaged with Novell DOS 7, offered at pricing comparable to the standalone version.
Components of Personal NetWare were later assimilated into Novell’s LAN Workplace for DOS and NetWare Mobile for DOS products, facilitating compatibility with TCP/IP drivers.
Between 1997 and 1999, full releases of Caldera's OpenDOS 7.01, DR-DOS 7.02, and DR-DOS 7.03 included Personal NetWare, employing the original Novell DOS 7 files rather than any subsequent updates released post-1994.
The ODI/VLM client stack accompanied by TCP/IP drivers was also part of the 1997 distribution of DR-WebSpyder.
In 1996, Novell launched the ODI32/NIOS 32-bit DOS/Windows client (Client 32) that utilized NetWare Loadable Modules (NLMs) in place of VLMs. Despite significantly lowering conventional memory usage, it did not provide a module analogous to PNW.VLM, resulting in incompatibility with Personal NetWare servers.
NetWare DOS Clients
- 16-bit DOS client utilizing the NETX architecture
- 16-bit DOS client based on ODI/VLM technology (supports unloading via VLM /U)
- 32-bit DOS client employing ODI32/NIOS framework (non-unloadable; incompatible with NWL and PNW)
See also
- CP/NET / MP/NET / DR Net / FlexNet
- ELS NetWare (previously an entry-level solution, not supporting peer-to-peer networking)
- IntranetWare for Small Business (FSB) (subsequent entry-level product, lacking peer-to-peer functionality)
- NetWare Remote Program Load (RPL)
- NetWare NCOPY
- UnixWare
Further reading
- Novell ODI Specification: NetWare 16-Bit DOS - Protocol Stacks and MLIDs - ODI Specification Version 4.00, Novell, Inc., 1996
- NOVELFAX.ZIP, Novell, 1992–1993
External links
- Official homepage: drdos.com
- Archived DR-DOS 7 documentation including Personal NetWare, ODI/VLM, and TCP/IP materials
- Novell Developer Kit: Components for ODI LAN Drivers
- Novell Developer Kit: Unsupported modules