PicLan Download FAQ

March 1, 1998

What version of PicLan should I download?

Do I need the same version of PicLan on all systems?

Why are there two DOS/Win client installs that are the same version?

Can I copy the diskettes from a client install set to a network directory?

What is the difference between a 16-bit PicLan driver and a 32-bit PicLan driver?

What version of PicLan should I download?

This is a difficult question to answer. PicLan version 2.0.0.17 was just released (as of 3/1/98). This version is intended to consolodate the PicLan software so that a single build is available on all platforms. Unfortunately, this release is quite new, so whether you want to download it may depend on your situation.

If you are a dealer or end-user that want's to load PicLan onto a test system then you should download version 2.0.0.17. If you have any problems, please email them to support@modsoft.com.
If you need any of the new features in 2.0.0.17, then you should download 2.0.0.17.
If you want to be running the latest code, then you should download 2.0.0.17. Remember that this is a new release, so be careful with your data (test network functions before going live, backup your data, etc.).
If you are going to load PicLan-IP, always load the latest PicLan and PicLan-IP release.
If you do not need any new features, are running a mission-critical production system, and are generally paranoid, download a previous release.

After several weeks, if you do not see any new builds or technical notes about 2.0.0.17, then using 2.0.0.17 should be safe.
You can always download the 2.0.0.17 and continue to use it with previous 2.0.0.x server releases.

In any case remember:

Modular Software does not test PicLan releases on a large number of systems nor do we test all configurations or functions. We also do not WARRANT that the PicLan software will be error free or operate continuously. Please test any production usage of PicLan before going live. Also, be sure to BACK UP YOUR DATA.

Do I need the same version of PicLan on all systems?

You can use different builds of PicLan on your Pick server and workstation client systems within limitations. The PicLan version number consists of:

A major release number
A minor release number
A client/server packet compatibility number
A build number

If the first three numbers match, then PicLan should work. This means that a AP/Pro server running 2.0.0.7 will communicate with a Windows 95 workstation running 2.0.0.17, but not with a DOS workstation running 1.1.0.29.

Why are there two DOS/Win client installs that are the same version?

One install is designed to create diskettes, and the other is designed to create an install directory. In either case, you end up with exactly the same PicLan installation.

If you are test-loading a PicLan release, download the "network install". This will save you from having to create diskettes.
If you are going to install PicLan onto a large number of production workstations, you probably want to download the diskette install or both the network install and the diskette install.

Remember the network install can be difficult to transfer from machine to machine via floppy disk.

Can I copy the diskettes from a client install set to a network directory?

Yes. If you create four subdirectories named disk1, disk2, disk3, and disk4 you can then copy the contents of each install diskette to the appropriate directory. After the diskettes are copies, you can run SETUP.EXE from the disk1 directory.

What is the difference between a 16-bit PicLan driver and a 32-bit PicLan driver?

There are two driver "types" for PicLan on the Alpha Microsystems Pick/64+ and General Automation Sequoia PRO platforms. Perhaps some historical perspective would help here.

When AP/Pro and PC/OS came out, PicLan was ported to a true 32-bit driver environment. This actually required a lot of work including designing our own load/fixup file format, building a new debugging environment, using a different 'C' compile (Watcom).

When support for PCI networking cards was implemented, this was inherently a 32-bit project (PCI cards use a lot of 32-bit addressing internally). As such, the 32-bit PCI driver was only implemented in 32-bit driver versions of PicLan.

Similarily, when PicLan-IP was developed, it was only integrated with 32-bit versions of PicLan. In fact, porting PicLan-IP's TCP/IP protocol stacks back to 16-bit driver space is probably impossible because of the size of the TCP/IP support layer. IPX PicLan support will fit completely within a single 16-bit program segment (64K) whereas the TCP/IP stacks in PicLan-IP are much larger.

The unavailability of PCI and PicLan-IP support in Pick/64+ and Sequoia PRO was not well received by some dealers. For this reason, 32-bit PicLan drivers were implemented for these two platforms. The 16-bit drivers are still supported for the time being, but may be phased out in the near future.

So which should you use. Both versions appear to be very stable. If you need PCI or PicLan-IP support then you must use the 32-bit drivers. Otherwise you can use either one. We would prefer that you use the 32-bit drivers in all cases. Again if you have any problems, please email support@modsoft.com.

Modular Software Corporation 24872 Nellie Gail Road Laguna Hills, CA 92653 (949) 831-4774 support@modsoft.com