To be terminologically clear:

AppleTalk - Apple Computer's networking protocol suite
LocalTalk - a 237 Kb/s RS-422 LAN (the printer port on your Mac)
Ethernet  - a 10 Mb/s CSMA/CD LAN
EtherTalk - AppleTalk on Ethernet
TokenTalk - AppleTalk on IBM TokenRing
FDDItalk  - AppleTalk on FDDI
NETATALK  - the NetBSD AppleTalk (kernel) implementation

Once upon a time, "AppleTalk" meant both the protocol suite and the cheap
network wire. When Apple finally acknowledged that the world uses Ethernet
and implemented "EtherTalk", a term was needed to refer to the older,
slower network wire. Thus, "LocalTalk".

NetBSD's NETATALK implementation supports AppleTalk (protocol) and
EtherTalk (network interface), but not LocalTalk (network interface). Dr.
Bill can speak to the why of LocalTalk support in more detail, but the
short of it as I understand it is a combination of figuring out how to
program the z8530 serial chips just the right way, and hacking the kernel
so that it can handle the rather tight real-time response requirements of
LocalTalk without killing the system or user responsiveness.

Right now, to get a NetBSD system to communicate with a LocalTalk device
(e.g. an older LaserWriter), you need an Ethernet, an EtherTalk to
LocalTalk router or bridge device, and some LocalTalk. Examples of such
"routers" include (but are not limited to): Kinetics FastPath, Cayman
GatorBox, Shiva EtherGate. Asante and Sonic Systems both manufacture such a
device also, whose names I can't recall.

Next time, we can discuss "MacIP"...

	Erik <fair@clock.org>
	formerly of Engineering Computer Operations,
	Apple Computer, Inc.