Q103199: PC Mac: Cannot See Postoffice on Pathworks Server
Article: Q103199
Product(s): Microsoft Mail For PC Networks
Version(s): WINDOWS:3.0,3.2
Operating System(s):
Keyword(s):
Last Modified: 26-OCT-2000
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:
- Microsoft Mail for PC Networks, versions 3.0, 3.2, on platform(s):
- the operating system: Mac OS (ALL)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SYMPTOMS
========
After installing the Macintosh workstation, the user is not able to select the
Mail postoffice when the postoffice database files are on a Pathworks server.
The most common symptom of this is when the user sees all the folders
(directories) that comprise the postoffice, and sees the files within the
folders, but the Macintosh client cannot find the postoffice.
Usually, when the Macintosh client is first installed, a dialog box appears with
the following text:
The Preferences file could not be found.
Where is your postoffice located?
Selecting "Find PO" lets the user search for the postoffice data files. After
selecting the drive and the folder where the postoffice data files are located,
the Macintosh client responds with:
Select <postoffice name>?
With the postoffice on the Pathworks server, the Macintosh client may not
recognize the folder with the postoffice as a valid Mail postoffice, and the
dialog box for selecting a drive and the folders remains active.
CAUSE
=====
The README.TXT file on the version 3.0 of Mail for PC Networks Server disk
(paragraph B.5) states the following:
Using a Non-PC-based Network Operating System
The Macintosh client assumes that the file path to the postoffice is either
all uppercase or all lowercase letters. If your network operating system uses
pathnames that are case sensitive (such as DEC Pathworks or NFS), make sure
that for the Macintosh client, the path to the postoffice does not contain a
mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters.
Another possible difficulty when using a non-PC-based network operating system is
automatic file translation from PC text format to Macintosh text format by the
operating system. File translation must not occur for any postoffice data file.
To confirm the problem is in the configuration of the Pathworks server, verify
the following:
1. The Macintosh can mount the Pathworks share that contains the postoffice data
files.
2. The Macintosh views all directory and filenames in UPPERCASE. Lowercase or
mixed case names are incorrect.
3. The Macintosh can Get Info on the MASTER.GLB file, and this file's size is
176 bytes. If the file is 174 bytes, then invalid file translation is
occurring.
4. A file can be copied from the Macintosh to the postoffice directory, and this
file, when checked at the MS-DOS level, has the same size and date stamp that
correspond to the Macintosh's Get Info on this file. If MS-DOS reports the
file as 0 bytes, no date/time stamp, then the permissions for the PC are
incorrect.
If any of these steps fail, then the Pathworks server will need to be
reconfigured.
NOTE: For more information regarding problem 1 listed above, please consult your
Pathworks manual for Macintosh connectivity.
RESOLUTION
==========
To reconfigure the Pathworks server for problems 2, 3, and 4, it will be
necessary to do the following:
- Change a filename conversion and the file translation control file.
-and-
- Change the permissions for the clients.
If the postoffice directories and files are already on the Pathworks server, then
they will need to be copied to an MS-DOS drive and deleted from the Pathworks
server. This is because the changes to the filename conversion and the
translations only affect new files, not existing files on the Pathworks server.
To Change the Filename Conversion (Problem 2)
---------------------------------------------
The DCL command required to define the filename conversion logical is:
LOWERCASE Filename is converted to all lowercase.
MIXEDCASE Filename is converted to mixed case. First letter
of each word is capitalized and the remaining letters
display in lowercase.
UPPERCASE Filename is converted to uppercase.
Values for rule2:
SPACES Underscores are replaced with spaces.
UNDERSCORES Underscores are displayed as underscores.
Mail for PC Networks, Macintosh client, and version 1.0b of Microsoft Mail
Connection Gateway both require all uppercase and underscores in the names of
the files that they access. The correct logical definition for this is:
DEFINE/SYS/EXEC MSAF$SERVER_VMS_NAME_CONVERSION "UPPERCASE,UNDERSCORES"
For Invalid File Translation (Problem 3)
----------------------------------------
The FILE_TYPES.DAT file in the SYS$COMMON:[MSA] directory on the VAX running
Pathworks needs to be edited. The file is a text file and any text editor can
modify it. The file translations defined in FILE_TYPES.DAT are
position-sensitive, meaning only the first translation that matches the MS-DOS
extension is used. The translations for the postoffice files should, therefore,
be placed as close to the beginning of the file as possible.
NOTE: MICROSOFT CANNOT ASSIST IN PROBLEMS WITH MODIFICATION TO THE FILE_TYPES.DAT
FILE. It is up to the Administrator to rectify any problems on the Pathworks
Server. If there is a problem with modification to the file, please refer to
your Pathworks support provider.
Each file extension used in the Microsoft Mail database must be defined in the
MSAF$FILE_TYPES.DAT file; thus, the entries in the MSAF$FILE_TYPES.DAT file for
the Mail postoffice must look like this:
!Format Attr Semantic "EXT" Creator Type Translation
* * * ATT mdos BINA none
* * * GLB mdos BINA none
* * * GRP mdos BINA none
* * * HLP mdos BINA none
* * * INF mdos BINA none
* * * IDX mdos BINA none
* * * KEY mdos BINA none
* * * MAI mdos BINA none
* * * MBG mdos BINA none
* * * MEM mdos BINA none
* * * NME mdos BINA none
* * * TPL mdos BINA none
* * * USR mdos BINA none
* * * XTN mdos BINA none
NOTE: If the Mail Connection Gateway is installed and the Connection Store
directory structure is defined on a Pathworks volume, the following extension
must also be added to the MSAF$FILE_TYPES.DAT file.
* * * MSG mdos BINA none
Any time the filename conversion logical is defined and/or changed, or the
MSAF$FILE_TYPES.DAT file is changed, all file servers in Pathworks should be
stopped and restarted for the changes to take effect.
To stop and restart the file server, as SYSTEM type:
" ADMIN/MSA FILE_SERVER STOP
ADMIN/MSA FILE_SERVER START" (without the quotation marks)
Default Permissions Not Correct for the User (Problem 4)
--------------------------------------------------------
The Macintosh is able to read MS-DOS files, but the PC cannot read Macintosh
files. This is NOT a Macintosh file problem but a Pathworks permissions problem.
Use the Pathworks Administrator's Guide to grant all users of the postoffice
share full Read Write permissions to all levels of the postoffice directory
structure and all files within the directories.
After all these steps have been accomplished and verified, copy the postoffice
directories back to the Pathworks server, and verify the Macintosh can correctly
view the directories, files, MASTER.GLB, and can write files the PC can read.
Then run the Macintosh client and connect to the postoffice.
If problems still occur, delete the database and do all the steps above again,
but instead of restarting the file server, reboot the Pathworks server by typing
as SYSTEM:
"REBOOT" (without the quotation marks)
Then reinstall the postoffice directories and files.
Additional query words: 3.00 3.20
======================================================================
Keywords :
Technology : kbMailSearch kbZNotKeyword3
Version : WINDOWS:3.0,3.2
=============================================================================
THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1986-2002.