On Sat, 27 Jun 2026 03:06:04 +0200
Arnt Karlsen <arnt@???> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> ..I've played way too long today with search engine AI playing dumb by
> insisting on pushing the amusing anti-GPL idea that "Scottish Novell
> Netware consultants did not have access to Linux source code", which
> may (or not) warrant this thread...
>
I don't know rabbit hole you are following, but from my buggy memory,
NOVELL provided PC ethernet networking before Micosoft and IBM. It was
called Peer to Peer and rather buggy requiring a number of reboots each
day.

This was followed by the time of three (802.?) stacks(Novell, then IBM
and finally Microsoft) and then four as TCP/IP came along for MS Dos.

IBM OS/2 had no problems handling the multiple stacks. but with MS Dos
if you wanted to cover the sub-range you had multiple BAT files. The
Novell stack was always more stable than the MS stack.


The copy of Netware 3 that I scounged for home use relied on a MS Dos start

As I remember it, Linus posted his "I have a 386 kernel" some time after that.

So it would have been the other way around the Linux contributors
most likely knew of and used Novell and Netware.

Other info,there was a version of Netware that used OS/2 as its base
and at some stage you could buy a book containing a CD with a two client
Netware server.

Novell had professional certification before Microsoft and Redhat.

FWIR, Caldera Lunux (1997-2000) tried to copy/emulate Netware on Linux.


Personal 2c, having used Novell Wordperfect on Dos, I can never stomach
any of the various *Offices on Linux and was highly motivated to skill
up in Tex/LaTeX.

terryc