This is a collection of answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Pragma Systems Inc. Pragma TelnetServer for Windows. Please check here before sending email or calling Pragma Systems in regards to problems with the TelnetServer product.
Thank you,
Pragma Systems, Inc.
A. Limitations of the Pragma TelnetServer evaluation
B. How Pragma TelnetServer works and interacts with Windows
D. Installation Problems with Pragma TelnetServer
E. MS Proxy 2.0 and Pragma TelnetServer
Keyboard and Mouse
Logging In
Windows Association
Does
Pragma TelnetServer use the Windows
User Database or have it's own?
Could
you tell me the limitations, if any, to run Pragma TelnetServer on Windows?
Pragma
TelnetServer doesn't seem to have the same path as Windows.
Can I run Pragma TelnetServer on a Windows Workstation instead of Server?
Command Line Operations
Display
I
wish to be able to scroll my screen back using a buffer and view my
previous commands.
Why
don’t I see the 24th line in the output when I am running a DOS
program within a telnet session?
My
terminal only supports 24 lines, this causes the last line not to
display correctly.
Hardware
I
wish to have each telnet user's home directory mapped to a network
drive, however, when a user is set to use a networked drive, that
drive is not available to other users.
We
would like to find out the availability/possibility of your product
supporting either HPTERM or XTERM emulation.
InetD Service
Running other applications from TelnetServer
How
can I execute a graphical program on the Pragma TelnetServer without
hanging the process?
I
have some programs that run okay in a local DOS Window, however when
I run them in a Pragma TelnetServer session, the window is not updating.
Known
applications that need our wrapper technology because of the above issue:
Where
can I get Emacs for Windows that works in a telnet session?
NTVDM
How do I make Pragma TelnetServer stop any ntvdm.exe process when a Pragma TelnetServer session ends?
Printing
Other Issues
Does
Pragma TelnetServer support telnet binary data transfer mode?
I can only get a small number of sessions connected, then I start getting errors.
A. Limitations of the Pragma TelnetServer evaluation
The free evaluation copy of Pragma TelnetServer will timeout 14 days from when it is installed. The greeting message and copyright messages cannot be changed. Other than that, there is no difference.
B. How Pragma TelnetServer works and interacts with Windows
Pragma TelnetServer is a standard UNIX TelnetServer ported to Windows. Telnet does not support graphical programs that use Windows, it will run any program that will run in your Windows DOS Window. It runs on top of Server or Workstation and allows access to those machines from any telnet client and protects the Windows system by using the internal security mechanisms. To learn more about the Telnet specification, see the RFC 854 document. With Pragma TelnetServer, you receive our fully functional InetD product. InetD is another program we brought over from the UNIX world. It allows us to run programs only when they are really needed. InetD runs as a Service and watches TCP/IP ports for which it is configured. Using InetD allows us to use less memory and processor time while awaiting a TCP/IP connection. When a telnet client attempts a connection to your NT System, it uses a TCP/IP Port. InetD is configured to watch this port and start the TelnetServer application at that time. At that point, the user is questioned for his/her login information. The login information consists of a User ID, Password and optional Domain. Pragma TelnetServer then takes this information and asks the NT System if this user is okay or not. If the user fails the authentication, he/she is notified and is given a configurable number of retries before being disconnected. If the user passes authentication, the user is logged onto the system just as if they were sitting at the computer.
Pragma TelnetServer will run on any system able to run Windows. Therefore, all you need is the minimum requirements set by Microsoft. As for how many users can telnet to a machine at the same time and performance not be degraded, we say that you need about 2MB per user above the minimum needed for Windows. Here's a guideline to follow for connecting 100 telnet sessions:
2 GHz processor
1 GHz RAM
NOTE: The above recommendation is for telnet sessions running cmd.exe ONLY. Additional resources will be needed as the number of sessions increase, or for sessions that will be running additional processes. Four megabytes of RAM should be added for each telnet session.
D. Installation Problems with Pragma TelnetServer
If you are installating Pragma TelnetServer on Windows NT 4.0, please do the following:
You need to download the Active Directory Client Extension Pack. Download Active Directory Extension Pack by clicking here. To read more about Active Directory Extension, click here.
If you are running a version of Windows NT 4.0 that does not include Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher, then you will run into a SHLWAPI.dll error. Please install Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher to solve this problem.
If you experience problems with the install, these are a few things
to look into.
1.) If the install stops running at any point. Exit any program that might be running and try again.
Known programs that might interfere with the installation of Pragma TelnetServer:
Microsoft Exchange Server
Microsoft SQL server
Virus Detection software
Backup software
2. ) If installing from the setup created by a self-extracting file, and a missing file error occurs, remove all temporary files, and run the self-extracting again. If it continues to miss the file, download a new self-extracting file.
3.) If installation occurs due to the InetD Service failing to start, check the Event Log for an InetD error describing the failure.
Answer:
Answer 1) You can use our Console Telnet Client which allows you to use the Alt key just as you normally would, by mapping the ALT key to the same value as the server. See the telnetc.txt file for help on mapping the ALT key for the client. The default value is CTRL-A.
Answer 2) You can re-mapped the Alt key to to any key desired for each user, using the TelnetServer User Configuration. The default value is CTRL-A.
Answer: Yes. Using our Console Telnet Client with the WindowsTerm emulation,. mouse support is available through the telnet session.
Answer: Yes, if you use our Telnet Client, shipped in the Pragma Toolkit product, all of the keyboard keys work. However, if you use another client, make sure that it supports VT420 or allows you to define what it sends for the keyboard.
Answer: For mouse support, both the client and the server need to be in "WindowsTerm" mode. To do this, follow these instructions:
1. To set the client side, you need to set your term environment variable to WindowsTerm in your local machine first and then run our telnet client. You can change the environment variable from Control Panel.
Go to the User Environment settings. This is in different areas, base on the operating system. Check your documentation for location.
Choose or Add "Term";
Change value to WindowsTerm;
Click on "Set" & "Apply";
Begin telnet session in new DOS prompt window
Or you can locally set the variable from a DOS prompt. Type the following at the command prompt:
set term=WindowsTerm
Begin telnet session in same DOS prompt window
Answer: Make sure that all users you wish to telnet into the system have "Log on Locally" access permissions.
Answer: You must set the access rights in your User Administrator for those users to have "Log on Locally" access to the computer. If they have "Log on Locally" access right set, you need to make sure that the user has correct access to the directory that Pragma TelnetServer is installed.
Answer: One answer is to add the hostnames to your hosts file supplied with NT. This file can be found in the %SystemRoot%\system32\drivers\etc directory.
Another possibility is network performance. Use NT diagnostic tools to check the network performance between the SecureShell machine and the authenticating machine.
Also, entering a specific domain at the domain prompt will increase login time.
Or you might need to upgrade your Pragma TelnetServer, if you are using a version prior to 4.0. You can obtain the update from our secured site. Contact Pragma if your update period has expired.
Answer: You can assign a log on batch file for users using one of the following methods. Select only one choice. Errors could occur if the batch file is assigned in multiple locations.
Option 1) Setup the batch file using Windows User Management program.
Option 2) Enter your batch file in the Startup Program edit box under the Full Console Settings or Stream Settings tab, depending on the console mode. The location of this box depends on the version of TelnetServer. Check your index for these box locations. If cmd.exe or command.com is the User Shell then add a /K or /C after the program name in the User Shell edit box. A /K will return to the command prompt after running the batch file, whereas a /C will close the session after completion.
Answer: At least Service Pack 1 is required for users to be prompted to change their password at a telnet logon.
Answer: This is normally caused by a failure to run the command shell. Check the Application Event Log for an error launching the user shell program. If there is none, then check security access to all necessary items to run the user shell, including directories and mapped drives.
Answer: Beginning with Version 6.0, the Character Map prompt is only displayed when an unknown terminal type is used, or if the server administrator requests it. If you need to assign a character map enter the value in the Default Character Map exactly as it appears in the prompt. For example, enter [vtxxx] for our default option.
Answer: Pragma TelnetServer uses the Windows User Database and API for user authentication.
Answer: Limitations are those imposed on the User's access rights and what you can do in a console window. Also, you are limited by the file system to only having one set of drive letters for the entire system. This causes an error when 2 users try to map the same drive letter.
Answer: Starting with TelnetD 4.0 this is no longer true. User profiles are now loaded when the user logs on, and all environment variables are set.
Can I run Pragma TelnetServer on a Windows Workstation instead of Server or 2000 Professional instead of Server?
Answer: Yes, we are not limited to running on a Windows Server. However, you are limited to the number of socket connections used on Windows Workstation, this is a Microsoft limitation. Although this is not enforced by Microsoft.
Answer: Yes, you can accomplish this by using the Windows NT NET.EXE command line application. The Help for the command is:
NET USER [username [password | ] [options]] [/DOMAIN]
username {password | } /ADD [options] [/DOMAIN]
username [/DELETE] [/DOMAIN]
The NET command has many important functions that can be helpful at the command line. Microsoft Resource Kits and Server Support Kits contain many other useful command line tools.
Answer: Yes, we ship a command line version of the Pragma Session Manager, called TELMC.EXE.
Answer: We have a utility in our Pragma Toolkit software package that will enable you to change your password from the command line.
Answer: To do this, you must run our server in Stream Mode. When you log in, you may be giving a choice to run in Full Console Mode, answer NO to this question. If you are not asked this at login time, go to TelnetServer Configuration Program and turn on the option to ask for Console Mode. It is important to understand that a screen buffer is a feature of the telnet client and not the server
Answer: The reason you are not seeing colors is probably because your telnet client does not support colors. We know for sure that the telnet client that comes with Windows does not support colors. If you are looking for a telnet client that does support colors and much much more, try our 32-bit Console Telnet Client for Windows 95/NT or our GUI Pragma TelnetClient, which will run on any platform.
Why don’t I see the 24th line in the output when I am running a DOS program within a telnet session?
Answer: If the telnet client you are using communicates the telnet terminal window size larger than 80*24, Pragma TelnetServer will support that window size. if no window size is communicated by the client, then default window size is 80*24 lines. PC programs are typically written to output 80*25 lines. So we can show one fewer line and the 24th line is hidden. If you scroll down with arrow key you can seen the 24th and 25th line. Our Pragma Console Telnet Client supports window size of 80*25 or higher. It is better to use our client or any other client that supports NAWS ( Negotiate about window size).
The TelnetServer is given the size from client side. This is documented in RFC 854 document, the Telnet specification. The server sends a command, DO NAWS and the client should respond DO NAWS [WINDOW SIZE] END. This will let the TelnetServer know just how large the terminal window is.
Answer: Because DOS programs support a minimum of 25 lines, we have re-mapped the last 25th line to the 24th line. This enables the last line to be seen, which in most cases is very important. We do not recommend using a client that does not support at least 25 lines.
Answer: Under the User Full Console Settings tab, turn on the User Monochrome option and set the Default Background color to any value other than Black.
I wish to have each telnet user's home directory mapped to a network drive, however, when a user is set to use a networked drive, that drive is not available to other users?
Answer: Yes, this is due to the fact that Windows is not a multi-user operating system and is limited to the drive letters A - Z. We are hoping that future versions of Windows will have support for such usage. We are looking for a solution to this problem.
We would like to find out the availability/possibility of your product supporting either HPTERM or XTERM emulation.
Answer: We currently support VT100 to VT420, WYSE 50, IBM 3151, ANSI and our own proprietary WIndowsTerm. We find that these fit all telnet clients, however, if you have a special terminal you wish us to add, please contact us and we can try to work something out.
Answer: In order to use NetWare drives without them disconnecting after you exit from a telnet session, you must install "Gateway (and Client) Services for NetWare". You can do this from "Control Panel" - "Network" - "Services" tab and select the "Add" button. A list of services will appear and you should select and install the "Gateway (and Client) Services for NetWare". You will then be able to share NetWare drives as if they were Microsoft NT drives. Refer to your Windows NT Server documentation for more information.
Answer: This is a known problem with the NetWare security provider and our server. One solution is to logon to the telnet session as the same user who mapped the NetWare drive.
Another solution is to have the NetWare drives mapped from within the telnet session, which can be done easily with a login script.
Another solution is to install the Novell Client for NT on the TelnetServer machine, drives mapped outside of telnet sessions are available to all privileged users. This has been tested with Version 4.3 of the Novell Client, which can be downloaded from www.novell.com.
Answer: This is a very simple task. All you must do is use our socket instead of STDIN and STDOUT. So, you can use the following code snippet to get the socket handle and allow your program to read and write to the socket just as if it were in a regular console.
char *pSock;
int hOutput = 0, hInput = 0;
if ( (pSock = getenv("PRAGMASYS_INETD_SOCK")) != NULL )
{
/* code for in telnet session */
hOutput = hInput = atoi( pSock );
// From here you can use Windows NT ReadFile and WriteFile
// for input and output
}
else
{
/* code for not in telnet session */
}
Answer 1: From the InetD Configuration tab.
Answer 2: From the Windows "Services" Program
Answer 3:From a Command Prompt, using the NET command
Answer: Although Pragma TelnetServer does not allow for the client to view graphical programs run on the server. You can start a graphical program from the telnet client, using the guistart.exe program shipped with TelnetServer.
I have some programs that run okay in a local DOS Window, however when I run them in a telnet session, the window is not updating.
Answer: We have developed a technology to fix this problem and it shipped with Pragma TelnetServer 4.0 and later.
Reason: Some programs that are compiled for Windows NT and run in a console window use the Win32 Console API functions that switch the active screen buffer being used. Not only does Pragma TelnetServer have no way of knowing that these functions are being used and that the screen buffer has been changed, but because of process boundaries set by NT, the TelnetServer process has no access to these screen buffers.
Answer: If your looking for a port of Emacs that works with our TelnetServer, go to University of Washington Windows port of Emacs. You will need to get at least version 19.34.2, it has been modified for our TelnetServer.
Answer: Two environment variables need to be set for the DB2 Command Line processor to work within a Telnet session, DB2RQTIME and DB2CLP.
DB2RQTIME: This is a timeout variable used by DB2, it represents milli-seconds so it will be very large.
DB2CLP: This is an internal value set per session, it is unique to each session. See you DB2 help for more information on setting this variable.
We recommend that you use a shell initializer on the server to set these values at the start of you Telnet session.
Answer: On NT 4.0 or higher, increasing the Idle Sensitivity will decrease the CPU usage of a 16-bit process. The Idle Sensitivity can be set under the properties of the 16-bit executable Misc tab.
Answer: When a 16 bit application is run within a telnet session, a ntvdm.exe is started and may not be killed when the user exits out of the telnet session. In order to make TelnetServer stop any ntvdm.exe process you need to have the "Monitor Child Processes" option On.
If you have a program that requires that the "Monitor Child Processes" feature be Off, you may use the Graceful Termination feature. Go to the Config TelnetD Users and Access Groups icon, Graceful Termination tab, and setup the exit keys.
Answer: In order for printing to work, users that wish to print must have Change access to the SpoolDir.
Take a look at the documentation on Printing Monitoring. It has a step-by-step setup and troubleshooting tips.
Answer: Yes, shipped with Pragma TelnetServer are the programs rz and sz, which can be used with Pragma's Console Telnet Client to transfer files using the ZModem protocol. So it is possible to transfer files in a telnet session without going to FTP or something else.
Answer: Pragma TelnetServer supports the user settings in Windows, including home directory and logon script. You may also set up a home directory for each user for telnet only, by setting the Home Directory on the Users General Setting tab.
Answer: We use Windows NT time and date functions, and we have no real date requirements so we are "Year 2000 Compliant".
Answer: Resources may limit the number of sessions. If a large number of sessions are active, and users begin to experience process issues or are unable to logon, check the Win32 system setup. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\SubSystems\Windows registry value. There is a substring value of SharedSection. For best results this value should be SharedSection=1024,3072,512. After changing the value, reboot the system.
If the problem persist change the SharedSection value to 1024,3072,1024, then reboot. This setting is system dependent, so some systems have better results with 512, while some perform better with 1024.
NT has a system limitation of 48 MB of memory for non-interactive services, such as telnet sessions. Most systems will begin to see errors eventually, usually around 100 sessions. To get a larger number of sessions, the "Allow service to interact with Desktop" checkbox should be turned on for the InetD service. The side effect is a small flash will occur on the server each time a telnet session is connected.
Answer: Another application with a Layered Service Provider might be conflicting with the Pragma Server. Uninstall the other application and re-boot.
Other applications known to cause a conflict:
McAfee VirusScan 7.0
Diamond Port Monitor