CydandClaude Fable 5
5b44ede702
Console 4.10 (PowerPC PEF/CodeWarrior) + Console.ini extracted from the .sit. Console.ini answers the open protocol question: the console<->pod TCP port is 1501. Full cockpit endpoint roster recorded; our emulated pod 200.0.0.113 is the cockpit Puck. The real 6100 does not boot but is no longer needed -- run Console 4.10 under SheepShaver. Only remaining protocol unknown is the on-stream message framing. Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
212 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
212 lines
11 KiB
Markdown
# Networking subsystem — recon & bring-up plan
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Goal: bring the pod network up under the emulator so a pod boots the
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production way (`netnub -f BTL4OPT`, mission egg delivered **over the
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wire**) instead of the `-egg test.egg` dev bypass. This is also the
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substrate the ops-console port will plug into.
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## What the pod network actually is (recon 2026-07-04)
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The stack, bottom to top:
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1. **Ethernet NIC + Novell ODI** (AUTOEXEC.BAT): `lsl` (Link Support
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Layer) → `lnepci` (Lance/PCnet PCI ODI driver) → **`odipkt`** (Dan
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Lanciani's ODI→Packet-Driver shim). The ODI/Netware login side
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(IPXODI/VLM/NET LOGIN in STARTNET.BAT) is for file-server access; the
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game itself only needs the **packet-driver interface** odipkt exposes.
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`NET.CFG`: LNEPCI, FRAME Ethernet_II + 802.2.
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2. **WATTCP** — the TCP/IP stack. Confirmed by `WATTCP.CFG` in
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`REL410/BT`, `REL410/RP`, and per-pod `VGL_LABS/THISPOD`:
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```
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my_ip = 200.0.0.113 netmask = 255.255.255.0
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gateway = 200.0.0.1 nameserver = 200.0.0.1
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```
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So each pod is a static host on an isolated **200.0.0.0/24** LAN; the
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ops console is almost certainly **200.0.0.1**.
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3. **NetNub** (`netnub.exe`, real-mode) — launches the game as a child
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(`netnub -f BTL4OPT`) and is the network server for the
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protected-mode game. Interface (`NetNub/NETNUB.HPP`): a shared `Netcom`
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struct (version 11, 64KB buffer) + a software interrupt. The game sets
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a Function code (TCP_OPEN=3, TCP_LISTEN=4, TCP_CLOSE=5,
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RESOLVE_ADDRESS=6, CHECK_SOCKET=7, UDP_*, plus remote file
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OPEN/READ/WRITE/SEEK/CLOSE 12-19), copies the marked fields to real
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mode, INTs, copies back. `tcp_Socket` is ~4300 bytes = classic WATTCP.
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4. **L4NetworkManager** (`L4NET.HPP/.TCP`) — the game's net brick. The
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**console is master and connects to the pods**; the pod receives
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`ReceiveEggFileMessage` (the mission egg), replies
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`AcknowledgeEggFileMessage` ("connected, ready, send the next host"),
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and tracks `HostConnected/HostDisconnected`. If the console drops, the
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pod is built to auto-start anyway.
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Topology to replicate:
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```
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[ops console 200.0.0.1] --TCP--> [pod 200.0.0.113] (+ more pods .114..)
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(master, egg source) (listens, ACKs, runs mission)
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```
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## Emulator enablers (already in the fork)
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- **NE2000** ISA NIC emulated (`hardware/ne2000.cpp`, Bochs-derived);
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config `[ne2000] ne2000=true, nicbase=, nicirq=, macaddr=, backend=`.
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- **Two Ethernet backends** built: `misc/ethernet_pcap.cpp` (bridge to a
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host NIC via npcap) and `misc/ethernet_slirp.cpp` (user-mode virtual
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net / NAT). Plus `ethernet_nothing`.
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Key simplification: the emulated card is an **NE2000, not a PCI Lance**, so
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`lnepci` won't bind. We don't need the Novell ODI chain at all — WATTCP
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finds a packet driver by scanning INT 0x60-0x80 for the `PKT DRVR`
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signature, so we load a generic **NE2000 packet driver** (Crynwr
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`NE2000.COM`) directly against the emulated card's base/IRQ. That drops
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lsl/lnepci/odipkt/VLM entirely and hands NetNub/WATTCP the packet
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interface they expect.
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## Bring-up plan
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**Backend choice.** Two viable paths:
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- *pcap + host-only adapter (recommended, matches real topology):* bridge
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the NE2000 to a host virtual switch; run the pod at 200.0.0.113 and the
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stand-in console at 200.0.0.1 on that segment. WATTCP's static IP + LAN
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assumptions hold exactly; the console connects inbound to the pod with
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no NAT. Cost: npcap + a host-only/loopback adapter + admin.
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- *slirp (fallback, self-contained):* no host NIC/admin, but it's NAT and
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defaults to 10.0.2.0/24 — the pod LISTENS, so inbound needs slirp
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host-forwarding and a guest-network/IP reconciliation with WATTCP's
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hard-coded 200.0.0.113. Investigate whether DOSBox-X slirp allows the
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custom net + static guest IP + inbound forward cleanly.
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**Milestones**
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1. **NIC up**: `[ne2000]` on, NE2000.COM packet driver loaded, WATTCP/
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NetNub start clean; pod boots via `netnub -f BTL4OPT` (no `-egg`) and
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sits waiting for the console. Verify NetNub reports net address
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200.0.0.113 and a TCP_LISTEN is queued. (New scratch conf, mirror the
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RIO/sound conf pattern.)
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2. **L3/L4 reachability**: from the host segment, confirm the pod answers
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ARP/ping at 200.0.0.113 and a raw TCP connect to its listen port
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completes (proves NE2000↔backend↔host path end-to-end).
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3. **Decode the console→pod egg protocol**: `NetworkPacketHeader` +
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message framing from `network.hpp`/`hostmgr.hpp` + the
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ReceiveEggFileMessage layout, cross-checked with a live capture of the
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pod's listen/ACK. (Pin the listen port here — not yet found in source;
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grep NETNUB.EXE strings / capture.)
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4. **Eggs over the wire**: a minimal host-side **stand-in console**
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(Python) connects to the pod, pushes a mission egg, handles the ACK →
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pod runs the mission with no `-egg` bypass. **This is the headline
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goal.**
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5. *(later, joins the console-port workstream):* replace the stand-in
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with the ported/emulated Mac ops console; multi-pod coordination
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(HostConnected/Disconnected, mission review, camera ship).
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## Milestone 1 — DONE (2026-07-04): pod boots on the network path
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Verified end to end under DOSBox-X (slirp backend), no `-egg` bypass:
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- `[ne2000] ne2000=true, nicbase=300, nicirq=3, backend=slirp` → NE2000
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emulated at Base=0x300 irq=3; slirp 4.9.1 initialized.
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- **The Novell ODI chain works against the emulated NE2000**, no external
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packet driver needed: `lsl` → `ne2000` (Novell/Eagle NE2000 MLID v1.53,
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from NWCLIENT) → `odipkt` (FTP Software ODI packet driver). ODIPKT
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installed at **SINT 0x60**, MLID NE2000, MAC CE:3D:72:67:38:69, frames
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Ethernet_II (board 1) + 802.2 (board 2).
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- GOTCHA: the ODI tools read `NET.CFG` from the directory the `.COM` loads
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*from*, and the stock `NWCLIENT\NET.CFG` says `Link Driver LNEPCI` — with
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no NE2000 section the MLID defaults to 802.2-only and odipkt fails
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("An MLID could not be found"). Fix without touching ALPHA_1: keep an
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emulator `NET.CFG` (`Link Driver NE2000` + `FRAME Ethernet_II`) beside
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copies of lsl/ne2000/odipkt on a scratch drive and load from there.
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- `netnub -f btl4opt` (no egg) launches the game as `btl4opt -net 250224`,
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sets up the game↔netnub channel at **INT 0x61** (separate from odipkt's
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0x60), initializes the network manager ("Changing blocking from 0 to 1"),
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and the game boots through the VPX handshake to an open (blank) render
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window — **waiting for a console to deliver a mission egg.**
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Working scratch files: `scratchpad/net_stageB.conf`,
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`scratchpad/net/{NET.CFG,LSL.COM,NE2000.COM,ODIPKT.COM}`. Launch env:
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VPXLOG + VPX_RESPOND=1 + VPX_RENDER=1 (VPX board must answer or the game
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exits before networking).
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## Console side: a Mac emulator stands in for the ops console (user, 2026-07-04)
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The user is building a **Mac emulator running the real 410console** as the
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console peer (instead of a from-scratch Python stand-in). This merges the
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networking and console-port workstreams: the real console software will
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connect to the pod and push eggs. Implication for topology — two separate
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emulators (DOSBox pod + Mac console) must share an L2 segment, which slirp
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(NAT, per-process isolation) cannot bridge. **Plan: move the pod's NE2000
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to `backend=pcap` on a host-only/loopback adapter; bridge the Mac emulator
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to the same adapter; pod=200.0.0.113, console=200.0.0.1 on 200.0.0.0/24.**
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Then milestone 3 (protocol) can be captured live from the real console
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traffic rather than reverse-engineered blind.
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## Console emulator = SheepShaver (2026-07-04)
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The real ops console is a **Power Macintosh 6100/66** (PowerPC 601) →
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emulate with **SheepShaver** (PPC Mac, Mac OS 7.5.2–9.0.4). Basilisk II
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(68k) is out. GOTCHA: the 6100's OWN ROM does NOT work in SheepShaver
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("Unsupported ROM type" — SheepShaver emulates a PCI 9500; the 6100 is
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NuBus). Use a compatible old-world PPC ROM instead (7100/66, 7500, 7600,
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or 8500) — PPC apps are Toolbox/OS-based, not ROM-specific, so the
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410console app runs regardless. Target Mac OS 7.5.5–7.6.1 (console era).
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Networking: SheepShaver TAP ↔ DOSBox-X NE2000 pcap, both bridged to a
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host adapter on 200.0.0.0/24 (console .1, pod .113).
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**Leverage the real 6100 (user has it):** (1) image its hard drive → get
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the exact console software + OS + MacTCP/OpenTransport config → drop into
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SheepShaver for a faithful reproducible console; (2) fastest path to a
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first egg + LIVE protocol capture = put the real 6100 on a physical
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Ethernet with the pcap-bridged pod (needs an AAUI→RJ45 transceiver) and
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capture the console→pod egg exchange off the wire (hands us milestone 3).
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Sequence: real 6100 first (seeds image + capture) → SheepShaver as the
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archival console built from that image.
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## Console software EXTRACTED + protocol port FOUND (2026-07-04)
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The user unstuffed `410consoleArchive.sit` (via infinitemac.org) to
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`4_10extractedConsole/`. Contents: **`Console 4.10`** (the app), per-site
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config, fonts, logs. This means the dead 6100 is NOT a blocker — we have
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the console software directly; run it in SheepShaver (no disk image
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needed; fresh Mac OS 7.6.1/8.1 + MacTCP set to 200.0.0.1).
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- **App is PowerPC** — data fork magic `Joy!peffpwpc` (PEF/PowerPC),
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Metrowerks CodeWarrior 1993-95; 3.4MB resource fork. Confirms
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SheepShaver (needs standard shared libs: InterfaceLib/MathLib, present
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in any 7.5+ install).
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- **`Console.ini`** is the master config: `[NetworkEndpoint::Cockpit::*]`
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sections define every pod. **THE TCP PORT IS 1501** (`defaultPort` /
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`localHostPort`) — this answers the milestone-3 "listen port unknown"
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question. Console connects to each pod IP:1501; pod LISTENS on 1501.
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Cockpit endpoint roster (base Console.ini) — our emulated pod = **"Puck"
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200.0.0.113**:
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| cockpit | IP | hostType |
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|---|---|---|
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| Frequent Flyer | 200.0.0.11 (sic) | 0 |
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| Privateer | 200.0.0.112 | 0 |
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| **Puck** | **200.0.0.113** | 0 |
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| Carpe Diem | 200.0.0.114 | 0 |
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| Man O' War | 200.0.0.115 | 0 |
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| Divine Wind | 200.0.0.116 | 0 |
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| Icarus | 200.0.0.117 | 0 |
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| Gypsy | 200.0.0.118 | 0 |
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| Alpha Mission Review | 200.0.0.119 | 2 |
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| Alpha Camera | 200.0.0.120 | 2 |
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hostType 0 = playable cockpit, 2 = special (mission-review / camera ship).
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`ini Folder/` holds real per-venue configs (DBAtlanta/Chicago/Houston/
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Toronto/LaZerPark/... — the actual VWE centers), same .11x/1501 scheme.
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Revised topology: SheepShaver console @200.0.0.1 → TCP 200.0.0.113:1501 →
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pod "Puck". Remaining protocol unknown is just the on-stream message
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framing (NetworkPacketHeader + ReceiveEggFileMessage) — capture it once
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the console connects, or read it from network.hpp.
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## Open questions / notes
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- Exact TCP listen port(s) — not in the source grep; get from NETNUB.EXE
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or a capture at milestone 3.
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- Does WATTCP need a real ARP peer for the gateway at boot, or does it
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proceed with a static IP and only ARP on connect? Affects whether the
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stand-in console must answer ARP for 200.0.0.1.
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- `NETCLIENT=PNW` (PARAMETR.bat) selects Personal NetWare — file-server
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side, not the game's TCP path; likely irrelevant to egg delivery and
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can stay unloaded under emulation.
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- RP uses the identical MUNGA net brick + its own WATTCP.CFG — everything
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here carries over to Red Planet.
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