Arachne web browser. Installing and setting up for internet connection via Ethernet
Option 1 - Installing on a disk created in RAM
Installing Arachne web browser on a disk created in RAM - Arachne runs the fastest this way. RAM size should allow for a RAM disk of 6 MB or more.
In order to install and set up Arachne web browser for internet connection via Ethernet, there have to be several programs at hand:
- Arachne web browser [ Download ]
- If Arachne web browser is to be used for surfing web pages with character encoding other than Latin for West European languages, visit www.glennmcc.org/apm/ to find available character set packages and download the necessary one.
- Mouse driver, mouse.com for instance [ Download ]
- Packet driver for Ethernet network card:
- Microsoft Network Client 3.0 [ Download ]
- NDIS 2.0 driver for Ethernet network card. For example: Realtek RTL8029AS [ Download ]. Drivers for other network cards may be found, for instance, on web sites of Ethernet cards manufacturers.
- Archivers. For example, PKZIP [ Download ] and PKUNZIP [ Download ]
- If it is not MS-DOS 6.0+ to be used, QEMM97 [ Download ]
- If it is not MS-DOS 6.0+ to be used, TDSK [ Download ]
Setup and installation
1. Create a RAM disk. Which drive letter will be assigned to it comes from the assumption that A: and B: go to floppy drives (even if there is only one, both letters will be reserved anyway), C: goes to the first active primary MS-DOS partition on the first physical hard disk. If there are more disks, then there will be as many letters used consecutively as to name them all. Unless there are no devices installed using DRIVER.SYS or similar drivers, the next drive letter will be assigned to the RAM disk. In order to be sure, after having the relevant string for making RAM disk added to CONFIG.SYS (See below), computer could be restarted and what letter is assigned to the RAM disk is checked by experiment. In this case, it is E:
Depending on RAM size it needs to be decided how many megabytes can be reserved for RAM disk. Basically, the more the better. Since, for instance, web browser cache is going to swell during prolonged and intensive use within a session. In this example the RAM disk is 12 000 KB. The maximum size for RAMDRIVE.SYS MS-DOS driver is 32 767 KB, the one of TDSK - 64 MB.
In order to create such a disk, the string has to be added somewhere in the middle of CONFIG.SYS as follows:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 12000 512 512 /E
2. Create a folder, for example C:\DRIVERS\. Put there: a mouse driver, for instance mouse.com, a packet driver for Ethernet network card and a NDIS 2.0 driver for Ethernet network card.
3. Add a string starting mouse driver to AUTOEXEC.BAT. Specify there the full path to the driver, may be any:
LH C:\DRIVERS\MOUSE.COM
4. Prepare installation floppies of Microsoft Network Client 3.0:
DSK3-1.EXE -d A:
DSK3-2.EXE -d A:
5. Start setup.exe from the first floppy and begin Microsoft Network Client 3.0 installation:
Installation is starting. Press Enter to continue
Select folder for Microsoft Network Client 3.0 to be installed to. It may be any or the suggestion of the installer may be left as it is - in the case discussed it is left as it is. Enter
Microsoft Network Client 3.0 installer examining the system files
Select driver for Ethernet network card. If there is no right driver on the list, choose "*Network adapter not shown on list below ..." Enter
This dialogue appears if there was no right driver on the proposed list of Ethernet network card drivers and "*Network adapter not shown on list below ..." has been selected. Specify the path to the folder containing the appropriate driver for the Ethernet network card. In the case discussed it is C:\DRIVERS\, typing it in. Enter
Select driver from C:\DRIVERS\ folder specified in the previous step. In the case discussed it is RTL8029AS PCI Ethernet Adapter. Enter
Choose to let or not to let Microsoft Network Client 3.0 use more RAM in its work to get the best performance. Any of the two choices is acceptable. For example - let it to. Enter
Enter user name of up to 20 characters. It can contain Latin letters, numbers and characters listed. In the case discussed it is "arachne". Enter
Confirm the selected settings are correct to start copying the files to the folder Microsoft Network Client 3.0 is be installed in. It may be chosen here to change some or all settings and repeat some steps described above or to confirm the selected settings are correct. In the case discussed the selected settings are confirmed, so no changes made and just - Enter
Microsoft Network Client 3.0 files are being copied to the folder Microsoft Network Client 3.0 is to be installed in
Microsoft Network Client 3.0 is installed in C:\NET\ folder. In order to begin to use Microsoft Network Client 3.0, press Enter and computer will restart
6. After computer restart, Microsoft Network Client 3.0 will prompt for a name or to press Enter to proceed with the name selected during the installation process. In the case discussed it is "arachne", no new names are entered - Enter. Next, password prompt; since there is no password created, just press Enter. After that a password may be created or not. If not - just Enter.
7. Run MemMaker or OPTIMIZE from QEMM97 to optimize base memory management. If it is MemMaker then press Enter at any suggestion - MemMaker will handle it itself. Computer is going to restart several times, each time MemMaker will be re-running - again nothing, just Enter, is a safe choice. If it is QEMM97 (specifically OPTIMIZE), then there is going to be several restarts too and each time just pressing Enter is OK.
8. Start packet driver (in the case discussed it is Realtek RTL8029AS - PCIPKT.COM):
C:\DRIVERS\PCIPKT.COM 0x60
9. Start installation of Arachne web browser on RAM disk. In the case discussed it is E:
A195GPL.EXE
Press Y to continue
Press N to specify the path to the folder Arachne web browser is to be installed in
Specify the path to the folder Arachne web browser is to be installed in. In the case discussed it is E:\ARACHNE\. Enter
Copying files to the folder
The beginning of Arachne web browser setting up. Select settings corresponding to the characteristics of the computer Arachne web browser in being installed on. Arachne setup wizard usually adequately determines video adapter type, so, at least during the first installation experience the selection may be confined to choosing desirable screen resolution and color depth. In the case discussed the maximum "1024x768 2 MB HiColor" is selected. Then click "Try selected graphics mode". If something is wrong, Arachne setup wizard will either have the process returned back to video settings selection or at worst the installation will be cancelled and can be run again. If video adapter can work with the settings selected, then the next dialogue will follow.
Select category corresponding to the type of computer used. Arachne setup wizard ordinarily adequately determines this category with respect to the web browser requirements, so the setup wizard's choice may be left as it is. Even if it is not obligatory. Arachne setup wizard selects the maximum level corresponding to the computer, therefore any other, corresponding to a simpler type of computer, category may be chosen. Click Next
Choose to create or not to create a quick start batch file for Arachne web browser and under what name. In the case discussed the setup wizard's suggestion is accepted: create quick start file for Arachne web browser under the name of A.BAT. Click Next
Summary of changes made and confirmation. Click Next
Select the maximum screen resolution Arachne web browser is going to run at. In the case discussed 1024x768 is selected. Click Next
Starting to set up Arachne web browser for internet connection via Ethernet. Select "Packet Wizard", click the icon over the caption
In order to make Arachne setup wizard detect running packet driver, click "Detect packer driver..."
If everything done in the previous steps is correct, Arachne setup wizard will detect running packet driver. Then click "Continue". If not, the errors have to be identified and fixed - Arachne web browser will not work without detected running packet driver
Configuring TCP/IP. Click "BOOTP or DHCP ..."
Setting up Arachne web browser for internet connection via Ethernet is done. Configuring of Arachne built-in e-mail client begins. Click "eMail setup Wizard"
Enter e-mail address, name and SMTP server name. Click "Configure incoming mail"
Enter POP3 server name, username, password. And select "Keep your incoming mail on POP3 server after downloading it". Due to Arachne requiring password to be typed in during setup process and kept unencrypted in configuration file, perhaps Arachne e-mail client should not be used for accessing user's main e-mail box. After filling up all the dialogue boxes click "Local settings, etc..."
Time zone, character encoding, etc. Just time zone settings and nothing else may be changed here this time. Then click "Ok, save"
The main part of Arachne web browser settings is done. Now some other characteristics of the browser can be tuned. For that, click "Preferences & performance"
Settings affecting the performance and appearance of Arachne web browser. For maximum speed while maintaining an acceptable quality, choose "Display HTML background images", "no virtual screens (fastest)" and deselect "Realtime smooth scrolling ("Netscape")". Then click "Ok, save"
In order to have the settings selected during the previous steps become effective, click "Use new settings !" The primary phase of installing and setting up Arachne web browser will be finished after that
10. If Arachne web browser is to be used for surfing web pages with character encoding other than Latin for West European languages, put a character set package downloaded from www.glennmcc.org/apm/ into C:\ARACHNE\DOWNLOAD.
11. Start Arachne:
E:\ARACHNE\A
12. If Arachne web browser is to be used for surfing web pages with character encoding other than Latin for West European languages, press U on keyboard, then click "Install Arachne Package" icon in the main area of the browser, then click the icon of the "download" directory, then click the icon of the package with the character set downloaded from www.glennmcc.org/apm/
13. Create ARACHNE folder with DOWNLOAD folder inside on disk C: Since Arachne web browser will be installed on RAM disk, which will be deleted and re-created after each computer restart, all the files of Arachne web browser on RAM disk are going to be disappearing. And that is not convenient in regard to some of them. These files can be transferred to disk C: They may be any files and folders of Arachne web browser or may be none. Here the DOWNLOAD is chosen. It is the folder Arachne web browser places downloaded files in.
14. Edit arachne.cfg, specify the path to the DOWNLOAD folder: DownloadPath C:\ARACHNE\DOWNLOAD\ and the path to cookies.lst: C:\ARACHNE\COOKIES.LST
15. Edit A.BAT to have it as follows:
@echo off
LH C:\SOFT\NET\PCIPKT.COM 0x60
COPY C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM E:
SET COMSPEC=E:\COMMAND.COM
E:
CD E:\ARACHNE
ARACHNE.BAT %1 %2 %3 %4
C:
SET COMSPEC=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM
16. Make an archive of all the E:\ARACHNE folder contents. For example, A.ZIP archive on disk C:
C:\PKZIP -PR C:\A.ZIP E:\ARACHNE\*.*
17. Edit AUTOEXEC.BAT system file. Somewhere in the middle of it, add:
MKDIR E:\TEMP
SET TEMP=E:\TEMP
SET ARACHNETEMP=E:\TEMP
MKDIR E:\ARACHNE
PKUNZIP -D C:\A.ZIP E:\ARACHNE
18. Restart computer. Arachne web browser is installed and configured for internet connection via Ethernet. The network is handled by Microsoft Network Client 3.0, so each time after computer restart Arachne web browser is connected to internet right away and ready for work. Every time system restarting, the configured web browser is placed on E: RAM disk and runs from it. Only cookies are put on hard disk and downloaded files are offered to.
If Arachne web browser settings have been changed, check if there has been something saved to E:\ARACHNE\DOWNLOAD\ folder or any other folder inside E:\ARACHNE\ folder. If there has been any - delete everything. Next, having Arachne web browser running, press F8 (clear cache), then close Arachne and repeat actions of item number 16.
Option 2 - Installing on hard disk
Installing and setting up Arachne web browser on hard disk - if RAM size is not sufficient for creating RAM disk of 6 MB and more.
In order to do that, the same list of programs as in case of installing Arachne web browser on RAM disk is required.
Setup and installation
1. Create a RAM disk. Which drive letter will be assigned to it comes from the assumption that A: and B: go to floppy drives (even if there is only one, both letters will be reserved anyway), C: goes to the first active primary MS-DOS partition on the first physical hard disk. If there are more disks, then there will be as many letters used consecutively as to name them all. Unless there are no devices installed using DRIVER.SYS or similar drivers, the next drive letter will be assigned to the RAM disk. In order to be sure, after having the relevant string for making RAM disk added to CONFIG.SYS (See below), computer could be restarted and what letter is assigned to the RAM disk checked by experiment. In this case, it is E:
Reserve 384 KB or more for RAM disk. In the case discussed it is 512 KB. Unlike when the whole Arachne web browser is installed on RAM disk, here only a folder for temporary files and COMMAND.COM will be placed on it.
In order to create such a disk, the string has to be added somewhere in the middle of CONFIG.SYS as follows:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 512 512 512 /E
Items 2-8 here are identical to items 2-8 of the case when the whole Arachne web browser is installed on RAM disk.
9. Start installation of Arachne web browser on RAM disk. In the case discussed it is C:
A195GPL.EXE
Further on the installation process is the same as in case when the whole Arachne web browser is installed on RAM disk. Only in the very beginning specify the path to the folder located on hard disk (in the case discussed it is C:). Or just accept the suggestion by the Arachne web browser installation program - c:\arachne
10. If Arachne web browser is to be used for surfing web pages with character encoding other than Latin for West European languages, put a character set package downloaded from www.glennmcc.org/apm/ into C:\ARACHNE\DOWNLOAD.
11. Start Arachne:
C:\ARACHNE\A
12. If Arachne web browser is to be used for surfing web pages with character encoding other than Latin for West European languages, press U on keyboard, then click "Install Arachne Package" icon in the main area of the browser, then click the icon of the "download" directory, then click the icon of the package with the character set downloaded from www.glennmcc.org/apm/
13. Edit A.BAT to have it as follows:
@echo off
LH C:\SOFT\NET\PCIPKT.COM 0x60
COPY C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM E:
SET COMSPEC=E:\COMMAND.COM
CD C:\ARACHNE
ARACHNE.BAT %1 %2 %3 %4
C:
SET COMSPEC=C:\DOS\COMMAND.COM
14. Edit AUTOEXEC.BAT system file. Somewhere in the middle of it, add:
MKDIR E:\TEMP
SET TEMP=E:\TEMP
SET ARACHNETEMP=E:\TEMP
15. Restart computer. Arachne web browser is installed and configured for internet connection via Ethernet. The network is handled by Microsoft Network Client 3.0, so each time after computer restart Arachne web browser is connected to internet right away and ready for work.
Operating systems
- MS-DOS 6.0+
- FreeDOS 1.0+