Telnet/TN3270 problems with Netscape Navigator 4.x

[Andy Boze]

I thought I'd sent this to Web4Lib a couple of weeks ago, but apparently
my messages haven't been getting through. At least they aren't in the
archive. Basically, if your Telnet/TN3270 client can understand a Telnet
URL (e.g., NetTerm, WinQVT), it'll work fine with Netscape. If it can
only accept a host address on its command line, the client won't launch
successfully from Netscape.

-----------------------------------------
Date:         Mon, 15 Dec 97 16:19:56 EST
From:         Andy Boze <ABOZE at vma.cc.nd.edu>
Organization: UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
Subject:      Re: Telnet applications are not launched properly by
Navigator
 (fwd)
To:           web4lib at library.berkeley.edu

There's been some discussion of problems launching Telnet/TN3270
clients from Navigator 4.x on this list recently. I finally contacted
Netscape's tech support (and submitted a bug report, too). Below is
the reply I got from tech support. Thought those of you having problems
might be interested.

Andy Boze, PC/Network Coordinator  ³ E-mail: Boze.1 at nd.edu
University Libraries of Notre Dame ³ WWW: http://www.nd.edu/~fboze/
221 Hesburgh Library               ³ Voice: (219) 631-8708
Notre Dame, IN  46556-5629         ³ FAX:   (219) 631-6772

"Caution is the path to mediocrity." Leto Atreides II

----------------------------Original message----------------------------
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 12:34:06 -0800 (PST)
From: nav-support at netscape.com (Netscape Support)
To: Boze.1 at nd.edu
Subject: Re: Telnet applications are not launched properly by Navigator

The difference is due to the way Communicator is integrated with the
system.  All it does is pass the information to rundll32.dll and lets
it figure out what to do with it.  IE probably uses a similar method.

I wouldn't call that a feature, but it is related to incorporating
ActiveX (the OLE end) support.  The TN3270 Java client in the pro
version should work, but I don't know if you'd want to go with that
if you're using an application that now does both that and telnet
because of the learning curve.

Hope this helps,
Patrick Fitzgerald
nav-support at netscape.com

> Submitted:            Sat Dec 13 18:35:32 PST 1997
> Customer number:
> Purchased where/when: free educational license
> Product:              Communicator 4.04
> Operating system:     Windows NT x86 (4.0)
> Category:             Helper applications
> Example URL:
>
> Here's the problem. When Navigator launches a telnet/tn3270
> client, it passes the entire URL as a command-line option. The
> telnet/tn3270 client supported on campus can only use a host
> address on its command line (although some, but by no means all,
> newer telnet clients can accept URLs on their command lines). This
> behaviour didn't exist in Navigator 3.0 and earlier; it simply
> passed the host address. It doesn't seem to matter whether the
> Telnet URL is typed in by hand, or whether you click on a Telnet
> link on a Web page.
>
> Unfortunately, there's no reference to this in your online help or
> FAQs. I'd appreciate knowing whether this is something you are
> already aware of, and if you can speculate about when it might be
> fixed. Or perhaps you could tell me whether this is a new feature
> of Navigator. This will help us in planning whether we can upgrade
> to Communicator 4.0. Thanks for your assistance.