===== Irc, Internet on X68000 =====

This article is a kind contribution by our forum member **Neko68k**. Thank you for shedding light on this rather grey area !

This article will cover configuring your X68000 for internet access using either a null-modem cable or an ethernet card. Neptune-X, Nereid, and RaSCSI should all work with the proper driver. You will first need to download the required software listed below. In addition to these you may also want to install [[http://nfggames.com/X68000/Mirrors/x68pub/x68tools/HUMAN/TwentyOne/tw136c14.lzh|TwentyOne]] (long file name support) if you haven't already.

==== Downloads ====

=== Common ===
|[[http://nfggames.com/X68000/Mirrors/x68pub/x68tools/UNIX/NETWORK/TCPPACKA.LZH|TCP/IP tools(inetdconf, ifconfig, ping, etc...)]]|TCPPACKA.LZH|
|[[http://nfggames.com/X68000/Mirrors/x68pub/x68tools/UNIX/NETWORK/xipb5.LZH|Xip IP Driver]]|xipb5.LZH|

=== For Ethernet ===
|[[http://xps.jp/download/nereid/ether/etherL12.LZH|Nereid Ethernet Driver]]|etherL12.LZH|

=== For Emulated Ethernet ===
|[[http://build.openvpn.net/downloads/releases/latest/tap-windows-latest-stable.exe|OpenVPN win32-TAP Driver]]|

=== For Serial ===
|[[http://nfggames.com/X68000/Mirrors/x68pub/x68tools/UNIX/NETWORK/pppxr5.lzh|Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) Driver]]|pppxr5.lzh|
|[[http://retropc.net/x68000/software/system/rs232c/tmsio/TMSIO031.LZH|RS-232C Driver With Buffer Control and Hardware Flow]]|TMSIO031.LZH|

==== Common Installation ==== 

===Install TCP Pack A and Xip ===
  *Unlzh TCPPACKA.LZH and merge the folders it contains with your existing \BIN \ETC and \MAN
  *Likewise, extract xipb5.lzh and place xip.x in \BIN
  *Edit \ETC\hosts and \ETC\networks to reflect your actual network, for example:

<code>
#
# /etc/hosts
#
127.0.0.1	localhost		localhost
192.168.0.11	x68k			x68k
</code>

<code>
#
# - /etc/networks
#
127		loopback
192.168.0	private-net
</code>

Optionally add this line to \ETC\services, CLAT(IRC) asks for it:

<code>irc			6667/tcp</code>


==== Serial Instructions ====
  *Unlzh PPPXR5.lzh
  *Put the contents of this LZH into the same directory.
  *Be sure to modify the first line of PPPX.BAT to point to that directory.
  *Add 'inetdconf +dns 8.8.8.8' to the end of PPPX.BAT. This is Google DNS.
  *Change 'inetd' to 'xip -t -1'. This is faster than inetd and allows auto-trap assignment to prevent conflicts.
  *unlzh TMSIO031.LZH and put TMSIO.X in \BIN
  
Add to your config.sys the following (RSDRV.SYS comes with Human):

<code>
PROCESS 16 10 50
DEVICE = \SYS\RSDRV.SYS
DEVICE = \SYS\PPP.SYS
</code>

Once this is complete plug in your null modem cable and reboot the x68. A wiring diagram for making a null modem cable can be found here: 

[[http://www.gamesx.com/wiki/doku.php?id=x68000:rs232_null_modem_cable_with_partial_handshaking|RS232 null modem cable with partial handshaking]]

I followed the steps [[https://hackaday.io/project/20353-the-retroserver-networking-for-old-computers/log/54966-dial-up-and-ppp-server-in-modern-linux|here]] to set up a PPP server using Debian Stretch. Do not put 'local' in the file '/etc/ppp/options.ttyUSB0' and also add 'noproxyarp' to that file. I also used 38400 since this is the max for a non-overclocked SCC. In addition I changed ttyUSB0 to ttyS0 in the necessary places since that's how my serial port exists.

  *On your x68k run PPPX.BAT.
  *Once at the ppp> prompt type 'set debug 0' and push enter
  *Then type 'term' and push enter 
  *Press enter again to get a login prompt
  *Login as usual
  *If everything is correct PPP will automatically negotiate the connection and drop you back to the command line.
  *You should see a line that reads OsLinkup followed by 'PPP process kept.'
==== Ethernet Instructions ==== 

Thanks to GIMONS for pointing me in the right direction.

=== General ===

Add your ethernet driver to 'config.sys'. For example 'DEVICE=\SYS\ETHERL12.SYS -t1' then reboot.

I recommend creating a BAT file with the following commands:
<code>
xip -t -1
ifconfig lp0 up
ifconfig en0 x68k netmask 255.255.255.0 up
inetdconf +dns 8.8.8.8 +domain x68k +router 192.168.0.1
</code>

In the above snippet '+router' should be _your_ actual router.

Run your BAT file and test with 'ping'.

=== XM6G Specifics ===
   *Use OpenVPN TAP driver.
   *Install it and rename the interface to something reasonable in your Windows network interface options.  I use 'tap-bridge'. 
   *You _must_ set a static IP to the TAP device before bridging. This IP should be in your local subnet and will be the IP address for the x68k. It should be specified in /etc/hosts as described above. (ex. 10.0.0.x, 162.168.0.x). The default router should be _your_ router (ex. 10.0.0.1, 192.168.0.1).
   *Select the TAP interface and your LAN interface, right click and select 'bridge connections'.
   *In XM6G put your TAP interface name in the Nereid tab.
   *Close and re-open XM6G.
   *Now follow the General instructions above if you haven't already.




==== Testing and software suggestions ====
To test it out try:

<code>ping google.com</code>

  *[[http://nfggames.com/X68000/Mirrors/x68pub/x68tools/UNIX/NETWORK/lynx27r0.lzh|Lynx text web browser]]
  *[[http://w2332.nsk.ne.jp/~gonta/arc/wx046_0b_0206220.lzh|WebXpression browser(very good)]]
  *[[http://nfggames.com/X68000/Mirrors/x68pub/x68tools/UNIX/NETWORK/vwxb25.lzh|VWX browser(very bad)]]
  *[[http://sharl.haun.org/a/x68/clat-beta5.tar.gz|CLAT IRC Client]]


==== Configuring CLAT IRC client. ====
To configure CLAT, put clat.x somewhere handy and create a file called clatrc,if you have TwentyOne you can also call it .clatrc, in the same folder or in your home folder and fill it in as follows:

<code>
SERVER irc.efnet.org
NICK yournick
MAIL blah@whatever.com
NAME whatever
USERINFO blahblahblah
QUIT yourquitmessage
</code>

=== Screenshots ===
{{:x68000:internet_3.png?400|}}
{{:x68000:xm6g_nereid_ethernet.png?400|}}


Keep the scene alive !