Welcome to the Netatalk Homepage!
Netatalk is a Free and Open Source implementation of the Apple Filing Protocol (AFP). A macOS, Linux, BSD, or Solaris system running Netatalk can act as an AppleShare file server, providing file sharing services to multiple macOS, Classic Mac OS, and Apple II clients simultaneously.
Since 1990, Netatalk has been providing highly performant and versatile file sharing for Macs from UNIX-like hosts, providing seamless support for the intricate requirements of Macintosh networking, file systems, and operating system services.
Getting Started
So you want to get started with running your own Netatalk file server for your local network of Macs and Apple IIs? Well, you have come to the right place! For starters, the official (or an unofficial) package manager for your operating system may be distributing a ready-made binary netatalk package that you can install right away.
If you prefer a containerized installation, the Netatalk team distributes official Docker images on Docker Hub. These require Docker Engine to be installed.
Finally, if you need to build Netatalk from the source code, a C compiler (gcc or clang) and dependent libraries are required. Read more in the Netatalk manual or the OS specific guides in the wiki.
Once Netatalk is up and running, test that the AFP server responds on port 548 by running asip-status [server address]. If you get an "AFP reply" response, the Netatalk server is functioning properly! You will likely need to adjust the configurations to suit your setup. Netatalk has a dizzying amount of options which can be daunting initially. The Configuration chapter in the Netatalk manual is a good place to start.
Features
This table breaks down the major differences between Netatalk v3 and v2. This might assist you in deciding which version works best for your use case.
| Feature | Netatalk v3 | Netatalk v2 |
|---|---|---|
| Client Support | Mac OS 7.5 ~ Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, macOS | Apple II, Macintosh System 6 ~ Mac OS 9, Mac OS X, macOS |
| AFP Protocol Versions | 2.2, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4 | 1.1, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 |
| AFP over TCP | Yes | Yes |
| AFP over AppleTalk | No | Yes |
| Macintosh Resource Forks | Extended Attributes, AppleDouble v2 | AppleDouble v2, AppleDouble v1 |
| Service Discovery | Mac OS X 10.2 and later (Zeroconf) | Any AppleShare client (AppleTalk), Mac OS X 10.1 (SLP), Mac OS X 10.2 and later (Zeroconf) |
| Time Machine Backups | Yes | Yes |
| Indexed Search | Mac OS X 10.4 or later (Spotlight) | Mac OS 8 to Mac OS X 10.3 (CatSearch) |
| Samba Interoperability | Yes | Partial |
| AppleTalk Printing | No | Yes: LocalTalk, lpd and CUPS |
| AppleTalk Time Server | No | Yes: Timelord compatible |
| Apple II Netbooting | No | Yes: //e and IIGS |
| Built-in AppleTalk Router | No | Yes |
| Administrative GUI | Webmin Module | Webmin Module |
Latest News
1st of June 2024
Netatalk 3.2.0 is available
The Netatalk development team is proud to announce version 3.2.0 of Netatalk. This is the first stable release of the new 3.2 series. Early adopters are encouraged to upgrade their systems to 3.2.0.
The standout new feature in this version, is a bundled WolfSSL library which enables support for the older DHX and Random Number UAMs on modern systems. The Meson build system is also introduced, which is what enables the former.
A companion release of the Netatalk 3 Webmin Module, version 1.1, is also available now. Find more information in the Release Notes.
For a summary of news and a detailed list of changes see the Release Notes.
20th of April 2024
Netatalk 3 Webmin Module 1.0 Released
The first stable and fully compliant version of the Netatalk 3 Webmin Module is now available. A large number of supportet options and help text has been added.
For more information and to download the module, see the Release Notes.
Simultaneously, a bugfix v1.3 release of the Netatalk 2 module is also available now.
31st of March 2024
Netatalk 2.3.2 is available
The Netatalk development team is proud to announce version 2.3.2 of the Netatalk File Sharing suite. This release comes with improvements for AppleTalk and pap, as well as native init scripts for modern macOS. All users of previous Netatalk v2 releases are encouraged to upgrade their installations to 2.3.2.
For a summary of news and a detailed list of changes see the Release Notes.
For a list of older announcements, go to the News Archive.
Netatalk is licensed under the GNU General Public License 2.0.
If you are interested in contributing to the development process, or just want to peruse the code, please visit our GitHub project page.
