The Open Data-Link Interface (ODI), developed by Apple and Novell, serves the same function as Microsoft and 3Com's NDIS to provide Network connectivity. Originally Novell combined the driver and protocols together in one monolithic program, but in 1991 developed the ODI driver specification, which, with modification, is still in use today. This allows a single hardware specific driver to be written and used with multiple different protocols. Most manufacturers will write ODI drivers and Novell have many available for download. Configuration is fairly straightforward using a text file called NET.CFG.
Copyright © 2007 Ulrich Hansen, Mainz (Germany), updated 2010 by W.Spiegl. For more information see here. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled "GNU Free Documentation License 1.2".