Re: Need help with a DIGICARD Apple II Network server

[George Rentovich <grent@home.com>]

"Mr. Boffo" wrote:

> Do we have any experts lurking on this NG who are familiar with the
> Digicard system?
>
> I am already a school admin, so I have access to disks and manuals for
> the beast I just bought on eBay.
>
> What I likely do NOT have, is knowledge of the password on the system
> I am buying. So the big question is, is there a way to hack the
> password file on the Digicard server?

First the easiest way to find the password would be to contact the school
it was connected to. Some times the school ID is on the unit, or the
district.

>
>
> One interesting tidbit is that the Digicard uses a standard SCSI drive
> for all its data. Hmmmm, perhaps you can take the drive out and mount
> it on a Mac?

You might be able to do that but I doubt the mac would be able to work
with any of it. It has its own proprietary system.

>
>
> I wouldn't have a problem with just swapping in a different hard drive
> and starting over, but I've never built one up from scratch so I'm not
> sure if the Digicard server is capable of formatting, partitioning,
> and create a "default" volume set. Any suggestions?

I have a Digicard  what appears to be a 5.25 disk., but to set up a
network like you suggest requires more than a Server.


>
>
> My plan is to use it as a Master Server, for every game and software I
> have ever owned. If you've never used the Digicard, it is truly weird
> in that it can support both ProDOS AND DOS 3.3 volumes on the same
> drive, and in the process of using it, it frequently crosses back 'n
> forth between the two.
>
> This to me makes it more worthwhile than just an Apple SCSI card and
> drive, since Apple's implementation appears to only support ProDOS
> with the SCSI card. Plus, it only cost me $27 for the server and HD,
> as compared to Apple's SCSI card which still goes for up to $175
> alone. What a deal!! :)
>

Nice plan but as I said it takes more than a Digicard Server to make a
net work.
First you need the Digicard Server.
 Second  you need for each computer a Digi Card external satellite like
modem.
  Third   you need for each machine is a Digi Card card to interface with
the modem like device.
I am pretty sure you need all this because the schools over here dumped
all there Apple 2 stuff a year or so ago. The digicard cards were just
about in every computer for sale and they had a large pile of the modem
like devices had to be a 100 or more.
  Take Care
         George