Re: A few more GS/Mac questions, thanks :)

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Stephan Manchir <sam14@po.cwru.edu> wrote:

> As I said, I was able to make a network boot disk, but when I try to
> connect to my Mac, I get a message to contact my administrator, because
> there was an unknown system error...

Very helpful.

I see from your earlier post that you have a 6100/66 running Mac OS 9
(it would have been helpful to repeat this).

This might be a problem with using Mac OS 9 as a server for the IIgs.
Apple may have changed some aspect of the File Sharing service or
LocalTalk support, and it may have caused Apple II logons to break.

Has anyone else successfully connected a IIgs to a Mac running Mac OS 9?

(I'm running 8.6 on the only machine I have with LocalTalk support, so I
can't test this myself.)

> -One post suggested loading HFS support on the network boot disk. This
> doesn't seem like it would be necessary...is it?

Not at all.  If you are accessing a Mac via AppleTalk, then the Mac is
entirely responsible for the file system(s) used on its drives.  The
IIgs uses the AppleShare "file system" to access the Mac, and this is
provided by AppleShare.FST.

If you are booting from a floppy, then you should have done the
following with the System 6.0.1 installer.

1. Go into the Customize option.

2. Use the "*System 6:On 800K Disk" item to create a normal System 6.0.1
boot disk.

3. Use the "Network: AppleShare, 3.5" Disk" option to modify this disk,
which adds AppleTalk and AppleShare support, and removes Finder.

The resulting disk should be able to boot GS/OS, log on to a Mac, and
get as far as the System 6 Launcher.

> -If/when the connection is established, another post suggested loading
> finder onto the Mac Partition, since the network boot disk only has
> launcher...where/what exactly are the finder files/folders that need to
> be copied?

At the very least, you would need the Finder itself (which should be on
your normal standalone System disk, in the System folder).  Finder is
just an application, so you don't need to put it anywhere special.

There are associated add-on files such as FinderExtras, which have to go
into the appropriate folder on your system disk, but these are optional.

There is a "Finder.Defaults" file, which it will create.  It normally
lives in the System folder, but Finder might save it in the same
location as itself.

> Are they small enough to fit on a 5 1/4" disk, since I have
> a couple mounted (one rescued from my //c...)?

Nope.  Finder is 183K.  I would seriously discourage any attempt to run
Finder (or almost any other GS/OS application) from a 5.25" disk.  It
will be unbearably slow, with a significant amount of seeking.

> -This seems silly now that I think of it, but does there have to be
> anything in the Mac folder that's being shared? I guess this would be
> an easy one for me to test.

No.  You just need a shared folder (with sufficient access rights to the
username with which you log on from the IIgs).

> -Does have any other suggestions on the "unknown system error"?

Nothing so far.

> I've tried to make sure I don't have any fancy characters in any of the
> folder/drive names on the Mac...

That shouldn't be a problem if you are accessing the Mac from GS/OS,
since GS/OS has the same filename restrictions as the Mac (which may be
further limited by the file system).  The filenames are only an issue if
you want to retain access to the server under ProDOS-8.

> can you share a folder or does a whole drive have to be shared for this
> to work?

Either method should work.  If in doubt, try logging on as the owner of
the Mac, and you should see the whole hard drive anyway.  (Assuming you
can log on without this error, of course.)

> -Do the modem/print control panels have any effect under AppleTalk, or
> are they disabled?

They are independent, and will have no effect on AppleTalk.  (One of
them will have no effect at all, since the standard firmware for the
corresponding slot must be disabled to use AppleTalk.)

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P O Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand