Re: Modify a Mac external HD for a IIgs?

[Stavros Robert Karatsoridis <skaratso@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu>]

Marc Sira <toh@victoria.tc.ca> wrote:
> In our last episode, dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson) said:
>>> PC Exchange (File Exchange in Mac OS 8.x) does support ProDOS filesystems in
>>> Inside Mac V partitions; I've used it for years.
>>
>>In that case, why didn't it offer a ProDOS option (for Darre - the
>>original poster) when erasing the disk?  I've seen it for floppies, but
>>I've never needed to erase a Mac hard drive partition.

> It looks as if some of the ProDOS functionality that was in PC Exchange is now
> gone from File Exchange (as of Mac OS 8.6, and probably earlier). I can still
> mount a ProDOS partition (there's even a nice modern hard disk icon with a
> little multicolored "II" on it), but the "Erase Disk..." dialog no longer has
> the option to initialise for ProDOS, and I can't even erase an existing ProDOS
> partition (the menu option is undimmed but does nothing when selected, which
> is rather bad manners and certainly not to HI spec).

You're forgetting something.  I can still format 3.5" disks for ProDOS on
my Mac in 8.6, just tried, and it works like a charm.  One never could
just erase a partition as ProDOS from the Finder.  That has to be done
using Drive Setup.  Last time I checked (which was last week, when I
rebuilt my hard drive for 8.6), you still had the option of creating one
or two 32 MB ProDOS partitions on the HD.

Stavros