Re: apple IIC and appletalk

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

Martin Kaeser <martin.kaeser@auge.de> wrote:

> David Empson wrote:
> 
> > Well, consider that AppleTalk works fine on a IIe (with a workstation
> > card, which has its own processor), or on a IIgs (using the main
> > processor).  In both cases, ProDOS-8 can be the active operating system,
> > as it would be on the IIc (the IIgs also supports AppleTalk under GS/OS,
> > of course).
> 
> Say i boot Prodos-8 on the gs.
> What do i do to get LocalTalk going?

Under normal circumstances, you cannot use LocalTalk on a IIgs unless
you boot via GS/OS.

You can get support for network printers when booting ProDOS-8 directly
by using a special version of the ATINIT file.  The problem is that this
file is not publically available.

Even with this file, you cannot access file servers unless you boot via
GS/OS.

Another option is to install an Apple II Workstation Card if you usually
boot into ProDOS-8 (use the software supplied with the card, not the
IIgs versions of the various AppleTalk configuration files).  I don't
know what happens if you have one of these cards installed and boot
GS/OS - it probably ignores it.


For those who came in late:

The ATINIT file is used by the AppleTalk support code in the Apple II
(IIgs and IIe workstation card).  It provides the following functions:

1. Patch code to connect the AppleTalk protocols to the ProDOS-8 Machine
Language Interface, in conjunction with booting directly into ProDOS-8
1.5 or later.

2. Storing AppleTalk settings, including the name of your machine
(default login name for a server), and the selected network printer type
and name.

When booting via GS/OS, the ATINIT file resides in
*:System:System.Setup.  It does not contain any code to patch ProDOS-8:
this is handled by GS/OS as required.

When booting ProDOS-8 directly, ATINIT must be in the root directory.
ProDOS-8 loads and executes this file when booting, before it loads the
first ".SYSTEM" file.


There are at least three versions of the ATINIT file:

1. The GS/OS one, which only contains the settings (no code).

2. The one supplied with the Apple II Workstation Card, which patches
ProDOS to redirect all MLI calls through the card (allowing network file
calls to be rerouted, and AppleTalk protocol calls to be handled by the
card).

3. The special version I mentioned above, which enables AppleTalk
printer support when booting directly into ProDOS-8 on the IIgs.  It
contains the parts of the AppleTalk code needed to support printing
which are missing from the ROM.  The code is loaded into memory outside
the bottom 128K, so it won't conflict with ProDOS-8 applications.

The only place I've seen this file is with Publish-It!  I think it was
supplied by Apple under a licensing agreement.

There may be a fourth version, supplied on older ProDOS-16 boot disks,
which is used in conjunction with other ProDOS-16 files to hook in
AppleTalk support.  This is probably no use for booting ProDOS-8
directly.

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