Re: Applle IIGS OS

[bryanv@aloha.com (Bryan G. Villados)]

In article <boldenD1pBFB.B6v@netcom.com>, bolden@netcom.com (william
Twitty) wrote:

> Hi Friends,
> 
> I have a friend who has an Apple IIGS without system software. I 
> downloaded 6.0 system software for him but he said it does no work.
> 
> I'm a Mac user with little knowledge of Apple IIs but in trying to help 
> my friend, who knows nothing either (talking about the blind leading the 
> blind), I'm learning that it is a great machnine and I'm gaining a lot of 
> respect for it.
> 
> Please. Could someone help us? What kind of system software do we need 
> and where can we obtain it?
> 
> Thanks
> -- 
> William Twitty                                              bolden@netcom.com
> "Lift up your hearts above the present and look with eyes of faith into 
> the future!-Abdu'l-Baha

Where did you download it from?  There are two possible formats that you
might be running into...

The first format is what they call a "binscii" format. This is a 7-bit
format which the Apple II world uses. I haven't to this day found a
binscii app for the Mac. To translate this type of file, you must first
download the files into the Apple II. Then, run a BINSCII application to
translate them into what they call a "BNY" or binary format. The Apple II
uses a program called ShrinkIt which then expands the BNY file, and
(depending on if the BNY is a disk image or a group of files) copies it to
the destination. You can download Apple II utilities from cco.caltech.edu
or grind.isca.uiowa.edu.

The second format you might have run into is an "HQX" format. This is used
on the Macintosh, and many programs (I use Stuffit) opens these files.
Once converted, it'll expose a disk image file. This image file is used by
DiskCopy, which you can grab from ftp.apple.com. Open the image file from
DiskCopy, then it'll create a ProDOS disk.

That should be it! One more hint: System 7.5 can mount ProDOS diskettes
onto the desktop. So if you download a binscii file on the Mac, you can
format a ProDOS diskette on the Mac, then copy the file to it.

Hope this helps!