Re: LocalTalk/AppleShare between IIgs and Mac LC 575 - how?

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

Rodney Hester <rod3@mindspring.com> wrote:

> What is Program Linking, anyway?  Saw the reference but didn't understand
> it.

Program Linking extends the ability of AppleScript (and other scripting
systems based around the Apple Events mechanism) to communicate with and
control applications on other computers, rather than being limited to
the local machine.

> > print from either your IIgs or your LC575 (and the handy part is, the
> > printer serves as its own print server, so only the printer and the
> > computer you are printing from need be turned on).
> 
> This is way cool, but wouldn't that limit me to printing only from
> AppleTalk-printer-aware apps on the GS side?  (Essentially, what I'm getting
> at here is an assumption that we won't be printing from GEOS or the original
> IIe version of Print Shop with the printer on AppleTalk, right?)

Probably right.  You would have to boot via GS/OS to get the AppleTalk
support loaded, so this rules out anything you have to boot directly
(including any DOS 3.3 program).  Otherwise, a program which works with
the standard serial fimrware should be OK.  (The ImageWriter's status
readback command won't work over AppleTalk.)

One nice point about the ImageWriter LocalTalk Option Card: it is very
easy to disable it if you need to switch back to a direct connection for
running a particular piece of software.  A single DIP switch controls
whether the card is enabled.

> If I *do* get an AppleTalk adapter for the printer, do I also need the
> "Apple LocalTalk Locking Connector Kit"?

I suspect this is a LocalTalk drop box or the cables which go into it.
I've only ever used PhoneNet cabling, so I'm not familiar with the
precise names Apple used for the various parts of its cabling.

(See my other posting in this thread for more information.)

> Just one more question...if the Mac is turned off when I'm booting up GS/OS
> (which is configured to automount the shared folder I set up), the IIgs will
> still boot, but there is a lengthy (looks like about 30 seconds) timeout
> period whilst the IIgs goes searching for my AppleShare volume.  Is there
> any key I can press to skip this search, or any way to shorten the timeout?

I'm not aware of any way to force the computer to skip this pause.  The
best solution would be to turn off the "mount at startup" feature and
instead use an alias to the server volume, which you can double click
after the Mac is ready.