Re: Apple IIGS Network HOWTO

[shirsch@adelphia.net (Steven N. Hirsch)]

In article <1dujmtb.5g44401rgqdj4N@dempson.actrix.gen.nz>, David Empson wrote:
>Steven N. Hirsch <shirsch@adelphia.net> wrote:
>
>> Support for cold-boot from network is another story, however... The
>> Apple 2 network bootstrap protocol is not documented in enough detail
>> to code support into netatalk.  It's probably possible to run an
>> appletalk packet sniffer against a //gs booting from Appletalk Server
>> on a mac, but I haven't had the motivation to do this myself.
>> 
>> Is anyone left at Apple Computer, Inc. who might be able to supply the
>> protocol? 
>
>The protocol isn't the problem: it is basically just an ATP transfer of
>bootstrap code (single request frame, up to eight response frames).  The
>problem is that this code is copyrighted by Apple, and you would have to
>write your own version of it.
>

Actually, I didn't intend to reverse-engineer their binaries.  The
software support diskette is freely-available for download at Apple's
developer site.  I just wanted to build suitable "hooks" into the
netatalk server, such that it sends the correct things at the correct
times.

The details escape me (this was a few years ago), but there was
something I found to be fatally incomplete in their docs.

I'll drag my notebook out and refresh my memory.

Steve