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Here's a FAQ
we can upload here once a week or so until the current "Keeper of the FAQ"
either relinquishes control of his or grows up.
Save this file, print it out, upload it here whenever you want. Enjoy!
=======================================================================
Archive-name: apple2/part1
Last-modified: 08 Sep 1994
Version: 4.01
Table of Contents
----- Part I
Q#1 What's a FAQ?
Q#2 How do I get to comp.sys.apple2 and what is it?
Q#3 How do I get files off the net?
Q#4 Where can I get Apple II software on the net?
Q#5 How can I find a particular program?
Q#6 What archivers do I need to know about?
Q#7 BinSCII
Q#8 ShrinkIt and NuFX archives
Q#9 Executioner
Q#10 Apple Archive Format (aaf)
Q#11 Net standard formats
Q#12 A quick note about ProDos filetypes
Q#13 What do the file extensions mean?
Q#14 How do I tell what kind of file this is?
------ Part II
Q#15 What is an Apple II?
Q#16 The Apple I
Q#17 The Apple ][ and Apple ][+
Q#18 The Apple //e
Q#19 The Apple //C and IIC+
Q#20 The Laser 128EX
Q#21 The Apple IIGS
Q#22 The Apple ][e Emulation Card
Q#23 Some Common Questions (with answers!)
Q#24 Info about A2's:
Q#25 What is 8 bit and 16 bit?
Q#26 How can I tell what version my computer is?
Q#27 What programming languages are available for the Apple ][?
Q#28 Adding Hardware:
Q#29 Can the Apple II connect to SCSI devices?
Q#30 Can I use Macintosh Monitors or 3.5" drives with my ][?
Q#31 Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple //e?
Q#32 Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple IIGS?
Q#33 Can I hook up a scanner up to my //e? Can it do OCR?
Q#34 Can a Disk ][ be used on a GS smartport?
Q#35 What's the scoop on the new HD 3.5" drive?
Q#36 I want a Y-adapter for my GS keyboard.
Q#37 File Transfer:
Q#38 How can I transfer stuff to/from and IBM/Mac?
Q#39 File transfer: Apple //e ---> Macintosh
Q#40 File transfer: Apple //e <--- Macintosh
Q#41 File transfer: Apple //e ---> IBM
Q#42 File transfer: Apple //e <--- IBM
Q#43 File transfer: Apple IIGS ---> Macintosh
Q#44 File transfer: Apple IIGS <--- Macintosh
Q#45 File transfer: Apple IIGS ---> IBM
Q#46 File transfer: Apple IIGS <--- IBM
Q#47 What's the CTI Drive?
Q#48 How about hooking up cheap IDE Hard Drives?
Q#49 How do I USE stuff I have transferred to/from an IBM/Mac?
Q#50 How do I get cool Mac Icons and fonts onto my GS?
Q#51 What programs are there for conversion of graphic images?
Q#52 I have an old CPM / PASCAL / DOS 3.3 disk. How do I get it into
ProDos?
Q#53 How do you copy from a 5.25" disk to 3.5" disk?
Q#54 Strange problems:
Q#55 How do I get out of Basic (that little "]" prompt and flashing
cursor?
Q#56 What are the problems with GSCII?
Q#57 AppleWorks won't print to my printer. What gives?
Q#58 My GS control panel keeps resetting to the defaults and/or
forgetting the date.
Q#59 I'm getting Error XXX. What's it mean?
Q#60 Why does my Apple II lose characters when I'm using the modem?
Q#61 Where do I get support for AE boards now that they are closed?
Q#62 Is there a QWK reader for the Apple // E?
Q#63 System 6.0 mini-FAQ
Q#64 Common Problems
Q#65 Tips & Hints
Q#66 If you have a RamFast
Q#67 If you have a Vulcan or AE High Density disk
Q#68 If you have ProSel
Q#69 If you have an AMR 3.5"
Q#70 GSCII+ & HFS Note
Q#71 What to do with an Apple ][?
Q#72 What can you hook up to an Apple ][?
Q#73 What can you do with an Apple ][?
Q#74 What can the //e can "borrow" from other computers?
Q#75 What can the GS can "borrow" from other computers?
Q#76 Resources for the Apple II
Q#77 Apple II Groups
Q#78 Getting Parts & Software
Q#79 Fun hardware add-ons
Q#80 Periodicals & Books
Q#81 Misc Resources
Q#82 General guidelines on How To Troubleshoot
Q#83 General troubleshooting
Q#84 Trouble shooting and good maintenance
Q#85 GS Trouble shooting
Q#86 SCSI
Q#87 Tips on setting up a SCSI system:
#########################
# Q#1 What's a FAQ? #
#########################
Hi! Welcome to the comp.sys.apple2 newsgroup!
This article contains the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
often seen in comp.sys.apple2. I am posting this article (once every three
weeks or so--but once a week in September) to help reduce the volume in
this
newsgroup and to provide hard-to-find information of general interest.
I hope it answers some of your questions. If you have other questions,
feel
free to e-mail me.
Dan DeMaggio (dmag@umich.edu)
###########################################################
# Q#2 How do I get to comp.sys.apple2 and what is it? #
###########################################################
c.s.a2 is a USENET newsgroup. USENET posts originate from your local
newsreader and spread to hundreds of thousands of machienes throughout the
Internet, FidoNet, ProLine BBS system, etc. etc. Please use proper
netetteiquete when posting. (Browse the news.answers newsgroup.)
The comp.sys.apple2 groups were created for the discussion of the Apple II
series of computers. They provide a forum for interested people to compare
notes, ask questions, and share insights about Apple IIs. Currently, these
groups include:
comp.sys.apple2 - General discussion and questions
relating to all Apple //'s
comp.sys.apple2.comm - Communications and networking related
issues
comp.sys.apple2.gno - Discussion of program GNO/ME for the
Apple IIGS (UNIX for the Apple IIGS)
comp.sys.apple2.marketplace - Buying, selling and promoting Apple //
related products
comp.sys.apple2.programmer - Discussion relating to any aspect of
programming the Apple //
comp.sys.apple2.usergroups - Discussion relating to Apple //
usergroups
comp.binaries.apple2 - Public Domain/Shareware Software for all
Apple //'s
comp.sources.apple2 - A moderated newsgroup for the posting of
Apple // related source code
alt.emulators.ibmpc.apple2 - Discussion relating to the use of Apple //
emulation software/hardware on an IBM
compatible system
If you have e-mail-only access to the Internet, you will find the following
addresses helpful. Make sure you have a large mailbox and the time to sift
through lots of messages per day.
For this: Send a message body of "help" to:
--------------------------- ---------------------------------
Subscribe to C.S.A2 LISTSERV@vm1.nodak.edu
(BITNET address of above) LISTSERV@NDSUVM
APPLE2-L archives LISTSERV@brownvm.brown.edu
(BITNET address of above) LISTSERV@BROWNVM
Games from APPLE2-L LISTSERV@utarlvm1.uta.edu
(BITNET address of above) LISTSERV@UTARLVM1
More files via E-Mail archive-server@plains.nodak.edu
(BITNET address of above) FILESERV@PLAINS
Kermit file transfer program KERMSRV@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu
(BITNET address of above) KERMSRV@CUVMA (BITNET)
Apple /// files APPLE3-L@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU
Once you are getting c.s.a2 in your mailbox, you may want to post. Just
use
the addresses listed below. People with direct access to the newsgroups do
not need these, as they can use their news software to post.
Post to any newsgroup group-name@cs.utexas.edu
OR group.name.usenet@decwrl.dec.com
OR group.name@news.demon.co.uk
OR group.name@news.cs.indiana.edu
OR group-name@pws.bull.com
OR group-name@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
Post to comp.sys.apple2 info-apple@apple.com
Comp.binaries.apple2 is a newsgroup used to distribute public domain,
freeware, and shareware Apple II software (executables, pictures, sounds,
etc...). Software distributed on comp.binaries.apple2 is expected to be a
BinSCII text file containing a ShrinkIt archive. [See later in the FAQ for
information on getting these programs.] ALWAYS include text in the first
message that describes what is in the BSQ file. Include such things as
what
type of computer it runs on and what it does. You may crosspost the
description (only) to comp.sys.apple2.
[Public Domain programs may be used and copied freely. Freeware is the
same,
except that the original owner retains the Copyright. Shareware programs
can
be distributed freely, and tried out for free, but if you use it a lot, you
are expected to help pay for it.]
Comp.sources.apple2 is a newsgroup used to distribute public domain,
freeware,
and shareware Apple II source code. The posts in comp.sources.apple2
should
be in Apple Archive Format. Contact jac@paul.rutgers.edu for details.
Discussions concerning the software posted in these groups, or the methods
of
locating, decoding, or accessing this software, or questions on locating
archive sites of this software, or any OTHER discussions are to be held in
comp.sys.apple2. If someone DOES either intentionally or accidentally post
to the binary/source groups, please respond only in Email - do not compound
the problem!
Distribution of commercial software is strictly prohibitied.
###########################################
# Q#3 How do I get files off the net? #
###########################################
Quick Summary:
Step 1: Make a list of files that you want
Step 2: Get files to your host (a UNIX box or ProLine BBS)
Step 3: Get files to your Apple II
Step 4: Create BINSCII
Step 5: Create ShrinkIt
Step 6: Use BinSCII & Shrinkit to create Shrinkit GS
Step 7: Extract the files you _REALLY_ wanted
Step 1: Make a list of files that you want
1) You need BINSCII (binscii.exe) and ShrinkIt (shrinkit.3.3.exe.bsc)
unless you already have them, or know someone who has them.
2) If you have a GS (and use GS/OS), you will want Shrinkit GS
(shrinkit.gs.exe) and GSCII (gscii.bsc)
3) Add any other files you want. Don't try to get everything the
first time around. Try one or two test files for starters.
Note: Filenames will vary from site to site. Shrinkit and Binscii
are usually available on all the Apple II FTP sites.
Step 2a: Get files to your host (For ProLine users)
1) Dial up your host and log in.
2) I'm not familiar with ProLine, so I'll be vague here. Just go
into the files section and look...
Step 2b: Get files to your host (For UNIX, using FTP)
1) Choose an FTP site from the FAQ
2) At your UNIX prompt, type "ftp ______" (fill in site name)
3) At the "Login:" prompt, type "anonymous"s
4) Type in your e-mail address
5) Type "bin"
6) use "cd ____" to get to where the Apple II files are
7) Locate each file (more "cd ___"'s and "ls" (list files). Also,
"cd .." will move up a directory.)
8) use "get ______" to get it
9) When you are done using FTP, type "quit"
10) Advanced users may want to run uudecode, uncompress, tar, SciiBin,
or Nulib on the files before they download them.
Step 3: Get files to your Apple II
1) Find out what file transfer protocols your Apple communications
package supports. (see below for a list)
2) On your local comm program, set your file transfer type to Text
(TXT) or Binary (BIN) depending on what type of file you are
downloading. If there is an option to "strip incoming linefeeds",
try turning it on.
3) Get your host to send you the file. I don't know about ProLine,
but UNIX users can use these commands:
For Z-Modem: "sz ___ ____ ____" (file names)
For X-Modem: "sx ____" (one at a time)
For Kermit: "kermit", then "put _____" (filename)
5) If needed, tell your local communications program to Receive. You
must do this quickly, or the other host will give up trying to
send the file.
4) Write down the full pathname of the files you downloaded and where
you put them. There will be a quiz later. Pathnames look like
"/DISK/DIR/FILE.NAME"
Note: If something goes wrong, hit ESC, Ctrl-X or Ctrl-C 3 times.
If you can't get one protocol to work, try the next one
down. Z-modem is much faster than the others. You will
want to find a program that supports it.
Step 4: Create BINSCII
1) After you disconnect, go into Applesoft by starting BASIC.SYSTEM
2) At the `]` prompt, type 'EXEC ____' (your BINSCII file name)
Note: If you get ?SYNTAX ERRORs then something went wrong. Try
looking at the file with a Text Editor.
3) Type "cat" and look for BINSCII (type 'SYS')
4) type "-BINSCII" or "-BINSCII.SYSTEM" depending on above
Note: You should get the BINSCII opening screen.
Step 5: Create ShrinkIt
1) If your Shrinkit file ends in ".BSC" then (In BINSCII) type in
the filename of your ShrinkIt file
2) Quit BINSCII. Get into AppleSoft again.
3) Type "EXEC SHRINKIT3.3.XTX" (you may need the full pathname)
4) Run ShrinkIt with "-SHRINKIT.SYSTEM"
Step 6: Extracting everything else
1) If it's BSQ or BSC, run it through BINSCII
2) If BINSCII creates a ".SHK" file, or if you download a ".SHK"
file, then use ShrinkIt on the file. It's easy to use and it
doesn't give you the dreaded "FILENAME QUIZ!"
For those who haven't picked a program to download with, here are the
biggies:
When in doubt, buy ProTerm.
Program Comp Emulations Protocols Note
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
ProTerm E$ PSE, VT-100 Kermit, X,Y,Z-modem From InSync
Kermit-65 E VT-100 Kermit, X-modem Hard to use,Works on
][+
Z-Link E VT-100 X-modem Good.
CommSys E none X-modem Works on ][+
TIC E$ VT-100 (+) X-modem Small, Scripting.
Agate E mono ANSI X,(Y,Z rec'v only) Unpacks ZIP, Buggy
ColorTerm GS color ANSI X-modem Desktop based
MegaTerm GS color ANSI none ProDOS 8
ANSITerm GS$ color ANSI, PSE X,Y,Z-modem Editor, scrollback,
etc.
SnowTerm GS VT-100 (+) none Desktop based
FreeTerm GS none X-modem Desktop based
GenComm GS none none Text, Shell Compat.
GSVT GS VT-100 none Desktop
GTerm GS color ANSI none Written in BASIC/ML
Telcom GS VT-100, PSE X, (Y rec'v only) Shell compat
----------Key:---------
Key: $ = A commercial program + = And other obscure ones
Computer: E = works on GS and //e, GS = only works on GS
See the resources section for where to buy the commercial programs.
All of the non-commercial programs are available on the different FTP
sites.
If you don't have a comm program already, your best bet is to have someone
mail you one on a disk.
#########################################################
# Q#4 Where can I get Apple II software on the net? #
#########################################################
Note: For a listing of BBS's, see Mike Shecket's list:
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/misc/textfiles/bbs.list.txt
The following is a list of FTP sites with Apple // related files. See "FTP"
for details about using FTP.
Site name Directory
--------- ---------
apple2.archive.umich.edu ($) /archive/apple2
archive.orst.edu /pub/mirrors/archive.umich.edu
bric-a-brac.apple.com = ftp.apple.com
brownvm.brown.edu ($) (+) LISTSERV.193
bull.cs.williams.edu /pub/AppleII
?calvin.sfasu.edu /pub/apple2
cco.caltech.edu ($) /pub/apple2
ccosun.caltech.edu = cco.caltech.edu
cs.bu.edu /PC/APPLE
cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu KERMA
f.ms.uky.edu ($) /pub/appleII
ftp.apple.com /dts/aii
ftp.cc.utexas.edu /gifstuff/apple
ftp.hawaii.edu (@) /incoming/apple2
ftp.uni-kl.de ($) /pub/apple2
grind.isca.uiowa.edu ($) /apple2, /unix/apple2
?headcrash.berkeley.edu /pub/Apple2
info2.rus.uni-stuttgart.de /afs/umich.edu/group/itd/archive
isca02.isca.uiowa.edu = grind.isca.uiowa.edu
iskut.ucs.ubc.ca /pub/apple (Kermit, BinSCII, unshrinkit)
?j.cc.purdue.edu /kermit/appleII
?jyu.fi /pub/apple2
methan.chemie.fu-berlin.de(@) /pub/doc/faq
pindarus.cs.uiuc.edu /pub/apple2
plains.nodak.edu ($) /pub/appleII
?relay.cs.toronto.edu (@) /pub/lists.1989
slab.slip.uiuc.edu /apple2
syr.edu /software/kermit/appleII
trantor.ee.msstate.edu /files/appleII
ucrmath.ucr.edu /PC/apple2
watsun.cc.columbia.edu /kermit/a
wilbur.stanford.edu /pub/emulators/apple2/DiskImages/
wuarchive.wustl.edu ($) /systems/apple2
(+) Files on brownvm.brown.edu are stored by serial number. For a human-
readable directory, send e-mail with the text "INDEX APPLE2-L" to
LISTSERV@brownvm.brown.edu.
($) This sign marks the "major" sites--those with especially large and
diverse collections.
(@) This sign indicates "small" sites--each site so marked has only one
or two Apple-related files.
(?) Did not answer ping requests
Archives of C.S.A2 Newsgroups:
===============================
wuarchive.wustl.edu /usenet/comp.sources.apple2 (complete!)
/usenet/comp.binaries.apple2
ftp.tohoku.ac.jp /pub/news/comp.binaries.apple2
hp4nl.nluug.nl /pub/newsarchive/comp/sources/apple2 (incomplete)
mcsun.eu.net /pub/newsarchive/comp/sources/apple2 (incomplete)
nic.funet.fi /pub/archive/comp.sources.apple2 (complete?)
relay.cs.toronto.edu /pub/lists.1989 (1989 only)
FTP: watsun.cc.columbia.edu /kermit/a (the OFFICIAL source for Kermit)
Non-USENET readers wanting files should look at the e-mail addresses in the
"What is comp.sys.apple2" section. Or try finding archives thru gopher
(i.e.
umich).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#5 How can I find a particular program? :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
There is a program called archie that allows you to search many archives
quickly. Look for the program 'archie' or 'xarchie' at your site, or (if
you
are on the internet) you can telnet (login as archie) to:
archie.rutgers.edu 128.6.18.15 (Rutgers University)
archie.unl.edu 129.93.1.14 (University of Nebraska in Lincoln)
archie.ans.net 147.225.1.2 (ANS archie server)
archie.mcgill.ca 132.206.2.3 (Canada server, original archie site)
archie.au 139.130.4.6 (Australian server)
archie.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 (European server in Finland)
archie.doc.ic.ac.uk 146.169.11.3 (UK/England server)
archie.wide.ad.jp 133.4.3.6 (Japanese server)
###################################################
# Q#6 What archivers do I need to know about? #
###################################################
:::::::::::::::::::
: Q#7 BinSCII :
:::::::::::::::::::
BinScii converts binary files to text files and back. Binary files contain
pictures, computer programs, etc. Text files usually contain human
readable
text (like this file), but a BinSCII file just looks like a jumble of
letters
and symbols. A BinScii text file is larger than the original binary file.
Binscii is needed to transfer programs across the network when there is no
binary mode (like the Usenet newsgroups and e-mail).
When turning a binary file into text, BinSCII will output a series of
files.
Each file contains a segment of the original program encoded in BinSCII
format. These segments are small enough to be posted or e-mailed without
clogging the network. (Actually, they are usually posted 3 at a time to
save
bandwidth).
When re-creating a binary file from the BinScii segments, all one has to do
is
collect ALL the segments and run them through BinScii. Each segment has a
header that tells BinScii which segment it is. BinScii is intelligent
enough
to wade through all extraneous text (i.e. newsgroup headers, etc) and find
the segments. It does not matter what order the segments are in, and the
segments can be in different files. The only thing you have to remember is
that BinScii does not check to see if ALL of the segments have been
accounted
for. If there are segments missing, the program will not work, or more
likely you will get a 'file corrupted' error when unshrinking.
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/archivers/binscii.exe
GS users can use GSCII+, an NDA version of Binscii. GSCII+ can also
encode/decode several other formats.
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/gs/archivers/gscii.bsc
[ Note that most files on the network are NuFX archives that have been
BinSCII'ed so they can be posted. After running Binscii, you will still
need
to run ShrinkIt on the resulting file.]
For those of us on Unix boxes who are able to transfer binary files to our
Apple ][, SciiBin can reduce the time spend downloading. It is a
decode-only
version of BinSCII written in C. The idea is that you compile this on your
Unix box, and run your BinScii files from comp.binaries.apple2 through it.
It
will re-create the original (smaller) file. This works great if there is a
NuFX archive in the BinSCII file, but can cause problems if BinSCII was
applied directly to ProDos executable files. (Unix has no way of storing
the
ProDos file type and aux type of a file, so they simply get lost. See the
section on filetypes.
FTP: wuarchive.wustl.edu /?
If you need a Unix BinSCII encoder, Bsc will do the trick. The source code
is
in "Apple archive format".
FTP: cco.caltech.edu /pub/apple2/source/bsc.aaf ?
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/unix/bsc.aaf
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#8 ShrinkIt and NuFX archives :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ShrinkIt is an Apple II program which takes one or more Apple II ProDOS
files
or disks and 'archives' them into a single file (called a NuFX archive).
It
also stores all the vital ProDos information, such as filetype and auxtype.
Usually these files are denoted by putting a ".SHK" extension on the
archive.
ShrinkIt can also shrink an entire disk into a file (extension ".SDK"), but
this is only used when the disk is not ProDos. ShrinkIt is also a menu
driven utility that compresses/extracts, but also formats disks, copies
files, etc. ShrinkIt can also extract programs with Binary II headers, and
files in BLU archives.
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/archivers/shrinkit.3.3.exe.bsc
GShk is a version of ShrinkIt for GS computers. This is even more of a
wonder
utility in that it extracts many different archive types (Unix compress, PC
Arc, Mac StuffIt, Apple Single). Files encoded with GShk are usually
smaller
than those encoded with ShrinkIt, but can still be extracted with ShrinkIt
(except files with resource forks).
ShrinkIt+ and UnShrinkIt+ are programs for the Apple II+ that allow an
Apple
II+ user to create NuFX archives and extract from them. Autounshrink is a
NuFX extractor that attempts to recover from errors within an NuFX file.
:::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#9 Executioner :
:::::::::::::::::::::::
Executioner was the standard program previous to BinSCII for converting
Apple
II files into text to be mailed/posted. It is no longer considered the
standard for most transferals of Apple II binary files. Presently,
Executioner is typically only used to distribute BinSCII. Some older files
in the various archives may also be encoded with this program. Many of them
will not work under ProDos.
To translate an Executioner text file to an Apple II file required that you
delete the mail headers/trailers, translated the newlines into carriage
returns, download the file to your Apple II and from Applesoft Basic, type
the command 'EXEC <filename>' where <filename> is the name of the file you
downloaded.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#10 Apple Archive Format (aaf) :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Apple Archive Format was invented as a standard way to post source code to
comp.sources.apple2. The C and Basic source code to aaf unpackers are
available on the various FTP sites, in aaf format. Fortunately, files in
aaf
format can be turned back into source code with a simple text editor. Just
break the file up into component files and remove the first character of
each
line.
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/unix/?.aaf
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#11 Net standard formats :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
There are several formats that are used widely on the Internet. The most
common in FTP sites are tar (.tar) and compress (.Z). To undo a Tape
Archive,
type 'tar -xvf filename.tar'. To undo a compress, type 'uncompress
filename.Z'. Since tar does not make the file smaller, and compress can
only
compress 1 file, many times you will find files that are 'tarred an
feathered'. They have a '.tar.Z' extension. Just run uncompress then
un-tar
the result.
To distribute binaries on the net, most other groups use uuencode (c.b.a2
uses
BinSCII). To return them to normal, type 'uudecode filename'. Note that
uuencoded things were not meant to be split up and posted, so when getting
multiple parts, you will have to paste them together and run them through
uudecode. (BinSCII is a lot smarter, that's why we use it on c.b.a2.)
BinSCII is better because 1) It stores the ProDos filetype, etc. 2) It
splits the file into 12K chunks, 3) It does a CRC checksum on each chunk.
Most of these 'Unix' standard formats are available on the Apple. For
example, ShrinkIt GS will uncompress files, there is a uudecode for the
//e,
and Tar is available as a GS shell executable.
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/util/dearc.?
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#12 A quick note about ProDos filetypes :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
ProDos keeps some information about a file's type. Files can be text
(TXT),
binary (BIN), executable (SYS), fonts (FON), etc. Most other file systems
do
not have a place to store this information, so it may get 'lost' when you
upload the file. Similarly, when you download a file, you may not know the
file type. Most comm programs will use some default. For NuFX archives,
this
is not a big deal, since you can still unpack an archive if the filetype is
wrong (and the archive stores the filetype of the files inside the
archive).
For other files, you may need to change the file's type. One utility I
recommend is File Attribute Zapper II.
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/util/fazz.2.3.bsq
Program Format Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nulib v3.21 C Andy McFadden (fadden@uts.amdahl.com)
SciiBin v3.10 C Marcel Mol, Dave Whitnet, Bruce Kahn
Bsc v1.2 C Neil Parker
Executioner A Glen Bredon
BinSCII v1.0.3 A David Whitney (davewh@microsoft.com)
ShrinkIt v3.3 A Andy Nicholas (shrinkit@apple.com)
(Un)ShrinkIt+ A Andy Nicholas (shrinkit@apple.com)
AutoUnShrink A Andy Nicholas (shrinkit@apple.com)
GShk v1.1 G Andy Nicholas (shrinkit@apple.com)
GSCII+ 2.3.1 G Darek Taubert (dat33228@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu)
Format:
C - Distributed as source code written in C.
A - Executable, runs on most Apple //s.
G - Executable, runs on GS only.
|Type| NuFX | Bin | uuen-| com- |.ZOO | Bin | LZH/| Stuff| ARC |
Other|
Program | | | SCII | code | press | | Hex | LHA | -It | |
|
--------|-|------|------|------|-------|-----|-----|-----|------|-----|-----
-|
Binscii |e| | X | | | | | | | |
|
Shrinkit|e| X | | | | | | | | |
|
DeArc |e| | | | | | | | | D |
|
Angel[1]|e| | | | X | X | | X | | X |
ZIP |
GShk |g| X | | | D | D | | | D | D |
|
GSCII+ |g| | X | X | | | D | | | |
AAF |
sscii |x| | X | X | | | X | | | |
|
PMPUnzip|x| | | | | | | | | |
ZIP |
LHext |x| | | | | | | D? | | |
|
BSC |c| | E | | | | | | | |
|
Nulib |c| X | | | | | | | | |
|
SciiBin |c| | D | | | | | | | |
|
(Key: E = Encode only, D = Decode only, X = Encode and Decode)
(Type: e = Apple //e, g = GS Only, x = GS EXE file, c = C Source code)
[1] Angel is pretty Buggy, but it's worth a try.
#############################################
# Q#13 What do the file extensions mean? #
#############################################
Many times, people put filename extensions (extra characters at the end of
a
filename) to denote what type of file it is. Please note that these are
just
accepted standards. If a file does not indicate it's type, see the section
on file formats. The following is a table of some common filename
extensions. See the section on archivers for programs that will deal with
these files.
Extension What is it? (What program do I use?)
--------- ---------------------------------------------------------------
.aaf [TEXT] Apple Archive Format for source code (aaf.unpacker)
.ACU Applelink Conversion Utility (Shrinkit)
.ARC ARC Archive (IBM ARC, GS Shrinkit, //e Angel or DeArc2E)
.CPT Compactor Pro archive (Compactor Pro on a Mac only)
.BSC BinScii file. [TEXT] (BinScii)
.BSQ BinSCII'ed NuFX file. [TEXT] (BinScii, Shrinkit on the result)
.BXY NuFX archive with a Binary II header. (Shrinkit)
.BNY BLU archive. (Shrinkit)
.BQY NuFX or Binary II with BLU header. (Shrinkit)
.BNX NuFX with BLU header. (Shrinkit)
.exe Executioner file [TEXT]. May only work in DOS 3.3.
.GIF Graphics Interchange Format: Compressed picture.
(IIGIF for //e, many programs for all other computers)
.HQX Mac BinHex file. [TEXT] (BinHex on Mac or GSCII+)
.JPG Newer graphics format. (only Unix/IBM/etc viewers)
.JPEG Newer graphics format. (only Unix/IBM/etc viewers)
.LZH LZH Archive (IBM/Amiga LZH program, //e Angel)
.LHA LHA Archive (IBM/Amiga LZH program, //e Angel)
.QQ BLU archive. (Shrinkit)
.SEA Self-extracting archive (Might be Mac, Might be Shrinkit archive)
.SIT Mac StuffIt archive. (Stuffit on Mac or GS ShrinkIt)
GS Shrinkit will not decode StuffIt Deluxe files.
.SHK NuFX archive. (Shrinkit)
.SDK NuFX with a shrunk disk image. (Shrinkit)
.tar Unix Tape Archive (Unix tar [with -xvf option, GS EXE tar])
.txt [TEXT] An ASCII text file: usually english text.
.TIFF Graphics format (GS SHR Convert)
.uu Unix uuencode file [TEXT] (//e uudecode, Unix uudecode)
.ZOO IBM Zoo Archive (GS Shrinkit or IBM ZOO program, //e Angel)
.ZIP IBM Zip Archive (GS EXE Unzip, IBM PKUNZIP, Unix unzip, //e Angel)
.Z Compressed file (GS Shrinkit, Unix uncompress, //e Angel)
All of these types, except the ones marked [TEXT] are BINARY files. Binary
files cannot be sent over e-mail, posted to the newsgroups or FTP'd in text
mode. You must FTP them in binary mode (see the section on FTP). You can
also download them using kermit, X-,Y- or Z-Modem.
Generally, anything labeled as 'Archive' above will contain multiple files,
and even subdirectories. Most archives are also in compressed format.
Sometimes you will find multiple filename extensions. Simply take the
filename extensions apart one at a time and you should be able to
reconstruct
the original file. (i.e. somefile.bsq.tar.Z would mean: uncompress, untar,
unbinscii, then unShrink to get the original file!)
####################################################
# Q#14 How do I tell what kind of file this is? #
####################################################
Here is a simple guide to help you identify a file. You should always go
by
filename extension first, but not everybody uses those. In Unix, you can
use
the 'head' command to look at the first couple of lines of a file. If it
turns out to be a binary file, you may be in for a surprise. You may want
to
use the Unix 'file' command to find out if it is a text file or not first.
Once you have identified the file, see the section on filename extensions
for
how to deal with it.
If there are lines in the file that look like this (there can be other text
before it--search for 'FiLeStArT'):
FiLeStArTfIlEsTaRt
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789()
GBINSCII AQhmAAAAA8)4MIAI02DA9ARMQEDtAQhmAIVZ
gYITA6u7xADA0MjM3YTNBlDOENkQwYURzITM2UDN5gzNDJUQGVERyEDM1QzM4cjN
CFUOFR0QxAjR0MjM3YTNBlDOENkQwAQRzITM2UDN5gzNDJUQGVERyEDM1QzM4cjN
..
then you've got something encoded by BinSCII. You must decode _all_ the
parts
using BinSCII before attempting to extract using ShrinkIt.
On the other hand, if you have a binary file which resembles:
NuFilei][![/#NuFX_<:c[[[ H`F-fGSCII~[
cRJ0)fNN^P)3'A2p6SF6X#GPd<9#'LC^08N7n\NB7Dd!eMN&eYX0Am=fXp
d@PAsp7rh`I'NS0ALAfi2)2ysGEQ$k9CP%L9
...
then you have a NuFX file (note the key words NuFile and NuFX). You should
be
able to extract the files it contains using ShrinkIt.
On the third hand, if you have a text file which resembles:
begin 666 nonsense.bny
M4W5N3U,@4F5L96%S92 T+C$@\%-$4U0V,"D@(S@Z(%1U92!/8W0@.2 Q,CHS
M...3HT.2!%1%0@,3DY, HT
then you have a uuencoded file.
On another hand, if you have a text file which begins with
(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)
:$&4)48C28N0&,P009!"6593K8dP8)3%!!!#L@!!!!!!Qie009#%!!3!!SPKb6'&
e!3!!!!!!!!!#!!P8D'8J4QpbBf9P)IN33)(4$N#"d4K!JG%S!!!!!`!'VfJ!"VP
then you have a BinHex file. The GSCII+ NDA by Derek Taubert decodes BinHex
files on an Apple IIGS. You can also use a variety of macintosh programs to
do the decoding. There is also a Unix implementation of BinHex called
mcvert.
On one more hand, if you have a text file which resembles:
CALL-151
E00:38 A5 FF D0 32 D8 20 8E FD AD 30 BF 8D 6A 0E 20 00 BF C7 6D 0E 0D 80 02
E18:D0 1D 20 00 BF C5 69 0E B0 15 AD 81 02 29 0F AA E8 8E 80 02 A9 2F 8D 81
and more lines like that, followed by a bunch of lines that look like:
A90885A420732090242039FB2058FCA200BD9220F00620EDFDE8D0F5200CFDA9
008DF2038DF3038DF4036CFCFFE6A4A5A4C96F90CFA9008DFCBFA9018DFDBFA0
A90885A420732090242039FB2058FCA200BD9220F00620EDFDE8D0F5200CFDA9
then you have an Executioner file.
======================================================================
This FAQ is available on-line at apple2.archive.umich.edu (see FTP)
CopyLeft 1994 by Dan DeMaggio. Non-profit distribution encouraged.
Mail me at: dmag@umich.edu
--
dmag@umich.edu | When laws are outlawed, | Ono-Sendai: the best
Dangerous Dan | only outlaws will have laws. | Sim Stim decks
--
dmag@umich.edu | When laws are outlawed, | Ono-Sendai: the best
Dangerous Dan | only outlaws will have laws. | Sim Stim decks
Archive-name: apple2/part2
Last-modified: 08 Sep 1994
Version: 4.01
################################
# Q#15 What is an Apple II? #
################################
:::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#16 The Apple I :
:::::::::::::::::::::::
The orignial Apple was not much more than a board. You had to supply your
own
keyboard, monitor and case. It sold for $666.66, but now they are worth
much
more as a collector's item.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#17 The Apple ][ and Apple ][+ :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The computers that started the Apple II line. They have the 6502, ability
to
do High and Low rez color graphics, sound, plus they have 7 expansion slots
to add peripherials. Surprisingly, the ][+ can run some of today's
software.
For instance, I've run Davex and FredWriter under ProDOS. You can even run
AppleWorks if you have more than 128K and a program called PlusWorks.
Recommended configuration: 16K language card (in slot 0 with a ribbon cable
running to the RAM), an 80-column video card (not the same as a //e
80-column
card), shift key modification (a wire running from shift key to game port),
modified character ROMs to do lower case. You can add memory in various
ways,
but programs that require 128K probably will not work, no matter how much
RAM
you have. You can also add accelerators like the Rocket/Zip.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#18 The Apple //e :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::
The //e comes in two flavors: Enhanced and Unenhanced. Apple makes an
Enhancement kit that will upgrade an unenhanced to enhanced by replacing 4
chips (CPU [65C02], Video ROM [MouseText], and new Monitor/Applesoft ROMs).
Most current software require an Enhanced //e, and sometimes 128K too. The
current operating system is ProDos (Version 2.0 or so). The Apple //e is
still useful for three major reasons: 1) It runs AppleWorks, a simple to
use,
yet sophisticated Spreadsheet/Word Processor/Database. 2) There are many
Apples in schools, so there is a ton of educational software for it. 3) It
is
was and will always be a _Personal_ computer. You can learn as little or
as
much as you want, and nothing stops you from learning about every nook and
cranny in it. Ask any big name programmer in MS/DOS or Mac where they
learned
to program. Most of them taught themselves on a good ol' Apple //. Good
programs for an Apple //e: AppleWorks 4.0 (Spreadsheet/Word
Processor/Database from Quality Computers), Copy ][+ (file utility from
Central Point), ProTerm 3.0 (communications/terminal emulator from InSync),
PrintShop (sign/card/banner printer from Broderbund).
Recommended configuration: Extended 80 Column card (gives you 128K) or
RamWorks (512K to 1MB RAM). Enhancement kit if it was an Unenhanced //e. A
Hard Drive is reccommended if you use a lot of different programs. You can
also speed it up with an accelerator (like the Rocket Chip, Zip Chip or
TransWarp).
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#19 The Apple //C and IIC+ :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The //c and //c+ are 'luggable' versions of an Enhanced //e, with many
built-in 'cards'. Included are 2 serial ports, a mouse port, a 3.5" disk
port
and 128K of RAM. The //C+ has a built-in accelerator that runs at 4 MHz.
Even
though they don't have slots, you can still add extra memory (there's room
under the keyboard) and a hard drive (through the disk port--a bit slow by
ordinary standards, but usable. (Hard to find though.. Was made by
Chinook).
The //c and //C+ run just about everything that an Enhanced //e runs. The
//C
and //C+ cannot connect to an AppleTalk network.
Recommended configuration: 1 MB RAM, 3.5" drive, maybe a Hard drive.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#20 The Laser 128EX :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
While not made by Apple, this clone is a cross between the //c and an
Enhanced
//e. It is as luggable as a //c and has built-in 'cards', and an
accelerator. It also has a slot to expand. If you want to add a card, you
may have to disable the internal UDC (for 3.5" drives) or the internal 1MB
memory expansion. Runs almost everything that the //c and //e runs.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#21 The Apple IIGS :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The GS represents a giant leap in the Apple // line. It can still run //e
software, but has a better processor (16-bit), a new super-hires graphics
mode, a toolbox in ROM (just like the Mac) and a 32 oscillator Ensoniq
sound
chip. It can not only run ProDos, but it can also run GS/OS, a
sophisticated
operating system very much like the Macintosh's OS. The original GS ROM 00
(I
think they all have the Woz signature) must have several chips upgraded to
boot/run current software. The ROM 01 had 256K on the motherboard, while
the
ROM 03 has 1 MB. Although there were a few ROM changes, the current system
software will work patch the toolbox ROMs to look identical.
Recommended configuration: 1.25 MB lets you boot up GS/OS and and use most
programs. With 2 MB, you will have room for Desk Accessories. Go for 4 MB
if
you want a RAM disk (useful if you don't have a hard drive) or do a lot of
Graphics work. Adding a hard drive is highly recommended. You can also
speed
it up with a TransWarp GS or Zip GS.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#22 The Apple ][e Emulation Card :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
This is a card that fits in certian Macs that lets one run Apple //e
software.
It is actually more like a //c because the card is not expandable like a
//e.
There is a place on the back of the card to plug in a UniDisk 5.25" and a
joystick. Because the graphics are handled by the Mac, animation may be
slow
if you don't have a decent Mac.
#################################################
# Q#23 Some Common Questions (with answers!) #
#################################################
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#24 Info about A2's: :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Q#25 What is 8 bit and 16 bit?
A: That indicates how big the chunks of data are that the CPU can
manipulate.
The Apple IIGS is a 16-bit machine and all previous Apple ]['s are 8-bit.
This is one of the reasons you cannot run GS software on a //e.
Q#26 How can I tell what version my computer is?
A: Apple //e: The major division is between the Enhanced and unenhanced
models. Look at your computer while re-booting. If it says "APPLE ][",
it
is not enhanced. The enhanced computers will say "Apple //e". You can
upgrade
it yourself by getting the Apple //e Enhancement kit. (It contains 4 chips
to
replace on your motherboard.) Many newer programs will not work unless
you
have an Enhanced //e. If you have a //c or GS, or a Laser 128, you have
Enhanced //e compatibility. There are also some older //e's that are not
capable of double-hires. Check the serial number on the motherboard (in
the
back, by the power-on led). If it is 820-0064-A, you must change the
motherboard to upgrade (unless you have the PAL version). Serial #s like
820-0064-B or 820-0087-A are the plain //e, and the version with the grey
case comes pre-Enhanced.
Apple //GS: There are 3 major versions of the GS: Check the initial
power-up
screen. It will say ROM 01, ROM 03. If it does not say either, you have
the
Original (Woz Signature edition). You must upgrade it in order to run
current system software. The ROM 01 has 256K on the motherboard, while the
ROM 03 has 1 MB on the motherboard. All the enhancements of the ROM 03
(except the 1MB, of course) can be added to the ROM 01 simply by booting up
with current system software.
Apple //c: Go into Basic and type "PRINT PEEK (64447)" and press return.
If
it says 255, you have a very old //c. See your dealer about getting an
upgrade (tell them that the Apple authorization number is ODL660). If it
says
0, you can do 3.5" drives, but you don't have the memory expansion
connector.
If it says 3 You have the memory expansion. If it says 4, you have the
latest model of the //c. If it says 5, you have a //c+.
Q#27 What programming languages are available for the Apple ][?
A: Larry W. Virden maintains The Apple II Programmer's Catalog of
Languages
and Toolkits. It's archived on several FTP sites. (The main one first)
FTP: idiom.berkeley.ca.us /pub/compilers-list/AppleIICatalog.[version]
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu
/apple2/misc/textfiles/programming.languages.[version].txt
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#28 Adding Hardware: :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Q#29 Can the Apple II connect to SCSI devices?
A: Yes. See the section on SCSI in this FAQ.
Q#30 Can I use Macintosh Monitors or 3.5" drives with my ][?
A: In general, no. Apple's 3.5" drive has logic to sense which machine it
is
hooked up to (Apple II or Macintosh) and it works accordingly. Most 3rd
party
drives don't bother to put in Apple II support in their drives. The Mac
monitors cannot be used with the ][ line, not even the GS. Some may work
if
you hook them up to a UDC instead of an Apple 3.5" card. Old style Mac 800k
drives are very slow.
Q#31 Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple //e?
A: Yes, all the above connections have regular serial or parallel
connections.
The tricky part is getting them to do what you want. The DeskJet, for
example will print very nice looking text with regular old "PR#1". But if
you want to change the font or print graphics, you may have to purchase
some
software. One excellent program for these types of printers is PublishIt
4.
You won't believe the output you can get from a //e. For AppleWorks fans,
there is the program called SuperPatch. Among it's patches is a cool
DeskJet 500 printer driver. You can print sideways, and change fonts with
normal AppleWorks commands. The Deskjet driver is built in to AW 4.0.
Q#32 Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple IIGS?
A: On the GS, you can hook up a LaserWriter via AppleTalk or direct serial
connection. A GS program can typically print to a LaserWriter if it's
connected to the GS via AppleTalk. If you get a DeskJet, or PaintJet, etc,
you can hook them up via the serial port. But in order to use them
effectively, you will want Harmony from Vitesse (better) or Independence
(cheaper) from Seven Hills. They are new printer drivers for GS/OS
programs
only. If you want to print from an 8-bit program, see the previous
question.
Q#33 Can I hook up a scanner up to my //e? Can it do OCR?
A: Yes and Yes. (OCR stands for Optical Character Recognition -- the
ability
to convert a scan into text) Just pick up a Quickie scanner (by Vitesse)
and
InWords (by WestCode Software). You can scan 4" columns (you must have
512K
to 1 Meg) and can even paste them together to make 8" scans. Then you can
use InWords to "read" text and put it into a text file or AppleWorks Word
Processor file.
Q#34 Can a Disk ][ be used on a GS smartport?
A: Yes. Call Jameco Electronics (Phone: 1-800-831-4242) S20 PIN HEADER TO
DB19-PIN CONNECTOR MODULE ADAPTS II/II+ DRIVES FOR APPLE IIC. PART NO:
10022
PRODUCT NO.: AAM APPLE IIC ADAPTER $3.95
Q#35 What's the scoop on the new HD 3.5" drive?
A: In order to do High Density on the Apple //, you will need both the High
Density 3.5" drive and the new Apple 3.5" controller. If you don't have
both,
you will only be able to do regular density. Of course, you will also need
High Density Disks.
Once you have collected the above items, you are in for a pleasant
surprise.
ProDos 8 programs not only recognize it, but most programs format and
recognize HD disks just fine. You can even boot off of a HD disk, allowing
plenty of room for GS/OS Desk Accessories and such.
There are a few drawbacks: You cannot boot copy-protected software or (or
some
FTA demos.) You can't daisy-chain a 5.25" of a HD card. Also, it takes up
a
slot, even on the GS.
Q#36 I want a Y-adapter for my GS keyboard.
A: Redmond Cable has an ADB Y-connector cable for separating your mouse
from
the side of your keyboard (also can be used to work around a failing ADB
port
on the keyboard). See the 'Resources' section of this FAQ.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#37 File Transfer: :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Q#38 How can I transfer stuff to/from and IBM/Mac?
A: Here's a summary: [Note that you can always do transfers by modem or
Null
Modem]
Q#39 File transfer: Apple //e ---> Macintosh
< Apple File Exchange (comes with Mac system software) allows you to copy
to/from ProDos (3.5") disks.
< There's the IIe Emulation Card that fits into the LC, LC II, LC III,
Performa 400 and the Color Classic. The card has a port for a 5.25" drive,
from which you could copy things to/from the Mac.
< The ProDos File System Manager is an init (available via FTP) that
allows
you to use ProDos 3.5" disks as if they were normal Mac disks. [You will
have
to download the entire disk to get that one file.]
FTP: ftp.apple.com /aii/lc.iiecard /
< A //e to Imagewriter cable can function as a null-modem to connect
serial
ports. Use communication software on both ends.
Q#40 File transfer: Apple //e <--- Macintosh
< The programs A2FX and HFSLink will allow you to read Mac disks in a
regular
3.5" Apple //e drive. They don't work with High Density disks though.
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/util/a2fx.8.bsq
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/util/hfslink.b3.bsq
< See Mac -> //e question about null-modems
Q#41 File transfer: Apple //e ---> IBM
< If the computers are close enough, get a null-modem cable and
communication
software with file-transfer capability for both computers.
< See below about CrossWorks.
< Also, see the question on the CTI drive.
Q#42 File transfer: Apple //e <--- IBM
< See below about CrossWorks.
< If you have a new Apple High Density 3.5" Drive and High Density 3.5"
controller card, then you can use the program MSDOSCOPY (via FTP) to read
IBM
disks. (I'm not sure if this does high density IBM Disks or not.)
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/util/nsdos.cnvt.bsq
< Also, see the question on the CTI drive.
Q#43 File transfer: Apple IIGS ---> Macintosh
< See above for //e to Mac, or below for Mac to GS
Q#44 File transfer: Apple IIGS <--- Macintosh
< GS/OS 6.0 will read and write Mac disks just fine if you have the HFS
FST
installed. (See the resources section for info on how to get GS/OS)
< Note that you want to read high density (HD) disks, you will need BOTH
the
Apple HD 3.5" drive AND the HD 3.5" Drive Controller Card.
< See also notes about null-modem above
Q#45 File transfer: Apple IIGS ---> IBM
< The Applied Engineering PC Transporter has a utility to copy files from
MS/DOS to/from ProDos (regardless of disk size). Unfortunately, the PCT
often has problems and AE is unwilling to actively support the card.
< Also, see the question on the CTI drive.
< There is always null-modem cables. (see above)
Q#46 File transfer: Apple IIGS <--- IBM
< If you have a new Apple High Density 3.5" Drive and High Density 3.5"
controller card, then you can use GS/OS 6.0.1's MSDOS FST to read IBM 3.5"
disks. Note that Apple 5.25"s don't have the hardware to read/write IBM
5.25"
disks.
< Also, see the question on the CTI drive.
< There is always null-modem cables. (see above)
Q#47 What's the CTI Drive?
A: The CTI drive allows you to hook up IBM 3.5" and 5.25" disk drives (no
High
Density support yet) to your Apple II. [IBM drives are cheaper] Some
software
is included to read MS/DOS disks on your Apple. Otherwise, ProDos and GS/OS
recognize them like normal drives. See CTI's address in the resources
section. Also see SSH systems in the resource section.
Q#48 How about hooking up cheap IDE Hard Drives?
A: There's a card called Turbo IDE, does DMA, is as fast as a RamFAST SCSI
card. Contact J.LANGE7@genie.geis.com for details like technical specs,
pricing, and S/H procedure.
Q#49 How do I USE stuff I have transferred to/from an IBM/Mac?
A: In general, only certian types of files can be usefully transferred
back-and-forth between computers. One thing that you CANNOT do is run
programs designed for another type of computer. But often you can transfer
data files between similar programs (Spreadsheets) on different platforms.
Here are some pointers:
One helpful hint is that all computers can read text files. Most word
processors can save your file as text and import as text. But with text
files, you will loose all your formatting (font type, centering and
so-forth). For spreadsheets, saving as DIF will make conversion a breeze.
Databases can be saved as tab-delimited records. (Note that in AppleWorks,
you have to go to Print to save in these formats). Look for options like
"Import" or "Export" (or "Save As" in the Mac world).
If you want to do better, there are several options available. A commercial
program called MacLinkPlus can do some conversions. Some Claris programs
do
conversions automagically. Also, AFE can convert between some kinds of
documents (For example AppleWorks Word Processor to MsWorks) if you have
the
right translator.
FTP: sumex-aim.stanford.edu /info-mac/util/afe-appleworks-msworks.hqx
For IBM folk,The CrossWorks program can convert between many Apple and IBM
formats, and even comes with a universal null modem cable. Alternately, If
you use AppleWorks a lot, you can get SuperWorks for the IBM, a clone of
AppleWorks. It can import AppleWorks files directly. For graphics,
SuperConvert can convert between all Apple-specific graphics formats and
many
Mac, Amiga and IBM specific formats. It can also save as GIF, which is a
universal standard.
Q#50 How do I get cool Mac Icons and fonts onto my GS?
A: Find the program "Resource Spy"
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /pub/apple2/gs/util/resource.spy.bsq
Q#51 What programs are there for conversion of graphic images?
A: There are quite a few:
> IIGIF is a freeware GIF converter for any Apple II (but there is a
patch
needed for the Apple //c). It reads in GIF and saves as hires or
double-hires.
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/graphics/iigif.bsc
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/graphics/iic.patch.for.iigif
> MACDOWN is also freeware and lets you do the same with MacPaint pics.
> A ProDos 8 version of The Graphics Exchange (don't know much about it).
[The following software only work on an Apple IIGS]
> The Graphics Exchange converts between many formats of graphics.
> Prizm v1.0 Converts .GIFs, Amiga IFFs, Raw Files, and some other types
to
Greyscale (very fast), 16 colors, 256 colors, and 3200 colors! Size
of
picture limited by availabe RAM (Avail from Big Red Computer Club, ~$40)
> SuperConvert loads all GS formats, plus GIFS and other non-GS specific
formats and saves in all GS formats (including Finder Icon files). It has
more dithering options than most of the other programs, but you may have to
play with it to find the best one.
> SHRConvert is the earlier, shareware, predecessor to SuperConvert. It
does
a pretty good job on the types of graphics it supports.
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/gs/graphics/shrconvert.2.1.bsq
> Platinum Paint is a commercial program that can import all GS formats
plus
MacPaint. It can only save in SHR and Apple Preferred. Version 2.0 can make
Animations too!
> ShowPic 6 is a shareware NDA that can display most GS formats. You can
also save the resulting graphic as a IIGS SHR painting.
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/gs/gsos/nda/showpic.6.0.bsq
> Dream Grafix supports all 3200 color picture types and also 16 color and
256 color pictures. This is a very impressive commercial paint program with
its 3200 color support.
Note: 'All GS formats' includes Superhires (type $C1 and $C0), hires,
double-hires and PrintShop/PrintShop GS.
Q#52 I have an old CPM / PASCAL / DOS 3.3 disk. How do I get it into
ProDos?
A: The //e system software, the DOS3.3 FST (GS/OS System 6), and Copy ][+
can
all convert Dos 3.3 files into ProDos. This is only helpful for text files,
graphics, and some Basic programs. For ProDos, CPM, Pascal, Dos 3.3, try
the
program Chameleon. It's only drawback is that it does not recognize hard
disks. (just use a temporary ProDos floppy disk)
FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/util/chameleon.bsq
Q#53 How do you copy from a 5.25" disk to 3.5" disk?
A: ProDos has no problems with this, as long as you copy by files. Note
that
ProDos can only have 51 files in the main directory. If you try to exceed
that, it will give you a cryptic 'Disk Full' error. If there really is
space
left on the disk, you can copy all the files into a subdirectory to get
around the 51-file limit. In theory, you can put an unlimited number of
files in a Subdirectory, but in practice, you should limit them to a few
hundred.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#54 Strange problems: :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Q#55 How do I get out of Basic (that little "]" prompt and flashing
cursor?
A: Type the word "BYE" and press return. Now get out the Apple manual 'A
Touch of BASIC' and read it.
Q#56 What are the problems with GSCII?
A: GSCII is a great program, but has two subtle problems: First, it won't
work
correctly if you extract to a HFS disk (so extract to a ProDOS disk). Also,
it won't set the size correctly on S16 files. This should only be a problem
when downloading Shrinkit GS. In that case, use BINSCII. The rest of the
time you will be extracting .SHK files, which don't care about extra bytes
at
the end.
Q#57 AppleWorks won't print to my printer. What gives?
A: AppleWorks will refuse to print to a slot that has a disk device. In
the
past, this worked well because if you try to print to a slot that has a
disk
controller in it, you will re-boot. But now, this can cause problems when
a
disk device is 'mapped' into your printer slot (due to a limitation in
ProDos, you can only have 2 drives per slot. Extra partitions on your hard
drive will be re-mapped to other slots). If you have a RamFast, you can
re-map the drives to different slots. Otherwise, (for AW 3.0) use this
patch:
POKE 768,128: POKE 769,10 and then BSAVE
APLWORKS.SYSTEM,TSYS,A$300,L2,B$AE3.
If you didn't understand that, e-mail me, or look into John Link's
SuperPatch
program, which includes many more patches.
Q#58 My GS control panel keeps resetting to the defaults and/or forgetting
the date.
A: It's probably your battery. If you have a ROM 03 GS, you just pop it
out
an get another. On the ROM 01, you will need a Slide-On Battery
Replacement
Kit from Night Owl Productions. See address in 'Resources' section.
Q#59 I'm getting Error XXX. What's it mean?
A: Some common errors and their cause:
ProDos Errors:
UNABLE TO LOAD PRODOS - You can't boot a disk unless it has ProDos and a
something.SYSTEM file on it
$27 I/O Error. Possibly a bad disk? Verify it with Prosel or Copy II
Plus
$44 Path not found (You gave an invalid directory name)
$45 Volume not found (you didn't type in the right disk name)
$46 File not found (you didn't type a valid filename)
GS/OS errors:
0911 Either your GS is overheating, or the ADB port is having problems
0301 Bad TransWarp
0308 see 8021
8020 Either random TransWarp, or SCSI (try using different SCSI
connector)
8021 If you get this at random times and you have a HS Apple SCSI, it's
probably a version conflict. Install the SCSI drivers from your
GS/OS
disk, not your HS Apple SCSI disk.
Q#60 Why does my Apple II lose characters when I'm using the modem?
A: Check the following: 1) Your software may need interrupts enabled.
Examine DIP Switch 2-6 on your Super Serial Card. 2) If you have an
unenhanced //e, you need to enhance your //e. 3) If you have a //c, it may
be one of the ones that had a serial port problem. Talk to your dealer
about
upgrading it for 2400 baud support.
Q#61 Where do I get support for AE boards now that they are closed?
A: Bruce BABB, ex-AE bench tech, is offering support out of his home for
customer support of AEUs boards. He also hints that another company is
opening that will sell many of the Apple II products the AE made. You can
reach Bruce via Email at 76004,1575 Compuserve or
76004.1575@compuserve.com
<internet>
Q#62 Is there a QWK reader for the Apple // E?
A: Yes, it's called 2qwk!. To use 2qwk! you must patch prodos to allow
filenames sent by MS-DOS machines. The beta version is available now on
grind and caltech.
###############################
# Q#63 System 6.0 mini-FAQ #
###############################
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#64 Common Problems :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Some programs are incompatible with CloseView. Symptoms are the mouse
wipes
out everything it moves over. Remove CloseView or inactivate it in the
system folder. May still cause troubles if active, but set to 'off'. See
GS
Technote #91.
EasyAccess is also incompatible with some applications, (especially on ROM
01). Symptoms are a locked keyboard, and not being able to reboot. Remove
it
or make it inactive.
Missing features of system 6? Perhaps you just used easy install, which
doesn't install all the bells and whistles. Try clicking on customize and
add the nifty things like Calculator, Find File, HFS FST, etc. You can
also
read the Shortcuts file on SystemTools2 for some great keyboard shortcuts.
Finder icons that match by name and have a leading wildcard require
uppercase
letters. For example, a name like "[star].txt" never matches, but
"[star].TXT" works fine (it matches regardless of a file's actual
capitalization). (This was accidental; the 5.0.4 Finder did not care about
capitalization in icon files.)
Two misconceptions about System 6: The A2.RAMCARD is not for the GS's
/RAM5.
It only works with "slinky" (i.e. standard slot) cards. Also, the DOS 3.3
FST has nothing to do with MS-DOS.
::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#65 Tips & Hints :
::::::::::::::::::::::::
The AppleShare logon programs have always looked for a folder named "Mail"
inside your user folder whenever you log onto a user volume. If there's
any
items in there, they present a dialog that says "You have mail." Under SSW
6.0, that also sends a SysBeep2 request so you can get the sound of your
choice.
If you don't want to see your icons on boot, set bit 1 (i.e. the 2nd LSB)
of
BRAM Location $5F. Be sure not to mess with the other bits. Use the
toolbox
calls!
The FinderExtras folder goes in the same folder as the Finder (generally
the
System folder).
If you don't like yellow folders in the Finder you can change the byte at
offset +65 in the Finder resource with type $C001 and ID 1. Change the $E0
to
whatever you want (the first digit is the default folder foreground color,
and the low nibble is for the outline color). Only folders that do not
already have a color recorded in a Finder.Data file get the default color.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#66 If you have a RamFast :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
The RamFast and ProDos 2.0.1 both try to do re-mapping of drives to unused
slots. This can cause problems, mostly when launching and returning from
ProDos 8 applications (crashes or wants you to insert disk). Solution:
Configure the RamFast not to re-map. If you have a RamFAST with a ROM
revision less than 2.01a, you need to get a newer ROM from CVT. Otherwise,
V2.01c allows setting Slot Priority Allocations to 0 which will let ProDos
deal with them. V3.0 allows you to choose between RamFast mapping (works
now) and ProDos 8 mapping. If you can't wait, you can Patch ProDos 2.0 not
to
re-map slots. Look for "10 BF C9 A5 D0 07" and change the $A5 to $00
(should
be byte $1A3 in the 5th block of the file). Hack at your own risk.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#67 If you have a Vulcan or AE High Density disk :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Due to problems with the Vulcan, when booting, it asks for your System
Disk.
Just put the Vulcan driver on your boot disk, boot it, and then launch the
installer. Alternately, put the driver on the installer disk and boot it.
(but you have to delete some of the installer scripts first) For the AE
High
Density Drive, be sure to remove Apple's 3.5" driver when putting on AE's.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#68 If you have ProSel :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Rename start to something else before running the installer, or else the
Finder won't be installed. Believe me, you don't want to miss out on Finder
6.0!
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#69 If you have an AMR 3.5" :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
If the computer hangs (mostly at the Standard File dialogue box) with no
disk
in the drive, try putting one in. What's happening is that GS is reading
the
status from the drive, and the drive won't return anything unless there is
a
disk in the drive. Just stick a disk in and all will be fine. If it
really
annoys you, either deactive the 3.5" driver (get IR so you can double-click
to re-activate it) or simply keep a disk in the drive at all times. This is
not a problem under ProDos 8.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#70 GSCII+ & HFS Note :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
There is a problem with the HFS FST, but only GSCII seems to be affected.
When de-binscii-ing files, put the output onto a ProDos volume, not an HFS
one.
[ Mega-thanks to Dave Lyons & friends for these. ]
########################################
# Q#71 What to do with an Apple ][? #
########################################
Q#72 What can you hook up to an Apple ][?
A: Hard Drives, Scanners, Video Digitizers, Laser Printers, Video Overlay
Cards, Tape backups, Inkjet Printers, 24 pin Dot Matrix Printers, EPROM
Burners, AppleTalk Networks, High Density 3.5" drives, serial cards,
parallel
cards, audio Digitizers, CP/M boards (Z-80 processor), an IBM-on-a-card,
9600
baud modems, D/A and A/D cards, joysticks, mice, graphics tablets, touch
screens, extended keyboards, track balls, several Megabytes of RAM,
Real-time
clocks, (cheap) IBM disk drives and of course, Users!
This list is by no means exhaustive: This is just what I personally have
done.
All of it is available NOW, and can be done on any Apple //e. In the very
near future, you will be able to hook up:
EitherTalk Networks, DSP boards, and cheap FAX modems.
Q#73 What can you do with an Apple ][?
A: As if the above weren't impressive, how about: Optical Character
recognition, Desktop publishing, Integrated Spread sheet, Database and Word
Processing, Interactive fiction adventure games, Arcade quality games,
Educational games, Programming, Telecommunications, Inventory, Accounting,
Money Management, and that's not even scratching the surface.
Q#74 What can the //e can "borrow" from other computers?
A: GS bitmapped fonts, Mac Disks, MacPaint pictures, GIF pictures, just
about
any Mac SCSI device (Hard Drives, Tape backup), Mac sounds?, many archive
formats (like uudecode), any serial device (EPROM burners, FAX modems,
mega-fast modems w/ MNP5), etc.
Q#75 What can the GS can "borrow" from other computers?
A: Mac bitmapped fonts, Mac Icons, Mac and Windows TrueType fonts, Mac
Disks,
Amiga Mod songs, MacPaint pictures, MacWrite documents, GIF pictures,
WordPerfect documents, just about any Mac SCSI or ADB device (including
Hard
Drives, Pen Mice, etc), Mac sounds, Many archive formats (.uu, .zip, .arc,
.sit, .hqx, etc), any serial device (EPROM burners, FAX modems, mega- fast
modems w/hardware MNP-5), etc.
If you are interested in doing any of the above, feel free to e-mail me
(dmag@umich.edu). Someday, maybe I'll fill in the specific software or
hardware you need to do any of the above. If you have any additions, let
me
know too!
######################################
# Q#76 Resources for the Apple II #
######################################
Listed below are some places to get information about the Apple II. You
should also try your local user group (and the user group library),
friends,
relatives, library, school, FTP sites, books, and etc. One good book is
"The
Whole Internet Users Guide & Catalog" by Ed Kroll, published by O'Reilly &
Associates Inc.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#77 Apple II Groups :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::
You can become an associate in the Apple Developer Program for $350 (for
Mac
and Apple II) or a mere $150 (for Apple II only) by calling 1-408-974-4897.
That gets you Develop magazine, Apple Technical notes, the Apple Developer
CD, discounts on Apple products, and more! If you want to license Apple
Software for distribution with your product you can get information by
calling 1-408-974-4667. (Note: You need a license to distribute Apple
System
Software, including ProDOS, and the Installer.)
USUS (Keith Frederick (Secretary), P.O. Box 1148, La Jolla, CA 92038) is an
international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting and
influencing
software standards to aid in the development of portable software. They
have
a large software library including a lot of source code (for almost every
language or computer).
NAUG, the National AppleWorks Users Group (313-454-1115, 313-454-1965 FAX,
615-359-8238 BBS) is a group devoted to that wonder program, AppleWorks.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#78 Getting Parts & Software :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Redmond cable (206-882-2009) makes and sells all sorts of custom cables.
Quality Computers (800-777-ENHAnce or 313-774-7200, 313-774-7740 Tech
Support,
313-774-2698 FAX) not only sells Apple II products, but maintains a list of
user groups and publishes an informative newsletter geared towards
educators
(called Enhance). They also published AppleWorks 4.0! To get a QC catalog
and
a free subscription to Enhance, just call! Contact QC (on GEnie),
QualityCom
(on AOL) or quality@pro-quality.cts.com.
Alltech (800-995-7773 orders, 619-721-2823 FAX, 619-721-7733 Technical
Support/inquiries) sells all kinds of replacement parts for Apple II's.
They
are also pretty knowledgable about the II. and inquiries)
Sun Remarketing (800-821-3221) also sells used Apples parts and books.
Parkhurst Micro Products (510-837-9098) sells ANSITerm, a GS-only
communications program that supports X/Y/Z-Modem (plus variants), Kermit,
VT-100, Color ANSI, and offers features like a text editor, a large
scrollback buffer, and macros.
Sequential Systems (800-759-4549 or 303-666-4549,800-999-1717 tech,
303-666-7797 BBS) announced software for the GS that will let you use many
(but not all) CD-ROMs. Audio, Still Pictures and searching text are
supported. Contact SEQUENTIAL@genie.geis.com
The Big Red Computer Club, (402-379-4680) or BRCC, (formerly the Big Red
Apple
Club, sells all kinds of good software that you can't get anywhere else.
(including discontinued games, etc.)
Chuck Orem (PO Box 1014, Benton City, WA, 99320-1014 USA) has a disk of all
the stuff you need to get your Apple II online. Talk to him for details
(corem@pro-greens.benton-city.wa.us).
Digisoft (digisoft@aol.com) has a CD called Golden Orchard that is full of
Apple II-specific programs. 18MB is accessable from 8-bit //e's, the rest
is
in HFS partitions that can be accessed with GS/OS System 6. Cost is around
$60.
Edlie Electronics (800-645-4722 or 516-735-3330) is selling "The ProDOS
User's
Kit". It seems to be your basic ProDOS operating system and a manual. I
doubt that it's a current version, but it's worth a look if you need ProDOS
on 5.25". Heck, for $1.95, you can't go wrong. [there is a minimum order,
and I have never tried it... Let me know if you try it.]
Washington Apple Pi (301-681-6136, 301-593-0024 BBS [7 bits, odd parity])
has
an extremely active Apple /// Special Interest Group. They have 250 PD
disks
and have funded a new revision of the OS. Contact 72457.2401@Compuserve.com
(Dave Ottalini).
Educational Resources (800-624-2926) sells educational programs for the II.
MECC (800-685-MECC) is a group of educators that grouped together and
started
making educational software available inexpensively.
The Cynosure BBS (410-549-2584 Settings: 8 data bits, No parity 1 stop bit,
up
to 14400 bps) has a license to distribute system Apple software (ProDos and
GS/OS). Contact dig@pro-cynosure.cts.com (Doug Granzow).
You can also get system software off of Apple Computer's FTP site. It is
maintained by DTS in their spare time. Thanks guys!
FTP: ftp.apple.com ./aii/sys.soft/
The Apple User Group Connection (800-538-9696 ext 500) can tell you the
closest Apple II (or Macintosh) User Group. (Check Quality Computers too..)
Resource-Central (913-469-6502, FAX: 913-469-6507) publishes an 8-page
monthly
newsletter. It's small but packed with information. It has technical
discussions and philosophical discussions. It is also available on disk,
with
many PD/SW programs each month. Resource Central also publishes many
monthly
disks, including ones for HyperStudio users, TimeOut users, HyperCard
users,
and probably others. All are on 3.5" disk only. They also have taken over
APDA's job of keeping the latest and greatest from Apple and some 3rd party
vendors. They have programming tools and manuals not available anywhere
else
(like the Video Overlay Card Development kit, Tool 35/SynthLab docs, etc).
Contact A2-CENTRAL, UNCLE-DOS, or DENNIS.DOMS on GEnie.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#79 Fun hardware add-ons :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
SSH Systems (Write to: SHH SYSTEME, Dipl. Ing. Joachim Lange, Bergstrasse
95,
82131 Stockdorf, Germany) is selling a card for your Apple that will allow
you to use cheap IBM drives for storage. Price is around $100. Contact
J.LANGE7@genie.geis.com.
Night Owl (913-362-9898) makes a slide-on battery for ROM 01 GS's.
Conversion Technology (801-364-4171) sells a drive that allows you to hook
up
cheap IBM 3.5" and 5.25" disk drives to you Apple II.
Silicon Systems (714-731-7110) makes that DTMF decoder chip that Apple-Cat
modem owners are always looking for. Part #: SSI 75T201 - Integrated DTMF
Receiver. 22 pin DIP
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#80 Periodicals & Books :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Quality Computers and Resource Central (preiously mentioned above) also
publish periodicals.)
Shareware Solutions II (166 Alpine Street, San Rafael, CA 94901) is a new
Apple II magazine with the latest scoops, written by long time Apple II
writer Joe Kohn. Mail joko@crl.com (or "finger" him) for details.
Adam Barr (barr@railnet.nshore.org) and Cindy Field (former InCider/A+
editor)
are starting a new Apple II newsletter, only this one is only available via
e-mail.
GS+ Magazine (800-662-3634 orders, or 615-843-3988 or 913-469-6507 FAX) is
published bi-monthly, as a magazine and as an accompanying disk. They are
a
great source for unique programs, which are not available anywhere else.
They
also have reviews of new software. Of course, it's GS specific. Contact:
GSPlusDiz (on AOL orDelphi), JWANKERL (on GEnie), or
jwankerl@pro-gonzo.cts.com.
Hyperstudio Network (609-446-3196) is a quarterly newsletter about
HyperStudio. They put out an annual 'Best of HyperStudio' disk of stacks,
and have discounts on HyperStudio accessories. They even do some
teacher-oriented stuff.
Computist (P.O. Box 110846, Tacoma, WA 98411) is a publication devoted to
gathering and distributing information on removing copy protection from
Apple
II software.
Softdisk and Softdisk GS (800-831-2694 or 318-221-8718) are monthly disk
magazines containing a variety of software (PD/SW, clip art, reviews, etc).
Softdisk is available on 5.25" or 3.5" disks. Softdisk GS is available only
on 3.5" disks. Contact zak@aol.com.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#81 Misc Resources :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::
If you need a IIc upgrade, it should be free. Try a few Apple dealers or
call
Apple to seek help. The number is 1-800-767-2775 (SOS-APPL).
Sequential Systems (1-800-759-4549 customer service 1-800-999-1717
technical
support) have taken over CVTech's products.
Larry Beyer (312-735-9010) likes to fix InnerDrive hard drives.
Apple has a toll-free customer assistance line for handling sales questions
and user concerns. This toll-free line is not designed to be a technical
support hotline, but instead is an extension to the comprehensive Apple
customer relations effort. The Customer Assistance Center is open Monday
through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time by dialing
1-800-776-2333.
A new ShareWare-Fee payment service has been established for info, write
to:
Some Assembly Required shareware@uwo.ca OR
1132 Adelaide St. N. #719 hackett@gaul.csd.uwo.ca
London, Ontario N5Y 2N8
Canada
Email suggestions to dmag@umich.edu. As always, let me know of any
mistakes, updates, corrections, additions, etc.
#####################################################
# Q#82 General guidelines on How To Troubleshoot #
#####################################################
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#83 General troubleshooting :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
> First, resist the temptation to install all your new toys at once. Take
it
one step at a time and test everything after adding each item. (i.e. Run
the
diagnostics and try your old programs.)
> Leave the computer plugged in, but turned off when installing cards.
Touch
the top of power supply before and often during your work. Better yet, use
a
wrist strap tied to ground through a 1 Megaohm resistor.
> When asking others for help, it is essential to know the EXACT error
message you are getting. Also, be as specific as possible. Saying "It did
not
work" or "I could not get any farther" is not helpful. Exactly which
screen
did it stop at? Does it respond to any input at all? What had you done up
to that point? Is it reproducible any other way?
> Make sure you have the required components for the program. Does it
require an Enhanced //e? More RAM? A separate boot disk?
> Never use your original disks. Make a backups and store the
write-protected originals in a safe place.
> Be sure to keep your disks away from stray magnetic fields emanating
from
phones, monitors and speakers.
> If you have an accelerator, try to disable it or take it out entirely.
It
may not be compatible with the new item.
> Is the problem re-producible? If so, what are the MINIMUM actions to
reproduce it?
> Check all your cable connections. Do not disconnect or connect any
cables
with the computer on.
> Try pulling out other cards and disconnect your joystick. If you have a
lot
of cards, you might consider a Heavy-Duty Power Supply from A.E. It
supplies
6 Amps instead of a measly 2.5 Amps. Test the power supply with a
voltmeter
while the computer is on.
> Call the manufacturer to see if there is an upgrade or a fix.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#84 Trouble shooting and good maintenance :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
> Try the system self-test: hold down the Control key, the Open Apple key,
and the Option (or Solid Apple) key. Then press and release Reset. Lastly,
let up on the other keys. Sit back and 'Watchen Der Blinken Lighten.'
> Most RAM cards come with a memory tester. Try running it in continuous
mode for several hours, even if your RAM seems to be working.
> Write down your configuration when you have it working (for future
reference).
> Verify your disk(s) with Copy ][+ or the Finder to see if you have any
bad
blocks.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#85 GS Trouble shooting :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
> Check your control panel settings: What is the startup slot set to? Is
the
slot set to "Your Card"? Check your RAM disk setting. Is it taking up all
your memory? Try setting the speed to normal if it's a non-GS program.
> Take out or disable your INITS, CDAs, NDAs, and CDEVS. (With System 6,
just
hold down Shift while booting).
> If you have a hard disk, try booting from a System Disk and/or
re-install
the latest system software. Many random problems can be traced to
corrupted
or improperly installed system software.
> Never connect/disconnect an ADB device when the computer is on.
> AppleWorks GS comes with a memory tester (try it).
> The TransWarp GS has a continuous test on the CDA (try it too).
################
# Q#86 SCSI #
################
SCSI is a protocol (kind of like serial or parallel) that lets you hook up
several devices (up to 8) on a SCSI bus (a bus is just a series of wires).
You must give each device it's own unique ID number from 0-7. The SCSI
card
is usually set to 7. There are two types of SCSI cables: the 50 pin
Centronics-type (like on parallel printers) or the 25-pin "D" connector.
The
50-pin is the SCSI standard, the 25-pin is the Apple standard. On a SCSI
chain, there must be a Terminator at each end. A Terminator is just a
bunch
of resistors. Some drives have internal terminators (3 small yellow-orange
packs), and some drives come with an external terminator (a "plug" to put
on
the back of the drive). Also, somebody on the bus must supply terminator
power (one of the SCSI lines). If There are any problems (multiple things
with the same ID, too much termination or not enough, or no terminator
power), you may be able to use the drive, but your data will get corrupted.
Most of the time, the computer will refuse to recognize the drive.
At first, there was the Apple Rev 'C' SCSI card (named after the final ROM
version--all previous versions MUST be upgraded to work with current
software). There were several clones from the likes of CMS and Chinook.
Then Apple came out with it's High Speed DMA SCSI card. This has the
ability
to do Direct Memory Access to the RAM in your computer, which speeds things
up. This created a lot of problems with cards that were not DMA compatible.
CV Technologies also has a DMA SCSI card called the RamFast. This card has
256K or 1MB of on-board RAM to make it even faster than Apple's card. It
can
also supply terminator power if you drive does not supply it. Both of the
new cards support things like SCSI tape backup units, removable SCSI
drives,
SCSI CD-ROM, and of course SCSI hard drives. Both the new cards also
require
an Enhanced //e.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
: Q#87 Tips on setting up a SCSI system: :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
> You can have multiple drives on one SCSI card, just make sure you remove
the termination on all the drives but the last one. This is because the
newer
SCSI cards are terminated (and they count as a SCSI device).
> Always check that the cords are plugged in properly. Never
connect/disconnect anything when the computer is on.
> The computer will boot the hard drive with the highest SCSI ID, which
should be ID 6.
> Try letting the drive 'warm up' for 15 seconds before turning the
computer
on. The SCSI cards look for drives only at startup, and may ignore any
drives that are not ready.
> Try turning off DMA. If this helps, you may have a non-DMA compatible
card, such as the early versions of the TransWarp, early versions of the GS
RAM, or any 8-bit accelerator. Alternately, try setting up a RAM disk for
all but 4 MB. Some RAM cards can only do DMA in the first bank.
> Check that each device has a unique ID. Most drives have a thumbwheel
on
the back to set the ID. Your SCSI card (yes, it counts too) is probably ID
7.
Number your drives from 6 downwards for best compatibility. The IDs have
nothing to do with what slot the card is in.
> Is there a terminator at each end of the SCSI bus? (the DMA cards are
terminated, and some drives are internally terminated.)
> Try the software that came with the card. It may give helpful
diagnostic
messages (I.E. the Apple DMA SCSI utilities-- Does it say "No Apple SCSI
card
found" or "No SCSI devices found"?)
> Do you get the message "Unable to Load ProDos"? If so, it's booting
your
drive but you have no system software on it. Try hitting Control-Reset,
then
PR#5 (or PR#6) to boot a floppy. Then install the system software (i.e.
ProDos or GS/OS).
> In extreme cases, try reformatting the drive, repartitioning, and
re-installing the System software.
> If the drive access light blinks in a regular pattern before the
computer
is turned on, it is telling you that it has a hardware malfunction. It
needs
to be serviced.
> Did you try re-installing the System software? Many times, the data on
a
drive will get corrupted if you run the drive with improper terminators or
conflicting SCSI ID's. Sometimes you will not notice the corrupted data
until after you fix the problem. If re-installing the System software
helps,
it was probably a software problem, not a hardware problem.
> The Apple HS DMA SCSI card requires an Enhanced //e. It will not work
on
the older //e without an Enhancement Kit.
> To really put a drive through it's paces, copy a LOT of stuff from one
partition to another (copy the entire partition if you can). If there is a
problem with DMA or SCSI ID's, it will probably show up as a strange GS/OS
error. (GS only)
> Make sure you do not have the Apple SCSI drivers installed if you have a
RamFast. It may cause random problems (they leave an interrupt handler
dangling if they can't find their card.) (GS only)
> Make sure you are booting the right slot. If the card is in slot 7, you
can set the startup slot to Scan or 7. (GS only)
> If you boot up and only 1 partition shows up, you need to install the
SCSI
drivers. (GS only)
> If you boot up and it says "Drive XXX is already on the desktop" over
and
over: Probably a SCSI ID problem. (GS only)
> If you add a CD-ROM, drivers are avaliable from Trantor Systems LTD,
5415
Randall Place, Fremont, CA 94538 (415)770-1400 (GS only)
> At least one device must supply terminator power to the bus (Pin 26).
The
Apple Cards do not supply this, and some drives don't either. Result: The
drive won't be seen by any software.
> Some CMS Platinum drives had pin 40 disconnected for obscure Mac
compatibility reasons. This can cause problems with the Apple IIs.
> Make sure you use the drivers from GS/OS, and not the ones that ship
with
the Apple HS SCSI card. (Doesn't apply to RamFast).
> To low-level format an AE Vulcan drive, go into PART.MANAGER, move the
hilight to "format" and type "AE". Then say yes to all the prompts.
======================================================================
This FAQ is available on-line at apple2.archive.umich.edu (see FTP)
CopyLeft 1994 by Dan DeMaggio. Non-profit distribution encouraged.
Mail me at: dmag@umich.edu
--
dmag@umich.edu | When laws are outlawed, | Ono-Sendai: the best
Dangerous Dan | only outlaws will have laws. | Sim Stim decks
--
dmag@umich.edu | When laws are outlawed, | Ono-Sendai: the best
Dangerous Dan | only outlaws will have laws. | Sim Stim decks