Re: Setting up a small appletalk network

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

In article <petroski.787504210@mwunix>,
Frank R Petroski <petroski@mwunix.mitre.org> wrote:
> I just got a Performa for my children (so I can have my IIGS for myself).
> I'd like any pointers to reference material on how to set up a small
> localtalk network between my mac and IIGS so I can make use of that big
> hard drive on the Performa from my IIGS

I posted a long article covering the basic points of setting up the
IIgs for use on LocalTalk, in the thread called "Networking with
Macs".  Many of the details are specific to setting up for booting from
a floppy disk, and it is simpler to use a hard drive.

> and so I can hopefully print through to an HP550c Deskjet that is
> direct connected to the serial port on the Mac (although I suppose I
> could also put the DeskJet on the localtalk network too). 

You cannot print directly from the IIgs to a printer connected to a
serial port on the Mac, unless you have software running on the Mac
which makes the printer available to computers on the network.  I know
that this software exists, but I don't know what it is called, or if
it is specific to certain printers.

If it is a DeskJET (and not a DeskWRITER, which is more likely), then
it cannot be plugged directly into the AppleTalk network.  The
DeskWriter has an AppleTalk (LocalTalk) interface.  However, the
DeskWriter cannot be used from Apple II programs that try to print
ASCII text, in paritcular most ProDOS-8 applications, because the
DeskWriter only supports graphical output.

Whether the printer was on the network or the Mac was acting as a
print server, you will need a DeskJet driver on the IIgs (or DeskWriter
driver, if the printer is actually a DeskWriter).

> From the reading I've done, it looks like GSOS and Prodos come with
> all the  software I need. I'll have to give up my modem port and
> alias my Vulcan to Slot 2 to be able to make the connection (I have a
> slow, klunky letter quality printer on the printer port).  I also
> have an appledisk 3.5 on slot  5, and a 5.25 disk on slot 6.  The
> Vulcan is currently aliased to slot 7. 

Do you have a ROM 1 or ROM 3 IIgs?

In a ROM 1, slot 7 must be set to "AppleTalk" and either slot 1 or 2
set to "Your Card" (the corresponding physical port will be used for
the LocalTalk connection).  However, due to a bug in the AppleTalk
firmware, the "screen holes" for the slot which is being used by
AppleTalk will be interfered with.  This may cause problems if you
have an I/O card in the slot (e.g. a serial or parallel card, as in
your case).  If both slots 1 and 2 are set to "Your Card", the
AppleTalk firmware will default to using slot 1.

You may be better off moving the Vulcan to slot 1 and the existing
printer card to slot 2.

In a ROM 3, slot 1 or 2 must be set to "AppleTalk", and the
corresponding port is used directly.  You can leave the Vulcan in slot
7, and use slot 2 for the AppleTalk connection.