Re: AppleTalk Cable Pinout?

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

In article <16MAY199400235478@envmsa.eas.asu.edu>,
Greg Hodgdon <cs421hodg@envmsa.eas.asu.edu> wrote:
>   I recently picked up a new Mac and would like to connect it to my IIGS
> (for no good reason other than I can...)  Can someone tell me what pins are
> connected on a cable to connect the machines?

If you just want to connect two AppleTalk (LocalTalk) devices together
(e.g. a IIgs and a Macintosh), all you need is a standard printer
cable (the kind used to connect a Mac or IIgs to an ImageWriter II,
for example).  Just plug it into the appropriate port on each computer
(Printer port on the Mac, and usually for the IIgs).

If you want to connect more than two devices together, you need proper
LocalTalk cabling, or a third party equivalent such as the various
modular telephone connectors (I'm using these, because they're a lot
cheaper than genuine Apple LocalTalk and my ones have pretty lights
which blink to indicate network activity).  :-)

Note that if you have an ImageWriter II, and you want to print to it
without rebooting, you'll either have to put AppleTalk on your other
serial port, or set up a proper network.  The ImageWriter requires an
expansion card installed to support AppleTalk.


You have to do some software setup on the IIgs.  Firstly, you must be
running System 5.0 or later.  I'll describe the installation process
for System 6.0 or 6.0.1, since I haven't tried networking under 5.x.

If you want to access the Macintosh as a file server, you must boot
through GS/OS - you cannot boot directly into ProDOS-8.  You can use
ProDOS-8 after booting GS/OS, in the normal manner.  Note: if you want
to use the file server from ProDOS-8, make sure its hard drive uses a
ProDOS-compatible name (letters, digits, periods, no more than 15
characters).  The same goes for any files or folders you want to
access from P8.

Also note that you cannot boot the IIgs directly from the Macintosh's
hard drive unless you get the full AppleShare File Server software for
the Macintosh.  Mac System 7's "Personal File Sharing" is a cut-down
server, which is fine for sharing files, but doesn't support network
booting.

How you set up the IIgs depends on what device you are booting from.

In all cases, boot from the System 6.x "Install" disk.  Click on the
"Customize" button when you get into the Installer.

You need to pick the appropriate "Network" option.

If you are booting GS/OS from a hard drive, you need to install
"Network: AppleShare".

If you are booting from a 3.5" disk, you are going to have major
problems.  There isn't enough space on an 800k disk to fit all the
system software plus AppleShare support plus Finder, so Finder has to
be removed.  The "Network: AppleShare, 3.5 Disk" option is the one to
pick, but you have to set up a system disk first (use "*System 6: On
800k Disk").  When this disk is booted, it will drop you into the
System 6 program launcher, from which you can launch another
application (including Finder, if you put it on a different disk).  To
mount the file server, use the AppleShare control panel.  There is
about 88k free on this system disk (with no printer drivers).


Most of the other "Network" options only apply if you have the full
AppleShare File Server software (in particular, "Server Startup" and
"Local Startup").  "Server Quick Logoff" is probably only useful in a
classroom environment - when you quit from the startup application,
you will be logged off from the server and presented with a server
login dialog.


You must enable AppleTalk in the IIgs control panel.  On a ROM 01,
this means setting slot 1 or 2 to "Your Card" and slot 7 to
"Built-in AppleTalk".  On a ROM 03, set slot 1 or 2 to "AppleTalk".

The first time you reboot after installing the network software, you
will be asked for a user name.  The system disk must be write-enabled
at this point, so the name can be saved to disk.  It is written to a
file called ATINIT, which lives in the SYSTEM/SYSTEM.SETUP directory.
This file also specifies your currently selected network printer,
which you can choose with the Network Printer control panel (if you
installed it).


Setting up the Macintosh is quite easy.  I don't remember the exact
details, but it involves enabling file sharing in the "Sharing Setup"
control panel, optionally setting up a user record for the IIgs in the
"Users and Groups" control panel, and enabling sharing on the
Macintosh's hard drive (by selecting the hard drive icon and choosing
"Sharing..." from the File menu).  AppleTalk must be enabled (in the
Chooser, I think).


Once the Mac and IIgs are set up, you can use the AppleShare control
panel on the IIgs to mount the file server.  You will be asked whether
to log in as a guest or a registered user (with the default being a
registered user of the name you entered at first boot time).  If you
log in as a registered user, you need a password.

You have more options available if you are a registered user, but for
sharing files between the machines, Guest is fine.  I've set up two
registered users, one for each of my IIgses, just so that I can test
special folder attributes (drop folders, bulletin boards, etc.)

If you have a hard drive on the IIgs, you can use the "EasyMount"
Finder Extension to set up a server alias.  This is basicaly a file
which you can double-click to mount the server.  It can either prompt
you for a password, or the password can be saved with the alias file.
I use this method to access the server when needed, and it is very easy.

To log off from the server, drag its icon into the trash can in Finder
(or use an Eject commmand in other programs).  You will also be logged
off if you shut down.

Note that if you shut down the Macintosh while the IIgs is using it,
you have the option of alerting the IIgs and delaying the shutdown for
several minutes.


It is all quite fun, and very straightforward to use (certainly a lot
easier than setting up your average network on a PC!!!)  :-)


If anyone has any further questions (or corrections), post them here
or E-Mail me.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand