Re: Apple IIgs booting from Mac server

["pilgrimer" <no@no.no>]

"Marsha" <menacechgo@aol.com> wrote in message
news:Xns943815195DDEFmenacechgoaolcom@206.141.192.32...
> "pilgrimer" <no@no.no> wrote in
> news:IGzub.50$zu1.123005@news.uswest.net:
>
> > WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE...
> > to install Appleshare 3.0.3, on a Mac and a LANceGS card on a GS then
> > somehow whack out Appletalk into accepting that link to allow Ethertalk
I
> > communication to a GS and ethernet speeds for a boot?
> > Just a wicked idea...
>
> At a minimum you would need some sort of pre-boot disk.
> Unlike the Localtalk card (and probably the ethernet card?),
> The LANceGS probably
>    1. has no boot code or IDs
>    2. Since it was aimed more at Ethernet, probably has little or no
>       Local/Appletalk code existing.

Yeah I figured.
 I know the boot firmware is not in ROM as it is on the Apple  Ethernet card
(See Tony Diaz' write-up on this at http://www.apple2.gs/AIIEthernet.html
for an absolutlely in depth technical disussion of the issue)

So yeah, a preboot.  That would be ok. So...what do we do? I mean, what
exactly would be needed to create this sort of handshake do you think?
 I realize the Lance was designed with TCP (Marinetti)  in mind, and that
the drivers supplied actually break some of the rules in terms of the
layers.  I also know that Mr Lange is protecting the chipset ID of the card
and therefore no physical layer information on the card is avaialable.  All
this is outlined in the LANceGS FAQ: http://lancegs.a2central.com/
But...even given all that.. I figure that it should not take rocket science
to figure this one out.
  There are only a few chip sets that could possibly be used on the Lance
first of all.  Also, the original ethernet used  a primitive subset of
current ethernet anyway (as you can see from Tony's page, the 2nd design on
there used a 65c816  for the on-card CPU, GALs  and off the shelf chips for
the circuitry.  No LSI single purpose chip  (3com 3C809/905 series, IBM
Etherexpress, Linksys 8029 and 8139 etc)  like today.
If one were crazy enough to start a massive engineering project compleat
with R&D budget, clean room design principles, and a VC Godmother to cover
rent for  a few months......
It seems that three possible solutions present:

Solution 1
Determine  Mr Lange's originally used chip set, then write the proper driver
file to mimic a Apple Ethernet card and thereby attach Mac to GS/OS on
Appletalk . Not a good solution this.   The Lance ain't an Apple ethernet
card.  Attempting to use one as such would be at best...difficult...

Solution #2
Revesrse engineer the original A2 Ethernet card, then "roll your own" based
on  currently developed ethernet designs (this solution would also open the
possibility for such things as 802.11b) .  Any out of work Network Engineers
out there who  have more love for antique technology then sense?

In either case though, the one missing component is the originally embeded
GS/OS Appletalk ethertalk components.  These are the ones that back when
6.0.1 was being finalized were slashed from the code at the 11th hour  when
the decission to not-go with the card was made up at  #1 Infinity Loop.

Even here though, if one wished to wax philosophic, a ProDOS solution might
be possible.  Basically this would use  the ProDOS Appletalk Chooser  and a
back end Ethertalk 1 layer in firmware  and would require a card more
similar to Apple Ethernet card #1 which was merely a  Ether layer added to
the Apple II Network Card.

Solution #3
Somehow obtain a real Apple II Ethernet card and the code for GS/OS 6.0.1
developed by Apple to do Ethernet.   Then, simply (?)  find a nice out of
work Fab in Malaysia to turn out a zillion bootleg copies of the card, and a
warez site to post the code.

Any solution that produces a full-blown real ethernet card would be very
cool.
The LANceGS is "real" but only does TCP/IP  (I admire the work that went
into this card and bought one myself.  Well done Joachim!
http://www.wbwip.com/shh/ is his page)
 By "Real" I mean  a card that could handle both TCP/IP protocol AND
Appletalk. Then I could surf the Web, or connect to online services via
Telnet, run FTP and mail (anyone still working on a mail program?  :)   AND
copy files via Appletalk from my Mac or Appletalk/TOPS-COPSTALK, or PCMacLAN
equipped PC....  or one day even....Apple II to Apple II?

One must keep the dreams alive after all ;)

Next project: get Apple to reinstate the ProDOS file types in OS X......
......then design a USB floppy that reads MFT disks.....

work is just NEVER done...

-Bart
Keeper of the Network from Heck..