IN THIS CHAPTER: • What is the latest version of the System software? How do I get it? • Will the latest version of the System software run on my computer? ___________________________________________________________________________ WHAT IS THE LATEST VERSION OF THE SYSTEM SOFTWARE & HOW DO I GET IT? Mac OS 7.6.1 is the most recent version of the System software (if you are using Mac OS 8, you should get "InformINIT 8" from the InformINIT web site; it should be available a few weeks after this version of InformINIT is released). However, OS 7.6 is not a free update. It is a commercial upgrade which you have to buy if it did not come with your computer. There are two "official" paths to get to Mac OS 7.6.1: • Install OS 7.6, then install the 7.6.1 updater. If your computer came with 7.6 pre-installed, you should just install the updater. • Install OS 7.6.1 from the full 7.6.1 installer. Recent versions of the OS 7.6 System CD will install 7.6.1 directly. For details on installing Mac OS 7.6.1, see the "7.6.1 Info" chapter. System 7.5.5 is the most recent "free" version of the System software, although technically you have to have some version of System 7.5, which is not free. If you are running any version of System 7.5, you can update to 7.5.5 by downloading System updates from Apple. There are two "official" paths to get to get to System 7.5.5: • On computers running System 7.5, 7.5.1, or 7.5.2: Install "System 7.5 Update 2.0" then install "System 7.5.5 Update." • On computers which came with System 7.5.3 pre-installed, install only the "System 7.5.5 Update." NOTE: if you go to "About this Macintosh..." under the Apple menu, and it says that you have "System Software 7.5.5," the version of the System software you have pre-installed on your computer is already updated to the latest version. For details on installing System 7.5.5, or the earlier System 7.5.3, see the "7.5.5 Info" and "7.5.3 Info" chapters, respectively. WILL THE LATEST VERSION OF THE SYSTEM SOFTWARE RUN ON MY COMPUTER? / WHICH VERSIONS OF THE MACINTOSH OPERATING SYSTEM WILL RUN ON WHICH COMPUTERS? Below is a list of which Macintosh models are supported by which versions of the Mac OS since System 7.5.3 (or, to look at it another way, which versions of the System software each Mac model can use). NOTE: Unfortunately, I do not have information on which Macintosh "clones" are supported by which Mac OS versions. If you have a Mac clone and would like to find out this information, you will have to contact the computer vendor directly. System 7.5.3 The following Macs are supported by System 7.5.3: Plus SE and SE/30 Classic, Classic II and Color Classic The entire II series All LC models Macintosh TV All Centris models All Quadra models All Performa models except the Performa 6400 series PowerMac 6100, 7100 and 8100 series PowerMac 5200 and 5300 series PowerMac 6200 and 6300 series PowerMac 7200 series PowerMac 7500 and 7600 PowerMac 8500 PowerMac 9500 series Macintosh Portable All PowerBooks except the 1400 and 3400 series The following models are supported by System 7.5.3, but require a System Enabler (see the "System Enablers" chapter): PowerMac 4400/200 PowerMac 5400 Performa 6400 & PowerMac 6400 series The following models are NOT supported by System 7.5.3: 128K, 512K, 512Ke and XL/Lisa PowerBook 1400 PowerBook 3400 PowerMac 6500 series PowerMac 7300 series PowerMac 8600/200 PowerMac 9600/200, 9600/200 MP and 9600/233 System 7.5.5 The following Macs are supported by System 7.5.5: Plus SE and SE/30 Classic, Classic II and Color Classic The entire II series All LC models Macintosh TV All Centris models All Quadra models All Performa models PowerMac 4400 PowerMac 6100, 7100 and 8100 series PowerMac 5200, 5300 and 5400 series PowerMac 6200, 6300 and 6400 series PowerMac 7200 series PowerMac 7300, 7500 and 7600 PowerMac 8500 PowerMac 9500 series Portable All PowerBooks except the 1400 and 3400 series The following models are supported by System 7.5.5, but require a System Enabler (see the "System Enablers" chapter): PowerMac 6500 Series PowerMac 8600/200 PowerMac 9600/200, 9600/200 MP and 9600/233 The following models are NOT supported by System 7.5.5: 128K, 512K, 512Ke and XL/Lisa PowerBook 1400 PowerBook 3400 Mac OS 7.6 The following Macs are supported by Mac OS 7.6: Classic II and Color Classic IIci, IIsi, IIvi and IIvx All LC models except the original LC Macintosh TV All Centris models All Quadra models All Performa models PowerMac 6100, 7100 and 8100 series PowerMac 5200, 5300 and 5400 series PowerMac 6200, 6300 and 6400 series PowerMac 7200 series PowerMac 7500 and 7600 PowerMac 8500 PowerMac 9500 series All PowerBooks except the PowerBook 100 The following models are supported by Mac OS 7.6, but require a System Enabler (see the "System Enablers" chapter): None The following models are NOT supported by Mac OS 7.6: 128K, 512K, 512Ke and XL/Lisa Plus SE and SE/30 Classic II, IIx, IIcx, IIfx LC PowerMac 4400 PowerMac 5500 series PowerMac 6500 series PowerMac 7300 series PowerMac 8600/200 PowerMac 9600/200, 9600/200 MP and 9600/233 Portable PowerBook 100 Mac OS 7.6.1 The following Macs are supported by Mac OS 7.6.1: Classic II And Color Classic IIci, IIsi, IIvi and IIvx All LC models except the original LC Macintosh TV All Centris models All Quadra models All Performa models PowerMac 4400 PowerMac 6100, 7100 and 8100 series PowerMac 5200, 5300, 5400 and 5500 series PowerMac 6200, 6300, 6400 and 6500 series PowerMac 7200 series PowerMac 7300, 7500 and 7600 PowerMac 8500 PowerMac 8600/200 PowerMac 9500 series PowerMac 9600/200, 9600/200 MP and 9600/233 All PowerBooks except the PowerBook 100 NOTE: The PowerMac 4400, 5500, 6500, 7300, 8600, and 9600 series must install the "full" version of 7.6.1; they cannot install 7.6 and then update to 7.6.1. The following models are supported by Mac OS 7.6.1, but require a System Enabler (see the "System Enablers" chapter): None The following models are NOT supported by Mac OS 7.6.1: 128K, 512K, 512Ke and XL/Lisa Plus SE and SE/30 Classic II, IIx, IIcx, IIfx LC Portable PowerBook 100 Workgroup Servers There are two "sets" of Apple Workgroup Servers, the PowerMac series and the 68K series: • 680x0 Servers: Workgroup Server 60, Workgroup Server 80, Centris 610 and Quadra 800. • PPC Servers: Workgroup Servers 6150, 7250, 8150, 8550 and 9150. Apple will only support certain "official" combinations of versions of the System software, AppleShare software, and Networking software. Below is a list of which combinations are officially supported: 680x0 Servers: System 7.5.3 running AppleShare 4.0.2 and Classic Networking System 7.1 running AppleShare 4.0.2 and Classic Networking NOTE: Apple does not support Open Transport or System software versions 7.5.5 or later on 68K workgroup servers. PPC Servers: Mac OS 7.6 or later running AppleShare 4.2.1 and OpenTransport v1.1.1 or later Mac OS 7.6 or later running AISS v2.x and Open Transport v1.1.1 or later only with the System 7.5.5 SCSI Server Update and PPC Interrupt Extension installed. System 7.5.5 running AppleShare 4.2.1 and Open Transport v1.1.1 or later only with the System 7.5.5 SCSI Server Update and PPC Interrupt Extension installed. System 7.5.5 running AppleShare 4.2.1 and Classic Networking only with the System 7.5.5 SCSI Server Update and PPC Interrupt Extension installed.