1) For those people who needs AppleShare, there will be in the near future (as of 16.Feb. 93)
a new tool called "afpLogin" on ftp to mount AppleShare volumes without using the chooser.
The tool is GREAT, I´ve tested it a beta-release. This tool in an application and can be on another volume, thus it doesn´t waste memory on your minimal system disk.
It´s also extremly useful for people using fileservers. Try it!
2) I found the following discussion on INTERNET (comp.sys.mac.system #24680)
Special thanks to Rich Graves:
>> Does anyone know if it is possible to boot System 7 from an 800k floppy?
Yes, easy.
>> The machine is an older MAC that just needs to access another machine via AppleTalk. Please email.
Now, that makes it a little dicey but it can be done. Unless you want to write a 5K or so INIT to mount file servers and run applications and dowhatever else you want to do on the network, though, you'll need either a second 400K floppy or an unused Finder on an AppleShare server. See below.
Apple Tech Support:
HA HA HA HA HA!
Sorry, no offense. But seriously... As far as I know, the minimum system folder created by the Apple installer is at least a Meg. There is a special utility that makes VERY small system files, but nothing else will fit, period. The bottom line is, 800k disks are pass^N.
Oh come on, there are ALWAYS alternatives. To boot System 7 & AppleShare from TWO 800K or even one 800K, one 400K floppies: (Prepare the disks below on a RAM disk and copy to floppy only when done; to do otherwise is highly masochistic and not recommended.) All normal and extraordinary disclaimers of course apply. Heavy ResEdit usage.
Do a Minimal Install for the specific Mac model(s).
Use Min-System-Installer (sumex & elsewhere) to remove unnecessary resources.
Poke around and delete a few more irrelevant error strings and dialogs. For a 68000 Mac it's not hard to pare the System to 730K. Copy the Finder to a separate 400K or 800K disk and remove it. ResEdit AppleShare down to around 50K by removing icons and irrelevant error dialogs and strings. Add AppleShare to the floppy. Extract INIT resource #13 from any System that's run Tuner 1.1.1 and ResEdit it into the minimal System. This is the disappearing folders bugfix; if you've got it, you don't need the rest of Tuner. (Actually since you presumably won't have any local volumes besides the floppies, you probably don't even need this resource. Included as general tip for rescue floppies.) Get the application 'Application Killer' (sumex) and pare it down to12K or so (it starts as 16K). Add Application Killer to the floppy. Rename it 'Finder' so it will run at startup.
Add an 'Apple Menu Items' folder containing aliases to all relevant servers or applications (there won't be room for a Chooser). If you remove the large icons (sicn's OK) from the server aliases with ResEdit, they will occupy .5K rather that 1K.
That's it. On the floppy you should have a System, AppleShare, Apple Menu Items folder, and Application Killer (named Finder). This fits on an 800K disk with bits to spare. You should lock the disk so it doesn't try to write itself to create unnecessary preferences files. To boot and access AppleShare you start up from the 800K disk; insert the 400K or 800K disk with a Finder on it; select and launch that Finder with Application Killer (yes, Virginia, there aren't any major problems with having Finder and System 7 on different disks). With a Finder running, you should get an Apple menu; if you don't it means the System disk isn't 'blessed.' You will need to use Blesser or open & close the root folder on a _System 6_ Mac in order to bless the volume and make it recognize the Apple Menu Items folder. If the old Mac has only one floppy drive you can run a Finder from an AppleShare volume. To mount a Finder-containing AppleShare volume without a Chooser or Apple Menu is a little tricky. You can do it by connecting to the server from some Mac and checking the automount box in the Chooser. Stick the automounting AppleShare Prep file into a Preferences folder on the sub-minimal System disk. You'll start up, automount the AppleShare volume, launch the remote Finder with Application Killer, and smugly enjoy the wonders of System 7 in the knowledge that you've done the impossible.
If this is something you want to do for more than the novelty of it and have a little extra memory, run AppDisk from a server; copy a Finder and maybe an application to the RAM disk; kill the Finder running from the server or 400K floppy; then launch the Finder on the RAM disk. Now, I don't know WHY anyone would want to go through all this trouble to run a crippled version of System 7, partly over the network, since you can access stuff with System 6 and AppleShare. Presumably the original poster has some reason.
--
Rich Graves, Stanfd Res Affairs Mac Tech, and Occasional Senior, Poli Sci|
jabba@deathstar.stanford.edu 319 Slavianskii Dom (415) 497-4948|
