Hello Mac-ians

[lovingboth]

Is there anything to watch out for when upgrading a 68k Mac (a Centris 610, as it happens) from the System 7.1 to 7.5.3 (the last free downloadable OS on apple.com as far as I can see) ?

Is it simply a matter of pointing it at the files and it'll all be fine or is there a risk of a Windows-style upgrade hell?

Comments

[barakta]

depends how much u want system 7.5.3

IMHO its evil, and if ur system runs nicely on system 7.1 i'd leave it well alone... system 7.5.3 has win95 leels of stability and stupidness....

But then again if u have the RAM and harddrive it could be worth it for the extras which u get, - it was a massive upgrade for an incremental system.

Just lemme check on my mac - on pc laptop atm... (traitor that I am) and see what my Guru (if u haven't got this proggy get it, its freeware and it knows everything

This is what GURU says about ur system:

Centris 610

CPU: MC68LC040
CPU speed: 20 MHz
FPU: Processor upgrade
L1 Cache: 8KB
datapath: 32Bit
BUs Speed: 20 MHz

Max RAM == 68Meg


So basically I'd advise against it. The full 7.5.3 disk install is a git, but if you need the added functionality of system 7.5.3 then it might be worth it, but with a 20 MHz CPU I'd go for truck loads of RAM and ensure u have the FPU upgrade.

The machine takes up to 2 72pin simms, and has 4 MB on the board itself....

u can upgrade RAM one at a time....

Apple sometimes advertised this as a 40MHz machine cos the clockspeed is doubled inside processor, but all I/O is at 20MHz.

There ya go probably more info than u were expecting.... i've run system 7.5.3 on a 32Mhz mac with 20 meg of RAM and it is slow, but it does run.

I ran my 20MHz mac on system 7.1 for 5 years and only 3 weeks ago the twin of that machine gave up hardware ghosts.... system 7.1 is stable as ur gonna get ;)

laterz
Natalya <--- just about to grok/geek out on OSX on a G4 - getting back into mac geekery after a few lax years.. email me if you wanna discuss more mac stuff - especially 68k. my email is barakta@willow.dyndns.org

[lovingboth]

My Mac knowledge is almost nil, and it's only through familiarity with more than one WIMPy OS that means I'm not shouting at it all the time.

The main reason for doing 7.5.x is that this Mac's system disks are long gone, various things aren't working on it (eg the serial port), and the error messages tell me to run things that aren't there.

I have no idea what the added functionality is!

I was going to stuff the RAM - I've got two 16M SIMMS in an old 486.

[barakta]

I can send you some system 7.1 disks if you like
I have two sets and a backup set....

system 7.1 is easy enuf to install....

what do you actually use the mac for if you don't mind me asking?

Laterz
Natalya

[aegidian]

It probably needs its battery replacing too. Go with the advice here, don't run 7.5.3 on the poor thing.

Have you considered trading it for something less doorstop-like, you can pick up early power-Macs for under ?100 and run OS8.1 (next small and stable OS after 7.1).

Alternatively run one of the 68K 'nixes on it. Then you can have an actual modern OS.

[barakta]

yeh good idea, hadn't thought about PRAM battery, easily replaceable it will take a 3.6 (I think, can check) V half AA size battery cost between 3 and 6 quid depending what brand you get.....

I have never seen any of the 68knixes, but probably ought to check them out since I now have a pile of small harddrives and only 1 working 68k mac ;/ these days....

system 8.1 is nice, 7.5.3 was a pile of pants, I'm glad I have managed to get the old powerbook 1400cs to get 8,1 on it (the 8.0 cd is fucked..... none of thenetworking stuff will install properly so u have to install stuff in batched... makes a standard install look easy and fun ;) )

If I was to go for a 68nix, which would you recommend, I tried to get Yellowdog on the G4 but that failed miserably, probly cos I'm not yet up on my linux.... I'm installing OSX when I have 5 mins ;))))) and am going to use Red Hat on my pc too ;)

Laterz
Natalya - off to be killed by 2 hrs of audio...

[aegidian]

I think OpenBSD has a 68k build.

[lovingboth]

There's part of me that think's it's very amusing for a 70s OS to be described as more modern than the 90s version of a 80s one, but... :)

Although the scheme has pots of money in the bank, I don't think they'd go for it. My current idea is to extract the data and do the admin via a website.

68K nixen

[aegidian]

http://www.openbsd.org/30.html

http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/mac68k/

http://www.mklinux.org/

http://www.uk.debian.org/ports/m68k/

[aegidian]

OS 7.1 was last updated when exactly? Compared to any of the nixen kernels or micro kernels.

What a spurious argument, I'm disappointed in you ::pout::

Seriously, pick a distro and I can get a download and burn off some install CDs for you.

[lovingboth]

Ah, that'd be fab.

It belongs to the local LETS scheme and runs their 'banking' via an ancient version of Helix Express 3.

[lovingboth]

I know it's a spurious argument! It just appealed to my silly sense of humour ::gentle stroke::

The CD-ROM with this one is an external one, and someone else has it for a reason I'm not entirely sure about. Once I've got my paws on it, I've exported the data so there's space on the hard drive, and the LETS system is running on something else, I'll take you up on that, thanks.

Is it possible to run both MacOS and these?

[barakta]

whoa lots of replies!!! :)))

err i guess u must be able to dual partition the drive - but that would depend on its size, the chances are it could have a small HDD (depends...) but yeh i guess u could dual boot, but don't ask me, I know not enuf about linuxes.....

As to those disks, if you email me a postal address to send them to I'll sort it next weekend when I am back at my parents house..... They're all in my room o computer crap ;)
]
my email address is barakta@willow.dyndns.org

Laterz
Natalya