System 7 (and OS 8) natively boots on the Mac mini G4!

[gsteemso]

Wasn't the P in 7.1.2p short for “Performa”? I was under the impression that the only difference was the bundled applications. (7.1 Pro was 7.1.1, IIRC, so must have been unrelated to the PPC transition.) I may have that confused with later releases, I suppose, but I know there were _some_ where the P meant Performa and I thought 7.1.2 was one of them.

 

[volvo242gt]

Yup, the 7.1.2P version was for the Performa 63x series, the LC 630, and the Q630. The regular 7.1.2 version is the one for the 6100/60, 7100/66, and 8100/80 machines.

 

[Paralel]

Wasn't the P in 7.1.2p short for “Performa”? I was under the impression that the only difference was the bundled applications. (7.1 Pro was 7.1.1, IIRC, so must have been unrelated to the PPC transition.) I may have that confused with later releases, I suppose, but I know there were _some_ where the P meant Performa and I thought 7.1.2 was one of them.

Yep. 7.1.2p was the only 7.1.2 version for 68k systems. It can update any existing 68k installation to 7.1.2, with Finder 7.1.4, which is essentially identical to the 7.1.2 PPC Finder (except for literally 2 bytes) and is the same as the 7.5 finder except for the changes that were made to it in August 1994 before the release of 7.5 to the public.

 

[gsteemso]

...Huh. You learn something new every day. Were there any actual hardware differences (as opposed to mere SIMM or hard drive configuration) amongst all those 630s?

 

[Paralel]

Double Post

 

[Phipli]

Yup, the 7.1.2P version was for the Performa 63x series, the LC 630, and the Q630. The regular 7.1.2 version is the one for the 6100/60, 7100/66, and 8100/80 machines.

The non "p" version was also available for 68k. If you launch the 7.1.2 installer on a 68k Mac running 7.1, and scroll all the way to the bottom, there is an "update any machine" option.

 

[Phipli]

Yep. 7.1.2p was the only 7.1.2 version for 68k systems.

Based on personal experience, this isn't true - I suggest trying updating with the "PPC" installer as described above.

 

[Paralel]

The non "p" version was also available for 68k. If you launch the 7.1.2 installer on a 68k Mac running 7.1, and scroll all the way to the bottom, there is an "update any machine" option.

What's interesting about the PPC System file in 7.1.2 is that it says it is 7.1 and the creation date is 1992, where as the System file for 7.1.2p has a creation date of 1994. The Finder 7.1.4 is the same between them, but for some reason the PPC System file is based on the original 7.1 System file from 1992.

Based on personal experience, this isn't true - I suggest trying updating with the "PPC" installer as described above.

I will indeed have to give this a try, but if I am right, you will end up with a System file that is version 7.1, not 7.1.2

 

[Paralel]

Based on personal experience, this isn't true - I suggest trying updating with the "PPC" installer as described above.

I just tried it. I started with a 68k install of 7.1, did the upgrade exactly as you suggested, and I ended up with Finder 7.1.4, but the System remained 7.1. Under "Get Info" it will say its name is "System Software 7.1.2" but under Version it will say 7.1 and have a creation date of 1992.

7.1.2p's System file under "Get Info" will say its name is "System Software 7.1.2p" and under Version it will say 7.1.2 with a creation date of January 24, 1994.