Baroni’s Collection

[TimHD]

A/UX will run perfectly happily off a “virtual” scsi2sd disc. That is how my installation is set up: multiple virtual devices for a recovery disc, two MacOS versions and A/UX. Never tried it on a IIfx, mind, but it ought to work. 

Is there a way to get a disk image of your scsi2sd AU/X partition? Been keen to set one up but I see it’s quite a tricky setup process...

 

[cheesestraws]

Is there a way to get a disk image of your scsi2sd AU/X partition? Been keen to set one up but I see it’s quite a tricky setup process...

Happy to, but I'm not going to be able to get to do it today—can you remind me tomorrow or over the weekend?  My short term memory is a bit ... questionable at the moment.

 

[elbaroni]

Finally got to installing my new SCSI2SD on the IIfx and...no dice. Could get drives to format with Lido, but writes more than a few on wouldn’t work. System 6.0.8 installer wouldn’t get past the first “writing Finder”, failing with a -36 error. 
 

I found someone on Reddit saying v6 (which the new SCSI2SD is) is incompatible with really old machines. So I took my v5.1 out of my Quadra 700 and bingo - works perfectly. So far, anyway, but 6.0.8 installed nicely. I think SCSI2SD V6 might not work with a IIfx. I’ll send an email to CodeSrc and see what they say. 

 

[sstaylor]

Seems like the IIfx is very particular about SCSI devices, and required special terminators internally and externally.  Maybe they were active terminators or something, all I remember is at the time it was something special.

 

[elbaroni]

Yes, it’s very fussy. Needs a particular external terminator and is meant to have an internal filter. Needless to say both bits are as rare as hen’s teeth, but there are also reports that newer SCSI devices’ internal termination works. I wonder what changed between SCSI2SD v5 to v6 as far as termination is concerned?

 

[elbaroni]

Hmm. And now when I try to install system 7.0.1 on my Quadra 700 onto the SCSI2SD v.6 it crashes when it tries to write the network control panel. 

 

[elbaroni]

And 7.1 doesn't work either. Grrr. Time to format the SD card, go back to default settings. Why must it always be hard?

 

[elbaroni]

This is really getting me down. The version 6 will let itself be formatted by Lido, but the drives don't work for anything than a small copy, either on the IIfx or the Quadra. Termination is on on the SCSI2SD; it's the only SCSI device. HD SC Setup will detect and attempt to initialise, but verification fails after about ten minutes. 

I've tried with and without molex power - no difference. 

Surely the issue isn't the SD card itself? It seems to be close enough to working that that's not the issue, but I guess it could be? Might go and buy another. It was a post office cheapie. 

Other alternative is to put it in an external drive, make sure the termination is good, and try that. 

 

[elbaroni]

Aaaaand an external drive doesn't work either. Seems there's quite a lot of disapproval of version 6 of the SCSI2SD out there. Might not have made the cleverest decision with my $145 there. 

This was meant to be my fun evening of setting up my IIfx, dammit. Instead I'm troubleshooting SCSI like it's 1989. Doubly irritating that it takes *so damn long* to find out it's failed again. 

 

[pcamen]

You might consider the firmware version.  With the SCSI2SD v5.0 Powerbook version, I discovered a problem with firmware past a certain version that prevented just about any copying.  When I revert back to the older firmware, it works fine.  Might be a similar issue with the v6.

 

[elbaroni]

I did wonder about that PCAMen - it seems to be running the latest, and the most recent v6s can’t be downgraded — they need the latest. That said, I tried and the firmware update process said something about the firmware not matching the state of the hardware. All a bit mysterious. Time to email CodeSrc. In the meantime, I’ve put the v5 in the fx and am happily system 6-ing away with two screens at 40mhz. Brilliant!

 

[elbaroni]

An update - Michael from CodeSrc sent me an experimental firmware file that apparently removes some of the speed enhancements and it works! Interestingly it works better in the IIfx than the Quadra 700 in one sense — in the Quadra it needs external Molex power to have more than one SCSI target, whereas in the IIfx it’ll do that off termination power alone. 
 

Props to Michael for his responsiveness.

 

[Iamanamma]

Props to Michael for his responsiveness.

Michael has always been wonderfully helpful to me.

 

[Iamanamma]

I’ve put the v5 in the fx and am happily system 6-ing away with two screens at 40mhz. Brilliant!

I don't know if this will be of any use to you, but FWIW:  I have a v5.1 installed in a IIci, and 2 IIsi's.  I bought new 7.1 install disks from RescueMyClassicMac.com, and I could not install a bootable OS unless I already had 6.0.8 already installed and booted up.  Once I figured out that I had to install 7.1 more like an update, I was able to install it and have the SCSI2SD boot and chug along doing what I need to do.

 

[elbaroni]

Discussions with Michael from CodeSrc continue. 
 

Two bits of news today: I have a Nubus video card that can do native 1024x768 (RasterOps 108+), which means I can run an LCD at native resolution. It’s not working perfectly though. I need more info on the jumpers on the card, so I’ve ordered one that comes with all the original packaging, manuals etc. 

Second bit of news is that the hard drive in my G4 server has packed it in. I’m going to need a replacement, and OWC’s Australian distributor no longer carries the replacement SSDs for IDE Macs. Sigh. 

 

[elbaroni]

It’s been a while! A new conquest: finally, an AppleColor High Resolution RGB Display. Is now attached to my IIfx for a beautiful authentic colour look. 

 

[elbaroni]

Some developments. First, a mate who works at a printing company said they were cleaning out their storage room. Newer stuff than I’m generally into, but a treasure trove of 1995+ Hardware and software.

 

[elbaroni]

Secondly, something I’ve been on the lookout for in Australia for a long time:

 

[Pinstripes]

Some developments. First, a mate who works at a printing company said they were cleaning out their storage room. Newer stuff than I’m generally into, but a treasure trove of 1995+ Hardware and software.

Goodness gracious ...

 

[Byrd]

Goodness gracious ...

+ 1 - I'm betting you had a big smile walking into that room, even when carting out the hefty towers. A few years back I picked up a pile of G3, G4 systems from an advertising office in St Kilda - that was a good day.

 

[elbaroni]

+ 1 - I'm betting you had a big smile walking into that room, even when carting out the hefty towers. A few years back I picked up a pile of G3, G4 systems from an advertising office in St Kilda - that was a good day.

Definitely a good day. The problem is now I get high blood pressure walking into my garage — there’s not enough space!!