BeOS PowerPC Software and GoBe Productive

[Phipli]

I've started collecting together information and resources for PowerPC BeOS, as there doesn't seem to be anywhere dedicated to that specifically.

Please feel free to contribute, I'm only just making a start, but if anyone wants to write a tutorial / guide or suggest some software to include, make corrections or anything like that - please let me know!

PowerPC BeOS

This page is intended to help people get some fun out of running BeOS on actual real PowerPC hardware. It feels like most of the support on the internet is directed towards x86 installs, with many …

stuffandnonsense.elephantandchicken.co.uk

 

[lolo799]

I added the studioBuilder .iso to the archive page, and started uploading the BeSpecific discs at https://archive.org/details/bespecific-discs

Regarding magazines, you have some here

BeOS, Haiku and Zeta Magazins - BeSly Haiku only

besly.de

For older ones, you have to look in Japan, some examples:

 

[Phipli]

Thanks again @lolo799!

 

[lolo799]

First one is a special issue of PCWave.
I don't know if there are more issues of BeFun existing, probably not.

 

[MindWalker]

Wow, thanks (for the links and the new uploads)!

While on archive.org, I noticed this: https://archive.org/details/beos-collection. I had a look at the Games and Soft directories and there are subdirs for PPC on both (but also others among the other files, judging from the filenames).

From the first glance I put these aside to transfer over for testing:

 

[MindWalker]

BaxY is an IRC client called Baxter, looks nice but I can't figure out how to add a Nick to a server (won't connect before that). If I select a preset server, there are invisible nicks in the list and it at least attempts to connect.

Becasso, wget, BeBreakout, Doom (!) and Tetris do work. Tetris uses 4 for left and 6 for right, but it doesn't recognize keypad so it's somewhat clunky to play.

And woah, didn't expect this:



I just opened the app and thought "ok cool, don't have a ROM file or hard disk image at hand but let's just try what happens if I press start...". It uses the machine's ROM and the Mac partition and it actually boots that in a window (spoiler: it's very sluggish).

 

[Phipli]

BaxY is an IRC client called Baxter, looks nice but I can't figure out how to add a Nick to a server (won't connect before that). If I select a preset server, there are invisible nicks in the list and it at least attempts to connect.

Becasso, wget, BeBreakout, Doom (!) and Tetris do work. Tetris uses 4 for left and 6 for right, but it doesn't recognize keypad so it's somewhat clunky to play.

And woah, didn't expect this:

View attachment 71909

I just opened the app and thought "ok cool, don't have a ROM file or hard disk image at hand but let's just try what happens if I press start...". It uses the machine's ROM and the Mac partition and it actually boots that in a window (spoiler: it's very sluggish).

I didn't think SheepShaver was very sluggish



The top row is a 466MHz G3, the line underneath is the stock processor, but weirdly I've exceeded that score since, so I think I might have accidentally being running a GLTeapot at the same time as the 590 score.

 

[lolo799]

Put SheepShaver in fullscreen in the Monitors&Sound control panel, it's only sluggish in windowed mode.

 

[Phipli]

There is a SCUMMVM build for PPC BeOS too by the way. Possibly DOSBox, although obviously SheepShaver is more interesting because it is a virtualised mac, rather than emulation like DOSBox.

There are... versions of Quake I and II, Doom... what else. I need to keep researching and documenting, but I want to test things so I know files aren't duds etc.

 

[MindWalker]

Ah, SheepShaver's default windowed refresh rate was 7.5Hz, that too

On the software I linked, there is a Napster client, too BeShare appears to have been a file sharing tool of some kind, too?

I am baffled by the Baxter's UI: it wants me to add a nick on the left column, but unlike the connect commands- column, it doesn't let me type there. I tried dragging in text there too. If I pick a preset server, there are phanton lines in the Nicks column, clicable but not visible (also not copyable).

 

[lolo799]

Beshare is chat and filesharing programs, there might still be a working server or two for it.
Quake 1, 2 and 3 are x86 only.
There's also Abuse, Worms Armageddon, Heretic, Descent.
A port of Unreal Tournament also exists.

 

[lolo799]

SheepShaver's old website

The Official SheepShaver Home Page

The PowerMac Emulator for BeOS

web.archive.org

Beware's website if you're looking for a list of PPC compatible software

List of Available BeWare for PowerPC List

And lastly, here's one of the Japanese book I have scanned a while ago:

BeOS for Intel and Power PC - Shuwa System : Shuwa System, Takafumi Kawashima, Kenichi Uehara : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Japanese book covering BeOS R3.Published by Shuwa System .Co, Ltd.180 pages.Scans in .jpg format.

archive.org

 

[Phipli]

Beware's website if you're looking for a list of PPC compatible software
List of Available BeWare for PowerPC List

The links are to an FTP server which archive.org wont have captured, but it will be super useful for getting file names from the links. Helps when searching for things if you know what the filename was in old archives.

And lastly, here's one of the Japanese book I have scanned a while ago:

I'll add it to the list Interesting that so much of the BeOS stuff is Japanese.

 

[lolo799]

The links are to an FTP server which archive.org wont have captured, but it will be super useful for getting file names from the links. Helps when searching for things if you know what the filename was in old archives.

There are links to the author or publisher websites usually, sometimes files are also present on those.

There was a big BeOS community in Japan, many books were published, a few conferences, BeOS was sold with a PC from Hitachi, and also been used for years on a line of Roland/Edirol video editing machines.

 

[beachycove]

That’s quite a list of BOS software. I didn’t think there was ever so much.

I liked the eMacs description: “Editor, platform, religion.” My kind of software!

 

[Phipli]

 

[lolo799]

Archive deleted my bespecific page and sent me a virustotal report about compsysbe6.zip claiming it has a worm inside...
Obviously a mistake but heh, what can you do.
I'll upload the 7zipped iso images again on separate pages later this week.

 

[Phipli]

Archive deleted my bespecific page and sent me a virustotal report about compsysbe6.zip claiming it has a worm inside...
Obviously a mistake but heh, what can you do.
I'll upload the 7zipped iso images again on separate pages later this week.

feel free to stick them on macintosh garden instead, fogWraith is happy for BeOS stuff to go up there.

By bad luck it is the only stuff I don't think I'd downloaded. I do have some copies from the distant past, but I can't remember if they'd managed to copy PPC partitions or not.

 

[MindWalker]

Going to test CorumIII on my PowerCenter now, installing now.

I tried to take a screenshot of the installation window, but for some reason the graphic on top gets messed every time:




Also for some reason ZIP archive created on BeOS won't open on my Mac, every zip-util complains the file being corrupted. Well, TAR-archive it its then. Attached is a ZIP with the HTML quick reference and wallpapers, these are peak 90's:

 

[Phipli]

I tried to take a screenshot of the installation window, but for some reason the graphic on top gets messed every time:

But washed out from the sunshine, but here is a lazy photo instead of a screenshot from when I installed