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Color Classic best way to transfer files over Ethernet?

zezba9000

Well-known member
Hey I just fixed a Color Classic.
However like LC computers these don't have external floppy ports.

Whats the best way to transfer files between modern macOS, Windows or Linux to a 68k mac over Ethernet?
Is there any software that can simulate AppleTalk over ethernet on Win/Mac/Lin? Or any FTP software for 68k mac thats easy?

I also just ordered a MacSD as it seemed like the best option to transfer stuff via external SCSI port but I'd love to get Ethernet working for this.
 

zezba9000

Well-known member
Ok interesting.
I also wonder if a SheepShaver emulator couldn't be used to connect?
Then it would be easy to transfer between Windows to the emulator, then to the Color Classic from OS9 or OS7.
 

cheesestraws

Well-known member
I've had slightly mixed results using sheepshaver or basilisk for file transfer duties, but your results may be different: certainly worth a try.
 

Tugboat

Well-known member
For a while I used FTP. I used Fetch to download files to my SE/30 running System 7.6.1 from my free account at DriveHQ where I had uploaded files from my MacBook Air running MacOS Big Sur. A week ago I installed MacNFS which cuts out the middle man. I share a folder from my MacBook Air using NFS Manager. After selecting MacNFS in the Chooser the shared file mounts on the SE/30 desktop and you just drag and drop.
 

zezba9000

Well-known member
Ya I'm thinking of testing some FTP stuff after I get my MacSD (which will let me transfer initial 68k FTP software over SCISI to the mac without having to take it apart again).
 

just.in.time

Well-known member
If your Color Classic already has an Ethernet card installed, using something like NetPresentz on it to create an FTP host, then any kind of FTP client on the modern computer works well for me (CyberDuck, FileZilla, WinSCP, etc… might even be able to use Terminal directly).
 

AndiS

Well-known member
If I have an TCP connection (Ethernet or Serial Modem), I always fire up a Python ftp or http server from my Linux box that serves the current directory. Then I use Fetch 3.0.3 or a browser on the Classic Mac for downloading.

Fetch is much more lightweight and works well even on System 6 and 68000 machines. If you can use a Browser that works just as well.

Commands for Python ftp or http servers:

python3 -m http.server
python3 -m pyftpdlib
 

Cory5412

Daring Pioneer of the Future
Staff member
I also wonder if a SheepShaver emulator couldn't be used to connect?

This should work if your emulator can do bridged networking. QEMU on Windows makes this slightly annoying, unsure about SheepShaver.

Netatalk is probably your best choice, in terms of modern logistics. @mactjaap is working on a neat project that combines netatalk and a couple other things in a pi or VM image that may work well, you could combine that with something like VMware Player or VirtualBox (should work in Hyper-V if you already have that) and then you can leave that VM running as a go-between.

Some more info on MacIPpi is here: https://68kmla.org/bb/index.php?threads/the-macippi-rpi-the-macippi-concept-for-raspberry-pi.36906/

My strategy is to run an ASIP server, which I'm also sharing. If you have a Linux box where QEMU will properly do bridged networking, you could virtualize that. Mac OS X 10.4 will also do ASIP sharing to as old as 7.5.5 with the appropriate OpenTransport + AppleShare updates, but not to plain AppleShare over AppleTalk, which, say, system 7.1 would be expecting.

My notes on ASIP6 are here: https://doku.stenoweb.net/doku.php?id=macdex:asip-6-guide

10.4/Intel can run in VMware, which has logistical benefits ("not have to leave a powermac G4 turned on all the time" and "not have to trust a 20+ year-old power supply"), but you can also run it on early Intel Mac minis, which you can still get cheap.

In addition to using these file servers for transitions, I save all my data on them day to day, to make using multiple systems easier and to make backups easier.

I also save full disk images of these systems (when the full disk fits in a dc6 image anyway) over the network. I've even done this over localtalk, which is slow but you don't need to mediate.

I know this is spicy but I avoid FTP whenever I can. It's annoying to deal with and only really good for transfers whereas with AppleShare you can launch data and even programs right off the share.
 

AndiS

Well-known member
I know this is spicy but I avoid FTP whenever I can. It's annoying to deal with and only really good for transfers whereas with AppleShare you can launch data and even programs right off the share.
Agreed. I forgot to mention that only packed files can be transferred via ftp or http. The Resource Forks are lost otherwise!
 

zezba9000

Well-known member
I ended up using "MacTCP" + "Fetch" that could connect to "BabyFTP" on Windows.
Keeps it simple and it works well.
 
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