How to pass files to mini vMac?

[rieSha.]

Hi,

I'm running mini vMac on my MacBook, using Mac OS X 10.6.4.

I'd like to pass some files (including resource forks) to the System 6 or 7 running within mini vMac.

• • But I can't unpack Mac OS X-style ZIP-files within mini vMac (since all System6/7-ZIP decompressors I know don't support the resfork scheme of MOSX-ZIP).
  • And I can't pack SIT3/5-files within Mac OS X.
  • And I can't write to HFS diskimages since 10.6 doesn't support write access to HFS anymore.
  • And

http://vc.namedfork.net/nf/fusehfs/ doesn't work for me.

So how can I exchange resforked files mini vMac — Mac OS X?

rieSha.

 

[Mac128]

Use Sheepshaver, or get an old Mac.

 

[ken27238]

try using a computer running 10.5 they support HFS images and using stuffit expander worked fine for me

 

[prattp]

Another alternative in recent versions of OS X is using the macbinary command from the Terminal application. (http://developer.apple.com/mac/library/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/macbinary.1.html)

It can be used to convert a single file into MacBinary format, which can be loaded into Mini vMac with ImportFl, and then decoded with binUnpk or Stuffit Expander.

A disadvantage is that this only works on a single file at a time. And also that you need to use command line.

 

[rieSha.]

@prattp:

Thanks, that works. Indeed it is not very Mac-like. But Aladdin doesn't support any older formats.

@ken27238:

Not an option since this Mac runs only 10.6 or newer.

 

[Mac128]

prattp,

thanks too for that info. Indeed not very Mac-like, but I've never had a problem with cmd-line interfaces as long as I have the commands and especially the step-by-step instructions in front of me. It's nice to know that works for now, until Zydeco's solution works more universally to write to HFS images. Just hope OS X 10.7 doesn't drop HFS read too following their historical pattern in dropping support of MFS with OS 7.6 & 8.

rie Sha,

Sheepshaver is my Mac transition emulator of choice, to keep everything within a Mac-like environment. This is how I set it up and use it to transfer files between Snow Leopard and an real 128K: http://mac128.com/transfer

I also use it, running OS 8.1 to open HFS+ images created under Snow Leoapard, into which I have copied compressed archive files, and copy the contents to HFS images which I then use with Mini vMac: the hands down the best vintage Mac emulator out there.

While Sheepshaver is buggy, it does allow more versatility than Mini vMac at the moment. Basilisk II also offers similar features, but in my experience is much more difficult to set up, is quite a bit more buggy and hasn't been updated in quite a while. Both have the advantage of accessing real HFS volumes via USB ports, i.e. 1.44MB floppy disk drives, and ZIP drives, which can then be used directly on vintage Macs.

 

[rieSha.]

@Mac128:

This is how I set it up and use it to transfer files between Snow Leopard and an real 128K: http://mac128.com/transfer

Thanks for that URL and description. It is a real PITA nowadays to exchange data with old Macs, it is _much_ easier to do this with an IBM PC of 1986 than with a Macintosh of 1986. What a pity.

The reasons I don't use Sheepshaver very often: can't emulate System 6 or older and (major point) it drives my Core Duo equipped Mac to massive fan noise. Mini vMac doesn't.

What do you think - should we collect some money here for Paul C. Pratt to give him some spare time? He could implement a resource fork transfer method within "ImportFl" and "ExportFl" so that we could exchange files _with_ resource forks easily with Mac OS X 10.6.

BTW: Why did you use an image instead of text on your webpage?

rieSha.

 

[Mac128]

rie Sha, the image is an artifact of the old version of iWeb that I am using and the fact that I am using the original Apple font from the original 128K manual which has to be an image in order to be represented correctly on the internet.

As for SheepShaver, I use it on my 2.0GHz Core Duo MacBook all the time and the fan never comes on. As I mentioned, I only use it for file transfers and vintage stuffit expansion and conversions. Has nothing to do with running System 6, as I need it to run OS 8.1 to access HFS+ volumes and transfer them to HFS volumes for use with Mini vMac. In and out easy-peasy. Never on long enough to spin up the fan.

And of course I use it to mount and write to HFS external ZIP drives, as well as the aforementioned file transfers to my 128K via MacTerminal. But again, never long enough to spin up my fan.