Internet on a Powerbook Duo

[bhylak]

Well I have been searching for quite a while, and I finally decided to post.

I today, dug out an old Powerbook Duo. The dock does have the un-assigned Ethernet port on it but I am looking for something, perhaps more compact. I saw the Micro and Mini docks but of course no one sells them any more!

If I were to get Ethernet on it, how would I configure it? And what would I need to connect this computer to lets say a Intel iMac...

Any chance of Wireless Internet?

Could you put something like Ubuntu on the Duo?

And lastly is there anyway to get a USB drive to work with it?

 

[ppuskari]

Hey, you might check out "chiefs trading post" or something similar to that on eBay... IF you can't find it, search for "powerpump" and he's the guy. He used to have several of the small docks you are looking for.

I need to break down and buy a couple of the powerpump sets for my Q950's before they are gone for good.

Good luck,

 

[bhylak]

http://shop.ebay.com/powerpump/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

He has only one feedback score. Wrong name?

 

[ppuskari]

I actually meant search for the auction item powerpump. Sorry about that.

Here's the link to the store.

http://stores.ebay.com/Chiefs-Trading-Post

 

[bhylak]

Could you give me a link to the product, cause still, nothing.

 

[bhylak]

Would this work?: http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=5487071

 

[Anonymous Freak]

If I were to get Ethernet on it, how would I configure it? And what would I need to connect this computer to lets say a Intel iMac...

If you get any form of Ethernet, either through the Dock with Ethernet, through a Minidock with built-in Ethernet (like an Emachines EtherDock,) or through a Minidock plus SCSI-to-Ethernet adapter (like an Asanté EN/SC,) you'll need the Mac OS drivers for the appropriate card, plus either MacTCP (if using "Classic Networking, which would also have the "Network" control panel for choosing AppleTalk options,) or TCP/IP (if using OpenTransport, which would also have the "AppleTalk" control panel.)

Any chance of Wireless Internet?

Not directly. You could attach a WiFi-to-Ethernet adapter (like an Apple AirPort Express in 'device' mode, or any of the "Wireless Game Adaptors" by companies like Linksys or D-Link,) to the Ethernet port, but there is no native way of connecting a WiFi device directly to the Duo. (There are a few custom chips that will do Serial-to-WiFi, but those are funky devices, none of which are available as a conventional 'networking' component.)

Could you put something like Ubuntu on the Duo?

Ubuntu, no. Debian (which Ubuntu is based on,) has a now-out-of-date 68k port that does work; but the best-maintained *NIX for 68k is NetBSD. *AND*, the only conceivable way would be a pre-280 Duo, in the (big desktop) Duo Dock. This is because all of the Linux/BSD distros require an FPU, which no Duo has internally. And only the 210/230/250/270 can support the FPU in the Duo Dock. The 280 has a 68LC040, which not only doesn't have an FPU, it can't even use the FPU in the Dock. (For the record, no distro makes any attempt to even claim that any Duo is supported, so you'd be on your own figuring out any problems.)

edit: It appears I spoke a little too soon on the Duo 280 front... Our own enterprising johnklos seems to have figured it out. (No word on if this works on a 280 specifically, but it does give 68LC040 the chance.)

And lastly is there anyway to get a USB drive to work with it?

None at all. (Well, if you manage to get some form of networking going, and you have a WiFi base station with a USB port that supports disk sharing over some protocol the Duo can use, like FTP, then maybe. But not via any method that isn't ridiculously convoluted. But, hey. I should be one to talk about convoluted...)

 

[bhylak]

Wow!, Thanks for the response!

I looked for an EtherDock, no where to buy it! I don't want anything to bulky, and thats the right size...

And thing else I can actually buy?

 

[Anonymous Freak]

Well, the Duos have been 'retired' for over a decade, so finding anything directly for the Duo is going to be difficult. If you want something portable, you will need some kind of Minidock. At least a 'standard' Minidock plus some other device (like the SCSI-to-Ethernet device,) but an Etherdock really is your best bet. They pop up on eBay from time to time.

 

[bhylak]

Ok now the question of doom... How well would it actually run???

 

[Anonymous Freak]

It really depends on which Duo you have.

The Duo 2300c (the only PowerPC Duo,) can run reasonably well if it has maxed RAM.

The Duo 280c is passable, but not really usable on a day-to-day basis.

The lesser Duos are not very usable on the modern 'net.

 

[bhylak]

I have a 250.

 

[kvanderlaag]

Wow, I sure do wish Chiefs-Trading-Post shipped internationally. =(

I could use a NewerTechnology Floppy adapter or two to cannibalize for evil. And by evil, I mean WiFi.

 

[Bunsen]

Whu? How do you imagine you are going to get WiFi from a floppy adapter?

 

[Anonymous Freak]

I imagine he means something that I have long wondered about hacking:

Use the floppy adapter *SOLELY* for the PDS dock connector and shell, and rig up an Ethernet chip (a la the one in the Etherdocks,) plus an Ethernet-to-WiFi adapter all in the size of the floppy adapter. (Yes, I've thought about it often; but don't have the hardware-hacking skills required.)

 

[kvanderlaag]

Ding ding. We have a winner.

I have some friends who DO have the hardware hacking skills. Basically, I want to build an ethernet adapter into a floppy adapter's chassis, and use some of the unused address/data pins on the PDS connector to allow a custom control panel and extension to modify the settings on a WiFi chipset directly. The control panel handles SSID and encryption settings, and the Duo otherwise thinks it's got an Ethernet adapter stuck to it.

Am I crazy? I understand that from a software perspective, I've got my work cut out for me.

 

[Anonymous Freak]

If you ever get that working, I'd happily pay far-too-much for one, if my budget even remotely permits. (Sadly, right now, my budget for such things is ZERO.)

 

[luddite]

Here's another idea: build a card that replaces the HDD with a CF or SD card, wifi and bluetooth... and then send me two of them for testing purposes ;-)

There are cards like that being developed for the Apple II, so doing something similar on a 68K should be a cakewalk (says the guy with no idea what he's talking about).

 

[kvanderlaag]

I actually just ordered a CF-IDE adapter. Apparently these work very well in the 2300c.

CF to SCSI would be a bit of a trick. Maybe I should look into that one for 280c owners.