Macintosh SE Driver Transfer Help

Hello everyone,

Forgive me if this was discussed at some point prior to now, but I cannot seem to find exactly what I am looking for despite my searches.

To be brief, I have a Quesse/Total Systems Gemini 020/030 accelerator card for my SE that I just purchased on eBay. I have read that it needs Gemstart 3.0 in order to function properly.* Thus, I downloaded the driver from this site, which was in a .sit configuration, unpacked it via The Unarchiver, transferred it to an IBM formatted 1.44 Mb floppy, and inserted it in my SE.** However, instead of being greeted with an executable program, I found a text document in its place. Indeed, my SE had identified it as something to be opened in SimpleText, which was most displeasing.

Tonight, after researching this issue extensively, I erased the IBM format, inserted the disk into my SE, and formatted it in HFS. I was hoping that I could now transfer the program while keeping the necessary resource fork for the driver, which apparently is left out when a disk is formatted in FAT. However, when I attempted to drag and drop the program to said floppy on my MacBook (it's ancient, Mid-2010, but has macOS High Sierra 10.13.6 installed), it doesn't allow for it to transfer, showing a "no" symbol next to the driver I am dragging. I should say that all of this occurred after trying to reformat the disk to HFS+ on the MacBook. It repeatedly failed and crashed the Disk Utility when I tried to attempt this.

I am at a loss. This is my first Compact Macintosh, and I'm not much of an Apple user in general, so I don't really know the ins, outs, and quirks of Apple software. I would appreciate any tips or information that could help me solve this issue.

Many thanks in advance,

Forrest




*My SE has System 7 installed.
**For note, my SE was upgraded at some point, and has a SuperDrive plus the necessary ROM. As such, it is able to read IBM formatted floppies.
 

mikes-macs

Well-known member
You are real close to getting there. Having the Mac SE format the floppy disk for IBM format is the correct way. The MacBook cannot copy to the floppy because it's formatted in HFS and not HFS+ . Apple dropped support for their HFS after Mac OS X 10.5.8.

Hoping your Mac SE already has Stuffit Expander, if the floppy is formatted for IBM you want to copy the sit file to the floppy disk using the MacBook and then have the SE decompress the sit file and you'll have your driver. You'll want to copy the sit file from the floppy to your HDD and then have Stuffit Expander decompress that copy to another folder on your HDD. Do not use the floppy copy or save it to the floppy or you'll lose resource.

Alternatively, there is Mac Fuse which allows the MacBook to write to hfs formatted disks. In that case you'll want the floppy formatted for Macintosh and you can just copy the driver to the disk decompressed.
 
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You are real close to getting there. Having the Mac SE format the floppy disk for IBM format is the correct way. The MacBook cannot copy to the floppy because it's formatted in HFS and not HFS+ . Apple dropped support for their HFS after Mac OS 10.5.8.

Hoping your Mac SE already has Stuffit Expander if the floppy is formatted for IBM you want to copy the sit file to the floppy disk using the MacBook and then have the SE decompress the sit file and you'll have your driver.

Alternatively, there is Mac Fuse which allows the MacBook to write to hfs formatted disks. In that case you'll want the floppy formatted for Macintosh and you can just copy the driver to the disk decompressed.
I think I will try Mac Fuse first, since I don't believe my SE has Stuffit Expander on it. Just to make sure, I looked it up, and the first thing that comes up is macFUSE on Github. Is that the place from which to download it? I would assume that it's the place, but I just want to make sure first.
 

mikes-macs

Well-known member
Is there a System Preference Option titled "MacFuse" now in on your MacBook? It's been a while since I've used it. There should be an option to enable HFS support.
 
Is there a System Preference Option titled "MacFuse" now in on your MacBook? It's been a while since I've used it. There should be an option to enable HFS support.
There is a System Preference Option, but it does not contain any options regarding HFS support. The three options are "show beta versions", "check for updates", and "remove FUSE". Other than that, there is nothing there.
 

mikes-macs

Well-known member
I know there are other members here that will chime in with more experience with MacFuse. I'm assuming it's a version issue but I don't know. You may try a restart of your MacBook and try. Otherwise would you like me to mail you a floppy disk with your driver on it ready to go? I have several Macs that can put the driver on a floppy for you.
 
I know there are other members here that will chime in with more experience with MacFuse. I'm assuming it's a version issue but I don't know. You may try a restart of your MacBook and try. Otherwise would you like me to mail you a floppy disk with your driver on it ready to go? I have several Macs that can put the driver on a floppy for you.

If I am reading this correctly, macFUSE does not read HFS floppies. I don't know if if that speaks to WRITING floppies, but I will assume that it does.

Thus, I will happily take you up on your offer. Finally, I will have a means to get this accelerator working without getting stonewalled in some form or another by .sit files:LOL:. I appreciate it, man. You really saved by bacon on this one.
 

mikes-macs

Well-known member
Okay give me a link to Gemstart 3.0 where you downloaded it from so that I get you the one you want and send me the address in a PM and I'll mail one out Wednesday.
 
Okay give me a link to Gemstart 3.0 where you downloaded it from so that I get you the one you want and send me the address in a PM and I'll mail one out Wednesday.

The first post is where I downloaded Gemstart 3.0.

I'll send that address your way now.
 

mikes-macs

Well-known member
If I may make a suggestion, You could use a bridge Mac if you like compact Macs. You would be able to download files and send them over the network to your compact Mac. The bridge Mac is a Mac that has ethernet and uses software to bridge or route the ethernet network over to a LocalTalk network. It's a great option and there are plenty of resources here on how to set it up and which is the best OS and Mac Model for this.
 
If I may make a suggestion, You could use a bridge Mac if you like compact Macs. You would be able to download files and send them over the network to your compact Mac. The bridge Mac is a Mac that has ethernet and uses software to bridge or route the ethernet network over to a LocalTalk network. It's a great option and there are plenty of resources here on how to set it up and which is the best OS and Mac Model for this.
I will keep this in mind and attempt to use this as a means of file transfer going forward.

I'll read up on it, as I have a sneaking suspicion that my MacBook is too new to work effectively with my SE. It would make sense, since Apple has, based on my readings, gutted legacy features over the decades.
 
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