just.in.time
Well-known member
I have a PM 6100 Dos Compatible. Unfortunately I don't have the display adapter. In hopes to gather the specs and post the machine at the Trading Post, I wanted to remote into the machine.
Since it has no hard drive, but everything else appears present I used a PowerBook 540c to do a universal install of 7.6.1 to a Zip 100 disk. While still connected to the PowerBook, I booted that Zip disk and configured a VNC server to run at startup, as well as dropped an alias to Apple System Profiler into the Startup Items folder (in the System Folder).
Booting this Zip disk on the 540c, when it completes booting (Zip drive access light stops flashing), I can refresh my router's network map and an IP address for the 540c joins the list of other devices already connected. At this point, I can remote in using JollysFastVNC from my MacBook.
Moving the Zip drive to the PM 6100, I plug everything in, pop in the disk, double tap the power button (dead PRAM battery), get the chime, and after a few seconds the Zip drive access light illuminates. It seems to go well, until I hear an alert beep. Initially (a year ago when I first tried booting this machine from a different hard drive with... 7.5.5?) I thought the beep was the computer alerting me that the Date and Time needed adjusting. However, I noticed today that my PowerBook 540c (with all dead batteries at the moment) doesn't throw an alert when booting with a clock that reset. At any rate, it makes the alert beep from the 7.6.1 Zip disk as well.
Any idea what that alert beep is from?
Unfortunately, the PM 6100 never populates in the network map like the 540c does. On the 540c, while booted from the Zip, I did make sure to uncheck the "Load only when needed" box in the TCP/IP control panel. With no IP address to point the VNC client at, I have no way to connect (and I assume that the machine never got an IP address). Are network settings stored in PRAM, and not a preference file in the System Folder?
When I hear the alert, I push return on the keyboard but no activity results at the Zip drive. I assume it was something that dismisses itself.
In the end, I press the power button on the keyboard, hear another alert beep, and then press return. The Zip drive works for a few seconds then goes silent (at which point I imagine there is a dialog saying it's safe to power down the computer).
So the computer is definitely responsive. I'd really like to get an idea of what the hardware is. Any ideas on how to get the PM 6100 to join the network on its own? Or what the mysterious alert beep is after the computer boots up in both 7.6.1 and 7.5.5?
Thanks!
edited to add: sorry for the book length post.
Since it has no hard drive, but everything else appears present I used a PowerBook 540c to do a universal install of 7.6.1 to a Zip 100 disk. While still connected to the PowerBook, I booted that Zip disk and configured a VNC server to run at startup, as well as dropped an alias to Apple System Profiler into the Startup Items folder (in the System Folder).
Booting this Zip disk on the 540c, when it completes booting (Zip drive access light stops flashing), I can refresh my router's network map and an IP address for the 540c joins the list of other devices already connected. At this point, I can remote in using JollysFastVNC from my MacBook.
Moving the Zip drive to the PM 6100, I plug everything in, pop in the disk, double tap the power button (dead PRAM battery), get the chime, and after a few seconds the Zip drive access light illuminates. It seems to go well, until I hear an alert beep. Initially (a year ago when I first tried booting this machine from a different hard drive with... 7.5.5?) I thought the beep was the computer alerting me that the Date and Time needed adjusting. However, I noticed today that my PowerBook 540c (with all dead batteries at the moment) doesn't throw an alert when booting with a clock that reset. At any rate, it makes the alert beep from the 7.6.1 Zip disk as well.
Any idea what that alert beep is from?
Unfortunately, the PM 6100 never populates in the network map like the 540c does. On the 540c, while booted from the Zip, I did make sure to uncheck the "Load only when needed" box in the TCP/IP control panel. With no IP address to point the VNC client at, I have no way to connect (and I assume that the machine never got an IP address). Are network settings stored in PRAM, and not a preference file in the System Folder?
When I hear the alert, I push return on the keyboard but no activity results at the Zip drive. I assume it was something that dismisses itself.
In the end, I press the power button on the keyboard, hear another alert beep, and then press return. The Zip drive works for a few seconds then goes silent (at which point I imagine there is a dialog saying it's safe to power down the computer).
So the computer is definitely responsive. I'd really like to get an idea of what the hardware is. Any ideas on how to get the PM 6100 to join the network on its own? Or what the mysterious alert beep is after the computer boots up in both 7.6.1 and 7.5.5?
Thanks!
edited to add: sorry for the book length post.
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