preserving old Macintosh localized (system) software

[micheledipaola]

Hello people,

I am from Italy and I was in my teenage when Macintosh appeared. I already had an Apple II, so I went to my local Apple shop where I bought it, to do the "Mac test drive" and I fell in love with that little box, also because - for the first time ever - all software they showed me was in my language.

Maybe for this reason, I am willing to preserve localized System software and other programs, starting of course from Italian versions which I would love to have installed on all my vintage Macs.

The more we will be, the more it could be done effortlessly:

System 7+ disks are preserved, but with earlier versions... it is more complicated, and software beyond System risk to be lost. For instance, Network Install support disks (where the actual drivers are) in Italian are nowhere to be found, and you will not find an Italian version of Mac Paint preserved online anywhere, even if Apple made it opensource years ago.

So if you happen to have Italian (or other language!) versions of system software, drivers, applications etc. I would really love to see them uploaded somewhere online. As now, I uploaded Mac Write, Mac Draw, HyperCard 1.2.5, a couple of QuickTime versions, but surely there's more out there and I would really use your help

 

[olePigeon]

Did you try checking both the "Apple Legacy Software Recovery CD" and the "MacOS Anthology DVD" set?  These sets of disks have nearly all the system software in all localized versions.  Might include the Network Software Installers, too.

I think there's also an archive you can download of the original Apple Info FTP site from Archive.org, which contains quite a few localized software installers and updates.

 

[cheesestraws]

MacOS Anthology DVD

The Anthology only goes back to 7.0, if I'm not mistaken, and the legacy recovery CD only has US English versions of the older systems (unless there's another legacy recovery out there).  The British English versions of the system can be a little hard to come by, as well—someone has done an archive of all the international versions of 6 that they could find, but beyond that ...

 

[max1zzz]

Having a look through my server I have localised versions of 6.0.3, 6.0.4, 6.0.5 and 6.0.7 as well as a few random localised builds system 4.1

I believe the localised system 6 builds where from one of the recovery cd's I'm not sure where the system 4 builds where form

Maybe the developer CD's might be worth a look through?

 

[cheesestraws]

Having a look through my server I have localised versions of 6.0.3, 6.0.4, 6.0.5 and 6.0.7 as well as a few random localised builds system 4.1

I believe the localised system 6 builds where from one of the recovery cd's I'm not sure where the system 4 builds where form

Gah, I was looking for your server but macintosharchive's mirror server seems to have gone walkies :-( I'm trying to keep UK versions of the system software on my 'install' share.

 

[max1zzz]

Well my server will be back at some point, I just need to sort the ungodly mess that was it's file structure out! I am getting somewhere with it but got a little less enthusiastic when I realised the uploads folders totalled more than 1.5TB!

 

[cheesestraws]

Ahhh, ok.  To clarify, I wasn't complaining at you, just going 'awwww, I can't poke it ' in passing .

 

[max1zzz]

That's fine, I didn't think you where complaining

 

[micheledipaola]

Thanks everybody 

I confirm that the Anthology CDs only go from version 7.0 on, and the Internet Archive only has bits and pieces of the original Apple FTP, which I think I scavenged completely  . I remember having browsed a more complete mirror some time ago but... where?

A zipped copy of the developers FTP archive is present on mac repository (I guess) but localized contents are not so many in there.
Italian System 6.0.3 and 6.0.7 (and maybe an intermediate version I guess) are preserved, and I have that T-6.0.7 (Italian) on my SEs, but it's only the four System disks and nothing more, no exensions etc - not to talk about other software (ie Mac Paint). 
 

Well my server will be back at some point, I just need to sort the ungodly mess that was it's file structure out! I am getting somewhere with it but got a little less enthusiastic when I realised the uploads folders totalled more than 1.5TB!

This sound promising, if there is anything I could do to help you...

Also, calling the whole hive mind here  : consider that any piece of localized software you may stumble upon could be a unicorn to preserve and upload, so please try to do it! 

 

[max1zzz]

I confirm that the Anthology CDs only go from version 7.0 on, and the Internet Archive only has bits and pieces of the original Apple FTP, which I think I scavenged completely  . I remember having browsed a more complete mirror some time ago but... where?

asa.max1zzz.co.uk? I believe my mirror is complete barring some of the OS9 updates which where already non downloadable when I did my scrape

There doesn't look to have been any localised versions of anything below 7.0.1 on there though

 

[micheledipaola]

asa.max1zzz.co.uk? I believe my mirror is complete barring some of the OS9 updates which where already non downloadable when I did my scrape

There doesn't look to have been any localised versions of anything below 7.0.1 on there though

Thank you very much,

no unfortunately nothing below 7.0x in localised versions but good repository anyway

let's keep searching