Ram Disk Query

[beachycove]

Is there any way to run (boot and operate) a Quadra (or for that matter a 68030-40 desktop Mac of any variety) from a Ram Disk (a) under 7.1 and ( B) with the Hard Drive set to spin down?

In short, can you make a desktop 68k Mac do what a 68k powerbook will do?

Reasoning: I run an LC475 as a print server/ Appletalk router 24/7. System 7.1 is best for the servers. Booting from the Ram disk and spinning down the drive would make it nice and quiet, and reduce the power consumption that little bit. I've been booting from and experimenting with a sizeable Ram disk on a Duo (using Maxima), and I have got to say, it is a fabulous way to work. You get about a third more use of your battery on each charge; it's quiet; and it's very fast.

So, would this wheeze also succeed on a desktop?

 

[TylerEss]

Sure could.

You'll need two control panels and lots of RAM; I'd go with at least 64, or 128 if you can find the SIMM.

RamDisk+ has good support for booting off a ramdisk. It doesn't actually boot off it so much as switch-boot onto it, using a legacy feature from the System 6 days.

Sleeper is a control panel that can spin down your hard disk.

With both of these properly configured, I think you can get what you want.