Serial Disk driver (works on 512k/System 1.1)

[bbraun]

Stemming from previous discussions I've got a pretty usable Serial Disk driver. It currently uses a program on a linux, osx, or other posixy type system to serve up disk images over the serial link.

I've got several versions to work from System 7.6.1 (and probably later) all the way back to System 1.1/Finder 1.1g. Initially developed and tested on a 9600 using 7.6.1, the Control Panel portion was tested on a Classic using 6.0.8, and finally on a 400K floppy in a M0001W from my recent haul using both System 3.3 (Workstation 1.1) and System 1.1/Finder 1.1g. It was an interesting experiment targeting the older systems.

 

[markyb86]

Is there a limitation on disk image size? Take for instance you have a *.dsk file that when in minivmac shows as ~500mb. Would that be too large? Or, is this something you would really only want floppy sized images for?

Also great job on this and thank you!

 

[techknight]

Now its time to get the hardware done ;-)

 

[bbraun]

Theoretical limits are about 2GB and most of my testing has been in the 5mb to 500mb range.

You'll be much happier if you format the disk before using it over the serial link. Formatting works, it just takes a long time to touch every 512byte block over the serial link. Especially with larger sizes.

It defaults to 57.6kbps. On systems that have extensible control panels (System 6 & 7), the Control Panel can be used to select slower baud rates. On earlier systems, you don't get to change it, although 57.6kbps seems to work ok on the 512k.

 

[ClassicHasClass]

That's pretty sweet. I'm going to have to dig out the G5's USB-serial adaptor and try this with the Colour Classic.

 

[olePigeon]

Whoa. NetBoot over AppleTalk?!

 

[bbraun]

No appletalk here. Just RS232 and disk images.

 

[techknight]

Basically the point of this driver, is we can eliminate the need for HDDs AND floppies. Build a disk image with the serial driver, and put it into the ROM. like done previously.

Then SD cards can be mounted that contain your apps/etc... Slow yes, workable. yes...

This would work wonders in the PB1XX series units if we could hack in flash to replace ROM, Then I could put the SD card reader where the HDD used to be, and tap the serial lines.

Or the other possibility is building a special system file that does what the HD20 driver would do in ROM. Basically it loads a minimal system to initialize the serial disk driver, once it finds a blessed system disk image, it transfers boot to the system on the disk image.

possible? maybe, i dunno. I guess the first step would be to look at how they did it with the HD20.

 

[Bunsen]

linux, osx, or other posixy type system

... sooo, for example, a tiny cheap ARM board running *nix/µcLinux with a CF or SD on it? Heck, even one of those hackable ARM/*nix NAS boxes!

}

 

[markyb86]

LOL You could slam a raspberry pi inside of a compact! They are so tiny!

http://www.raspberrypi.org/

 

[techknight]

well hell, that thing could emulate the entire system... Mac and all. lol. Compile a linux/ARM based Basilisk and there ya go.

 

[olePigeon]

If you wanted to keep it all vintage, you could serve it up via an A/UX machine.

 

[markyb86]

Question, if I have one of these:

What cord goes from that, into the Mac's modem port? :?:

 

[techknight]

a RS232 to Macintosh RS-422 cable. Same things they used in the modems back in the day. You could also make one by either cutting an old mac cable and rewiring it to a solderable DB-9, Or finding a solder type DIN port that fits the serial port of the mac. and using cat-5 cable between it, and a solder DB-9.

a cheatsheet of the cable wiring is on the net.

 

[olePigeon]

Need an icon for this project? |)

 

[bbraun]

Icons here too would be great! I just kind of recycled the HTTP Disk icon.

 

[olePigeon]

It's a CEREAL driver... get it? ) *ducks*

http://www.wreckcenter.com/68k/Serial-Driver.rsrc.sit.hqx

 

[ClassicHasClass]

Groan! But memorable.

 

[markyb86]

I love it!