Installing System 6 on Mountain Lion

[TenLeftFingers]

There are some great in-depth instructions for setting up System 6 on vMac *if* you have old hardware to extract the .sea.bin files. I've spent the last hour or two trying to go through this process on Mountain Lion and I'm getting nowhere.

I've tried three different applications (UnArchiver, Stuffit Expander and Archiver) to extract the .sea.bin files, but I can only extract as far as a .sea file, can't access contents.

Any suggestions / help? Could the extracted files not be hosted for those of us who don't have working classic hardware anymore?

Basically, I just want to use MacWrite, but the .image file is always mounted as "write-protected" so I can't create documents with vMac. Maybe I'm overcomplicating things?

Many thanks,
Ten

[Ronald P. Regensburg]

You could set up BasiliskII with System 7.5.3 and unpack the .sea (self extracting archives) there.

Not sure what you mean with "the" (which?) .image file being mounted write protected (mounted where? in OSX? in Mini vMac?). If it is in Mini vMac, which System is installed in Mini vMac?

[24bit]

I´m clueless about ML, but the sea´s from here expand flawlessly on my SL Client with The Unarchiver version 2.7.1: http://download.info.apple.com/Apple_Su ... tem_6.0.x/
You will have to create a suitable "HDD" image for the emulator to work with or to install the System software in the first place.
If you wish, you can also try the image I made some time ago: http://ubuntuone.com/5XFXfoVzksCt91vAlYOT9O
Its has an old OS release on it (2) and also MacWrite - see folder "Programme".

[TenLeftFingers]

Hi Ronald, yes I meant the disk is mounted in vMac as write-protected and I don't have a system installed. Just a rom file and a disk image (MacWrite).

24bit, thank you for the image. That sorts me out nicely. Bonus points for using Ubuntu One by the way

I have one more question. Disk Utility can't open images like the one 24bit linked to because "legacy image should be converted". Is it possible to convert and still use the image in Mini vMac? It would be very cool to be able to create documents in Mini vMac but still be able to use them with other documents created on Mountain Lion.

Many thanks,
Ten

[Ronald P. Regensburg]

Hi Ronald, yes I meant the disk is mounted in vMac as write-protected and I don't have a system installed. Just a rom file and a disk image (MacWrite).

How do you mount a disk in Mini vMac without a System (or on any computer without an OS)? Seems to me that is impossible. Does the MacWrite image contain a System Folder?

I have one more question. Disk Utility can't open images like the one 24bit linked to because "legacy image should be converted". Is it possible to convert and still use the image in Mini vMac? It would be very cool to be able to create documents in Mini vMac but still be able to use them with other documents created on Mountain Lion.

HFS formatted disk images can be mounted in both Mini vMac and OSX. However, starting with OSX 10.6, they can only be mounted in OSX read-only.
It should be possible to convert the old Disk Copy images in MacOS to a format that can be mounted in both Mini vMac and OSX, but I do not know how to do that in OSX. When converted, they will still be HFS and read-only in OSX. And, of course, the HFS+ format that can be used read/write in OSX, cannot be mounted in Mini vMac at all.

[24bit]

I´m using a read/write "Transport" image between SheepShaver and MiniVac as a workaround.
If needed, you could also use MiniVMac inside SheepShaver - the PPC build of course.
Another solution might be running MinVMac in Leopard in a VM on ML.
In any case dont use your MiniVMac System (startup) disk for transferring files to the intermediate machine.
For a reason I dont know, many formerly bootable images were unbootable (but readable) with MiniVMac after opening them with DiskCopy.
Not a big thing, as long as you have a bootable copy around...

[TenLeftFingers]

How do you mount a disk in Mini vMac without a System (or on any computer without an OS)? Seems to me that is impossible. Does the MacWrite image contain a System Folder?

When starting vMac, I got the blinking question-mark image, then I just dropped the MacWrite image onto it. I don't remember seeing a System folder, but I have deleted this image since 24bit gave me his file. I have not followed any instructions for installing a system - but I take your point that there is obviously "a system" running to allow the software to run. I did not have access to anything outside the application though so whatever I was running was just enough to support MacWrites operation.

It should be possible to convert the old Disk Copy images in MacOS to a format that can be mounted in both Mini vMac and OSX.

Thanks, I'll look into it.

[TenLeftFingers]

24bit, thanks for the options.

In any case dont use your MiniVMac System (startup) disk for transferring files to the intermediate machine.

I'll be sure to take care.

[24bit]

One could try 7.5 with MiniVMac, create a DOS image, and look how it works with OSX.
OSX does still handle FAT32, in spite of HFS being dropped, doesn´t it?

Edit:
Well, I made one.
Some fine tuning is needed but it should work with both OSX and MiniVMac OS 7.5 read/write.
http://ubuntuone.com/4tkjuqNEQHp3i6rFTKs1cm
OSX 10.6 still tells its NDIF, but as is PC10240K (10MB, Fat32), writing on it is working for me on both systems.
Feel free to try.