nCity Legacy Maintenance

Rebuilding the Desktop Files: Holding down Command+Option keys during the startup process will result in a dialog box confirming that you intend to rebuild desktop files. This should be done periodically (every couple o'months?), after copying files from one hard drive to another, and if you get a lot of errors when trying to open documents (see Minor Error Messages, above).
Disk First Aid: This utility should be the first thing you run at the first hint of trouble. DFA can stop many minor glitches from becoming major traumas. It is located in the utilities folder on your hard disk, also on your System CD. It can always be used to verify (check) your disk, but to make repairs it might be necessary to restart from your CD drive using the System CD (hold down "C" key during restart) and run it from the CD. In newer OS versions, DFA will also activate automatically following a freeze or improper shutdown by checking a box in the General Controls control panel (right).	Turning on Disk First Aid in the General Controls panel.
Profile First Aid: A part of ColorSync, this utility examines ICC color profiles installed in your system and may be used to verify or make repairs to these profiles. (Launching Profile First Aid will provide a more complete description of what it is and how it works.) Package First Aid (9.0+): "Packages" were introduced with OS9 as a new way to combine and distribute a group of related files. Package First Aid is used to verify these packages and reset any folders that might read incorrectly as a "package" or refuse to open.
Alias Icons: An alias (aka "shortcut" in the PC world) is an icon that functions kinda like a remote control; it's a handy way to open another file from a remote location. Aliases can be placed anywhere. They're disposable (without losing any data), mimic the icon of the original file, and are always identified with a name in italics. Aliases are easily created for any file: Select the file (one click), then choose Make Alias from the File menu. In the illustration (right), an alias of the file named "Puddytat" has been created and is being moved to a more convenient location. An alias can also be used to locate its original file by selecting the alias then choosing Show Original, a little further down in the File menu.	Making an Alias from the File menu.
Apple Menu Items and Startup Items folders: While it's generally a good idea to avoid messing around with the System Folder and its contents, these two folders deserve special attention. The Apple Menu Items folder contains everything that appears under the Apple menu in your menu bar. Since this menu is always available, it's a great place to put aliases to a select few files you might use frequently. In the example shown (right), an alias to the Netscape browser is being dropped in, where it will always be one click away. Plus, by adding a space before the alias' name, it will move to the top of the Apple menu. Other things you might want in your Apple menu (if they're not in there already) are Note Pad, the Scrapbook (where you can store and retrieve images), Stickies (the electronic version of those ubiquitous 3M® Post-It® notes), and KeyCaps (a small app that shows characters generated by a given font's option/shift/command/control keys). The Startup Items folder is where you put aliases to applications or documents that you might want to open automatically on startup.	Using the Apple Menu Items folder (inside System Folder).
Cache files: Some programs, notably browsers and graphics apps, create temporary storage files (sometimes invisible) called cache files. Some apps consume so many space they commandeer a segment of your hard disk and call it a "scratch disk." Flushing the cache can eliminate memory and other errors, but the process varies by app. In Netscape's case, you have to open Preferences (Edit menu), open the "Advanced" heading, select "Cache," then click a "Clear Disk Cache" button. In IE the cache is under the "Advanced" tab where you'll find a button labeled "Empty Now." Be patient; it can take a minute or more to delete accumulated cache files.	Clearing cache in Netscape (top) and IE (bottom). Both are found in Preferences under "Advanced" where buttons are located.

Security:: OS9 included two apps in its Security folder: Apple File Security (which encrypts and password protects any selected file), and Apple Verifier (used to check digital signatures in certificates, applications and plug-ins).
: Norton Anti-Virus for the Mac has long since passed-by OS9 and earlier Systems, but may still be available on eBay or elsewhere. Virex (purchased long ago by MaAfee) is still online with virus definitions for System 7 thru OS9. And make sure QuickTime's autostart function is OFF to prevent infection by the 9805 Autostart worm, one of the Mac's last viruses.....

Still running OS9? Cheetah, Puma or Jaguar (10.0-10.2)? An old PPC or G3?: Bad news: The ride is over and you've reached the end of the road. Your machine has served you well, but it's time to retire it or assign it to non-networked dedicated use. This web site was designed to be backwards compatible (just for you!), but you can't be having an easy time of it - especially if you're using that miserable old web browser, Internet Exploder. The last, best browser and email app available for OS9 was Netscape 7.02, but that can't handle current web standards, either. OS9 no longer works; early OSX (10.0 thru 10.2) may be immune to old viruses at least, but these Operating Systems are goners, too. The good news is, if you're running a G4, you can step up to 10.3 Panther or 10.4 Tiger and it'll be like having a whole new Mac.
: Because of expansion capabilities, and with the use of OS9 legacy software, 604 PowerPC towers are ideal for dedicated use in various applications, such as home automation, security, A/V use and dedicated database and commercial programs. Most will run some version of 9.0 to 9.2; best to start with OS9.0, then install updates as far as installers will allow.
: For most computer usage, staying current with OSX Panther is highly recommended; this requires a late-model G3 or later.

601-603e PowerPCs:

Performas (models 5200 - 6420) and PowerPCs (models 475 - 950, 4400 - 7220, 7500, 8100 - 8200). These machines from the mid 90s are not capable of coping with modern standards and software requirements, and have little or no value aside from serving in a dedicated capacity using serial port devices and mid-90s System and software.

Two models in particular, the 5200 and 6300, may have been the worst Macs ever made due to logic board issues and monitors prone to early failure; Apple placed a seven-year warranty on these logic boards and faithfully included a 5xxx-6xxx test utility with all software updates for the entire seven-year period. The monitors were another story; these were Apple-branded displays included with Performas which had color gun failures from cracked solder joints. We fixed a lot of 'em, some more than once.

Rough seas for Apple, as Mother Ship comes hard about (1996 montage).
604-604ev PowerPCs:: (8600 - 9600) Many of these machines were AV-equipped, had multiple SCSI busses and outstanding expansion capacities. The 8600 will happily run OS9.1; others may be updated as far as OS9.2.1 (officially). USB must be added via PCI card.

First G3s:: (233MHz, 266MHz) ADB, Serial ports and SCSI - only the iMac had USB ports, later iMacs also had FireWire. OS9.2.2 for non-USB models, 10.3 might be possible with addition of USB PCI card (if PCI slot is available) and Xpost Facto. Sadly, these machines are all doorstops now. Sorry.

Early G4s:: Dual-boot, OS9.2.2 and 10.3.9 Panther recommended, 10.4 Tiger is possible with sufficient RAM, recommended with use of broadband. These machines all have USB, FireWire, ATA drives, PCI slots (towers), and wireless 802.11b options.

G4 notebooks, late G4s and all G5s:: Recommend 10.3.9 Panther, minimum OS; upgrade RAM and use Tiger 10.4 if connected to broadband. OS9 Classic Mode is still available under Tiger 10.4 with OS9 drivers installed during format and optional 9.2.2 installation under 10.4 Tiger.

Hardware requirements for 10.3 Panther, 10.4 Tiger:

OSX requires USB ports, 256MB RAM, a built-in display or Apple video card, and 2GB hard drive space - 3.5GB if you plan to install Apple's developer tools included with OSX.

Old G3s - the first (beige) G3 tower and desktop models do not support OSX. 300, 350 and 400MHz Blue and White G3s code named "Yosemite" are capable of running OSX, but these are all but extinct today. First PowerBook approved for OSX is the Bronze Keyboard "Pismo" PowerBook (with FireWire ports). All iBooks, all iMac models, and all eMacs are OSX-compatible. G3 "Yosemite" - "Pismo" PowerBook - 1st iBook - 1st iMac. With the possible exception of the Pismo, these machines are too old to be of much use these days...

Unofficial OSX Requirements way-old Macs:

For those brave souls who are not afraid to get their virtual hands dirty, the range of possibilities increase enormously - but not without certain caveats. My advice would be to improve somewhat on Apple's recommendations (above), for two reasons: First, you can never have too much RAM; and second, you'll be better off in the long run if you upgrade as far as possible. I'd suggest starting with a G4, minimum 512MB RAM, and OS10.3.9 (Panther). That said, here's a brief look at a utility designed to upgrade "unsupported" and "obsolete" older Macs to OSX: Ryan Rempel's "XPostFacto."

XPostFacto:
Download and support forum hosted by Other World Computing:
Developer's OpenSource site (source code and development):

External Links:: XPostFacto documentation and download; XPostFacto development site

Because OSX requires USB, and USB is added to legacy Macs by way of a PCI card, only those machines using PCI architecture (having PCI slots) can be upgraded to OSX. Machines that qualify include most 604e PowerPCs with PCI (7300 thru 9600), many UMAX and Power Computing clones, the first beige G3s and certain other Mac models.

If you are considering use of XPostFacto, you should carefully read its documentation and compatibility information, then consider your machine's suitability, its RAM configuration/capacity and available hard drive space. Many of these older machines will be too slow and too limited to provide a decent user experience under OSX.


Recommended OS9/OSX installations, G3s and G4s:
Default installation of OSX includes OS9 on the same volume (legacy apps run in "classic mode"). This is fine in most cases, simple and more than adequate, especially if space is limited. Use of a secondary backup drive of equal or greater capacity is highly recommended, whether an installed and configured internal drive or an external drive connected via USB or FireWire port. (Speed is not nearly as important as reliability when shopping for a backup drive.)

Default OSX/OS9 (classic mode) install, with backups

Preferred installation, G3s and G4s is to have OSX on one drive and OS9 on another hard drive. With backup drives for both, that means a total of 4 hard drives (ATA/IDE) running on two internal busses (which is not possible on the 300MHz Yosemite which only has one bus). The advantage for G4 and earlier machines is the ability to startup (boot) from either drive - OS9 or OSX - while still being able to run legacy apps in classic mode from the OSX drive. If that seems a bit "over the top" (as they say), the next option might be prove to be a happy medium.....

Dual boot OSX and OS9 drives, with backups

Partitioned drive with two startup volumes (pre G5), an OS9 partition and an OSX partition. (The OSX partition should come first and be somewhat larger than the OS9 partition.) A secondary backup drive of equal or greater capacity is then formatted with matching partitions.

G5+ machines will not startup from OS9, so your only option is to use the default classic mode installation - but you should still have a matching backup volume.

Partitioned dual boot OSX/OS9 drive with backup

OSX considerations and arguments:: Many clients still resist moving to OSX, citing expenses involved in upgrading both hardware and software, its learning curve, software compatibility, and a variety of other reasons. While OS9.2.2 is not an old System by any means, and is far superior to any other OS on other platforms, OSX is the future - like it or not. Some people simply resist change, and to those folks I would point out all the advances made in countless areas of technology over the past twenty years, most of which supersede prior methods resulting in positive change or adding new abilities that didn't exist previously. The most common and more specific arguments I encounter are addressed here:

Expense is number one by a wide margin, for good reason. Yes, depending on your current investment in hardware and software, upgrading to OSX can be quite expensive. Hardware considerations outlined above put OSX within reach of the vast majority of Mac users, but software updates are not free (or even cheap), to say nothing of purchasing OSX on CDs (typically $75 to $130 from legitimate sources). The irritation and expense of having to upgrade commercial programs (that may be too expensive to begin with) is offset somewhat by a great deal of outstanding free software included with OSX: Safari, Mail, Sherlock, the iSuite of apps, and Developer Tools, to name a few. And, there's always "Classic Mode" under OSX.
Learning curve is usually the second argument I hear from clients. The more experience one has with OS9, the more comfortable it was, the more likely it is that OSX might look a little daunting. It takes about two weeks of constant use to become accustomed to all the new features and abilities of the OSX interface, but long time Mac users will probably avoid the Terminal for awhile..... still, being an OpenSource OS with protected memory, enhanced security, and all its other highly touted features, OSX has a lot to offer. Its learning curve is not nearly as significant as it might first appear and is overcome in a short time spent exploring and using OSX.
Software Compatibility quickly became a moot point. Most - if not all - familiar Mac apps have long since made the move, and those that haven't are being replaced by new programs rushing to fill the void. OS9 Classic Mode running alongside OSX continues Apple's long-standing tradition of maintaining backwards compatibility and eliminates most compatibility issues. There really is no good reason to avoid upgrading any longer.

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