Advanced OS 9

[Cn'Fused]

I've been using Macs to an intermediate degree for a number of years, and have recently gotten an iMac for personal use.

I posted in the Off Topic forum not realising there was a forum here, so I figure I'll repost and see if I can get any more info off the people here.

My question is simple: Where can I find info for the more advanced options for Mac OS 9? Like Windows and its registry and config files, I assume that there's got to be some form of equivalent for the Macintosh. I know Apple prides itself on operating systems being easy to run, but without any extras to fuck around with it's a bit boring for me.
Also, has anyone ever fun Linux on a Mac? It sounds funny, but once I'm bored with OS 9 I may as well try Linux, assuming it would work.

Thanks for any help/links/PMs...

[Yvan Zivkovic]

The Best advice I can give you:

Get OS X

[BlackAura]

OS X on an iMac? Unless I'm mistaken, iMacs are G3 machines, and OS X doesn't run too well on those.

It sounds funny, but once I'm bored with OS 9 I may as well try Linux, assuming it would work.

It probably will. Linux has some hardware support issues on some Macs, but mostly the newer ones, and it usually only makes a difference on laptops and for 3D acceleration. If that's a problem, you could use GNU/Darwin, which is basically a GNU-ish Unix system using the package management system from FreeBSD and the Darwin kernel from MacOS X.

[KeithIrwin]

Although a G4 is a better processor than the G3 at the same clock frequency, a fast G3 is still better than a slow G4. Processor type alone doesn't indicate how good it is, and really there's no significant architectural features between a G3 and a G4 which make a difference for a unix-style OS versus a more monolithic one. There are several Mac models which have been produced with G3's which ship with OS X. G3's are as good at running Mac OS X as they are at running OS 9. When OS X initially shipped, there were problems with running it on low end G3's but it was also just very slow in general. They've tightened up the optimization of the OS quite a bit then.

To address the original question, you can get at some stuff on OS 9 by doing things like editting resource files with ResEdit and adding some additional control panels, but for the most place you can't go fiddle with some equivalent to the registry becuase there simply isn't one. The old Mac OS was more cleanly designed than Windows and did not include nearly so many things for the developers to fiddle with to try to get things right. As a result, you can't fiddle with those things either. The closest is fiddling with Finder resources, but that's an iffy sort of thing to do, really.

OS X is definitely more fun to play with. There are some hidden GUI settings (tinkertool) and with all of Darwin under the hood, there's lots of stuff to play with.

Keith

[Yvan Zivkovic]

OS X on an iMac? Unless I'm mistaken, iMacs are G3 machines, and OS X doesn't run too well on those.

I happen to be running OS X on a G3 iMac and it seems to be running fine. Of course its a lot faster on G4 machines, but that would be the case with anything.

[BlackAura]

Maybe I'm thinking of the really old ones with graphics hardware that's not supported under OS X...

[Bertrude]

BlackAura wrote:
OS X on an iMac? Unless I'm mistaken, iMacs are G3 machines, and OS X doesn't run too well on those.

I think you must be thinking of the old ones as some of these probably will struggle with OS X.

What about the sexy G4 iMacs, housed in the white domes with the tilt and swivel LCD screens? You check out the latest one, complete with a 20" screen. Rather tasty.

[Thargok]

Every graphics board is supported under OS X (yes somebody got a on 603 running OS X) however they do not have any optimized hardware acceleration (Quartz Extreme). RAM is the most important thing in OS X though; a G3 333 mhz iBook will run OS X fine if it has the max 786 megs of RAM.

[Cn'Fused]

Thanks for the info guys.
There aren't any websites you'd recommend to get programs for OS 9? There are the main places on the Net like Downloads.com, but all the interesting programs seem to be on sites that are 4 years old and have become relics to a Macintosh age long past...

[ToeJam]

OS X on an iMac? Unless I'm mistaken, iMacs are G3 machines, and OS X doesn't run too well on those.

OS X runs perfectly fine on iMacs, yes even the old ones, just stuff it full of ram and run 10.3 and be happy.

[MaximumZero]

[quote="Yvan Zivkovic"][quote="BlackAura"]OS X on an iMac? Unless I'm mistaken, iMacs are G3 machines, and OS X doesn't run too well on those.
[/quote]

I happen to be running OS X on a G3 iMac and it seems to be running fine. Of course its a lot faster on G4 machines, but that would be the case with anything.[/quote]

You have to realize, OS X is one of the few OSes that gets FASTER on older computers with each release...

...unlike Windows, which requires more and more hardware with each release... :roll:

[superstition2]

My question is simple: Where can I find info for the more advanced options for Mac OS 9? Like Windows and its registry and config files, I assume that there's got to be some form of equivalent for the Macintosh. I know Apple prides itself on operating systems being easy to run, but without any extras to fudge around with it's a bit boring for me.

Hacking:
ResEdit
Resorcerer
File Buddy
MacsBug

Repair/Optimization:
Norton Utilities
Disk Warrior
TechTool

UI:
Prestissimo
Kaleidoscope
Popchar Lite

Software links:
Pure Mac
Version Tracker
Emulation

Distinctive Mac OS software:

Microsoft Word 5.1a (System 6.0.7 and up)
BBEdit or BBEdit Lite 6.1.2
Symantec MORE

Games:

Connectix Virtual Game Station (PlayStation emulator)
Sirtet and Sirtet Voyager (two good Tetris games)
Slick Willie II and III (humorous political games)

[Cn'Fused]

Thanks for the links man. Gotta download the programs off the PC and copy them to my Mac, but I"ll give them a go anyhow