[red rocket]

There are two computers on my desk. One is running Panther, the other's on OS 9.1.

I'd like to get OS X to recognise the System Folder on the other machine for Classic.

Is it possible?

[slotcarbob]

no can do.

[Sherman Homan]

I remember someone hacking a MacPlus so that it booted off of another MacPlus over AppleTalk. It took something like 18 hours but it did, eventually, boot. So, maybe in theory you could make yours work, but I bet it would take longer to program and longer to boot than I would want!

[jasong]

I don't think this is possible as OS X needs to add certain resources to OS 9 to make Classic work, but try making a symlink (as opposed to a alias) of your OS 9 System Folder on your OS X machine and see if that tricks Classic into booting from it.

[red rocket]

Originally Posted by jasong

try making a symlink (as opposed to a alias) of your OS 9 System Folder on your OS X machine and see if that tricks Classic into booting from it.

It didn't work.

Anyway, it was worth a shot. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Art Vandelay]

Why not just copy the OS 9 system folder over to your OS X Mac? All non-Intel Macs come with a copy of OS 9 for Classic so it should be ok for licensing reasons. You'll want to upgrade it to 9.2 for better performance.

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by Sherman Homan 

I remember someone hacking a MacPlus so that it booted off of another MacPlus over AppleTalk. It took something like 18 hours but it did, eventually, boot. So, maybe in theory you could make yours work, but I bet it would take longer to program and longer to boot than I would want!

 
That was not a hack; it was a capability of AppleTalk. I remember the pair of SE/30s in my grandfather's office connected by phonenet: only one of them had a System Folder, and it booted both machines.

[red rocket]

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay

Why not just copy the OS 9 system folder over to your OS X Mac? All non-Intel Macs come with a copy of OS 9 for Classic so it should be ok for licensing reasons. You'll want to upgrade it to 9.2 for better performance.

Because I don't want to install OS 9 on this computer. I was mainly curious about whether the network thing could be done, it seems like a more elegant solution.

[Art Vandelay]

For one, you wouldn't be able to use the System of a booted Mac over the network. Files would already be in use and that would cause problems if two Macs were trying to alter the same files at the same time. You can't even copy an active System over AFP. You have to duplicate it on that Mac first than copy the duplicate over the network.

Second, if you want to use Classic, you don't have a choice. I don't know why you're averse to copying some files over. It doesn't alter your Mac in any way. It's no different than copying a bunch of Excel files. When you're done, you can just delete the folder.

[jasong]

and the OS 9 System Folder is probably smaller than a bunch of Excel files ;-)

[Art Vandelay]

Quite likely. I pruned my Classic system extensively when I still used it. There are a lot of extensions, help files, control panels, etc. that just aren't needed in Classic. I think I got mine down to around 100MB and it booted very quickly.

[red rocket]

Interesting. I just inserted an OS 9.1 CD, and the Classic prefpane found it. Unfortunately, it didn't recognise it as 9.1, because it said this: "You do not have a version of Mac OS 9 installed that supports Classic. Install Mac OS 9.1 or later." I'm beginning to wonder, if I installed OS 9.1, upgraded it to 9.2, let OS X install its Classic modifications, then burned the files to disc, and deleted the files from my hard drive, maybe Classic would boot off the CD?

Originally Posted by Art Vandelay

Second, if you want to use Classic, you don't have a choice. I don't know why you're averse to copying some files over. It doesn't alter your Mac in any way. It's no different than copying a bunch of Excel files. When you're done, you can just delete the folder.

Of course, it alters my Mac. Once I have an OS 9 System Folder on my hard drive, potential home invaders might boot into OS 9 and cause chaos. I might be tempted to install OS 9 apps instead of OS X apps, I might accidentally download OS 9 viruses, hell I might even start playing games.

Besides, unless I upgraded both computers to gigabit ethernet, copying 100MB of files over would be annoyingly time-consuming, so I'd likely not delete them once transferred, meaning not only would I expose myself to the dangers mentioned above, I would have a whopping 100MB of precious space taken up by something I use next to never (none of the SCSI peripherals I have tethered to the OS 9 box, nor Apple Video Player, are supported in Classic).

Guess I'll have to install Apple Remote Desktop.

[CharlesS]

Originally Posted by red rocket 

Of course, it alters my Mac. Once I have an OS 9 System Folder on my hard drive, potential home invaders might boot into OS 9 and cause chaos.

They can already do that quite easily (more so, in fact) with Single-User Mode or an OS X install DVD. You should be setting a firmware password if you're worried about this sort of thing.

I might be tempted to install OS 9 apps instead of OS X apps, I might accidentally download OS 9 viruses, hell I might even start playing games.

Seems to me that all of those things are equally possible no matter where you're starting Classic from.

Besides, unless I upgraded both computers to gigabit ethernet, copying 100MB of files over would be annoyingly time-consuming

But it'd be something you'd only have to do once, as opposed to loading those files over the network each and every time you started Classic, which would be even more time-consuming.

[qnxde]

Why don't you just install it onto a disk image? Classic boots fine that way.