wottle

Active Tinkerer
Oct 30, 2021
519
272
63
47
Fort Mill, SC
So, I recently learned that the TAM (Twentieth Anniversary Mac) can run BeOS. The person who was running it said you can run BeOS Pro on the TAM, so I figured I'd give it a go. Well, similar to my challenging experience getting it installed on my PowerMac 6400, I struggled a bit and figured it would be good to document my challenges and how I ultimately ended up getting it installed.

The main challenge I've seemed to have is getting machines to recognize the BeFS partitions on the CDs.

First, if you are planning on burning the BeOS CDs, I recommend using the .bin/.cue versions here. And using an old Windows machine with a CD burner at slow speeds to increase your chances of success. Don't use the .iso. I don't think it properly sets up the multiple partitions.

I believe you also need to run MacOS 7/8 to get the OS chooser to work properly. Also, it helps if you have unpartitioned space on your hard drive (or a dedicated HD). I was never able to get the TAM to recognize the CD in the BeOS boot loader. However, the CD was fine because I was able to run it on my 6400. After many attempts, I had a thought that I should try creating a blank 2GB drive on my RaSCSI, see if I could install onto that, and then plug the RaSCSI into the TAM and see if the BeOS Boot loader recognized it. So, I initialized the RaSCSI HD image in the BeOS Drive Setup app, then installed 5.0.3 to it. I booted the 6400 from the RaSCSI to ensure it was functional, then connected it up to the TAM. And it worked!

Pretty cool to see the TAM running BeOS.

So, if you are wondering, BeOS supports install onto SCSI drives (somehow I had gotten it into my head that it only could be installed on the IDE drive). And RaSCSI worked perfectly with it.

Next, I need to get some mp3s loaded onto it and hear them in the fantastic sound system.

Also, I am going to download the HDA and throw it on a BlueSCSI and see if that works. If so, I could probably upload the BeOS image somewhere to save people the trouble of the install. Just download the HDA, throw it on a SD card, add the _OS Chooser_ extension to your system folder, and reboot. Will let you know how the test goes.
 

skate323k137

Tinkerer
Mar 7, 2022
130
103
43
Awesome stuff!

If you have not found it already, this site is a fantastic resource for BeOS software:


Noted on the main page is that the archive is (was) hosted only on his home connection. However, some time back, I offered server space for a mirror. So, if you use the 'mirrror' links those are actually my server and not his home connection, so you can go to town on the download links using the mirror subdomain and not get banned :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: wottle

wottle

Active Tinkerer
Oct 30, 2021
519
272
63
47
Fort Mill, SC
Getting some issues with it hanging on some boots from the blueSCSI. Not sure if it’s an issue with the blueSCSI, the image, the scsi on the TAM. But here is a picture as proof.
 

Attachments

  • C1329B7D-6E52-42AE-A494-0772072D2771.jpeg
    C1329B7D-6E52-42AE-A494-0772072D2771.jpeg
    2.2 MB · Views: 126

ClassicHasClass

Tinkerer
Aug 30, 2022
234
141
43
www.floodgap.com
Do you have sound on your TAM? My 6500 doesn't with BeOS, and I'm trying to see if it's unique to it or all Gazelle boards. (I do have a TAM also, but it runs 9.2.2, and I don't feel like putting 8.6 on it just to try this out. The BeOS launcher doesn't work with OS 9.)

I've collected BeOS PowerPC compatible software here: gopher://gopher.floodgap.com/1/archive/be-power

Watch for an announcement tomorrow ;)
 
  • Like
Reactions: wottle

wottle

Active Tinkerer
Oct 30, 2021
519
272
63
47
Fort Mill, SC
Yes, it has sound. Networking works. Only was able to get a couple of mp3s to work on it, but I'm guessing something about newer encodings is tripping up the player. I didn't use BeOS much (although I remember creating a stock ticker app on it that would scrape data from the yahoo finance website, I believe).

I threw the BlueSCSI onto my Powermac 5500 and it booted fine. No networking, but didn't really look into that to figure out why. Sound also worked, I believe, but I can double check.

What gopher client is available on BeOS? I've never used it.

What's your preferred method for getting software installed on it. Also, is there a list of must have software I should include on the disk image so others have a good start?
 

ClassicHasClass

Tinkerer
Aug 30, 2022
234
141
43
www.floodgap.com
That's very frustrating (for me). Your screenshot says you have a 250MHz system with 64MB of RAM. Any L2? I have a 6500/275 with 128MB of RAM and 1MB of cache, so I need to narrow some of these issues down. Maybe there's a logic board difference.

There isn't a Gopher client on BeOS ... yet ;) but for now, I just grab it elsewhere and FTP it over (it does have an FTP daemon, go to the Networking preferences and turn it on). NetPositive should also work with the local Gopher->HTTP proxy: http://gopher.floodgap.com/gopher/gw?gopher/1/archive/be-power

Software choices for PowerPC BeOS aren't massive. Much of what you'd want or need comes with it. There's a decent DOOM port, naturally. SheepShaver is also useful to have.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wottle

skate323k137

Tinkerer
Mar 7, 2022
130
103
43
The link I posted above in post No. 2 is filtered for 'ppc' results in all the BeOS software I could find. Tons of old FTP mirrors etc contained in there.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wottle

ClassicHasClass

Tinkerer
Aug 30, 2022
234
141
43
www.floodgap.com
Actually, @wottle, another request. Can you send me what you have in /boot/beos/system/add-ons/kernel/drivers/bin/awacs ? I would like to compare that file with the one on this system just to make sure they're identical.

How much L2 do you have?
 

wottle

Active Tinkerer
Oct 30, 2021
519
272
63
47
Fort Mill, SC
Not sure on the L2 size. Looks like I have one installed (according to System Profile on the Mac side). I'll see if I can get the details for you.

Here's my awacs file
 

Attachments

  • awacs.zip
    4.2 KB · Views: 88
  • Like
Reactions: ClassicHasClass

wottle

Active Tinkerer
Oct 30, 2021
519
272
63
47
Fort Mill, SC
Not sure on the L2 size. Looks like I have one installed (according to System Profile on the Mac side). I'll see if I can get the details for you.

Here's my awacs file
Couldn’t figure out the l2 cache size in software. But took some photos of the board installed into the cache slot.
5FD0C4B8-6B5E-449A-AAC6-A637CDCD9FF0.jpeg
ECDA5FB0-7BA6-4265-8C95-E41321656C5D.jpeg


Did a search on the part number on the underside of the cache and it looks like it's the stock 256k card that I believe came with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: ClassicHasClass

wottle

Active Tinkerer
Oct 30, 2021
519
272
63
47
Fort Mill, SC
@eric , I have been able to get my BeOS disk image working fine on my RaSCSI. However, while I originally was able to get it to work in my BlueSCSI (external version, running the firmware with CD support), my TAM no longer will boot with my BlueSCSI in the external port. Nothing looks suspicious in the logs, but something is clearly tripping up the boot sequence as I don't get the the happy Mac (or flashing disk with a question mark). And I can't even get it to boot when I have any HD image on the SD card, even non BFS ones. Same problem on multiple BlueSCSIs (I have too many at this point). I also tried term powered and usb powered - no difference.

I did plug the BlueSCSI into my PowerMac 6400 as well as my 5400, and it worked in both. So I think the BlueSCSI themselves are fine, just something with the TAM. And I know the TAM external SCSI is working, because it works fine with the RaSCSI and the same image. Any idea on ways to troubleshoot or have you seen this behavior before?
 

wottle

Active Tinkerer
Oct 30, 2021
519
272
63
47
Fort Mill, SC
Thanks much. I'll compare this with my system.

I'm wondering if I should just pull the cache and see what it does with that.
Let me know if you want me to post my HD image. If you have a RaSCSI or some other way to load an image onto a HD, you can test with my exact install.
 

wottle

Active Tinkerer
Oct 30, 2021
519
272
63
47
Fort Mill, SC
FYI, I uploaded my images to the garden. Let me know if anyone uses them and if they work for you.

 

ClassicHasClass

Tinkerer
Aug 30, 2022
234
141
43
www.floodgap.com
Looks like it's the same file as the AWACS driver on my mute 6500, so more analysis is required. Currently I'm theorizing there is a difference between the 275 and 300MHz boards and the ones 250MHz and below.
 
  • Like
Reactions: wottle

wottle

Active Tinkerer
Oct 30, 2021
519
272
63
47
Fort Mill, SC
Looks like it's the same file as the AWACS driver on my mute 6500, so more analysis is required. Currently I'm theorizing there is a difference between the 275 and 300MHz boards and the ones 250MHz and below.
Plus be. I misspoke when I said I had a 6400. I had a 6400 back when they were new. My current machine is a 6500/225. Could be differences with the 275 and up boards. Did you take out the larger l2 cache?

Edit, man I really need to better inventory my machines. I do have a 6400/200. I also have a 5500/225. 🙄
 
Last edited:

ClassicHasClass

Tinkerer
Aug 30, 2022
234
141
43
www.floodgap.com
Made an instrumented build and it claims everything is fine. What I really need is some documentation on AWACS. Can't find it in any of the Apple Technical Notes (in particular where it sits in the 5500/6500 memory map in O'Hare and any weirdness about it, SRS support, etc.)
 

ClassicHasClass

Tinkerer
Aug 30, 2022
234
141
43
www.floodgap.com
FYI, I uploaded my images to the garden. Let me know if anyone uses them and if they work for you.

Let me just make sure I understand - you used the archive.org copy? I'm starting to wonder if there is something going on apart from the driver at this point.