Making an 800k System 6.0.8 boot disk.

#1 Fri, 3 Apr 2015 - 16:21 68kMLA

I have a feeling I don't have the necessary files, so I want to check before I really drag out the hardware this evening.

I have the entire Apple Software Downloads archive, so I have the versions of System 6 and 7 they had on their webpage. The problem is System 6 (and 7) is only in multi-disk versions, in this case four 800k diskette images.

Is it possible to make this into one file that will fit on an 800k diskette, or do I need a different file? This is for a Mac Plus. I also only have one 800k floppy, so...

I tried to see if this would work on my PB520c last night, but Disk Copy on that seems to have some kind of issue. I can make the diskette on either my 180 with 7.1, my Quadra with 7.5.5, or my SE/30 with 7.0.1, and getting files to those machines is time consuming but not bad (Mac Pro > iMac OS9 > Old Mac sneakernet).

Eventually I'm going to buy a ROMinator but that's not in the cards for this moment, and I'd like to get this working sooner than that. Since 6.0.8 is well recommended I'd like to use that.

#2 Fri, 3 Apr 2015 - 16:44 68kMLA

To make an 800k System 6.0.8 boot you need to use one of the four disk images from the Apple website. I think it is called Disk Tools, which can be used boot System 6 Macs.

You only need all four disks if you want to install System 6 onto a hard drive.

#3 Fri, 3 Apr 2015 - 16:49 68kMLA

I'm not sure they had that one. I did get a copy of 3.2 Disk Tools, but that's WAY old. I'll dig through my archive when I get back, but I'm glad at least I have something I can throw on there.

#4 Fri, 3 Apr 2015 - 17:00 68kMLA

If you don't have that file in your archive, then your archive might be incomplete, because I've downloaded it from there several times over the last few years. This includes Disk Tools for 6.0.8 (disk 1?).

c

#5 Fri, 3 Apr 2015 - 17:05 68kMLA

If it's just disk one that may work as well. I also...er...found...a version of 7.0.1 that says it's for the Mac Plus as a bootable 800k floppy. I'll try all of these (probably use the 180 to make them) later today.

#6 Fri, 3 Apr 2015 - 17:07 68kMLA

Do you have an external SCSI zip drive? If you do, then your golden, until you ROM-inate.

#7 Fri, 3 Apr 2015 - 17:10 68kMLA

MJ313 said:
Do you have an external SCSI zip drive? If you do, then your golden, until you ROM-inate.

Alas, no. I have a SCSI CD-ROM but I've had issues with that on my Quadra, so I can't imagine the Plus would behave better.