Native Classic Environment for eMac? - Macintosh Garden

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2014, November 25 - 9:25pm

#1

Troff_lives

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Joined: 2014 Oct 17

Native Classic Environment for eMac?

I find confusing the Classic Environment emulation layer that comes with Tiger and would prefer to use OS 9.2. I recently upgraded the base hard drive of an eMac (A1002/EMC1903) from 40 GB to 60 GB. The eMac is functioning as it should.

Because the eMac's CRT is easily color calibrated, I want to integrate the eMac into my graphics production workflow, which includes Epson's RIP for their Stylus Color 3000 and Stylus Photo 1270 printers.

Assume the hard drive is empty. Two questions: 1) What are the system formatting requirements (HFS+, HFS, or something different)? 2) What are the steps to take to install OS 9.2 into the eMac?

I have found by trial and error that the answer to the question is not trivial. I have tried holding for an extended period the C key during boot; sometimes the machine sees the install disk, generally it does not. Given this problem, should I try linking my G5 to the eMac (Target mode) and install OS 9 via a Firewire cable?

I am trying to install Mac OS 9 using the Apple CD version 9.1 (691-2746-A). I am thinking this may not be the correct install disk (it came with the 10.4 retail package). Can you suggest an appropriate alternative OS 9 install disk from the MacintoshGarden site?

I'd appreciate any help you can offer.

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2014, November 25 - 9:55pm

#2

MikeTomTom's picture

MikeTomTom

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Joined: 2009 Dec 7

I think the model you have is the 1st generation eMac G4 700MHz with Nvidia graphics.
This eMac requires Mac OS 9.2.2 to boot and run, so a 9.1 installer will be of no use to you.

I have the next gen 1 GHz eMac with ATI graphics, and I run only Mac OS 9.2.2 on it. I installed this using the 9.2.2 Universal Install CD and it runs great with the install from this and had no problem booting my eMac with this CD, installing a pure 9.2.2 system onto it.

If you want original install CDs for your eMac check the Mac OS Install Library and look for the "eMac_Install_V1.toast_.sit" and "eMac_Install_V2.toast_.sit" entries. Tho' I think these require installing OS X and add 9.2.2 via the OS X install. The version 1.0 copy is probably what shipped with your eMac.

If formatting the drive, choose HFS+

2014, November 26 - 5:46am

#3

sfp1954's picture

sfp1954

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Joined: 2013 Dec 29

Both the eMac disks are bootable if you wish to only install 9.2.2.
I have used those disks on everything from the G3 Wallstreet Powerbook to an 867 G4 Quicksilver.
Any hard drive over 4GB should be formatted HFS+.
MacOS 9.2.2 has about a 160 GB partition limit.
You can use larger drives but they must divided into 160 GB or less partitions.

2014, November 26 - 7:44am

#4

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themacmeister

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Joined: 2009 Oct 26

I think you will find sfp1954, that it is 128GB limit, and partitions need to be less than that. I have found more than one 120GB IDE HDD, and a 124GB one, perfect for the internal drive

NOTE: Their are drivers to bypass this limitation. Commercial.

I have the 700MHz G4 iMac (Sunflower) and it can definitely boot 9.1 (I have done this). I thought the eMac would be similar enough, but I assume it is made much later.

This has made me want to strip my G5 (PRAM Battery) and rebuild my G4 with the new 120GB HDD. (up from 80GB). I have no firewire any more, so I dread the reinstall. Might stick with 80GB for sanity (40GB still free). I fired the iMac up recently (sans battery and DVD-RW) and played a swag of classic Mac games. Might try it again tonight...

2014, November 26 - 9:07pm

#5

sfp1954's picture

sfp1954

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The ATA 66 bus used in the Quicksilver/Sawtooth/G4 Towers has a 128GB limit (not OS 9) - but if you install a Sonnet ATA100 or ATA133 PCI card (or a Sonnet SATA card) you can install and use larger drives with OS9.

From a thread on Apple.com

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OS 9 has a usable/addressable volume limit of about 190GB. This is a volume limit, not a drive size limit - partitioning a larger drive will allow all partitions that size or smaller to be used in OS 9.

This is in addition to the hardware limits of the internal IDE bus, which is not OS-based. The built-in bus on a G4/500 (AGP) is an ATA/66 bus - its limit is 128GB drive size. Adding a 48-bit LBA compliant ATA/100 or ATA/133 PCI card will allow larger drives to be used internally.

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The later eMacs don't have this limit. I have a 250GB drive in my eMac.
In my souped up Quicksilver (1.33GHz) I have an 80GB (OS9) on the original bus, a 160GB (10.4) on an ATA133 card and a 320GB (10.5) on a SATA card. The 320 is initialized OSX only so that OS9 can't see it and corrupt it.