This document answers questions regarding the BeOS
which are specific to the Power Macintosh release of the software.
General
Q: Are any of the Power
Macintosh systems vendors bundling the BeOS with their systems?
A: Be currently has bundling arrangements with
Motorola, Umax, PowerTools, Power Computing, and Computer Warehouse [any
others?]. Because of the Apple purchase of Power Computing's Macintosh business,
Be is offering Power's customers the BeOS for free, direct from Be.
Be is also utilizing a variety of other methods to distribute the BeOS,
including bundling the BeOS with a variety of magazines, giving CDs away at
events, and selling it via the Web. You can read more about the various ways to
get the BeOS at our web site:
Q: Is the BeOS running
on top of the Mac OS? Or vice versa?
A: Neither. While the BeOS and the Mac OS can be
installed on the same system, only one operating system can actually be running
at a time. In this regard, the BeOS is quite similar to MkLinux.
The normal process for booting the BeOS on a Power Mac involves booting the
Mac OS. During the boot process, the Mac OS loads Be's "OS Chooser" extension.
Loading the OS Chooser extension allows you to select an operating system to
load. If you choose the BeOS, the Mac OS load process will stop, and the BeOS
will take over the machine and begin to load.
If you instead load the Mac OS, you can later launch the BeOS by running the
BeOS Launcher application. The BeOS Launcher will squeeze the Mac OS out of the
way, and the BeOS will start up.
So that your machine does not wait during the boot process for you to make a
selection, the OS Chooser extension remembers you most recent OS boot choice,
and will choose that OS by default after a countdown of 5 seconds.
Q: Can I boot my Power
Mac system to the BeOS without the Mac OS?
A: Macintosh hardware will not boot without the Mac
OS. That's the way the hardware sequence works, and we can't change that.
;-)
Therefore, the normal process for booting the BeOS on a Power Mac involves
booting the Mac OS. During the boot process, the Mac OS loads Be's "OS Chooser"
extension. Loading the OS Chooser extension allows you to select an operating
system to load. If you choose the BeOS, the Mac OS load process will stop, and
the BeOS will take over the machine and begin to load.
So, the simple answer is, no, on Power Mac hardware, you cannot do away with
the Mac OS, just minimize your usage of it (by loading the OS Chooser extension
early in the boot sequence).
Q: How do you get around
the Mac ROM? Don't you need to enter the PowerPC supervisor mode to take over
like that? How do you do that?
A: We actually don't "get around" the Mac ROM, we
basically ignore it. Nothing in the BeOS executes code from or in any way uses
the Mac ROM.
As for entering the PowerPC supervisor mode, we're afraid we're not allowed
to talk about that. Sorry!
Q: Will my current Mac
applications be able to work with the BeOS? Can the BeOS run Macintosh
software?
A: The BeOS is a new operating system, written from
scratch to take advantage of the full power of multiple processors and new
operating systems technologies. As a new operating system, the BeOS requires new
applications be written for it. Macintosh applications will not run under the
BeOS out of the box.
We are investigating several alternatives that would allow Macintosh
applications to work on the BeOS, either by running in an emulator or by making
it easier to port applications to the BeOS. Look for more details regarding this
issue in the future.
Q: What level of
application compatibility is there between the BeBox and Power Mac versions of
the BeOS?
A: Very high. Clearly, there's no GeekPort on the
Power Mac, nor are there standard MIDI ports, IR ports or multiple serial ports.
Joysticks are kind of tricky also.
But just about every BeOS application we've tried out has seemed to work fine
on both platforms.
Hardware Requirements
Q: What machines will
BeOS for Power Mac support?
A: The BeOS Preview Release runs on a wide variety of
603- and 604-based PCI Macintosh and Macintosh clones. For the latest
information regarding hardware compatibility, please check the compatibility
page of our web site:
http://www.be.com/products/beosreadylist.html
This list will always contain the most current information about what Macs the
BeOS will run on.
Adding new systems to this list is very dependent on the level of
documentation and support that we receive from our friends at Power Computing,
Apple and other Power Mac clone vendors; we've been delighted with the support
we've received so far, but we cannot make commitments about future systems.
Q: Hey, my machine isn't
on that list! What happened?
A: Unfortunately, we had to make some difficult
decisions regarding support for 601-based Power Macs. The older NuBus-based
Power Mac models and 601 PCI-based Macs didn't quite make our list. Neither
PCI-based 601 Macs nor NuBus Macs will be supported.
Other systems, such as all-in-one systems or PowerBooks, are subject to
availability of technical information and engineering resources. As a very small
company (fewer than 25 engineers), we are regrettably unable to support the
entire population of Macintosh hardware.
Q: Is there anything I
can do to encourage Be to port BeOS for Power Mac to my machine? I have a
6100/7100/8100 and I'd really like to be able to run it...
A: We're well aware of the number of 6100/7100/8100
owners out there and the fact that many of these owners are "early adopters",
but we had to draw our line somewhere. The technical issues are just too
involved to support BeOS for Power Mac on those machines. Thanks for your
understanding on this issue.
Q: I'm majorly
bummed out about this--really, why aren't you supporting NuBus-based
machines?
A: NuBus machines have a different physical address
space layout. They have a different interrupt controller. They do not have Open
Firmware (which we leverage to get information about the machine). These are but
a few of the technical reasons why we aren't able to support NuBus-based
machines.
It is unfortunate, but it is simply not technically practical to recompile
our operating system and make it work on every Power Mac system, since an
operating system has to have intimate knowledge of the motherboard it's running
on. Given the resources of our small company, we've decided to concentrate on
PCI-based systems.
Q: Will the BeOS ever
support PCI-based PowerPC 601 systems, like the 7200 or the 7500?
A: No. Our engineering priorities and resources make
it impossible for us to support these systems and also move the BeOS forward.
It's a hard decision, but we're a very small company (fewer than 25 engineers),
and we have to make hard choices about what we work on. Unfortunately, this
means that 601-based Power Macs will not be able to run the BeOS.
Q: OK, so you won't
support the BeOS on a PowerPC 601-based system, but what would happen if I tried
to run the BeOS on a 601 machine? (I am
really desperate to run the BeOS.) Does it just not do anything, does it
run unreliably, or does it spectacularly toast the motherboard and pop it out
the disk drive?
A: First, you won't be able to install the BeOS onto
such a system. But even if you could, it wouldn't run. The BeOS simply will not
work on these systems. There is a lot of engineering work between the BeOS and
601-based systems, and right now if it would even start loading (which it
won't), it would crash immediately.
Really, we're not making this up while secretly telling our friends how to
run the BeOS on their 7200s!
Q: I have a Power Mac
7500, which you say is not compatible with the BeOS for Power Mac, but I
upgraded it with a 604 processor upgrade card. Can I use the BeOS on it?
A: We haven't tested all of the different 604-based
processor cards ourselves, but we have heard many reports from users that most
or all cards do indeed work.
You should note that because there are many different processor upgrade
cards, and many different systems they can be installed in, we can't promise it
will work for your specific installation.
Q: I have a BeOS-ready
Power Macintosh system, but I am thinking of upgrading the processor card. Is
the BeOS compatible with Newer's MAXpowr and MAXpowr-MP processor upgrade cards?
How about the DayStar nPower 360+ and 400+ cards? How about the XYZZY
card?
A: Given the number of different processor upgrade
cards, we have been unable to test all of them in all possible combinations with
different CPU models. Please remember, we are a very small company, with both
limited financial and engineering resources!
In general, multi-processor cards which are based on DayStar's nPower
technology should be compatible with the BeOS (assuming the card will run in
your Mac at all, that is!). NewerTECH's MAXpowr-MP cards are based on this
technology.
As we test various pieces of hardware, whether they are new CPU models or
processor upgrade cards, we will add them to the BeOS Ready Systems list on our
web site:
http://www.be.com/products/beosreadylist.html
As always, we also encourage you to contact the hardware vendor with
questions of BeOS compatibility. Customer demand is often what drives
compatibility decisions. We will be happy to send BeOS CDs in response to
requests from the engineering or testing departments of hardware
manufacturers!
Q: Is the BeOS
compatible with UMAX's ASPD secondary processor cards? What about if I buy a
card that is a different speed (clock rate) than my system?
A: The answer to both of these questions is yes, the
BeOS is compatible with such systems, and will take full advantage of both
processors.
Keep in mind that as of this writing, the only such systems which support the
ASPD cards are UMAX's S900 series. You might want to read the UMAX FAQs on these systems,
for limitations which are hardware based and other information regarding UMAX's
line of multiprocessor systems.
Q: What about the
Performa 5200/5300/6200/6300? It doesn't have a NuBus slot so why can't you
support it?
A: Unfortunately, these machines remain NuBus-based,
even if Apple didn't put any NuBus expansion slots in them. These machines
will not be supported, except for the Performa 6360 (see next item).
Q: What about the
Performa 6360? It's almost exactly like a Performa 6400, and you support
those...
A: Indeed, the Performa 6360 is perhaps named
(numbered?) poorly. It is based on Apple's "Alchemy" logic board design, which
Apple used in the Power Macintosh and Performa 6400/6500. They also licensed
this design to various Macintosh clone manufacturers, including Power Computing
and Motorola.
We will be supporting most or all of the machines based on the Alchemy design
in the BeOS Preview Release, with the exception of the Performa 5400 (all in one
units are problematic for us, unfortunately).
Q: What about systems
sold in Europe or the Far East, like the 8200 or the UMAX Aegis?
A: A number of Macintosh hardware manufacturers,
including Apple, create systems for non-US markets with different names than
those we see here in the US. Sometimes the systems are identical to systems with
other names sold in the US, while often they are unique to those markets.
In these cases, because we don't have easy access to such systems in order to
test them, it is difficult for us to give a specific answer regarding whether we
support it or not, why we don't support it, or whether we plan to add support in
the future.
For example, from what we can tell, the Power Macintosh 8200/120 is sold only
in Europe. When we checked there was little or no technical information
available from Apple's Web site regarding this hardware. From various sources
we've learned the 8200 seems to be based on the 7200, a 601-based PCI system,
which we do not and will not support. So the same answer would apply to the
8200.
Q: Apple just released a
bunch of new CPU models, and yet you haven't updated your BeOS Ready Systems
page to mention them. Are you compatible with those systems?
A: We update the BeOS Ready Systems page on our web
site as soon as we have verified compatibility with the BeOS, one way or
another. Really, we are maintaining this page!
When new machines come out, from any manufacturer, we have to obtain and test
them for compatibility, and evaluate how supporting that model will impact our
engineering efforts.
We're a very small company (fewer than 25 engineers!), and so even testing
and evaluation can take some time. Please be patient, we really do put this
information up on the Web as quickly as we can!
Q: How about PowerBooks
or other Mac laptops?
A: We'd love to support PowerBooks or (yet-to-be)
Mac-compatible laptops, but the challenges of the very custom hardware inherent
in laptop designs makes this much more difficult than supporting the fairly
standardized designs for desktop Macintoshes and Macintosh clones.
We do understand that many PowerBook owners would like the BeOS to run on
their systems, but the engineering challenges are formidable, and at this time
we do not have the technical information necessary to even begin work, nor does
Apple seem inclined to give it to us.
We can tell at this point that PowerBooks (of any kind) will not be
supported in the Preview Release of the BeOS. Maybe in a future release. Thanks
for understanding this issue.
Q: Will the BeOS ever
support 680x0 Macs?
A: No. There are no new Macs or Mac compatibles based
on the 680x0 architecture, and existing machines' performance lags far behind
that of PowerPC-based machines or Intel based products. We've chosen to use our
limited resources on the higher performance PowerPC-based machines, and
Intel-based systems.
Q: My Power Mac only has
one CPU. Will that adversely affect the BeOS? Will the BeOS still be
multi-threaded?
A: The BeOS schedules threads onto the next available
CPU based on a priority schedule (see a recent Be Newsletter article
for more details). If only one CPU is available, all of the threads are
scheduled onto that CPU. The BeOS does indeed remain multi-threaded, and highly
responsive.
In general, we find that Power Macs perform very well under the BeOS.
Especially now that most Power Macs are powered by chips much more powerful than
those used in the BeBox, we're finding that even a single CPU 604e-based Power
Mac, running at 180 MHz or greater, can actually give better performance than
the BeBox 133.
Q: I have a
multi-processor Power Macintosh, not a BeBox. Will the BeOS take advantage of
all my processors?
A: Mais oui! Otherwise it wouldn't be the BeOS!
Q: How much RAM do I
need to run the BeOS for Power Macintosh?
A: 16MB is the minimum size for the BeOS. More is
obviously better, just like any other operating system.
Q: How big a hard drive
(or hard drive partition) do I need for the BeOS for Power Macintosh?
A: 130 megabytes is the minimum size. This will allow
you to install the base OS and the sample applications, and leaves room for the
"scratch" space required for virtual memory. The BeOS and its included
applications and demos occupies about 50MB and the virtual memory default size
is 80MB (it can be changed).
130 megabytes will not give you much room for third-party BeOS software,
movie, audio, or other files, however. Since playing movies is something we do
really well, we want you to have room for them on your hard drive! So, if you
can give the BeOS 200 megs of HD space, you'll get the opportunity to really put
us, and our third-party apps, to the test!
Q: Can I install the
BeOS onto a Zip, SyQuest, or Jaz drive cartridge?
A: Yes. Although the standard BeOS install takes 130
megs of disk space (50MB of code and 80MB of VM scratch space), you can adjust
the VM scratch space to a lower number to fit on a Zip.
Since Jaz cartridges are 1GB, they should have no problem with the BeOS.
Of course, you have to be smart about using removable drives in this manner.
After all, what happens when you eject the drive that has the VM swap file on
it, and the BeOS needs to swap something to disk? Bad things, man, bad
things.
Q: Will the BeOS be
supporting Adaptec SCSI cards, such as the ones bundled with Power Computing's
PowerCenter Pro systems?
A: Due to Apple's acquisition of Power Computing, Be
has curtailed development of a BeOS driver for the Adaptec PowerDomain Fast and
wide UltraSCSI PCI card. This card has recently been bundled with some Power
Computing systems such as the Power Center Pro. Unfortunately the loss of
on-going support from Power Computing and a small installed base of these cards
make it impractical for Be to invest further resources to support the card.
Fortunately for customers with these systems there is a work around. The BeOS
will work with SCSI devices which are connected to the SCSI cable from the main
logic board (rather than the cable which connects to the Adaptec card). You need
not remove the Adaptec card as the BeOS will only recognize SCSI devices
connected to the logic board SCSI bus, and will ignore all devices connected to
the Adaptec card.
We thank you for your interest in and support of the BeOS.
Q: Do you support the
UMAX/SuperMac E100 Extended Performance card?
A: The SuperMac E100 Extended Performance card is a
combination high-speed SCSI connection and 100 Mbps Ethernet connection. Both
connections require custom driver software support in order to function.
At the present time, the BeOS does not support this hardware. However, we'd
be delighted to assist UMAX in the development of driver software for the BeOS.
Be sure to let UMAX know that support for the BeOS is important to you as a
customer!
Q: Is the BeOS
compatible with the Apple GeoPort modem?
A: The Apple GeoPort Telecom Adapter Pod is not
actually a modem, but a line adapter interface which connects a telephone line
with the GeoPort serial port of a Power Macintosh. The "modem" is actually
software, running under the Mac OS on the Power Mac.
For this reason, the BeOS does not support the GeoPort adapter. In order to
use a modem on the BeOS, you must have a full and actual modem, not an
adapter.
Note that it is not impossible for this adapter to be used with the BeOS, but
Apple would need to write software to do so. Be would be delighted to work with
Apple to assist them in this effort. Contact Apple to let them know that as a
customer, support for the BeOS is important to you.
Q: Is the BeOS
compatible with the Apple Express Modem?
A: The Apple "Express Modem" is not actually a modem,
but software pretending to be a hardware modem, running under the Mac OS on the
Power Mac. Express Modem software is used by the GeoPort Telecom Adapter, and
also by various internal "modem" cards that Apple makes, included with some
Performas, etc.
For this reason, the BeOS does not support the Express Modem. In order to use
a modem on the BeOS, you must have a full and actual modem, not a half modem, or
an adapter.
Note that it is not impossible for Apple's partial modems to be used with the
BeOS, but Apple would need to write software to do so. Be would be delighted to
work with Apple to assist them in this effort. Contact Apple to let them know
that as a customer, support for the BeOS is important to you.
Q: Will BeOS for Power
Mac support multi-button mice?
A: We've confirmed that Kensington two-button and
four-button ADB mice here at Be work fine. We have found Mouse Systems and
Logitec multi-button mice problematic.
In general, if your multi-button ADB mouse follows Apple's January 1994
Technical Note, "ADB -- The Untold
Story: Space Aliens Ate My Mouse", the BeOS will accept those multiple
buttons. Most mice made after 1994 adhere to this Technical Note. Contact your
multi-button mouse manufacturer to be sure.
A command-key equivalent is available for one-button mice (Control-Command
for right-button, Control-Option for middle button). Additionally, the Tracker
accepts click-and-hold as a right click for context-sensitive Tracker menus.
Q: What graphics cards
does the BeOS for Power Macintosh support?
A: The BeOS for Power Macintosh can use almost any
graphics card in a basic (but slow) mode. We currently provide direct (fast)
support for the following graphics configurations:
- Macintosh and Mac-clone built-in video
- ATI Mach 64/Xclaim GA (not Xclaim VR or Xclaim 3D, yet)
- IMS Twin Turbo 128 M2/M4/M8
- Matrox Millenium
We are working with a number of graphics cards makers and third party developers
to provide support for different graphics cards on the BeOS. Driver availability
updates will be on the Be web site.
Note that these are different graphics cards than the ones supported in our
BeBox hardware. See the list of BeBox-compatible
graphics cards for that information.
Q: Does the BeOS for
Power Macintosh support 16- and 24-bit color?
A: Running on Power Macintosh hardware, the BeOS
Preview Release supports 8-bit color (256 colors) and 32-bit color (24 bits of
color, 8 of transparency, and called "Millions" in the Mac OS Monitors control
panel) but does not support 16-bit color ("Thousands" in the Mac OS Monitors
control panel).
Q: My video card (or
built-in video) supports 16-bit color ("Thousands") but not 32-bit color
("Millions") on the Mac OS side. Can I use something besides 8-bit color under
the BeOS?
A: Generally speaking, color depth on screen is
limited primarily by the amount of video memory your graphics system has (there
are exceptions to this). Larger screens require more memory, as do higher bit
depths.
If you have video hardware that could support 16-bit color, and you have a
multisync monitor, you can try reducing the screen size. This will reduce the
amount of memory used by the size of the screen, possibly giving you enough
extra memory to increase the color depth.
For example, if your monitor runs at 1024 by 768 pixels in 16-bit color under
the Mac OS (and there isn't enough video memory to run in 32-bit color), under
the BeOS you will only get 8-bit color. Reducing your BeOS screen resolution to
800 by 600 pixels in the Screen preferences application may free up enough video
RAM to go to 32-bit color (it works on my Power Center 132).
Another alternative would be to buy more video memory for your computer, if
it supports increasing that memory. VRAM is fairly cheap, since you will only
need another megabyte or two...
Q: Does the BeOS support
multiple monitors hooked up to the same computer?
A: No, not yet. We plan support for more than one
monitor to be added in a future release of the BeOS. Look for more details
regarding this issue in the future.
Q: Does the BeOS support
external MIDI hardware on the Power Mac?
A: Yes, the BeOS Preview Release provides support for
external MIDI hardware connected via the Macintosh serial port.
Installation
Q: I am very excited
about trying the BeOS. I am going to order the CD, but I want to know what I can
do now to get ready for it. What can I do now so that I can install the BeOS
when it gets here?
A: We understand your excitement. We get excited about
our product, too!
First, we recommend you back up all your data. This is something that can be
time consuming, but we especially recommend it if you plan to install
onto a Mac OS hard drive on a second hard drive partition.
Second, be sure you have the right hardware. You can check our web site to
see what Power Mac and Power Mac
clones are currently supported.
Third, get a second hard drive, or set up a second hard disk partition on
your existing hard drive (130 megs is the minimum size).
Q: Why does the BeOS
Installer not see the hard drive on my Power Center Pro?
A: The BeOS does not at this time support any
of the various SCSI adapter cards, just the built-in (on the logic board) SCSI
interfaces that all Power Macs have.
So in order to get the BeOS to see any hard drive in a Power Center Pro, it
has to be connected to the internal or external built-in SCSI
interface.
Since the Power Center Pros ship with their internal hard drive connected to
an Adaptec SCSI card, to get the BeOS to see it, you need to open the case, and
unplug the drive from the SCSI cable that goes to the Adaptec card, and plug it
in to the cable that goes to the CD-ROM drive (which is the internal SCSI
connection cable). It's easy to do, as there are extra connectors on that ribbon
cable for just this sort of thing.
You do give up the extra performance of the fast/wide/ultra/whatever
interface on the Adaptec (or other SCSI) card, but with the speed of the BeOS
file system, you will still think it's fast! ;-)
Q: Should I install the
BeOS onto a separate hard drive? The installation instructions say I can use a
separate disk partition. What is this?
A: It is safer to install the BeOS on a separate hard
drive. This is very simple to do, and poses no risk to your Mac data on other
drives.
However, if you are sure you know what you are doing, and have the right
software tools, it is possible to install the BeOS on the same hard drive as the
Mac OS.
If this is an existing hard disk you must first defragment the hard drive
with something like Norton Utilities -- if you don't you could lose valuable
data!
If this is a new hard disk or you have defragmented it, you can go ahead and
use your hard disk formatter to shrink your existing hard drive partition, and
then create a second HFS volume. Instructions for doing this should be in your
hard drive formatter's manual, and we include the general steps to take in the
BeOS User's Guide,
in the Advance
Installation Procedure section of the Installation chapter.
When you install the BeOS onto one of these partitions (instead of onto a
separate hard drive), the Be installer will reformat that partition to the BeOS
format. This will destroy all data on that partition!
You can also destroy all of your data if you re-partition your hard drive.
Many drive formatters destroy and then re-create disk partitions, rather than
re-sizing existing partitions, which destroys all data on that disk. Be sure to
read your software manual!
Q: I am trying to
re-size my hard drive partition(s) to make room for the BeOS, and I can't do it.
What's wrong?
A: First of all, be aware that re-sizing your hard
drive partitions usually destroys all the data on them. Be sure you have a
backup and restore procedure worked out before you proceed.
In order to re-size a hard drive partition non-destructively, all the data
must be contiguous on the drive. The best way to achieve this is with a disk
optimizer, such as Norton Speed Disk. Optimize your drive, and try again.
Also, the FileSaver extension of Norton Utilities can prevent you from
re-sizing a partition when one of its (invisible) files is open on the hard
drive. Be sure that FileSaver is turned off, restart, and try again.
Q: I re-partitioned my
hard drive to make a new partition for the BeOS, and now all my Mac data is
gone! What happened?
A: Unfortunately, your data is gone. While there is a
remote chance that Norton Utilities can restore your data, most likely you will
need to restore your data from a backup.
Not all hard drive partitioning software allows dynamic resizing of
partitions. In particular, Apple's HD Setup does not. To change partition sizes,
it deletes and re-creates the partitions, re-initializing the drive in the
process. This deletes all data on the drive.
Q: How do I convert a
BeOS partition back to a Mac OS partition using the Preview Release?
A: We understand that some people may need to
(temporarily, we hope!) uninstall the BeOS, and convert their BeOS hard drive
partitions back to disk partitions that can be used by the Mac OS.
Here are instructions for doing so using the Preview Release:
- If you have any data on your BeOS hard drive partition that you want to
save, save it. All data on your BeOS partition will be destroyed by the next
steps!
- It's also a really good idea to back up your Mac OS partion(s) on that same
hard drive, just in case you make a mistake.
- Boot the BeOS off of the Preview Release CD.
- When the Installer window appears, press Command-Control-Shift-D to launch
the DriveSetup application.
- In DriveSetup, select "apple..." from the "Partition" submenu of the "Setup"
menu.
- You will then be presented with a display of the partition map of your hard
drive. Select the Be_BFS partition you wish to convert back to the Mac OS by
clicking it.
- Select "Apple HFS" from the "Type" pop-up menu, located next to the
"Partition Type" field.
- Click the "Update" button.
- Click the "OK" button.
- You will then be warned that changing the partition map may destroy all data
on the selected disk. If you are sure you have chosen the correct partition to
reformat (you backed up your important data as instructed, right?), click the
"OK" button.
- Close DriveSetup by clicking the close box in the top left corner.
- Quit the BeOS installer by clicking the close box in the top left corner.
- Reboot to the Mac OS.
- When the Finder loads, you will be asked if you want to eject or initialize
your newly converted partition. Click the "Initialize" button.
You should see the converted partition mount as a separate hard drive
icon on your Desktop (it will be empty of all data). It is a separate hard drive
because it is still a second disk partition, you have only converted the type of
partition.
At this point, if you want to merge this disk partition with one of your
other disk partitions, see your hard drive formatter's instructions for the
steps to do so.
Of course, you could leave it as a separate partition so that when you want
to re-install the BeOS Preview Release, you'll be able to install it onto that
partition with ease. ;-)
Q: I installed the BeOS
and rebooted my Mac, but it comes up with the Mac startup screen. Why don't I
have the BeOS?
A: The normal process for booting the BeOS on a Power
Mac involves booting the Mac OS. During the boot process, the Mac OS loads all
enabled control panels and extensions, including Be's "OS Chooser" extension.
Loading the OS Chooser extension will allow you to select an operating system to
load. If you choose the BeOS, the Mac OS load process will stop, and the BeOS
will begin to load.
You may have an extensions manager, such as Now StartupManager or Conflict
Catcher, which can be set to not load new extensions unless you manually
enable them. Check your extensions manager, and make sure the "OS Chooser"
extension is turned on, and then reboot.
Be sure to watch your screen during the boot process. The OS Chooser
extension will choose a default OS if you do not choose one a few seconds after
it shows its dialog box. The first time through, this will be the Mac OS.
Note that you should also have an application called "BeOS Launcher" in a
folder called "BeOS Mac Tools." If you launch that application, it will take you
directly into the BeOS from the Mac OS without having to restart your
Macintosh.
Q: I installed the BeOS
and rebooted. Every time I choose the BeOS from the "OS Chooser" extension
dialog, I get an error message about "Can't allocate PEF Memory" or "Could not
allocate system memory for boot info. This is a memory error. Contact devsupport
and let us know what happened." (or similar message). What's wrong?
A: Oops! Yes, it's another bug! The simple answer is,
the heap is getting corrupted (always bad ;-) and the OS Chooser extension is
running into it and dying.
In the meantime, disable the OS Chooser extension. Instead, launch the BeOS
by using the "BeOS Launcher" utility, located in the "BeOS Mac Tools"
folder.
Q: After installing the
BeOS on my Mac, my CD-ROM drive has stopped working under the Mac OS! What's
wrong?
A: There is apparently an extension conflict between
the Be "OS Chooser" extension and Apple's CD-ROM drivers. This is clobbering the
Apple drivers.
Using an extension manager, or by renaming the files in the Finder, ensure
that the Apple CD-ROM driver loads before the OS Chooser extension. This
should solve the problem.
If it does not, try disabling the OS Chooser extension entirely. You will no
longer be able to boot directly into the BeOS, but you will still be able to use
the "BeOS Launcher" utility in the Finder to start the BeOS.
Time-saving tip: If you hold down the Shift key when booting the Mac OS, the
Finder will load much faster, and you can use the BeOS Launcher that much
sooner. After all, if you're not going to use the Mac OS, you don't need those
extensions...
Q: I have a PCI SCSI
interface card (or DVD card, or Media 100 card, or other funky PCI card)
installed. Could that cause the BeOS to not boot?
A: In general, while PCI cards will not be usable
under the BeOS until there is a native BeOS driver available, they should not
cause the BeOS to have problems booting.
We are working with developers to create drivers for popular PCI cards, and
plan to offer native support for some SCSI cards ourselves, in a future release
or update to the BeOS.
In the meantime, if you have a PCI card (or SCSI device) which prevents the
BeOS from booting, we would very much like to hear about it. Please send us the
details at custsupport@be.com.
Q: I don't have
any PCI cards installed and I have less than 96 megs of RAM, but the BeOS
still stops at the Be logo. Is there anything else that might be
wrong?
A: In situations like this, we suggest that you "pare
down" your Mac to the bare minimum hardware required to boot, with as much
original equipment as you can find and use, i.e., stuff that came in the box
with the CPU.
We have heard reports that suggest the BeOS may have difficulties with
various peripherals and hardware, among them optical mice, the Visioneer Paper
Port SCSI adapter, and others. So taking everything out when having
problems is a good idea.
If you have taken everything non-standard out or off of your Mac, and it is
still freezing at the Be logo, we'd really like to know about it, so we can fix
it. For that matter, we'd like to know about it if you find a specific piece of
hardware that is problematic.
Please send mail, with as much information about your configuration as
possible, to custsupport@be.com.
Thanks!
Q: I don't have
any PCI cards installed, but the BeOS still stops at the Be logo.
Is there anything else that might be wrong?
A: The original BeOS Preview Release has two
limitations (bugs!) regarding memory.
First, if you have more than 512 megs of RAM (you lucky dog!), the BeOS will
hang at the boot screen. This is a bug we will fix in a forthcoming upgrade to
the BeOS.
Second, if you have more than 96 megs of RAM in a multiprocessor Mac (again,
lucky!), a similar problem occurs. This bug is fixed in Update 2; here's how to
get it installed:
- Remove enough RAM from your system to be under the 96 meg limit.
- Install the BeOS Preview Release.
- Install the Preview Release Update
2.
- Re-install the rest of your RAM.
Q: My Mac is listed as
supported by the BeOS for Power Mac, and I followed the installation
instructions perfectly, but when I boot the BeOS, my video goes weird after the
Be logo. What's wrong?
A: The BeOS Preview Release requires a multisync
monitor to work. Non-multisync monitor such as the Apple 13" and 16" monitors
will not work with the BeOS, and using one with the BeOS can produce the video
madness you are experiencing.
A forthcoming upgrade to the BeOS will remove this limitation, but our
support for fixed sync monitors will be slower than for multisync monitors. Be
highly recommends multisync monitors for use with the BeOS.
Q: I have a multisync
monitor, but my video is still not right. What could be the problem?
A: Various video issues are affecting people who
installed BeOS for Power Mac. These problems seem to be affecting many Power Mac
7600s and 8500s, and perhaps other models as well. Be sure to read all
the video-related questions and answers before you try any of the
solutions.
First possible solution (especially for 7600s and 8500s, it seems).
Apparently, there is a bug in Apple's ASICs for the built-in video on some Power
Macs, which requires that video RAM be in a particular bank for the BeOS video
drivers to work (this apparently affects MkLinux as well, although the Mac OS
handles it fine).
Try moving your VRAM from the current bank to the empty bank, generally from
bank 2 to bank 1, and try again.
Note that Be recommends that you should do this only if you feel
comfortable modifying your hardware; if not, have someone do it for you, or try
one of the other solutions.
Q: OK, that didn't work.
What else?
A: It has been suggested (on comp.sys.be.help) that the extension "7500/8500
Graphics Driver", installed in your System Folder/Extensions Folder on the Mac
side, may cause problems. If you have switched your VRAM and it still doesn't
work, try de-activating this extension and rebooting again.
Q: No, that didn't help
either. Anything else?
A: For persistent difficulties, you may need to drop
down to the "lowest common denominator" graphics driver. You can use the BeOS
File System Tool, running on the Mac side, to delete all files except for
"macstub" from the /boot/system/add-ons/app_server/ directory. This will force
the BeOS to use the generic compatibility driver.
The downside is that this will be slooooow for PCI graphics cards, but there
is little difference for built-in video. Either way, you will be unable to
change screen depth or resolution on the BeOS side.
The upside is that you're almost guaranteed not to have any video driver
related problems when you have no video drivers. ;-)
Usage and Interface
Q: How can I move files
from the Mac OS side to the BeOS side of my Macintosh?
A: The BeOS Preview Release supports accessing
Macintosh HFS volumes. You are be able to mount a Mac floppy or hard drive and
simply copy files to your BeOS (Be File System) hard drive.
For safety reasons, the BeOS does not at this time support writing to HFS
volumes. After thorough testing, we expect (but do not promise) we will turn
writing on in an update to the BeOS.
Q: My ADB keyboard is
plugged into the ADB port of my large monitor, which is plugged into the ADB
port of my Mac, and that works fine under the Mac OS, but doesn't work under the
BeOS. What's wrong?
A: Apparently some monitors interfere with the ADB
signals sent to the keyboard when they sit in between the keyboard and the CPU.
Connect your keyboard directly to your CPU, and try again.
Q: Whenever I boot my
computer, the Mac OS Finder asks me if I want to initialize the disk or
partition onto which I installed the BeOS. Why does the Mac OS keep trying to
initialize (and therefore destroy) my BeOS hard drive?
A: While I'm sure conspiracy buffs will be
disappointed, this is actually a problem on our end. The BeOS partition has a
hidden setting that is incorrect, which tells the Mac OS Finder to try to mount
the disk or partition. When it finds that it is not a Mac OS partition, it asks
if you want to initialize it.
We will fix this in a future release of the BeOS.
In the meantime, to fix this before you accidentally destroy your BeOS disk,
you need to change the setting to be correct. Then the Mac OS won't look at the
drive (or partition) at boot time and (helpfully?) offer to blow your BeOS drive
away.
To do this, you need to use your hard disk formatter to change the
"auto-mount" setting (generally called "auto-mount" or "mount at startup" or
something like that) to be OFF (unchecked). If you don't know how to do this,
check the users guide for your formatter software for details.
![[Cube]](../graphics/cubeprefsicon.gif){kind=small}
![[Bar]](../graphics/black_bar.gif){kind=small}