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Connie in California is a graphic artist using a Blue and White Power Mac tower that has been upgraded with a 550 MHz G4 processor and 896 MB of RAM. She is having stability problems with OS 9, and says she is so frustrated that she would consider moving to a PC if she didn't have so much money invested in Classic Mac OS software. She doesn't have Mac OS X installed, and is apprehensive about the learning curve involved with switching to another OS (she is already conversant with Windows PCs), and worried about compatibility with existing suite of software.

My advice to Connie was that switching to a PC, even if software compatibility were not an issue, would not likely be a frustration panacea. The Blaster/SoBig virus attacks that have been recently besetting the PC orbit are a case in point. My suggestion to her is that a better plan, especially if expense is an issue, and the stability problems with her current machine can't be identified and rectified, would be to pick up a used or refurbished and G4 Power Mac tower, which could be used with her current monitor and peripherals. With the G5 Power Macs coming onstream, it should be a buyers' market in second-hand G4s for the next while.

As for the operating system issue, Connie's stability troubles may be related to the processor upgrade in her B&W, since she says they started manifesting around the time she installed it. Other possibilities are that her old RAM is not up to the higher demands placed on it by the processor upgrade, or it might be something as simple as corrupted preferences in the System Folder.

In any case, upgrading to a native G4 machine would likely prove a solution to her OS 9 stability problems. However, the future of the Mac platform is OS X, and my advice would also include creating an OS X partition on her hard drive, installing OS X there, and then experimenting with making a gradual transition.

OS X is not that different from OS 9 in terms of how the Finder works, and I expect that Connie might find that her existing graphics applications work quite well in OS X Classic Mode. Keeping OS X and OS 9 on separate partitions is a good idea in any case from my perspective, and she could find that the switch goes much more quickly and smoothly than she expects.

The partition size allocated to an OS X partition will necessarily depend somewhat on the overall capacity of the drive, but I would suggest that at least 10 GB to be allocated to an OS X boot volume -- more if you can manage it. (Note: Beige G3s and the WallStreet PowerBook are restricted to a maximum of 8 GB for an OS X boot volume, and thus must use partitioned drives if the unit is of higher capacity than 8 GB).

To partition a new hard drive, boot the machine from the OS install CD, and run the partitioning routine in either Disk Utility (OS X) or Drive Setup (OS 9).

To partition an existing drive using the Apple disk formatting applications, it will be necessary to back up the hard drive contents and then erase the drive before proceeding with these steps:

1. Boot from the OS install CD by holding down the C key while starting up.

2. Find Disk Utility or Drive Setup on the CD and start it up.

3. Select the hard drive in the list that appears and specify partition sizes, names, and the format of the partitions (virtually always Mac OS Extended HFS + for Macs).

4. For dual-booters, if you're formatting the drive with OS X Disk Utility, be sure to check the "Install Mac OS 9 Disk Drivers" button.

5. When you are satisfied with your partition configuration, check the Partition button.

6. Once the disk is partitioned, two or more volume icons should appear on the Desktop. You can now proceed with installing system software, with OS X on one partition and OS 9 on another (Classic Mode will still work fine in OS X with OS 9 installed on separate partition). Use the Startup Disk panel in System Preferences/Control Panels to select the desired OS to boot from.

6. Reinstall application software and move archived files from your backup media onto the appropriate/desired volumes.

re Partitioning and OSX Folders

From Richard Dalziel-Sharpe

Hi Charles,

I have read the recent exchanges re OSX partitioning and the moving of OSX folders and thought that a recent experience of mine may be of interest.

OSX does not like its Applications Folder being messed with and I think that it must be on the same partition as the "System" folder. Not to be confused with OS9s "System Folder" note the capital f.

I recently updated Final Cut Pro from 4.0 to 4.01 via the Software Update control pane and was confused when I checked to find that only Final Cut Pro had been updated, and not its companion apps Soundtrack, Compressor and LiveType. My error! I had put the other three apps in a folder within the Applications folder and named it FCP helpers. Software Update had not found them there and had not done its work.

I pulled them out so that they were all loose in the Applications folder, ran Update again and they were all correctly updated. So take care when moving stuff or renaming it, if you're not sure, leave it where the installer puts it.

Regarding the swap file. There has been a fair bit of discussion regarding the value of putting them somewhere else and the consensus seemed to be that speed gains were only evident if the file was put on another drive rather than another partition. The theory being that you would have another head to do the swapping, whereas if the file was one the same disk, the same head was doing the work. The likely gain in this case only being due to less fragmentation.

As always thanks for your entertaining and informative columns.

Kind regards,
Richard Dalziel-Sharpe from Australia

Hi Richard;

Thanks for the input.

Yes, as I noted to Alex, I deduced that it is best to keep the Applications Folder on the boot volume. You have amplified that to an imperative.

I also agree that more significant speed improvements would come from keeping the swap file on a different drive. I wonder if a RAM disk would work? But see below.

Charles

Thanks!

From Ludovic Marcotte

Hi Charles,

Thanks for your positive review of GNUMail.app 1.1.0. I've added a link to your review on our "Press" section of our website.

Thanks a lot,
Ludo

Hi Ludo;

My pleasure!

Thanks for the link.

Charles

Re: SwapCop with 10.2 - wishlist crossed out?

From Alex Mathew

Hi Charles:
I wanted to send you an update on Swapcop with OS X 10.2 from its author J Schrier. Perhaps you can update your reply to my question regarding this.

Thank you
A Mathew

-------- Original Message --------

From: Joshua Schrier
To: Alex Mathew

My best advice to you is not to use the currently available Swap Cop for 10.2. To be honest, I don't think there is any advantage to be had under OS X 10.2, and additionally, the software is not written for it.

There is a manual included with the executable, online.

Regards,
--js

Charles

The OS X Odyssey archives may be accessed here:
http://www.applelinks.com/news/odyssey/

CM

Charles W. Moore

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