SheepShaver and USB ports

About SheepShaver, a PPC Mac emulator for Windows, MacOS X, and Linux that can run System 7.5.3 to MacOS 9.0.4.

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newbie123
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SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by newbie123 »

Hi, I am new to this, but I want to know if you can run USB ports with sheepshaver on an OS X my current version is 10.7.2. I am trying to get pictures of an old camera that runs on classic mode, I have gotten the classic running through sheepshaver with mac os9. I have the programs that came with the camera working no problem but realized after all this, from what I hear, sheepshaver does not let USB ports work? So is this true, is there a way around it? any help would be great!
Thanks
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Cat_7
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Re: SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by Cat_7 »

Hi, welcome!

SheepShaver doesn't allow you to connect to USB devices. There is only limited serial port support, but then you would need an old serial port in your OSX machine. And even then there is no guarantee it would work.

Doesn't your camera show up in OSX as a drive? Can you remove the data card from the camera and use it in a card reader?
What model/make is the camera?

Best,
Cat_7
newbie123
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Re: SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by newbie123 »

Ha, no. I wish it did, but it has an internal memory. It is a vivicam.10 by vivatar, it does not show up on mac at all when just plugged in! Like I said the camera is old!
Thanks for the info though!
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Cat_7
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Re: SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by Cat_7 »

At least one solution for another model. Perhaps you can try the same ;-)
http://www.theconsultant.net/2006/06/ho ... nder-os-x/

Or find a windows person, a classic mac person?

Best,
Cat_7
pauljsproule
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Re: SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by pauljsproule »

Hi, I'm also new to Sheepshaver. I have it successfully installed and running and so far so great! I've also run into an issue with USB support. Like many others, I've installed Sheepshaver due to some customized software that can only run on OS9, and have gone through the latest "technical issue" with the OS9 G4 computer... Not to mention the convenience of using this software on the same OSX workstation.

My problem is similar. The software requires an ADB dongle to run properly. In the past, we've used a Griffin iMate USB to ADB adaptor and it works quite well on the G4 OS 9 workstation. After a lot of investigation, I realized that USB is not supported with Sheepshaver. I've also read a lot of information from users that they were able to "map" a USB devise via the modem and printer serial connections in preferences.

I've spent a number of hours trying to do this and am at a loss. I've tried looking at the hardware description in OSX system profiler and using that in the /dev/cu. description. When I plug the adaptor into the USB port, system profiler gives me the following under the USB Bus connection:
iMate, USB To ADB Adaptor:

Product ID: 0x0405
Vendor ID: 0x077d
Version: 3.70
Speed: Up to 1.5 Mb/sec
Manufacturer: Griffin Technology, Inc.
Location ID: 0x04100000
Current Available (mA): 500
Current Required (mA): 100

I've tried to map both the modem and printer ports using combinations of /dev/cu.iMate ; /dev/cu.iMateADBController ; /dev/cu.iMate, USB To ADB Adaptor ; /dev/cu.0x0405 without any luck. In amongst that I've also tried to enable AppleTalk with the modem (it hangs) and the printer (it accepts the change but when you go back, it defaults to ethernet).

Knowing that USB is not truly supported, I'm willing to take any and all direction to help resolve this. This is the only set of software that still requires OS 9 to run in our business operations and upgrading the software is not an option.

Thank you!
Paul
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Ronald P. Regensburg
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Re: SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

I don't think anyone ever succeeded in making an ADB dongle work in SheepShaver.

The info you get in System Profiler is of no use. You can only use "devices" that are actually available in /dev/

/dev is an invisible symlink to a directory that is not accessible in the Finder, but when you type in Terminal:

Code: Select all

ls /dev
(followed by a return) you will get a list of all files available there.

I do not know if any one refers to the connected device. Maybe it appears in the list only when the device is connected. If not, maybe "cu.usbmodem" (one of the listed files) is a possibility. Be careful, though. This stuff is hidden from the average user for a reason.

(AppleTalk is normally not available in SheepShaver, it needs additional software and setup.)
Last edited by Ronald P. Regensburg on Sun Feb 19, 2012 9:58 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Reason: Added remark about AppleTalk
pauljsproule
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Re: SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by pauljsproule »

Thanks for the info. I tried the terminal command earlier but stopped before I got too deep. When I get a chance (the OS 9 G4 is up and running again) to grab the iMate adaptor I will plug it in and run the command again to see if anything specific is listed. Otherwise, I'll give the other suggestion a try. I'm determined to get this figured out in order to streamline the business operations by taking this old Classic out of commission and increasing productivity. I'll let you know how it goes.
wildeskraut
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Re: SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by wildeskraut »

Hello Paul, I am meeting the excactly same problem like you: Old system 9 software should run in SheepSaver, but it needs to connect to an ADB dongle to start. Did you find a solution for this?
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adespoton
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Re: SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by adespoton »

Sadly, the best solution is probably to find a patched copy of the software that skips the dongle check -- or do it yourself.
Mel
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Re: SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by Mel »

Hi Space Cadet,
I seem to be in about the same spot you are. I thought it might be useful to you to know that, years ago, when I bought my G4 and installed OS 9, I was able to print to my ImageWriter II using a KeySpan USA-28 adapter. It was USB to DIN-8. I remember that within the KeySpan software/driver setup window, I had to click on a box to tell it to emulate an Epson printer. If I recall correctly, it was because the Epson printer was supported, but the ImageWriter was not. It worked like a charm! I still have my ImageWriter, and am going to do some experimenting with that old setup. Of course, I could be way off... If SheepShaver can't find the USB port, then it won't be able to find the KeySpan adapter that is connected to it. Anyway, I think it's worth a try. Otherwise, I will just have to do the desktop printer thingee, or save documents and print them later. I still have AppleWorks software, and just discovered that the '09 version of iWork that I am running in Mountain Lion can open those old text (word processing) documents just dandy. All of this probably sounds odd to most people but, I am a writer, so go figure... I need lots of cheap output and low cost paper and ink.

Mac user since 1985
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adespoton
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Re: SheepShaver and USB ports

Post by adespoton »

Unfortunately, this won't work; you'd do better with the virtual serial interface that reads/writes to an external file (which can be mapped to an actual serial interface on Unix-style OSes).
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