SheepShaver UB build for Mac OS X 25-10-2009 available

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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Ronald P. Regensburg
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Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

mschmitt wrote:The obvious difference between the 19-03-2009 build and the 14-07-2009 build is that the July build contains RAM-anywhere changes.

The SheepShaver_UB_20090714 build is one Ronald created from my sources. At that point the RAM-anywhere code was disabled for PPC.
Indeed. I forgot that, was wondering why I made that build. :oops:
Last edited by Ronald P. Regensburg on Tue Oct 27, 2009 2:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ronald P. Regensburg
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Re: Working here so far

Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

Gary wrote:On shutdown, an error comes up that the "unix disk can't be used because it can't be found".
There were a few similar reports, mostly on Snow Leopard. Does your new iMac run Snow Leopard?
One person reported that the problem was solved by giving SheepShaver more RAM (1024MB). You could try that.
The network IP thing could stand to be fixed, but I'm not experienced with that sort of thing.
What do you mean with "the network IP thing"?
Is there any particular ROM that is optimal?
For use with MacOS9 the file extracted from the Mac OS ROM Update 1.0 is usually best.
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Post by cdorje »

The other mystery is that the identical configuration works on my PPC (PM G5) without the memory error. Is there separate code for PPC and Intel or perhaps they load memory differently?
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Post by mschmitt »

cdorje wrote:The other mystery is that the identical configuration works on my PPC (PM G5) without the memory error. Is there separate code for PPC and Intel or perhaps they load memory differently?
SheepShaver's emulation is considerably different when running on PPC vs. Intel.

SheepShaver is trying to emulate a PowerPC-based Macintosh (Basilisk II emulates a 680x0 Mac).

When the host machine has a PowerPC CPU, SheepShaver can run the emulated machine on the host CPU itself -- SheepShaver only has to take control when the emulated machine needs to interact with the host hardware, disk image, etc.

When the host machine has an Intel CPU, SheepShaver has to convert the emulated Mac's PPC code into Intel code; it is emulating the PowerPC CPU.

There are also differences in the host machine's memory layout that SheepShaver is running in, but this is dependent on the host operating system, not the CPU. Tiger is different than Leopard. And to make it worse, Leopard has a feature where each host machine's memory layout is different. This is why SheepShaver was having memory allocation problems on some Leopard machines.

In your case, what happened is the code tried to reference a bad memory address. This is like if someone left you a message to go to 12345 19th St, but you thought it was 12345 91st st, and when you drove there you discovered that address doesn't exist. In fact, there is nothing there -- it is in the middle of a lake.
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Me too

Post by Jack »

I had this same problem of the emulated OS quitting after the OS 9 splashscreen appeared. All was well with extensions off, and setting the flag to ignore memory errors did the trick.

I'm running the 25 Oct 09 SheepSaver build on the latest Leopard version, 10.5.8. QT 4.1 in OS 9.
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Post by Gary »

>>On shutdown, an error comes up that the "unix disk can't be used because it can't be found".

>There were a few similar reports, mostly on Snow Leopard. Does your new iMac run Snow Leopard?
One person reported that the problem was solved by giving SheepShaver more RAM (1024MB). You could try that.

Yes, v10.6.1. Did I mention that I installed MacOS 9.0.4? (trying to get this post in so I can go home) I'll try that, but it was barely even an annoyance, I just figured I should note it's existence.


>>The network IP thing could stand to be fixed, but I'm not experienced with that sort of thing.

>What do you mean with "the network IP thing"?

The network aspects noted in this thread:
"appletalking"
http://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5910

Our network is a 192.168.0.0 setup, and while I can see *some* of the machines in the network browser, I can't connect to any of them as yet (systems 8.1, 9.2, 10.5, and 10.6). Being able to enter that info during setuo might be handy.

I should point out that I've only just started with this and haven't found the time to try some of the other things I've already read about.

http://emaculation.com/doku.php/cannot_map_ram
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Photoshop 3 works again w/2009-10-25 build

Post by feinberj »

I've tried to get SheepShaver running, off and on, for the past couple of years. About a year ago I got it to work on my Intel core 2 duo Mac Mini -- I was thrilled! No longer did I have to haul out my old G4/400 laptop just to run Photoshop 3.

However, when I upgraded to 10.6 Photoshop 3 pretty much stopped working (in SheepShaver, that is). The program would launch, but performance was so bad that the application was unusable. Or, instead of horrid performance, I'd just get endless "out of memory" errors.

I downloaded the 2009-10-25 build of SheepShaver, and Photoshop 3 is working well again.

Huzzah!

John Feinberg
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Post by dkretschmer »

I tried the 20091025 build and it quit on opening.
Going back to 20091018 didn't help even though it worked perfectly last time I used it.

Eventually I had to go to the prefs and tick "Ignore memory access errors" which made things work again.
20091025 works now.
10.5.8, MacPro
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Build 20091025 on 10.6.1 running Mathematica 3.0 on 9.0.4

Post by mshel »

Mathematica 3.0 came out in 1996, but, for now, it still has all the power and functionality I need from mathematics software. My new MacBook Pro arrived with 10.5 and I upgraded to Snow Leopard, but I I've been disappointed that neither OS X version offered "Classic" OS. Either I would need to finally upgrade to a more recent (bloated) version of Mathematica, go back to 10.4, or all my prior mathematics work would be inaccessible on my new machine.

This old Mathematica version runs perfectly on SheepShaver. Audio and graphics are functioning normally. Thank you.
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Post by perfectionist »

After a week of experience with Snow Leopard and laborious trials with SheepShaver I tested the 20091025 build and suddenly all problems I had before (wrong keyboard strokes; only a few files accessible in the UNIX folder) are settled.
Thanks a lot, Ronald.

Now the question is: How to install an old application in MacOS9?
Is there a similar useful manual as for launching SheepShaver itself?

Thanks and regards to all SheepShaver experts.


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Ronald P. Regensburg
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Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

perfectionist wrote:Now the question is: How to install an old application in MacOS9?
Exactly what do you want/need to know? There is nothing special about installing an application in SheepShaver. Unless you have the installer on floppy disks only, you do the installation just like you used to do it on a real PPC Mac with MacOS9.
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Post by perfectionist »

Thank you, Ronald, for your prompt reply.

I have the installer on a floppy disk. The disk is visible on the OSX desktop and reachable from the OS9 desktop via the UNIX folder. But this disk can't be opened.


Regards


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Post by perfectionist »

Well, I copied the files from the floppy disks on the OSX desktop and thus I can start the installation. However, when the next disk is required from the installation programme, there is no chance to continue the installation since the programme is quitted.


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Ronald P. Regensburg
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Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

Disk switching is not possible in SheepShaver, which makes some installations impossible. However, some installers will read from the different disks as needed when all disks are mounted at the same time.

Create disk images from the floppy disks. In SheepShaver preferences add the disk image files to the volumes list. Quit and restart SheepShaver. All floppy images will now mount at the same time. Start the installation from the first disk.

You can use Disk Utility to create the disk images, make sure you use "read/write" for the format and "none" for Encryption.

The floppies will be in HFS format. I do not know if Disk Utility in Snow Leopard still allows creating HFS disk images. If not, it should be possible to do that in Terminal. But first try Disk Utility.

Edit: Although Snow Leopard does not write to HFS volumes anymore, Disk Utility in Snow Leopard can still create disk images from external HFS disks (like the floppy disks). See this thread:
http://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewto ... d+terminal
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Post by perfectionist »

I added the volumes and, as a result, I also must have removed a file. Now I do not even manage to launch SheepShaver. There should be a "Delete Prefs File" but how to get it?
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Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

perfectionist wrote:I added the volumes and, as a result, I also must have removed a file. Now I do not even manage to launch SheepShaver. There should be a "Delete Prefs File" but how to get it?
What did you remove? You should always be able to launch SheepShaver. Even if you accidently removed the startup volume from the list or if you forgot to enter the "Mac OS ROM" file name, this SheepShaver build can still be launched again showing the blinking floppy icon. That is why the "Delete Prefs File" script is not added to the latest build, it should not be needed anymore.

If you cannot launch SheepShaver and thus cannot access the preferences, you can download the stand-alone preferences editor and use it to adjust the settings. Place it in the same folder with SheepShaver: http://www.xs4all.nl/~ronaldpr/sheepsha ... rPrefs.zip
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Post by perfectionist »

Thanks a lot.
Actually I can't open SheepShaver anymore. There is always the message "SheepShaver has been unexpectedly closed" after starting the programme.
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Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

All needed files are present in the SheepShaver folder and you did use the SheepShaverPrefs application to check and correct settings?

Try again and this time also check in the Miscellaneous tab "Ignore Illegal Memory Accesses". Then close the prefs window to save the changes.

Can SheepShaver be launched now?
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Post by perfectionist »

You won't believe it. Even with SheepShaver Prefs the programme is unexpectedly closed down.

?????
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Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

perfectionist wrote:You won't believe it. Even with SheepShaver Prefs the programme is unexpectedly closed down.
What do you mean with "with SheepShaverPrefs"? Does SheepShaverPrefs quit unexpectedly? Or do you run the two applications together? Or do you mean that SheepShaver still crashes (that is what "unexpectedly quit" usually is) after you used SheepShaverPrefs to change the settings as I suggested?

I understand that SheepShaver did run, that you set it up and installed the system and that it booted and ran fine from the installed system at first. Is that correct?
The rom file is still in the SheepShaver folder, the file is still named "Mac OS ROM", and the ROM File entry in the prefs still reads "Mac OS ROM"? Is that correct?
The problem only started after you added the disk images of the floppy disks to the volumes list in preferences. Correct?

Have you tried to return to the previously working setup by removing those added disk images from the volumes list, leaving only the startup volume in the list? (You can use SheepShaverPrefs to do that.)

If nothing works, please post here:

1. The contents of the invisible prefs file.
When you type in Terminal at the prompt:

Code: Select all

open ~/.sheepshaver_prefs
and hit enter, the prefs file will open in TextEdit and you can copy its content and paste it here.
(the Terminal application is in /Applications/Utilities/)

2. Messages in Console log when you try to launch SheepShaver.
First open Console (in /Applications/Utilities/) and then launch SheepShaver. Copy the messages that appear and paste them here.
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Post by bamdad »

a quick question about preferences: if i start a sheepvm bundle and use the menu to edit the settings, will it save them to the 'prefs' file in the bundle, or will it use the default location (i.e., ~/)?

also, if i use the standalone editor, how can i tell it to load from and save my settings to the 'prefs' file of a specified bundle?

i'm not against editing the stuff manually, just curious.
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Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

Using SheepShaver built-in prefs editor with a sheepvm virtual machine, you will edit only the prefs file inside that sheepvm bundle. Using it in a 'classic' setup, you will edit the ~/.sheepshaver_prefs file.

The SheepShaverPrefs application is older and is not aware of sheepvm virtual machines, so it will always edit the ~/.sheepshaver_prefs file.

You can edit prefs files in sheepvm bundles with the SheepShaverLauncher.
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Post by bamdad »

Ronald P. Regensburg wrote:Using SheepShaver built-in prefs editor with a sheepvm virtual machine, you will edit only the prefs file inside that sheepvm bundle. Using it in a 'classic' setup, you will edit the ~/.sheepshaver_prefs file.

The SheepShaverPrefs application is older and is not aware of sheepvm virtual machines, so it will always edit the ~/.sheepshaver_prefs file.
i see, thank you.
Ronald P. Regensburg wrote:You can edit prefs files in sheepvm bundles with the SheepShaverLauncher.
um.. i did a search for 'sheepshaverlauncher' in the sheepshaver subforum and this thread, but found nothing relevant. did i overlook something, or are you referring to the ss application itself (which, as a figure of speech, 'launches' the bundles)?
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Post by Ronald P. Regensburg »

bamdad wrote:um.. i did a search for 'sheepshaverlauncher' in the sheepshaver subforum and this thread, but found nothing relevant. did i overlook something, or are you referring to the ss application itself (which, as a figure of speech, 'launches' the bundles)?
In the first post in this topic is a link to the topic that discusses VMs and the Launcher. Here it is again: http://www.emaculation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5754

The SheepShaverLauncher is a separate application that can manage several VMs. The latest version is the b5 beta version. It contains both a Launcher executable and a SheepShaver executable, but future versions may be the Launcher only (see discussion in that topic). If you want to use the SheepShaverLauncher b5, best replace its SheepShaver executable with the one from my 25-10-2009 build.
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Post by bamdad »

thanks, i probably should have read through it more carefully. :)

by replacing the executable, i assume you mean the actual unix binary file in the .app bundle. will do. :)
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