As with the control panels, below are descriptions of nearly every Apple Extension ever released. If you're curious what the different extensions do, here's your source. If you're just interested in whether or not you need various init's, use the descriptions below to decide whether or not you want/need them. Most are from Apple; however a few are things that are so universal that I included them here. (For some non-Apple inits and their RAM usage, check out Chapter 7: "Third Party Inits.") I have left out discriptions of some things that are fairly obvious in their functionality. On those, you should be able to decide for yourself if you want/need them.
窶｢ !TYC: patches an incompatibility with early PowerMac AV models and the Apple 21-inch monitor
窶｢ PM !PowerAV Update: an update to !TYC
窶｢ IIci/IIsi Monitors: allows the Monitors control panel on the IIci and IIsi to reflect the capabilities of the built-in video card on these computers. Removing this extension will still allow a choice of bit depth, etc. However, some options, such as "gamma" settings, will not be available.
窶｢ 040 VM Update: only for 68040 Macs, specifically the LC 57x and LC 63x series; fixes a problem with virtual memory and the 040 processor cache when copying. No longer necessary under 7.5.3.
窶｢ 630 SCSI Update: on LC/Performa/Quadra 630-series computers, fixes a problem with large block SCSI transfers (such as those that occur when using a backup DAT tape drive) where the system may hang. Supposedly fixed in the latest system update.
窶｢ PM 窶｢窶｢窶｢7.5.2 Printing Fix 1.1 [.5/.5]: This is the latest version of the extension Apple previously released to help with printing problems on the Power Mac 7200, 7500, 8500, and 9500 under System 7.5.2. In addition to previous fixes for using busy network printers, version 1.1 corrected a similar problem using LocalTalk to print to a network printer. Please note that this extension requires Open Transport 1.0.7 or later, and the extension isn't of use on earlier Macs. Incorporated into the System or System Update 7.5.2 under System 7.5.3
窶｢ 720K Floppy Disk Formatter: part of System 7.1 Update 3.0. According to an old Apple document, this was used "to allow you to format low-density floppy disks as 720K MFM disks." Also, Apple was supposedly going to release a non-GCR floppy drive in a low-cost model, and this extension would allow you to create 720K HFS disks.
窶｢ PM 窶｢窶｢窶｢7200 Graphics Acceleration (v1.0.1): supposedly, the 7200, unlike the 7500 and 8500, has a graphics accelerator chip on the motherboard. Without this file, the graphics are run solely by the CPU, while with it certain QuickDraw operations are taken over by the accelerator chip. Thus, not having this extension installed could slow down certain graphics functions. Power Computing's PowerCenter and PowerTower computers use the 7200's chip set, so they also benefit from having this extension installed. According to MacWEEK, this file can boost display speed by up to 20% on computers with the 7200 chip set. There are two web sites that I have found which give further information on this extension:
窶｢ 950 Color Addition: addresses an obscure video bug in the Quadra 950 on pre-7.1 systems. The fix was incorporated into System 7.1.
窶｢ A/ROSE: "Apple Real-Time Operating System Environment" -- only necessary for certain older Nubus cards which use the MCP (Macintosh Coprocessor Platform) platform and run the Apple Real-Time Operating System (i.e. Apple's short Ethernet card, Token Ring 4.16 NB card, Serial NB card, and Coax/TwinAx NB card).
窶｢ ADSP: AppleTalk Data Stream Protocol. Provided networking protocol under pre-7.0 systems. More specifically, it provided data flow and full duplex data delivery over a network. However, in order for the benefits to be realized, both Macs had to be running this extension.
窶｢ AMMS MPEG Decoder: hardware driver for the Apple MPEG Media System Card.
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢Apple Built-In Ethernet [a.k.a. Ethernet (Built-In)] (v1.0.3): Used by Open Transport/Classic AppleTalk to allow access to the built-in Ethernet port on your Mac. Depending upon your Mac model and/or your system version prior to updating to 7.5.3, you could have either or both of these extensions installed; although they are quite different in code, they seem to perform essentially the same function. A System 7.5.3 "Unity" universal system folder contains both files, which would seem to imply that they are different files to be used under difference configurations. However, some experimenting has found that on all the systems/models tested, either one can be used. In addition, having both installed does not seem to cause any problems. The main outward difference I've seen is that "Ethernet (Built-In)" does not show its icon at startup, while "Apple Built-In Ethernet" does. NOTE: installing the DOS Compatibility Update 1.5 updates to/ installs Ethernet (Built-In) 1.0.4.
窶｢ Apple Color SW Pro CMM (v1.0.1): provides alternate color tables for the discontinued Color StyleWriter Pro.
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢Apple CD-ROM (v5.1.7) [61.5/72]: necessary to use your Mac's CD-ROM drive. Version 5.1.7 added support for 6X drives. 5.1.6 added support for Apple PC Compatability Cards for PCI Macs. 5.1.5 fixed a problem with multi-session PhotoCD disks and the Peter and te Wolf CD. Use the newest version necessary for you.
窶｢ Apple Ethernet CS, Apple Ethernet LC, Apple Ethernet NB: these Ethernet drivers are necessary only if you have a IIcs, LC, or NuBus Mac using the corresponding Ethernet expansion card.
窶｢ Apple Event Manager: incorporated into AppleScript with System 7.5 and above.
窶｢ Apple Multimedia Tuner: enhances QuickTime 2.0 and Sound Manager 3.0. Once you upgrade to QuickTime 2.1 and Sound Manager 3.1, or System 7.5.3/Update 2.0, this is no longer necessary.
窶｢ AppleScript (v1.1) [39.5/320]: Allows for "scripting" of operating system functions. Many scripts are provided with your Mac, or you can program your own scripts if you have the patience to learn the language. Apple Events Manager now built into this.
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢AppleShare (v3.6.2) [30.5/37]: if you're not on a network, you don't need it. If you are on a network, you only need it if you want to access other computers, as it is used to provide access to networked volumes. Version 3.6.1RevB, the version installed by the latest full system software installers, is incompatible with Connectix SpeedDoubler 1.1 and earlier, and could possibly be incompatible with other "copy accelerators" such as Copy Doubler. Specifically, the bug affects file transfers over an Ethernet connection. Connectix has updated SpeedDoubler to 1.3 (get the update at <http://www.connectix.com/>) and has also released a patch that can be used with earlier versions of SpeedDoubler and other third-party copy utilities. Download the patch from <http://www.connectix.com/AppleShare>. However, the Connectix patch is no longer needed under System 7.5.3 Revision 2 and SpeedDoubler 1.1.2 or later. [To get version 3.6.2 of AppleShare, you must install the latest AppleShare Workstation software, available on Apple's FTP servers. Note that this installer incorrectly sets the bundle bit for AppleShare 3.6.2 to "off." While this is not a major problem, if you run Norton Disk Doctor, you will be alerted to it and should choose to fix it.]
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢AppleVision (v1.0.4): if you have a 1710AV monitor and a PCI Mac, you must use v1.0.4 and the Monitors & Sound control panel. 1.0.2 is not compatible with PCI Macs running 7.5.3. If you have a non-PCI Mac, you must use 1.0.2, the Sound control panel, and the Monitors control panel. To update to version 1.0.4, you must first install 1.0.2, which is available from Apple's ftp sites, before you update to System 7.5.3.
窶｢ ASFU Fixer [0/0]: A third party INIT from GDT Technologies which disabled the DMA serial driver originally found on PowerMac and Quadra AV machines, reverting to the unused non-DMA serial driver in the ROMs of those machines. Apparently, the newer DMA driver was incompatible with GDT's PowerPrint and the StyleWriter printer. Also needed by a few other products because they were incompatible with the DMA serial driver and GeoPort architecture. However, applications which used the standard GeoPort architecture of these machines could encounter problems of their own when using the "patched" driver. The SerialDMA extension (now a part of System 7.5.3) eliminated the need for this extension.
窶｢ Assistant Toolbox (v1.3.1): a set of routines for the PowerBook File Assistant which allow file synchronization, better battery management, and easier mobile computing. It provides support for a persistent RAM disk (normally, you would lose your RAM disk when the computer is shut down) and deferred printing when a printer is not available (if you are using the LaserWriter driver). It provides better cursor visibility on passive-matrix displays. It allows AppleTalk to be activated without restarting the computer. It also works with PCI Macs to enable deferred printing when a printer is not available (again, only if you are using the LaserWriter driver). This extension may conflict with the LaserWriter Select 310 printer software to block printing. A solution is to turn off background printing in the Chooser.
窶｢ Audio Volume Extension: on 5200, 5300, 6200, and 6300 series Macs, this file replaces/fixes problems with the Internal Modem Sound extension (actually, a newer version of the IMS extension is incorporated into the Audio Volume extension). Allows modem sounds to be played through the Mac's own speakers (or external speakers). Also loads a new sound driver which fixes a bug with poor sound quality on sounds played from the hard drive or CD-ROM's.
窶｢ AV Serial: I have seen two sources of information on this. One said that this is only needed on AV-card equipped Macs, which does not include the AV PCI Macs or the Centris/Quadra 660AV/840AV. The other said that it is only needed on the Centris/Quadra 660AV/840AV. Regardless, it is supposed to have fixed (a) difficulties when printing with the LaserWriter Select 310 printer; (b) a possible system error when both the serial port and an AppleTalk network connection are being used heavily; and (c) a possible system crash when simultaneously receiving a fax and transferring files over a network.
窶｢ AV/PPC Serial Extension: installed by the Global Village modem software on older systems. Used on pre-7.1.3 systems to enhance the serial port to allow the higher connect speeds which the Teleports were capable of supporting.
窶｢ Basic Color Monitor: on Quadra models 700, 800, 900, and 950, as well as on Centris and Quadra models 610 and 650, some users have had problems with overly-green monitor displays. This extension fixes the bug on all Apple, and SOME non-Apple, monitors. However, on some non-Apple monitors, this extension would cause the screen to go blank. This problem cannot be resolved by simply removing the extension, since the settings are saved to the PRAM of the machine (and since you can't see anything ;-) ). The solution is to restart, zap the PRAM a couple times, and immediately start with extensions off. Then remove the extension.
窶｢ CapsLock: Mainly useful for PowerBooks; puts an icon in the menu bar when the Caps Lock key is engaged
窶｢ CDRemoteINIT: under system 7.1P3, this extension was necessary to use the CD Remote DA.
窶｢ PM 窶｢窶｢窶｢CFM Update: Installed by QuickDraw 3D. CFM stands for Code Fragment Manager. With native-code applications, CFM loads parts of the program as it needs them, one of the vaunted features of PowerMacs. This is some sort of an "update" to the CFM built into the system. Some users have reported less crashing and less hard disk grinding under low-memory situations. Incorporated into the System or System Update 7.5.2 under System 7.5.3
窶｢ CFM-68K Runtime Enabler (v1.0.4) [72/544]: allows limited "code fragment manager" functionality on 680x0 Macs. This extension is necessary to use the Desktop Printer 2.0 software on 68k Macs. Installed as part of the LaserWriter 8.4 and Desktop Printer 2.0 installations.
窶｢ Clipping Extension (v7.1.4) (a.k.a. Finder Clipping Extension) [NA]: only necessary if you want to use the desktop for "clippings" from drag-and-drop-editing capable applications (i.e. if you want to select a section of text in SimpleText and drag it to the desktop). If this is disabled, drag-and-drop editing within and between applications will still work.
窶｢ Color Classic Update: fixes a bug that prevented Apple IIe cards from working under System 7.5. Adds the correct video mode for the Apple IIe-type display to the video driver.
窶｢ ColorPicker (v2.0.1) [1/320]: allows additional color schemes (i.e. changing from Red/Green/Blue to Hue/Saturation/Lightness) in "choose color" dialogues (i.e. in the "Label" and "Color" control panels when you try to customize the color choices; enacted with the "more choices" button).
窶｢ Color SW 2000 Series CMM (v1.0): allows you to use ColorSync with the Color StyleWriter 2400. NOTE: If you have a 68000 Mac, this extension will not allow it to start up. You should start up with extensions off, remove this file, then restart.
窶｢ Color Sync (v2.0.1) [40/384]: see the "Color Sync System Profile" entry in the "Control Panels" chapter.
窶｢ DAL: enables network activity using Data Access Language, formerly called CL/1. From Apple's Tech Info Library:
Data Access Language is Apple's client/server protocol for remote data access and is based on ANSI standard SQL (Structured Query Language). DAL is optimized to provide decision-support applications with uniform access to data, regardless of the different brands of databases, the different host platforms, or the different types of networks.
The DAL client software is included as a part of System 7.0 and can be transparently accessed by applications written to the Data Access Manager API. These applications can access data from DAL servers running on host computers, across all DAL-supported networks. Therefore, with the Data Access Manager and the included DAL client software in System 7, applications can "speak" in an identical fashion to many different types of host databases. Apple Computer Inc. is currently delivering DAL servers through APDA for the following environments:
o VAX/VMS (for DEC Rdb, Informix, Ingres, Oracle, and Sybase)
o MVS/TSO (for IBM DB2)
o VM/CMS (for IBM SQL/DS)
DEC also provides DAL as a part of the DEC PathWORKS product. Apple is also working with software and hardware vendors to extend DAL client and server support to other industry platforms.
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢Desktop PrintMonitor, Printer Spooler, Printer Extension (all v2.0) [NA]: Under LaserWriter 8.3 and higher, these extensions allow you to have a printer icon on your desktop, to which you can drag and drop documents to be printed. Double-clicking the icon brings up a PrintMonitor specifically for that printer. If you have more than one Desktop Printer, you can drag and drop/schedule documents between them. Version 2.0 includes the option of selecting printers from the menu bar, control strip, or Print dialog box. Also, the desktop printer icons can be moved to anywhere on the hard drive. If you are using this software on a 68k Mac, you will also have the CFM-68K Runtime Enabler" extension installed.
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢Display Enabler 2.0.2: Adds functionality to Energy Saver and the Monitors control strip module. According to Apple, "The Display Software 2.0 installs Display Enabler version 2.0. This version is not necessary on the PCI Power Macintosh computers (although its presence will not disrupt anything). HOWEVER: The AppleVision Software 1.0.2 installs Display Enabler 2.0.2 and we do recommend this version if you have the AppleVision 1710AV or AudioVision 14" Display." Version 2.0 is incorporated into the System or System Update 7.5.2 under System 7.5.3; version 2.0.2 is not. This file actually has a space at the beginning of its name to allow it to load first in the startup process.
窶｢ Drag&Drop Extension/Drag Enabler (a.k.a. Macintosh Drag & Drop): incorporated into System since 7.5; this is installed by numerous programs, such as Now Utilities and ccMail, for universal compatibility, but, again, is not needed under 7.5 and later systems
窶｢ Drive Firmware Update Extension (v1.2): only useful for Macs with IDE hard drives. Fixes a bug with audible drive noise. You must restart twice after installing this extension to activate its features.
窶｢ Duo Battery Patch: fixed a conflict with PowerBook Duo 210, 230, and 250 computers which had an Express Modem installed and which were using version 1.0 of the PowerBook Duo Enabler. In this configuration, the Duo battery would not recharge. This problem was fixed by a newer version of the PowerBook Duo Enabler.
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢EM Extension (v3.0.3): allows the "Extensions Manager control panel to load before any other startup files. Also allows you to open the Extensions Manager control panel at startup by holding down the space bar.
窶｢ EM Sound Update: provides added sound support on 630 series Macs with internal Express Modems.
窶｢ Energy Saver Extension: used in conjunction with the Energy Saver Control Panel. See the "Energy Saver" entry in the Control Panels chapter.
窶｢ PM 窶｢窶｢窶｢ENET Compatability (v1.0.3): fixes a bug with PCI Macs on a Novell Netware network where the computer would crash at shutdown or restart. With this extension installed you will be able to use Netware, but your machine will take quite a bit longer to shut down (like about two minutes!). The delay can be avoided by logging out of the Netware tree before shutting down or restarting.
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢Ethernet (Built-In) [a.k.a. Apple Built-In Ethernet] (v1.0.3): Used by Open Transport/Classic AppleTalk to allow access to the built-in Ethernet port on your Mac. Depending upon your Mac model and/or your system version prior to updating to 7.5.3, you could have either or both of these extensions installed; although they are quite different in code, they seem to perform essentially the same function. A System 7.5.3 "Unity" universal system folder contains both files, which would seem to imply that they are different files to be used under difference configurations. However, some experimenting has found that on all the systems/models tested, either one can be used. In addition, having both installed does not seem to cause any problems. The main outward difference I've seen is that "Ethernet (Built-In)" does not show its icon at startup, while "Apple Built-In Ethernet" does. NOTE: installing the DOS Compatibility Update 1.5 updates to/ installs Ethernet (Built-In) 1.0.4.
窶｢ EtherTalk Phase 2 (v2.5.7): driver software which allows you to connect your Mac to an Ethernet network. Supposedly no longer needed under System 7.5.3.
窶｢ EtherTalkPrep: on older systems, worked with EtherTalk Phase 2 to establish and maintain Ethernet connections. Supposedly no longer needed under 7.5.3.
窶｢ External CD Sound: on pre-7.5.1 systems, allowed you to listen to audio CD's on an external Apple CD-ROM drive. Integrated into the system software under 7.5.1.
窶｢ File Sharing Extension (v7.6.2)[3.5/0]: enables your Mac to share files with other computers on a network.
窶｢ Find File Extension (v1.1.1) [0/0]: allows you to access the new System 7.5 "find file" by typing command-F. Without this installed, it brings up the older "Find File" in the system. However, you will still be able to access the newer find feature through the Apple Menu. For some strange reason it also disables the alert box which says that the functionality of "Find File" is limited when the Finder Scripting Extension is not installed.
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢Finder Help (v7.5.5) [NA]: provides balloon help for the Finder. You should be able to trash this, as most of its info is contained in the newer Apple Guide, but if you plan on installing LaserWriter 8.4, you must have this installed (who knows why?).
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢Finder Scripting Extension (v7.5.5) [0/0]: needed if an application uses Finder functions in its AppleScript. Allows you to write scripts which use the Finder. Also allows you to perform operations on "Find" search results (i.e. dragging a folder/file from the "find" window to the desktop, trash, or to another folder)
窶｢ 窶｢窶｢窶｢Finder Update (v7.5.3) [NA]: Provides support for PowerMac native code in the finder (also puts that "Memory will decrease by xxx if virtual memory is turned on..." message in the Get Info box). Also corrects some memory-related problems. With the release of System 7.5.3, this update is integrated into the Finder itself.
窶｢ Foreign File Access (v5.1) [114.5/153]: enables your Mac to work with CD-ROM discs which don't use the standard Macintosh file system, by using the corresponding component files. This includes audio CD's, ISO 9660, PhotoCD, and High Sierra formats (see "COMPONENTS"). Note that this means you need this extension along with the respective component in order to read a non-Mac format CD-ROM. In addition, Foreign File Access allows you to mount both the Mac and PC sectors of multi-format CD-ROMs. NOTE: the RAM usage of Foreign File Access will vary depending upon which components are installed; if you'd like to keep your RAM usage down, you should only activate the components for the file formats you actually use.
窶｢ Frontmost Extension: Frontmost is an application package (that comes with the full AppleScript commercial product) that allows you to create sophisticated user interfaces for AppleScript applications. The Frontmost Extension acts as a run-time assistant for projects saved as miniature applications.
