BeOS for Power Mac CD-ROM Q & A

This document answers questions regarding the BeOS which are specific to the Power Macintosh release of the software.

This page was last updated on June 3, 1997.

General

---

Q: Will Apple, Power Computing or the other Power Mac clone vendors bundle the BeOS with their systems?

A: Be and Power Computing announced in November that Power Computing licensed the BeOS to bundle it with Power Computing machines. Besides the press release, you can read the most common questions and answers about the deal on our Web site.

Be and Motorola announced in February their intent to sign a similar licensing deal. You can read the details of that announcement in a press release.

We are in discussions with other Power Mac clone manufacturers, and we would be delighted to arrange a bundling deal with them as well. We would even like to bundle the BeOS with Apple's Power Macs!

---

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 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. 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.

---

Q: I heard a rumor that the BeOS for Power Macintosh DR8.2 was a time-limited release. Is this true? When did it stop working? Why did you do this to people?

A: First of all, the BeOS DR8 for BeBox will not expire. BeBox owners don't have to worry about this issue.

The BeOS for Power Macintosh DR8.2 did time-expire, on April 1, 1997. This is the CD which was distributed for free with the January 1997 issue of MacTech magazine, was distributed for free at our January 1997 developers' conference, and was included with the CodeWarrior for BeOS package from Metrowerks.

In order to ensure that people using the BeOS on the Power Macintosh platform did not have their usage interrupted by the expiration, Be released the BeOS DR8.3 Update for Power Macintosh, which removes the expiration date. All BeOS users who are using the BeOS DR8.2 for Power Macintosh should download and install this update!

We're sorry if this creates any confusion or problems for people who have been evaluating or developing for the BeOS. Please understand that this is a developer release and that the CD was free.

Be had to make the software time-expire in order to reduce the costs of distributing the CD. Royalties for various items (e.g., fonts) distributed with the BeOS could have substantially raised the cost of the CD, which would have made it impossible for us to give it away.

---

Hardware Requirements

---

Q: What machines will BeOS for Power Mac support?

A: This 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.

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.

---

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.

At this time, our engineering priorities make it unlikely that PCI-based 601 Macs will be supported. NuBus Macs will definitely not be supported.

---

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 at this time. 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 motherboard, 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 (still fewer than 20 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 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!

---

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 604/120 processor upgrade card. Since that makes it just like a 7600/120, can I use the BeOS on it?

A: We haven't tested this ourselves, but we have heard many reports from users that it does indeed work. You should note that because there are many different processor upgrade cards, 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: 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're going to 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 6400s. 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 the Power Macintosh 8200/120 (or other market-specific machines)?

A: From what we can tell, the Power Macintosh 8200/120 is sold only in Europe, and there is little or no technical information available from Apple's Web site regarding this hardware.

So it is hard for us to give a specific answer about this hardware, regarding why we don't support it, or whether we plan to add support. In this case, the 8200 seems to be based on the 7200, which we do not support, and don't believe we will be able to support in the future. 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 20 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.

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 and even Intel based products. We've chosen to use our limited resources on the higher performance PowerPC-based machines.

---

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 recommended 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 code in the BeOS occupies about 50MB and the virtual memory default size is 80MB (it can be changed).

130 megabytes will not give you much room for 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 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: 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: 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 (we've confirmed that Kensington two-button and four-button ADB mice here at Be work fine).

A command-key equivalent will also be available for one-button mice (Control-Command for right-button, Control-Option for middle button). The Tracker will also accept 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

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: Why does my ATI Xclaim VR graphics card show video in gray scale instead of color?

A: The ATI Xclaim VR graphics card is not currently supported by the BeOS. You are getting basic video from the bare-bones "macstub" graphics driver (the basic/slow mode mentioned in a previous Q&A). For various reasons, the color table being used by the driver is filled with shades of gray.

We are hopeful that the Xclaim VR card will have driver support in a future release of the BeOS. We would suggest that you contact the manufacturer, ATI Technologies, and request BeOS driver support for their graphics cards. Send e-mail to ATI Marketing, or visit the ATI web site at:

http://www.atitech.com/

---

Q: Does the BeOS for Power Macintosh support 16- and 24-bit color?

A: Running on Power Macintosh hardware, the BeOS Preview Release supports 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 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 does on my Power Center 132, anyway).

Another alternative would be to buy more video memory for your computer, if it supports increasing that memory.

---

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 will provide support for external MIDI hardware when we ship the Preview Release later this Summer.

---

Installation

---

Q: I am very excited about trying the BeOS. I am going to order the CD (or will get it because I purchased a Power Computing System since November 26th, 1996), 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: You say that the BeOS DR8.3 for Power Macintosh is compatible with the Power Macintosh 7300, 8600, and 9600, but when I try to run the Installer on the BeOS-DR8.2 CD-ROM, it tells me that I can't install on this Macintosh. What's wrong?

A: The BeOS DR8.3 for Power Macintosh is compatible with the Power Macintosh 7300, 8600, and 9600. However, the Installer application which you run under the Mac OS, by double-clicking the Installer script named "Prepare Mac for the BeOS", does not recognize the new machines, and won't install our software onto them.

Fortunately, all that installer is doing is putting Be's Mac OS software and documentation files onto your hard drive, and you can do this manually. The following instructions replace instruction #3 of "Installing the BeOS", in the file of the same name:

1. Drag the folder named "BeOS Mac Tools" from the CD-ROM to your hard drive.
2. Drag the file named "OS Chooser" from the "BeOS Mac Tools" folder to your System folder, and click OK when asked to put it in the Extensions folder.
3. Drag the folder named "BeOS Files for Macintosh" from the CD-ROM to the "BeOS Mac Tools" folder you just copied to your hard drive, i.e., put it inside that folder.

Now you can continue with instruction #4 of "Installing the BeOS", in the file of the same name, which proceeds with installing the actual BeOS onto your computer.

Note: You will need to set your Mac's clock back to any date before 3/31/97 in order to successfully install the BeOS from the DR8.2 CD-ROM. Then install the DR8.3 Update, as described on our web site, and set your clock back.

---

Q: Why does the BeOS installer not see my hard drive on my Power Center Pro?

A: The BeOS does not at this time support any of the various SCSI adapter cards (high-performance or otherwise), 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 the Adaptec 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.

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 it has 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: I set up a separate partition on my Mac hard drive to install the BeOS DR8 onto, but the BeOS Installer can't seem to see it. What's wrong?

A: There are two possible causes of this problem. Both of these are bugs, and they are fixed in the BeOS Preview Release.

1. You changed the name of the BeOS partition, using the BeOS partition tool, to something other than the default of "BeOS". The Installer can't see partitions with any other name (oops!).
2. You have more than two partitions on the drive, and/or the BeOS partition is not the second partition on the drive. The Installer can only deal with putting the BeOS onto the second partition of a hard drive (oops!).

Also note that if your partition or hard drive is too small, the BeOS Installer will not make that partition or drive an option in the pop-up menu.

---

Q: I tried the BeOS by installing it onto a hard disk partition. I really like the BeOS, but I really need to get the hard drive space back, and my hard drive formatter doesn't see the BeOS partition! How do I convert a BeOS partition back to a Mac OS partition under DR8?

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.

With DR8 this is possible, though a bit tricky. Here are instructions:

1. 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!
2. Find and launch the Mac OS tool BeOS Partition Utility. You used this utility to create your BeOS partition, and you should find it in the folder named "For the Brave" in the "BeOS Mac Tools" folder.
3. Click the Partitioning button.
4. Select the BeOS partition by clicking it once. You can find this by looking in the Type column.
5. Click the Convert button.
6. In the dialog that appears, replace "BeOS" with "Apple_HFS" (note the underscore character!).
7. Click the OK button. Your BeOS partition will be converted back to a Mac OS partition. This is where your BeOS data will be destroyed! Are you sure you backed everything up?
8. Quit the BeOS Partition Utility, and restart your Mac.
9. 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 kind 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 the BeOS Preview Release ships, you'll be able to install it onto that partition with ease. ;-)

You can sign up to receive information about the Preview Release via e-mail as soon as we release it.

---

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:

1. 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!
2. 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.
3. Boot the BeOS off of the Preview Release (Advanced Access) CD.
4. When the Installer window appears, select "Drive Setup" from the "Install from" pop-up menu.
5. In "Drive Setup", select "apple..." from the "Partition" submenu of the "Setup" menu.
6. You will then be presented with a display of the partition map of your hard drive. Select the Be_FS partition by clicking it.
7. Select "Apple HFS" from the "Type" pop-up menu, located next to the "Partition Type" field.
8. Click the "Update" button.
9. Click the "OK" button.
10. 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.
11. Close "Drive Setup" by clicking the close box in the top left corner.
12. Quit the BeOS installer by clicking the close box in the top left corner.
13. Reboot to the Mac OS.
14. 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 kind 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. We currently plan to fix this in the Preview Release.

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: I have installed Mac OS 7.6 and the BeOS, and now when I choose the BeOS from the "OS Chooser" extension dialog, I get a blank grey screen instead of the very cool coalescing Be logo. What's wrong?

A: This is a display bug only (assuming you don't have another problem as well). Instead of the Be logo, you get a grey screen, but the BeOS is in fact booting. If you wait a bit, the BeOS desktop should appear as usual.

This cosmetic problem appears to be the result of a bug in Apple's video driver in Mac OS 7.6 (since this does not happen with System 7.5.5 or 7.5.3, we assume that the problem is with Mac OS 7.6; we're pretty sure Apple did not do this on purpose... ;-).

Be has released the BeOS DR8.3 Update for Power Macintosh which, among other things, fixes this problem for most users. All BeOS users who are using the BeOS for Power Macintosh DR8 should download and install this update!

---

Q: I installed the BeOS for Power Macintosh and rebooted. I thought the BeOS was supposed to be really fast! Why is my Mac so slow now?

A: You probably have an Iomega Zip drive (or perhaps another removable media SCSI device) attached to your Mac, and the drive has no cartridge in it. The BeOS is polling the drive (a lot!) to see if a cartridge has been inserted, and this is causing the slowdown.

You should shut down your Mac, disconnect the device(s), and turn the Mac back on. Alternatively, inserting a cartridge into the drive will work as well (but you have to remember to do this every time).

---

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.

---

Q: I don't have a DOS Compatibility card, but I do have a PCI SCSI interface card (or DVD card, or Media 100 card, or other funky PCI card) installed. Could that be the problem?

A: PCI cards will not work until there is a native BeOS driver available. In Preview Release you will be able to boot into the BeOS but will not be able to use cards without drivers. We are working with developers to create drivers for popular PCI cards.

---

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: 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 devsupport@be.com. Thanks!

---

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: Various video issues are affecting people who installed BeOS for Power Mac. These problem seems 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. ;-)

---

Q: Oh, by the way, my monitor is not a multisync monitor. Can the BeOS work with non-multisync monitors?

A: No, the BeOS requires a multisync monitor to work. Non-multisync monitor such as the Apple 13" and 16" monitors will not work with the BeOS.

---

Usage and Interface

---

Q: I installed the BeOS DR8.x on my Power Mac, but I normally connect to the Internet via modem. That doesn't work on the BeOS. When will PPP be working on the BeOS for Power Mac?

A: At the time that the BeOS for Power Mac release DR8.2 CD-ROM was pressed, the Power Mac release did not support serial devices, such as modems (the BeBox did and does work fine). Therefore, PPP could be not used over a modem, and we removed the items which dealt with PPP.

Be has released the BeOS DR8.3 Update for Power Macintosh which, among other things, adds support for Macintosh serial ports and PPP connections. All BeOS users who are using the BeOS for Power Macintosh should download and install this update!

Complete instructions for configuring and using a PPP interface can be found in the BeOS User's Guide, in the section titled "Adding a PPP Network Interface".

We have also written some PPP troubleshooting guidelines that may help you if you are having difficulties, and there are additional PPP-related answers in the FAQ section of the web site.

---

Q: How do I use PPP on the BeOS under the Preview Release?

A: The Preview Release fully supports TCP/IP connections over PPP. PPP is simply another interface option in the Network preferences application. Additionally, the interface for doing so is improved over the DR8 software release.

Complete instructions for configuring and using a PPP interface will be available in an update to the BeOS User's Guide. In the meantime, you can use as guidance the instructions in the DR8 BeOS User's Guide, in the section titled "Adding a PPP Network Interface".

We have also written some PPP troubleshooting guidelines that may help you if you are having difficulties, and there are additional PPP-related answers in the FAQ section of the web site.

---

Q: When I try to configure PPP for my modem (or otherwise use a serial port), I see two choices, "serial1" and "serial2". Which corresponds to the modem port on my Mac, and which corresponds to the printer port?

A: This is indeed a bit confusing! We use the numbered serial ports for the BeOS running on a BeBox, and it makes sense there, because a BeBox has four serial ports.

Power Macs come with only two serial ports, labelled "Modem" and "Printer". Under the BeOS:

• "serial1" == "Modem", and
• "serial2" == "Printer"

Note that some PowerBooks come with only one dual-purpose serial port. Since the BeOS does not run on PowerBooks, there is no answer to the question of which port to use in that case.

---

Q: I have my BeOS Power Mac running DR8.x and hooked up to the Ethernet at my company. Why can't I see external Web sites in NetPositive?

A: Regrettably, NetPositive does not yet provide networking support for firewalls or proxy servers. You will be unable to access Web sites (or ftp sites, or other kinds of sites using other protocols) on the other side of a firewall until we add this necessary feature to NetPositive (and any other Internet software you're interested in using across a firewall).

---

Q: I have my BeOS Power Mac running the Preview Release and hooked up to the Ethernet at my company. Why can't I see external Web sites in NetPositive?

A: Regrettably, NetPositive does not at this time provide networking support for firewalls or proxy servers. You will be unable to access Web sites (or ftp sites, or other kinds of sites using other protocols) on the other side of a firewall until we add this necessary feature to NetPositive (and any other Internet software you're interested in using across a firewall).

---

Q: How can I move files from the Mac OS side to the BeOS side of my Macintosh?

A: The BeOS Preview Release supports Macintosh volumes. You are be able to mount a Mac floppy or hard drive and simply copy files to and from your BeOS (Be File System) hard drive.

The Be File System is more robust than the Mac File System so if you copy a file from a BeOS drive to a Mac OS drive you may sacrifice capabilities. One example is that the Be File System allows file names as long as 256 characters, compared to the Mac OS limit of 31 characters.

---

Q: When I download BeOS files from the Internet, they have the file extension ".tgz" (or ".tar" or ".gz"), and double-clicking them doesn't do anything useful. What do I do with these files?

A: BeOS files and applications made available over the Internet are generally stored in a compressed archive, similar to the Macintosh's StuffIt archive in many respects.

Specifically, files are generally collected together into a "tar" archive, and then compressed into a "gzip" file. The file extensions you will commonly see are ".tgz" (for tar-ed and compressed files, ".tar" (for tar-only files), or ".gz" (for gzip-compressed files).

At this time there is no equivalent of StuffIt Expander for the BeOS (though a reasonable substitute, Xplode, is described in the next FAQ item). Instead, you need to use some of the Unix-derived utilities to decompress the files. For a ".tgz" file such as "X-FilesV2.1.tgz":

1. Launch the Terminal application (from the Apps folder).
2. Use the cd command to change directories until you are in the directory that contains the archive file.
3. Type gunzip X-FilesV2.1.tgz and press the Return key. This will decompress the file, producing a file named "X-FilesV2.1.tar".
4. Type tar -xvf X-FilesV2.1.tar and press the Return key. This will extract the file or files from the archive.

You should now have a folder containing the file(s) which were encoded into the archive.

Note that the gunzip and tar commands can be used by themselves to decode files with ".gz" or ".tar" extensions, respectively.

Also, you can get X-files and a number of other BeOS applications on the BeSpecific CD from Adamation. The first version of the CD contains all of the applications that were on the Be Website just before Christmas 1996. Adamation can be contacted at http://www.adamation.com/ or 510-452-5252.

---

Q: I have a file with a ".zip" extension, and gunzip and tar both give me an error message when I try to use them on it. What kind of file is it?

A: ".zip" files are files compressed and archived by a different utility, and tar and gunzip do not know how to deal with those kinds of files. Instead, you will need to use another utility called "unzip".

Unzip is not part of the BeOS distribution, so you will need to download it first:

unzip distribution page

You will notice it has yet another file extension: ".bin". Fortunately, that one is a self-extracting archive. Just type its name in a Terminal window (cd to the right directory first), and it should self-extract.

---

Q: I've downloaded an archive, and decompressed it and/or untared it, but none of the resulting files show a nice icon. What's wrong?

A: Unfortunately, gzip and tar do not preserve the type and creator codes of files compressed into archives (zip does, though). Applications should get their icons back automatically, but sometimes they don't. You can most likely fix this by doing a "setfile" on the file:

1. Launch the Terminal application (from the Apps folder).
2. Use the cd command to change directories until you are in the directory that contains the archive file.
3. Type setfile X-Files and press the Return key.

The application should now have it's own custom icon visible, instead of a generic icon. Unless there isn't a custom icon in the app, of course.

---

Q: Geez, this is all very cumbersome. Isn't there a better way to handle downloaded files? On the Mac it's so easy...

A: Indeed, the current methods do cry out for a BeOS version of the miraculous StuffIt Expander, don't they? Perhaps Aladdin Systems can be persuaded to port this indispensable Mac OS and Win95 tool to the BeOS.

In the meantime, there are a few utilities which can make the process easier. The best that we've seen is called "Xplode", and it adds both a menu command and a keystroke shortcut to the Browser for decompressing and de-archiving all sorts of compressed and archived files (the archive includes directions for installing the Browser add-on, and usage, etc.):

Xplode 1.0

Other highly useful items include the Setfile add-on and Geb's Goodies. Check 'em out!

---

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: What about AppleTalk? What about using floppy disks? What about modems? What about printing to my serial printer? What about using Mac on-board video capture, etc.?

A: These are all limitations of the BeOS for Power Macintosh DR8.x.

In the BeOS Preview Release we have greatly increased our support of Power Macintosh systems. We now support AppleTalk printing, floppy disks, modems, PostScript printing, fixed a huge number of bugs (and introduced a few more, no doubt ;-), and support a much larger number of Macintosh configurations.

We are working with developers to develop drivers for those products that we don't ship with the OS itself. We plan to continue to add more support for Macintosh hardware and ports in future versions of the BeOS. We're working on it as quickly as we can!