Mac Identifier 2.0 is a shareware control panel designed for System 7.5.x users who can’t stand the thought of their Macintosh not knowing its own model designation or what itself looks like. It is also useful for network administrators who manage networks consisting of any 7.5.x-based Macintoshes.
Under certain circumstances, System 7.5.x is unable to provide model or icon information about the Macintosh it is running on. In this scenario, the “About This Macintosh” window in the Finder displays a generic Macintosh icon and a generic name without the model designation. In addition, on an Appletalk network, System 7.5.x broadcasts this generic name.
To install Mac Identifier, drag its icon to the System Folder icon or place it directly into the Control Panels folder of the System Folder. Mac Identifier does not modify the system file. Therefore, when Mac Identifier is removed from the System folder and the Macintosh is rebooted, names and icons will be displayed as they were before it was installed. Should it be necessary to remove Mac Identifier, drag the extension to the trash. If Mac Identifier created a preferences file, it would named “Mac Identifier 2.0 Prefs” and located in the Preferences folder inside the System Folder. Drag it also to the trash, then empty the trash. Reboot your machine and the system default will be restored.
Mac Identifier contains a database of Macintosh model designations and icons and alters system operation so that Macintosh applications can obtain and provide this information, for example, when the Finder displays it in the “About This Macintosh” window. The database in Mac Identifier 2.0 is current as of November 1995. Mac Identifier identifies Macintoshes based on a value found in the Macintosh ROM called the gestaltMachineType. However, there are many models of the Macintosh where the same value is used even though the name and the icon do not match the Macintosh’s true identity. In addition, over time Mac Identifier’s database will become outdated. For these scenarios, Mac Identifier provides a control panel interface where both the name and icon can be corrected or changed to whatever you wish.
The Mac Identifier control panel is divided into four panes. The first pane gives descriptive information about Mac Identifier and the fourth pane indicates that any changes you make in the control panel are not saved until after the computer is rebooted.
The second pane contains controls for the name identification and the third pane for icon identification. In both panes, there are Default and Custom radio buttons, which you select to tell Mac Identifier whether to use its default or a custom identification, respectively. In the second pane, the default name is displayed to the right of the Default radio button. To the right of the custom radio button is a popup menu. This menu contains alternative names for all the known Macintoshes with same gestaltMachineType as your Macintosh. If Mac Identifier has no alternative names available for your Macintosh, the menu is dimmed. You can choose one of names from the menu or enter your own name if you wish (or if you need to because Mac Identifier doesn’t recognize your Macintosh). The name you enter cannot exceed 23 characters (including spaces). This is a limitation of the “About This Macintosh” display window.
Similarly, you can do the same with icon identification. When you click the custom button, Mac Identifier prompts you for a file containing an icon family resource. Icons used to identify the Macintosh are part of what is called an icon family resource. When complete, an icon family resource consists of nine individual icon resources. The resources are divided into three different sizes, large (32 x 32 pixels), small (16 x 16), and mini (12 x 12). Within each size, there are three icons each, one for displaying in 256 colors, one for displaying in 16 colors and one for displaying in black and white. The black and white resource also contains the mask, an important part of an icon family resource needed for displaying the icon correctly. Not all the icon resources are required. For most users, only the ICN# (large, black and white), which also contains the mask for the large icons, and icl8 (large, 256 colors) are important.
If you are going to create icons for your computer, you must use an icon editor, such as the one found in ResEdit or Resorcerer. To begin, create a file in either of these programs and in that file, create an icon family resource. You can give the file any name you like and put it wherever you want. Mac Identifier will let you navigate the disk to find it when you are ready to choose it. You might want to begin with the ICN#, the black and white, large icon, because it contains the mask and because it is size that is displayed most often. You should also create an icl8 resource if your monitor displays 256 colors or more (most monitors nowadays do). The resource ID you use for the icon family resource does not matter since the open file dialog in Mac Identifier lets you navigate among all the icon family resources in a file. Similarly, the resource attributes do not matter as Mac Identifier will adjust them as necessary when it copies the icon family resource to its preferences file. After you have selected the icons in Mac Identifier and have verified they work (by rebooting Mac Identifier and examining the About This Macintosh window), you can delete the file you created if you don’t want to keep an extra copy of the icons on your disk.
Mac Identifier doesn’t expect the identity of your computer to change, but if you upgrade it, the identity might change. This is often true if you upgrade from a 680x0 Macintosh to a Power Macintosh or if you accelerate your Macintosh with an oscillator chip upgrade. If you are already using a custom identification, then under these circumstances, Mac Identifier may no longer identify your Macintosh properly. To remedy this, move the Mac Identifier 2.0 Prefs file out of Preferences folder (if you are not using a custom icon, you can simply trash this file). Open the Mac Identifier control panel and you will now see that Mac Identifier identifies your Macintosh (assuming it your upgraded computer is in its database). If you were using a custom icon, you can now re-select this icon by choosing Custom in the icon pane and selecting the old Mac Identifier 2.0 Prefs file. When you reboot, everything should be OK.
Mac Identifier is a true fat binary. It runs native on Power Macintoshes when necessary.
Mac Identifier 2.0 replaces Mac Identifier 1.1.1. Bug fixes include:
• The Finder’s custom ID is no longer used for the pizza box Centris/Quadra 610 icons. This will eliminate problems where Mac Identifier’s own icon was displayed incorrectly as well as other instances where this icon appeared (e.g., the Application menu icon).
• Mac Identifier no longer keeps a file open to display the icons. This eliminates problems where the Finder is quit or not running (e.g., At Ease is running instead).
• The database of names and icons has been updated and corrected where necessary.
Thanks to Erika Bale for providing the gestalt id for the Power Mac 5300 and Performa 6300, to Patrick Delahanty for providing machine icons missing in Mac Identifier, to Federico Filipponi for tweaking the control panel interface, to Peter Hillman for revising the control panel icon, and to all the beta testers!
Mac Identifier was written by Maurice Volaski and is published by Flux Software. Flux Software maintains a web site at http://www.fluxsoft.com/. Visit it to learn all about Flux Software’s other products and to obtain the latest versions of Mac Identifier. For technical support and other information, please contact Flux Software directly at support@fluxsoft.com. Mac Identifier comes with no warranty, either expressed or implied. Both Flux Software and Maurice Volaski, the author, claim no liability for any damages arising out of the use of this software.
Try out Mac Identifier for thirty days for free. Mac Identifier is not crippled in any way, requires no serial number to run, and doesn’t post any registration reminders. However, if you like it, please pay the shareware fee of $5 (US).
Mac Identifier uses the Kagi Shareware system for submitting shareware payments. Kagi Shareware is a payment processing service that can accept many forms of payment including major credit cards. To pay via Kagi, please use the Register program that accompanies the Mac Identifier package (if your package did not contain Register, you can obtain a complete Mac Identifier package by visiting the Flux Software web site or via ftp at the Flux Software ftp site at ftp.fluxsoft.com). After you fill in the fields for payment, you can, depending on the payment method, mail, fax, or email the payment and form to Kagi Shareware.
Mac Identifier may be distributed freely so long as it is accompanied by its About text and the Register program and that neither of these items have been modified.
