RAM Disk Iconer is a control panel/system extension that allows you to customize the name and the icon of your RAM Disk. The control panel allows you to choose the name and to activate or deactivate any of the options. The system extension code gets executed at startup. If these options are checked, it will rename the RAM Disk and/or create the custom icon file. Once this is done, it just quits. Thus, it will not use any memory nor slow down your system after it has booted. RAM Disk Iconer doesn't patch any traps and should not conflict with other system extensions or control panels.
Note : If your RAM Disk has a custom icon but is empty when you shutdown, the system won't warn you that the RAM Disk content will be lost at shutdown.
Requirements
To use RAM Disk Iconer, you'll need a RAM Disk capable Macintosh with Color QuickDraw running System 7.0 or higher. Although RAM Disk Iconer is not native, it works just fine on a PowerMacintosh. If your Mac doesn't meet these requirements, you won't be able to open the RAM Disk Iconer control panel. If you install it, it will displays a crossed icon during startup.
Only HFS Disks support custom icons. If your RAM Disk is larger than 400k, than it is an HFS Disk.
Installation
To install RAM Disk Iconer, just drop it on your Control Panel folder. Then make sure RAM Disk Iconer comes after the Memory control panel in the alphabetical order. If this is not the case, rename RAM Disk Iconer to ~RAM Disk Iconer or •RAM Disk Iconer.
It's the Memory control panel that initializes the RAM Disk when your turn on your Mac. If the RAM Disk is not initialized when RAM Disk Iconer loads, it won't be able to customize it. That's why RAM Disk Iconer must load after the Memory control panel.
When it is installed, RAM Disk Iconer displays its icon during startup. If the icon is crossed out, then your Mac doesn't support RAM Disk Iconer (see Requirements above) or an error occured.
To deinstall RAM Disk Iconer, simply remove it from the Control Panel folder. If you deactivate your RAM Disk with the Memory control panel, you don't need to deinstall RAM Disk Iconer.
Settings
Note : RAM Disk Iconer supports Baloon Help.
The first time you open it, RAM Disk Iconer displays two information dialogs. Click on them to dismiss them. If you wish to display them again later, click on the question mark icon in the upper right corner of the control panel window.
• Use custom name
If you'd like to use a custom name for your RAM Disk, check this box and enter a name in the edit text field. Colons (:) are not allowed in disk names. The maximum length for the name is 27 characters. Copy, cut, paste and delete are supported.
You will hear a beep in the following cases :
- You typed a colon.
- The name is 27 characters long and you typed a letter.
- You tried to paste, but the Clipboard contains one or several colons.
- You tried to paste, but this would cause the name to exceed 27 characters.
• Use custom icon
If this box is checked, the icon displayed on the left will be used for the RAM Disk. Click on the custom icon to select it (the icon is selected when a black border is drawn around it). You can then copy it, paste an new one… as in the “Get info” box in the Finder. When the custom icon is selected, select "Clear" in the "Edit" menu or use the delete key to remove a pasted icon and to revert to the default custom icon. You cannot cut the default icon, but you can copy it.
Unlike the Finder, RAM Disk Iconer cannot create custom icons from PICT. You can only paste icons copied from a "Get info" box in the Finder. If you want to make a custom icon from a PICT, just create a folder in the Finder, open its "Get info" box, paste your PICT and copy the new icon.
When you use this option, RAM Disk Iconer creates the icon file at startup. This causes the Finder to rebuild the RAM Disk desktop when it starts. This usually takes a few seconds only. It's not very aesthetic, but I couldn't find a not-too-dirty workaround.
Note : When you turn on an option, the change will take effect after you restart, but when you turn off an option, you will need to shutdown your Mac to see the changes.
Author
RAM Disk Iconer was written by :
Patrick Stadelmann
Vergers 22
2022 Bevaix
SWITZERLAND
e-mail : Patrick.Stadelmann@etudiants.unine.ch
You can send comments, suggestions & bug reports via e-mail, but this doesn't count as a postcard !
Acknowledgments
Special thanks to Brad Post at Apple for providing info about the RAM Disk driver and to James W. Walker (and others) for ShowIcon7.
Possible future features
- Support for multiples icons (one gets choosen randomly at every startup).
- Idem for the name.
Let me know what you think about these features (and send me YOUR suggestions) !
Disclaimer
Use this software at your own risks. The author makes no warranty at all regarding this software and takes no responsability for any problems that this software may, directly or indirectly, cause.
Version history
1.0 (April 5, 1994)
First public release.
1.0.1 (May 10, 1994)
Fixes a few minor bugs.
1.1 (May 28, 1995)
Support for copying and pasting icons.
Empty string for the custom name not allowed anymore.
Detect MFS RAM Disks and warn the user that they don't support custom icons.
