home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- MacHFS v1.04 4/2/94
- ===================
-
-
- Overview ========
-
- MacHFS is a utility which reads Apple Macintosh high density discs and
- provides a filer-like interface. It allows you to move through a discs
- hierarchy and transfer files from the Mac disc to a RISC OS filing
- system.
-
- Using MacHFS ============
-
- To launch MacHFS, just double-click on the !MacHFS icon which will
- then appear on the left hand side of the icon bar.
-
- To mount a Macintosh disc, insert the disc into drive 0 and click on
- the MacHFS icon. A directory window similar to the standard RISC OS
- filer window will open and display the contents of the root
- directory.
-
- Double-click on a directory icon to open a filer window for that
- directory.
-
- Files may be transferred by clicking the MENU button over the desired
- file and moving to the “File” sub-menu, transferring either the “Data
- fork” or the “Resource fork” via the appropriate save dialog.
-
- Certain characters in Macintosh file names are not suitable for use
- under RISC OS and MacHFS replaces them with an under score. File names
- are also truncated to 12 characters, since Mac file names can be up to
- 32 characters long.
-
- Menu’s ======
-
- Icon Bar Menu
- =============
-
- Info -> displays the standard information dialog
- Quit -> quits the MacHFS application
-
- Filer Window Menu
- =================
-
- Disc Info -> displays information about disc associated with
- this window
- File ‘ ’ -> link to submenu for file transfer
-
- Filer Submenu
- =============
-
- Data fork -> transfer data fork using save dialog
- Resource fork -> transfer resource fork using save dialog
-
- Data or Resource fork? ======================
-
- On the Macintosh filing system, files are split into two forks, the
- resource fork and the data fork. The resource fork can contain machine
- code, icons, sounds, palette information, in fact any resources used
- by an application. The data fork stores the information on which the
- application works. A file can have either a resource fork or a data
- fork or both.
-
- MacHFS allows you to transfer both resource and data forks. For the
- average user data forks are more useful than resource forks.
-
- The following table may be of use in locating certain data types:
-
- Data type Where
-
- Text data fork
- Sound data fork
- System sounds resource fork
-
- Limitations ===========
-
- MacHFS doesn’t read 800K or 400K Mac discs, only 1440K or 720K discs.
- If you can get your hands on a 720K Mac disc, then owners of machines
- with low density drives will also be able to use MacHFS to transfer
- files. The 720K Disc Formatter extension is part of Apple’s Hardware
- System Update 2.0 disc which should be available from Apple dealers.
-
- MacHFS does not currently support many of the standard RISC OS filer
- functions, such as multiple selections, dragging files etc.
-
- MacHFS is currently limited to coping with a maximum of 8 discs at
- once and does not provide a dismount option.
-
- MacHFS has not been tested under RISC OS 2, but should work.
-
- On a more technical side MacHFS 1.04 currently only supports the first
- 3 extents of the Macintosh catalog file, imposing a limit on the
- number of files that can be read from a disc. I have so far only been
- able to create a disc which uses the first 2 extents of the catalog
- and that was pretty large (30 directories + 80 files). So this
- shouldn’t be a problem for most people.
-
-
- The Future ==========
-
- My estimates for future versions of MacHFS have changed since MacHFS
- v0.1 and my plans to create a image filing system have been scrapped
- due to the nature of the Macintosh filing system.
-
- The future hopefully holds the following :
-
- Improved interface/multiple selections etc. - end of
- February The ability to write/format Mac discs - may
- be by mid March The ability to read/write Hard discs/Bernoulli’s
- - April
-
- These times are rough and should be taken with a tub of salt.
-
- Released Version History ========================
-
- MacHFS v0.1 24/12/93 - First Version. Very limited functionality.
- MacHFS v0.2 6/1/94 - Cured a minor bug. MacHFS v1.04 4/2/94 -
- First version with filer like interface.
-
- Acknowledgements ================
-
- Many thanks to Darryl, for his testing of MacHFS, long phone calls and
- enthusiasm for MacHFS.
-
- Point of Contact ================
-
- If you have any queries/suggestions then please write to me, Paul Gee,
- at either:
-
- Arcade: “Paul Gee” (081 654 2212/081 655 4412) TWOC : “Paul Gee”
- (0749 670030)
-
- or
-
- Kilmarth, Stick Hill, Edenbridge, Kent. TN8 5NL
-
- or PaulGee@arcade.demon.co.uk
-
- © Paul Gee, All Rights Reserved 1993,1994.
-
- This program has been placed into the public domain by Paul Gee. It
- may be freely copied and distributed for non-profit making purposes,
- so long as the code is not altered and this text file remains present
- and unaltered. I accept no responsibility for loss of data or damage
- resulting from the use of this application.
-
- Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer Inc.
-