Getting Apple IIgs Software
Once you have Sweet16 up and running, you'll need some software to run!
Getting a Boot Disk
First of all, you'll need a bootable system disk. There are two ways to get up and running on this front: the Easy Way and the Not-so-easy Way.
Keep in mind that since most Macintosh computers that can run Sweet16 can't read 800 KB floppy disks, you can't just pop in an Apple II system diskette and boot from it.
The Easy Way
If you already own a real Apple IIgs, you can transfer your IIgs hard disks to your Macintosh for use with Sweet16. This is great because then all your software comes along, and you don't have to do any further installing. Here's how to do it:
- On your real Apple IIgs, download ImageMaker from the SheppyWare web site at http://www.sheppyware.net/products/a2/imagemaker/. Unpack ImageMaker onto your real IIgs.
- Make sure you have a lot of disk space somewhere (room enough to hold a copy of your boot disk). Since ProDOS uses sparse files, if your boot disk isn't full, the disk image version of it will fit on a ProDOS disk of the same size that's mostly empty. For example, if your boot disk is 32 MB but only has 20 MB of stuff on it, the disk image version will only be a little larger than 20 MB in size, so it will fit on a partition with, say, 25 MB of free space.
- Launch ImageMaker. From the list of disks, pick your boot disk. Choose your preferred disk image format (Universal Disk Image format is preferred for use in Sweet16), then click the Create button.
- In the Standard File save dialog that appears, enter the name of the disk image file you want to create. Be sure to attach the appropriate suffix to the name to let Sweet16 identify the file: .2mg for Universal Disk Image, .raw for DiskCopy 6 or raw format, or .dc for DiskCopy 4.2. Make sure you save it on the disk that has enough room!
- Once ImageMaker has made your disk image, use a telecom program or FTP program to transfer it to your BeOS system. If you have a Zip drive or similar removable disk system on your IIgs, you can use that (if you have a compatible drive on your BeOS system).
- On the Macintosh, copy the image to the Library/Application Support/Sweet16 directory, starting in your home directory. You're all set!
The Not-so-easy Way
If you don't already have a real Apple IIgs, or you don't have any means of getting disk images from your IIgs to your Macintosh, you can still use Sweet16! It will just take a little longer to get set up.
You can download the Apple IIgs system software disk images in from Syndicomm. Just download them and drop the System or Install disk into the Library/Application Support/Sweet16/Disk Images directory, then launch Sweet16 to boot.
You can even mount all of the System 6.0.1 disk images at once by holding down the option key while you drag them onto Sweet16; this causes them to be mounted on the CleverPort instead of as IWM floppy disks. Then you don't even have to switch disks while you install the system software!
In addition, the Syndicomm download page includes customized disk images for Sweet16, which have the special Sweet16 support files pre-installed.
Where to Put Disk Images
If you want a disk image to be mounted by the emulated Apple IIgs when you start Sweet16, you should place them in the Disk Images folder that's located in your Library/Application Support/Sweet16 folder. There's an easy way to get there—simply choose the "Open Disk Images Folder" option in the File menu, and that folder will open in the Finder, so you can easily drop images into it.
Installing Your Own Software
If you already own Apple IIgs software, either on floppies or on your IIgs hard disk, you can install it onto your Sweet16 setup. To do so, use a disk image utility such as ImageMaker to create images of your floppies, then copy them to your Macintosh. If you can't FTP them, you can email them to yourself, then fetch your email on the Mac to receive the files.
If you have files on your IIgs hard disk that you need to transfer, you can do so by setting up a RAM disk on your IIgs, then copying the files onto that. Then use ImageMaker to make a disk image of the RAM disk and copy that over to the Macintosh.
Getting More Software
There are lots of places to get software for the Apple IIgs. Here are some links to some of my favorite sites:
A2Central.com
Online news and information resource for Apple II users. Provides downloadable copies of system disks and other software, ready to use in Sweet16.
The GNO Apple II Archive
This archive not only hosts the latest version of the GNO multitasking UNIX-like environment for the Apple IIgs (preemptive multitasking on an Apple II!), but is the home to a new and growing repository of carefully-monitored and checked Apple II and IIgs software.
SheppyWare Online
My own web site, where you can download the latest versions of my wide array of Apple II software.
Syndicomm
Sells a vast array of Apple II software, documentation, and more, including official operating system disks and the like.