Re: mac quadra found

Hello Jim,

On 3/22/24 8:26 AM, Jim Spath wrote:
> Hello!
> While emptying a friend's house, we found a Mac Quadra (among a number
> of IBM PC clones), and I thought maybe it would run NetBSD. As the
> machine has not been plugged in for years it seems, my first thought
> was to vacuum/dust it out before applying power. After that, what
> would I look for to check if NetBSD will run?
> On a more somber note, when I searched the NetBSD web site I found
> links to the late community member Allen Brigg's MacBSD site. Alas,
> those links are defunct; could someone direct me to the right place to
> file change notes? There is a link to a working memorial site I found
> that should remain.
> Peace
> Jim
> 

Note that I'm not a NetBSD developer, just a regular user. Hopefully if
I say anything here that is incorrect, one of the NetBSD experts will
correct me.

You'll want to know what kind of Quadra your system is (e.g. a Quadra
700, Quadra 650, etc.). While NetBSD can be used on a system with as
little as 8 MiB memory, more is better. Once you identify your system,
you can find more information about it at www.lowendmac.com or
www.everymac.com.

If your system has been idle for a long time, replace the PRAM battery
and check for leakage. Cleaning out all the dust may be good enough, but
it may also need to be "re-capped"; i.e. have the capacitors on the
system board, and possibly the power supply unit (PSU) replaced. A
symptom of a failing PSU can be that it just clicks when you try to
apply power to the system. A (temporary) workaround might be to connect
the power to a standard power strip, flip the switch, then immediately
turn the system on. After shutdown, turn off the power strip.

You'll need to install Mac OS (e.g. 7.5.5 or 8.1). You should have at
least a 200 MB disk, but more is better.

If your system does not already have an Ethernet connection, you'll
probably want one (e.g. Nubus Ethernet cards are available on sites such
as eBay). If your system has a 68LC040 processor, then the installation
might not work. It may be possible to replace the 68LC040 with a full
68040 CPU; the latter has a floating point unit (FPU) built-in.

You'll need a SCSI CD-ROM drive (don't try to use the "Traditional
Method" -- it won't work).

Follow the installation instructions at
"http://wiki.netbsd.org/ports/mac68k/".

Good luck!

-Stan Johnson