Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Asu

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 28, 2006
69
7
Hello - I have a Powerbook 1400 with some files on it that I need to get out. The floppy drive (expansion bay) died. Back in the times, I installed an ethernet port (Farallon) which still works - I connect to the WAN via the usual method (ethernet to LAN hub etc).
Everything is so old on it that I could not even download a working email app so I can at least email the files to myself.
Anyway, it appears on the LAN, but the 2 computers don't communicate.

Powerbook: Mac OS 9.1
iMac: OS 11

Using Connect to Server in the Finder in the iMac:
Trying to connect for the iMac via ftp: "This file server will not allow any additional users to log on. Try to connect again later." afp: "The version of the server you are trying to connect to is not supported."

Using select a file server in the Chooser of the 1400 -
Nothing shows up in the Chooser under AppleShare, putting in the IP address of the iMac manually results in "No response form the server. Please try again."

Is there a way to bridge the 2 systems?

Thanks
 

eyoungren

macrumors Penryn
Aug 31, 2011
29,658
28,433
Hello - I have a Powerbook 1400 with some files on it that I need to get out. The floppy drive (expansion bay) died. Back in the times, I installed an ethernet port (Farallon) which still works - I connect to the WAN via the usual method (ethernet to LAN hub etc).
Everything is so old on it that I could not even download a working email app so I can at least email the files to myself.
Anyway, it appears on the LAN, but the 2 computers don't communicate.

Powerbook: Mac OS 9.1
iMac: OS 11

Using Connect to Server in the Finder in the iMac:
Trying to connect for the iMac via ftp: "This file server will not allow any additional users to log on. Try to connect again later." afp: "The version of the server you are trying to connect to is not supported."

Using select a file server in the Chooser of the 1400 -
Nothing shows up in the Chooser under AppleShare, putting in the IP address of the iMac manually results in "No response form the server. Please try again."

Is there a way to bridge the 2 systems?

Thanks
You're either going to need another Mac in the middle ground (OS X 10.4/10.5) or possibly set up an FTP server. AFP has been deprecated by Apple. Late model Macs use SMB now. And the AFP on OS9 is just not usable by late model Macs.

Another option is to find a copy of DAVE (by Thursby) for OS9 somewhere. That would install SMB2 on the Mac and you'd then be able to connect both ways using the SMB protocol.
 

Asu

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 28, 2006
69
7
You're either going to need another Mac in the middle ground (OS X 10.4/10.5) or possibly set up an FTP server. AFP has been deprecated by Apple. Late model Macs use SMB now. And the AFP on OS9 is just not usable by late model Macs.

Another option is to find a copy of DAVE (by Thursby) for OS9 somewhere. That would install SMB2 on the Mac and you'd then be able to connect both ways using the SMB protocol.
 

TzunamiOSX

macrumors 65816
Oct 4, 2009
1,057
435
Germany
For me the best way is Rumpus 2.0 FTP Server on the old Mac. The tranfer is fast and really stable.

Use it between my "Mac Pro" and my "G3 Beige Tower"
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobesch

justashooter

macrumors 6502
Apr 8, 2020
335
194
In OS 8.6 (I think it was) you could make a folder a "web folder". With another computer on the same network you could type in the IP address of the mac in a web browser and that folder would come up with a list of files in the "web folder". This may exist in OS9 also. That is how I would get film scans off a PowerPC that ran a high end film scanner.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bobesch

Raging Dufus

macrumors 6502a
Aug 2, 2018
638
1,176
Kansas USA
Hello - I have a Powerbook 1400 with some files on it that I need to get out. The floppy drive (expansion bay) died. Back in the times, I installed an ethernet port (Farallon) which still works - I connect to the WAN via the usual method (ethernet to LAN hub etc).
Everything is so old on it that I could not even download a working email app so I can at least email the files to myself.
Anyway, it appears on the LAN, but the 2 computers don't communicate.

Powerbook: Mac OS 9.1
iMac: OS 11

Using Connect to Server in the Finder in the iMac:
Trying to connect for the iMac via ftp: "This file server will not allow any additional users to log on. Try to connect again later." afp: "The version of the server you are trying to connect to is not supported."

Using select a file server in the Chooser of the 1400 -
Nothing shows up in the Chooser under AppleShare, putting in the IP address of the iMac manually results in "No response form the server. Please try again."

Is there a way to bridge the 2 systems?

Thanks
Not being so network-savvy, here's what I would (and do) use: Your PB1400 has two PCMCIA/Cardbus slots on the side. These are much more useful than the floppy drive ever was. With a Compact Flash (CF) PC Card adapter, you can read and write to CF cards just like you would a floppy, only much larger amounts of data and much faster. You can even put an OS on it and boot your PowerBook just like it was an SSD.

To then interface the files you've written to another computer (that lacks a PCMCIA slot), all you need is a USB card reader. Works like any USB flash drive, except the media is removable. Just put whatever you want to move onto the CF card with your PB1400, then eject the card adapter, remove the CF media, and stick it into the USB CF card reader. Stick that into whatever computer you're trying to transfer files to, and as long as the files are in a recognizable format, you're golden.

There are many varieties of this hardware you can use. These are mine:

IMG_20210104_113202168.jpg

IMG_20210104_113247931.jpg
Varieties of the above can be had very cheaply on eBay and elsewhere. You could probably pick up something like all of these for less than $10, all included, if you shop a little (btw, ignore the "Thunderbolt" nomenclature on the USB card reader, that's just a brand name... has nothing to do with the much newer Thunderbolt data interface).
 

bobesch

macrumors 68020
Oct 21, 2015
2,143
2,222
Kiel, Germany
For me the best way is Rumpus 2.0 FTP Server on the old Mac. The tranfer is fast and really stable.
Use it between my "Mac Pro" and my "G3 Beige Tower"
As I recall making the Powerbook an FTP-Server has been the most versatile way to make other devices connect to my os9 machines - even with iOS. (So many thanks to the nice person, who recommended NetPresenz to me - and thanks to @TzunamiOSX for telling about Rumpus 2.0 FTP Server as another option I didn't know before yet!)
As @eyoungren said: FileSharing via AFP does only work with a Mac in the Middle that is running Tiger or Leopard, since different generations of macOS or OSX cover different ranges of versions of AFP (AFP Ethernet Networks).
With os9.1 you have the option of IMAP-mailing/mailing attachments using Classilla's email-client, which has still all certificated to communicate with the main email-providers.
With Goliath you may connect to a webDAV-server (GMX, Box etc.) and on the newer Mac just use the "GoTo/Connect with Server" menu within finder to access that same webDAV address too.
You may try to use free Transmit to connect to an FTP-Server created on your new Mac (e.g. via "FTP-Server")
@Raging Dufus's method of using a CF-PCMCIA-adapter is certainly the most hassle-free option. ;) A used CF1-adapter is about 5 bucks and you may alternatively go for a CF1-to-SD-Card-adapter to make a combined PCMCIA-To-CF-To-SDcard-adapter, if you happen to have a Mac with an SD-Card-Slots and spare SD-Cards. Oh, it's always good to have those tiny little helpers lying around!

Another option is to find a copy of DAVE (by Thursby) for OS9 somewhere. That would install SMB2 on the Mac and you'd then be able to connect both ways using the SMB protocol.
Oh, and this is certainly the most sophisticated way to get connected (and it's a tricky one!).
Great thinking around one more other corner ... ? ? Cheers, I do like that way!
 
Last edited:
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.