untitled

Cocaine for Appletalk is currently nothing more than this readme file.

Last updated 2/19/96

Note that this is only a relevant issue if you are on a localtalk network, and only some localtalk networks at that. (For ethertalk this should be irrelevant)

[To your potential annoyance this text has been wrapped to
simplify email forwarding]

Some people exprerience REALLY bad networking performance
over some networks with their first generation Powermacs.

We are not talking 'less than optimal' performance here.

We're talking about so bad you'd almost prefer to have a
pentium.

If you are not plagued with completely unacceptable
networking performance on your first generation powermac (ie
-6100,7100,8100 and some similar models), then this readme
file will probably be completely useless to you so you may
as well return to protesting the Telecommunications Decency
Act.

If you are encountering a problem, then continue:

This problem is relevant in my school networking environment
(The College of Wooster) and in some others. You may notice
that Network Software Installer 1.4.3, if you're able to
install it, should also deal with the problem. Later
versions of Appletalk will screw things up for reasons
explained later in this file.

However you can make these later versions of appletalk not
screw things up by doing a simple hack with resedit. If you
don't know how to use resedit, or are an idiot, don't do
this yourself until you've become a knowledgable idiot.

PROBLEM:

Basically, the ltlk 6 and 7 resources (loaded by appletalk
v58.5) and our third party SCC network hardware just don't
get along too well. This was a result of Apple attempting
DMA localtalk for the purposes of being Geoport friendly.
The byproduct of this however is really lousy networking
performance in some cases.

BEWARE -if you're one of the enormous number of people with
geoport modems, this fix may cause complications for you.

SOLUTION:

[I'm assuming you're using system 7.5 or later]

Before fixing the problem, you should have a problem .
If your first generation nubus powermac (includes the powermac
6100, 7100, 8100, and some of the performas) works just fine
and doesn't suck at using appleshare, then don't bother!

If you do have a problem, the problem should be very
obvious, so bad you could go to the bathroom for a number 2
and come back before your computer has successfully logged
on to an appleshare server.

Once you've established that you really do have a problem,
make a copy of your system file/suitcase (same thing). Open
this copy (not the currently active system file) with
resedit.

The problem with recent versions of appletalk is not
intrinsic to them, but rather is with the DMA localtalk
implemented in the 'ltlk' resources with IDs 6 and 7 and
their bad behavior in the presence of some third party
SCC hardware.

These more recent versions of appletalk load 'ltlk' 6 and 7.
Thus the solution is to trick them into loading the code
for 0 and 2 by replacing 6 and 7 with duplicates of 0 and 2
respectively.

(WARNING -Although I've experienced no problems, it is
theoretically possible based on chaos theory that
implementing this trick will cause you to be abducted by
aliens, turn that special someone into a psycho killer, make
you want to buy apple computer, cause tensions between you
and your relatives, or even cause problems with your mac for
future or even present and past versions of apple networking
software)

ELABORATION on replacement of 'ltlk' 6 and 7 by 0 and 2
respectively for dummies :

Now that you have your system file (the thing inside your
system folder that looks like a suitcase with the name
'System') open with resedit you see a bunch of little icons
representing various resources (actually resource pickers)
inside your system file. One of these resource (pickers) is
called 'ltlk' (as in Local Ta L K, or Lazy Trolls Like
Kids). You can quickly select this resource by typing
'ltlk'. After typing that or somehow or other selecting the
resource picker called 'ltlk' so that the icon is now inside
a box, you can open it either by pressing return, or double
clicking, or praising Lucifer. Now you should see an open
window with a title something like 'ltlks from System'.

(You may wish to make a backup copy of the localtalk
resources so that you can trash the original system file
when everything appears to be working ok, but retain the
ability to quickly switch back without reinstalling anything
from an installer disk).

Delete the resources with ID 6 and 7. Then select the
resource with the ID 0. Copy this resource and then paste
it. You will be confronted by a dialog box asking if you
want to replace resources with the same ID. Select 'Unique
IDs'. It will probably assign this duplicate an ID of
something like '128'. Now select this resource with ID 128
or whatever was assigned to it. Get Info on it either by
pressing command-i or by selecting 'Get Resource Info' from
the Resource menu. A window pops up with the ID number of
the resource (128 is my guess, but its whatever resedit
picked as the Unique ID for your duplicate). Change this
number to 6. Close the window and you'll now see in the
'ltlks from System' window the resource with ID number 6
which you just created by duplicating the resource with ID
0.

Now do the same for the resource with ID 2 copying it,
assigning a unique ID, and then changing that ID to 7. IF
you're an ULTRA idiot here's the specifics duplicated from
above with slight modifications:

[begin explanation for ultra idiots] With the resource with
ID 7 already having been deleted select the resource with
the ID 2. Copy this resource and then paste it. You will
be confronted by a dialog box asking if you want to replace
resources with the same ID. Select 'Unique IDs'. It will
probably assign this duplicate an ID of something like
'128'. Now select this resource with ID 128 or whatever was
assigned to it. Get Info on it either by pressing command-i
or by selecting 'Get Resource Info' from the Resource menu.
A window pops up with the ID number of the resource (128 is
my guess, but its whatever resedit picked as the Unique ID
for your duplicate). Change this number to 7. Close the
window and you'll now see in the 'ltlks from System' window
the resource with ID number 7 which you just created by
duplicating the resource with ID 2.

[end of explanation for ultra idiots, return to explanation
for just plain dummies]

Remove the system file you were using (the one you weren't
editing unless you're a ultra super duper dummy) and replace
it with your edited duplicate (ensuring that it's now in
your system folder and named 'System'.

[end of explanation for just plain dummies]

Restart your first generation powermac that previously had
really crumby network performance especially with appleshare
servers, and it should suddenly become a speed demon. If
not, take your edited system file out, trash it and replace
it with the previous system file you left untouched, just
for the sake of purity.

UNDOING THE FIX:

If at some point for whatever reason you wish to make your
system file back as it was without reinstalling system
software you can either replace the deleted ltlk resources
with their duplicates if you made any. You can drag in the
old system file if you never deleted it, or you can
reinstall system software or use a network software
installer, or do whatever you feel makes sense.

Dummies who don't understand the previous paragraph should
indefinitely keep the backup of the other system file so
they can throw it back in as they please.

HOPEFULLY:

In the future this hack will not be necessary. I was talking
informally with some people at Apple trying to determine
what would be the best means of implementing a solution (not
just a hack).

My idea was to allow the user to select 'DMA locatalk on or
off' in a control panel and it was suggested this might be
something to implement in Open Transport 1.2 in Advanced
user mode.

In any case, don't expect to see a fix to this problem by
the release of 7.5.3 or OT 1.1 as those products are too
close to being finalized for such a significant change.

Note that there is nothing inherently wrong with atlk 58.5,
but rather with the ltlk resources 6 and 7 which don't get
along well with the third party SCC hardware. Using atlk
58.2.1 (from NSI 1.4.3) however which loads ltlk 0 also
works only because it only calls code (from ltlk 0 and 2)
that works in the situation.

TRACK RECORD

My solution to this problem for myself and friends of mine
experiencing the problem in the past has had a dramatic
effect.

The description for this hack expects you to be using system
7.5, it might very well work with 7.1.2, but so would NSI
1.4.3 (which installs atlk resources that load ltlk 0 and 2
instead of 6 and 7).

MORE DETAILS:

Scholars have found this information from the Dead Sea
Scrolls:

"The original PowerMacs 6100, 7100, 8100 (PDM machines) have
problems when talking to various SCC implementations that
are out there. They used to have problems talking to 68K
Macs (which use a different SCC: ltlk 0 and 2). Apple
tweaked LocalTalk (ltlk 0 and 2 to v58.2.2) so 68K Macs can
talk to PDMs correctly; this was for NSI 1.4.4 through
7.5.3.

With System 7.1.2 and NSI 1.4.3 installed, my 7100 loads the
ltlk 0 rsrc when booting on LocalTalk. It 'should' have
loaded ltlk 6. Of course, since I'm now running the non-PDM
LocalTalk on my 7100, everything works fine with whatever
SCC-type devices are on my network.

If I move on to System 7.5 or later or install NSI 1.4.4 or
later, my 7100 will now use the 'correct' ltlk 6 LocalTalk.
Of course, I will experience my network slowdown once again.
So, by replacing ltlk 6 with the more functional (in my
particular case) ltlk 0, my computer talks successfully to
SCC devices on my (the college of wooster) net."

The Exciting Story behind the fix:

My original fix, was to replace the atlk resource with the
version from 58.2.1 (installed by NSI 1.4.3 if you had
7.1.2). Later an almost dissected frog told me what was
going on differently with atlk version 58.2.1 from the other
versions (namely that it was loading ltlk 0 rather than 6) I
also tried reverting to atlk v58.5 while replacing ltlk 6,
with a duplicate of ltlk 0, and this also seemed to work ok.
So now as my current system file contains -i've got the up to
date atlk 58.5 resources with the ltlk 6 and 7 replaced with
0 and 2 as suggested in this readme file.

Appropriately, I saved this frog from dissection and now
seek its counsel and technical brilliance when I'm confused.

If you would like to talk to this frog call 1-900-yer-dumb

what this fix does:

By implenting my instructions you replace the 'ltlk' 6 and 7
resources which attempt to implement DMA locatalk to be
geoport friendly with 'ltlk' 0 and 2 respectively. You
modified the duplicate resources of 0 and 2 to be ID 6 and 7
respectively so their code would be loaded when ltlk 6 and 7
are called by atlk v58.5. Realize that ltlk 0 and 2 remain
in tact, you basically just have two copies of each, one of
the copies fronting as something else.

Have fun, any stupid questions can be addressed to:

jtopping@his.com
John Topping President, Chairman, and CEO of Organized Chaos

ADVERTISING Section:

This message brought to you by the letters A,T, L, and K,
and the numbers 0, 2, 6, and 7 in partnership with Organized
Chaos and with funding from the Association For Not Killing
People.

If you buy computer products please consider shopping from
my employer, the Cyberian Outpost at http://www.cybout.com

Also for tasteless hard core annoying metal in the Ohio area
listen to my radio show Demonic Possession on Saturdays from
8-10pm Eastern Time (20:00 - 22:00 military) (maybe some day
I'll broadcast it over real audio, if so i'll certainly
indicate so on my ill-maintained page at
www.his.com/~jtopping (with an http:// at the beginning if
you're a super duper califragilistic idiot)).

PAYMENT:

If you enjoy this readme file, or use the printout for
blowing your nose, please send tons and tons of money to me.

Apple Stock, a 9500, a Fully configured developers Bebox,
cool physics or computer related books, a DVD drive, or
other cool stuff is also acceptable.

While you are mortaging your hose, or car, or selling your
hair in order to make these payments, please send feedback
on how this fix works to me at

jtopping@his.com

I am very curious to know how many people this problem
effects, and how (if at all) my solution has helped.

Messages along the lines of

'Thank you John, you are my ultimate savior, I will worship
you for the rest of my life. In fact I'm going to move to
Ohio just to listen to your radio show. I was going to make
something of my life and accomplish a great many things, but
now that I've discovered you, clearly I could never be as
great. Thus I will become a groupie and follow you wherever
you go. I will eagerly listen to any musical group you
form. I will visit your web page every day and never think
'oh yipee.. another really boring lame web page by some
loser who thinks people might actually want to find out
about him'. I will invest heavily in any company or
corporation you form. I will buy any book you ever publish.
I will abide by any grand unified theories of the universe
you propose.'

are quite welcome, but please also mention the effectiveness
of the hack described in the previous message. Thus the
previous message should have been more like:

'Thank you John, you are my ultimate savior, because your
prescibed localtalk resource modification worked quite well.
My 8100/80 on our network here took forever to log onto
appleshare servers. I thought...geez this thing really
sucks! Then I read your readme file and made the changes as
suggested. Now it works beautifully. And so I will worship
you for the rest of my life. In fact I'm going to move to
Ohio just to listen to your radio show. I was going to make
something of my life and accomplish a great many things, but
now that I've discovered you, clearly I could never be as
great. Thus I will become a groupie and follow you wherever
you go. I will eagerly listen to any musical group you
form. I will visit your web page every day and never think
'oh yipee.. another really boring lame web page by some
loser who thinks people might actually want to find out
about him'. I will invest heavily in any company or
corporation you form. I will buy any book you ever publish.
I will abide by any grand unified theories of the universe
you propose.'

Likewise messages such as

'You f king arrogant piece of sh . Who the f do you
think you are? I hope you rot in he[ck]. Your radio show
and your web page sucks, you go amn loser!'

Should be more informative such as

'You f king arrogant piece of sh . Because of your
f ing 'fix' my wife is cheating on me, my nis fell off,
I got flipped over in a fourth spatial dimension and my
heart is now on my right side, I forgot the chain rule
during my differential equations test, my computer installed
windows 95 on itself, toys R us bought out apple, and my
networking performance is even worse. Who the f do you
think you are? I hope you rot in he[ck]. Your radio show
and your web page sucks, you go amn loser!'

This message is copyrighted to me John Topping, head of
Organized Chaos (with better quarterly profits than apple
-invest now!).

You can redistribute this all you want, but I'd prefer
everything remain in tact, or at the very least that you
tell whoever tries this fix to tell me if it did anything
for them (positive or negative) at jtopping@his.com

I will keep an html version of this readme and make any
appropriate changes or add new information as appropriate to

http://www.his.com/~jtopping/appletalk/cocaine.html

Thanks and I hope it helps.

Sincerely, John Toppensteiniopolishentarioariuasd
"Last name encyption works"