BeOS Software Update: Advanced Access

The software described in this update is obsolete and unsupported. Use at your own risk. To learn about and obtain the most current releases of Be software, visit the Be Software Updates page on our web site:

http://www.be.com/support/updates/

From time to time Be releases minor software updates and makes them available for downloading. This page describes and makes available updates to the Advanced Access Preview Release.

This software update was released on July 28, 1997.

Description

This update contains updated components of the Advanced Access Preview Release, including improved video drivers, an improved NetPositive, fixes to PPP, fixes to serial and IDE, allows dual-booting to both DR8 and AAPR systems on Power Macs, and other improvements designed to improve the stability of the system.

Who Needs This Update

You need this update only if you are using the Advanced Access version of the Preview Release. If you are using BeOS DR8, installing this update will render your system unusable, and you will have to re-install your operating system from scratch.

This update is for the BeOS running on both the PowerMac and the BeBox.

Getting the Update

• ftp://ftp.be.com/pub/dr9/aa_update_5-28-97/macos_update_5-28.sea.hqx (549K)
  Mac OS software updates (Mac only)

• ftp://ftp.be.com/pub/dr9/aa_update_5-28-97/bootmain.image_5-28.gz (161K)
  BeBox boot ROM update (BeBox only)

• ftp://ftp.be.com/pub/dr9/aa_update_5-28-97/beos_update_5-28.tar.gz (739K)
  BeOS software updates (both Mac and BeBox)

Installing the Update

These instructions assume that you have Internet connectivity from your BeOS system. If this is not the case, you may have to download files using the Mac OS, or another system, and transfer them to the correct place on your BeOS system.

These instructions contain many steps. We strongly recommend that you read them through, and make sure you understand the steps you need to follow, before you begin downloading and installing the update.

 

Back up your work!

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Before installing this update, back up any information in the BeOS you can't afford to lose. While Be has tested the update process and it's not likely you'll lose any files or information, it's always prudent to back up your files before you update system software.

 

Download and install the Mac OS portion of the update in the Mac OS, and get the BeOS portion of the update in the BeOS

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If you have a BeBox, skip to the next section.

1. Download the Mac OS update file to the BeOS Mac Tools folder.

   The update file is on the Be ftp server, ftp.be.com, in the /pub/dr9/aa_update_5-28-97/ directory. The Mac OS update is named macos_update_5-28.sea.hqx.

   You installed the BeOS Mac Tools folder when you installed the BeOS. It's the folder that contains the BeOS Launcher and some other Be files for use in the Mac OS.

2. If necessary, use a utility such as StuffIt Expander to unbinhex the macos_update_5-28.sea.hqx file.

   The unbinhexed file is decoded and loses the .hqx extension.

3. If necessary, double-click the macos_update_5-28.sea self-extracting archive, click Continue in the first panel, and then save the contents of the archive in the BeOS Mac Tools folder (the folder that contains the BeOS Launcher application, which you installed when you installed the BeOS).

   The macos_update_5-28.sea archive decompresses, and installs a single folder: AA_Update_5-28-97.

4. Drag the OS Chooser extension from the AA_Update_5-28-97 onto the Mac OS System Folder. Click OK when you're asked whether you want to store the extension in the Extensions folder. Click OK again when you're asked if you really want to replace the file.

   (The OS Chooser is modified to store your last boot preference each time you boot, so it's likely to have a later modification date than the new version you just downloaded.)

5. Drag the BeOS Launcher application from the AA_Update_5-28-97 to the BeOS Mac Tools folder, replacing the previous version.

6. Boot the BeOS, by double-clicking the BeOS Launcher application.

   Be sure you boot into the Advanced Access Preview Release, if you have both the Preview Release and DR8 on your machine.

7. In the BeOS, start the Terminal application (it's in /apps), cd to the root folder on the boot disk, and connect to the Be ftp site:

   $ cd /boot
$ ftp ftp.be.com

8. Log in, using the user name "anonymous" and your e-mail address as the password:

   Name (ftp.be.com:myname): anonymous
331 Guest login ok, send your complete e-mail address as password.
Password: myname@mydomain.com

9. Get the compressed archive file that contains the BeOS update:

   ftp> cd pub/dr9
ftp> get beos_update_5-28.tar.gz

10. Quit ftp:

    ftp> quit

 

Download and install the BeBox portion of the update, and get the BeOS portion of the update in the BeOS

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If you have a Mac, skip to the next section.

1. In the BeOS, start the Terminal application (it's in /apps), cd to the root folder on the boot disk, and connect to the Be ftp site:

   $ cd /boot
$ ftp ftp.be.com

2. Log in, using the user name "anonymous" and your e-mail address as the password:

   Name (ftp.be.com:myname): anonymous
331 Guest login ok, send your complete e-mail address as password.
Password: myname@mydomain.com

3. Get the compressed archive file that contains the BeBox-specific portion of the update:

   ftp> cd pub/dr9
ftp> get bootmain.image_5-28.gz

4. Get the compressed archive file that contains the BeOS update:

   ftp> get beos_update_5-28.tar.gz

5. Quit ftp:

   ftp> quit

6. In Terminal, cd to the root folder on the boot disk, and decompress the BeBox portion of the update:

   $ cd /boot
$ gunzip bootmain.image_5-28.gz

7. Quit the Terminal application.

8. Drag the boot ROM image file named bootmain.image_5-28 onto the ROMUpdater application (in the /apps folder) to update your BeBox boot ROM.

   You will see a small status window which says "Programming the flash ROM". This window should disappear after a 30-60 second delay.

 

Install the BeOS Portion of the Update in the BeOS

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1. If necessary, move the beos_update_5-28.tar.gz archive file to the top level of your boot drive.

   This is very important to the installation process, and you will get an error in the next step if the archive file is in the wrong place.

2. In the BeOS, start the Terminal application (it's in /apps), cd to the root folder on the boot disk, and decompress and install the BeOS portion of the update:

   $ cd /boot
$ gunzip beos_update_5-28.tar.gz
$ tar xvf beos_update_5-28.tar

   tar will extract the files in the update archive, and place them in the proper directories, overwriting existing (obsolete) files. The archive file must be at the top level of your boot drive for this to happen correctly.

3. Quit Terminal and reboot your BeOS system.