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| Author | Dealing with disk image overload? (Read 15543 times) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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cantonjohn
16 MB  Posts: 26 System 7 Newcomer! 
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on: February 13, 2023, 12:15
In the old days, for some large games or reference apps (Encarta, Dorling Kindersley etc), you would have to insert the CD, then launch the app/game either on the CD or from your HD (which would then need files on the CD). Now we can use disk images (.img, .iso, .toast etc). This means we can have dozens of these large apps on one computer. We can start the apps in a couple of ways 1. We can mount the disk image using various utilities like Toast or Disk Copy, then launch the app. 2. Or, in emulation we can set the disk images to mount at startup, by putting in lines in the Basilisk config file, like: cdrom /path/to/image/encyclopedia.img The problem with (1) is that it's a pain to have to mount an image before using an app. And then you have to unmount the image after. And the problem with (2) is that you can end up with dozens of CDs mounted on your desktop, just so they are there just in case you launch an app. And sometimes these mounted CDs automatically open a Finder window. Very messy desktop. Is there a cleaner way to do this? Instead of either using several steps to launch a app, or covering the desktop in mounted CD images, I want to be able to select something from the Apple Menu, which maybe mounts an image, then launches the app, and unmounts the image when the app has quit. Any way to do that? Maybe an AppleScript or something? Any ideas? In my case, I'm on System 7.5/BasiliskII, but a solution for any 7, 8 or 9 system would be cool. |
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68040
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512 MB Posts: 950 68k - thy kingdom come, thy will be done !
Reply #1 on: February 13, 2023, 12:44
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I had the same problem and resolved it by falling back on Virtual CD in combination with tools like Type Resolve or Creator Changer. Now all I do with a new ISO file is to change its creator ID to "Virtual CD" with the help of any of these tools and afterwards one double-click auto mounts the ISO image. When I'm done I just drag'n drop the drive icon onto the trashcan and be on my merry way. I can even create aliases to app icons from the CD on my desktop (naturally those are not usable until the CD is mounted) and click them instead of navigating my way through the finder. PS: I am running 8.1 on B-II.
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cantonjohn
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16 MB Posts: 26 System 7 Newcomer!
Reply #2 on: February 13, 2023, 13:06
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Thanks, I'll look into that. You can see I already posted a comment on the Virtual CD garden page a couple of days ago about AppleScript. Anyway, if I convert type and creator of these images, then perhaps I will be able to AppleScript my way to one-click running of these apps. I've already tried successfully with Toast Deluxe 4.1.3 mounting disks with AppleScript, but Toast is a very 'heavy' app. Even after solving the mounting and running issues, there will still be the issue of unmounting the images when the app is no longer in use. Perhaps I can solve this with an AppleScript in my Apple Menu, which basically checks if any images are mounted which don't have the related app running: if app1 disk image is mounted and app1 is not running, then unmount app1 disk image if app2 disk image etc I don't know a way of running such a script every, say 30 mins, so I would have to run manually from apple menu.
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cantonjohn
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16 MB Posts: 26 System 7 Newcomer!
Reply #3 on: February 13, 2023, 16:25
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I adjusted the creator and type of an image, and wrote a simple AppleScript. This seems to work OK. I put it in my Apple Menu (as a AppleScript Application). Mounts disk and runs app. Code: [Select] tell application "Finder"However, it does crash (sending me to linux prompt) after doing it 3 or 4 times. Maybe just System 7 flakiness?
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68040
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512 MB Posts: 950 68k - thy kingdom come, thy will be done !
Reply #4 on: February 13, 2023, 21:01
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Why make things so difficult? What's so dreadful about 2 clicks instead of 1? I make an alias to the app I want to start from the CD image and store it right next to the ISO with its adjusted creator ID. The first click mounts the ISO and the second starts the app via the alias. No need for scripting or catch 22 scenarios.
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cantonjohn
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16 MB Posts: 26 System 7 Newcomer!
Reply #5 on: February 13, 2023, 23:16
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Quote Why make things so difficult? What's so dreadful about 2 clicks instead of 1? Well, it's not dreadful. I can put an alias to the image and an alias to the app next to each other in the apple menu for instance. But I'm making a machine for my 4 year old to use, so conceptually it would be difficult for him. "What's a disk image, daddy?" And it's less immediate. As you say here - http://system7today.com/forums/index.php?topic=3543.0 - one click is good.
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68040
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512 MB Posts: 950 68k - thy kingdom come, thy will be done !
Reply #6 on: February 14, 2023, 07:45
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Well, Alias Multiplier could do the trick, if you could put a delay between the different links - which you can't. Maybe you could put a link to a script in between that simply pauses long enough to make sure the ISO got mounted before launching the app. But you'd have to do that for each and every program you try to start from CD. PS: Never underestimate a kid's ability to learn new things on the fly. 
Last Edit: February 14, 2023, 07:49 by 68040
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MTT
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256 MB Posts: 394 SSW7 Oldtimer
Reply #7 on: February 15, 2023, 03:27
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Quote from: cantonjohn "...Maybe just System 7 flakiness"More likely Basilisk II flakiness, but I would be running 7.5.5 or 7.6.1 there too, for perhaps better stability. With 7.5 and later, you get with an OS install a Control Panel item named "Launcher". This CP when activated, opens as a panel of 1 click buttons to launch programs, or documents that open programs, of your choosing. The Launcher will already have a couple of examples ready, should you start running it, such as SimpleText and perhaps AppleScript, too. Before you run it for the first time; get info on the Launcher CP, if it is unlocked, lock it. The Launcher became corrupted easily and locking it seemed to be the trouble-free easy-fix answer. Next, inside of the System Folder there will be a folder named "Launcher Items". This is where you place aliases of whatever you wish to show up in the Launcher window when you run it. For example, aliases of CD images, AppleScript apps, and other programs, etc. You can compartmentalize the Launcher Items folder too, by creating separate folders inside of its folder, for placing aliases into. These separate folders must have names preceded by a bullet (Option+8). For example: •Apps, •Games, •Utilities, etc, etc,. These appear as tabbed items in the Launcher window and also require only 1 click to activate. You can also place an alias of the Launcher CP into the System Folder's "Startup Items" folder, so that it launches automatically when the Mac OS starts up. Anyway, HTH with one aspect of simplifying things for the 4yr old. BTW, if running Mac OS 8 & 9, the Launcher is still available if you need it. Additionally and instead of having icons that you double-click, you can optionally turn icons on the desktop and inside of any folder into 1 click tiled buttons. It's a feature of those later classic Mac OSs.
Last Edit: February 15, 2023, 08:06 by MTT
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68040
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512 MB Posts: 950 68k - thy kingdom come, thy will be done !
Reply #8 on: February 15, 2023, 08:11
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There is a significant delay between clicking on an ISO image and Virtual CD mounting it to appear on the desktop. I am not sure how this would work if you'd tell the system to launch both the VirtualCD mount operation and the app start at the same time. W/o some delay between the two its likely the system will try to start the application before the ISO drive where it is stored has become available. Also, the OP's "Once Click" demand is not about launching a specific app, but about the requirement that his kid has to mount the ISO manually before trying to start the program that is stored on it. So both the CD mount and the app start is to be done with just one (double) click. Last not least, he has an entire host of CD images to deal with, so just auto mounting them all at start is not an option - or is it? I mean seriously speaking, given enough RAM it should be possible to fill up the entire desktop with mounted CD icons, as long as the kid doesn't mind. It would delay boot time for sure, but afterwards you could launch any app stored on one of those ISOs with just "1 click".
Last Edit: February 15, 2023, 08:25 by 68040
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cantonjohn
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16 MB Posts: 26 System 7 Newcomer!
Reply #9 on: February 15, 2023, 12:32
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Quote More likely Basilisk II flakiness, but I would be running 7.5.5 or 7.6.1 there too, for perhaps better stability.Just to be clear, I'm actually using 7.5.5. Thanks for the Launcher tips, might see if they are more intuitive. Quote Last not least, he has an entire host of CD images to deal with, so just auto mounting them all at start is not an option - or is it? This is what I'm doing at the moment. 16 CDs mounted - Encarta 95, various Dorling Kindersley stuff, Oxford reference CDs, atlases, astronomy, "the way things work" etc. It's just very messy. Especially as many of the CDs open a window when mounted, so I get about 10 windows opening. I had to write an AppleScript to put in Startup Items to close all the windows. (maybe there is a way to suppress this open-window-when-mounting-CD behaviour)
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68040
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512 MB Posts: 950 68k - thy kingdom come, thy will be done !
Reply #10 on: February 15, 2023, 13:57
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PS: True hardware aficionados just don't trust emulators very much. But I've been using Basilisk-II for over 5 years now and find it much easier to maintain than a physical box where any damage to to the system's hard drive might put you out of business for good. So no "flakiness" here - and I'm running 8.1.
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