A Green Jade Upgrade: RAM Upgrades, Custom ROMs, and running Mac OS 8 on an SE/30

I recently posted about restoring an SE/30 – but the story didn’t end there. Since then, I’ve made some additional modifications including more RAM (more than double the Apple-supported amount), a custom Rominator II 32-bit clean ROM, and an installation of an unsupported Mac OS 8. Along the way I uncovered some interesting SE/30 nuances about RAM installations and custom ROMs that I’d like to share. Additionally, I have the steps required to install Mac OS 8 on unsupported 030s like the SE/30. Read on!

Classic Mac web surfin’ with Web Rendering Proxy (WRP)

Connecting 68k Macs to the Internet – and actually using it!

If you’ve read my post about using a Raspberry Pi to connect a classic Mac to the internet, you know that it’s quite possible to get an old machine online. The issue though, is that very few websites work correctly or even load. The obsolete browsers that run on these systems just don’t support today’s web, right?

But what if I told you, there’s another way… just take a look at these photos! There are no early April fools jokes here, it’s completely possible – just read on!

Restoring a legend: The SE/30

In the world of 68k Macs, there’s one model in particular that consistently tops the list. In fact, many people go so far as to say the SE/30 is the best computer that Apple will ever make. The SE/30 was the fastest and most powerful of the original compact black & white Macs; it was essentially a server in a tiny case.

I’ve wanted to get my hands on one of these for a while, and at long last I finally came across one! This article will go through some interesting tidbits on the machine, and my experiences in bringing one back to life.

Sharing’s Caring

Macs have always had impressive networking capabilities from the beginning. In this entry, I’ll dive into more detail on setting up file sharing between two 68k Macs. All you need are two Macs and a serial (aka Printer/Modem) cable!

Old PRAM Batteries (Things that go bump in the night!)

Impending Doom

There’s one thing in particular inside your classic 68k Mac that’s sitting there like a time bomb ready to ruin your vintage machine. If you haven’t already guessed what it is, it’s the 3.6V “half AA” PRAM lithium battery.

When these things go, they don’t just “go” – they go out with a bang. The following is a story of my Macintosh Classic, it’s life, death, and afterlife.

Installing Linux on a 68k Mac

Running Linux on a 68k Mac

Did you know it’s possible to run Linux on classic Macs? Indeed it is! The process may not be for the feint of heart, but below are some good resources to get you started…

• Linux Mac 68k
• MacWorld article installing Linux on a 575
• https://www.jagshouse.com/Linuxm68k.html
• https://www.debian.org/ports/m68k/

Bless This Mess

Bless you!

In order for a classic Mac to boot from a drive, there needs to be a System Folder. A system folder needs to contain the system file (aka system suitcase) and the Finder. Sometimes though, even if these files reside in a folder named “System Folder” the Mac still won’t boot – this is most likely because the folder isn’t “blessed”.