vita@daredevil.crd.ge.com (02/22/90)
About a week ago I posted a message with several questions about the Desktop Manager INIT. Below are each of the questions, followed by a summary of the responses I received: > 1) Is this version of the DM approved for consumption with System > 6.0.3 (as I have so rashly assumed)? Of course, the DM is not *officially* approved for use on anything other than an AppleShare server. However, it does work with System 6.0.3 and 6.0.4. (Note also that Apple will supposedly be going to a DM-like desktop-management scheme in System 7.0.) > 2) I remember hearing some time ago that using the DM caused some > problems having to do with unmounting volumes. Do these problems > exist in the current version? (I have had no problems unmounting > floppies.) If you're running the DM with System 6.0.4, there are no such problems. If you're running the DM with 6.0.3, you will not be able to unmount hard disk partitions, removable cartridge disks, etc. However, there is an application called "DM_Fix" which patches the 6.0.3 Finder to allow these volumes to be unmounted. > 3) Though the speed of copying new files to the disk has dramatically > improved, I've noticed that some operations are actually slower; in > particular, opening up folders that contain large numbers of files. > For example, opening my System Folder (which contains about 100 files) > takes about 2 to 2-1/2 seconds using the ordinary Desktop, and about 4 > to 4-1/2 seconds using the Desktop Manager (well long enough to get > the watch cursor). Anyone have an explanation for this? (This is on > a Mac II, 2 MB RAM, internal 40MB Sony disk, System 6.0.3, no other > inits installed.) One person theorized that perhaps the DM wasn't caching data in memory as efficiently as the ordinary Desktop, but that in any case, it probably isn't anything to get too concerned about. > 4) Is the DM any smarter about getting rid of stuff it no longer > needs? I.e., is it still necessary to rebuild the desktop on a > regular basis? Unfortunately, apparently not; you still need to rebuild the Desktop occasionally. Hopefully, though, you'll be able to go longer between rebuilds, since the performance of the DM is so much better. > 5) Is the DM compatible with the various "desktop maintenance" > utilities, such as Fix Desktop and BundAid? Naturally, applications that explictly modify a file called "Desktop" won't work. BundAid does work. No reponses about Fix Desktop (and I haven't tried it yet myself). > 6) Are there any other known application incompatibilities, especially > with things like backup programs? (I use Redux 1.5.) Most people reported no compatibility problems. A couple of people have been using Redux 1.5 with the DM for some time now with no problems. However, one person reported that he had a lot of problems with the DM: files with wrong icons, unmountable volumes, incompatibility with HandOff, mistaking his NuBus memory board for an audio CD (!). Running Disk Express 1.50 requires that you boot from a floppy without the DM installed (otherwise it complains about open files). One person said that TOPS will not function without a normal Desktop file. A couple other miscellaneous tips: - The DM is available from either the AppleShare server distribution, or from the Oscar distribution on apple.com (in the file /pub/dts/mac/hacks/Oscar.hqx) - After installing the DM and rebuilding the desktop, don't forget to erase the old Desktop file (using ResEdit or MacTools) to free up some disk space. - Note that if you boot off of a volume without the DM installed (or fail to load the DM when rebooting), you'll get an old-fashioned Desktop file built on your disk. (Not really a problem, just reboot with the DM and zap the Desktop file.) - Using the DM makes you immune from the WDEF virus. Thanks to all who responded: dplatt@coherent.com, eacj@tcgould.tn.cornell.edu, bell@eniac.seas.upenn.edu, macak@lakesys.lakesys.com, paulo@uk.ac.man.cs, sobiloff@agnes.acc.stolaf.edu, fons@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu. -- Mark Vita vita@crd.ge.com General Electric CRD ..!uunet!crd.ge.com!vita Schenectady, NY
aland@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Alan D Danziger) (02/23/90)
> 5) Is the DM compatible with the various "desktop maintenance" > utilities, such as Fix Desktop and BundAid? Fix Desktop DOES NOT work with DM -- it can't find the desktop to try and fix! -- -=Alan=- aland@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu
chris@sunset.ncsl.nist.gov (Chris Schanzle) (02/24/90)
vita@daredevil.crd.ge.com writes: >About a week ago I posted a message with several questions about the >Desktop Manager INIT. Below are each of the questions, followed by a >summary of the responses I received: [...many deleted...] >A couple other miscellaneous tips: >- The DM is available from either the AppleShare server distribution, > or from the Oscar distribution on apple.com (in the file > /pub/dts/mac/hacks/Oscar.hqx) >- After installing the DM and rebuilding the desktop, don't forget to > erase the old Desktop file (using ResEdit or MacTools) to free up some > disk space. >- Note that if you boot off of a volume without the DM installed (or > fail to load the DM when rebooting), you'll get an old-fashioned > Desktop file built on your disk. (Not really a problem, just reboot > with the DM and zap the Desktop file.) >Mark Vita vita@crd.ge.com Rather than DELETE the orginal Desktop file, just copy a tiny one to the hard disk (e.g., from a recently formatted floppy). By doing this, if you must boot off a floppy (w/o DM), you won't have to wait several minutes for the Desktop file to be recreated. Of course, your documents won't know their applications, but you're probably doing some optimization or recovery anyway. To let the Desktop file know about an application, just show the application -- go through the folders to make the application visible then close the window. You will probably have to close - then reopen - the window with the documents before the Finder will relabel the doc's creator. As a side note, I've been using DM for years w/the Finder patch (to unmount volumes) on a 60Mb drive, Mac+. Desktop file updates are approximately an order of magnitude faster (1-2 secs rather than 10-15 secs). Hopefully System 7 will work so well... BTW, anybody want to buy aformentioned 60Mb Seagate (CMS) drive? I've got a Mac at work and hardly ever use my home Mac anymore. It's about 2 yrs old, normal use the first year, little in the second. I'll ship (pay) in original packaging with at least 10Mb of high-quality (from VHS Hi-Fi) digitized sounds (Star Wars [Darth is cool], Aliens, Top Gun, Terminator, and misc. cartoons). $550 or best offer, no hate-mail. ____________ Chris Schanzle, Computer Geek "Cold-hearted orb, that rules the night, Natnl Inst of Stds & Tech. Removes the color from our sight, chris@sunset.ncsl.nist.gov Red is Grey; Yellow [is] white, But we decide which is right, And which is an illusion." - Days of Future Past