Hacking MacOS 9.1 by Michael Coyle

If the rumor mill is to be believed, this is the last iteration of the Classic MacOS before we move to the new BSD MacOS X. This report covers MacOS 9.1 primarily from a ResEdit hacking perspective, though I include additional interesting observations.

For starters, MacOS 9.1 won't work as a Classic environment for MacOS X (so I bet we're in for at least one more update). The installer is not shy about letting you know this either.

For LinuxPPC users, Mac-On-Linux works great with MacOS 9.1, just be sure to strip the new ROM file (version 6.1)

Upon rebooting the machine after a Clean/Custom install, several key folders were missing from my hard disk. I thought I was doomed! It turns out Apple used the MacOS 9.1 upgrade to reorganize the default folder structure.

The Applications folder is now called Applications Mac OS 9. Moved into that folder are the Internet and Utility folders. This is sort of a drag because the new folder name is long; it doesn't sit well in a tight icon layout. You can change the name of course, but you will lose the custom application icon, and installing additional Apple software will simply create another Applications Mac OS 9 folder. Grrrr...

It may be possible to change the default name of this folder and keep the custom icon as it was under MacOS 9.0.4 by editing the System's nfd# resource. My concern is that this will cause problems for other application installers that will expect Applications Mac OS 9 to exist. I'll experiment and file a follow up report.

I manually copied Extensions, Control Panels, and Preferences from my Previous System Folder to the new MacOS 9.1 System Folder. I know Conflict Catcher will merge these for me, but in this case I preferred to do it manually, trashing hundreds of unused Preferences. (It's amazing the junk that collects in there!)

After another Restart, my new System was ready for fine tuning. BTW, not a single extension gave me trouble after the update. Your mileage may vary, but this appears to be a substantial upgrade, so I was surprised my esoteric collection of third party extensions continued working.

Here are some noticeable control panel changes from MacOS 9.0.4.

Keyboard Control Panel:

I prefer to hold the fn key when changing my speaker volume or screen brightness. In the Keyboard Control Panel, I check the box to flip this behavior. In MacOS 9.1, the meaning of the check box is opposite of what it was under MacOS 9.0.4. (Whose idea was that!)

Now when the box is checked, you do not need the fn key.

General Controls:

The General Controls panel has a new Aqua look. This arrangement is much cleaner than its predecessor, and one particular ambiguous setting was rewritten. Below is the old MountCheck preference:

Many people did not equate this with MountCheck after a crash. The way it's stated now in MacOS 9.1 in much clearer.

Show Package Contents:

Apple must have had ResExcellence readers in mind when they added this new Contextual Menu option. You can now view a Package's contents under MacOS 9.1 just as you can under MacOS X.

This should make it easier for ResExers to modify package resources in the less restrictive Classic environment. Toggling this setting also changes the enclosing folder icon.

Startup Disk:

Another panel that received a major overhaul is Startup Disk. It not only shows all bootable partitions, including MacOS X, but it shows all the bootable System Folders in a partition. This makes it much easier to switch between different OS versions on the same partition.

Unfortunately, one feature missing from the new control panel is present on the System Disk control panel that came with MacOS X. It is the ability to customize boot settings directly writing to Open Firmware. This was a great feature for Linux users who use OF to select the yaboot script. The old control panel still works, but to have the feature integrated into the newest application would have been nice.

Time to Hack:

Once the Control Panels were configured and I was comfortable everything was in working order, it was time to start hacking! All the familiar System and Finder resources are there.

• Remove individual items from the Finder's Contextual Menus - No changes
• Shorten the Finder's Contextual Menus -No Changes
• Add command keys to the Finder - Many fmn2 ID numbers have changed, but all the menus are there, plus some new options.

For example, there is the new Window menu in the Finder. If you wish, you can change the name of this menu by using ResEdit to modify the following resource.

Perhaps in an attempt to prepare MacOS 9 users for MacOS X, several Finder command keys have been changed.

• Command-J = View Options
• Shift-Command-Delete = Empty Trash
• Command-T = Add to Favorites.

I don't like the Empty Trash command key because it forces me to use two hands. You can change the key as in the past, but you will always have to hold the Shift.

For example, after 8 years I'm very use to having Command-T empty the trash. It's easy to remove the key from Add to Favorites...

...but assigning it to Empty Trash is another matter. You will always have to type Shift-Command-T. While not ideal, at least I can type it with one hand.

Applescript:

Applescript has also received many under-the-hood changes. The Standard Additions scripting addition has changed so much that Appearance Hopper no longer works. Temporarily downgrading to the MacOS 9.0 version of Standard Additions solves the problem, allowing you to easily add System fonts to the Appearance Manager.

Update: Matthew Needham correctly informed me that AppearanceHopper 1.9.1 works perfectly with MacOS 9.1. I was using 1.9 and somehow missed the update on WeedHopper's web Page.

Several of my favorite scripts from the archive are also broken. I'm looking into the problem and will let you know as I find solutions.

Additional Caveats:

MacOS 9.1 installs some older versions of software than you may already have on your drive. Quicktime 4.1.2 is installed, so if you've been running the 5.0 Preview keep that installer close by.

MacOS 9.1 installs Stuffit Expander version 5.5, not the current 6.0.

I have always felt, based on MacBench measurements, that the seldom used AppleGuide slowed the computer down. In MacOS 9.1, you must leave it active in order to use the Modem and Remote Access control panels. Boooo...

If you install the MacOS 9.1 upgrade with these items in mind, I see do not see a reason for waiting. While I've only run it for a day, it hasn't crashed yet, and the Finder seems snappier. An excellent OS just got a little better, too bad it's near the end of its life.