Waiting for help with multi user in classic

[rjaley]

We run a Mac office. Since there is no Multi user version for OSX we recently bought a copy of GS multi user for OS9.

Since we run OSX for everything else our multi user version will have to run OS9 in classic mode.

We installed everything but could not get it to work as a multi user version in classic, though it will run in an OS 9 booted machine.

Turtle Creek, could you please look in to this and see if you can find a solution to running Mac multi user in classic, maybe post the solution in the User Index? Thank you.-Jud

[Dennis]

At Turtle Creek we use a mixture of Windows machines and dual-boot Macs, connected through three routers and Ethernet. We have one newer Mac OS X machine, and for file sharing it connects to the other Macs randomly, about 25% of the time. We haven't been able to figure out why it works sometimes and not others.

So far we have not been able to connect to our Goldenseal server from OSX running Classic. We have also been unable to determine if it's a problem in our setup, or a limitation in Classic networking itself.

I'd be curious to hear from other users about this. None of us here are networking gurus. We've been able to run functional Mac OS 9 and Windows networks for years, but have had less luck with OS X.

We haven't put a ton of time into this, because adding OS X networking to Goldenseal seems a better solution. Unfortunately we wasted a year+ and a chunk of money with a contractor who never gave us functional code. So far we've been unable to find another contractor able and ready to do it. Mac contract programmers are extremely busy, since all Mac developers are trying to keep up with the various changes in the Mac OS (OS 9 to X, PPC to Intel, CodeWarrior to Xcode).

I'm sorry to hear you are having problems, but so far I can't offer any solutions for you, other than to get some cheap OS 9 or dual boot machines on eBay.

[scmurray]

We have an office with the Multi-user running on a Windows based server to which Macs and PCs connect using a VPN. You don't mention what type of machine you are using for the server; if you could list what you are using and how they are connected, I could help. We have been running this configuration for about 9 months and have confronted a number of issues.

[rjaley]

Murray, thanks for your response.

We have a dual processor G4 the doubles as a server and a work station and a G4 eMac as a second work station. On occasion someone plugs a G4 laptop in to the net work. All of the computers are running OSX 10.4.8. All this is connected via a Netgear RP614 v3 router.

I would prefer to stay all Mac since I know nothing about Windows OS, but am willing to consider buying a new Intel MacPro and run it as a Windows server it if it is not to complex to administer. Can you tell me more about your setup? -Jud

[scmurray]

Jud,
A couple of things might need to be cleared up:
1. It is my understanding that for a server/client set up, in other words, where there is one data base that evryone uses, the server needs to be a Windows machine. Check with Turtle Creek to verify. The dual-core Intel Macs will read things created in Windows, but it does not run Windows based programs, unless you partion the hard drive and install Windows, which creates it own set of issues.
2. The new Intel Macs do not suppot the Classic OS, we have one new machine which will not run the Multi-user software.
3. I think that Macs with OSX 10.4 and later did not come with OS 9, check your hard drive to see if you have both Applications OS 9 and a Systems Folder. You need both to run Goldenseal. We had to transfer these out of our older machines to some newer machines.
Because of these things we set up a Windows based server that only runs Goldenseal. We hired a "Windows guy" to configure the machine and give us basic pointers. You can get a machine for @ 600.00-800.00 these days. The server doubles as a work station and we have an 2 e-Macs, a G5 Powerbook and another PC that connect to the server over the internet via a VPN. We see some performance loss (i.e. speed) because of the VPN but you should not see that in a local network.
Sean

[Dennis]

Just to clarify-- it's OK to run the Goldenseal server on a Mac with OS 9. We do it daily, and connect with both Macs and Windows machines.

I think it also makes sense to have the local "networking guru" set up your network. In Ithaca, Doug is the man, and for $528 (router and wiring included) he set up our first Ethernet network so it ran flawlessly.

We've been trying to roll our own the past year so we can get better at providing networking tech support, but so far it just means that things are moderately flaky.

Personally, I like the dual boot Macs, especially if you have favorite OS 9 software that was never updated or replaced. But I just checked eBay and there aren't many available.

[rjaley]

Just to clarify-- it's OK to run the Goldenseal server on a Mac with OS 9. We do it daily, and connect with both Macs and Windows machines.

Dennis-
Are you saying that we run our server in OS 9 and then our work stations on OS 10? Is that a setup you have in your office now? In your opinion is that a better option than running a windows XP server?

But there is no way that we are going to run our work stations in OS 9, those days are long gone, OS 9 is a very dated OS, must be 5 years now that OS 10 has been out.