System 7.5 Technical Details (part 2 of 3)
This file is one of several Read Me files that describe technical details between system software version 7.5 and system software version 7.5.3. This information is most appropriate for advanced users. For less technical information, see the About System 7.5 document, the Installing System 7.5 document, or the What's New in version 7.5.3 document.
What's in this document (part 2 of 3)
- Changes to SimpleText
- Changes to the Launcher
- Other new or changed components
- Miscellaneous fixes and enhancements
- Files no longer needed
Changes to SimpleText
Includes SimpleText version 1.3.1, which supports QuickDraw 3D.
Includes the following enhancements introduced with the version of SimpleText provided with System 7.5 Update 1.0:
- Large documents, PICT files, and page ranges (for example, pages 2 and 3 of a 5-page document) print correctly.
- Page Up, Page Down, and scrolling work better with Portable Digital Documents (PDDs) and other documents.
- Editing features (such as Cut, Copy, the forward delete key on extended keyboards, underlining, and selected text highlighting) work correctly.
- SimpleText documents that use system fonts now retain their fonts when opened on a computer with a different system font.
- Remote program linking (controlling SimpleText with AppleScript from another computer) is enabled by default.
- In the Don't Save/Save/Cancel dialog box, you can type "D" or Command-D for Don't Save.
- If you choose Quit with an unsaved document, and want to cancel the quit, you can do so by choosing Save in the Don't Save/Save/Cancel dialog box, then choosing Cancel in the Save dialog box.
Changes to the Launcher
Includes Launcher version 2.8, which incorporates minor "behind the scenes" changes not likely to be visible to users.
Launcher version 2.8 also includes the following fixes and features, introduced in System 7.5 Update 1.0:
- Supports Macintosh drag and drop, making it easier to add or remove items.
- To add an item: Open the Launcher and drag the item into the Launcher window or onto a category button. The system creates a new Launcher button for the item by placing an alias in the Launcher Items folder. The original item remains on your hard disk.
- To remove an item from the Launcher: Hold down the Option key and drag the button out of the Launcher.
- To move a Launcher button to a new category: Hold down the Option key and drag the button to a category button along the top of the Launcher window.
- To open a file using the Launcher: Drag the file's icon onto a Launcher button that represents an application program. For example, you can open a SimpleText file by dragging its icon onto the SimpleText button. If the program the button represents can open the file, the button is highlighted when you drag the file to it.
- To put a file into a folder: Drag the file's icon onto the Launcher button that represents the folder.
- To resize the currently visible Launcher buttons: Hold down the Command key and click inside the Launcher window. Then choose a new size from the pop-up menu.
- To open a category button's folder (located in the Launcher Items folder): Hold down the Option key and click the category button.
Other new or changed components- Includes Open Transport v.1.1, a major re-implementation of the network system software for use on all 68030-, 68040-, and PowerPC-based computers except the desktop 5200, 5300, 6200, and 6300 series computers. If you choose the Easy Install option, Open Transport will be turned on only if it you were using it before you installed this version of system software.
For more information, see the Open Transport Information folder, inside the Apple Extras folder.
- The Network Software Selector (NSS) enables users of 68030-, 68040-, and early PowerPC-based computers to choose between Open Transport and classic AppleTalk if both are installed. (You must restart the computer for the change to take effect.) PCI-based computers support only Open Transport.
NSS is in the Apple Extras folder; information on using it is built into the application. NSS is intended to ease the transition to Open Transport by allowing you to use the older networking software if there is a compatibility issue with an application and Open Transport. Once the issue is resolved, you should switch back to Open Transport.
Note: Because MacTCP is incompatible with Open Transport v.1.1, MacTCP is disabled any time Open Transport is selected using the Network Software Selector. (Open Transport uses the TCP/IP control panel instead of MacTCP.) If you reselect classic AppleTalk, MacTCP is enabled again.
- For users of the older networking software, this update includes MacTCP 2.0.6, which
- shortens retransmission delays
- prevents potential out-of-memory errors
- makes configuring communications easier
- gives users more control over which servers to contact and in what order - Includes SerialDMA 2.0.2 for use on all PowerPC-based computers, the Centris 660AV, Quadra 660AV, Quadra 840AV, as well as the corresponding Performa and Apple Workgroup Server products. SerialDMA provides a complete rewrite of the DMA serial driver, which originally accompanied these computers, thus fixing the occasional system hang, communications time outs, poor communications performance, and other glitches. The new SerialDMA 2.0.2 driver also exceeds the performance and reliability standards for serial communications on the Mac OS platform, providing support for speeds of up to 230,400 baud.
- SerialDMA 2.0.2 is native on PowerPC-based computers.
- Includes a new version of Apple Modem Tool (1.5.5), which supports 115.2K and 230.4K connections on SerialDMA 2.0 machines.
- Includes the latest version of PC Setup (v1.0.7) for use with all DOS Compatible Mac OS computers.
- Includes Screen control panel version 1.0.7. This new version does not crash if it's in the System Folder of a Macintosh SE during startup or when it's opened on any 68000-based Mac OS computer.
- Includes File Sharing 7.6.2. Now, when file sharing is turned on, removable disks and CD-ROM discs will automatically be shared (except for audio CDs, which will no longer be shared). You no longer have to turn off file sharing to eject a removable disk or CD-ROM disc, as long as no one is currently connected to that volume.
- Includes a faster version of the AppleShare Workstation client software. The new version performs read-ahead and write-behind caching, allowing the Finder to write to a local volume while reading from a remote volume (and vice-versa). The new version also briefly caches some information from the desktop database to avoid unnecessary hits to the disk.
- Includes Apple Video Player 1.4.
Miscellaneous fixes and enhancements- The Shut Down warning, which appears during startup if the computer was shut down improperly, dismisses itself after two minutes so that startup isn't further delayed. Note that this warning can be turned off completely in the General Controls panel.
- Includes Macintosh Easy Open 1.1.2, which fixes delays when dragging Finder folders.
- The dialog box displayed after the keyboard Power key is pressed cancels itself after one minute.
- Fixes an issue with the Power key. In previous versions, if the Power key was held down just a little too long, the hardware could miss the release of the key. If the next key pressed was the Command key, the hardware would mistakenly think that Command-Power had been pressed and would bring up the programmer's window (or MacsBug if it was installed).
- Color Picker no longer crashes during startup. There is an issue with certain third-party SCSI drivers that mark the drive as removable at the beginning of startup and later mark it as non-removable. Because Color Picker creates an alias to itself during startup, the change to non-removable prevented the Color Picker alias from being resolved later. Color Picker now handles the failure to resolve this alias.
- Fixes an issue introduced by System 7.5 Update 1.0 that prevented 2-byte characters from being used when naming a DOS disk.
- Fixes an issue that allowed the Menu Manager to use an unlocked handle. This fix will eliminate some crash issues, especially when using certain pop-up menus.
- Changes several video drivers to provide better support for new monitors introduced since System 7.5 was released.
- Handles low-memory situations better than previous releases of Sound Manager.
- Fixes an issue that allowed the sound volume to be lower after restarting than it was before restarting; volume should now be properly preserved when restarting.
- The state of the Mute checkbox in the Sound control panel's Volume window is now preserved across restarts.
- Fixes an issue that allowed QuickDraw to leak about 50 bytes of memory in some isolated circumstances.
- Fixes an issue that allowed a nonexistent disk drive to show up in Disk First Aid.
- Fixes a crash issue in the Communications Toolbox that happens if there are more than about 600 zones on a single network. The new limit is just over 8000 zones.
- Fixes an issue on the 630 and 5200 series computers that would cause them to ignore the infrared remote control.
- Fixes an issue that made it take two attempts to unmute the sound using the infrared remote control on 630 and 5200 series computers.
- Presents a dialog box that advises users that audio CDs cannot be shared if an audio CD is selected and the "Share a Folder" or "Share a Folder (no Guest)" automated task is executed. (In the past, the system would hang in this situation.)
- Fixes a bug that caused the wrong font to be used in some cases.
- Fixes an issue that allowed a garbage pattern to be used when redrawing the pattern in a scroll bar.
- Fixes an issue with submenus drawn too large or not drawn at all.
- Fixes an issue that sometimes caused the startup progress bar to draw improperly.
- Fixes an issue in WorldScript Power Adapter that could cause text to wrap randomly in Text Edit fields, or to appear garbled.
- Plugged a small memory leak that sometimes occurred when resizing a window.
- The Power key can now be used to turn the computer off. To shut down the computer, press the Power key. When the dialog box appears, you can shut down your computer, restart your computer, put it to sleep (if it supports sleep), or cancel the shutdown. PowerBook 100 series computers do not have a Power key on their built-in keyboard, but if you attach an external keyboard, you can use the keyboard's Power key (as just described) to turn off the computer. This functionality is not supported on the Macintosh Plus.
- The Synchronize Folders AppleScript automated task handles nested folders properly.
- A new AppleScript automated task-Share a Folder (No Guest)-lets you automatically share a folder with the Guest access disabled.
- Improves system stability when memory is very low.
- Fixes a potential crash issue when shutting down or restarting Japanese systems with QuickTime 2.0 installed.
- Fixes a potential crash issue when pasting large amounts of data.
- No longer opens the wrong original when you select an alias on the desktop of a disk other than the startup disk.
- No longer interferes with custom colors that some applications use in the Open and Save dialog boxes.
- Fixes a potential crash issue that occurs when Stickies opens with a "collapsed" note window.
- Fixes an issue that would allow the Options button in Sound control panel's Sound In window to be dimmed when it should be enabled.
- Fixes sound issues in the Jigsaw Puzzle (caused by a third-party extension).
- PowerTalk Catalogs Extension version 1.1.1 no longer displays an out-of-memory error when you open a catalog.
- PowerTalk AppleMail version 1.1.2 works better on systems with many fonts installed and defaults to "sender only" for mail replies.
- PowerTalk DigiSign Utility version 1.1.1 improves printing on HP DeskWriter C and 550-style printers.
- Direct Dialup version 1.1.1 works better when dialing using a long string and won't time out while sending a large letter or a letter with a large enclosure.
- Fixes a potential crash issue that occurs if both PowerTalk and At Ease are installed. While PowerTalk and At Ease no longer crash when used together, accessing all of Power Talk's functionality requires the Finder (open the Special menu in At Ease and choose Go To Finder).
- Command-Option-Space bar no longer changes the keyboard layout if multiple layouts are installed. This avoids a conflict with some popular games that used these keys for controls within the game, resulting in a seemingly random layout being selected once the game is finished (during the game, the selected layout would change any time the three keys were pressed at once). If you want this functionality restored, open the Keyboard control panel and click the checkbox at the bottom. The conflict with certain games will exist as long as this box is checked.
- WindowShade version 1.3.1 fixes a potential crash issue that occurs when memory is very low.
- Macintosh Easy Open version 1.1.1 works better with drag-and-drop on document converters.
- Fixes an issue in the Menu Manager that could cause memory fragmentation within an application's heap.
- File Sharing no longer causes a crash when Find File is searching a remote volume using Apple Remote Access.
- Fixes an issue in file sharing that caused some files not to get copied. (The symptom of this issue was a dialog box stating that the file could not be copied because it couldn't be found.)
- Fixes an issue causing Type 8 errors on PowerBooks.
- Fixes an issue causing the cache to be erased on PowerBooks.
- PC-formatted floppy disks on PowerBooks will no longer be unreadable on PCs after use on a PowerBook 500 series computer that has been upgraded to a PowerPC.
- Fixes an issue with the DREmulator on PCI-based computers, and the PowerBook 5300 and 2300 series computers.
- Fixes an issue with correctly starting up from the disk selected in the Startup Disk control panel.
- Fixes an issue using SCSI devices on PCI-based computers with 1 gigabyte hard disks.
Files no longer needed
The software automatically deletes the files listed below -- unless you renamed any of them, in which case, you should remove the files.
Several standalone files are now merged into the System 7.5 enabler, the System 7.5.2 enabler, or the System file. This software deletes the old (standalone) versions of the following files:
- 7.5.2 Printing Fix
- 040 VM Update
- 601 Processor Card Enabler
- 630 SCSI Update
- CFM Updater
- Color Classic Update
- Color Classic Update
- Display Enabler 2.0
- EM Sound Update
- MathLib
- Mount IDE Drive
- Network Software Installer (v1.5.1 and later)
- PowerBook 150 Update
- PowerBook 2300c Update
- PowerBook 5300/2300/190 Enabler
- PowerPC Enabler
- SCSI Manager
- SCSI Manager 4.3 (a renamed version of SCSI Manager)
- Serial Update 406
- SerialDMA
- Sound Manager
- System Enabler 406
- ThreadsLib
- Workgroup Server Enabler
Several standalone files have been merged into the System 7.5.2 Update enabler. The update deletes the old (standalone) versions of the following files:
- 7.5.2 Printing Fix
- CFM Updater
- PowerBook 5300 Enabler
- PowerBook 5300/190 Enabler
- SerialDMA
- Sound Manager
- System Enabler 701
- ThreadsLib
Several standalone files have been merged into or been replaced by various other pieces of the system. The update deletes the old (standalone) versions of the following files:
- Sound & Displays (replaced by Monitors & Sound)
- Apple Multimedia Tuner (rolled into QuickTime 2.1)
- LaserWriter 8.0 (replaced by LaserWriter 8)
- PowerPC Finder Update (renamed in System 7.5 Update 1.0 and merged into
the Finder)
- Finder Update (rolled into the Finder)