VMac
| File:Minivmac.png Mini vMac running System Software 1.1 | |
| Developer(s) | Philip Cummins Bill Huey Weston Pawlowski (Windows) Yoav Shadmi (MS-DOS) Richard Bannister (Mac OS) Michael Hanni (Linux) David Bacher (OS/2) Paul C. Pratt (Mini vMac) |
|---|---|
| Stable release | |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows, Linux, Mac OS, NeXTSTEP, OS/2, MS-DOS |
| Type | Emulation |
| License | GNU General Public License |
| Website | vMac.org |
vMac is an open source emulator for Mac OS, Windows, MS-DOS, OS/2, NeXTSTEP, Linux / Unix, and other platforms. vMac emulates a Macintosh Plus and can run Apple Macintosh System versions 1.1 to 7.5.5. vMac supports 68000-68040 CPU emulation, display output, sound, floppy disk insert, HFV image files, and more. Some ports include extra features such as CD-ROM support, basic serial port (SCC) support, Gemulator ROM board support, and various performance improvements. Although the website is still in operation, most vMac development slowed down to a halt in 1999, and no official releases have been made since. Many of the developer e-mail addresses listed on the website are not working or current.
Overview
A spin-off, Mini vMac, is still being maintained and developed by Paul C. Pratt. Currently Mini vMac supports Macintosh 128K, 512K, 512Ke, Plus, SE and Classic, with active development for Macintosh II, Macintosh Portable and PowerBook 100 support. Due to complaints about the rarity of the original II[citation needed], it also accepts Macintosh IIx (and probably Macintosh SE/30) ROM files. The precompiled versions available for download at Mini vMac's SourceForge project emulates a Macintosh Plus with 4 MiB of RAM memory.
vMac requires a Macintosh Plus ROM file and Macintosh system software to work. Macintosh ROM files are owned by Apple and cannot be legally distributed. However, the Windows and Unix ports support the Gemulator ROM board from Emulators Inc., which allows users to add genuine MacPlus ROM chips to their x86 machine via an ISA expansion slot. This board can also support ROM chips from other early Macintosh systems, but the publicly released versions of vMac only supported MacPlus. Macintosh system software is available from Apple's Support Downloads Website (see External links below).
Mini vMac also requires a specific ROM image for the computer emulation desired. A software application for these 68000 Macs may be downloaded from the Mini vMac website for retrieval of a system's ROM image, along with a complete tutorial for locating an old Mac, retrieving the ROM and working with disk images.
See also
External links
- vMac.org
- Mini vMac
- Guide to setting up System 6 in Mini vMac for Windows
- Creating a Mac-on-Stick using Mini vMac
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