I've finally installed Panther to be Beige G3s with the help of XPostFacto v4. One is basically stock with 6MB VRAM, the other one has a Rage128 PCI video card in it.
So far I only have one issue that I have been unable to resolve.
I have a generic 10/100 NIC with a Realtek 8139 chipset on it. There are drivers for MacOS X at www.realtek.com.tw. When I try to install the drivers, the installation program locks up. I can open other programs, close windows, etc., but I can't click anything. The only thing I can do is force quit the program. This did not happen with Jaguar.
I do have a couple of Digital-based network cards if they are supported.
I just rebuilt my server (see my sig) from a 9500 using OS 9 to a 9600 G3 using Tiger. The 8139 which had served so well in the old refused recognition in the new. I dug out a DEC-based Asante card which worked under 10.4 until I 'upgraded' to 10.4.3 whereupon it too refused to be noticed. Grrrrrrrrr. Back to the built-in enet port. Grrrrrrrr.
AFAIK, the realtek drivers should work under Panther, but perhaps my memory ain't what it used to be. From what I see, the realtek drivers definately need to to be updated to play under Tiger. As for the DEC card, I'm stumped why it worked under 10.4 and not with the update, but hey! this is the modern world, I just need to re-adjust my expectations I guess. Either that, or drop back to Panther. Grrrrrrrr! IMNSHO damn Tiger broke too much stuff.
Please share any new infos you find . . .
dan k
I've replaced the Realtek card with an Intel-chip 10/100 card. System profiler sees the card, but won't let me configure it.
On to the DEC!
I remember pretty distinctly reading somewhere, probably on the realtek website, that it's OSX driver for the 8139 was only compatible up through 10.2.8, and that there were no intentions of writing one for later versions of X. I could be wrong, but it's a pretty vivid memory. Did you try this one?:
http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/11459
I may still have a bookmark to the page I am thinking of on my 9600, and I'll check it next time I boot that machine up.
Nope, the bookmark I've got takes me to the Realtek drivers page now, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't its original link. I suspect Realtek removed the page I'm thinking of and redirected my bookmark. Sorry. Hopefully someone else knows for sure.
One of the hard drives in it used to store my 11GB worth of iTunes music is going on the fritz. I brought the G3 home to do a hard drive transplant so I'm going to have to do a reinstall of Panther.
Fortunately I've backed up the iTunes files to DVD and have a second set of my music on the PC server at home.
Yeah, I realized it was a moot point already, but someone with the same problem doing a Google search for "realtek 8139 Panther," or something like that, might turn up this page, so if anyone knows for sure, it'd be in the spirit of the holiday to have that present sitting here under the tree for that speculative good little boy or girl.
If I remember correctly, what I ended up doing with my 9600 when I used XpostFacto to install Panther was replace the realtek card with an Apple branded 10/100 card and the drivers were already in the Panther system and it worked without a hitch. But boy, I'm getting up there with the too jolly St. Nick. I'm not sure I trust my memory so much anymore. What would you expect from a man who hangs out with reindeer and elves?
Hohoho,
Merry Christmas to all!