On Sat, 16 Dec 1995, The Great Mr. Kurtz <davagatw@mars.utm.edu> wrote:

> AFAIK, most of them just delete the finder file and leave only one 
> program on the disk, which is then the one that gets launched.  If you 
> really want to try something, take a simple program, rename it Finder, 
> put it on disk with a minimal system file for your system (the Disk Tools 
> disk would probably be a good source), and, using Resedit, change the 
> file type to FNDR and the creator to MACS.  Then, see if it'll boot.  If 
> it did, you're all set.  If not, we know that something else is different.

I'm certain this will not work (I think I've tried it before)...  It 
works with old systems (previous to 7.0, maybe even 7.0, but I doubt 
it).  Finder code is treated differently than Application code, but they 
are somewhat similar.  Hey, if it DOES work, let me know, and I'll make a 
quick App which sets the startup to an arbitrary application, or resets 
to the finder.  It's not a good idea to rename the Finder, by the way.  
Just change the boot block.  However, if you rean't sure what you're 
doing, don't change it.  Coming from experience, I've had to reinstall 
system software and even bring my hard drive in once because I messed 
things up big-time.  I think I know what's going on now???

> BTW as for a blessed system folder, I believe that Macs will boot with a 
> system file on the root directory if there is no System folder.  Don't 
> quote me on that, but last time I looked at somebody's Norton Emergency 

Yes, it should, but that's dependant on the boot blocks, again.  The ones 
I looked at will do this:  if they can't find a "system" folder, it 
defaults to the root directory.  Go ahead and quote me (for sys 7.1)

> I think that the disk could basically be blank except for a suitcase 
> containing the booter program code.  However much space that takes.  I 
> don't have a copy of the booter onhand, but count on increasing it by a 
> good chunk to make it a suitcase.

Again, this is all detailed in the boot blocks.

> Here's something someone could try.  Just take an empty System suitcase 
> from the one on the old system 7.0.1 intall disk (almost empty) and 
> kill the code resources.  Then paste in a copy of a simple program that 
> doesn't use any MacOS calls, and see what happens.  I *think* that might 
> work.  Not ure.  I think I'm gonna try it just to see....

If you do this, make sure you don't even MODIFY the "boot" resources, 
which contain some startup code.  There are other various boot codes 
in the system file, but I wouldn't play around with this file.  If 
anything, modify the Finder's CODE resources.  That's just a start.

--Rick C. Petty,  aka Snoopy
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