Subject: Re: Powerbook 500 serial ports...
To: Steven Campbell <campbel@istar.ca>
From: Bill Studenmund <wrstuden@loki.stanford.edu>
List: port-mac68k
Date: 03/22/1997 16:28:42
> 
> Allen Briggs writes:
> >I think that the powerbook serial has to be enabled.  Have you checked
> >the booter options to enable the serial ports?  I haven't looked at
> >those lately...  I'm actually going to be dinking with my PB145 tonight.
> >I'll see if I can get it working with serial, too.
> 
> I did try enabling the powerbook's serial port in the Serial dialog box.
> What I discovered is that the ppp-up doesn't actually hang the machine.
> What it does is make the ppp script uninterruptable, so ^C or ^D or ^Z do
> not stop it.  But if you're patient and wait for about 3-5 minutes, the ppp
> script will give up, and will return the prompt after you press return.

??? The ppp-up scriupt Paul and I have distributed will just start pppd
and quit. Something else weird is happening if starting pppd is temporarily
hanging the computer.

> >I don't think that it uses a different serial chip.
> 
> The 500 series use a custom Apple chip, named Combo, that incorporates the
> functionality of the 53C80 SCSI controller and the 85C30 SCC.

I think that the PB 500 line does something weird with the power manager,
though. I don't think we've ever gotten them to work well.

Take care,

Bill