Download single-talk-11.hqx (11,304 KB)
From: (Stuart Cheshire) cheshire@DSG.Stanford.EDU
Subject: SingleTalk 1.1 (Single Computer AppleTalk)
SingleTalk is an AppleTalk device driver ('adev') that allows you to
keep AppleTalk turned on without actually needing any real physical
network interface.
There are a number of reasons that you might want to do this.
Peter Lewis's FTPd communicates with the file system by using the Apple
Filing Protocol, as provided by AppleShare and by System 7's Personal
File Sharing. The file server that FTPd communicates with can be anywhere
on the AppleTalk network, but most people run FTPd and Personal File
Sharing on the same Mac. If you turn the AppleTalk software off in the
Chooser just because your (Internet-connected) Mac is not connected to
any AppleTalk network, then Personal File Sharing and FTPd won't be able
to work -- they won't be able to communicate with each other. If you turn
AppleTalk on in the Chooser, then the Mac requires you to have LocalTalk
(or some other physical interface) active.
There are a number of reasons that requiring LocalTalk is a bad idea. For
a start, it ties up the Printer port on your Mac. A lot of new Macs (like
Duos and the 500 series PowerBooks) only have one serial port, making
this especially undesirable. If your Internet connection is through a
modem (using SLIP or PPP), then turning on LocalTalk on the Printer port
leaves you nowhere to plug in your modem. Also, on PowerBooks, powering
the LocalTalk hardware consumes battery power, which is pointless if you
not actually connected to anyone else.
Another program that uses AppleTalk for communication is Bolo. You can
run two copies of Bolo on the same Mac to play against a "Brain", but
you need AppleTalk on.
Instead of a switch in the Chooser to turn the network software on and
off, Apple should have made the AppleTalk software always on, and
provided controls to turn each network interface on and off.
That's the idea behind SingleTalk. It allows you to keep AppleTalk
turned on without needing to have your LocalTalk interface (or any
other physical interface) active.
SingleTalk is freeware. For further details see the enclosed ReadMe file.
You should never have any reason to turn AppleTalk off again.
Version 1.1 of SingleTalk uses a different id number to avoid a conflict
with "IP Remote A/Talk".