The purpose of this software is to provide a means with which to enable and configure the backside L2 cache using Mac OS X for computers with G3 or G4 upgrade cards. Installation and configuration of this software requires several steps, so read these release notes carefully.
L2CacheConfig 3.3 works with Mac OS X 10.1 and 10.2. I think it probably works with Mac OS X 10.0 as well, but I have not tested it. Let me know if you try. (If version 3.3 does not work, then you could use version 3.2 with Mac OS X 10.0 instead).
The GrabL2CacheSetting does not work with Mac OS 9.2, but there is a workaround (see below).
Several changes for compatibility with Mac OS X 10.2.
Several changes for compatibility with Mac OS X 10.1. I have also tried to fix a bug which prevented the L2 cache from being enabled on certain systems.
Removed features related to speculative processing and Altivec, which turned out to be unecessary.
If you need assistance in installing OS X on your OldWorld machine (e.g. the 7300 - 9600 series), see the instructions available at http://eshop.macsales.com/OSXCenter/.
The software is available for download at:
http://eshop.macsales.com/OSXCenter/Download/L2CacheConfig.img.sit
It comes in the form of a disk image file. You should be able to double click on it and have the virtual disk mount in Mac OS X. On the disk, you will find the L2CacheConfig application, the GrabL2CacheSetting application, these release notes, and a folder with source code (which you can ignore if you like).
To install L2CacheConfig, simply drag the application icon to the desired location on your hard drive (the conventional location would be /Applications/Utilities/ but you can put it elsewhere if you like). That's it! The first time you run L2CacheConfig, it will install a startup item for you.
If you are upgrading from a previous version of L2CacheConfig, then you need to launch the new version and authenticate yourself. The updated startup item will then be installed automatically. The format of the preferences file has remained unchanged.
If you are a new user of L2CacheConfig, or if your former preferences file is no longer available, you will need to do a little preparation before using L2CacheConfig. In order for L2CacheConfig to configure the L2 cache properly, you need to create a configuration file which stores the correct configuration for your processor card. This configuration depends on such details as the speed of the cache, the type of RAM used, the size of the cache, etc.
To create the configuration file, follow these steps:
Once this process is finished, you no longer need the L2Cache.config file, and you may delete it.
The GrabL2CacheSetting does not work properly in Mac OS 9.2. You can create the L2Cache.config file manually in that case. It is a text file, and its contents are the value of your L2CR register, in hexadecimal format, e.g.:
0xB9000000
(but yours may well be different). You can get the value from some of the Mac OS 9 cache utilities. For instance, the PowerLogix cache profiler shows this value in one of its panes.
There are situations in which you may wish to temporarily disable the startup item. You will need to do this, for instance, if you install a new processor upgrade card, since the cache settings for the new card may well be different than the old card. To disable the startup item, you can run the L2CacheConfig application and uncheck the "Enable L2 Cache" button. Alternatively, you can move or rename the preferences file, which is located at /Library/Preferences/rempel.ryan.L2CacheConfig.plist. Then follow the instructions above for configuring L2CacheConfig to work with your new processor card.
The software will notice if you crash immediately upon configuring the L2 cache. In that case, it will not try to configure the L2 cache when you reboot. In some circumstances, you may have to disable L2 cache configuration manually. To do so, you can use the application itself (if you get that far). Alternatively, you can move or rename the preferences file, which is located at /Library/Preferences/rempel.ryan.L2CacheConfig.plist. To reboot into MacOS 9 after a crash, hold down the "option" key while restarting.
In version 3.2, I have made an attempt to fix this bug. If it should still affect you, the symptom would now be that the "Enable L2 Cache" checkbox will not stay checked when you click on it. I would be interested to learn whether this problem affects anyone.
The following licence applies to the L2CacheConfig software.
Copyright (c) 2000 - 2002.
Other World Computing.
All rights reserved.
Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions are met:
This software is provided by Other World Computing ``as is'' and any express or implied warranties, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose are disclaimed. In no event shall Ryan Rempel or Other World Computing be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, exemplary, or consequential damages (including, but not limited to, procurement of substitute goods or services; loss of use, data, or profits; or business interruption) however caused and on any theory of liability, whether in contract, strict liability, or tort (including negligence or otherwise) arising in any way out of the use of this software, even if advised of the possibility of such damage.