*If* uploading, please in hybrid PC/Mac format (preferred to create it with Toast instead of Apple Hard Disk Utility), or even every other CD burn application which can create working images of hybrid CDs.

There is also an OSX patch somewhere. I dusted off my old RIVEN-BOX a few weeks ago, and it worked very well.

It should be mentioned here, I think, both Riven and the second Mac version of MYST, non-HyperCard version, is loadable in the nightly builds of ScummVM. Not completable, not even fully playable, but still. Tested meself w MYST 10th Ann version (DVD).

Do you mean RivenX ? Or is there another ?

There's also detailed notes somewhere about creating a custom DVD of the contents of the five cds and playing with that on a minimal install. We should find those if we decide to upload this.

Given the availability of RivenX (which requires the original game to play under OSX) we may be looking good for preserving Riven. Maybe Myst III Exile too, which is also a non-runner under OSX.

Heh. I don't think Riven is in any danger of being lost forever...

Nope, ScummVM it is. Halfway down this topic:
http://forums.scummvm.org/viewtopic.php?t=8353
and it´s the *nightly builds* which are mentioned there. The first news about this was from a co-developer of Rivenx which announced the merge on his blog.

RivenX seems to a bit on a hold ATM due to real life.

@soudesune: as stated in ScummVM:s forum here: http://forums.scummvm.org/viewtopic.php?t=8353
and in the blog here: http://clone2727.blogspot.com/ you´re able to load and, to some extent, run the games of Riven and MYST (non-hypercard version) under the nightly builds of ScummVM. Most certain is that they´re not completable. Yet.
RivenX is to follow but the schedule is uncertain: http://twitter.com/rivenx

I've just noticed that the handbook in German.

The game lang must be german too, then. At least at my original of Riven.

If you want to create .cdr images of a hybrid CD, simply use Toast, if you're on a Mac.
Be aware to check 'HFS standard' file format option, instead of HFS+ file format, which can't be read prior to Mac OS 8.1.
If you're on a PC, don't know which PC app is able to create such images.

The only site about RivenX I know, is:
http://www.devklog.net/rivenx/

I'd always assumed that this had been uploaded, but it's not. Neither is Myst III: Exile. Both still come up periodically on eBay at premium prices - particularly Riven. Should we consider uploading them ?

Myst IV: Revalation is too big, even for MegaUpload, 2 DVDs of 4GB and 6GB.

bertyboy: You can make .toast images of Myst lV and then split them using pif splitter (OSX) or SplitIt! (Mac OS) so they are small enough to upload to megaupload:

Pif-splitter: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=CACXW0TN

SplitIt: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=DPCRVMLD

Then you include the pif splitter/Splitit application in the download so that the spit images can be re-created. It *should* work, I've split disc images before and reassembled them with no problem. But honestly, I haven't tested this procedure yet with the internet.

I'll try splitting a small test .toast and see what happens...

I tested my split/reconstruct files and it worked. So in theory, very large files can be split and then uploaded to a site like megaupload, then downloaded and reconstructed. But considering the extremely large file sizes of Revalation this would not prove to be too practical, even if it does work in theory.

Here's what I did, for anyone interested:

First of all, I made the decision to do the splitting/reconstructing in OSX. For extremely large files, like the ones mentioned, hardly anyone is going to have a real Mac running Mac OS with a large enough hard drive to reassemble the pieces into a 4 GB file anyway. I used a small, 15 MB folder (Marathon) for the test.

In OSX:

1) Create disk image of Marthon using Toast 5.2.3
2) Split into 4 pieces using Pif Splitter
3) Stuffit 5.5 to .zip the pieces (Classic Mode), along with Pif-splitter app (needed for reconstruction)
4) Upload to megaupload
5) Download
6) Unstuff in OSX
7) Reconstruct using Pif-splitter in OSX
8 ) Mount image using Toast
9) Copy image into a new folder
10) Test contents of new folder (Marathon game) in Basilisk 2

SUCCESS!

This procedure may prove handy for someone at another time.

A handy step-by-step guide for other outrageously large and hard to come by titles we come across.

But you really want me to burn most of monthly £25 / $40 bandwidth on Myst IV, the same Myst IV that can be bought new in most PC game stores (high street and online), for $5 ?
The two DVDs are Mac / PC hybrid, any PC games retailer will have it in their bargain section. Myst V: End of Ages is the same, hybrid Mac / PC DVD and available for even less.

Abandonware or not (and I think not, it's still readily available for sale), it's just one of those titles not worth the bandwidth.

Myst II: Riven had a Mac release and a PC release, and it may have had a later hybrid release, perhaps on DVD rather than 5 CDs, so I can understand it being here.
I see Myst III: Exile rarely in shops, I think it only ever came in the hybrid Mac / PC release, so I'm unsure if it can be consiered abandonware either.

bertyboy, no, I don't want you to burn your bandwidth. At first I suggested maybe splitting the files just because I figured that it could be done; however after going through the laborious process, and realizing that this would be a major undertaking for even a 4 GB file, let alone another at 6 GB, I've come to realize that this should NOT be attempted and it's NOT worth it. I just picked up Myst 2 and 3 today on Amazon for $6 apiece (both hybrid), including shipping. That's hard to beat.

At least we all know that if there is a large image in the future, that we NEED to upload to megaupload or somewhere similar, but "can't", now we know that we CAN by splitting.

Thanks. If it had been a Mac only version / game, I would have groaned a bit but started uploading tonight. At least with MU, we can upload in 1GB chunks - well there's no limit to the size of uploads, but only premium members can download files over 1GB.

Again, good step-by-step. If you managed to get Riven and Exile for $6 each, Myst IV: Revelation and Myst V: End of Ages will be cents. Hope you find them soon. They're all great games once you understand what you're meant to be doing. I was a bit miffed with Riven, I "lucked" it through it first time and completed it in under 3 hours.

Yes! please upload them
I like those kind of games
i just hope this one is harder than MYST

.SIT can segment/expand.

What I do is make a .DMG (or .TOAST), stuff it into a .SIT, then use StuffIt Deluxe 5 on Basilisk to segment (.SIT.1, .SIT.2), upload the segments on Mediafire, and then a modern StuffIt Expander can easily join the segments together (just click on .SIT.1)

I do have the Mac version of Riven. It may be a hybrid CD, I dunno.

And I do have a Mediafire archive, which I'm still working on (http://www.mediafire.com/?fw3ggiq237d6w). Riven seems like a fine thing to add to it.

No, don´t do DMG too much trouble with that format

better a .TOAST

My main computer doesn't have Toast. I installed 6 but it won't launch (even though its OS X-compatible).

I'll try to see if I can copy Toast 7 (from that computer) to this one.

True, Stuffit Deluxe segments files. But why I prefer Pif-splitter is because it does one thing, split and reconstruct, and it does it quickly and dependably without fail. The version of Pif-splitter is the same one that's been out for years (since 2006). I like that too. There's no version incompatibility i.e. someone segments in SD at a higher version than the person trying to reconstruct, who my be using an older version of SD. To each his own.

[EDIT] Forgot to mention... and at 272 KB for the application, Pif-splitter has a small footprint and can easily be included in downloads. I've told the developer how much I appreciate his program ("Vitoarc informe"): http://www.noixdecroco.com/htm/appli.php?name=pifs&lang=fr

No, don´t do DMG too much trouble with that format

This is true, simply because .dmg is a Mac OS X only format, not supported by Mac OS 9 and earlier.

I haven't tried it, but supposedly DiskCopy 6.5b13 will handle uncompressed .dmg's

http://macintoshgarden.org/apps/disk-copy

Still, it's not advisable to upload .dmg's to Macgarden.

I simply let away this truth, because not everyone has installed DiskCopy 6.5
Because this version of Disk Copy isn't installed by default, other than Disk Copy 6.3,
which is latest stable release.

Right. DMG is OS X-only.

Is there a way to convert DMG to IMG?

In any case, I'll try to start converting it this weekend.

.cdr .cdr .cdr .cdr .cdr .cdr .cdr......

MCP said: .cdr .cdr .cdr .cdr .cdr .cdr .cdr......

I agree with MCP. Thats the best format if you can't get toast to work. Make sure you lock it though.

Hard Disk Utility located in /Applications/Utilities/ also creates .cdr images, but (as far as I know) Mac-only ones.

Yeah, aren't CDRs Mac only?

I still want to know how I can do it so it's DMG --> IMG.

Mounting .TOAST files in Mac OS 9 was such a pain, and I liked IMGs in terms of downloads.

@Temporary Joe: use Disk Utility and make a .CDR which can be renamed .toast or .iso

Just be careful if it's a hybrid disc or has audio tracks ... .cdr may not be the best way to do it...

It's a hybrid disc, I went to Toast on the iMac G5, selected Mac and PC, and copying the 399 item/565MB CD as a .toast. The first CD (of five) is being copied as we speak.

OK, three of five discs copied in .toast. I will try to continue tomorrow afternoon, with the uploaded files being available as early as tomorrow.

5 CD´s !
it´s a long game,
anyway I converted a DMG file to a .IMG with a little utility someone posted here
and UltraIso (within Windows environment)

http://vu1tur.eu.org/tools/

I did it but I remember I had a big headache.

No thanks.

I decided to use the computer with Toast after all. It is a large game, and all five CDs on any hard drive will easily burn up a GB or two.

The hard part will be the long upload processes, but it's okay, things are on track!

It's a hybrid disc, I went to Toast on the iMac G5, selected Mac and PC, and copying the 399 item/565MB CD as a .toast

This set alarm bells ringing. Just start Toast, insert the CD, Click the Copy tab (not the Dara tab), then select "Disc Copy" from the radio buttons on the left (it may have defaulted to "Image File"). Then "File" menu, "Save As Disc Image ...".

It sounds like your first method has made a disc image of a disc containing all the Mac visible contents of the CD. It may even be playable, but it's not perfect if we wish to preserve an exact copy of the original media - which is what this site is all about.

I know you've put in an immense effort, really, takes me over a week to get something like this uploaded.

It sounds like your first method has made a disc image of a disc containing all the Mac visible contents of the CD. It may even be playable, but it's not perfect if we wish to preserve an exact copy of the original media - which is what this site is all about.

Yes, if the CD-ROMs include a PC partition, we are interested as well.

I just dragged the CD (as a whole) into Toast Titanium, and if it reads it as having about 500-600MB, then it has to have the PC partition, as the Mac version surely can't take up all that alone. And I did select "Mac and PC" in formats. Riven1.toast is 565.3MB, for example.

All right. All five CDs are now in .toast, with two of the CDs now stuffed. Segmenting is next, then uploading.

You can probably check with a PC emulator, whether it includes PC partition.
And/or a Mac emulator or a real Mac to check whether the Mac partition is available, too

Good idea to stuff with Stuffit rather than to use the .zip format (stuffing creates smaller compressed file sizes than zipping).

I don't have a PC emulator, but I will test it out on an actual Mac OS 9 G3.

No time for testing yet, but here's the score.

Copied: 5/5
Stuffed: 3/5
Segmented: 1/5
Uploaded: 0/5

Also, I will initially put this on my own abandonware archive, and follow similar structures to how MCP did his:

1) It is in no way affiliated with the Macintosh Garden, nor is it meant to replace it.

2) Do not make direct links on the Mac Garden to my archives; it is quite possible my archived software may not meet the standards of the Garden. Also, I am always revising my holdings, which will mean broken links for anyone foolish enough to post links on game or app pages. There are a few links I have made myself, but only because I am familiar with and willing to maintain them.

3) If there is software on my site that someone wants to upload to the Macintosh Garden, you must copy it to the Garden and/or your own mirror site and take responsibility for its standards and maintenance yourself.

If I remember, I'll grab what you upload and toss it on my KDX server as well. As far as I know I'm pretty much the only KDX server hosting a huge selection of classic Mac games. I've already mirrored almost the whole selection of later letters in the alphabet from Mac Garden (like, T-Z or something), not some of the huge files though. Takes longer to add those.

Please beta-test the first disc. I uploaded it as .toast, and if all goes well, you should be able to install Riven. Limited time only!

http://www.mediafire.com/?5jx0435d404u1

Thanks for your efforts Temporary Joe. I'll try to dl this again tomorrow. Right now, instead of downloading, I'm getting pop up ads and redirecting, along with this message "The connection was refused when attempting to contact download478.mediafire.com."

I do know that when you click download, it does download but has pop-up ads.

Also, because of segmenting, you must download all three files, then use StuffIt Expander (NOT Unarchiver) on the first .1

I won't be uploading anymore until this thing is tested and reported.

I tested the download and it worked fine. I have a few comments:

1) When downloading, each file downloads in 2 parts. Don't move the files when they are downloading or you'll get an error.
2) This copy of Riven (disk 1) appears good. I was able to mount and install. I could not proceed with the game after setup, since it needs disk 2 to continue.
3) Aside from changes to the original Desktop DB and Desktop DF (both are from 2005 not 1997) the disk looks well preserved.

Nice work Temporary Joe! I'm curious as to why the CD is segmented into 3 parts? It seems like it would be easier to upload the entire CD.

The Desktop DB and Desktop DF were from 2005? That's odd...I don't know why that's so, but the CDs are from 1997-1998 (our family played it on the PowerWave before it perished in 2003). The 2005 could be when my sister tried to run it on our iBook G4 in Classic, but I have no idea how that could've happened.

The CD is segmented into parts because Mediafire doesn't let you upload more than 200MB files on a free account.

Yup, June 9, 2005, 8:08 PM to be exact. You can check it out yourself with TinkerTool which reveals hidden files with a click. The alternate dates only mean that the disk has been copied, that's all. But it's still in good working condition and that's good.

As far as Mediafire with the limits, if I were you I'd just upload to Megaupload. They allow 1 GB uploads for free downloading so that is a better choice I think. That way you don't have to segment the files, which will be easier for you, and easier for the downloader.

Thank you for sharing this game.