MacOS 8.6 wasn’t a multiuser OS at all. All preferences are simultaneously preference of the user and of the OS / computer. Most of the contents of the Preferences folder within the System Folder can be trashed, though, with no untoward results, but some applications may stick little modular stuff in there (and some printer drivers may do so as well), and those things you don’t want to nuke.
You can also simply reset each parameter for the OS (in Control Panels, mostly) and for each application (in that application’s Preferences or Settings, most often in the Edit menu) until you get it behaving as you’d wish it to behave. There’s no equivalent of a registry to restore to pristine condition. (It may have a plethora of 3rd-party Extensions and Control Panels, or the users may have left it more or less in its original state, hard to know).
Still trying to hot the site without it timing out.
Mini-update:
No internet as yet. Anything that looks like I can access/config internet settings tells me the software isn’t installed. Could have been something I did last night or it was farked up to begin with. No idea.
Anyway, I’m scanning some other sites looking for tips and advice, but I’m thinking it may just be easier to install Linux to get it working and worry about installing a version of MacOS later. Though, for efficiency, I’d prefer to just fix what is on there now and get back into the swing of things with the OS.
There is no advantage to relearning anything prior to OS X since even OS 9 is on the verge of being abandoned by Apple, UNIX variants are available and sometimes of more utility, and it’s getting hard to find OS 9 software anymore. If you really want to run OS 8 or 9, I’m sure that you could get install disks for relatively cheap—like $20-25 or less—if you look for used software, check on Ebay, or ask around on tech boards for old copies someone wants to sell/give away. Other World Computing, a Mac hardware specialist, still offers new (well, unused) OEM OS 9 install disks for $35. Updates up to 9.2.2 are available for free on Apple’s website.
From the specs you listed, you’ve probably got this iMac. That page has some resources, including hardware sales, that might help you out. The page Johnny L.A. linked to is also useful. You can officially run OS X up to Panther (10.3.x) apparently, but I would upgrade the memory to the max that board supports (officially 384 MB, some will support up to 512 MB) since OS X loves her some memory. I believe you need at least 128 MB to run OS X at all, and at that minimum level you will run into some significant slowdowns at times. Be sure if you purchase OS X that you get the CD version since that computer does not have a DVD drive.
You can also download Yellowdog Linux for free and it will probably run acceptably well on that machine. I got it running on one of the first iBooks (300 MHz G3, 64 MB RAM) and, while it didn’t like me too much in GUI mode, it did run. Your machine would probably fare better after a minor upgrade or two, or if you’re comfortable with the command line, will do pretty well as-is.
The link you provided does, indeed, seem to be the one I have. Still can’t get Johnny’s link to open, but I’ll give it time.
I have a copy of E-Live and Ubuntu that it doesn’t like. Ubuntu was burned to DVD, so that explains that failure. THe E-Live is on CD, but the disk could be bad.
I was looking at YellowDog, but a very cursory glance (I should spend some time on the specs) looks like a server type App, as opposed to just install and go.
Either way, here’s another question.
Can I download and burn a distro with Windows to install on it? I’m thinking compatibility will prevent it, but who knows?
Some problems you’re experiencing might get fixed by rebuilding the desktop (boot holding down apple and option keys). You will know for sure that it needs it if you see generic icons on the desktop. It might not fix everything, but it is definitely worth trying on a machine that was probably not maintained well, file and organization-wise.
I suspect Duffer meant can he download and burn a Linux iso using a Windows machine (as the Mac has neither internet access nor a CD burner). I’d say the answer would be yes.
I understood just what he was asking, though perhaps my reply wasn’t worded clearly.
I have downloaded and burned x86 Linux distros (ie. NOT PowerPC) on a PowerPC Mac and used them on an x86 PC with no internet connection. That leads me to believe that the reverse would be no problem. By that I mean, that if you were to download a Mac/PowerPC Linux distro and burn it with a PC, it would work fine for running/installing in a PowerPC Mac.
Linux distros almost always come in .iso format. A .iso file is a disk image. It should not matter which OS or hardware is used to burn the image to a disk, because a disk image is a disk image and dictates EXACTLY what should be recorded on the disk.