Apple Rhapsody Developer Release 1

Apple Rhapsody Developer Release 1
	Build of Mac OS X Server 1.x
Architecture	PPC, i386
Compiled	1997-09-18
Timebomb
Works in
About

Apple Rhapsody Developer Release 1 is the first Developer Release of the Apple Rhapsody operating system, released to developers on 13 October 1997. This build is the first available Mac OS build to be based on the NeXTSTEP codebase following Apple's acquisition of NeXT to create a transitional operating system between the classic Mac OS system and a then-upcoming new generation of Mac OS operating systems that would later be known as Mac OS X.

Overall, this build is relatively similar to OPENSTEP 4.2 in terms of functionality. However, many portions of the user interface have received updates to reflect upon the classic Mac OS interface of the time. Alongside, this build updates the kernel version to "Rhapsody 5.0".

This developer release is available in both i386 and PPC versions. The i386 version lacks the Blue Box environment, while the PPC version includes it with a copy of Mac OS 8.1 inside of the virtual machine. As of 2024, the PPC version cannot be emulated and must be run on real hardware.

Differences from OPENSTEP 4.2[edit | edit source]

Installation[edit | edit source]

The installation process remains very similar to OPENSTEP 4.2, however with some minor differences. An introductory description was added before the disk is partitioned, describing the recommendation of installing Rhapsody on an external drive, due to the OS being under development. A new "Copying of Files completed" text has also been added after the Copying files section.

Partitioning[edit | edit source]

Rhapsody can now be installed on partitions higher than 2GB, unlike OPENSTEP 4.2.

User interface[edit | edit source]

Most NeXTSTEP/OPENSTEP references were replaced with Rhapsody.

Miscellaneous[edit | edit source]

As the kernel version for this version of Rhapsody is 5.0, most utilities or device drivers used by the system were updated to version 5.xx, like the bootloader or the DriverKit.

System requirements[edit | edit source]

According to the installation documentation, Rhapsody requires the following:

i386 version[edit | edit source]

To use this version of Rhapsody, your computer must have:
A 486, Pentium, or Pentium Pro microprocessor

ISA, EISA, VL-Bus, or PCI expansion bus

A 750 MB or larger hard disk

At least 32 MB of RAM (48 MB is recommended)

A supported graphics adapter (video display card)

A supported IDE or SCSI adapter

IDE or SCSI CD-ROM drive

One 3.5-inch floppy disk drive

PPC version[edit | edit source]

To use this version of Rhapsody, you must have one of the following computers:
Power Macintosh 9500/120, 132, 150, 180, 180MP, or 200

Power Macintosh 8500/120, 132, 150, or 180

Power Macintosh 9600/200, 200MP, or 233

Power Macintosh 8600/200

Your computer must have:

At least 32 MB of RAM (48 MB recommended)

Internal video, or Apple-supplied IMS or ATI video card

A 750 MB hard disk

Bugs and quirks[edit | edit source]

In the about box for Workspace Manager,
- the Pentium Pro processor is listed as "Intel 80486".
- disks above 2 GB will be listed as "0 bytes".
Rhapsody does not support multiprocessor systems and will only use one processor if installed on a multiprocessor system.
2.88 MB floppy drives are not supported, as the installation diskette refuses to load from there with a "read error".
In some areas, NeXTSTEP or OPENSTEP branding can be seen.