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Host FST

Host FST lets GS/OS on an Apple IIgs see a folder on your real computer as a GS/OS volume named :Host (also /Host). Copy files between the host and the emulated machine without packing them into a disk image first.

Host FST is built into every Apple IIgs configuration in GSSquared (ROM 01 and ROM 03). It is not a slot card.

One-time setup: install the drivers into GS/OS

You only need to do this once per GS/OS boot volume (or after you rebuild that System folder).

  1. Boot GS/OS on an Apple IIgs config that has BazFast available.
  2. Choose File → Mount Drivers.
    That mounts the write-protected /GS2.DRIVERS volume on an empty BazFast drive.
    (Grayed out if there is no BazFast, emulation is not running, or every BazFast icon already has media — free a drive and try again.)
  3. Run the installer on /GS2.DRIVERS. It has options to install Host FST, Marinetti, and Uthernet II. Select Host FST (and the others if you want TCP/IP — see Uthernet II).
  4. Restart GS/OS (or otherwise let it load the new FST/driver) so Host FST becomes active.
  5. You can uncheck File → Mount Drivers when you no longer need the drivers volume mounted.

Choose the host-side folder

  1. With the IIgs running, press F4 (or open the Control Panel tab).
  2. Click Host Folder….
  3. Pick the folder on your Mac / PC / Linux machine that you want GS/OS to see as :Host.

If you never pick a folder, GSSquared shares your Documents folder. The choice is remembered in app settings.

Changing the host folder while GS/OS is running remounts :Host to the new path.

Using :Host

After the FST is installed and loaded, the shared folder appears in the GS/OS Finder (and to apps) as :Host. Copy files to and from it like any other volume.

Notes

  • Requires an Apple IIgs platform and GS/OS (not plain ProDOS 8 on a //e).
  • On Windows, Host FST stores ProDOS type/auxtype, Finder info, and resource forks in NTFS Alternate Data Streams (:AFP_AfpInfo and :AFP_Resource, the same convention as CiderPress and Services for Macintosh). Use an NTFS folder; FAT/exFAT and some network shares will not keep that metadata.
  • The Host Folder… picker is not available in the web (Emscripten) build.
  • Mount Drivers only supplies the installer disk; you only need to install the drivers/FST on each bootable GS/OS volume you use.