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Writing a Hybrid CD

Hybrid CD refers to a disc containing DOS/Windows and Macintosh software, which on a DOS/Windows platform is seen as a normal ISO 9660 disc, while on a Mac it appears as an HFS disc. ISO 9660 is the most common international standard for the logical format for files and directories on a CD-ROM. Some other common logical formats such as Joliet and Rock Ridge are extensions of ISO 9660. HFS is the file system used by the Macintosh operating system to organize data on hard and floppy disks. Can also be used for CD-ROMs.

The method outlined here will share common data, that is, data files used on the Mac are the same data files used on the PC. Macintosh fonts and programs files can not be used by the PC and vice versa. The Mac side of the CD will contain data for both sides of the disk and only data useable for the PC will be collected for the PC.

Collect Data

First determine the amount of data to be archived in megabytes. Shared data does not increase the amount of disk space needed and need not be included. Exceptions are for data and application files to be used on the PC only as in a Kudo multimedia Browsers.

Start the application Adaptec Toast. From the menu bar select "Utilities" > "Create Temporary Partition".

In the "Create Temporary Partition" window you will name the Mac OS side of the CD (my example is called "cd_data"), enter a rounded number that is slightly larger that the amount of data you have calculated in MBs or the maximum of 650 MBs for a full CD.

 

"On" box information refers to the empty and/or volume/disk were you will save the temporary partition "cd_data". At the CD burning stations (PowerCenter 150) Desktop, it is currently called "CD Files". You will now have a new icon on the desktop with a "TOAST" icon on the Finder Desktop. You can also use a empty and newly formatted Jaz disk. Zip disk are too slow and your startup hard disk can't be optimize (more later).

The data saved to the "cd_data" disk can be shared with the ISO 9660 side of the CD. Collect all the files including the PC only files that you want to archive to this "Temporary Partition". Change names of the files, if necessary, to comply to cross platform standards or you can leave them and have Toast rename the files to the ISO 9660 side of the CD and change the names on the fly.

Caution: If you have unconventional file names, this feature may not work correctly. For more information regarding file naming see: www.stylecraft.net/help/file_extensions/name.html.

Make sure all your windows open to the upper left corner and all sub folders open up to the upper left also. If you have a window that opens to the lower right of you large monitor, it will be off the screen when opened on a smaller monitor.

This next step requires you to save the disk image or all will be lost. From the top menu bar, click and drag from File > Quit and you will get this dialog box.

  Click >>> No <<< !!!

From the "CC" icon on the right side of the menu bar. Click and drag to the "Toast setting" and release and now Restart the computer. This setting will turn off file sharing and any other network software.

Optimize Disk

Empty trash before you go any farther!

Use Norton Speed disk and optimize the volume where your temporary partition file exist ("CD Files").

Make sure the setting are for CD ROM mastering. Options > Optimize for > CD-ROM Mastering.

After optimizing, open the disk/volume where you saved the temporary partition and click on the "cd_data•image". The toast window will now appear. Click on "Mount" . The temporary volume will now appear back on the Mac Desktop.

Create Hybrid Partitions

From the menu bar select "Format" > "Mac/ISO Hybrid"

The Mac/ISO Hybrid window will come up.

From this dialog box you can drag the temporary partition on to the "Mac" button, this creates the Mac side of the CD volume.

Click on "ISO" button and you will see this window:

In this window click on the "Add" button and navigate to the "Desktop" and to your mounted "Temporary Partition" you created for the Macintosh.

Highlight and click Add until all the files on the PC side are added and then click "Done". These files are now shared between the Mac and PC sides of the disk. Next to the CD icon, click on the text next name the PC side of the disk.

Mac invisible files can be excluded. Some of them are Trash, AppleShare PDS, Desktop DB, Desktop DF and Temporary Items. They are not necessary for the PC and only confuses PC users.

The next procedure is to "Check Speed". This insures there is no interruption in the data flow to the CD Writer. Once "Check Speed" has Passed, the last step is "Write CD". Write speed is 4X, 8X requires special media.

In setting up the ISO format clicking the "Setting" tab and make sure "Joliet (Mac + Dos + Window 95)" and "Use apple extensions" are checked before clicking "OK". By checking Joliet (Mac + Dos + Window 95), Toast will allow the PC side of the disc to share longer names. Make sure you do not use * / \ | , ; : + = [ ] < > ? or other special characters.

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