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Documentation Index

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Infinite Mac can connect multiple emulator instances over a virtual AppleTalk network, enabling classic features like AppleShare file sharing and AppleTalk-based multiplayer games to work across separate browser tabs or even separate computers. Networking is zone-based: instances that share the same zone name are bridged together, while instances in different zones are fully isolated.
AppleTalk networking is only supported by Basilisk II and SheepShaver. Other emulators (Mini vMac, DingusPPC, Previous, PearPC, Snow) do not support AppleTalk.

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How it works

When a zone name is configured, each emulator instance creates a CloudflareWorkerEthernetProvider. This provider opens a WebSocket connection to: 
wss://<host>/zone/<zone-name>/websocket
A Cloudflare Workers Durable Object running on the server side acts as an Ethernet hub for the zone: it receives raw Ethernet frames from each connected instance and broadcasts them to all others in the same zone. The emulator’s AppleTalk stack sees this as a normal LocalTalk-style broadcast network. Packets are JSON-encoded on the wire. Each provider sends an init message with its MAC address when the connection opens, then send messages carrying the destination address and packet payload. Incoming frames arrive as receive messages and are passed directly to the emulator’s networking subsystem. If the WebSocket connection drops, CloudflareWorkerEthernetProvider automatically reconnects after a one-second delay and replays any buffered outgoing messages.

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Joining a named zone

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Via URL parameter

Append ?appleTalk=<zone-name> to any Basilisk II or SheepShaver session URL: 
https://infinitemac.org/1997/Mac%20OS%208?appleTalk=myfriends
https://infinitemac.org/1991/System%207.0?appleTalk=lan-party-1991
All browser tabs — regardless of which computer they run on — that open the same URL (or any URL with the same appleTalk value) will be joined to the same virtual network.

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Via the custom configuration dialog

  1. Open the custom configuration dialog by clicking Customize… on a disk tile or navigating to /run.
  2. Select a system disk and machine that support AppleTalk (any Basilisk II or SheepShaver-backed release).
  3. In the Advanced section, check Enable AppleTalk and enter a zone name in the text field.
  4. Click Run.
The zone name is embedded in the session URL so you can share it with others.
Zone names are public and unprotected. Anyone who knows the zone name can join the same virtual network and see all AppleTalk traffic on it. Do not share sensitive files or use predictable zone names in untrusted environments.

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Practical use cases

AppleShare file sharing

Run AppleShare or Personal File Sharing on one instance. Other instances on the same zone will see the shared volume in the Chooser and can mount it for read/write access.

Multiplayer games

Many classic Mac games (Marathon, Bolo, Spectre, and others) support AppleTalk network play. Join the same zone and open a network game from within the game itself.

AppleTalk printing

Services that expose a printer via AppleTalk will appear in the Chooser on all connected instances, enabling cross-instance printing (to virtual printers or real networked ones if bridged).

LocalTalk messaging

Applications like Talk and NetPresenz that use AppleTalk for messaging will discover peers automatically within the same zone.

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BroadcastChannel provider (local/dev)

For local testing within the same browser page, Infinite Mac includes a BroadcastChannelEthernetProvider. Instead of a WebSocket, it uses the browser’s BroadcastChannel API on a channel named "ethernet". All emulator instances in the same browser origin that share this channel can exchange Ethernet frames without any server involvement. This provider is activated via the broadcast_channel_ethernet=true URL parameter and is intended for development and testing, not production use. 
https://infinitemac.org/1997/Mac%20OS%208?broadcast_channel_ethernet=true
Unlike named zones, the BroadcastChannel is limited to tabs within the same browser and cannot connect to other users.

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