iMessage now possible in OS9 / PPC OSX / Intel

[mectojic]

Not sure if anyone else has looked at the TinkerDifferent PPC 2023 challenge, which started on Jan 1st. A user scj312 built a script that allows an iMessage client running on a Mac running 10.15 Catalina or higher to essentially "host" the app as a web page, accessible on local networks via http.

GitHub - dremin/message-bridge: A solution for accessing iMessage and SMS chats from older computers, implemented as a REST API with a web-based client.

A solution for accessing iMessage and SMS chats from older computers, implemented as a REST API with a web-based client. - dremin/message-bridge

github.com

Essentially, this gives a very convincing, easy to use iMessage client, that only requires a functional web browser. This seems to work just fine on basically anything. I tried it with stock Tiger Safari, and it probably works in OS 9 with Classilla too.
Install the basic emoji font pack Symbola that @B S Magnet specified here, and you've got a fully functional iMessage client with emoji too.
I put the script on my home server, and away we go.

This kind of iMessage client could have many useful applications, such as on a variety of vintage and new Windows PCs or Linux.

 

[eyoungren]

This is cool. Someone leveraged the same concept as AirMessage. AirMessage allows iMessage on Android phones as long as you have a Mac connected.

This is also what I used to do with my PowerPC Macs, except I used jailbreak tweaks and my jailbroken iPhones as the 'server'.

Take it a step farther though @mectojic and get out of the browser. Make a Fluid app with the homepage as the provided url. You can even use an actual Messages app icon for that and put it in your dock.

PowerPC version of Fluid: https://www.dropbox.com/s/bcqfvhmkshrs8ux/Fluid.app.zip?dl=0

 

[mectojic]

This is cool. Someone leveraged the same concept as AirMessage

I had wondered whether people had done something like this before. But I guess this is nice because no jailbreak tweaks?

Make a Fluid app with the homepage as the provided url. You can even use an actual Messages app icon for that and put it in your dock.

That quickly became my instinct. I can't use Fluid since I don't run Leopard, but I've now put the thing into an InterwebPPC Box. I can't find my favourite 10.8/10.9 Messages app icon though – I used to have an icons pack but seem to have lost it.

 

[mectojic]

You can even use an actual Messages app icon for that and put it in your dock.

Hmm... how do you actually do this? As far as I see, modern MacOS icons are .ico format, and don't seem capable of converting back into an .icns ...
I did find the ico on DeviantArt though.
For now I'll just enjoy the iChat icon.

 

[eyoungren]

Hmm... how do you actually do this? As far as I see, modern MacOS icons are .ico format, and don't seem capable of converting back into an .icns ...
I did find the ico on DeviantArt though.
For now I'll just enjoy the iChat icon.

How I usually do it is to find the app I want on a Mac that has what I want. In this case, the Messages app on my Mac Pro. What you do then is 'Get Info' on the app.



What you do then is click on the icon itself in the top left. You'll see that it highlights…



At this point, copy (CMD+C).

Make a new folder somewhere and then 'Get Info' on the folder…



Select the icon on this folder on the top left. Again it will highlight.



Paste (CMD+V)…



Now you have the icon attached to a folder. Move that folder to your PowerPC Mac and then repeat the process I just outlined above with the app you're using as the actual 'Messages' app.

PS. I learned this back in 1999-2000. It's how I get custom icons on my drive icons. Holdover from OS9 (or before) that still exists in OS X (and presumably macOS).

I'm using a folder in this case just to get the icon attached. Since most of the time, custom icons on folders will copy over between Intel and PowerPC Macs you can get the folder with the custom icon on to your PowerPC Mac and then repeat the process.

If for some reason this does not work, there are some other methods I can outline.

 

[Doq]

Holdover from OS9 (or before) that still exists in OS X (and presumably macOS).

Can confirm that this is still a thing on macOS even on Monterey (and probably Ventura too).

Got a nice glow-up on my 3rd Gen. You can copy anything that is an image and paste it to a folder and it'll work all the same. I copied that icon straight out of the Preview window and it pasted just fine.

 

[mectojic]

If for some reason this does not work, there are some other methods I can outline.

That was my go-to method for years. Worked perfectly for everything. But for some reason it doesn't seem to work backwards for me – I copy the iMessage icon over to a folder, transfer the folder to my G4, and it shows up as a folder again. Likewise if I copy the whole Messages app to the G4, the Messages.app shows up as a broken icon. I do think there was some change from .ico to .icns that broke it. Maybe the new standard works in Leopard, but not Tiger? Not sure.

Anyway, another method would be great!

 

[eyoungren]

That was my go-to method for years. Worked perfectly for everything. But for some reason it doesn't seem to work backwards for me – I copy the iMessage icon over to a folder, transfer the folder to my G4, and it shows up as a folder again. Likewise if I copy the whole Messages app to the G4, the Messages.app shows up as a broken icon. I do think there was some change from .ico to .icns that broke it. Maybe the new standard works in Leopard, but not Tiger? Not sure.

Anyway, another method would be great!

It could be down to your connection. If you are connecting to the G4 (or the G4 is connecting to the Intel Mac) using SMB that might be the problem. If you can, try AFP. Another alternative is to try zipping the folder and then transferring and unzipping on the G4.

As for another method…

Let's try this. On the G4, go here: https://iconarchive.com/show/smooth-icons-by-ampeross/Apple-Messages-icon.html

Download the PNG. Open the PNG in Preview (on the G4 Mac). Select All. Copy. Get Info on the app you want the icon on, and then select the icon and Paste.

You should get a high resolution icon.