Raspberry Pi Project Connects 1989 Macintosh SE/30 to Internet

(Image credit: Metalbabble)

If you've got a Macintosh SE/30 in 2020, you're probably not using it online. But what if you really want to? That's where Metalbabble's Raspberry Pi SE/30 project comes in! It uses an old Raspberry Pi to help the classic Mac machine connect to the internet.

In a nutshell, the Raspberry Pi is used to share it's network connection with the SE/30 using a serial cable. The Pi is running a PPP server that the Mac is able to establish a connection with.

Metalbabble decided to use an old Raspberry Pi model B unit, but you could easily upgrade this to a Raspberry Pi 4. The old model B device doesn't have built-in Wi-Fi support, so it had to be added with a USB wireless adapter. The Pi uses an application called SLiRP to run the PPP server on Raspbian (now Raspberry Pi OS).

(Image credit: Metalbabble)

The Pi is connected to the Mac using a serial cable. Metalbabble connected the cable to the modem port on the SE/30 but also advised the printer port would work just as well.

The setup process for this project is rather precise. You can find a full write-up from Metalbabble detailing the complete process. It also features beautiful screenshots from the Mac SE/30, showcasing the classic low-pixel display. Be sure to follow Metalbabble for more cool projects and any future updates on this one through their official website.

Ash Hill
Freelance News and Features Writer

Ash Hill is a Freelance News and Features Writer at Tom's Hardware US. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting.

  • Archaicus
    I did this with an unassisted Macintosh SE/30 in 2014. 482685211046449153View: https://twitter.com/Archaicus/status/482685211046449153
    Reply