Step one: Get a serial to USB cable
- http://applenewton.co.uk/shop/ - http://applenewton.co.uk/2019/04/30/best-usb-to-rs232-cable-for-ncx-and-newtons/
You could build your own, like back in the day, or cobble bits together from Amazon or EBay, but this just takes the risk out.
Step two: Backup
- https://newtonlink.sourceforge.net/Newton_and_Linux-mini-HOWTO.html ???
NCU in VirtualBox
Install Windows 3.11 using a virtual hard drive, such as https://mega.nz/file/3ghjSLhA#npcPmZr9JcrgEqJBvxto0WhiMLDufIonFuNzEobsGoU
Pass the USB serial into VirtualBox
For each NCU disk from https://web.archive.org/web/20210614162843if_/http://www.unna.org/unna/apple/connection_utils/ForPC/NewtonConnectionKit/ConnectionKit2.0.zip you need to convert to a .img file, or use the attached ones (see end)
dd if=/dev/zero ibs=1024 count=1440 of=disk1.imgmkfs.fat disk1.imgsudo mount -o loop disk1.img ~/mnt/cp Disk 1/* ~/mnt/sudo umount ~/mnt
Add disk1.img to VirtualBox, and use the file manager to open A: and run install.exe
Change the disk images as prompted.
Reboot VirtualBox.
Connect Newton, serial cable.
Start Newton Connection from it's program group.
It will prompt you to start the Connection app on the Newton.
For reliable transfer I had to adjust the settings in NCU port options down to 9600.
This took a while to back up !
NCU via WINE DOES NOT WORK - CRASH, or fails to detect. Even opening copied backups doesn't work exactly right as the wub windows do not appear.
https://web.archive.org/web/20210614162843if_/http://www.unna.org/unna/apple/connection_utils/ForPC/NewtonConnectionKit/ConnectionKit2.0.zipexport WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-newtonwinecfg
set the prefix to be Windows XP
add drive "a:", floopy, pointing at Disk_1
In second window
export WINEPREFIX=~/.wine-newtonwinefile
open A, run install.exe.
Ignore all the errors.
When prompted to install the next disk, go back to winecfg and change the path for "a:". The installer will notice automatically.
NCU should now launch, see https://wiki.winehq.org/Wine_User%27s_Guide#Serial_and_Parallel_Ports to setup COM1-to-USB (/dev/ttyUSB0)
Step three : upgrade
NewtonLink (with Slurp 2.1 on Newton) errored out with RAM error and soft lock.
So, as above, make a disk .img and use that to install from NCU in VirtualBox
Step four: Be able to install packages
UnixPi works fine with -s 9600 -d /dev/ttyUSB0 - https://sourceforge.net/projects/unixnpi/
Also newtonlink does this ?
Newtonlink needs comma's betwen vars on all the files it moans about. Default baud rate is wrong, should be 9600. tknl.tlc needs top line changing to /usr/bin/wish
Step five : power
Change the button cell every few years.
For main power, you should only use NiCd only. Which are illegal in the EU now. So best not to hold down the little button in the compartment, stick to swapping packs or using mains power.
Step six : regular data exchange
Newtonlink needs a lot of patching to even start it's GUI, but can fetch packagenames. Notes didn't appear to include images.
Resouces
Prebuilt NCU installer .img files : Disk 1, Disk 2, Disk 3
Prebuilt Virtual Machine and notes : Windows 3.11, Window 98 MIA