www.Usenet.com
www.Usenet.com
| <-- __Chronological__ --> | <-- __Thread__ --> |
Archive-name: apple2/faq/part21
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: 2003/10/1
URL: http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/A2FAQs1START.html
The comp.sys.apple2 Usenet newsgroup Apple II FAQs originate from
the Ground Apple II archive, 1997-2003. Administrator: Steve Nelson
Csa2 FAQs-on-Ground ref: Csa2T2TCOM.txt rev067 October 2003
Telecom-2: Downloading & Uploading
001- What's the easiest way to download files from Apple II sites?
002- Some of my downloads are bad; what's wrong?
003- Are there download files I should process on the PC (or Mac)?
004- How do I upload files?
005- What kinds of files should I upload to which sites?
006- How can I read & send email and newsgroup msgs with my A2?
007- With a fast modem, how can the IIe connect to the internet?
008- I'm running the Lynx web browser. Where do I put the URL?
009- How do I download an .SHK file through Lynx?
010- Can I send and receive FAXes using my Apple II?
011- What is a "Binary II" header?
012- Should I add a Binary II header to files I upload?
013- How can I use my Apple II on the internet?
From: Rubywand
001- What is the easiest way to download files from Apple II sites?
Modern PC internet browsers, like Netscape 4.x, have 'spoiled' much of the
challenge of connecting to sites on the net, especially popular Apple II ftp sites.
For example, entering
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/apple16/Games/
in Netscape's "Location:" (or "Netsite:", etc.) box gets you to Ground's GS games
folder ready to download with just a mouse click.
Most major Apple II sites are FTP sites; so, we'll talk about FTP downloads
first. FTP connections have a pretty raw look-- instead of colorful backgrounds,
pictures, fancy buttons, etc., what you see is mainly text showing folder and file
names. If you connect via a browser, you will probably get folder icons and, perhaps,
some simple icon next to each file name.
Downloading via a Browser
Once you are connected to an FTP site via, say, Netscape, you can Click
(leftClick) on folder icons to get a listing of what's in the folder. You can navigate
backward, too, by clicking "Up to higher level directory" (or whatever phrase the site
uses).
Generally, you should not just Click on an item you wish to download to disk.
(This may immediately start a download to your display-- fine if you just want to view
a text file; but not much help if you want to download one.)
However, single-clicking on a file name is a quick way to find out whether your
browser is ready to treat an .shk, .dsk, .bxy, or other non-text file as binary (as it
should). For instance, if you Click on WUMPUS.SHK and you get an alert box with
options including "save to disk", or you get a standard Save window, then you can be
pretty sure your browser knows .shk files are 'special' and will not treat them like
plain text.
If you Click on a .shk, .dsk, etc. file and garbage starts to fill the screen, it
probably means your browser knows nothing about the file type and is defaulting to
text mode. To correctly download the files, you will need to set up the file type as
one associated with some application. You can do this by creating a new type in the
Windows95 View--Options--File Types window; or, if running Netscape, you can go to
Edit--Preferences and create the new type in the Netscape Applications window. (File
type
changes in the Windows95 File Types window should be made before starting your
browser.) Geoff Weiss has a page which talks about making web browsers aware of Apple
II file types for ftp connections at http://www.gwlink.net/geoff/IIdownload.html .
To download under a browser, the usual way to select an item is a SHIFT-Click
(press the SHIFT key and leftClick) or a rightClick. The results are very similar.
SHIFT-Click will normally bring up a Save window and you can change the name, change
the destination folder, etc. before Clicking "Save". RightClick gets you a menu and
you Click "Save Link As ..." to get to the Save window.
Again, in the Save window, you pick the destination drive and folder and, if you
like, modify the name of the file to be downloaded and saved. Clicking "Save" (or,
"Okay", etc. for some browers) starts the download.
Downloading via an FTP Program
A slightly different approach is to use a good FTP program (often called an "FTP
client"), such as WS_FTP. It is easier to download (or upload) multiple files, speed
is usually a bit better, and FTP is not much concerned with file type recognition.
To connect to an FTP site you can run a dial-up program to establish contact with
your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and start your FTP program. If you are on the net
under Netscape, 'Explorer, etc., then you are already connected to your ISP and can
start your FTP program as a new task.
After starting your FTP program, you can select the FTP site you want from a list
you've created. The list, also called a "profile list", contains ...
o- the site's internet name-- such as "ground.ecn.uiowa.edu" (Note: there are no "/"
folder separators in this entry.)
o- the particular folder or directory you want to begin with-- such as "/2/apple2"
o- and the folder on your computer for downloads-- such as "C:\Downloads".
Other information, such as the kind of connection (usually "Unix standard") and
the password you send to the site-- usually you will log-in as "anonymous" and use
your email address as the password-- are entered more or less automatically when you
first create a site's profile entry. (To create a new entry you will usually just
click "New", "Create New", etc. instead of picking a site to contact.)
When the connection is made, you will see a list of files and folders in the
folder you have entered. If you open one of the folders, you will get a new listing of
files and folders contained in the selected folder. You can 'navigate' deeper into the
archive and reach, say, Ground's /2/apple2/Collections/AOL/Games folder; and you can
navigate backward to, say, /2/apple2/Collections and explore some other collection,
such as /2/apple2/Collections/1WSW.
You can, also, change the the drive and folder on your hard disk to which you
wish to download. For example, the default "local" folder may be C:\Downloads whenever
you connect to Ground. If you want downloads to go into D:\TempStuff, you can pick
this destination. Another situation in which you may wish to change the local folder
is when uploading files to a site.
Practically all programs and compressed disks will be in .SHK, .SDK, .DSK, or
some other "binary" form. In fact, "Binary" should nearly always be your
download/upload mode setting, even when downloading (or uploading) Text files. About
the only exception would be when dealing with a binscii archive site which can not
handle binary.
In general, when downloading an Apple II .SHK, .ZIP, etc. file, it is best to
avoid letting any "helper" applications process the file during download. Usually, it
is best to unZIP .zip and .gz files on the PC but, still, after you have completed the
download. Your Apple II can take care of un-Shrinking and most other kinds of
processing which may be required after the file is downloaded and transferred from the
PC (or Mac).
To download one or more files you click-highlight each file you want. Then, you
click some button-- such as an arrow symbol pointing to your C:\Downloads folder-- to
start the download.
Usually everything will go smoothly and the files will appear on hard disk in
your target folder (e.g. C:\Downloads). If you use a dedicated ftp utility you will,
usually, be able to see the exact length of a file on the site's file list. One good
check for a successful download is to compare file lengths displayed in your target
folder with those shown in the FTP site's file list. If you do straight downloads with
no processing, there should be no differences for binary transfers. (Text file transfe
rs in Text mode often result in small length changes.)
Downloading from HTTP Sites
Many users and vendors set up web pages-- pages you get to via an http:// URL--
which allow downloading software. Typically, you will see a relatively fancy display
listing titles with descriptions and, by each title, a button to click to do the
download.
Here, you usually just click the button or item name to start the download
process. An exception might be when the file is a Text file you wish to download; for
Text file downloads you may need to right-click or SHIFT-click on the item.
Assuming the file is some binary type (like .shk, .dsk, .bxy, etc.), just
clicking should bring up a Save dialogue-- like an alert asking if you wish to Save
the file-- or take you immediately to a Save window. When this happens it indicates
that the download page's server knows that the item is not Text and the odds favor
getting a good download.
Some Apple II http download pages are on servers which do not recognize popular
Apple II file type designations. Most likely, you will experience no difficulty
reading/downloading text or downloading files with .zip, .bin, .gz, and other standard
PC designations; but, clicking a file ending in .shk, .sdk, .dsk, ... will probably
lead to having it dumped to your screen because the server tells your browser that it
is a Text type file. Right-clicking or SHIFT-clicking will allow you to get a
download; b
ut, the file will still, almost certainly, be corrupted.
The easiest "fix" for the above situation is to contact the site via its ftp://
URL, if it has one, and do FTP downloads. A pretty good alternative is to go ahead and
download the .shk, etc. file and use a PC utility named "Uncook" to try producing a
copy with the corruption removed.
Uncook was 'discovered' by GS Ed (manager of the ACN Florida archive); and tests
indicate that it usually succeeds when the file is corrupted. If the file is not
corrupted, Uncook may produce a messed up copy! Fortunately, it is pretty easy to tell
when the latter occurs.
If the result of Uncook is a file just 2-4 or so bytes smaller, the original is
probably good and the Uncook is bad. If the new (Uncooked) file is known to be the
correct size (like it's a 143,360 byte .dsk file) or if it is many bytes smaller, or
if the site is known to deliver corrupted files, then the Uncooked file is probably
good. And, if there is any doubt, you can always try using both files-- e.g. the .sdk
file which gets you a "bad data" error during unshrinking is the bad one.
Uncook.zip is available from GS WorldView's cover page via ...
http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/GSWVlink.html . Click on "Download Help".
----------------------------
002- Some of my downloads are bad; what's wrong?
If the exact length of a downloaded file is different than its exact length on
the download site (e.g. as shown via your FTP client program), the download is
probably corrupted.
A common reason for getting a bad download is that a binary file was downloaded
in text mode. An FTP program should be set to "Binary" before doing most downloads
from ftp sites. If using a browser, the browser needs to recognize the file name
extension (e.g. .shk). There is some discussion about this in Q&A 001 above.
Except for .bin, .zip, and some other standard PC file type designations, quite a
few Apple II suffixes (like .shk and .dsk) are not correctly handled by some http site
servers. The files should be downloaded from an ftp site.
Some files may seem to be corrupted-- i.e. 'not work right'-- even if a length
check shows that the download size is identical to the file's size on an ftp site. One
possibility is that the file was corrupted somewhere in the upload process. This is
fairly rare for files made available for download.
A few Apple II files still include a Binary II prefix. This may cause the file to
appear corrupted to some utility you try to use on a PC; but, it will work fine once
transferred to your Apple II. (Normally, a modern Apple II telecom program such as
Spectrum or ProTERM will be set to automatically strip off the Binary II prefix during
transfer. GS-ShrinkIt and 8-bit ShrinkIt will remove a Binary II prefix from .shk,
etc. ShrinkIt files.)
The file may be okay but incorrectly named. For example, an .sys or .bin file may
be shrinked but still uploaded as an ".sys" or ".bin" file (instead of ".shk"). Or,
an .shk file may be uploaded in binscii form as an ".shk" file. (Such a file should
end with ".bsq".) When a downloaded .shk or .sdk file is rejected by ShrinkIt, it's a
good idea to try running it through Binscii or GScii. Sometimes the result will be a
genuine .shk or .sdk file.
Other kinds of files are just misunderstood. A user who downloads a 'disk image'
file named NarfGame.dsk.gz" may conclude it is "corrupted" when it is rejected by an
emulator program of fails to convert to diskette with DSK2FILE. But, all that's
required is to decompress the .gz file using WinZIP to produce a true .dsk disk image
file.
A source of possible confusion for IIgs users is the occasional .shk or .sdk file
which looks fine but is rejected as damaged by GS-ShrinkIt. The problem may be that
the file was created by a Mac owner. Sometimes these Mac-created Shrink files unShrink
fine using GS-ShrinkIt; sometimes, not. Before trashing a "damaged" .shk or .sdk IIgs
file, try running it through Balloon.
----------------------------
From: Greg J. Buchner
Balloon is a IIGS desk accessory that was put out by Ego Systems...it handles
ShrinkIt archives from anywhere you can access a New Desk Accessory on the IIGS. For
the Mac, you'd use Shrink II.
____________________________
From: Rubywand
003- Are there any kinds of files I should process on the
PC (or Mac) before transfer to my Apple II?
Yes. Many old games and other interesting wares downloaded from "emulator" sites
like Asimov (ftp.apple.asimov-net) will arrive as .gz files. These will, almost
always, be compressed 5.25" disk image (DSK) files. They should be un-compressed on
the PC via WinZIP before being sent to your Apple II. This avoids a messy
de-compression process on the Apple and makes the DSK file available on the PC (or
Mac) should you wish to use it with AppleWin or some other A2 emulator program.
Note: If you are running an FTP program under plain DOS or Windows 3.x, long file
names will be truncated to fit PC's old "8 and 3" format. A .gz file may not show up
in your C:\UPDOWN (or whatever) directory with the ".gz" suffix. It is still a .gz
file and will not be useful as a disk image (DSK) file until it is uncompressed. The
usual size of a 5.25" disk image file is about 143kB.
Other chores you will want to handle on the PC before sending a file to your
Apple II include converting .HTM (HTML) files to text and splitting up very large Text
files. Similarly, it will be easier to view, process, and convert most large graphics
files on the PC.
----------------------------
004- I need some help with uploading. I uploaded a large file to
an Apple II ftp site but nobody seems able to download it
without ending up with garbage. What's wrong?
Uploading files to an FTP site is a fairly simple process-- basically, it's
pretty close to the reverse of downloading described above. For example, to upload a
group of Apple IIgs files named "NARFGAME" you would ...
o On the GS, use GS-ShrinkIt to created a single compressed file
containing the NARFGAME files. The new .SHK file could be named
"NARFGAME.SHK". (On an Apple IIe or other 8-bit Apple II, you
could use an 8-bit version of ShrinkIt to compress the NARFGAME
files.)
o Use Spectrum or some other A2 telecom program to NULL modem
NARFGAME.SHK to, say, the PC's C:\UPDOWN folder using Z-modem
protocol.(Z-modem is easiest; but, other protocols, like X-modem,
are fine. Mainly, both telecom programs involved in the transfer,
Apple II and PC, need to be set to the same protocol.)
o Dial-up your ISP-- no need if you are already connected via
Netscape, 'Explorer, or some other browser or application.
Uploading via a Browser
o If you are running Netscape or some similar browser, you can do
the upload very easily to one of several ftp sites. (Some ftp
sites may not permit uploading from a browser. Major Apple II
sites which will include Asimov, Ground, and TFFE.)
Go to the site's upload URL-- e.g. you might type in
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/ (or click your bookmark for
"Ground") and click on the upload/ folder to open it.
Note1: The folder for uploads will usually be named "upload",
"uploads", or "incoming". Sometimes, there will be folders inside,
like apple2/, apple2gs/, etc. which you should open depending
upon where you think your stuff fits.
Note2: Some sites will show the current contents of the uploads
folder and some will not. Often you will see a nearly blank
screen.
Open a window for the folder on your system which has the file or
files you want to upload. For example, you may want to upload the
file NARFGAME.SHK which is in the C:\NeatGames\ folder on your
hard disk. So, you would open a window for C:\NeatGames\.
Select (click on) the files to upload and drag them onto the
uploads page display-- you would click on NARFGAME.SHK and drag it
onto the part of your screen showing the uploads page display
(which may be blank).
Click "Yes" when asked if you want to upload the file(s).
If the site accepts your upload you will get some kind of message
indicating this somewhere on your screen-- maybe at the bottom--
saying "upload successful", "upload done", etc..
Uploading via an FTP program
o If you prefer using an ftp program (e.g. WS_FTP, Cute FTP, etc.)
or the ftp site will not permit browser uploads, start your ftp
program.
Select the desired FTP site's name in your "profiles list" (or,
if necessary, create the profile entry) and connect with the
FTP site.
Navigate to the FTP site's uploads folder-- usually, it will be
named "upload", "uploads", or "incoming". There may be folders
inside this one (like apple2/, apple2gs/, etc.) to open depending
upon what sort of stuff you are uploading.
Note: you may or may not see any files listed when in a site's
Uploads folder. Some FTP sites hide file names in this folder
and/or restrict folder access to upload-only.
For .shk, .dsk, and most other program files you upload, make
sure 'transfer mode' is set to "binary". (For Text files, mode
can be "text" or "ASCII"; however, "binary" mode is fine for
Text uploads.)
Highlight "NARFGAME.SHK" (and any other binary mode files to
upload) in the listing of files in your C:\UPDOWN folder.
Click an arrow button (or whatever) to start the transfer to
the FTP site's uploads folder.
If the upload is successful, you will usually get a message like
"transfer complete" on your ftp program's display.
With a little experience everything is nearly 'automatic'. However, there are a
few common mistakes which can ruin an upload:
o Probably, the most common error is failing to make sure "binary" is set
(check-marked, etc.) as the transfer mode when an .SHK file or other non-Text file is
uploaded using an ftp program. Basically, you should use binary mode for all uploads
to modern ftp sites. If some site complains when a .txt file is uploaded in binary
mode, use "text" (or "ASCII") mode for the Text file.
o Many Apple II users seem to feel that, because "Binary Up"-- an option which adds a
Binary II header-- is available on their telecom program, it should be used for all
transfers. It is best to turn OFF any Spectrum (ProTerm, etc.) option which adds a
Binary II header. (Also, you should _not_ use GS-ShrinkIt's option to add a Binary II
header.) A Binary II header renders a file useless until the header is stripped off;
so, for example, any Text file with the header will be un-readable by a PC. If a down
loader does not have an A2 telecom program which automatically strips off the header
during NULL modem transfers (or if "Binary Down" is turned OFF), the Text file will
look like garbage on the Apple II as well.
o Too many old-time Apple II users still insist upon doing a binscii conversion of
all .SHK files before uploading them. When, as sometimes happens, a binscii'd .SHK
file is uploaded as an ".SHK" file, downloaders end up with a ".SHK file which
ShrinkIt cannot unshrink". Except for uploads to text-oriented services like
comp.binaries.apple2, binscii is not necessary on the modern internet.
o Sometimes, a user will NULL modem an Apple Text file to PC using a block transfer
protocol (like Z-modem) and, then, upload the file as Text intended to be readable
on-line. Such a file will, usually, be a mess when viewed on a PC.
o Mac owners sometimes use the Mac version of ShrinkIt to create a ".SHK" archive of
Apple II files which is then uploaded to an Apple II FTP site. The result is another
'mystery .SHK file' which Apple II users cannot unshrink. .SHK files uploaded to an
Apple II FTP site should be created on an Apple II using an Apple II version of
ShrinkIt.
In short, most of the common uploading errors are the result of carelessness or
of doing something which is unnecessary. A good uploading 'rule of thumb' is "Keep it
simple".
----------------------------
005- What kinds of files should I upload to which sites?
I. Ground, TFFE, and most other Apple II ftp sites
These sites prefer .SHK files for stuff intended to run or be accessed on an
Apple II. For example, a game which includes a program file, text Readme file, and
folder of pic files would be shrinked into an .SHK file.
It is best to Shrink even compressed picture, small binary, and icon files and
upload them as .SHK files because everyone is used to dealing with .SHK files and the
filetype of shrinked files is preserved.
ProDOS diskettes should, usually, be uploaded as a collection of files in a
regular .SHK file. This uses less space than a whole-disk archive file.
DOS 3.3 diskettes should be uploaded as whole-disk archive .SDK files. (That is,
you have an .SHK whole-disk archive but you change its name to end with ".SDK".)
Pictures and diagrams you want to be both useable on an Apple II and viewable
on-line should be converted to .GIF form (e.g. via Super Convert) and uploaded in this
form.
If you have several pictures or diagrams you want to be accessible off-line on an
Apple II as well as a PC, Mac, etc., you can convert them to .GIF form, place them all
in a .ZIP file on your PC, and upload the .ZIP file.
All of the above would be uploaded in "binary" mode.
Text which is intended to be readable on-line should be uploaded as plain Text in
"ASCII" or "Text" mode or, on most sites today, in binary mode.
Whenever you upload a game, utility, etc. to an ftp site, it's a good idea to
also upload a brief Text file with a description of the uploaded item. For example,
after uploading NARFGAME2.SHK (in binary mode), you could upload a brief description
in a Text file named NARFGAME.TXT (in Text or binary mode).
II. Asimov and other Apple II emulator ftp sites
Upload files will, generally, be individual DOS 3.3 or ProDOS disk image (.DSK)
files created on an Apple II by DSK2FILE or ASIMOV. Upload in binary mode.
III. Comp.binaries.apple2
Programs, etc. posted to this newsgroup are normally .SHK files which have been
Binscii'd-- i.e. after Shrinking, the file is changed to Text form via a binscii
utility.
IV. Comp.sources.apple2
Source files posted to this newsgroup are normally plain Text.
____________________________
From: Brian Hammack
006- How can I read & send email and newsgroup messages
with my Apple II?
You can use a program by Tom Larson named "2qwk!". Many PC-based BBS's and other
servers have hidden among the door programs a "maildoor," which will package all
unread messages in a user's chosen news groups and make them available for download as
a single compressed file, called a QWK packet. (Hence "2qwk", QWK access for Apple II;
get it?!)
So, you have a QWK packet sent to your machine, which takes a few seconds to a
few minutes depending on how fast the modem is and how many messages there are. Then,
you can go off-line and launch 2qwk!. Selecting "Archiver" lets you start the utility
of your choice (such as Angel 0.81b, available separately) to unpack the QWK packet
and return to 2qwk!.
Now, you may select "Messages" to view your news groups, scan messages by author
and subject, and, finally, read individual messages. When you find a post that needs a
reply, you can decide how much of the message to quote and type-in your words of
wisdom. You can also haul in text from disk and, even, pick just the right tagline
(snappy words at the very end of many messages seen on-line nowadays). Naturally,
2qwk! allows complete freedom to change a message title along with the group to which
it is
to be posted and to originate new messages.
When you are done reading and replying, you exit the program and it creates a
reply file, called a REP packet. The next time you connect, you simply upload the REP
to the maildoor. The maildoor will decide what goes where and your messages will enter
cyberspace pronto!
To use 2qwk! you will need an enhanced Apple IIe, IIc, or IIgs, with at least
128k RAM and drive space to hold the QWK data. The program itself will fit on a 5.25"
disk with plenty of room to spare. Of course, the server to which you connect must
have a QWK-compatible maildoor. 2qwk! runs under ProDOS 2.x. It comes with QuickFix, a
program to patch ProDOS, and other utility programs to handle MSDOS-legal names.
____________________________
From: Richard Der
007- With a fast modem, how can the IIe connect to the internet?
Get an Internet Service Provider that has the option of a text based shell
account. For email, Proline and METAL BBS's work well too.
----------------------------
008- I'm on the Internet and running the Lynx web browser.
It dosn't look like Netscape Navigator at all. Where do
I put in the URL?
Type "g" which will bring up a URL dialog. You can then type in the URL and hit
return.
----------------------------
009- How do I download an .SHK file through Lynx? Selecting the
link gives an unusable text dump.
Just highlight the link, but do not press return. Press "d" instead, which will
bring up the download dialog.
____________________________
From: Rubywand
010- Can I send and receive FAXes using my Apple II?
If your Apple II is a IIgs, yes. There are two GS FAXing programs: FAXination and
PMPFAX.
----------------------------
011- What is a "Binary II" header?
A Binary II header is a small block of code tacked onto some Apple II files.
Sometimes, this is referred to as a "binary wrapper". Mainly, the Binary II header
contains filetype information. The purpose of Binary II is to allow Apple II users to
download files and have them show up with the correct filetype. (Otherwise, a
downloaded file tends to show up as a TXT type file.)
In order for a Binary II header to be recognized and used to supply the filetype
info, the Apple II downloading software must have its "Binary Down" option set to ON.
The problem with this is that, at least on a few popular telecom wares (like
Spectrum), setting "Binary Down" to ON will turn OFF Resume Transfer, something you
probably do not want to do when downloading over phone lines.
When you use a PC or Mac to handle downloads and, then, NULL-modem the files to
your Apple, it makes sense to leave "Binary Down" ON for the telecom program running
on the Apple II. Resume Transfer is not necessary because you have a direct,
noise-free connection between two machines. Meanwhile, Binary Down will automatically
recognize and strip-off any Binary II header and save the resulting file with the
correct filetype.
----------------------------
012- Should I add a Binary II header to files I upload?
In general, no. Binary II is an Apple-only device which, today, is largely
unnecessary and can cause problems. Virtually the only valid use for Binary II is to
retain filetype information for .SEA self-extracting archives. (An .SEA file with a
Binary II header is a .BSE file.) The only file which significantly benefits form a
Binary II header is a self-extracting archive of GS-ShrinkIt.
____________________________
From: Adalbert Goertz
013- How can I use my Apple II on the internet?
So, you have been told that you cannot get ftp or http files or images, right? Of
course, you cannot read .pdf files either because you have an obsolete computer,
right? Well, you are told wrong!
There is a list that you can subscribe to which tells you all you need to know about
emailing efficiently. It is called "ACCMAIL". To subscribe write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
with message in body:
subscribe accmail your.id
and you should be on. You can change the setting to digest, too, (which I recommend).
So, how do you get ftp files? There are a number of addresses which will send you ftp
files which accmail tells you about. I use [EMAIL PROTECTED] to get ftp files by
email. I think that by sending HELP to that address you will get the rules of how to
do it.
How about surfing the net? Well, I send messages to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or [EMAIL
PROTECTED] with SUBJECT anything (it will be ignored) and message:
get http://www..................html
You can expect to receive the www-document in your email box.
If you need to look at the source files of the www-page, send message:
source http://www.................html
You also may simply send message HELP to the above addresses, if your request fails.
This way you will find out whether or not you made a mistake in sending your request.
If the http-URL is too long (more than one line), you may expect problems.
Some of the servers will send you image files, too, like .gif or .jpg files. I get
these files as file attachments in my mailbox. You have to experiment to see what
works for you. Some files are ready to use, others need to be decoded (uuencode or
mime) with BISCIT.
Search engines? Yes, they are available, too.
You need to know about http-URLs on keyword1 and keyword2? Send message to [EMAIL
PROTECTED] In the body write this:
search keyword1 keyword2
Voila, you are in business.
If the http-URL contains a pdf-file, send message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] or to [EMAIL
PROTECTED] with message:
http://www.........pdf
and you will get the file back in text format.
If you want the pdf-files back in html-format, that can be done by replacing "txt" in
the URLs with "htm".
I use Proterm 3.1 for surfing by email and have my favorite addresses available as
macros.
| <-- __Chronological__ --> | <-- __Thread__ --> |
