david@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (David Dantowitz) (12/20/89)
All the files I see here say MUST use BinHex 4.0. I've seen 5.0 on some Macs... is this really 5.0? Why isn't 5.0 used elsewhere? -- David Dantowitz david@cs.ucla.edu Singing Barbershop when I'm not computing...
barry@playfair.STANFORD.EDU (barry) (12/22/89)
In article <30103@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> david@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (David Dantowitz) writes: >All the files I see here say MUST use BinHex 4.0. I've seen 5.0 on some >Macs... is this really 5.0? Why isn't 5.0 used elsewhere? It is, but we can't use it - Binhex 5.0 is an 8-bit binary format, also known as MacBinary format. Many terminal programs translate files to and from this format automatically, and many BBS's store their files in this format. (Such files often have the .bin suffix.) But 8-bit files can't be sent through email on the net, so most net archives use Binhex 4.0 (.hqx) format, which is a 7-bit format which will go through mailers.Barry Eynon barry@playfair.stanford.edu -ARPA ...!decwrl!shasta!playfair!barry -USENET
fred@ubvax.UB.Com (Fred Noon) (12/22/89)
In article <30103@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> david@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (David Dantowitz) writes: >All the files I see here say MUST use BinHex 4.0. I've seen 5.0 on some >Macs... is this really 5.0? Why isn't 5.0 used elsewhere? I beleive that the explanation is that Stuffit's BinHex encode/decode works by the 4.0, not the 5.0 algorithm. (It also automatically puts that "(This must be decoded . . ." message in there.) The reasons for using 4.0 over 5.0 are: 1) 4.0 files are ASCII graphic characters (mail programs like them) 2) 5.0 is supposed to be a little buggy with checksums & possibly other things. In practice I assume most folks are not using BinHex at all, but rather doing everything with Stuffit (which, since it can "do it all" -- almost -- is a reasonable stategey). [BTW: I only have BinHex 5.0 myself.] I hope that shareware Stuffit is still available: Lau went "commercial" a short time ago and there is a commertial product hitting the streets which, I guess, does more things for more $$$. Stuffit's all I need. [I paid my shareware fee for version 1.5.1 plus $2 for the next release to be sent to me. As it was never sent I assume that it never appeared. Do I get my $2 back or do they send me the new product, I wonder?] ====================================================================== Fredrik Noon (ubvax.ub.com!fred) [If a 68k can't test-and-set then it must be a Macintosh.] ======================================================================
ostroff@penelope.oswego.edu (Boyd Ostroff) (12/24/89)
In article <30103@shemp.CS.UCLA.EDU> david@oahu.cs.ucla.edu (David Dantowitz) writes: >All the files I see here say MUST use BinHex 4.0. I've seen 5.0 on some >Macs... is this really 5.0? No. When you use BinHex 4.0, it inserts the "This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0" header in the file. >Why isn't 5.0 used elsewhere? > Two reasons: (1) BinHex 5.0 is shareware whereas 4.0 is public domain. (2) Most importantly, BinHex 5.0 is "MacBinary" which converts files using embedded control characters which will give you all kinds of grief if you try to UUCP them, or edit them under UNIX. BinHex 4.0 uses only printable ASCII characters. Bottom line is that you can use BinHex 5.0 to unpack files from comp.sys.mac but not to pack them.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Boyd Ostroff, Technical Director ||||||| System Administrator, "The CallBoard" Theatre Department, SUNY Oswego ||||||| Serving the performing arts since 1986 (315) 341-2987 ||||||| (315) 947-6414 300/1200/2400 baud 8N1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ostroff@oswego.Oswego.EDU ...!rutgers!rochester!kodak!gizzmo!cboard!ostroff