ts@uwasa.fi (Timo Salmi LASK) (12/12/89)
------------------- begin prerecorded message ----------------------
From: Prof. Timo Salmi (Anon. ftp site 128.214.12.3)
School of Business Studies, University of Vaasa, SF-65101, Finland
Internet: ts@chyde.uwasa.fi Funet: vakk::salmi Bitnet: salmi@finfun
There are some frequently asked questions about the programs
available by anonymous ftp from the /pc/.. directories at the
University of Vaasa, Finland, site 128.214.12.3. Here are some of
them prerecorded with answers. Please notice that the questions &
answers are not in any logical order. The order has more or less
been dictated by the arriving questions. And, there is overlapping.
...................................................................
Anonymous ftp site chyde.uwasa.fi 128.214.12.3 is moderated by
Timo Salmi ts@chyde.uwasa.fi PC directories /pc/pd2 and /pc/ts
Harri Valkama hv@chyde.uwasa.fi PC and Mac files, and uploads
Hannu Hirvonen hh@chyde.uwasa.fi VAX/VMS, Unix, system manager
...................................................................
1. *****
Q: I do not understand this getting files with anonymous ftp. What
does it mean?
A: Ftp stands for file transfer program, which is a standard
feature in many mainframe Unix and VAX/VMS systems. It also means
that you must have a network connection to reach University of
Vaasa. Please contact your computer's system manager for more
information on the connection. When this is ok, just follow the
instructions in the Appendix at the end of this prerecorded message.
2. *****
Q: Many of us users have no ftp access. Would you please send
programs to me by email.
A: Sorry. The reply to this frequent query is a definite no.
There is so much demand for programs that providing this kind of
service would simply get out of hand. But see also the Q&A on file
servers.
3. *****
Q: Why announce programs in the comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d newsgroup
when many users do not have the ftp capability?
A: Look at it this way. I know this is a problem. In fact I had
an interesting and lengthy email discussion with one user about this
dilemma. Let me put forward my own view about c.b.i.p.d. I feel
that the primary purpose of a group like this is (or should be) to
disseminate and exchange useful information about PC programs. A
secondary purpose is to exchange information about getting files.
In getting the files there are four major alternatives, that is
posting in binaries, ftp, emailing between users, and BBSes. What
this amounts to is that even if you do not have the ftp capability,
the information may give you usefuls hints what programs to look for
via the many alternative methods of getting the files.
4. *****
Q: Do you announce all your new programs in c.b.i.p.d?
A: No, with the exception of the programs in the /pc/ts directory
we have only announced programs that we have felt particularly
interesting for one reason or another. One reason for this is to
diminish traffic by avoiding duplicating the information sent out by
Simtel20. This is because very many of our programs are available
at both (and many other) sites. Incidentally, this does not imply
that all programs announced by Simtel20 will automatically be
available at our site.
5. *****
Q: I have the ftp (file transfer program) capability and a network
access that includes your 128.214.12.3 site. But how do I transfer
the files? What are the commands?
A: The information and examples in the appendix (see below) should
enable you to get the files.
6. *****
Q: I have received the programs but the package is corrupt. When I
try to unpak them with my unpacking program (pkxarc, pkunpak, arc,
etc.) the unpacking fails or produces files that lock my PC.
A: This is almost always due to the failing to transfer the files
correctly from your mainframe to your PC. Please see the latter part
of the appendix for more information.
7. *****
Q: I would rather like to get the files from Simtel20 since I have
an easier access there. Send me a list telling in which directories
the files are in Simtel20.
A: We are very often asked this (and other) information about
Simtel20. We do like to cooperate with Simtel20, but nevertheless
this is really something you should find out from Simtel20, not us.
Here is an edited extract from Simtel20, which you might find of
interest:
The index of SIMTEL20 MSDOS files, with descriptions, is
PD1:<MSDOS.FILEDOCS>SIMIBM.IDX. An archived version of the same
file is in PD1:<MSDOS.FILEDOCS>SIMIBM.ARC. Messages about system
problems, FTP problems, and network problems should be directed to
ACTION@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL. Messages about files in the MSDOS
collection should be directed to w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL.
8. *****
Q: Do you have a guest user-id? I cannot ftp, but I can reach your
site through the net. I type anonymous at the login: and then try
to give my email address at the Password:. I am not let in, but get
a "Login incorrect" message instead.
A: We do not accept guest users. This means that what you tried,
is not allowed at our site. The only way you can get connected to
our system is using the true ftp system, which is described in the
appendix.
9. *****
Q: I now have the files, but they have this .arc (or .lzh, .pak,
.zip, .zoo) extension and they won't run then I write their name at
my DOS prompt.
A: The files are packed (also often called archived) entities.
These are special formats of compressing files and packing several
files together. This is usually standard knowledge for PC users,
and if you are not familiar with the system, just ask a
knowledgeable fellow user. What you need is the proper unpacking
programs such as ARC, PKXARC, PKUNPAK, PAK, LHARC, ZOO and so on.
10. *****
Q: Please, tell me how to get the files sent to me using
file-servers.
A: I know very little about file servers. I know that we do not
have a fileserver or any other system at our site that would email
the files upon request. I also know that Simtel20, who have many of
the same files, can be sent file requests, but I do not know the
details. The following extract from comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest should,
however, give you some direction:
WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL can be accessed using LISTSERV commands
from BITNET via LISTSERV@NDSUVM1, LISTSERV@RPIECS, LISTSERV@FINTUVM
and in Europe from EARN TRICKLE servers. Send commands to
TRICKLE@<host-name> (example: TRICKLE@TREARN). The following
TRICKLE servers are presently available: AWIWUW11 (Austria),
BANUFS11 (Belgium), DKTC11 (Denmark), DB0FUB11 (Germany), IMIPOLI
(Italy), EB0UB011 (Spain) and TREARN (Turkey).
Messages about problems with BITNET or EARN file servers should
be directed to the system administrator at the server location.
SIMTEL20 does NOT run these servers.
11. *****
Q: I have made some programs myself which I think might be of
general interest. Would it be possible to upload them to your
system.
A: Yes, we are certainly interested in all quality programs. (A
proper documentation is one of the prerequisites). Please contact
Harri Valkama hv@chyde.uwasa.fi for more information.
12. *****
Q: Is there a description of the programs? I would like to have
some information on the files before I start transferring them.
A: Yes, certainly. This approach is even recommended. There is a
a 00read.me file of general information, and a file called 0contents
which has a general description of the files. Also see
0directory.list. Furthermore, directories /pc/pd2 and /pc/ts have
0contents files of their own. They both also have a 0news file
which has news on updates and such information. Finally there is a
/pc/ts/tsarcxxx.txt (where xxx stands for a changing version
number). It contains more detailed information on the contents of
each of the packages in the /pc/ts directory.
*****
APPENDIX: Obtaining the Programs
================================
You can obtain the file(s) from chyde.uwasa.fi (128.214.12.3)
using the InterNet ftp (file transfer program) with username
"anonymous". For a login password use your electronic mail address.
If you are using ftp from a VAX/VMS system, set case lower before
proceeding.
Consider as an example the programs of Timo Salmi. The files are
in directory /pc/ts. At the ftp> prompt first type binary (for
binary files). To go to the relevant directory apply cd /pc/ts. To
see its contents apply ls or dir. To download a file, use get
filename or mget filenames. The files have been packed with PKPAK
so you will need PKUNPAK from PKWARE to unpack them in your PC.
The following contains the same information by giving the
commands needed for transferring vaasa.inf (contains text on
Finland, Vaasa, and University of Vaasa) and tspfon29.arc as an
example. In the example its is assumed that you are calling from a
Unix system. The usage for a VAX/VMS system is quite similar.
It is recommended that you first get the file 0contents for more
information.
ftp #Invoke the file transfer program
open 128.214.12.3 #Connect to chyde.uwasa.fi at the University
#of Vaasa
anonymous #Use this name to get temporary privileges
Give your email address as your password
cd /pc/ts #Go to the relevant directory
dir #Directory of available files
ascii #vaasa.inf is an ordinary text file
get vaasa.inf #Copy the file to your default directory
binary #tspfon29.arc is a binary file
mget tspfon*.arc #mget allows wildcards
close #Terminate the connection
quit #Quit the file transfer program
Transferring the Programs to PC
===============================
After you have received the files to your host, there still
remains the task of transferring the programs to your PC. This is
familiar to most users, but occasionally there are problems. It
impossible to give advice that would cover resolving all the
difficulties, but the most common can be described. The most usual
file transfer method between the host and the user's PC is MsKermit.
(Z-modem and others may be used as well, but I would guess that most
often persons using these alternatives are advanced users, and can
resolve any problems by themselves.)
The most common problem is probably that after getting a packed
file to one's PC, the file appears damaged. Almost always this is
due to failing to set correctly the MsKermit parameters in BOTH ends
of the transfer. What you have to do is in your host MsKermit to
set file type binary, set parity even (or none or whatever), and in
your PC MsKermit you must have the SAME parity you set for your host
(select host MsKermit parity on the basis of your PC's). If you
fail to get these compatible, the transfer will not result in what
you want. Transferring text files does not lead to problems so
often. The trick is set file type text (or ascii depending on your
MsKermit version).
Finally, if nothing else, absolutely nothing else(!), seems to
resolve the problem, please let us know, and we will check that the
file at our site is good and proper.
-------------------- end prerecorded message -----------------------