dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Rahul Dhesi) (08/02/89)
The bad news:
Due to a delay in completing the OS upgrade of bsu-cs, and the fact
that I am scheduled to be out of town Auguest 2 through August 10, the
silence in comp.binaries.ibm.pc will extend to around August 11.
The good news:
Except for incoming submissions that have just arrived, all normal
submissions have been cleared and the input queue is empty. There are
some things that need further action (stuff that doesn't work or
doesn't extract, or whose copyright status isn't clear, etc.). But
everything that could be posted has been posted. So the silence will
not really cost you much by way of software in comp.binaries.ibm.pc.
Notes:
1.
Some info postings were due to appear this week in comp.binaries.ibm.pc,
explaining how to extract and decode posted binaries and how to submit
software for posting. These will appear after August 10. If you are
still looking for this information, please ask others at your Usenet
site -- there is a good possibility that somebody will be able to
answer your questions. However, here is some brief information to tide
you over:
EXTRACTING: The simplest sequence for extracting most posted software
is:
a. Use the "combine" script (given below) on all parts of the
posting in sequence. This will usually give you a zoo
archive. E.g., for a three-part posting, save it in files
called "part01", "part02", and "part03", and then give the
command:
combine part01 part02 part03
b. Use zoo to extract the contents of the archive.
c. Don't forget to read the text in part 1 of each posting.
It contains some information about the software, so you can
decide if you want to bother with it.
When transferring files from a UNIX machine to your PC, if you are
using Kermit, be sure that Kermit on both ends knows whether the file
is text or binary. Probably 90% of all file transfer problems
discussed in comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d involve not correctly telling the
transport software what type of file is being transferred. In most
cases you will tell Kermit "set file type binary" at the UNIX end and
"set eof noctrl-z" at the MS-DOS end.
The "combine" script is an executable file containing:
cat $* | sed '/^END/,/^BEGIN/d'| uudecode
SUBMITTING: Archive the software with "zoo", "arc", "pkzip", "tar", or
"cpio" "abe". Encode the resulting archive to make it printable
(except in the case of "abe") using "uuencode" or "btoa". Split the
resulting file into pieces no more than about 45 kilobytes long. Use
an informative subject heading, and mail each piece to:
UUCP address: iuvax!bsu-cs!ibmpc-binaries
Domain address: ibmpc-binaries@bsu-cs.bsu.edu
For inquiries, as opposed to submissions, use the following address:
UUCP address: iuvax!bsu-cs!ibmpc-binaries-request
Domain address: ibmpc-binaries-request@bsu-cs.bsu.edu
(You can also send inquiries to my personal mailbox, but in the long
run the address above is better it allows inquires re moderation to be
separated from my own mail.)
When submitting software, be sure to include your email address
somewhere in the body of your first message. Message headers often get
mangled by mail gateways, with the result that you mail can be
unreplyable unless I can find a return address in the body.
Also, be sure to include a Subject: heading. I often have to scan
through several hundred messages to find the one I am looking for, and
if a message doesn't have a Subject: heading, there is a distinct
possibility that it will simply get buried in my tremendous pile of
mail and never be seen again.
2.
Any email sent to me during the last three or four days has either been
answered already a few minutes ago, or won't be answered until after
August 10.
(With apologies to newsadmins, this article is posted with a long
expiration date.)
--
Rahul Dhesi <dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu>
UUCP: ...!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!dhesibrown@astroatc.UUCP (Vidiot) (08/02/89)
In article <8472@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Rahul Dhesi) writes:
<The bad news:
<
<EXTRACTING: The simplest sequence for extracting most posted software
<is:
<
< a. Use the "combine" script (given below) on all parts of the
< posting in sequence. This will usually give you a zoo
< archive. E.g., for a three-part posting, save it in files
< called "part01", "part02", and "part03", and then give the
< command:
<
< combine part01 part02 part03
Since when has the combine script become "lazy"? A long time ago a better
combine script was posted. It works much nicer, especially on programs with
MANY parts. Who wants to type in the names of all 11 pieces :-) So, attached
below is the original, longer, better script:
***** CUT HERE *****
#! /bin/csh -f
set noglob
@ count = 1
if ($#argv == 0 || $#argv == 1) then
echo 'combine: filename number_of_files'
else
if (-e $argv[1].uue) rm $argv[1].uue
if (-e $argv[1].temp) rm $argv[1].temp
while ($count <= $argv[2])
echo 'Moving '$argv[1]'.'$count' to '$argv[1]'.temp'
cat $argv[1].$count >> $argv[1].temp
@ count++
end
echo 'Creating '$argv[1]'.uue'
cat $argv[1].temp | sed '/^END/,/^BEGIN/d' > $argv[1].uue
if (-e $argv[1].temp) rm $argv[1].temp
endif
***** CUT HERE *****
The syntax is simple. One saves the files as program_name.sequence_number,
ie, part.1 part.2 part.3 ... When one is ready to combine the pieces,
one says:
combine part 3
The script will then put all the pieces into a .temp file and then sed it
into a .uue file.
Hopefully you will find this script more useful.
--
harvard\ att!nicmad\
Vidiot ucbvax!uwvax..........!astroatc!brown
rutgers/ decvax!nicmad/
ARPA/INTERNET: brown%astroatc.UUCP@spool.cs.wisc.edudhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Rahul Dhesi) (08/03/89)
In article <2487@astroatc.UUCP> brown@astroatc.UUCP (Vidiot) writes: >Since when has the combine script become "lazy"? A long time ago a better >combine script was posted. It works much nicer, especially on programs with >MANY parts. Who wants to type in the names of all 11 pieces :-) Maybe I'm missing something, but the good old "combine" script cat $* | sed '/^END/,/^BEGIN/d'| uudecode does happily accept usage like combine part* provided the parts are numbered in sequence, and will happily combine and extract all of them. -- Rahul Dhesi <dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> UUCP: ...!{iuvax,pur-ee}!bsu-cs!dhesi (Will change to cirrusl!dhesi effective approximately August 28)
brown@astroatc.UUCP (Vidiot) (08/03/89)
In article <8478@bsu-cs.bsu.edu> dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Rahul Dhesi) writes: <In article <2487@astroatc.UUCP> brown@astroatc.UUCP (Vidiot) writes: <>Since when has the combine script become "lazy"? A long time ago a better <>combine script was posted. It works much nicer, especially on programs with <>MANY parts. Who wants to type in the names of all 11 pieces :-) < <Maybe I'm missing something, but the good old "combine" script < < cat $* | sed '/^END/,/^BEGIN/d'| uudecode < <does happily accept usage like < < combine part* < <provided the parts are numbered in sequence, and will happily combine <and extract all of them. True, using wild cards will get you the whole list. But who says that it will be in order. Sure, you do a ls and they 'look' in order, but how did you actually store them. Do a tar or cpio and you will see that your disk isn't necessarily in order. I have received postings out-of-order. If I saved them in the order I received them, I just can't be sure that the wildcard will give them to me in order. Hence, I like using the combine script that was posted a long time ago. It gets around the problem of directory entry ordering. -- harvard\ att!nicmad\ Vidiot ucbvax!uwvax..........!astroatc!brown rutgers/ decvax!nicmad/ ARPA/INTERNET: brown%astroatc.UUCP@spool.cs.wisc.edu
astieber@csd4.milw.wisc.edu (Anthony J Stieber) (08/03/89)
I really feel stupid. For some time now I have had many problems with c.b.i.p, often more than half of the files I got were corrupted. It seems these combine scripts are used by everyone, so I thought I try it out. The "corrupted" files I still had around, now are fine! When I first started doing this I just used uudecode on the file, it didn't complain about the headers and footers at all. Oh well, here are some scripts that I use to make things easier. (these things work under BSD 4.3-tahoe, your mileage may vary) #! /bin/sh # comp.binaries.ibm.pc combine script, I use this now. cat $* | sed '/^END/,/^BEGIN/d' | uudecode #! /bin/csh #uudo combine $1 <-- just added this now uuh $1 zoo -test `basename $1 .uue`.zoo ls `basename $1 .uue`.* rm -i $1 #! /bin/csh #uuh, get the uucode header sed /\^begin/q < $1 > `basename $1 .uue`.hdr These scripts enable the user to just type: uudo filename.uue The file will be decoded, a header file will be created, then the zoo archive is tested, the relevant files are listed, then the user is asked if the uucode file should be deleted. The header files (*.hdr) are everything in a uucode file right up to the "begin xxx filename.zoo" line. I keep this around so that I know what "hg64g78.zoo" is in six months. The mini-reviews that Rahul makes are very useful (Thanks Rahul!). -- Tony Stieber astieber@csd4.milw.wisc.edu att!uwmcsd1!uwmcsd4!astieber "The hardware business is not like the software business. In software, you get immediate feedback. In hardware, there is a fairly long, unkind period when you have no idea if this pile of junk is going to work!" -- Chuck Thacker, Alto developer.
bk@kullmar.se (Bo Kullmar) (08/04/89)
dhesi@bsu-cs.bsu.edu (Rahul Dhesi) writes: >EXTRACTING: The simplest sequence for extracting most posted software >is: It is easier to use nn: Mark the articles and use the :decode command! --- Bo Kullmar, Helsingoersg. 38, S-164 42 KISTA, Sweden, Phone +46 8 7511518 UUCP: {uunet,mcvax,munnari,cernvax,diku,inria,prlb2,tut,ukc,unido} !sunic!kullmar!bk Internet: bk@kullmar.se