lin@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au (Tony Lim) (05/12/91)
Hi, netters,
Can anyone tell me if there are any communication application which allow me
to download/upload files in one-go? I am using a Mac+ connecting to the
Unix system through Telnet. To download files from an anonymous FTP site,
I have to
A) Transfer file from anonymous FTP site to our Unix system
1) ftp ftp_site_address
2) TYPE anonymous
3) Type anything as password
4) Go to the right directory
5) Type get filename
6) Quit from ftp by typing "bye"
B) Transfer file from Unix to Mac
1) In Telnet, choose "Set Transfer Directory..."
2) choose "Send FTP command" under Network
3) type "Send filename"
4) type "bye" to quit from ftp
C) Decode binaries files
1) Decode the BinHexed file
2) Unstuffit file
3) Using other decompress application if the above procedure fails.
All the above involve a lot of work (and repeat every time). So, I am
looking for an application which only need me to put in
1) Where is the file from: ftp_site_address, directory, and filename
2) Where is the file to: the folder name in my Mac disk
and the application takes care all other procedures.
Is such a smart thing avaiable? I am sure this is the way to go.
Any pointer would be appreciated.
--Tonyconrad@popvax.uucp (M20400@c.nobili) (05/12/91)
(Tony Lim describes laborious process for telnet-ing from his Mac + to UNIX box so that he can ftp files to UNIX and then again to the Mac and then to decode and decompress -- he wants to know if there is a quick and easy way....) I note from your description that you have a NETWORK connection. I.e., you are using telnet to get from Mac to UNIX, not a serial telecommunications program. Given this nice situation, there are several more optimal things you can do. First, try getting the BYU version of NCSA Telnet. It has an ftp client built in, so you can ftp things directly to your Mac. It works, but that's about the only nice thing one can say about it (there is basically nothing that one could call a user interface...). Note that this will not save you lots of decoding and decompressing, unless you are getting text files or files from another Mac. Actually, I am not sure it does MacBinary -- I rarely use it.... My favorite way of doing this stuff is with HyperFTP. It is a HyperCard stack that implements a nice ftp client. There is a pop-up menu into which you can store frequently used addresses. And you can double-click to download files or change directories. But best of all, it can un-BinHex files on the fly on a download. You no longer have to un-BinHex things! It won't un-StuffIt things or un-Compactor or ... things though. I suppose one could do this in principle. Double-click on a remote file and up comes a save as dialog for (each of) the files IN the archive. Someone please write this! There is another program out there called XferIt which has similar features to HyperFTP. I just got it the other day and tried it out. I have heard others here say that it is really great, but I thought it was awful. I have heard that it is much faster than HyperFTP, but I don't know.... I _really_ don't think I could have set it up incorrectly, btw. What I found is that the directory up- dates _seemed_ to take much longer than with HyperFTP. And it is a neat idea to keep a window around with the contents of a directory that one has previously looked at. The contents of most sites do not change much during one's ftp ses- sion.... But I found it a real drag that the program will go out behind one's back and "freshen up" these listings. This is a problem since you can't do any- thing while this new directory listing is being gotten (nothing in XferIt, any- way). I found that this happened _much_ more frequently than at the five minute intervals at which the documentation claims it will happen -- but maybe my sense of time is confused when I am ftp-ing things.... I hated it, but try it, you may like it.... You can get HyperFTP from sumex as /info-mac/comm/hyperftp-13.hqx (Apple seems to be moving things around currently and I couldn't find it just now on either apple.apple.com or ftp.apple.com). You can get an OLD version of Xfer-It (1.1) in that directory. I have 1.3.1, which should be on mondo.engin.umich.edu, as that is where the author lists his e-mail address in the docs. (My nameserver is freaking out at the moment, so I can't verify the correct path and name....) You should try downloading things with either of these programs from an archive that keeps things in BinHex format to test auto-un-BinHex-ing and from an ar- chive that keeps things in MacBinary format for real ease of downloading.... Try sumex.stanford.edu and rascal.ics.utexas.edu to start.... Hope this is useful to you or others.... +---- C o n r a d C . N o b i l i ----+ | | | Harvard University | Internet: conrad@harvarda.harvard.edu | | Office for Info. Tech. | conrad@popvax.harvard.edu | | Information Services | BITNET: CONRAD AT HARVARDA | | Technical & User Services | CONRAD AT HARVSPHB | | 1730 Cambridge Street | voice: (617) 495-8554 | +---- Cambridge, MA 02138 | fax: (617) 495-0715 ----+
bskendig@dew.Princeton.EDU (Brian Kendig) (05/13/91)
In article <2281@diemen.utas.edu.au> lin@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au (Tony Lim) writes: >Can anyone tell me if there are any communication application which allow me >to download/upload files in one-go? I am using a Mac+ connecting to the >Unix system through Telnet. Yes, there is an easier way that what you describe. >To download files from an anonymous FTP site, I have to >A) Transfer file from anonymous FTP site to our Unix system A friend of mine told me (just last night, even!) about a command named `proxy' in ftp, whereby you can open two connections at once in one session, and files you `get' from one would be automatically `put' to the other. I haven't tried it yet, but I believe you just type `proxy <command>' instead of just `command' for everything you want to go to the second connection. Therefore at this point you would: - Hit Command-F to open an ftp session from NCSA Telnet to your Mac - Go to the right directory - Type `proxy open sumex-aim.stanford.edu' (or whatever other site name) - Type `anonymous' as the user name, then anything at all for the password - Type `proxy cd <path>', `proxy ls', or whatever else to navigate - Type `proxy get <file>' or `proxy mget <regexp>' or whatever - Quit from ftp by typing `bye' If I'm right, the files should end up on your Mac without ever landing on the Unix machine. Am I correct? (I haven't tried this yet.) >C) Decode binaries files > 1) Decode the BinHexed file > 2) Unstuffit file > 3) Using other decompress application if the above procedure fails. There's a Multifinder program named `Downline' (available from all the normal places) that will watch a folder for files to appear in it. When it finds a text file there it will un-binhex it, then it will unstuff stuffed archives, and finally place the finished product into another folder. So it seems to me that the easiest way to cope with ftp is to set up Downline on your Mac, then feed files to it through a proxy ftp connection. Piece of cake! (Downline works like a charm.) << Brian >> | Brian S. Kendig \ Macintosh | Engineering, | bskendig | | Computer Engineering |\ Thought | USS Enterprise | @phoenix.Princeton.EDU | Princeton University |_\ Police | -= NCC-1701-D =- | @PUCC.BITNET | "You gave your life to become the person you are right now. Was it worth it?"
ejbehr@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Eric Behr) (05/13/91)
Conrad Nobili just posted his tale of woe (and intrigue) re. XferIt. I thought I was the only one with this problem. XferIt is great (I think) as far as interface and functionality go, but with the slow transaction process I'm experiencing it's next to useless. The reason I don't just trash it is that *I saw it work like a charm*!!! Then it started acting up. I've had this problem with all versions, from 1.1 to the current 1.3.1. Since I'm totally puzzled as to why XferIt may be acting like this (other TCP/IP apps I use work just fine), I'm asking others - in particular Conrad - to briefly describe their soft/hardware. I'd suspect some INIT conflict, but I tried shutting off all the INITs with no luck. Steve (the author) is not aware of any such problems. The setup(s) which gave me problems: Mac SE and Mac II System 6.0.4 and 6.0.5 3Com and Apple ethernet cards XferIt 1.3.1 (and older) Thanks in advance! -- Eric Behr, Illinois State University, Mathematics Department Internet: ejbehr@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu Bitnet: ebehr@ilstu
lin@tasman.cc.utas.edu.au (Tony Lim) (05/14/91)
Hi, there, Thanks everyone who has responsed my question about "Download files in one-go" Follow netlanders suggestions, I have tried XFerIt 1.3. It works fine. However, after I finish transferring job and try to quit from the program, the screen become frozen, eventhough the mouse is still able to move. The thing I have used: System, Finder and MultiFinder, 6.0.7; Appleshare 2.0.2 All INIT/CDEVs except MacTCP 1.0.1 are removed. I am using 2.5M Mac+. There is no any problem if using Finder instead Multifinder. Can you give me any suggestions? I will post a summary after I solve out this problem. Many thanks, as always. --Tony A
makmur@paul.rutgers.edu (Hanz Makmur) (05/14/91)
In article <1991May12.210540.3378@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu> ejbehr@rs6000.cmp.ilstu.edu (Eric Behr) writes: > XferIt is great (I think) as far as interface and functionality go, but > with the slow transaction process I'm experiencing it's next to useless. What ?? Useless ?? I dont think so. I have used it almost everyday now and find it very good. It is faster then any FTP program I have seen. > The reason I don't just trash it is that *I saw it work like a charm*!!! > Then it started acting up. I've had this problem with all versions, from > 1.1 to the current 1.3.1. I Think you should check your system. Something weird is going on there.. > > Since I'm totally puzzled as to why XferIt may be acting like this (other > TCP/IP apps I use work just fine), I'm asking others - in particular Conrad > - to briefly describe their soft/hardware. I'd suspect some INIT conflict, > but I tried shutting off all the INITs with no luck. > Steve (the author) is not aware of any such problems. INITS ?? may be. But I have atleast 25 inits running under multifinder and have no problem at all. I have not run finder for about 8 months now. XFerIt has not once crash on me. > The setup(s) which gave me problems: > > Mac SE and Mac II > System 6.0.4 and 6.0.5 > 3Com and Apple ethernet cards > XferIt 1.3.1 (and older) How much memory do you have ? May be you should increase the system heap of your Mac. It is the most know problem that macs crashes due to small system heap. I have System 6.05 also and no problem... --- Hanz Makmur Rutgers University