Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!nycmny1-snh1.gtei.net!paloalto-snf1.gtei.net!news.gtei.net!enews.sgi.com!feeder.via.net!HSNX.atgi.net!feeder.nmix.net!reader.nmix.net!oracle.zianet.com!bgrubb From: Bruce Grubb Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm,comp.answers,news.answers Subject: comp.sys.mac.comm FAQ (v 2.2.1) Aug 1 2000 1/3 Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.comm Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2000 16:43:20 -0600 Organization: NMIX Lines: 1206 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: oracle.zianet.com X-Trace: reader.nmix.net 965169279 89797 204.134.124.52 (1 Aug 2000 22:34:39 GMT) X-Complaints-To: news@nmix.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 1 Aug 2000 22:34:39 GMT User-Agent: MT-NewsWatcher/3.0 (PPC) Archive-name: macintosh/comm-faq/part3 Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.sys.mac.comm:293308 comp.answers:41765 news.answers:188848 This is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list for comp.sys.mac.comm ===================================================================== This list of frequently asked questions and answers is intended to help reduce the number of "often asked questions" that make the rounds here in comp.sys.mac.comm. Since comp.sys.mac.comm is intended as a forum to discuss telecommunication (and related issues) that are specific to the Macintosh, most questions about modems, telecommunications in general, and other non-Macintosh specific communication questions are not listed here. The proper newsgroup for such questions is usually comp.dcom.modems. This list is posted periodically (about once a month) to the Usenet groups comp.sys.mac.comm, comp.answers, and news.answers. Latest versions of the FAQ can be retrieved via anonymous FTP from any info-mac mirror and from This FAQ is purely a volunteer effort. Although every effort has been made to insure that answers are as complete and accurate as possible, NO GUARANTEE IS IMPLIED OR INTENDED. The editor and contributors have developed this FAQ as a service to Usenet. We hope you find it useful. It has been formatted in both HTMl and ASCII format for your browsing convenience. The editor/maintainer of this FAQ takes no responsibility for its contents. Thanks to David Oppenheimer for giving me permission to continue the FAQ. Please send your corrections and comments to the editor, Bruce L Grubb at BruceG6069@aol.com SHARE THIS INFORMATION FREELY AND IN GOOD FAITH. DO NOT DISTRIBUTE MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THIS FAQ. DO NOT REMOVE THIS NOTICE OR THE TEXT ABOVE. (INCLUDING THE 'LastModified' HEADER; THANKS.) Exception to the above: Excerpts of this FAQ not exceeding 9000 characters in length may be reprinted PROVIDED that "the comp.sys.mac.comm Usenet newsgroup FAQ" is credited as the source of the information. Even in this case, no editing of the quoted material is permitted ===================================================================== TABLE OF CONTENTS: + = Updated or New information [1] Modems and Cables [1.1] What kind of modem will work with my Macintosh? [1.2] What kind of cable do I need to use my external modem with my Macintosh? [1.3] What do V.32, V.42, bis, MNP, etc mean? [1.4] How fast can the Macintosh serial ports really go? [1.5] How can I disable call-waiting when using my modem? [2] File Formats and Conversion [2.1] What is a resource (or data) fork? [2.2] What is encoding? [2.3] What is BinHex? What is uuencode? What is Base64? [2.4] What are AppleSingle and AppleDouble? What is MacBinary? [2.5] What do file suffixes like .hqx, .sit, .bin, etc ... mean and how can I convert such files back to normal Macintosh applications and documents? [2.6] After decoding and expanding a file I get an unknown document file. How do I open this file? [3] Macintosh File Transfers [3.1] What is the difference between a commmunication and an Internet connection? [3.2] What commmunications programs are available? [3.3] What Internet programs are available? [3.4] What is Telnet, and what MacOS Telnet Programs are there? [3.5] What's the best compression program to use when uploading files to an archive or BBS? Are there any other guidelines I should follow? [3.6] How can I transfer Macintosh files to/from my Macintosh and other non-Macintosh computers (eg: mainframes, UNIX boxes, PCs)? [3.7] Is there a newsgroup for MacOS binaries? [4] Networking basics [4.1] What is the difference between AppleTalk, LocalTalk, Ethernet, EtherTalk, TCP/IP, etc? [4.2] What is Open Transport? [4.3] How can I change the Chooser "user" and name of my Macintosh? Also: Why can I no longer change the name of my hard-disk? [4.4] How can I use the services of my EtherTalk network and print to my LocalTalk-only printer at the same time? [5] Internet Networking [5.1] What kind of hardware and software do I need to have a direct connection (ie use TCP/IP protocol) to the Internet? [5.2] What are SLIP, CSLIP and PPP? +[5.3] FreePPP and OT/PPP Frequently Asked Questions [5.4] Do I have to know anything about Unix to use the Internet? [5.5] Is there a UNIX program that will convert between BinHex and MacBinary? [6] Miscellaneous +[6.1] I just downloaded an .AVI file but Quicktime will not play it correctly. Am I missing something? Appendices: [A] List of Common File Suffixes and Abbreviations [B] Mac program archive list link and Vendor Information [C] Contributors ===================================================================== [1] Modems and Cables ===================== [1.1] What kind of modem will work with my Macintosh? ----------------------------------------------------- Any *external* Hayes compatible modem will work with your Macintosh. There are too many to list or review here. The USENET newsgroup comp.dcom.modems is a good place to ask questions about the many different external Hayes compatible modems. Such modems can be used with any computer (Macintosh, UNIX box, MS-DOS PC, Amiga, etc) with a serial port (e.g.: Macintosh modem port) interface. However, there *are* modems that are designed specifically for use with the Macintosh. Examples include internal Powerbook modems, ADB modems, and internal NuBus modems. Note that modems for the Macintosh Performa apparently can only plug into the Macintosh Performa because of an extra pin which they posesses (there is a corresponding extra hole on the Performa serial port connector into which this pin fits). As a result, the bundled Global Village FAX modem can only plug into the Performa. Other modems can of course also plug into the Performa; the extra pin only prevents plugging the Performa-specific modem into other Macs. Assuming you wish to use an external modem, your only other hardware consideration is to find an appropriate hardware-handshaking cable to connect it to your Macintosh. (see [1.2] for details). Various special modems exist with unique features; the most notable type is the dual FAX/modem. For more information, visit comp.dcom.modems or your local dealer: there are simply too many products to describe here. [1.2] What kind of cable do I need to use my external modem with my Macintosh? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Most modems have a female DB-25 (25 pin) connector labelled RS-232C on their backsides. The earliest models of the Macintosh used DB-9 (9 pin) connector, while from the Mac Plus to the first G3 macs used mini DIN-8 (8 pin) connector for the two serial ports (modem and printer), and the current G3 models use a USB port. Finding a hardware handshaking cable for a DB-25 to DIN-8 14.4K+ configuration at most computer accessory store should not be very difficult and typically sale $15.00 (10 ft) via mail order. Note some older modem cables are -not- hardware-handshaking and can cause such problems as repeated transmission errors, a drop in the transfer rate, and possibly an aborted transmission. I am not currently aware of any USB to DB-25 cables but given the large number of DB-25 modems out there I imagine there either are some or soon will be. [1.3] What do V.32, V.42, bis, MNP, etc mean? --------------------------------------------- Because these topics are universal telecommunications issues, they are more fully discussed in comp.dcom.modems. However, a short description of some of the more common abbreviations and buzzwords is given below. <> Buzzword What it typically means --------------- ---------------------------------------------- bit : binary digit; amount of information necessary to distinguish between two equally likely events (such as the value of a binary digit) byte : eight bits; size of a single ASCII character bps : bits per second baud : one analog signal state change; people usually use baud and bps interchangeable, although most modern modems can encode multiple bits per baud Bell 103 : 300 bps U.S. Standard Bell 212A : 1200 bps U.S. Standard LAP/M : Link Access Protocol/Modem. MNP : Microcom Networking Protocol (Proprietary) MNP5 : MNP extension; 2 to 1 data compression. V.32 : 9600bps, 4800bps V.32bis : 14.4Kbps, 12Kbps, 9600bps, 7200bps, 4800bps V.32terbo : psuedo-standard extending V.32bis to 16.8, 19.2 kbs V.34 : 28,800 bps, 14,400 bps, 9,600 bps, 2,400 bps V.Fast : Interim version of V.34; sometimes used as a nickname for V.34 V.FC : proprietary Rockwell protocol used before V.34 was approved as a standard V.42 : MNP 4 and LAP/M modem to modem error correction V.42bis : LAP/M and 4-to-1 data compression. X2/K56flex : Two incompatable proprietary formats for 56K Dependent on a digital equipment which some areas do not have. V.90 : standard for 56K modems Note: Some V.FC modems do not work with V.34 modems at 28,800 bps. FAX standards: V.21 : 300 bps FAX V.27ter : 4800 bps FAX V.29 : 9600 bps FAX V.17 : 14400 bps FAX Table 1.3.1 [1.4] How fast could the Macintosh serial ports really go? -------------------------------------------------------- Orignally the MacOS supported up to an asynchronous data rate of 57600 bps though the serial hardware could support much higher transfer rates externally clocked (as much as 16 times synchronously). The AV and Powermac introduced a different SCC clock and DMA based serial driver which allowed 115,200 and 230,400 bps. (Ward McFarland <70240.504@compuserve.com>, Dan Schwarz ) USB which replaced the serial ports can go as fast as 1.5 MB/s While the ability of the serial ports to achive these speeds was useful in the days of communications software (see [3.1]) its importance dwindled with the introduction of Intenet communications and PPP (see [5.3]). The reason is that many non-text files on the Internet are already compressed which renders the built in MNP5 and V.42bis compression methods virturally useless. In addition due to limiations in equipment and phone line quality even a 56K modem rarely gets a sustained throughput over 50K. For these reasons the modem scripts that come with Open Transport have 57600 bps as the maximum serial speed for a modem. [1.5] How can I disable call-waiting when using my modem? --------------------------------------------------------- This varies depending on your local phone company, but often, if you preced the phone number you wish to tone dial with "*70," (omit the quotes but not the comma), you can disable call-waiting FOR THAT CALL ONLY. If you have a strictly rotary dial line, try preceding the phone number with "1170". In the United Kingdom, the code to use is #43#. In New Zealand, the code to use is *52. If you are using Telecom Australia, ATDT#43#,;H Will turn call-waiting OFF ATDT*43#,;H Will turn it back ON again. ===================================================================== [2] File Formats and Conversion =============================== [2.1] What is a resource (or data) fork? ---------------------------------------- A Macintosh file has two parts: a data fork and a resource fork. Text files and GIF image files are examples of Macintosh files that are usually stored completely in the data fork, and have an empty (or nonexistent) resource fork. Applications, as a counter-example, store most if not all of their information in 'resources' in the resource fork and usually have an empty data fork. Because this two-forked organization of files isn't very common, not only did Mac archive formats have to support them but a means to turn the two fork Mac file into a data fork had to be developed so that mac files could pass through non-macintosh machines (such as UNIX boxes, or MS-DOS machines) without being damaged. This also means that without modification non-mac archives and encoding formats cannot be used to send mac files. [2.2] What is encoding? ------------------------ To understand 'encoding' as the term is normally used on the Internet one needs to understand the difference between "binary" and ASCII. With the noted exception of text files computers store information in "binary" format which means that all 8-bits of a byte are used. By contrast ASCII originally only defined the first 7 bits of a byte setting the high bit in each byte to zero. As an added complication the character sets for byte values 128-255 used by ANSI and early (1981-c1990) IBM PCs differed. As a result for 8-bit information to reliably be sent between computers it had to be translated into 7-bit ASCII text or 'encoded'. This was especially true of Usenet and e-mail which even today mostly supports 7-bit ASCII. Because 8-bits worth of data are being put into a 7-bit text file encoded files are always larger than their binary counterparts. Due to its data and resource fork structure the Mac has an additional type of encoding structure: Binary encoding. Unlike ASCII encoding there is virturally no increase in file size but since these formats are 8-bit they cannot be used on their own in the remaining areas of the Internet that only support 7-bit (like E-mail and Usenet). [2.3] (a) What is BinHex? (b) What is uuencode? (c) What is Base64 ? --------------------------------------------------------------------- These are all ASCII encoding (see [2.2]) formats. (a) BinHex 4.0, by Yves Lempereur, is a binary to text translator that can directly encode any Macintosh document (ie: it knows how to convert information in both the resource and data forks). Since the format is mainly used on already compressed files the RLE compression method that can be part of the format is rarely used. BinHex files can be easily recognized since they begin with the line: (This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0) and are followed by a line starting with a colon, ':'. The BinHex encoding of the file follows, and is ended with another colon. Binhex 4.0 files also can be identified externally by the suffix ".hqx". There is in fact a program called "BinHex 4.0" in various archives, but it has a bug wherein it refuses to decode .hqx files with very long names and you don't have to use it to convert files to and from BinHex. It's best to use one of the other more powerful utilities like StuffIt Expander and other StuffIt programs, SunTar, and HQXer to name only a few. StuffIt Expander has the advantage of also being able to automatically expand StuffIt, Compact Pro, and Applelink archives and being available on PCs. UNIX utilities (see [5.6]) that manipulate BinHex, MacBinary II, and other types of Macintosh files are also available though they are very old. The specifications to BinHex, should you be an interested programmer, are available at the University of Michigan's Macintosh archive site as mac/misc/documentation/binhex4.0specs.txt, or at InfoMac sites as dev/info/binhex-40-specs.txt. There is also a program/format called "BinHex 5.0"; but it is NOT a more advanced version of "BinHex 4.0" but rather a separate _binary_ encoding format (see [2.2]). BinHex 5.0, written by Yves Lempereur, in 1985 was the first MacBinary converter available. BinHex 5.0 (also called MacBinary I) was replaced by the MacBinary II format which added support for several then new MacOS features (see [2.4b]). As new versions of BinHex were developed, they encoded only the new format but continued to decode all previous formats: BinHex 1.0 encodes .hex and decodes .hex BinHex 2.0 encodes .hex & .hcx and decodes .hex & .hcx BinHex 3.0 never existed BinHex 4.0 encodes .hqx and decodes .hex, .hcx & .hqx BinHex 5.0 encodes MacBinary I and decodes .hex, .hcx, .hqx & MacBinary I (b) "uuencode" is a binary to text translator that serves the same purpose as BinHex, except that it knows nothing about the Macintosh resource/data fork structure. Uuencode was designed to allow UNIX binary files to be easily transferred through text-only interfaces, such as e-mail. Every uuencoded file contains a line similar to: begin 644 usa-map.gif followed by a series of lines of ASCII text characters (which are normally 60 characters long and begin with the letter 'M'). The file ends with a line containing the word 'end'. There may be other special keywords included. Externally uuencode files are usially denoted with the suffix ".uu" or ".uue". Usually, one won't find Macintosh files in uuencode format; however, most non-Macintosh specific binary data posted to Usenet is uuencoded, so if you wish to use any of this data (such as the images posted in alt.binaries.* and elsewhere), you will need to deal with uuencode. The programs 'uuencode' and 'uudecode' exist on most UNIX systems. If not, don't worry as there are many programs allow you to convert to and from uuencode using your Macintosh (see [2.6]). (c) Base64 is the encoding format used by Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (Mime) files. The reason mime uses Base64 rather than the more popular uuencode format is that uuencode is not really a standard but rather a collection of related but different formats. This rendered uuencode impractical as a cross platform encoding format. Mac files being sent via e-mail are usially binary encoded (usially in AppleDouble) before being encoded in Base64. [2.4] a) What are AppleSingle and AppleDouble? b) What is MacBinary? ------------------------ These are all Mac binary encoding (see [2.2]) formats. a) AppleSingle and AppleDouble were developed out of a need to share Mac file between the MacOS and A/UX (Apple's first UnixOS) as well as allowing A/UX users to edit MacOS files. The specs of these formats can be found at . AppleDouble is useful today because it divides a Mac file into two files: one for the data fork (with original filename) and the other for resource fork (with '%' prefixing the original filename) This made it easy to adopt AppleDouble to MIME - have non-mac systems simply ignore the '%' file. Mac e-mail programs that use AppleSingle and AppleDouble encode them into Base64. b) MacBinary is the Mac's standard binary encoding (see [2.2]) format. MacBinary's purpose is to encapsulate *all* information (including the filename, creation and modification dates, file type and creator) contained in a Macintosh file for transport over a non-Macintosh medium. Although a Macintosh program (called MacBinary) does exist to do the converting to and from MacBinary, almost all modern Macintosh telecommunications and Internet programs have the capability of converting and unconverting MacBinary files for you. ZTerm, for example, can be configured to automatically detect when a MacBinary file is being received and to convert this file to its original representation; or, if you are uploading, ZTerm can optionally encode the file into MacBinary before sending. Fetch, and most other shareware and commercial products have equivalent or similar capabilities. Dennis Brothers, Yves Lempereur, and others gathered on CompuServe to discuss what eventually became the original MacBinary standard. According to Lempereur, "We finally agreed on using the MacTerminal format (without the modified XModem protocol). I then wrote BinHex 5.0 (see [2.3]) to support MacBinary. A year later, the same group got together on CompuServe again and created MacBinary II." MacBinary I is the name given to the old MacBinary standard. MacBinary II is the name given to the new MacBinary standard which everybody uses today; in common usage, MacBinary means MacBinary II. MacBinary III is an update to the vernerable c1987 format that supports the icon badge custom routing information finder flags that are part of MacOS 8.5. Since then, BinHex and the MacBinary II have become the standard way of encapsulating Macintosh files for transfer over foreign systems throughout the Internet, USENET, and elsewhere. MacBinary is also used as a way to retain Mac file information within non-mac archive formats. For example MacLHA and ZipIt use MacBinary in this manner for the PC formats .lhz and .zip respectively. MacBinary's correct MIME type is "application/x-macbinary" and if you want StuffIt Expander to launch when you double click on the file set the type and creator fields to BINA and SITx. [2.5] What do file suffixes like .hqx, .sit, .bin, etc ... mean and how can I convert such files back to normal Macintosh applications and documents? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Most files available by FTP or posted to Usenet are modified twice to allow them to more easily pass through foreign computer systems. First they are compressed and then either ASCII or Binary encoded with BinHex (.hqx) and MacBinary (.bin) being the formats of choice for Macintosh users (see [2.3] and [2.4] for an explanation of these formats). Generally the suffix on these files only tells you the encoding method used and nothing about the compression method. As a result StuffIt Expander has become the defacto decoder utility especially when combined with the StuffIt Engine. You can use the following table to determine what Macintosh programs handle which formats. For a more complete description of the various Macintosh archival programs, see the excellent FAQ for comp.sys.mac.apps. This table is also part of the Mac-FTP-list and listed on its own as format-chart.txt both of which are at as well as being archived on any info-mac mirror site, in the /info-mac/comm/ directory. Here's a handy chart to keep track which programs unmangle which formats: unix gzip .uu/ .b64/ Macintosh .sit .hqx .bin .zip .tar .Z .gz/.z .uue .mime* Stuffit Expander** D D D D D D w/ Engine** X X D D D D D D D DropZip** I X X ShrinkWrap*^ D D D D D D D D D StuffIt Deluxe*** X X X X X X D X D Decoder 1.3.4 D D MacCompress X MacGzip D X MPack 1.5.1 D D X SunTar 2.2.2 X X X X D Tar 4.0b X uucd 2.5.0 X D YA-Decoder D D D D ZipIt 1.3.8 D D X Other unix gzip .uu/ .b64/ computers .sit .hqx .bin .zip .tar .Z .gz/.z .uue .mime* Aladdin Expander 5 D D D D D D Aladdin DropStuff X X Aladdin DropZip X X binhex-pc-13 X macutil (unix) hexbin D D macunpack D/N D D D mcvert (unix) X X MPack D D X PKZIP X xferp110 (win) X X X D = Decode only N = Cannot decompress Deluxe .sit [Type SITD] files I = MacBinary format is supported internally only X = Encode and decode .sit refers to all versions of the Stuffit format. A '/' denotes the inability to handle certain formats as outlined in the legend above. .hqx = BinHex4; .bin = BinHex5, MacBinary I, II, and III * .b64/.mime (Base 64) refers to the encoding format used by the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension. For more information consult the MIME FAQ. . ** Engine refers to the StuffIt Engine which is part of StuffIt Deluxe and DropStuff with Expander Enhancer [a $30 shareware addon for Stuffit Expander] Programs that can use the Stuffit Engine are marked with a *^. Current public versions of the Expander and the Engine are 5.5. Note - DSEE 4.5 is NOT compatable with SE 5.0. *** Current version as of this writing is 5.5.0. Table 2.5.1 Note: .gz and .Z compression systems, while both native to UNIX, are completely different, and these suffixes cannot not be interchanged. WARNING: .hqx, .uu, .b64, and .txt files are the ONLY files that can be downloaded in ASCII mode; all others must be downloaded in BINARY [IMAGE] mode for the file to decompress properly. This is especially true of ".bin" and "unstuffed" files. Otherwise you will get errors like "unreadable file" or "file is corrupt" when you try to decompress them. Less commonly used formats. Those followed by a + are Mac formats. .arc old (c1990) MS-DOS compresion format, replaced by .zip. Decompressed by Stuffit Engine, StuffIt Deluxe, MacArc (can also compress), and Aladdin Expander. .arj PC format common to European sites. Decompressed by unArjMac, DeArj, and Stuffit Expander for Windows. .cpt + Mac compression format created by Compact programs (last updated April 1995). Decompressed by Stuffit Expander, StuffIt Deluxe, Compact Pro, and macunpack. .dd + Disk Doubler {Mac} format. Decompressed by DDExpand, DiskDoubler and Stuffit Expander 5.5. .exe DOS/Windows executable file (program); also used to create self-extracting archives. An .exe file used as a self-extracting archive can usually be decompressed with Stuffit Expander w/ DSEE. .html (.htm) WWW document. Used by WWW browsers such as Netscape and lynx. .image/.img/.ima/ (related format - .smi) + These are all disk image extensions. They represent Mac disk image (.image/.img), Microsoft Disk Image Utility (.img), and Winimage (.ima) formats. Most can be mounted via StuffIt Expander 4.5 or ShrinkWrap 3.0 . To eliminate the need for a mounter program there now exists a self mounting disk image format called .smi. For a history of Shrinkwrap consult the 2.1 site . Note that .img is also used as an graphic file extension and needs GraphicConverter to view. .lzh (related formats - .lha and .lzs) old PC/Amiga format that is still quite popular in Japan, largely replaced by .arc and .zip elsewhere; decompressed via the Stuffit Engine 4.5 and StuffIt Deluxe 4.5, macunpack, LHA Expander 1.0.3, French KISS 2.2.0 and MacLHA 2.2.1 (which also allows compression). .pit + old [c1989] Mac compression format created by PackIt programs, replaced by .sit. In general, a program that handles .sit files can decompress .pit files as well. .pkg + AppleLink package format, replaced by .sit. Decompressed by all present Mac StuffIt programs. .rar A DOS compression format. Handled by MacRAR . .sea + A special version of a Mac compression format that decompresses itself when opened. The most common .sea files are Stuffit, Compact Pro, and Disk Doubler. On the PC Aladdin Expander will expand Stuffit SEA files. .shar Unix shell archive. Decoded by Unshar. .taz another name for .tar.Z .tgz another name for .tar.z and .tar.gz (do not confuse with .tar.Z). .txt (.abs, .doc) ASCII text file. There is a slight differance between ASCII text files of Mac, PCs, and UNIX systems which can cause problems when trying to read them. Mac ASCII uses carrage returns, UNIX uses line feeds, and PC uses both. .z Suffix used by both Unix pack and early [~1993] Gzip files. Due to confusion between these compression methods and Unix 'compress' suffix (.Z) it was abandoned in favor of the .gz suffix. Unix pack itself has been effectively replaced by both Unix compress and Gzip. .zoo old [c1989] PC/Amiga format, replaced by .arc. Decompressed by MacZoo and MacBooz. Table 2.5.3 [2.6] After decoding and expanding a file I get an unknown document file. How do I open this file? --------------------------------------------------------------------- The best thing to do is to try and see if there is any way to figure out what -broad- type of file it is: word processor, picture, sound, or movie. Word processor Tex-Edit Plus will read most of these out there though some will require Adobe Acrobat Reader (.pdf) or a commerical word processor such as MS Word or WordPerfect. Pictures GraphicConverter (Shareware, $30-$35, /info-mac/gst/grf/, http://www.lemkesoft.de/) is one of the most powerful shareware graphic programs for the Mac. It is able to open about 100 graphic formats, edit them, and save in about 40 of these formats including .gif, .tiff, .png , and .jpeg. But even it cannot view propriety formats such as used by Photoshop or Canvas or relatively obcure formats such as .ecc. More details on graphic formats in general can be found in the PC Webopaedia . Sound files Sound App 2.6.1 (Freeware, /info-mac/gst/snd/) will play most sound formats out there including .mod, mp3, .wav, .au, and .aiff. Movie files Varies depending on the movie file type. Quicktime 4.0 is able to view .mov, .mpg (PPC Macs only), .fli/.flc, and .avi (1.0, 3.2) formats. extensions for allowing QuickTime to handle the Indeo 3.2, 4.4 and 5.0 .avi formats can be accessed via Apple's QuickTime support page under the Update menu or via Apple's QuickTime technologies page under "Indeo" GraphicConverter is able to view .Ani, .dl, gif, and .fli/.flc formats. Other files Hopefully there is a document file that tells you what is needed otherwise it is pretty much a lost cause. ===================================================================== [3] Macintosh File-transfers ============================ [3.1] What is the difference between a commmunication and an Internet connection? -------------------------------------------------------------------- A commmunication connection was the original way home computers remotely connected to other computers. It basicly consisted of a direct connection between the personal computer to the computer on the other end of the phone line. Originally each communication program had its own method and interface but then Apple created the Communications Toolbox (CTB) as a standard interface for programmers writing communications programs. In addition, specific "tools" that interfaced with modems, provided terminal emulation, or handled file transferring could be implemented as external add-on features to CTB-aware programs. The protocals most commonally associated with commmunications software are (in order of preferance): Zmodem, YModem, Xmodem, and finally Kermit. However because it was a direct connection you could only do one thing at a time and the interface tended to be text only or even Command Line Interace. By contrast Internet connections grew out of the development of personal computers. Originally Internet computers were directly connected to each other providing information to the user via dumb termanals. With the development of personal computers a need to allow dial in connections developed with SLIP and PPP (see [5.3]) being the result. These additional protocals allowed personal computer users to use such Internet protocals as FTP, Gopher, and SMTP. Most importantly via PPP Internet connections allowed multiple connections through one modem allowing the user to perform several tasks at once. Due to this multifuction ability continued development of communication programs has fallen off in favor of the more robust Internet programs though they are still the best way to connect to a local BBS. Since support for Internet connections was rolled into the MacOS beginning with System 7.5 it has become the defacto way to link a personal Mac to the outside world. [3.2] What communication programs are available? --------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a short list of shareware/freeware and commercial communication programs from the orginal list that are still available. As a matter of practicality only those programs that have been written or updated since 1993, support at least three of the standard protocols (Kermit, Xmodem, YModem, and Zmodem), and either are available or have web pages are listed. BN: Black Knight 1.0.7, $30 shareware, Raine Storm softworks CL: Communicate Lite, $50 SRP, Mark/Space Softworks, MT: MacToPic Plus, $195, site licenses available, Carnation Software, VT: VersaTerm and VersaTerm Pro 5.0.6, $145 and $195 respectively Synergy Software ZT: ZTerm 1.0.1, $30 shareware, $40 with disk, Dave Alverson, davea@xetron.com Shareware/freeware communications programs can be found in the /info-mac/comm/term directory of any Info-mac mirror. Table 3.1.1 summarizes file transfer capabilities of various Macintosh telecommunications programs. | Programs Protocols | BN CL MT VT ZT ---------------------------- XMODEM | X X X X X YMODEM | X X X X X ZMODEM | X X X X X Kermit | X X X QuickB | X B Plus | X CTB tools | X X X X FTP | X X Table 3.1.1 Table 3.1.2 summarizes the terminal-emulation capabilities of various Macintosh communications programs and Table 3.1.3 summarizes the scripting capabilities of various Macintosh telecommunications programs: | Programs | Programs Terminals | BN CL MT VT ZT Scripting | BN CL MT VT ZT ----------------------------- ---------------------------- TTY | X X X Recording | X X VT52 | X If/Else | X a VT100 | X X X X X Loops | X a VT102 | X X X FileOps | X a VT220 | X X Arithmetic | X a PC/ANSI | X X Variables | X a X Tek 4010 | X User Input | X a Tek 4014 | X Key Remaps | X * Tek 4105/7| P Arrays | a DG210/211 | X Wait/Send | X X X CTB tools | X X AppleScript| X Controls | X X Viewpoint | X a = capability is accessible Wyse 50 | X through AppleScript Prism | X * Allows programmable function keys Table 3.1.2 Table 3.1.3 [3.3] What Internet programs are available? --------------------------------------------------------------------- The desire to get on the Internet has produced dozens of such programs many of which are listed at The Mac Orchard web page . To help the fledgling Internet user I am listing the most commonly used programs below: E-mail Eudora is perhaps the best written and most popular e-mail program available for the Macintosh. Eudora is a complete and versatile e-mail package which can send e-mail via SMTP (see [5.4]) and receive e-mail via a POP server. It can even be used with UUPC 3.0 (as a mail reader and message generator, not a transport agent). Eudora can also be used to transfer arbitrary Macintosh files between computers through its BinHex 4.0 attachment features. Many accolades go to the author, Steve Dorner. Versions are: Eudora Lite 3.1.4 (free) -- System 7+; extensive feature set Eudora Pro 4.0 (pay) --- commercial version; even more features FTP clients The two most popular MacOS FTP clients are Anarchie and Fetch. Anarchie Pro 3.5 is sharewhare and has a home site at Fetch 3.0.2 "is free to users affiliated with an educational institution or charitable non-profit organization; all other users may purchase a license." () FTP Servers The oldest and most popular FTP server for the mac is NetPresenz (formally FTPd) , News All Mac newsreaders make use of NNTP (see [5.4]). Newswatcher (2.2.1) by John Norstad and its close sister Multi-Threaded NewsWatcher (currently Version 2.4.4) by Simon Fraser are likely the most popular online Newsreaders. A reference page to these programs can be found at For offline browsing MacSOUP by Stefan Haller is likely the most popular. Browsers The two most popular browsers are Netscape and MicroSoft Internet Explorer both of which support frames and other Internet goodies. The most recent versions (4.6 and 4.5 respectively) can be found at and [3.4] What is Telnet, and what MacOS Telnet Programs are there? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Telnet is a high speed terminal connection protocol designed with TCP/IP in mind. A Telnet program allows you to connect to computers that accept Telnet sessions (such as UNIX boxes) with interactive full-screen console input and output capabilities. There are several Telnet programs for the Macintosh. NCSA Telnet and BetterTelnet The most widely known and used is the freeware NCSA Telnet for which developement stopped January 1, 1996. The last 'offical' version was 2.6 though there is a 2.7b4 available. The freeware successor is Sassy Software's BetterTelnet (Version 2.0fc1) which uses the 2.7b5 code and provides many bug fixes, an improved interface, and additional features. Both of these programs support TEK 4105 graphics, provide both an FTP server *and* client, and can do session logging. About the only drawback is that these programs use Classic rather than Open Transport networking. dataComet dataComet is both the oldest (1986 as Cornell TN) and longest supported MacOS Telnet application. This shareware application supports PC-ANSI, VT220, & TN3270 terminal emulation, as well as serial connections and communications protocols (including ZModem) and there is a PPC native version in the works. Nifty Telnet Nifty Telnet is a freeware Telnet program that supports Kerberous encrypting (US version only), has a clean inteface, and is Open Transport native. tn3270 If you need to telnet to an IBM mainframe this program at version 2.5b5 this makes tn3270 more enjoyable. [3.5] What's the best compression program to use when uploading files to an archive or BBS? Are there any other guidelines I should follow? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Best Compression: (Revised 06/99) ---- ----------- The shareware program DropStuff with Extension Expander (and its commercial sibling, StuffIt Deluxe) is generally regarded as providing the best compression performance of the many Macintosh compression utilities. StuffIt Deluxe has a fancy user-interface while DSEE has a very simple interface. StuffIt Expander (free) with DSEE ($30 shareware) seems to be the most comprehensive shareware package currently available for decompressing files. There is one special issue to be aware of though; StuffIt Expander (and Deluxe) does not seem to look -within- formats for the Macbinary format. As a result non-mac archive formats that have had Macbinary added -internally- to support the two fork Mac format ([2.4b]) do not always decompress properly resulting in the resource fork information being corrupted or loss. Fortunitly there are very few Mac files archived in this manner but considering I ran into this situation myself I though it best to alert people to the situation. The closest rival to the Stuffit programs was Compact Pro but it has two problems: 1) it has not been updated since April 1995 and 2) it cannot decompress the Deluxe .sit formats. As a result StuffIt has become the defacto king of Mac compression. StuffIt Lite ($25) is an shareware program for System 6.0 users but as with StuffIt Expander and DSEE 4.x it cannot expand the Stuffit 5.0 format. Posting Macintosh Programs: (Revised 07/98) ------- --------- -------- You should use either StuffIt Lite, SE with DSEE, or StuffIt Deluxe to compress Macintosh files you send to anonymous FTP sites and BBS's. Do not post Zip, LZH, or any other type of archive (including self-extracting archives -- see below). Stuffit has evolved as the standard archive format for posting Macintosh files for good reasons. Regardless of which archiver you use, PLEASE DO NOT MAKE AN ARCHIVE YOU ARE POSTING SELF-EXTRACTING! The convenience of self-extracting archives is not worth the space they waste at anonymous-FTP sites and BBS's (where literally thousands of compressed files are stored) and the problems they create on other platforms. Self-extracting archives are useful in other contexts, but should be discouraged as a medium for posting to archives. Before you create your archive, set the Finder label of all files you plan to include in the archive to 'None'. Avoid using strange punctuation marks in filenames that you will distribute. Characters such as exclamation points, spaces, dollar signs, etc, are legal characters in Macintosh filenames but can be difficult to work with on non-Macintosh systems (where most Macintosh archives are stored). Since BinHex and MacBinary store your original Macintosh filename, removing strange characters from a BinHex'd or MacBinary'd file before distributing will not affect the original filename. As an example, MyFile-215.sit is a perfectly acceptable filename. After you have created the archive and named it appropriately, BinHex encode it (see [2.3]). Preface the resulting text file a short description of the archive you want to distribute, including any system requirements and problems. Do not bother with a signature. Finally, upload the text file (if necessary) and e-mail it to macgifts@info-mac.org. Your subject line should specify a suggested name with a suggested location in the text file. To: macgifts@info-mac.org Subject: myfile-215.hqx Mailing your archive to macgifts automatically submits it to the InfoMac archives, mac.archive.umich.edu, and their active mirrors. [3.6] How can I transfer Macintosh files to/from my Macintosh and other non-Macintosh computers (eg: mainframes, UNIX boxes, PCs)? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Regardless of whether you are using a communications or Internet program the procedure you should follow will be the same. First the file should be compressed with StuffIt and then binhex encoded. Some programs like Eudora will do the binhexing for you so you can skip the encoding step. The reason you will want to use Binhex rather than MacBinary as your encoding format is that Binhex is useable in the 7-bit only areas of the Internet like Usenet and E-mail that MacBinary cannot go. For Internet programs downloading a file is very simple. For systems or programs that do not support Drag and Drop you simply click (or double click) on the file and it is downloaded for you. Drag and Drop aware programs allow you to drag the file to the desktop which results in it being downloaded. Uploading varies from program to program and some FTP sites only allow files to be E-mailed. Consult your program and destination site documentation for the proper procedures. Communication downloading and uploading is a little more complicated. This is because the remote computer is usially running a totally different OS that the Mac user must interact with. As a result the remote computer must be first be told that a file is being sent or received and then the Mac commmunications program told the same thing. Since Unix shell accounts were the most common remote OS they are used as example but it should be noted that many BBSes use a different interface and therefore different commands. For a unix shell account the command consists of two parts: % method filename 'Filename' is the name of the file on the remote machine and 'method' is the protocal and whether the file is being sent or received. The methods are generally as follows: Kermit XMODEM YMODEM ZMODEM ------- ------ ------ ------ sending kermit sx sb sz receiving kermit rx rb rz As one goes from left to right in the chart above the protocal's speed increaces. As a result as early as 1994 some communication programs were not supporting Kermit. With Internet connections becoming more accessable communication software and its protocols are rapidly fading into the mists of history. [3.7] Is there a newsgroup for mac binaries? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes there is; it is called comp.binaries.mac. But due to the nature of Usenet it has become impractical to post today's larger MacOS programs. In any case this is the *only* proper mac newsgroup to post a MacOS program binary. Any as explained in section [2.2] any MacOS program intended for comp.binaries.mac must be in BinHex 4.0 format following the step described in section [3.5]. As far downloading what few programs do appear on comp.binaries.mac use a NewsWatcher baced newsreader and simply select extract binaries. This will do the tedious task of joining up a multipart binary for you. Otherwise there is not much reason to bother with comp.binaries.mac. ===================================================================== [4] Networking basics [4.1] What are AppleTalk, LocalTalk, Ethernet, EtherTalk, TCP/IP, etc? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- When attempting to describe networking terms, a distinction should be drawn between networking _protocols_ (such as AppleTalk and TCP/IP) and networking _hardware_ (such as LocalTalk, Ethernet, and TokenRing). In most cases, a specific protocol can be used over more than one hardware medium. In order to help understand the interaction of these disparate parts in a real-world network, we can adopt the useful analogy of multi-layer cake with the physical wire at the very bottom and the software which you are running at the very top. Thus, we can think of LocalTalk, Ethernet and TokenRing as being the layers at the bottom, AppleTalk and TCP/IP in the middle and programs like NCSA Telnet, NFS/Share and Netscape at the top. The following terms describe protocols (software descriptions) common to the Macintosh networking world: AppleTalk A proprietary suite of protocols developed by Apple Computer, Inc. that provides for near-transparent network connections between Macintosh computers. However, over the years AppleTalk has been ported to other OSes including UNIX, VMS and DOS. Questions about the AppleTalk protocol are probably best posed in the newsgroup comp.protocols.appletalk. EtherTalk and TokenTalk The drivers which allows AppleTalk protocols to be transported by Ethernet and over IBM TokenRing networks respectively. TCP/IP A suite of protocols developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) whose purpose is multi-platform connectivity. TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, because these are the two most widely used protocols in the suite. However, TCP/IP includes the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) and others. TCP/IP drivers are available for almost all of the computer platforms in use today, including micros, minis, main-frames and supercomputers. The following terms describe hardware (the physical link such as the wire(s) connecting computers) common to the Macintosh networking world: LocalTalk One type of hardware over which AppleTalk protocols can be transported. LocalTalk has a throughput of 230.4 Kbps second, or roughly a quarter of a Mbps. PhoneNet Another type of hardware commonly used to transport AppleTalk packets. PhoneNet mates LocalTalk hardware with ordinary (unused) telephone wire. PhoneNet is probably the cheapest way to connect widely separated Macintosh computers within a single building. Ethernet A network medium over which AppleTalk, TCP/IP and other protocols travel, often simultaneously. Ethernet's maximum throughput is 10 Mbps. FastEthernet offers 100 Mbps. TokenRing A network medium developed (and patented) by IBM based on a topology of a ring of nodes connected serially by a single cable. Each node, or computer, speaks on the cable only when it has posession of a token. TokenRing technology can demonstrate throughputs of ranging from 4 to 16 Mbps. [4.2] What is Open Transport? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Basicly Open Transport is Apple's complete revision to the Macintosh's network system software. Originally the Mac's only native protocol was AppleTalk and anything else had to be added on. In addition thanks to the AppleTalk Manager (which resided in the ROM of most 68K Macs) AppleTalk got privileged access. As a result network software developers not only had to write each and every non-AppleTalk protocol they wanted to use but they had to contend with AppleTalk. After Open Tranport came out this method became known as Classic networking. Open Transport which has been part of the OS since 7.5.3 changed this situation by using industry standard Aplication Programing Interfaces (APIs). Not only did the APIs eliminate the need for developers to reinvent the wheel but they put all the protocols on an equal standing. In addition Open Transport is Power Mac native resulting in speed ups in both AppleTalk and TCP/IP. Open Transport requires a minimum 68030 CPU and can be added to Systems 7.1, 7.1.1, 7.5.3, and 7.5.5. It became the default networking system beginning with System 7.6 and support for Classic Networking formally disapeared with System 8.0. It is recommended that at least version 1.1 of Open Transport be used. Classic and Open Transport networking are different enough that programs written for just one generally will not work with the other. So read the documentaion of any networking software you plan to use to make sure it is compatable with your networking method. More details on Open Transport can be found at Apple's web site [4.3] How can I change the Chooser "user" and name of my Macintosh? Also: Why can I no longer change the name of my hard-disk? ------------------------------------------------------------------- To change the owner and name of your Macintosh under System 7, select "Controls Panels" from the Apple Menu and double-click on the "Sharing Setup" Control Panel. The Chooser "user" is the "Owner name:". Change it like any standard edit field. The name of your Macintosh is the "Macintosh name:". Also on this Control Panel is a button to turn File Sharing on and off. When File Sharing is on, you cannot change the name of shared disks. If you are trying to change the name of your hard disk but cannot get the name to turn into an edit field, File Sharing is probably on. Use the Sharing Setup Control Panel to turn File Sharing off, change your hard disk name, and then turn File Sharing back on (unless you have no need for it). [4.4] How can I use the services of my EtherTalk network and print to my LocalTalk-only printer at the same time? --------------------------------------------------------------------- By default, Macs can only use AppleTalk for communication through one network interface at a time. This means that without special hardware or software, if you are connected to an EtherTalk network through your Ethernet port/card and are also connected to a LocalTalk-only printer through your LocalTalk port, you cannot use the EtherTalk network services and print to your LocalTalk printer simultaneously. (EtherTalk is AppleTalk datagrams encapsulated in Ethernet packets running on Ethernet wiring, and LocalTalk wiring in this scenario is used to communicate with your printer using AppleTalk datagrams; hence to use both services simultaneously you would need to be communicating out of two network interfaces using AppleTalk simultaneously.) You tell your Mac which interface you want to use by selecting either EtherTalk or LocalTalk from the Network Control Panel. As Ethernet wiring becomes increasingly popular for transporting AppleTalk datagrams, many people want to share files or print over their EtherTalk network without losing simultaneous access to their LocalTalk-connected printer. The solution is to use a hardware LocalTalk-to-Ethernet bridge. This method has replaced the slower and possibly less reliable software LocalTalk-to-Ethernet bridges of the past. These bridges allow Macs on the EtherTalk network to see and use any LocalTalk devices attached to the LocalTalk network connected to the bridge. The older hardware bridges did not provide a MacIP server but it is unclear if current bridges have this limiation. Some examples of LocalTalk-to-Ethernet bridges are Farallon's Ethermac and Etherwave adapters, Asante's Asantetalk and Micro AsantePrint, and Sonic Systems' microPrint. The other option is a LocalTalk/Ethernet router, which routes packets between a LocalTalk network and an Ethernet network, and converts packets between EtherTalk and plain AppleTalk as needed. A product in this category is the Shiva FastPath. .