Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!watmath!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!uunet!dg!dave@mystie.rtp.dg.com From: dave@mystie.rtp.dg.com (David Kopper) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) of comp.sys.apple2 Message-ID: <1172@dg.dg.com> Date: 28 Nov 90 21:38:20 GMT Sender: root@dg.dg.com Organization: Data General Corporation, Westboro, MA. Lines: 575 [Last edited on November 28, 1990] I would like to thank Larry W. Virden for his help with this document. ======================================================================== Hi! Welcome to the comp.sys.apple2 newsgroup! This article contains the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) often seen in comp.sys.apple2. I am posting this article to help reduce volume in this newsgroup and to provide hard-to-find information of general interest. I hope it answers some of your questions. Table of Contents: + What is comp.sys.apple2? What is INFO-APPLE? + What are the comp.binaries.apple2 and comp.sources.apple2? + What is BinScii? + What is Shrinkit? + What is Kermit? + What is the current system disk? + What Apple II magazines are there? + What are technotes? + What is FTP? + What is BITFTP? + What are the Apple II FTP sites? + What is APPLE2-L? + What is APDA? + Future questions for the FAQ + Editors Notes + indicates questions new to this article * indicates questions/answers with changes of content since the last issue ======================================================================== Subject: What is comp.sys.apple2? What is INFO-APPLE? Comp.sys.apple2 is a Usenet newsgroup that was created for the discussion of the Apple II series of computers. This forum provides a way for interested people to compare notes, ask questions, and share insights about Apple IIs. It works by users posting a message via specialized software to a local file on their system, and that message being passed along to all of the 30,000+ other systems around the world that share Usenet files. INFO-APPLE is a mailing list that is maintained on some networks other than Usenet. Comp.sys.apple2 messages are sent to INFO-APPLE and INFO-APPLE messages are sent to comp.sys.apple2. The central location of INFO-APPLE is at apple.com (thank you Apple Computer!). I believe that the same kind of thing is being done for ProLine. Could someone please fill me in on some details? Does anyone know of other folks doing the same thing for other networks? On BITNET, LISTSERVers are available to distribute the mail messages. It works by maintaining a list of users who wish to see the messages in their mailbox. To subscribe (or (sadly) unsubscribe): send your request to info-apple-request@apple.com . Please do not send subscription requests to info-apple@apple.com!!!! To post a message to the thousands of readers of INFO-APPLE (and comp.sys.apple2) subscribers send their messages to INFO-APPLE@apple.com . There is no need for comp.sys.apple2 users to do this - they can use the standard posting features of Usenet. There is no need to subscribe to INFO-APPLE when you are getting comp.sys.apple2, since the messages are identical. Commercial messages and advertisements are discouraged in both arenas. ======================================================================== Subject: What are the comp.binaries.apple2 and comp.sources.apple2? Comp.binaries.apple2 is a newsgroup used to distribute public domain, freeware, and shareware Apple II software (executables, pictures, sounds, etc...). Software distributed on comp.binaries.apple2 is expected to be BinScii text of Shrinkit archives. Comp.sources.apple2 is a newsgroup used to distribute public domain, freeware, and shareware Apple II source code. There are guidelines on the format in the comp.sources.apple2 newsgroup. Note: Distributing commercial software is a crime - just don't do it! ======================================================================== Subject: What is BinScii? This is a program which takes an Apple file and converts it to a format suitable for transfer via email or 7 bit file transfer. The output is not self contained - one must use BinScii on the receiving end to convert the file back into usable format. Advantages of BinScii are that the files tend to be smaller (than the same file ran through executioner), and the conversion back into binary can be done without having to strip off mail headings, converting line feeds to carriage returns or executing a binary program that may not be a text decoding program. BinScii also will break up your file into smaller pieces and is able to put the pieces back together without the user having to be careful what order he does things. BinScii was written by Dave Whitney , of Zlink fame. Sub-Subject: Is there a Unix version to BinScii? SciiBin is a C implementation of BinScii. It works well under most Unix or Unix-like operating systems. I also believe that it can be made to work under MSDOS (but don't quote me on that!). SciiBin version 1.30 was written by Marcel J.E. Mol, Dave Whitney and Bruce Kahn. Sub-Subject: What is Executioner? Executioner was the standard program that converted Apple II files into text to be mailed/posted. It is no longer considered the standard on comp.binaries.apple2. Executioner was like BinScii, in that it translated an Apple II file into text to be send via email or 7 bit wide transfer methods. Only the 4 bit mode was safe to use (other modes used characters that got translated incorrectly between machines on the network). To translate an Executioner text file to an Apple II file required that you delete the mail headers/trailers, translated the newlines into carriage returns, download the file to your Apple II and from Applesoft Basic, type the command 'EXEC ' where is the name of the file you downloaded. Note: After the last line of the Executioner text, there needs to be a blank line. This blank line indicates the end of the text that gets translated back into an Apple II file. Executioner was written by Glen Bredon, of ProCMD and ProSEL fame. ======================================================================== Subject: What is Shrinkit? This is a program which takes one or more Apple II ProDOS files and 'archives' them into a NuFX archive. The NuFX archives are shrunk with the LZW compression routines. Shrinkit has many options, such as whole disk compression, disk formatting, looking at text files, etc. Shrinkit also has the ability to unBLU BLU files - more on BLU in a couple of questions. The current revision number of Shrinkit is 3.0.3. The IIgs version of Shrinkit is named GShk (the current version number is 1.0.3). GShk can do all that Shrinkit can do and more. Some of the additions are the ability to unarchive different archive types (Unix compress, PC Arc, Mac StuffIt) and the ability to create/extract Apple Single files - this is becoming more significant as resources are being used more frequently in IIgs software. Shrinkit+ and UnShrinkit+ are two programs for the Apple II+. Shrinkit, GShk, Shrinkit+ and UnShrinkit+ were written by Andy Nicholas . Sub-Subject: What is nulib? Nulib is a C implementation of Shrinkit. It also works very well under most Unix or Unix-like operating systems. Nulib was written by Andy McFadden . Sub-Subject: What is BLU? BLU is the 'father' of Shrinkit. The goal of BLU was to take one or more Apple II ProDOS files and 'archive' them into a single Apple II file. It could perform a Huffman compression on the individual pieces if the user so desired. The resulting files were named Bunny files (.BNY). BLU files that were compressed were .BQY files. The current use of BLU is in telecommunications, where the filetype information is preserved. This is why you can find archives that are Shrinkit (or NuFX) archives wrapped in a BLU header. BLU was written by Floyd Zink, Jr., of Tex fame. ======================================================================== Subject: What is Kermit? BLU was written by Floyd Zink, Jr., of Tex fame. Kermit itself is a file transfer protocol invented by Frank DeCruz of Columbia University. Typically in this group when one talks about kermit, they are talking about a program which supports the kermit protocol. There is at least one commercial program which supports kermit - proterm. But many folks are using Ted Medin's Kermit 3 (currently 3.86), a freely distributable version of a telecommunication program which supports kermit, xmodem, vt100 emulation, and many Apple II configurations. Kermit was written by Ted Medin ======================================================================== Subject: What is the current system disk? Current Revision Disk name Number ------------------------ -------- DOS System Master ...... 3.3 All Apple IIs ProDOS 8 system disk ... 3.2 All Apple IIs with 64k or more IIgs System Disk ....... 5.0.3 Apple IIgs with 768k or more ProDOS 8 ............... 1.9 Basic.System ........... 1.4.1 The system disks should be available from your local Apple Computer dealer, a local Apple Users Group or from a commercial information system (GEnie, America On Line, or CompuServe). ======================================================================== Subject: What Apple II magazines are there? [Note: This question needs to be completed (descriptions, addresses, phone numbers and subscription costs). It will be ready next time (I hope). But for now, it at least lists the available Apple II magazines that I know about.] GS+ Nibble Develop A+/Incider HyperStudio Network (small newsletter) II at Work - from Barney Stone of Stone Software ??? - There is a HyperStudio stack magazine ??? - is the Basic (or was that Z-Basic) programmer's magazine (sorry about being vague... I just don't have the information with me... and never subscribed to a couple of these magazines) A2-Central publishes several Apple II magazines: A2-Central - newsletter (disk optional) 8/16-Central - Apple II programmers magazine (disk optional) Stack Central - HyperStudio Stack-based disk Address: P.O. Box 11250 Voice: (913) 469-6502 Overland Park, KS 66207 FAX: (913) 469-6507 Electronic mail on GEnie: A2-CENTRAL, UNCLE-DOS, or DENNIS.DOMS Computist - a publication devoted to gathering and distributing information on removing copy protection from Apple II software. Address: P.O. Box 110846 Tacoma, WA 98411 ======================================================================== Subject: What are technotes? [Note: I want to expand this answer, but haven't had enough time] Technotes are the developer technical notes from Developer Technical Support of Apple Computer. Technotes are divided into various catagories including (but not limited to): Apple IIc, Apple IIe, Imagewriter, Memory Expansion, ProDOS 8, GS/OS and IIgs. The idea of technotes is to distribute information about Apple computers that isn't readily available from any other source. The hundreds of pages are well worth the effort to get. DTS really does a great job with technotes! (Thanks DTS!!!) You can find Apple II technotes on the FTP sites, or a commercial information system. Another source of technotes is APDA. ======================================================================== Subject: What is FTP? FTP is a program available to many schools and certain businesses which are connected to Internet. This program permits file transfers over a high speed international network. Note: FTP with remote hosts is a privilege! The remote sites can stop their FTP service if so they desire. Please try to restrict your FTP usage to off-peak hours. Some basic directions to get you started with FTP follow: Enter the FTP program (type FTP, if you get an FTP command prompt then you're in the FTP program). Type: open ; This command will establish ; a connection to a remote site. Where is the remote FTP site that you are trying to retrieve files from. You will be prompted for a username. Type: anonymous ; The username anonymous is ; recognized by many FTP sites ; as a guest account. You will be prompted for a password. Type: your username or anonymous ; The password is usually your ; Internet return mail address. ; In my case it is ; dave@mystie.webo.dg.com Now you are logged onto the remote host. Some commands you might want to use after you log on follow: cd ; Change the current directory ; to type binary ; Change the way a file is sent ; from the default of ascii ; (7 bits) to binary (8 bits). ; There are sometimes other ; modes, such as tenex. get []; Retrieve a file (named ; ) from the ; remote host to your local ; host. If you supply a second ; argument, then the remote ; file is stored as that local ; filename. put ; Send a file to the remote ; host. mget