Files, Files, Files

FTP, Archie, WAIS, and Veronica

The Internet is big -- very big. That means finding your way around, not to mention trying to retrieve information, can seem daunting. Luckily, there are several tools that make locating and downloading files almost a piece of cake.

With another local network being added to the Internet every 10 minutes or so, the prospect of trying to find a file you think is out there, somewhere, is forbidding. Especially with no central computer "running" things and nobody in charge to query. Meanwhile, an army of people is at work making available more and more files all the time.

Despite the challenges, finding and retrieving data files is an Internet application that occurs about as frequently as e-mail. There are two relatively simple ways to instruct your computer to find files on other computers scattered throughout the world: One is Gopher, an Internet browsing service; the other is the World Wide Web, which allows a user to browse for information by following references. Both also enable you to access newsgroups and e-mail postings. The only downside to using them is that you'll probably be spending a lot of time downloading files.

How Do I Download Files?

Both Gopher and the Web are methods for performing one of the Internet's oldest processes, File Transfer Protocol, or FTP, which lets you upload or download files from around the world.

All the FTP methods accomplish the same thing: They connect you to the remote site through FTP software. Once you reach the site, they permit you to download a file in an accessible directory, and sometimes you can upload to that directory as well.

Although Gopher and the Web -- as well as specialized FTP programs such as Window's File Manager -- have made it less important for you to understand how files actually get transferred on the Internet, there will be times -- many, in fact -- when the only way to get a file is to retrieve it directly from a remote machine.

The basic FTP takes place at the UNIX command. Type ftp to get started, then type Open , to connect to the other computer. For example, Open ftp.nsca.uiuc.edu gets you to the site for downloading a copy of Mosaic. You'll be asked for a username, which is usually Anonymous, and a password, which is either Guest or your full Internet e-mail account.

Next, you move into the appropriate directory by using the Cd (change directory) command -- for example, Cd pub -- and type Ls (list) to get a directory of files. When you find the file you want, type Get and the file name to transfer it to your account. At this point, it's on your UNIX host machine, so you must download it to your PC or Mac with communications software.

Thankfully, PC and Mac users with SLIP or PPP accounts can follow an easier course. Programs such as Fetch for the Mac and WinSock FTP or Network File Manager from Internet in a Box let you transfer files directly to your own computer.

You're also given a graphical depiction of the remote machine's directories, and buttons like Copy or View that do the work for you. The principle is the same as on the UNIX system, however; similarly, you'll need to use your username and passwords. Knowing how to do it the hard way can often help considerably.

How Do I Find Files in the First Place?

Luckily, you're not the only person who's felt daunted by the prospect of finding files. In fact, this has been a problem since the Internet's early days, and it's been addressed by enterprising programmers. One such programmer, Peter Deutsch, developed Archie with fellow graduate student Alan Emrich. This system scans FTP sites on the Internet, then offers you a searchable database with all the files it found. You simply fire up the Archie software, it conducts your search, then you FTP to the site, and download the file.

Of course, it's not really that easy. You'll find hordes of duplicate file names, for example, and Archie doesn't sort them by subject for you the way CompuServe and Prodigy do. Nor does it give you descriptions of the files beyond what the FTP provider offers. Nevertheless, it's extremely valuable.

To search for a file using Archie, you need an Archie Client. Your UNIX system may have one, but if not, you can Telnet to a system that does, and type Archie at the command line. There are several versions of Archie out there, and the new ones are much more user-friendly, so it makes sense to shop around.

Or, you can use the Archie client in Netmanage's Chameleon suite, or download WinSock Archie from the Internet itself. These last two choices link you directly to FTP programs, but you'll need a SLIP or PPP connection to make use of them.

Another pioneer in information seeking is Brewster Kahle, who developed Wide Area Information Servers (WAIS) in the late 1980s. WAIS has since become the standard search tool on the Web. You can see it in action through Netscape or Mosaic by accessing the EINet Galaxy (http://www.einet.net) and doing a search for any topic you like.

You'll get a series of files, each with a "score" beside it. The highest score is 1,000, which means that the file contains precisely the phrase you've searched for. WAIS is a system that creates databases of related files, and as you get more involved with it, you can create your own.

At first, though, you'll most likely use it to see what's out there waiting to be downloaded. WAIS can also be accessed through Gopher, or directly using WAIS software. WinWAIS from EINet is a good possibility, as is WAIS Manager, available from the Internet.

A final popular choice is Veronica. Yep, the name is a pun on Archie, which is actually an abbreviation for "archive"and was not intended to refer to the popular comic book character. Veronica is a search tool used within Gopher.

You'll find references to Veronica searches throughout your Gopher browsing. Essentially, they all Telnet into a computer that contains Veronica software. Veronica works, it's clean, and it allows FTPing directly from the search results.

As you begin your journeys, these three important tools can help you find your way.
-- Neil Randall
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