This preprint should be cited as follows:
Green, D. G. (1994). Getting started with FireNet. Wildfire -
Quarterly Bulletin of the International Association for Wildland
Fire, in press.
_________________________________________________________________
GETTING STARTED WITH FIRENET
[IMAGE] DAVID G. GREEN
Bioinformatics Facility, Australian National University, Canberra 0200
Australia
Email: david.green@anu.edu.au
FireNet (Green, Gill & Trevitt, 1994) is an international information
retrieval network for everyone interested in landscape fires. It is a
practical result of the recognition that we need to harness modern
computer networks to support fire management, research and training.
In this article I describe some basic network concepts, and how to get
started, for those not familiar with the Internet.
What is the Internet?
The Internet ( Krol, 1992) is a vast communications that links
together about 2 million computers all over the world. It arose during
the 1980's and is really a "network of networks", consisting of over
10,000 separate networks, gateways and backbones. These are all linked
via the "Internet Protocol" (IP).
Every machine on the Internet has an "IP address". This is a set of
numbers that uniquely identify the machine and the various gateways
that provide access to it. Normally we do not use these numbers
directly, but to code names, which are easier to remember. For
example, FireNet's central node has the IP number 150.203.38.74, but
its address is normally quoted as life.anu.edu.au. Here "life" refers
to the host computer, "anu" means the local network (the Australian
National University), "edu" means educational institutions, and "au"
means Australia.
What are protocols?
To transfer information across the Internet we use various
"protocols". These are standards that are supported by widely
available software (usually free of charge). Some of the more common
protocols include:
Electronic mail (email)
Sending messages across the network
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
Basic file transfer acros the network
Telnet
Remote logins to computers
Usenet
Network newsgroups
X.400
Addresses and other contact information
Hytelnet
A bibliographic protocol for libraries
WAIS (Wide Area Information Servers)
File indexes and databases
Gopher
Menu based file retrieval
World Wide Web (WWW or "the Web")
Hypermedia publishing
Not all protocols are equal. For instance, FireNet services currently
include email, FTP, Gopher and World Wide Web. The Web, for instance,
provides access to all of the information provided under the other
three and adds hypertext documents that are not easily accessible via
the other services.
Most of the above are "client-server" protocols. This means that the
user runs a "client" program, which sends request across the network
to a "server" program. This server, which could be running on a
computer on the other side of the world, then transmits back the
requested item of information.
How do I get access to the Internet?
Generally you will need to obtain access to a local network.
Conditions differ enormously, so contact your local network
administrators for details. Large institutions usually set up their
own cable link. Small organizations and individuals usually use a
modem to link to a suitable entry point.
Many commercial and non-profit organizations now sell access to the
Internet. Utility and costs vary according to the level of access. At
the very least, access should include electronic mail. To use Gopher
and the World Wide Web you will need full IP access. The vast
information resources available via these protocols make them a
worthwhile investment.
How do I obtain the necessary software?
To get started you will need to obtain some software from local
contacts. The first thing you need is basic communications software,
such as kermit, that enables you to talk across the network. Another
important piece of software to start with is FTP. It maks it possible
to log in to any of the vast software repositories around the world to
obtain the latest versions of other software tools that you may need.
Many network sites provide extensive archives of useful software. For
example, the following FTP session retrieves pre-packaged disks from
the Firenet server that help you to set up Gopher and World Wide Web
"client" software on a PC:
ftp life.anu.edu.au
login: anonymous
password: david.green@anu.edu.au
Welcome to ANU Bioinformatics
cd /pub/netkit/pc/startup_disks
bin
get disk1.exe
get disk2.exe
get disk3.exe
quit
Each of these files is a self-extracting archive. To obtain the
enclosed files simply run the archive as a program by typing (say)
"disk1" (without the brackets). Some of the included files are also
compressed and need to be "unzipped" using the enclosed program
pkunzip. The instructions provided should help you to install the
software properly. If you are not familiar with computers and
networking, then it is advisable to seek technical assistance to get
yourself set up.
How do I access FireNet?
Assuming you have access to electronic mail then send a message to the
list server at the address listserv@life.anu.edu.au. In it you should
include the following message :
subscribe firenet your name
with your own name substituted for "your name"! The server should then
send back an automatic reply confirming that you are subscribed. This
message also provides contact details for reaching FireNet's FTP,
Gopher and World Wide Web services.
References
* Green, D.G., Gill, A.M. and Trevitt, A.C.F. (1994). FireNet - an
international network for landscape fire information. Wildfire -
Quarterly Journal of the International Association of Wildland
Fire xx, xxx-xxx.
* Krol, E. (1992). The Whole Internet. O'Reilly and Associates.