────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Anonymous FTP Emcee v1.0 QUICK REFERENCE ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── A NOTE ABOUT THE INTERFACE · · Emcee is a touch-and-enter environment · closely resembling the popular · point-and-click interface provided by · Windows(tm) and other GUI applications. · · To browse directories, view and download · files, simply touch the cursor to the · directory to list, file to download, etc, · and press (enter). You'll be able to · perform a variety of options without ever · having to actually enter arguments or · complicated commands. · ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Table of Contents · 1....... Connecting to an Anonymous FTP Site 1.1..... Listing Directories 1.2..... Viewing Files 1.2.1... Viewing HTML Files 1.3..... Logging Off 1.4..... Direct Communication Link 2....... Performing File Transfers 2.1..... Retrieving Documents 2.1.1... Viewing the Last Document 2.2..... Downloading 2.3..... Uploading 2.4..... Transfer Log 2.4.1... Resetting the Transfer Log 3....... Archie and Whatis Searches° 3.1..... Viewing the Last Archie Search 3.2..... Viewing the Last WhatIs Search 4....... Personal FTP Directory 4.1..... Adding New Sites 5....... CHaiN: Cursor-Happy Navigation 5.1..... Specifying a Home Page 5.2..... Searching the Window 5.3..... Saving the Window to Disk 5.4..... Printing the Window 6....... TECHNICAL SUPPORT 1. Dialing an Anonymous FTP Site · ______________________________________ An FTP site name looks like this: oak.oakland.edu * Use the "Connect/Relieve" command from the Personal Directory <F1> to connect with the highlighted entry, or * If you notice a site name ANYWHERE in the window, move the cursor to it and press (Enter). Use the "Connect" command to visit the site. NOTE: It's not necessary to logoff before connecting to another site. If you press (Esc) while waiting to connect, you'll be given the option to RETRY, ABORT or perform a DIRECT COMMUNICATION LINK. 1.1. Listing Directories · ______________________________________ Upon connecting with an FTP site, Emcee will automatically retrieve the first directory. The listing may look somewhat complex, but somewhere in the listing, there will be directory names and files. You might see something like: Size Filename/Directory -------- ---------- -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 6130 Aug 3 10:24 README -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Jan 6 1993 Adlib-Gold -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Apr 16 1992 Alesis-D4 -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Dec 11 1992 Analog_FAQ -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 90926 May 18 1993 CD-ROM.txt -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Apr 19 13:36 CDI-FAQ -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Mar 4 1992 Casio-VZ -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Apr 15 1992 Chroma The names and directories appear on the far right-hand of the screen. Directories are distinguished by having a SIZE of 512 or multiple. (1) Position the cursor so it's touching the name of the directory, and press (Enter). (2) Make sure the directory you wish to move to is listed in the box and press (Enter) again. (3) Use the "Directory" command to list it. 1.2. Viewing Files · ______________________________________ (1) Move the cursor to the file you wish to view and hit (enter). (2) Confirm the name and press (Enter) again. (3) Use the "View" command to view it. 1.2.1. Viewing HTML Files · ______________________________________ Same as above, but when the file is received, it'll be structured automatically to a readable format, highlighting all FTP sites and file references. 1.3. Logging Off · ______________________________________ Press <F8> to immediately log off the FTP site you're connected to. If you perform this while receiving a file, there may be an unexpected delay, in which case Emcee will react with an urge to perform a Direct Communication Link. 1.4. Direct Communication Link · ______________________________________ Press <F9> to get to a command prompt. This will place you in direct contact with your provider's system, where you can manually issue commands. Press <Esc> when you finish. It's a good idea to return to the Host Prompt before going back into Emcee. If you're in an FTP session, Emcee will take you out of the Link and start over. 2. File Transfers · ______________________________________ The most important aspect of FTP is, well, it's files. Downloads are sent from the remote FTP site to your provider's system where you must manually download them again to YOUR system, later. 2.1. Retrieving Documents · ______________________________________ Retrieving a document places a remote file's content in the window and makes it the "Last Document". During an FTP session, use the "view" command to get the same results without disturbing the actual Last Document. You'll need the site+filename to successfully retrieve. (1) Press (Enter) anywhere on the screen. (2) Erase whatever CHaiN captured and input the site, followed by "/" and then the directory and filename (no spaces). Press (Enter). (3) Choose "Connect". (4) Choose "Document (Screen)". Emcee will call the site, and retrieve the file to your screen, then logoff. This file will remain the Last Document until you perform this again. 2.1.1. Viewing the Last Document · ______________________________________ Pressing <Alt-D> will display the last document you retrieved. 2.2. Downloading · ______________________________________ * If you're in an active FTP session: (1) Move the cursor to the filename you wish to download, and press (Enter). (2) Confirm by pressing (Enter) again. (3) Choose "Download". (4) Then you must choose what type of transfer to perform. Choose BINARY for compressed or executable files. Use ASCII if this is a text file. DOCUMENT will bring the file directly to the screen. You'll be informed how the transfer succeeded (usually a matter of seconds) and the transaction will be recorded in the Transfer Log. * If you already know the site and filename and don't want to visit the site: (1) Press (Enter) anywhere on the screen. (2) Erase whatever CHaiN captured and input the site, followed by "/" and then the directory and filename (no spaces). Press (Enter). (3) Choose "Connect". (4) Choose the correct transfer method (see above). Emcee will call the site, download the file, then logoff. Activity is recorded in the Transfer Log. 2.3. Uploading · ______________________________________ Make sure you have previously uploaded the file to you provider's system before uploading the file to the remote FTP site. (1) Connect to the site where you wish to upload the file. (2) Position Emcee in the remote FTP site's directory where you wish to leave the file. (3) Press <F2>. (4) Input the name of the file that you wish to upload. This file MUST be already present on your provider's system. (5) Choose the appropriate transfer method (same idea as downloads, see above). Emcee will send the file to the remote FTP site and tell you how it went, as well as record the transaction in the Transfer Log. 2.4. Transfer Log · ______________________________________ All uploading and downloading attempts are recorded in the Transfer Log. Press <Alt> to invoke the menubar. You'll find the Transfer Log under "Transfer". 2.4.1. Resetting the Transfer Log · ______________________________________ It may become necessary to reset or clear the transfer log of it's content. Press <Alt> to invoke the menubar. You'll find the command to Reset Transfer Log under "Transfer". 3. Archie and Whatis Searches° · ______________________________________ Finding available files or descriptions of files is just a quick Telnet trip to an anonymous Archie server. Completely automated file searching is one of Emcee's strong points. Emcee returns an easy-to-use list of sites and filenames that you can point-and-click on for direct access to what you want. * To look for filenames via Archie: (1) Press <Alt-A>. Doesn't matter if you're in an FTP session. (2) Input your requests (5 max) and press (Enter) on a blank line when finished. (3) Choose "Connect/Search". Emcee randomly chooses an Archie server and attempts a connection with it. If it fails to connect, Emcee moves to the next server, until a reliable server is connected with. If you know a server is dysfunctional, slow, or simply don't want to use the server Emcee is attempting to connect with, press <Esc> to move down the list. Emcee then requests a search and the output of this search is immediately placed on the screen. BEAR IN MIND, this is not the same structure you'll finally be presented with. Press <Esc> to abort and structure what's been found. * To look for file descriptions via WHATIS: (1) Press <Alt-W>. (2) Input your requests. (3) Choose "Connect/Search". Same results as an Archie search (above). 3.1. Viewing the Last Archie Search · ______________________________________ To display the results of the last Archie search, press <Alt> to get to the menubar. You can View Last Archie under "Connection". 3.2. Viewing the Last Whatis Search · ______________________________________ To display the results of the last WhatIs Search, press <Alt> to get to the menubar. You can View Last Whatis under "Connection". 4. Personal FTP Directory · ______________________________________ This directory is your customized guide to the world of FTP. The sites you want to visit again, the directories you want to frequent, and the files you'd like to receive can be placed here. Each entry has a corresponding character to identify its function when called upon: :Visit FTP site Format: ftp.site.name Example: oak.oakland.edu ≡ :Visit FTP site, begin session in specified directory Format: ftp.site.name/directory/ Example: oak.oakland.edu/pub/ (!! Note the trailing slash !!) ¥ :Wishlist- Visit FTP site, download specified filename, and logoff Format: ftp.site.name/directory/filename Example: oak.oakland.edu/pub/README Use the Left/Right arrow keys to preset your command and then Up/Down keys to change entries. Hit (enter) to invoke. Some of the examples above use the Personal Directory to demonstrate how to connect to sites (Connect/Relieve). Please see these references for correct use. For the most part, the options available from within the Personal Directory should be self-explanatory. CONNECT/RELIEVE: Connects to the site listed in the entry and performs tasks, depending on its corresponding character (see above.) SEARCH: Searches the Directory for a keyword. Press <SPACE> to bring up the next find. ADD: Allows you to add another site to visit, directory to FTP to, or filename to download (see below.) REVISE: Allows you to edit the entry. ERASE: Erases the entry. 4.1. Adding New Sites · ______________________________________ Not only can you add new sites, but also directories and filenames to frequent. You may specify a site, site+directory or site+directory+filename (see above for example formats.) SITE: Just enter the ftp.site.name or its corresponding IP number. ≡ SITE/DIRECTORY: Enter the ftp.site.name, a "/" and directory name to start from, FOLLOWED BY TRAILING "/". ¥ SITE/FILENAME: Enter the ftp.site.name, a "/" and filename to retrieve. When you "Connect/Relieve" on an entry, Emcee will automatically perform the task according to the little graphics character beside each entry. 5. CHaiN: Cursor-Happy Navigation · ______________________________________ Like the popular hypertext interface that allows you to follow specific information by highlighting a word or phrase, Emcee's CHaiN lets you point at a word (in this case a directory or filename) and press <Enter> to use the word as the argument for viewing a file, listing a directory, downloading a file and even connecting to another site. CHaiNing can be done from any document that appears in the window. In order for this function to work, however, you'll need to know what text of an FTP session can be used as an argument. For instance, while viewing a directory, you may see something like: Size Filename/Directory -------- ---------- -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 6130 Aug 3 10:24 README -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Jan 6 1993 Adlib-Gold -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Apr 16 1992 Alesis-D4 -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Dec 11 1992 Analog_FAQ -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 90926 May 18 1993 CD-ROM.txt -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Apr 19 13:36 CDI-FAQ -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Mar 4 1992 Casio-VZ -rw-r--r-- 1 pvo staff 512 Apr 15 1992 Chroma ^^^^^^^^^ ||||||||| The "stuff" in the far right-hand of the screen is what you want to move the cursor to. It contains both directory and file names. Press (Enter) to record the word the cursor is immediately touching. You'll have the chance to edit the word if necessary, and press (Enter) again to confirm the argument. You can now use this word to perform the following commands: DIRECTORY Sends a directory command to the remote FTP system, using the CHaiNed argument as the directory to list. A directory usually has an exact file size that's a multiple of 512. If you accidentally perform a directory listing on a file, you can <Esc> and try again. Each directory listed REMAINS IN MEMORY for later access, and the entire line where you CHaiNed from becomes highlighted. To access this directory again, you must return the cursor to the original word and hit <Enter>, this time only once. VIEW Sends a view command to the FTP site, using the CHaiNed argument as the file to view. Each file viewed REMAINS IN MEMORY for later access, and the entire line where you CHaiNed from becomes highlighted. To access this file again, you must return the cursor to the original word and hit (enter) only once. Emcee supports HTML (Hypertext Markup Language). These files normally have "html" somewhere in the name. When the file has been completely received, Emcee attempts to translate it. All FTP sites or filenames listed are highlighted and can be CHaiNed to immediately. DOWNLOAD Sends a download command (get) to the FTP site, this time using the CHaiNed argument as the filename to download. You'll be asked the type of method that should be used to transfer the file from the site to your provider's computer. Use BINARY for executable or compressed files, and ASCII for general text files. Choose DOCUMENT if you'd like the file's contents to appear on the screen. NOTE: Document transfers are kept in Emcee and available from the LAST DOCUMENT command from the menubar for later access. You'll then be asked to enter a destination for this file. Type in the name it should be saved to your provider's system under. CONNECT Much like the "Connect/Relieve" command from your Personal FTP Directory. Using the CHaiNed argument, Emcee automatically connects with a site and lists a home directory or downloads a file, according to the entry's format. Archie searches are automatically formatted to work with this command. PERSONAL If you're attempting to save the CHaiNed argument to you Personal Directory as a SITE, SITE/DIR or FILE entry, use the Up/Down cursor keys to specify it and press (enter). Emcee alters the argument accordingly. 5.1. Specifying a Home Page · ______________________________________ Popular these days is the ability to move from one network to another using as few keystrokes as possible. "Home Pages" are used to direct people and computers to different places, and with Emcee's CHaiN feature, this type of traveling can be achieved here too, using FTP. With Emcee, a Home Page is actually a text file that gets displayed under the "FTP Home Page" command from the menubar. This text file can hold any type of content, including links to FTP sites. * To import a text file to be used as a Home Page... (1) Rename the file to "HOMEPAGE", and (2) place the file in the directory where Emcee resides. Emcee will recognize this file when started and translate it for use within Emcee. Whenever you wish to view it, use the "FTP Home Page" command under Connections from the menubar. * This can also be achieved WHILE using Emcee. If you've just retrieved a document to screen that you want to use as your Home Page... (1) Perform a "WINDOW->DISK" command under Window from the menubar <Alt>. (2) Save the document as "HOMEPAGE", making sure it get's placed in Emcee's directory. The actual Home Page will change when you start Emcee again. 5.2. Searching the Window · ______________________________________ To look for a keyword in the window that's currently being displayed... (1) Press <F5> and enter a keyword. Emcee will look through the entire document and move the cursor to the keyword, if found. Use <SPACE> to bring up the next find. 5.3. Saving the Window to Disk · ______________________________________ * To save only what's being displayed in the window... (1) Use the "In View->DISK" command under Window from the menubar <Alt>. (2) Input a valid filename to save the filename as. * To save the entire document that's in the window... (1) Use the "Window->DISK" command under Window from the menubar <Alt>. (2) Input a valid filename to save the filename as. 5.4. Printing the Window · ______________________________________ * To print only what's being displayed in the window... (1) Use the "In View->PRINTER" command under Window from the menubar <Alt>. * To print the entire document that's in the window... (1) Use the "Window->PRINTER" command under Window from the menubar <Alt>. If your printer port is defined correctly in SETUP, Emcee will print your selection. 6. TECHNICAL SUPPORT · ______________________________________ Should something not work properly or an error occurs, feel free to contact me. Emcee has been tested and successfully run from remote, dial-up TBBS and Linux systems. Internet email: jj.heim@boardwatch.com Voice Phone: 303-696-8983
