Ian & Stuart's Australian Mac: Not for Sale/Another.not.for.sale (Australia).iso/hold me in your arms/Michael Ney's Cyberculture/Cyberculture/Internet Intro Documents

Text File | 1994-09-02 | 43KB | 1,166 lines

Topic 288       Internet Intro Documents        1 response
peg:visionary   cyberculture zone       12:12 AM  Jan 22, 1994

Network Document Package

Created and Maintained by: Jeff Linder <[e-mail]>

This package is produced and distributed under the shareware system.
If you like it, and find it useful, please send a few dollars to the
address below. Even if you don't like it, please drop me a note at the
address above, so I can see how far this gets.

The package may be freely reproduced and distributed for
non-commercial purposes. Distribution of this product for profit,
or inclusion in any for-profit package is strictly prohbited.

Comments on content are encouraged and welcomed.
The author can be contacted at the network addresses listed above,
or: Jeff Linder - Small Business Support Services
2800 Welsh Rd, Suite 7B
Philadelphia, PA 19152

__ Full text is 1090 lines in next response (Contents not included) _
________________________________________________________________________

CONTENTS

Network Document #1 - Introduction to BITNET/CREN

1. What is BITNET/CREN?
2. What is BITNET used for?
3. How does BITNET/CREN work?
4. How does BITNET know where to send all this data?
5. What kinds of communications are available via the BITNET?
   A> Interactive Messaging
   B> Electronic Mail
   C> File Transfer


Network Document #2 - Using RiceMail with the IBM/CMS operating system

A> What is RiceMail?
B> Why Electronic Mail?
C> Who can use Electronic Mail?
D> What do I need to know to use RiceMail?
E> What do E-Mail (Electronic Mail) addresses look like?
F> Sending Mail
G> Using the Mail Editor

Appendix A - Mail Defaults
Appendix B - Reply Options


Network Document #3 - Introduction to Basic Listservice Via Bitnet

A> What is a LISTSERV?
B> Who can use a LISTSERV?
C> How do I find out what mailing lists are available.
D> Now that I know what topics interest me,
   how do I use that particular list?
E> Once I have subscribed, what next?
F> What other commands can I use?
G> Is there a way to read older messages?
H>  Do LISTSERVs have other functions?
I> How do I stop receiving mail from a list?

APPENDICES
Appendix A: Sending Commands/Instructions to a LISTSERV
Appendix B: The INFO function
Appendix C: LISTHELP

Intro to FTP - File Transfer Protocol - A Basic Primer
   1. What is File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
   2. Accessing FTP
   3. Starting up FTP
   4. Connecting to the remote site, and accessing accounts
   5. Maneuvering within FTP
   6. Transferring Files
   7. Ending the session

APPENDICES

Appendix A - Manual Identification
Appendix B - A Sample (Generic) FTP Session
Appendix C - Additional Commands
Appendix D - System Etiquette

Where To Find Help
Network-Related Mailing Lists
Machine Specific Mailing Lists



Giving Credit Where Credit is Due:

The information in this document package has been compiled from the
following sources, in addition to the experience of the author:

The Matrix, by John Quarterman
BITNET USERHELP by Chris Condon and the BITNIC staff
All the LISTSERV Info modules  - Written by Eric Thomas
All of the contributors to Help-Net (special thanks to Melvin Klassen)

The section on BITFTP was adapted from BITFTP HELP,
issued from the Princeton University Computer Center.

If I've left anybody out, drop me a note and I'll be glad to rectify
the situation.Version 0.1B

Original Version

Version 1.0
- Removed planned chapter on the Sumex archives
- Added planned chapter on MUDs
- Completed section on Where to Get Help

Version 2.0

- Removed chapters on VAX/VMS Mail and Interactive Gaming
- Minor Updates to Chapters on Bitnet and Where to Get Help
- Added Sections on Usenet News, Gopher/Hytelnet,
  and 1st version of a network glossary.

_________________________________________________


Chapter 1 - Introduction to BITNET/CREN

1. What is BITNET/CREN?

BITNET is an electronic data network which connects several thousand
universities, colleges, and research institutions world-wide, with
more being added regularly. BITNET also has connections to many other
global networks, including the INTERNET, and CSNET. Technically,
BITNET refers to the network based in the United States of America,
with systems in other countries having their own appellations.
However, BITNET is the term most often used for the global system as a
whole. The United States sector of the BITNET is controlled by CREN
(the Corporation for Research and Educational Networking.)

2. What is BITNET used for?

The purpose of BITNET is to provide a way for researchers, students,
and faculty at different universities and research institutions to
exchange information with each other in a timely manner. BITNET also
serves a variety of recreational purposes. No commercial traffic is
permitted on BITNET.

3. How does BITNET/CREN work?

Institutions on the BITNET are connected to one another by what are
essentialy heavy duty telephone lines. All BITNET locations (often
referred to as sites) are thereby part of an "electronic chain"
through which data can flow. A very simplified drawing of a section
of BITNET is shown here:

 _________          _________
 |J      |J         |J      |J
 |J  A   |__________|J  B   |J
 |J      |J         |J      |J
 _________          _________
     |                  |
 _________          _________      _________
 |J      |J         |J      |J     |J      |
 |J  C   |J         |J  D   |______|J  E   |
 |J      |J         |J      |J     |J      |
 _________          _________      _________

In the illustration above, the boxes represent machines connected to
the BITNET, and the lines represent the connections between these
systems via telecommunications lines.

BITNET is a "store and forward" network. This means that data is sent
to the next site that is in the chain between you and the data's
destination, and then are held there until the link is clear for it to
continue. Using the sample region above, a data file being sent from
site A to Site D would first go to site B, and then from there to site D.

A problem can occur if a link is down between machines. If the link
between machines B and D is down, the file we just sent would have to
wait until the link was restored to continue. If the file was going to
site C, however, it would not be affected by the bad link.

For an analogy, the system may be viewed as interconnected data
"highways" and a link failure as a "traffic jam."


4. How does BITNET know where to send all this data?

Much like the United States Postal Service, BITNET uses a system of
addresses to determine the destination of data. Each address consists
of two parts. The first part is the recipients account id at his/her
machine. The second is the BITNET id for the recipients machine
itself. For example, a sample account could be V1234D (account id) at
TEMPLEVM (machine id). The address is usually expressed in one of two
ways, depending on the system sending the data:

V5057U@TEMPLEVM
V5057U at TEMPLEVM

Both of these represent the same address.

On an IBM Mainframe (such as TempleVM) running the CMS operating
system, the XXXXXX at XXXXXXX format must be used. The @ symbol is
sometimes interpreted as a special "delete" character and can change
the address.

Also, sometimes machines are set up so that when sending to another
user on the same machine, a BITNET address is not necessary. On
TEMPLEVM, mail sent to V1234D would be sent to that user's account
automatically.


5. What kinds of communications are available via the BITNET?

There are three main kinds of communication avaialbel on the BITNET.
These are interactive messaging, electronic mail, and file transfer:

A> Interactive Messaging:

Interactive messages are the fastest form of communication between
users. Messages are transmitted immediately to the destination and
appear on the target user's screen. Because these data packets are
only one or two lines in length, they move through the system very
quickly.

There can be several disadvantages to using interactive messaging.
One, many systems managers do not like to have messaging used on their
system, becuase it is inordinately wasteful of systems resources. Two,
the recipient of the message must be logged in to their machine when
the message arrives. If not, some form of a USER NOT LOGGED IN MESSAGE
will be returned to the sender, and the original message disposed of.
Three, if an intermediate link is down, a LINK DOWN message will be
returned to the sender, and the original message discarded. Finally,
interactive messages are generally limited to 255 characters or less.

The format for sending an interactive message is:

(IBM/CMS users) TELL (Userid) at (Address) Message
(VAX/VMS users) SEND (Userid) at (Address) Message

While fast, interactive messaging is by no means instantaneous. It may
take a few moments for your message to arrive. Please be patient.


B> Electronic Mail

Electronic Mail is a slower, but more reliable way of sending messages
to other users. Mail has three main advantages. One, mail can
(theoretically) be any length. Two, mail is held for a user if that
user is not currently connected to the system. Three, the same mail
message may be sent to a number of users at one time. There are also
some disadvantages. Mail is slower than electronic messaging, and may
take more time to arrive at its destination. The larger the mail file
is, the longer it will take.

If an intervening node is down, the mail file will be held until the
"traffic jam" clears.

For more information on using MAIL check the appropriate chapter.
(Additional chapters for different systems will be added later.)

C> File Transfer

File transfer is used to transfer large data files, or files in a
non-text format from one user to another. Transfer speed is dependent
on the size of the data file. The command to send a file under IBM/CMS
is:

SENDFILE (Filename) (Filetype) (Filemode) to (Userid) at (Address)

For example: to send a copy of the LISTSERV BASICS file to the author
on an IBM/CMS system, use the command:

SENDFILE LISTSERV BASICS to (account) at (Machine id)

Of course, files may be sent to you over the BITNET. Contact your
systems people for more information on how to receive these files.

A note about BITNET II

Many sites are now switching to, or considering using, the newer
BITNET II protocol, which allows for BITNET type file/data management
over TCP/IP lines, such as are used for Internet connections. This
allows for a greater speed of communication, and the dynamic nature of
TCP/IP networks, as opposed to the linear arrangement of BITNET links,
helps to avoid "traffic jams."


Network Document #2 - Using RiceMail with the IBM/CMS operating system

A> What is RiceMail?

RiceMail was developed at Rice University for the purpose of providing
a user-friendly utility for sending and receiving mail. RiceMail
provides a text-editing environment, mail sending, forwarding, reply
and reading capabilities.

B> Why Electronic Mail?

Electronic mail is a much more efficient method of communication than
land based mail, which is often referred to (jokingly) as "snail
mail."  Electronic mail travels faster than its paper counterpart, and
since all data is already stored in electronic form, allows for much
better manipulation of text.

C> Who can use Electronic Mail?

Anyone who has access to a computer connected to any of the global
mail networks can send and receive electronic mail. For purposes of
this document, we will only deal with accessing the two main academic
networks, BITNET and INTERNET. There are many other networks, some of
which are free, others which require payment (such as Compuserve,
GEnie, and Prodigy).

D> What do I need to know to use RiceMail?

A basic knowledge of CMS is highly recommended. Future chapters to
this publication will include a brief orientation to the CMS operating
system.

In addition, if you plan to contact a specific individual, you will
need to know the network address for that person.

E> What do E-Mail (Electronic Mail) addresses look like?

There are many forms of E-Mail addresses. Which format is used depends
on the particular network being accessed. In addition, there may be
special formats for mail travelling between different networks, but
these are beyond the scope of this document.

BITNET/CREN - A BITNET address consists of two parts. The first is the
account id of the user, the second is the BITNET id of the user's
machine. The BITNET id of the IBM Mainframe at Temple University is
TEMPLEVM. Therefore, if you wanted to contact a friend at Temple who's
account id was V9999G, their address would be V9999G at TEMPLEVM.
(Note:  some systems use an @ symbol as opposed to the word at). The
at is important as it separates the user id from the BITNET id. BITNET
machine id's are never more than 8 characters in length.

INTERNET - The format of an INTERNET address is basically the same as
for BITNET, i.e. Userid at Address. There is only major difference.
INTERNET machine addresses are in what is referred to as "domain-name"
format. There is no size limit on an INTERNET name. The INTERNET
address for the IBM Mainframe at Temple is VM.TEMPLE.EDU. This address
tells the system mailer how to route the mail file. Each internet
address also has a numeric equivalent that corresponds to the
"domain-name" style format. The numeric equivalent of VM.TEMPLE.EDU is
129.32.1.3. Sumetimes, the numeric address is needed because your
system mailer does not understand the named version of the address.

F> Sending Mail.

To invoke RiceMail for sending under IBM/CMS, the command is:

MAIL (E-Mail Address1) (Options)

The E-mail address should consist of both the Userid and MachineId, in
the proper format for the network you are accessing. For example, to
send mail to the author of this package, you would type:

MAIL V5057U at TEMPLEVM

on the CMS command line. If you wanted to mail to more than one
person, additional E-Mail addresses can be added after the first,
separated by commas. For example:

MAIL V5057U at TEMPLEVM, V9999G at TEMPLEVM

...will send the same mail to both addresses.

There are several options you can select while sending mail. These
options can change certain aspects of the way your mail is handled by
the system mailers. Your system managers have set certain options as
the default options for your system. You can change these by setting
up a MAILUSER XEDIT file. Appendix A of this chapter discusses this.

Options avaialable are (common defaults are followed by a *):

ACK - Set Acknowledgement On

...If you are sending to another IBM system, setting the ACK option
will instruct the receiving mailer to notify you (via a short letter)
when the recipient reads the letter. Not all systems mailers recognize
the ack option upon reception.

NOACK* - Set Acknowledgement Off
...Disables the return reciept function.

LOG* - Set Message Store On

...With message store on, a copy of each message sent will be stored
on disk in a NOTEBOOK file. The default filename is ALL NOTEBOOK.
Specifying a file name after the LOG option will cause the file to be
stored in that file.

NOLOG - Set Message Store Off
...No copies of the message will be saved.

FILE (Filename) - Include File in Mail Message
...Using the file name will include the file (filename) in the body of
your mail message.

RESUME - Resume a Suspended Letter
...The resume option allows you to continue editing a letter you had
previously suspended.

NOPROMPT - Information Verification Off
...Using NOPROMPT tells the computer not to ask for any information it
may be missing, such as subject, or sender data (see part G).

NOEDIT - Edit Mode Disable
...Sends the letter without editing. Usually only used when sending a
text file that doesn't need editing.

SIGN (SignatureFileName) - Append a Signature.
...SIGN will tell the system to append the contents of a signature
file to the end of your message. If no SignatureFileName is specified,
the system looks for a file with the title (Userid) SIGNATUR A. This
file can be easily created using XEDIT.

G> Using the Mail Editor

Once you have specified the recipients and options for your message,
the system will prompt you for any information it still needs. The
system will ask you a series of questions:

Your Name? - Allows to insert your full name after your userid in the
mail header.

Subject? - Allows you to include a subject line at the top of your
message. Including a descriptive subject is considered good network
etiquette.

Name for Recipient? - Allows you to add a personal name to the
recipients userid.

Any of these questions may be skipped by simply pressing return with
no entry.

Once all these questions have been processed, the screen will clear
and you will be placed into the mail editor. At the top of the screen,
you will see part of the Mail Header, followed by a line
(-=-=-=-=-=-=-).

Never edit anything above this line. If you do, it can result in your
mail becoming undeliverable. The editing cursor will be automatically
positioned under the line.

Now you can enter and edit your letter. In the mail editor, certain
keys have special functions that you many need. Check your particular
terminal guide to see which keys correspond to the ones below. Note
that in the mail editor, the return key does NOT move you to the next
line, but in fact has a different function.

F1 - HELP
  Accesses the help screen for Mail.

F2 - ADDLINE
  Inserts a blank line at the cursor.

F3 - QUIT
  Exits the editor. If you have made any changes, the QQUIT command
must be entered from the command line. See RETURN for details about
the command line.

F4 - PAGE(Down)
  Moves cursor down one page.

F5 - SEND
  Sends the edited letter. The system will display the current options
and ask you to confirm by pressing the SEND key again.

F6 - SUSPEND
  Puts your letter on hold and returns you to the CMS system.
The letter can be worked on again using the RESUME option.

F7 - SCROLL UP
  Moves the cursor up one page.

F8 - SCROLL DOWN
  See F4.

F9 - DELETE LINE
  Deletes the current line.

F10 - SWITCH
  Switches back and forth from a letter being replied to. See READING MAIL.

TAB - NEXT LINE
. Goes to the next Line

RETURN - COMMAND LINE
  Moves the cursor to the command line. Use the TAB and arrow keys to
return to your editing location. Any of the above commands can be
typed in from the command line, in addition to all CMS commands.
Also, several of the send options can be used here, most notable SIGN,
NOLOG, and LOG. Issuing QQUIT from this line will abort the mail message.

After your mail has been sent, you will return to your last function.

H> Reading Mail

To read all your mail, type the command:

MAIL

This will load all the files in your mailbox into memory and sort them
by time received. It will then display all received messages in a
menu, showing sending machine, date, and subject.

The follwing keys have functions on the mail menu:

Arrow Keys, Page Up, Page Down - Move around menu.

F1 - HELP
  Accesses the Mail Help screen.

F2 - READ
  Enter the mail read screen with the current message to be read.
  See the Read Mail Screen (below).

F3 - QUIT
  Exits the menu and discards all files tagged for deletion (see F9).
Any files not tagged for deletion will be stored in a file called
UNREAD NOTEBOOK, which is automatically read in by the mail program.

F4 - PRINT
  Sends the mail file to the system printer.

F5 - REPLY
  Invokes the mail send editor to send a reply to the originator of
the current message. The REPLY command has additional functions that
can be called from the command line. (See Appendix B of this chapter)

F6 - FORWARD
  Sends a copy of the message to a user, and allows you to add
comments using the mail send editor.

F9 - DISCARD.
  Tags a message to be discarded when you quit the mail program.

F10 - SORTUP
  Sorts the messages in ascending order. The field to be sorted by is
determined by the position of the cursor.

F11 - SORTDOWN
  Sorts messages in descending order. See F10.

I>  The Mail Read Screen

Most of the special keys from the mail menu function the same on the
mail read screen, with a few exceptions:

F2 - NEXT
  Goes to the next message without returning to the menu.

F3 - QUIT
  Exits to the mail menu.

F9 - DISCARD
  Tags the current message for deletion and goes to next message.

F11 - QUICKLOG
  Logs the file into ALL NOTEBOOK A.

J> Command Line Options

Certain commands can be typed in at the command line while reading mail.

LOG (FILE) - Appends the current mail message to the specified
NOTEBOOK file. This is very useful for sorting large volumes of mail.
NOTEBOOKS can be read using the MAILBOOK program which works almost
exactly the same as Mail's Read function.

Appendix A - Mail Defaults

By creating a MAILUSER XEDIT file, users can tailor the defaults for
MAIL according to their own needs. MAILUSER XEDIT can be created using
standard XEDIT and contains lines according to the following format:

SETMAIL (OPTION) (SETTING)

For example, to set the ACK option permanently on, the line:

SETMAIL ACK YES

...should be added to the MAILUSER XEDIT file. See your systems
personell for additonal help.


Appendix B - Reply Options

By using the reply command on the command line, the user has the
ability to add special options that can enhance the reply. All of
these options must be specified after the REPLY command. In addition,
most of the Mail Send options will work here.

A valid reply command would be:

REPLY FROM TEXT (NOLOG

The valid reply options are:

FROM - Send the reply to the user indicated in the FROM: field,
as opposed to the REPLY-TO: field.

SENDER - As with from, except the SENDER field is used.

TEXT - Encloses the text of the letter being replied to in the reply,
in the form:

>On June 16, 1991, (XXX at XXX) said:
> Hey, I've said...


Network Document 3 - Introduction to Basic Listservice Via Bitnet

Writer's Note:  Internet users will not be able to use the interactive
commands used here. They can, however send commands via mail.

Syntax Note:  In illustrating examples of interactive messaging, the
IBM Tell command is used. VAX/VMS users should substitute the SEND
command here.

A> What is a LISTSERV?

A LISTSERV is a program, written by Eric Thomas, that has been
developed to efficiently manage many network "mailing lists", handling
subscription, distribution and archiving functions. Mailing lists
usually focus on a specific topic, often indicated by the name of list.

B> Who can use a LISTSERV?

Anyone with network access can use LISTSERV's functions. However,
certain functions relating to specific lists may have limited access,
for example, subscriptions to certain lists may require owner
approval, as may postings to that list. Restrictions placed on mailing
lists will be apparent when you try to utilize appropriate LISTSERV
functions.

C> How do I find out what mailing lists are available.

Many schools maintain an in-school LISTSERV. If this is so, sending
the command LIST GLOBAL to your local LISTSERV (see Appendix A) will
return a list (large) of the currently active mailing lists system
wide. If your school does not have a local LISTSERV, ask your contact
person where the nearest LISTSERV is. In addition, LISTSERV at BITNIC
stores a file called BITNET SERVERS which lists some other interesting
functions. See the section on accessing files for information on how
to retrieve this file (and others).

D> Now that I know what topics interest me, how do I use that
particular list?

To subscribe to a list, send the following command to your local
LISTSERV:

SUB (Listname) (Your full name)

Your local LISTSERV will automatically forward the subscription
request to the correct LISTSERV site. You should receive a mail
message shortly after that contains a greeting and introductory
message from the list you have subscribed to.

E> Once I have subscribed, what next?

That depends on what you wish to do. If you wish to simply sit back
and read the messages distributed by the list, do nothing. The
messages will arrive automatically into your mailbox for you to read.
If you wish to make a contribution to the current discussion, you just
mail a message to (Listname) at (Listnode), where Listnode is the node
where the mailing list in question is based. This message will (once
sent) be distributed to all members of the mailing list. The Listnode
is available from the GLOBAL listserv list you requested above.

F> What other commands can I use?

The following commands can be used to determine information about a
particular mailing list or listserv site. All of the commands should
be sent to LISTSERV at (Listnode). Commands that are not connected
with a specific list can be sent to your local LISTSERV.

Review (Listname) - Sends a list of all members of the specified
mailing list. The header contains information about the distribution
and processing options of the list. Sometimes this function is
restricted for security reasons.

Version - Indicates what version of LISTSERV is running.

Help - Self explanatory

Query (Listname) - returns your distributions for the specified list.

G> Is there a way to read older messages?

Many, not all, mailing lists maintain a log of older messages.
The amount of back messages stored generally depends on the amount of
disk space avaialble, and how active the list is. Logs are generally
stored on either a weekly or monthly basis. To retrieve a log, send
the following command to LISTSERV at (Listnode):

Monthly Logs:
  GET (Listname) LOG(Last 2 digits of year)(Month 2-digits)
  Ex: GET GAMES-L LOG9003 will get you a log from March 1990.

Weekly Logs:
  GET (Listname) LOG(Year-2 Digits)(Month-2 Digits)(Week A-E)
  Ex: GET GAMES-L LOG9003A will get the log from Week1 of March 1990

H>  Do LISTSERVs have other functions?

Yes. Many LISTSERVs maintain a storage area for publicly accessible
files. These files can include reports and programs associated with
specific lists, or items of interest to the general net community.
Some commands relating to files are:

INDEX (ListName/Directory Name) - sends a listing of all files
associated with a given list, or contained in the specified directory.
Sending the command INDEX without a list or directory name will send
the master filelist for that node which contains a list of all
subdirectories.

GET (Filename) - Sends you a copy of the specified file.

PUT (Filename) - Stores a copy of the specified file. This is often
restricted access.

Commands to access files should be sent to LISTSERV at the appropriate
node.

I> How do I stop receiving mail from a list?

The command to remove yourself from a discussion list is SIGNOFF
(Listname). This command may be sent to your local LISTSERV and will
be forwarded as appropriate.

Appendices:

Appendix A: Sending Commands/Instructions to a LISTSERV.

First and foremost, LISTSERV commands should only be sent to LISTSERV
at the appropriate node. The only items that should be sent to the
mailing list address are those intended for distribution to all list
recipients.

Commands may be sent to LISTSERV in two ways, by interactive
messaging, or by mail.

The most efficient way to send short messages via the BITNET is
interactive messaging. For example, to subscribe to the HELP-NET at
TEMPLEVM, you could use:

TELL LISTSERV at TEMPLEVM SUB HELP-NET (Your Name). Note that for this
example, the nodename is included. If you have a local LISTSERV, the
nodename for that may be substitued.

Commands sent by mail take longer, but are more reliable. All commands
should be included in the body of your letter, with no subject line or
extraneous items, such as signature files.

Appendix B: The INFO function.

Most LISTSERVs maintain an on-line library of documentation for the
various LISTSERV functions. To find out what files are available, send
the command INFO ? to your local LISTSERV. This will return a list of
info topics that can be retrieved by the INFO command. Sending the
command INFO GENINTRO will return a useful file. Try it and see.

Appendix C: LISTHELP

For users of IBM CMS systems, such as Temple's IBM Mainframe, a
utility is available from LISTSERV at TEMPLEVM which acts as a simple
and limited front-end for dealing with LISTSERVs. To get this package,
which is documented, send the following commands to LISTSERV at
TEMPLEVM.

GET LISTHELP MODULE
GET LISTHELP HELPCMS


Network Document #4 - Intro to FTP

File Transfer Protocol - A Basic Primer

1. What is File Transfer Protocol (FTP)?

File transfer protocol is a system wherein files can be pulled from a
remote site to a user's personal account, or sent to another account,
possibly on a different machine. This system works in a similar way to
conventional modem upload / downloading, albeit on a much larger
scale, and at a much faster speed.

2. Accessing FTP.

Most schools will have a copy of FTP software available on any machine
connected to the Internet network. Connection to the internet is a
requirement to use FTP directly. Users only connected to the BITNET
network can not use direct FTP, but can make use of the BITFTP server
at PUCC.BITNET. More information is avaialable by sending the command
HELP to BITFTP at PUCC, by either interactive messaging, or electronic
mail.

3. Starting up FTP.

The command to engage FTP on most systems is:

FTP (site id)

where the site id is the Internet Address of the site you wish to
connect to. This site id functions the same way as a Telephone number
when dialing the phone, i.e. it indicates exactly which machine you
wish to contact. The site address can be in one of two forms,
domain-name or numeric.

Domain-name addresses are represented in a form similar to
'sumex-aim.stanford.edu'. This format will only work if your system
has this domain address on file, or if it is equipped with a
nameserver program, which can gather necessary information from other
sources.

The domain-name address is translated by your machine (either by the
nameserver, or data already in files) into a numeric address. This
numeric address corresponds to the physical location of the target
machine on the Internet. The numeric address conversion of
sumex-aim.stanford.edu is 36.44.0.6.

If your FTP command will not accept a site id, see the OPEN command,
in the next section.

4. Connecting to the remote site, and accessing accounts.

After issuing the FTP command, the computer will make the necessary
connections among machines and will respond once a successful
connection is made with a message like:

Connected to Sumex-Aim.Stanford.Edu (36.44.0.6) Sun OS 4.0

If the connection can not be made, your machine will indicate the
reason. In this case you can either try again later, or attempt to
connect to a different machine.

Once into the FTP program, the command to connect to a site is OPEN
(SiteId). This command functions exactly the same as if you were
connecting with the FTP command above.

After the connection has been established, the target machine will
prompt you for the account you wish to connect. Many sites maintain a
public access facility, under the account name 'anonymous' (Don't use
the ' when entering the account i.d.).

Once the account name is accepted, the system may prompt you for a
password. If you are accessing a private account, you will need the
specific password for that account. For anonymous sites, the standard
format is to use your userid@your machine.

5. Maneuvering within FTP

Once a successful connection has been made, you will be able to move
around within the target machine's file structure. Two important
commands for doing this are

DIR  (Directory) - List files in the specified directory. If no
directory is given, list files in the current directory.

CD (Directory)  - Move into the specified directory.
If .. is specified, move back into the previous directory.

For more information about directories, consult a basic UNIX Primer of
your choice. (Author's Note:  Most FTP sites are on UNIX systems,
however, there are some on VM/CMS, VAX, or other systems, and the
directory structure may vary. For more information, consult a manual
for the appropriate system. The remainder of this document will assume
connection to a UNIX or UNIX emulating system.)

Most systems supporting an anonymous site store information in a
pub directory. Use CD PUB to move into this directory.

6. Transferring Files

Once you have located the file or files you wish to transfer, you can
use one of four commands to move them. These commands are GET, MGET,
PUT, and MPUT. They are used as follows:

GET - retrieve a single file from the target machine. The format is
GET (Filename).

MGET - retrieve mutiple files from the target machine using wildcards
(see below). Depending on the system, you may be prompted individually
to confirm transfer of each file. The format is MGET (fileid).

PUT - send a single file to the target site. The format is PUT
(filename).

MPUT - send multiple files to the target machine using wildcards.
Depending on the system, you may be prompted to confirm transfer of
individual files. The format is MPUT (fileid).

File Types -  Sometimes files need to be transferred in a specific
format, such as Binary, or Ascii. Most systems use ascii by default.
If you need to use a specific file type, such as BINARY for a GIF
file, type the desired filetype as a separate command before
initiating the transfer.

Wildcards -  Most FTP sites accept wildcards similar to those used in
UNIX, and MS-DOS. The most commonly used wildcard is *, which means
match anything before the *. For example, using the wildcard Mar*
would match files named March, Martian, Mars, etc. This wildcard would
not, however, match a file named Fred.

Note -  Many FTP sites are case sensitive. The file 'MARCH' can be
totally different from the file 'March'. Be careful.

7. Ending the session.

Once you have transferred all the files you have desired, it is time
to disconnect from the target site. There are two commands you can
use, CLOSE and QUIT.

CLOSE will end the connection to the current site, but leave you in
the FTP program, where you can then issue an OPEN command to connect
to a new system.

QUIT will end the connection and return you to your operating system.

APPENDICES


Appendix A - Manual Identification.

Some FTP systems do not automatically prompt users for their
identification and password. In this case, there are two commands that
are used to provide the target machine with the necessary information:

USER (accountId) - Identifies the account with which you wish to
connect on the
 target machine. To connect to an anonymous site, the
command would be USER anonymous.

PASS (Password) - Submits the password for the target account to the
target machine. This command can often also be used to resubmit a
password originally typed incorrectly.

Appendix B - A Sample (Generic) FTP Session

This is a transcript of a very generic FTP session. Messages displayed
will vary from system to system, but should look generally like the
example below. Text encased in (**) indicates comments and are not a
part of the FTP session. Input from the User is in bold type. System
output is in normal type.

bigboy>. FTP 36.44.0.6
Connected to 36.44.0.6
250 Welcome to Sumex-Aim.Stanford.Edu - Sun OS 4.0
ftp> cd info-mac
250 Directory changed succesfully
ftp> dir
250 Opening connection for bin/dir (129.32.1.21,1333)
drwxr--r--   ftp   wheel  app/
(*Rest of directory omitted. The d at the front of the data line signifies a directory that can be
 moved into*)
ftp> cd app
250 Directory changed successfully
ftp> get NetDoc.Project.Hqx
Opening Connection for NetDoc.Project.Hqx (79332 bytes)
Transferring NetDoc.Project.Hqx
Transfer Completed - 79332 bytes transferred.
ftp> quit
Connection closed.
bigboy>


Appendix C - Additional Commands

There are some additional commands that may be of use while working
with FTP:

Hash - When the Hash command is implemented, the FTP system will
display a # sign every 1K (8K on some systems) of material
transferred. This is useful in confirming data transfer and estimating
speed. This command will not work on VM/CMS systems which
automatically update this information.

Mode B - Set block transfer. Along with Type E, the two commands are
used when transferring VM/CMS modules.

Help - This command is self-explanatory. Specific formats of the
command may vary from system to system.


Appendix D - System Etiquette

When using FTP, please remember that FTP is only a small part of a
much larger network system, and that there are certain codes that
should be followed.

To reduce load on the network, it is best not to use FTP during peak
times (9 am - 5 pm in the country of operation). If use is necessary,
try to complete transactions as speedily as possible. Anonymous sites
are often supported by institutions that have other responsibilities.
You should not connect to anonymous sites during prime-time.

Where To Find Help:

Depending on your needs, there are a large variety of resources
available to users of the world networks. The most easily accesible of
these are various LISTSERV mailing lists that deal with net related
topics. Some of these are listed here, others can be found by checking
the global LISTSERV mailing list. More information about using
LISTSERV functions can be found in the appropriate chapter of this
document. All mailing list addresses are in BITNET format (except
THINK.COM).

Network-Related Mailing Lists:

HELP-NET at TEMPLEVM - Established as a reference source for all areas
of net usage, Help-Net serves as an informal forum for discussion for
both expert and novice users.

INFO-NETS at THINK.COM - Discussion list dealing with inter-network
connectivity, especially in regard to mail, mailers, and gateways.

ADVISE-L at UGA - Discussion list for  student consultants.

GGUIDE at BITNIC - Discussion list regarding questions about the
BITNIC documentation.

Machine Specific Mailing Lists:

These lists deal with topics only related to a specific machine.

Macintosh
. INFO-MAC at RICEVM1
. MAC-L at YALEVM
. SYS7-L at UAFSYSB (System 7.0 Discussion)

IBM-PC
.
IBM Mainframes

. IBM-MAIN at LEHIIBM1

NEXT Systems

. NEXT-L at BROWNVM

VAX Systems

. INFO-VAX at LEHIIBM1 (Very Active)

(Ed Note: Please send additions/corrections to the list to the address
in the about box)

THE BITFTP server at Princeton University

General Information:  The BITFTP server at PUCC is provided as a
service to the BITNET community by the Princeton University Computer
Administration. BITFTP provides FTP access to BITNET only sites, who
do not have access to the Internet. As a note, you should NOT use
BITFTP if you have direct FTP access. Please remember that BITFTP is
being provided as a free service and do not take advantage of their
generosity.

Using BITFTP by Electronic Mail:  BITFTP accepts "command sets" in
most standard mail formats (RFC-822). Send your commands as the body
of the mail message. A subject line is not needed. The first command
in your mail file must be one of the following:

. FTP hostname FILETYPE - Initiate a FTP link
. FTPLIST - Request a copy of a current list of FTP sites
. HELP - Request a help file
. VMS - Request a file containing suggestions on using BITFTP via VMS systems

The commands HELP, FTPLIST, and VMS should be the only contents of
their file. The FTP command will be followed by the appropriate FTP
commands to transfer the files. More info on FTP commands can be found
in the Introduction to FTP section of this document. The commands
supported by BITFTP are described in the FTP COMMANDS section below.

A Sample BITFTP command set:

This BITFTP command set will request a copy of this file from the
Sumex Macintosh archives.

FTP sumex-aim.stanford.edu NETDATA
USER anonymous
CD /info-mac/misc
GET NetDoc10.hqx
QUIT

BITFTP Commands:

The following command syntax is supported by BITFTP. Additional
information on some of these commands may be found in the "IBM TCP/IP
for VM Command Reference Manual"

FTP (hostname) (Filetype) - The FTP command serves two functions. One,
it instructs BITFTP to open a file transfer connection to the FTP site
specified as the hostname. Second, it specifies the method by which
the file is to be sent from BITFTP to your account. BITFTP can send
files in either straight NETDATA, or UUENCODED files. More information
about this command is available in the help file issued by BITFTP.

USERNAME (Username) (Password) - Specifies the account to be accessed.
Most public access sites accept a username of anonymous. If anonymous
is used, you do not need to specify a password. If you are accessing a
private account, you must specify the password.

CD - Change directory. No changes from the standard FTP syntax. Used
to move within directories at a site.

CLOSE - Disconnect from the current connection without ending the FTP
session.

QUIT - Disconnect from the current connection and end the FTP session.
You must specify QUIT as the last command in your file.

DIR - Obtain a listing of all files in the current directory.

BINARY - Set the file transfer mode to BINARY mode. You should use
BINARY for any executable or GIF files.

ASCII - Set the file transfer mode to ASCII text.

Information on additional commands and some tips for using BITFTP are
available from BITFTP itself via the help command.


A Brief Introduction to UseNet News

What is UseNet News?

UseNet news is a collection of discussion groups on thousands of
topics, from computers to literature to sports. Users can connect to
read messages, reply to them, and post new ones. These messages are
available to literally hundreds of thousands of people daily.

The UseNet news network is made up of many hundreds of machines of
different types. Some of these machines are servers, which store
messages and forward them to other servers, other machines are only
equipped with news readers, that take messages off of a server, and
send replies and new posts to the server. These machines can be of
almost any type, as long as they can connect to a network that UseNet
can use. News reader and server software exists for Unix, VMS, VM,
Macintosh, IBM, and other platforms.

How do people read UseNet News?

To read UseNet news, a user must have access to a machine connected to
a UseNet compatible network, such as the Internet. A newsreader
program must be run, which will connect to a news server program,
either on the same machine, or somewhere else on the network. The
reader program will check for unread postings, new newsgroups, and
other information of interest and display to the user who can then
choose which information to view.

The format for displaying/replying/posting will vary according to the
news reader used. Check with your systems people for details as to
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available programs at your site.

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