<CENTER><H3><A NAME="10">Modem Connection To A SLIP/PPP Server</A></H3></CENTER>
<P>
<CENTER><H3>Hardware For Optimal SLIP/PPP Connection</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<P>Before we begin, you'll need a Modem; preferably a 9600 (minimum) bps
modem or higher. Actually, a 14.4K (14,400 bps) or 28.8K modem are
*highly* recommended. MacTCP and the associated SLIP or PPP software
take up a lot of overhead and you'll need all the speed you can get.
You'll also need a special modem cable called a "hardware handshaking"
cable. Most newer 14.4K and 28.8K modems are packaged with this type of
cable. If you're unsure, call the manufacturer or retailer and ask:
you'll need the proper type. Of course, you'll need to hook up your
modem as well. Please read the manual that came with your modem for any
installation procedure. Basically, all you will have to do is plug in
your phone line into the back of the modem. Plug in the cable that
attaches your modem to your Macintosh and plug in the modem (power cord)
into a suitable outlet.
<P>
<P>In order to effectively run much of the graphical software associated
with SLIP connections, you really should have a color monitor (13inch
RGB, 14inch Apple Color or larger) and a Mac with at least an 68020
processor. An LCII or faster is recommended. An 68040 or PowerMac is
ideal but not necessarily needed. Mac IIci and other 68030 machines are
still quite adequate for SLIP connections and running the associated
graphical software. Please do not attempt to run a 14.4K SLIP connection
on a Mac Plus. It just won't work. Instead, use a Unix dial-up with term
software if the processor is a 68000.
<P>
<P>You will also need, at a bare minimum, 4 Mb of free RAM available to
make SLIP worthwhile. By "free RAM" we mean the RAM available *after*
your System loads up at startup. Go to the "About this Macintosh" under
the Apple Menu after startup to see the amount of available free RAM
(largest unused block). Actually 6 Mb or more of free available RAM is
*highly* recommended for SLIP/PPP connections. Ten Mb of free RAM
is just about right for most SLIP needs. General Macintosh rule: you can
NEVER have enough RAM. Don't even *think* of running a SLIP connection
on a 2 meg Mac. System 7.1 or 7.5 is also HIGHLY recommended. If you're
still running System 6 (and don't foresee yourself changing) then a Unix
dial-up account is always available... *sigh*
<P>
<P>A final hardware recommendation is that you have at least 10 Mb free on
your hard-drive to be able to place various SLIP-associated software
onto the drive without problems or having to toss out things at the last
second to fit yet another cool graphical piece of Internet software. 20
- 25 Mb free of hard-drive space is even better. You really won't need
more than 30 Mb free unless you become a "download" addict and go into
frenzied bouts of download dizziness. Many first time users do go a
little crazy when they see the wealth of software and files available to
them through their new Internet connection and literally run out of room
on their hard-drive trying to bring it all back to their Mac. If this is
you, please see our upcoming Multimedia Tour for recommendations.
<P>
<P>The following is a description of setting up SLIP connection software
using MacTCP and InterSLIP software. This combination is recommended for
basic users (MacPPP can be used to configure PPP connections - the
installation procedures are conceptually similar to the SLIP-installing
procedure that is coming up).
<P>
<P>Before going further, make sure you are supplied with the following info
from your service provider.
<P>
<OL>
<LI>Your username
<LI>Your password
<LI>Your complete e-mail address
<LI>Your personal IP address (numeric)
<LI>The IP address of the nameserver (numeric)
<LI>The gateway address (numeric)
<LI>The type of class the address is (A/B/C)
<LI>The subnet mask (numeric)
<LI>Dial-in phone number
<LI>Modem speeds (baud rates) supported
<LI>A "dial-in" script (a plain text file) to be used with InterSLIP.
</OL>
<P>
<P>(You can write the script yourself, but try to convince your provider
to send you a pre-configured text script. Pinochle wrote his with a
little coaching from his provider, but this is not the recommended way
to go. In a sense, the dial-in script is dialing up your access phone
number and sending your password, address info, etc "behind the scenes"
to your service provider's host machine. The script acts as a translator
and query engine between the host machine and yours for dial-in access).
<P>
<P>Before configuring anything else - TURN OFF YOUR MODEM!
<P>
<P>Even if your server happens to support SLIP/PPP without installing a
program such as TIA, you will also have to install the same two key
pieces of software. Instructions on how to obtain and install both
MacTCP and InterSLIP are detailed in the preceding section (just in case
you skipped it). However, the configuration process for a SLIP/PPP
connection is slightly more involved, and should be, if requested,
available from your service provider.
<P>
<CENTER><H3>MacTCP</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<P>First, click once on the InterSLIP icon located in the main window of
your MacTCP control panel. It should now be the selected item, and
appear grey. Do not select Local Talk. Second, click on the "More"
button located at the bottom of the MacTCP control panel window. A new
window/dialog box will open and reveal the "heart" of Mac TCP for
configuration. Third, enter the info your service provider gave to you
(or should have at any rate; if not, give them a call and demand the
information: you're the one paying, after all). You will need to enter
(you'll know when you are over a text entry box because the arrow cursor
will change to a text "I-beam" cursor-- click once) the following
information:
<P>
<P>On the left side of the window,
<P>
<OL>
<LI>Obtain address: click on the "Obtain Address Manually" (unless
recommended to do otherwise).
<LI>Enter the Gateway Address in numerical form (eg. 192.283.83.8).
<P>
<P>On the right side of the window,
<P>
<LI>Pull down the Class Address menu and select "C" (unless told
to do otherwise).
<LI>Next there is a funny-looking "tuner dial" that you can grab using
your mouse. Pull the "tuning dial" across to the given Subnet Mask
Number given to you by your SLIP provider.
<LI>In the text box labelled "Net," enter the Net number given to you by
your SLIP provider.
<LI>Leave the Subnet box alone (unless told otherwise).
<LI>Node: leave this alone as well (unless told otherwise).
<P>
<P>In the "Domain and IP Address" configuration area,
<P>
<LI>Enter your domain and ONLY your domain. (ie. if your address is
anyone@anywhere.com, then your domain is anywhere.com; if your
address is anyone@anyhow.anywhere.com, then your domain is still
anywhere.com)
<LI>Enter the numeric IP address (eg. 182.404.12.23). This IP address is
the address of the provider's nameserver and is not your own
Internet IP address. Also, click on the "default" button (unless
told otherwise).
</OL>
<P>
<P>When everything is filled in correctly, click on "OK" and you will
return to the MacTCP opening window. Before clicking on the close box,
you *MUST* enter *YOUR* IP address (which is different from the one you
entered in the "More" window. This IP address in the main window is your
*personal* IP address: if you fail to fill this in, your machine cannot
be located on the Internet. Remember, a SLIP/PPP account puts your
computer on the Internet just like a connected node. Before going any
further, make a back-up copy of your newly configured MacTCP control
panel. OK-- deep breath-- you're not there yet, but we'll be done soon.
We still have to configure InterSLIP!
<P>
<CENTER><H3>InterSLIP</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<P>First, install the InterSLIP software, if you haven't already, in the
same manner you did for the TIA connection. InterSLIP is an installer,
so you need not worry about where the pieces end up-- they will end up
in the right places! For your information, the software comes in three
parts. A control panel named "InterSLIP Control," an extension named
"InterSLIP" and the InterSLIP configurer and dialer named "InterSLIP
Setup," which will be found in your Apple Menu after installation. The
installer also creates an InterSLIP Folder, which is located in your
Preferences folder. Inside the InterSLIP Folder are two other folders
called "Gateway" and "Dialing Scripts." This is where you will place
your scripts.
<P>
<P>It's time to find the application called "InterSLIP Setup," in your
Apple Menu items. Drag the Apple Menu down and find the InterSLIP Setup
icon and highlight it and release the mouse button to launch it; either
a small, thin window or an extended window will open. In either case,
**DO NOT PRESS THE CONNECT OR DISCONNECT BUTTONS YET** We still need to
further configure the InterSLIP software.
<P>
<P>If, after launching the InterSLIP setup, a small, thin window appears,
you will notice just above the word/button "Connect" a little arrow.
Click once on this little triangular arrow and the window will open and
"drop down" to its full size. You can play with this awhile <grin>. When
we're finished configuring, it is best to shrink the window and leave it
in "small-size" mode; it will stay in the position you leave it.
Click on the little arrow above "Connect" and get the window into
"full-size" mode. You should see a highlighted line containing the name
of the dial-in script file you placed in the InterSLIP Folder that
resides in the Preferences folder. If you do not see this, don't panic.
Quit the InterSLIP Setup application and restart your Macintosh. This
should solve the problem. Now go back and re-launch the InterSLIP Setup
application and expand the window (if it is not already expanded). The
name of the dial-in script should now be there. If not, insure that you
have placed it in the proper folder. The name of the script is usually
the name of your service provider, though you can name this text file
anything you choose. Double-click on the highlighted name in the scroll
list, and you will see the window for InterSLIP configuration appear.
<P>
<P>On the left side of the window:
<P>
<P>Serial Port: modem port
<P>Baud Rate : 19200 (or the highest speed your modem can support)
<P>Data Bits : 8
<P>Stop Bits : 1
<P>Parity : none
<P>
<P>Place a check in the "Hardware Handshaking" box (for 14.4K connections
and faster). You can either check or not check the "Speaker on while
dialing" option: it's up to you (we keep our connections quiet, but you
might like to hear the modem dial and give that electro-gnashing sound).
<P>
<P>Dial Script : Hayes Compatible Modem
<P>Dial : Tone (unless, of course, your phone is pulse)
<P>Phone number: Type in the dial up access phone number
<P>Modem Init : at&d2 (this dial init string should suffice)
<P>
<P>*NOTE* If you have call waiting, etc., you will have to add suitable
init strings to defeat them while online (usually *70).
<P>
<P>On the right side of the window:
<P>
<P>Gateway : select your script name (the one in your preferences folder)
<P>Username: enter your username (the part of your address BEFORE the @
sign)
<P>
<P>*DO NOT CHECK THE BOX* "Prompt for password at connect time"; this is
automated.
<P>
<P>Password : enter your password exactly as discussed with your service
provider.
<P>IP Address: enter your *personal* IP address
<P>Nameserver: enter the IP address of your provider's nameserver
<P>
<P>Check the box "RFC 1144 TCP Header Compression"
<P>
<P>MTU Size : Type in 1006 (this is a good general setting)
<P>
<P>Next, click on "OK" and "shrink" the window; everything will be hidden
except for the Connect and Disconnect buttons. Quit using the File
Menu or the window close box. As you did with MacTCP, insure that
you make a backup of each of the files and folders associated with
InterSLIP; this will save you from hassles in the future.
<P>
<P>Restart your computer and, while you're at it, rebuild your desktop file
by holding down both the COMMAND and OPTION keys. After you hear the
restart chime, keep holding the two buttons down until you see a dialog
box stating "Are you sure you want to rebuild the desktop file?" Click
on "OK" and your desktop will be rebuilt. No matter what anyone says,
SLIP connections are really part voodoo, and this rebuild process is our
"digital, lucky incantation" before the initial big connection event.
Besides, rebuilding your desktop file is a good idea anyway-- rebuild
your desktop file at least a few times during the course of a year.
<P>
<P>To connect to your server via an InterSLIP connection:
<P>
<P>Turn on your modem (and your computer as well <grin>). Launch the
InterSLIP Setup application from the Apple Menu. In the top right of the
connect window you will see <Idle>. Click on the "Connect" button.
<P>
<P>If everything goes well you will see a running progress dialog in the
top right of the little window:
<P>
<P><dialing>
<P>...
<P><waiting for prompt>
<P><sending username>
<P><sending password>
<P><requesting SLIP>
<P><connected>
<P>
<P>Once connected, quit the InterSLIP Setup application. It has done its
job by dialing you in and connecting you. Now it's time to use some SLIP
software, like Eudora, Blue Skies, Netscape, Turbogopher and many
others. You can now use your Mac as you normally would. The SLIP
connection is practically invisible, but wait until you see what you can
do with it!
<P>
<CENTER><H3>MacPPP</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<P>The following MacPPP configuration guide was graciously donated by a fellow Macintosh user. I think I remember his name, and would definitely remember it if I saw it, but I don't want to risk giving credit where it is not due. Please, if you are the one who sent me this section, please identify yourslef so I can give you the credit which is rightfully yours.
<P>That said, if you are trying to configure MacPPP to enable your internet access, place the PPP extension in the Extensions folder, the ConfigPPP control panel in the Control Panels folder (alternately you can drag both onto the System Folder and have the System auto-place them in the correct locations) and restart your computer. Please note that these instructions were written for MacPPP 2.1 and do not include the added features of the newly released MacPPP 2.2.
<P>
<H4>Setting Up ConfigPPP</H4>
<OL>
<LI>After the restart, open the 'Config PPP' control panel by
double-clicking on the file.
<P>
<LI>For 'Port Name:' select either 'Modem' or 'Printer', depending on where
the cable from your modem is plugged into your Mac. If in doubt, check! The
modem port has the picture of the telephone over it; the printer port's
picture looks like a printer.
<P>
<LI>You can set your 'Idle Timeout (minutes) from off ('0') to 2 hours. This
is the time that the Mac will wait between data transfers before hanging
up. If you are afraid of being interrupted or of falling asleep at the
keyboard, and you pay by the minute, set it for 5 or 10 minutes. If you
want to be connected 24 hours a day, or are sure you'll *always* remember
to disconnect, set it to zero.
<P>
<LI>Set the 'Echo Interval' to 'Off', usually. Setting it to some other
value will cause your Mac to send a 'ping' your Internet Service Provider
at the set interval. This will tell if your connection is still good, but
if you need to check your connection every 20 seconds, you need another
provider...
<P>
<LI>Uncheck the 'Terminal Window' box, and Check the 'Hangup on Close' and '
Quiet Mode' boxes.
<P>
<LI>Click on the 'New...' button at the bottom-center of the dialog. Type
your service provider's name (or whatever else you want) in the 'PPP Server
Name' box. This is used to identify different servers (or different set-ups
for the same one) and has no effect on your connection.
<P>
<LI>Set your port speed. As a general rule, higher is better if you have a
modern modem and a proper cable, and a fast Mac. If you don't, then some
experimentation may be in order... 19200 works best for me, with a 14.4
kilo baud modem, a 'hardware handshake' cable and a Mac SE. Set flow
control to whatever your modem and cable supports (if any) and click either
on 'Tone' or 'Pulse' dialing, per your phone company (does anyone still use
pulse dialing?)
<P>
<LI>Enter the telephone number of your provider' dial-up line (not the voice
line!) in the 'Phone num' box.
<P>
<LI>Modems vary greatly in their setup! I've assumed that the modem is set
to power-up in the configuration that you'll want, or that you know the
setting string to make it behave. If you have any questions, contact the
modem's manufacturer; they should be able to give you advice. If you need to set up the modem, enter the setting string in the 'Modem
Init' box.
<P>
<LI>Set the 'Modem connect timeout' to something reasonable, say 60 seconds
or so. This is how long PPP will wait for the phone company to make the
connection, and for your ISP to pick up the phone.
<P>
<LI>Click on the 'Connect Script' button to tell PPP how to connect to your
service provider. This is where you will enter what PPP will look for at
log-in, and what it needs to answer back. Clicking on the '<CR>' box will
look for a carriage return in the input, or send a carriage return on
output. If you want you can enter your login name and your password here,
but I recommend that you don't. If you do, anyone can (perhaps even by
accident) log into the net under your name (and at your expense.) If you
don't enter your name and password here, a dialog will appear every time
you connect, asking for them.
<P>
<LI>For 'LCP Options...' just hit the 'Default settings' button, and change
value for 'Max. Receive Unit' to 296 under both 'Local' and 'Remote'.
<P>
<LI>For 'IPCP Options...' just hit the 'Default settings' button.
<P>
<LI>Leave 'Authentication...' blank!
<P>
<LI>Click 'Done' to get back to the main 'Config PPP' dialog box, and now
(roll drums!) click the 'Open' button. If all has gone well, you'll get a
dialog box showing your connection script running, and one asking for your
username and password, and then you're Internetworked!
</OL>
<P>
<P>To disconnect, reopen the Config PPP control panel and hit the 'Soft Close'
or 'Hard Close' button. the icon at the upper-left of the dialog box will
tell you if you're connected at any given time. Closing your connection
(rather than just turning off your modem) will ensure that both your Mac
and your ISP know that you're no longer connected (and no longer being
charged).
<P>
<P>Before you close (or after you reopen), you'll probably want to set up your
mail and news readers with their configuration info - see their
documentation for that.
<P>
<P>If you use different service providers, or if you have more than one number
to call, or if you just want to try different settings, go back to the
Config PPP control panel, hit 'New...' and enter the different settings.
You then select which group of settings to use from the 'PPP Server:' list.
<CENTER><H3>Explanation Of Basic Internet Activities And Software</H3></CENTER>
<P>Poor souls who are stuck in a text-based version of cyberspace, like
Blue Savannah!, are the only ones who need pay attention to
the next little section; little, because it will be just so. To beat a
dead horse, we're not here to provide Unix help (although that is
starting to appear doubtful), but will do what we can. However, this
section also provides SLIP/PPP users with a little information about
what is going on when they use their applications. Each SLIP/PPP
application is a version (port) of a Unix counterpart and works along
the same lines.
<P>
<CENTER><H3>E-Mail</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<P>The two most popular Unix e-mail systems are Elm and Pine, quite similar
in their usage, and not worth explaining in too much detail. It will
suffice to say that to compose a message:
<P>
<OL>
<LI>Type "c" for compose from the main menu
<LI>Type in the e-mail address of the intended receiver
<LI>Type in any other receivers under cc: with a comma separating the names
<LI>Type in an appropriate subject
<LI>Type in your message
<LI>Type "control-x" to send and type "y" to confirm
<LI>To reply to a message, type "r" at that message and answer it
</OL>
<P>
<P>That covers the basics of e-mail. The commands may be slightly altered
depending upon the system you use, but you can always use the help
command. For Pine, just press "?", or, at your main prompt, you can
type "man pine" (or whatever e-mail program you happen to have
available). "Man" is short for "manual."
<P>
<P>Signatures can be added in pico, vi or emacs, simply by creating a file
named ".signature" and storing it in your home directory.
<P>
<CENTER><H3>FTP</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<P>Ftp access in Unix is very simple. Once the address for the intended
site is known, type, at your main prompt, "ftp whatever.the.name.is"--
obviously, that won't be the name. You must be careful about your
typing, though. Many sites include "ftp" in their name, and require it
to work. For example, "ftp ftp.hawaii.edu" is a valid command, but "ftp
hawaii.edu" is not. However, "ftp sumex-aim.stanford.edu" is valid,
while "ftp ftp.sumex-aim.stanford.edu" is not. If you find that you
receive a prompt that looks like "ftp>" instead of going anywhere, type
"open whatever.the.name.is"-- this should work. You will be greeted by a
request for some information; enter it as follows:
<P>
<P>Username [emr990]: anonymous (you would type in the "anonymous" part)
<P>
<P>Password: emr990@your.address.here (type in your e-mail address)
<P>
<P>For security, you will not see your address being typed. Continue
anyways. You're in, if the server isn't overloaded. Alternately, you can
use ncftp (if it is supported at your site) to bypass the username and
password requirements; they would be entered automatically for you. The
following are the only commands you will use from now on:
<P>
<OL>
<LI>"dir" will give listing of the files and links in the present folder
<LI>"cd xxx" will transfer you to a new folder, if xxx happens to be a link in the present folder
<LI>"cdup" will return you to the last folder you were in
<LI>"get xxx.hqx" will transfer a file named xxx.hqx to your home directory
<LI>"lcd xxx/xxx" will change your "l"ocal directory (in your account) if you need to switch to a /tmp or /work directory for downloading larger files
<LI>"quit" leaves ftp
</OL>
<P>
<P>Mr. FTP Explains How To Get A File:
<P>"So, to get a copy of UUCD 2.4, I would go to my home directory, type
in 'ftp ftp.hawaii.edu' and hit return. I would wait, and then enter
'anonymous' and my e-mail address. I would then type in 'cd
mirrors/info-mac/cmp' (I happen to know that the link 'mirrors' is in
the first folder which you could see by typing 'dir' and that the next
one is info-mac, and that inside that is cmp - the '/'s are a shortcut)
and then 'dir' to list the files in the 'cmp' directory. I would locate
a file named 'uucd-24.hqx' and type in 'get uucd-24.hqx'-- it
would now be in my home directory once I type in 'quit.' That's it for
ftp."
<P>
<CENTER><H3>Usenet</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<P>The only Unix newsreader we are familiar with is Tin. Luckily, it is
very popular and will be similar to most of those encountered by Unix
users. To access Tin from your home directory, you simply type "Tin" (or
whatever browser you are using). The default settings for Usenet are
usually "subscribed to all groups" or "subscribed to no groups." You
certainly do not want to have to deal with 5000 newsgroups every day, so
decide upon the ones you certainly will not read, and "U"nsubscribe from
them. This may take a while, depending upon the number of newsgroups
your server has chosen to access. If you are not subscribed to any, you
can "y"ank in all the newsgroups and "s"ubscribe to ones you think you
might like ("yank" also lets you see groups you may have unsubscribed to
previously).
<P>
<P>Navigating in Tin is based loosely on a concept called hypertext (words
which act as "buttons" for connecting to other menus), which you will
also encounter on the WWW. One newsgroup will be highlighted when you
start. It is up to you whether or not you read the articles in that
particular newsgroup, or scroll to a more interesting one, using the up
and down arrows. When you have decided upon a newsgroup, such as
<a href="news:alt.sys.mac.newuser-help">alt.sys.mac.newuser-help</a>, press the right arrow key, and you will be
given a list of article subjects and their respective posters. Any time
you want to backtrack to the previous level (from article -> list of
article -> list of newsgroups -> home directory) use the left arrow. To
choose to read an article, scroll to your chosen one, and press the
right arrow. Read it from top to bottom, using the up and down arrows to
uncover more text. To read the next unread article, you can press the
right arrow, or press the left arrow to return to the list of articles.
It is that simple. The only other organization on the Usenet is the use
of "threads." Each article posted will have a number beside it (ones
without are single posts). This number indicates how many replies to
that article there have been, each accessible from the primary article
by pressing the down arrow when you receive the prompt "next response."
<P>
<P>To post, choose "w" and type in your message. Control-x will activate a
sequence of questions which will let you post your message. To respond
to another person's post, type "f"ollow-up and continue as above. To
cross-post to multiple newsgroups (to which your post is relevant),
simply type the additional groups after the primary group, seperating
each with a comma.
<P>
<P>Now that you know how to navigate the Usenet, the next question is
clear: "How do I download the files I see?" The absolute flood of posts
on the Usenet is easily avoidable. Type "man tin" at your main prompt to
access a Tin manual for in-depth instructions. However, downloading
instructions are quite simple, and easy to explain. If you want a single
file (one post), highlight that post at the article level, and type
"s"ave. You will be asked for the type of save ("a"rticle), a name for
saving it under in your home directory, and a type of decompression, if
necessary. For text, choose "n"one. For a picture file or sound file,
choose "u"udecode. For a multi-part picture file, you will need to "t"ag
each article (IN ORDER!) in the series before typing "s"ave. You would
choose to save the "t"agged articles, and you would "u"udecode them.
That simple bit of information is what all the clamorous posts about
decoding instructions are seeking to reveal (unless of course you can't
use an automatic uudecoder like Tin). Once you leave Tin, all your saved
files will be waiting for you on your account, either in your home
directory or in a specifically assigned subdirectory like "News" or
"Files," which you can specify in the file named "tinrc." To edit
tinrc, type "pico tinrc" and change the download folder to suit you.
<P>
<P>*Sometimes it is desirable to delete a message you have recently posted;
especially for new users who may have inadvertantly posted an
embarassing question or posted a "f"ollowup to another post, not
realizing that it was being "cross-posted" to many other newsgroups (to
which the post was irrelevant). Although it is undocumented, Tin will
allow you to do this, if your article is still available on your news
server. If you go to the newsgroup in which you posted your message,
and "r" (toggle) to yank in the older messages, you can do an "a"uthor
search for your own name (or e-mail address). If you access the wrong
article, search again. Once you have located the correct article,
"d"elete it and confirm your delete. Tin will systematically find every
occurrence of your post and delete it from the Usenet. This can be
useful in avoiding flames or mailbombs (huge amounts of mail arriving in
your inbox and disabling your account). Be careful about posting.
<P>
<P>(*Hint contributed by Don Z'Boray)
<P>
<CENTER><H3>Talk</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<P>Unix "talk" (sometimes referred to as chat) is exceptionally easy, and,
for some reason, not too well known. Say you want to talk to a friend
who uses the same ISP (Internet Service Provider). All you would need to
do would be to type in "talk their-username" to "call" the other person.
They would reply with "talk your-username" and you would carry on
real-time conversations. Control-c ends them. To talk to someone from
anywhere else in the world, you would type "talk
their-username@their-address" and they would answer likewise. Another
talk service, not as common, is "ytalk"-- multi-line "talk" that works
exactly like talk, except that you command must include the "y" and so
must the other person's. The neat thing is that you can call up a menu
by pressing "esc" and invite other users from around the world to join
in your conversation. Ask your Systems Administrator if you find that
this function is not available on your server.
<P>
<CENTER><H3>Telnet</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<P>Sometimes, information is available to the users of another server that
is not available to you on yours. Sounds hopeless? Not at all. For this
type of access, we use "telnet"-- a means of accessing another computer,
with or without an account there. Of course, this does not mean that if
you have an account on a server without alt. groups, you can telnet to
mine and access them. Telnetting is set up for specific purposes. A few
are:
<P>
<OL>
<LI>Accessing your account from a remote computer network running telnet.
<LI>Accessing BBSs connected to the Internet, as well as different MUDS (multi-user dungeons for online games).
<LI>Accessing remote servers set up specifically for the purpose of allowing foreign users access to important or interesting services, like the two discussed in the next sections.
</OL>
<P>
<P>Telnet access is performed much like ftp access. You require an address
to "dial" and must insure your server supports telnet. After that, you
type:
<P>
<P>telnet address.of.the.site (in name or number format)
<P>
<P>For example, you might try "telnet 127.0.0.1" just for fun and practice.
It returns you to your own account, and puts you through the login
process. However, if you think about it, this means that you now have
two accounts running: the one you telnetted from, and the one you are
currently in. To return to your main account, type "logout" (or whatever
your normal signoff phrase is). That is the whole idea behind telnet:
allowing access of one account from another.
<P>
<CENTER><H3>Archie</H3></CENTER>
<P>
<P>The first of the Archie Comics characters we meet is Archie. In
cyberspace, he is a powerful search tool for finding files in ftp sites.
Some servers support an Archie of their own, and you can just enter
"archie -s filename" at your main prompt, where "-s" set the search to a
subset instead of exact, and "filename" is the name of the file you are
looking for. If Archie is not locally supported, there are a number of
ways to access it. You can telnet to a whole host (pardon the pun) of
servers and utilize their resources. Current Archie servers, as of
