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Path: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!usc!howland.reston.ans.net!agate!darkstar.UCSC.EDU!eric From: eric@cse.ucsc.edu (Eric C. Rosen) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.comm,news.answers,comp.answers Subject: comp.sys.mac.comm Frequently Asked Questions [3/4] Supersedes: <csmc-FAQ3_742192816@darkstar.ucsc.edu> Followup-To: poster Date: 12 Aug 1993 04:40:32 GMT Organization: University of California, Santa Cruz (CE/CIS Boards) Lines: 733 Sender: eric@cse.ucsc.edu Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu Distribution: world Expires: 16 Sep 1993 04:42:43 GMT Message-ID: <csmc-FAQ3_745130563@darkstar.ucsc.edu> References: <csmc-FAQ1_745130563@darkstar.ucsc.edu> Reply-To: eric@cse.ucsc.edu NNTP-Posting-Host: oak.ucsc.edu Summary: This thread of four postings contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions (with answers) for comp.sys.mac.comm. Anyone seeking information about Macintosh telecommunications is encouraged to read this FAQ before posting. Keywords: FAQ Originator: eric@oak Xref: senator-bedfellow.mit.edu comp.sys.mac.comm:27960 news.answers:11294 comp.answers:1570 Archive-name: macintosh/comm-faq/part3 Last-modified: Wed Aug 11 1993 ================================================================================ [5] Networking, MacTCP, Telnet, SLIP ==================================== [5.1] What is MacTCP and what kind of hardware and software do I need to use it? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MacTCP is Apple's implementation of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) TCP/IP Protocols (see [5.2]). MacTCP's software interface is a Control Panel, which means that it loads when your Macintosh boots. Under System 6.0.X, MacTCP will reside in the System Folder; under System 7.0, it should be placed in the Control Panels Folder. MacTCP accomplishes two important tasks: it is a tool that lets programmers who wish to develop TCP/IP based applications do so without "reinventing the wheel". By providing a standard interface to TCP/IP network hardware, MacTCP also makes it possible for more than one TCP/IP based application to run on a Macintosh at any one time. For example, you can simultaneously use a Telnet program, an FTP program, and share a filesystem via NFS when you use MacTCP to provide the interface to your TCP/IP network. The latest version (8/93) of MacTCP is MacTCP 2.0.2, which should be shipping from APDA by mid-July, 1993. It replaced MacTCP 1.1.1 which is the version currently in common use. Both require a Macintosh Plus or later model, System 6.0.5 or later, a direct connection to a Ethernet or TokenRing network (typically a Ethernet or TokenRing card or a SLIP dialup connection), or a connection to a LocalTalk network with a DDP-IP router such as a Shiva FastPath, Cayman Gatorbox, Webster Multigate, or Compatible EtherRoute TCP. If you are using System 7.1, you be using MacTCP 2.0.2 or higher, or at the very least 1.1.1 . Note: There are known bugs with 2.0; Apple recommends upgrading. As indicated above, MacTCP is an Apple product available from APDA; product numbers and official names are listed below (8/93). Note that MacTCP 2.0 is known by "Connection for Macintosh". M8113Z/A TCP/IP Connection for Macintosh 59.00 M8114Z/A TCP/IP Administration for Macintosh 199.00 Many universities have campus site licenses; your site may also have such an arrangement --- check before buying. It is also now possible to buy MacTCP from mail-order companies; check around, and you may find a better price than APDA. Annual site licenses pricing (7/93): .edu .com 1 - 2000 Macintosh CPUs $1000 $3000 2001 - 5000 $1500 $4500 5000 - unlimited $2500 $7500 Contrary to rumours, Apple remainds dedicated to supporting TCP/IP connectivity. Apple employees are said to be currently focused on MacTCP 3.0, expected first quarter of 1994. For more detailed information regarding setting up a Macintosh to connect to a TCP/IP network using MacTCP, see Eric Behr's report on MacTCP which is archived at the various FTP sites as mac-tcp-info.txt. This report provides a lot of useful information for first-time Macintosh networking administrators. [5.2] What are AppleTalk, LocalTalk, EtherNet, EtherTalk, TCP/IP, etc? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- When attempting to describe networking terms, a distinction should be drawn between networking _protocols_ (such as AppleTalk and TCP/IP) and networking _hardware_ (such as LocalTalk, Ethernet, and TokenRing). In most cases, a specific protocol can be used over more than one hardware medium. In order to help understand the interaction of these disparate parts in a real-world network, we can adopt the useful analogy of multi-layer cake with the physical wire at the very bottom and the software which you are running at the very top. Thus, we can think of LocalTalk, Ethernet and TokenRing as being the layers at the bottom, AppleTalk and TCP/IP in the middle and programs like NCSA Telnet, NFS/Share and MacX at the top. The following terms describe protocols (software descriptions) common to the Macintosh networking world: * AppleTalk: A proprietary suite of protocols developed by Apple Computer, Inc. that provides for near-transparent network connections between Macintosh computers. However, within the last few years AppleTalk has been ported to operating systems other than the Macintosh OS, including UNIX, VMS and DOS. Questions about the AppleTalk protocol are probably best posed in the newsgroup comp.protocols.appletalk . * TCP/IP: A suite of protocols developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) whose purpose is multi-platform connectivity. TCP/IP drivers are available for almost all of the computer platforms in use today, including micros, minis, main- frames and supercomputers. TCP/IP stands for Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol, because these are the two most widely used protocols in the suite. However, TCP/IP includes the User Datagram Protocol (UDP), Address Resolution Protocol (ARP), Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP) and others. * EtherTalk: The driver which allows AppleTalk protocols to be transported by Ethernet. * TokenTalk: The driver which allows AppleTalk protocols to be transported over IBM TokenRing networks. The following terms describe hardware (the physical link such as the wire(s) connecting computers) common to the Macintosh networking world: * LocalTalk: One type of hardware over which AppleTalk protocols can be transported. LocalTalk has a throughput of 230.4 Kilobits per second, or roughly a quarter of a Megabit per second. * PhoneNet: Another type of hardware commonly used to transport AppleTalk packets. PhoneNet mates LocalTalk hardware with ordinary (unused) telephone wire. PhoneNet is probably the cheapest way to connect widely separated Macintosh computers within a single building. * Ethernet: A network medium over which AppleTalk, TCP/IP and other protocols travel. Ethernet's maximum throughput is 10 Megabits per second. * TokenRing: A network medium developed (and patented) by IBM based on a topology of a ring of nodes connected serially by a single cable. Each node, or computer, speaks on the cable only when it has posession of a token. TokenRing technology can demonstrate throughputs of ranging from 4 to 16 Megabits per second. [5.3] What is Telnet, and is there a Telnet program for the Macintosh? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Telnet is a high speed terminal connection protocol designed with TCP/IP in mind. A Telnet program allows you to connect to computers that accept Telnet sessions (such as UNIX boxes) with interactive full-screen console input and output capabilities in mind. There are several Telnet programs for the Macintosh. The first and most widely used is NCSATelnet, which is free and can be found via anonymous FTP from ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu (as well as elsewhere). The latest version is 2.5 and supports TEK 4105 graphics, provides both an FTP server *and* client as well as a built-in SLIP driver, and can do session logging. Unlike most TCP/IP programs for the Macintosh, it does not require (but can use) MacTCP. Comet, the Cornell Macintosh Terminal Emulator, is a Public Domain communications program which offers multiple VT102 and IBM 3278 emulator Telnet sessions (using MacTCP) as well as serial VT102 connections. A TFTP server is provided for TCP/IP file transfer; in addition the "ft3270" file transfer protocol supports file transfer with IBM VM hosts over Telnet and serial connections. Comet is available via anonymous FTP from the pub/comet/ directory of comet.cit.cornell.edu. Hytelnet is a Telnet program available for various personal computers including the Macintosh. The Macintosh version is based upon Hypercard 2.x. Contact Charles Burchill at <burchil@ccu.umanitoba.ca> for more information about Hytelnet. InterCon Systems has a fully-functional Telnet Connection Tool for us with the CTB). InterCon's TCP/Connect II includes facilities for Telnet as well as a FTP (and a host of other features). Versaterm 4.6.2 ships with a Telnet Connection Tool (in addition to MacTCP). However, this tool seems to be intended to be used only with Versaterm and does not support all Telnet features. Advanced Software Concepts distributes 5PM with MacTCP, a Telnet Connection Tool and a FTP server. 5PM includes a HyperTalk-like scripting engine and allows the user to create "palettes" which are similar to HyperCard cards. Stanford University Networking Systems has distributed a package known as SU-Mac/IP that includes Telnet, FTP, tn3270, printing facilities and other MacTCP based capabilities. The package can be licensed *ONLY* by "degree-granting institutions of higher education". For information, either send e-mail to macip@jessica.stanford.edu or call [USA] (415) 723-3909. [5.4] Is there a FTP (server) program for the Macintosh? -------------------------------------------------------- Yes, you can choose from freeware, shareware and payware varieties: * NCSATelnet (see [5.3]) includes both FTP client and server capabilities. * Fetch 2.1 (from Dartmouth) is a free FTP application for educational institutions. Otherwise, it requires a license. Fetch provides an intuitive interface to FTP servers, similar in style and feel to the standard Macintosh open file dialog. * FTPd, $10, by Peter Lewis <peter@cujo.curtin.edu.au>, is a recently released shareware FTP server with many features (described below by the author): o Multiple simultaneous users. o Honours System 7 Users & Groups (in fact depends on them!). o Supports BinHex and MacBinary transfers, including the MACB command. o Allows login to other AppleShare servers on the local network. o Allows different formats of a file to be fetched. o Pattern matching in change directory command. o Individual initial directory for any user. o FTP site descriptions sent after login. o Directory descriptions sent after CD command. o Supports the CatSearch feature to allow very fast volume wide searches. o Quite slow. * HyperFTP, a Hypercard-based FTP client. * XferIt, by Steve Falkenburg, a shareware FTP client. * Versaterm 4.6.2 also ships with an FTP CTB Tool. * Advanced Software Concepts sells FTPShare, a commercial FTP server product and has posted a demo to InfoMac. Main features (according to authors) are: o Operates very similar to System 7 FileSharing. o Also works under System 6. o Quite fast. [5.5] What are SLIP, CSLIP and PPP? ----------------------------------- SLIP stands for Serial Line Internet Protocol. SLIP is a "non-standard" for framing IP packets and shipping them over a serial line (e.g. a cable, or a pair of modems), thus allowing a home machine to dial up and become part of the Internet. Effectively, SLIP turns a serial port into a logical ethernet port. Many workstations and terminal servers can support SLIP. On the Macintosh side, several vendors offer SLIP modules for MacTCP. (These vendors and products are summarized below). Macintosh software which communicates with the outside world via MacTCP will continue to work over SLIP, albeit somewhat more slowly due to the relatively low bandwidth of modem connections. CSLIP stands for Compressed SLIP. CSLIP reduces the size of the headers in IP packets by eliminating a certain amount of redundancy. This improves interactive performance. PPP stands for Point-to-Point Protocol. PPP can support both synchronous and asynchronous connections and protocols that are not IP-based (such as AppleTalk). It provides specifications for error correction, feature negotiation, escaping control characters, etc. PPP is becoming more and more popular, especially as MacPPP, a MacTCP extension available via anonymous FTP from merit.edu in pub/ppp, has matured into a stable and viable alternative to the various available MacTCP SLIP LAPs. Although SLIP continues to be more prevalent than PPP, PPP is likely to become more popular in the future. Recently, several vendors have provided SLIP LAPs for MacTCP. What is a "MacTCP SLIP LAP"? To quote Steve Dorner, "It's an extension that allows MacTCP to work over a phone line, allowing you to use any MacTCP application over your modem, if you have the right dialins." LAP stands for Link Access Protocol. You choose the LAP you want to use via the MacTCP Control Panel. Currently, the following SLIP products for the Macintosh are readily available: o MacSLIP from Hyde Park Software is a MacTCP extension that supports SLIP and CLSIP and a scripting language for session. Individual copies sell for $49.95. Contact: info@hydepark.com, [USA] (800) 531-5170, or write: TriSoft 1825 East 38 1/2 Austin, Texas 78722 Reports of transfer rates as high as 1500 bytes/sec have been posted to comp.sys.mac.comm by users of MacSLIP on V.42bis 9600 baud modems. Transfer rates as high as 3 KB/sec are possible through a 38400 baud connection. o InterCon Systems is shipping a MacTCP extension with their networking product (TCP/Connect II), and as a separate package (InterSLIP). HOWEVER, InterCon has graciously made InterSLIP available to Internet users for FREE. You can FTP InterSLIP from ftp.intercon.com in InterCon/sales. Demonstration versions of various InterCon products are also available at this FTP address. Contact: sales@intercon.com, [USA] (703) 709 9890 o Synergy Software offers a SLIP/CSLIP MacTCP extension with its Versaterm/Versaterm-PRO packages. If you already own Versaterm, SLIP is a $20 upgrade. If you buy the complete Versaterm 4.6.2 package (about $90), you will also get an FTP server and client, a Telnet connection tool, and MacTCP. Performance is comparable to that of MacSLIP. Contact: [USA] (215) 779 0522 o If you are only interested in Telnet and FTP capability, you may want to examine NCSA Telnet (see [5.3]). For a review of Macintosh SLIP products, see the November 16, 1992 issue of "Open Systems Today". Benchmarks are included. Information about setting up SLIP on Sun UNIX boxes, as well as some reviews and UNIX SLIP programs, can be found via anonymous FTP from ftp.bio.indiana.edu in util/slip, among other places. [5.6] How does MacTCP resolve names into IP addresses? ------------------------------------------------------ If you are having problems configuring MacTCP to use dynamic Domain Name Service entries, the following empirical description of the behavoir of MacTCP's name resolution protocol may be useful. The description assumes some familiarity with IP addressing. Step 1. Expand the target name. If the target name contains a ".", the target name is the expanded target name. Otherwise, prepend the name to the domain marked with the "Default" button in the MacTCP control panel. The concatenation of the name and this domain becomes the expanded target name. Proceed to Step 2. Examples: Assume "slcs.slb.com" is the default domain for MacTCP. "valhalla" expands to "valhalla.slcs.slb.com". "cayman.com" expands to "cayman.com". "apple." expands to "apple." Step 2. Check the Hosts file in the System Folder of this Macintosh. If there is an exact match between the expanded target name from Step 1 and a name in the Hosts file, the corresponding IP address from the first such match in the Hosts file is the target IP address; otherwise proceed to Step 3. Trailing "." characters on either the expanded target name or Hosts file name are ignored for this test. Examples: Assume "slcs.slb.com" is the default domain for MacTCP. "linus" expands and matches "linus.slcs.slb.com" in Hosts. "apple." matches "apple" in Hosts. "apple" expands and does *not* match "apple" in Hosts. Step 3. Find the domains that contain the expanded name. Search through the domains from the MacTCP control panel entries, and build a list of the domains that contain the expanded target name. A domain contains the expanded target name if the domain is a final string of the expanded target name. A "." by itself in the MacTCP control panel is a domain containing any expanded target name. The default domain is always added as the last domain of the list, whether it contains the expanded target name or not. Proceed to Step 4. Examples: Assume "slcs.slb.com" is the default domain for MacTCP. "valhalla" is expanded and contained in domain "slcs.slb.com". "apple." is *not* contained in domain "slcs.slb.com". "apple" is expanded and contained in domain "slb.com". "anyhost" is contained in domain ".". Step 4. Consult the name servers of the containing domains. Consult the Domain Name Servers, in the order found, based on the corresponding IP addresses from their entries in the MacTCP control panel. The servers are given the expanded target name to translate. If a MacTCP is unable to contact a server, or if the server returns a non-authoritative negative reply, the next server in line is tried. Otherwise, the result from the server just contacted, either a successful translation, or an authoritative "unable to resolve", is the final result. ================================================================================ [6] MacX and Other Ways to Interface With UNIX ============================================== [6.1] Can I run X-Windows on my Mac? ------------------------------------ Yes. For Macintosh OS users (not using A/UX), two possibilities exist. MacX is an X-Windows server for the Macintosh, developed by Apple. With MacX running, your Macintosh can serve as a display server for any X-Windows client program (such as xterm, xbiff, etc). The client programs must be running on a separate machine running UNIX (unless you are also running A/UX, Apple's brand of UNIX for the Macintosh). MacX's technical capabilities, as described by Alan Mimms in "X for the rest of us" (2/91) and paraphrased in the FAQ for comp.windows.x are as follows: MacX runs on MacPlus or newer machines with >= 2MB of memory and system software 6.0.4 or later. Version 1.1 is fully X11R4-based. It supports full ICCCM-compatible cut and paste of text AND graphics between the Macintosh and X11 worlds, the SHAPE extension (including SHAPEd windows on the Macintosh desktop), an optional built-in ICCCM-compliant window manager, X11R4 fonts and colors, a built-in BDF font compiler, and built-in standard colormaps. To connect your Macintosh to a network of machines capable of running X-Windows clients, MacX uses MacTCP. For the best performance, you will want to access this network through LocalTalk or normal Ethernet. However, it is also possible to make the connection over a high-speed modem and use MacX to run X-Windows clients on remote machines; you will need a SLIP LAP module for MacTCP to do this --- see [6.2] for the details. MacX can be purchased from official Apple retailers, such as most university campus stores, for about $300 (less if you qualify for an educational discount). MacX is also bundled with A/UX 3.0. The FAQ for comp.windows.x also describes another product, eXodus, as follows: eXodus from White Pine Software (603-886-9050) runs on any Mac with at least 1MB of memory and runs the X server within a standard Macintosh window. Version 3.0 [6/91] supports intermixing of X and Mac windows and the ADSP protocol. The version supports the SHAPE extension and includes DECwindows support. For information regarding using MacX with A/UX, see the FAQ for comp.unix.aux and/or ask questions in that newsgroup, and/or investigate wuarchive.wustle.edu:/systems/aux/X11R5. You _can_ run X11R5 under A/UX 3.0. [6.2] How can I run MacX over a modem? Is it feasible? ------------------------------------------------------ Now that several SLIP LAP modules for MacTCP are available, it is possible to run MacX over a modem. You are advised that performance will be significantly poorer than you may be expecting, especially if you are not using a high-speed modem (eg: 9600 baud or higher with compression and/or error- detection). With high-speed modems, using MacX to bring up xterms and other text-oriented clients is usable; however, any sort of graphics-intensive program (eg: xdvi) is going to require some patience (but should be bearable). Thus, in addition to MacX, to be able run MacX over a modem you need: 1. A modem. A high-speed modem with v.32bis and v.42 is *STRONGLY* recommended. 2. A terminal-server at your site that offers dial-up SLIP connections. You'll have to ask your site or system administrator about this one. There will likely be some paperwork to fill out. 3. A SLIP (or CLSIP) LAP module for MacTCP. See [5.5] for details on such products. If you are specifically interested in just having multi-window connections to a UNIX box that you connect to over a modem, other options include using a Telnet program with SLIP (see [5.3]), or MacLayers or UW [which do not need SLIP] (see [6.3], [6.4]). [6.3] What is MacLayers and what do I need to use it? ----------------------------------------------------- MacLayers allows you to logon to a UNIX host and open more than one window over a single (serial) connection. Each window can correspond to a (login) shell or program running on your choice of host(s). Up to seven full-screen resizable VT-100 windows are allowed. In addition, MacLayers provides a primitive (but useful anyway) mechanism to download binary files "in the background", allowing you to work in other windows while you download. No upload facility (except for text pasting) is provided. At this time, MacLayers does not support the CTB. However, it is freely distributable (but may not be sold). MacLayers requires: 1. A UNIX host which supports sockets. 2. A Macintosh with 128 KB ROMs or larger. MacLayers does not work with the old 64 KB ROM machines. MacLayers comes in two parts: a program you run on your Macintosh and a set of C source files that you compile on your UNIX host (a Makefile is provided). When you login to your host while running MacLayers on your Macintosh, you simply run one of the UNIX-side programs to start up the windowing system (similar to running a windowing-environment like X-Windows at the console, except that everything is character based -- no graphics). MacLayers is currently at version 1.30. The author is working hard to improve MacLayers; current plans include better terminal emulation, faster downloading, uploading, and more! Please send all electronic correspondence regarding MacLayers to the address layers-reply@rascal.ics.utexas.edu. The latest version of MacLayers is available via anonymous FTP from rascal.ics.utexas.edu in mac/communications/MacLayers. You are STRONGLY encouraged to upgrade to the latest version. The most common response to requests for features and bug reports is: "Get the latest version from rascal." [6.4] What are UW and MultiSession? Are there other programs like MacLayers? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Editorial Comment: One should note that the editor of this FAQ and the current author of MacLayers are one in the same. This may or may not introduce an unavoidable bias into the following comments: * UW (short for UNIX Windows) is a program similar in style and intent to MacLayers (see [6.3]) --- that is, it provides a multi-window interface to a UNIX hosts. UW has been around a lot longer than MacLayers but, as far as I know, hasn't been updated in quite a long time. It offers most of the same features as MacLayers, but no facility for downloading is provided. UW does have the advantage of working with the older 64 KB ROM machines, but in general, MacLayers is the superior program. * MultiSession is a recently released program with similar goals. It includes error-correction in its Macintosh-to-UNIX protocol, but this makes it quite sluggish. As of this writing (6/93), the UNIX side of MultiSession runs properly only under ULTRIX. For more information on MultiSession, please see its documentation or contact the author; please do not send e-mail to the editor. MultiSession's author is Thomas R. Lawrence (tomlaw@world.std.com). [6.5] Is there a UNIX program that will convert between BinHex and MacBinary? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yes, there are at least two that will handle BinHex 4.0, MacBinary, and other conversions. macutil and mcvert are distributed as UNIX shar archvies and can be found in the unix directory at InfoMac sites. Source code is included (of course) so you will need a C compiler to build the programs: * macutil macutil is a collection of utilities for manipulating Macintosh files in MacBinary [see 2.2] or BinHex [see 2.3] format, or over AppleDouble, AUFS, or CAP servers. As of (8/92), macutil includes three programs: o hexbin - a program to convert BinHex 4.0 to MacBinary; it also converts uuencode (and UULite) files to their native binary format; support for .dl, .hex, and .hcx formats (all predecessors of BinHex 4.0) also exists o macsave - a MacBinary filter program to convert between various MacBinary representations, including a single .bin file, three separate .data, .rsrc, .info files, and AUFS format. macsave also allows one to "peek" inside MacBinary files o macunpack - a program to unpack PackIt, StuffIt, Diamond, Compactor/Compact Pro, most StuffIt Classic and StuffIt Deluxe, DiskDoubler, Zoom and LHarc/MacLHa archives. It also decodes BinHex 5.0, MacBinary, uuencode, and UNIX compress (ie: .Z suffix) files (as well as variants of compress implemented by various Macintosh compress programs). Support for password protected and/or multi-segment archives of various types is minimal or non-existent. The various authors of the macutil utilities are too numerous to list here; consult the README files that come with the package for the details. * mcvert mcvert allows you to convert BinHex files to MacBinary files and vice versa. In addition, you can create MacBinary files with empty resource forks from normal files, as well as perform other transformations. mcvert can also decode PackIt archives. mcvert was originally written in 1987 by Doug Moore, but is now maintained by Joseph Skudlarek, jskudlarek@std.mentorg.com, who has fixed added many new features and made mcvert easier to use. The latest version of mcvert is available at InfoMac sites. * xbin xbin is an old program, similar to a primitive version of mcvert. It converts BinHex files into a set of three files which model the data, resource, and info forks of a Macintosh file; recall that all of this information is contained in a single MacBinary file (see [2.2]). Unless you have software that can reconstruct a MacBinary file from these three separate files (mcvert will do this), xbin will be pretty useless. xbin is pretty dead on UNIX platforms, but VMS folk continue to use it because, unlike mcvert of the macutil pacakge, xbin compiles under VMS. [6.6] How can I create LaserWriter PostScript printer files and print them -------------------------------------------------------------------------- on a PostScript printer connected to a UNIX network? First, make sure there is no way you can find a Macintosh connected to a LaserWriter which you can use to print your document normally. If this definitely is not an option, determine whether 'macps' is installed on your UNIX system. If 'macps' is not installed on your system, get the latest version from an InfoMac archive (look for it in the UNIX sections) and follow the included directions to install it. You may need the assistance of your site's system administrator. 'macps' is a UNIX program that prepends a modified LaserPrep file to a PostScript file created by a Macintosh application (such as Microsoft Word). The result can be spooled directly to a PostScript printer. To generate the PostScript on your Macintosh, make sure the appropriate LaserWriter Chooser item is selected in the Chooser. Print your document using the normal print option of your application. On System 7 systems, click the "PostScript File" radio button when the standard Printer Manager dialog box is displayed. On pre-system 7 systems, hold down Command-F immediately _after_ clicking on OK in the dialog box; timing is crucial here --- Apple obviously did not originally intend users to take advantage of this "feature" (see note below). If you are running System 7, you will be prompted to select the destination folder and name for the PostScript file. Otherwise, it will be named "PostScript' (or 'PostScript#' where '#' is a digit) and placed either in the System folder, the application's current folder, or the root folder on the startup disk. You may rename the file. Upload (or otherwise transfer) the PostScript file to your UNIX system, treating it as a text file, unless you are including graphics or fonts in your output (in which case you should be safe and take the extra steps and treat the file as an eight-bit binary file). Then, use 'macps' to spool the file to your printer. For example, if you had named the PostScript file 'report.ps' and normally print files on UNIX with the command 'lpr -Pryon', you would issue the command: % macps report.ps | lpr -Pryon This will print the file on your UNIX printer. The documentation included with 'macps' includes a man page that provides more information on the process. 'macps' was written by Edward Moy and is copyrighted by the Regents of the University of California. It can be freely distributed; check its ReadMe file for details. Note: Under System 7, _all_ fonts (including information needed to decode TrueType fonts if you use any TrueType fonts) you use your document are included in the PostScript file. As a result, even the smallest documents can produce very large (hundreds of kilobytes) PostScript files. If the fonts you use in your document are automatically downloaded to the laser printer you will be using to print, you can significantly reduce the size of your PostScript file (and thus save time transmitting) by removing the font definitions. You can do this manually, but it is safer to use a utility, such as StripFonts or the DMM-LW utilities (which includes other capabilities as well). Note: If you are a pre-System 7 user, you are encouraged to read the file tips/generating-postscript at InfoMac archives. This file gives explicit directions for generating PostScript files using pre-System 7 machines and also describes how to enable a check box in the LaserWriter Dialog box that allows you to redirect the PostScript output to a file without having to type Command-F or Command-K. Note: If you are trying (vainly) to use Macintosh PostScript files as figures using the psfig macro under Tex or LaTeX, get the mactotex package from the University of Michigan's archive site in util/unix. This utility makes importing Macintosh PostScript files into (La)TeX painless; it also includes a useful 'cleanps' utility, that strips Macintosh PostScript files of unneeded parts.