Danny Amor's Online Library/Danny Amor's Online Library - Volume 1.iso/html/faqs/faq/apple2/part1

Text File | 1995-07-25 | 34.6 KB | 764 lines

Subject: comp.sys.apple2 - Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) part 1 of 2
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2,news.answers,comp.answers
From: [e-mail] (Dan DeMaggio)
Date: 7 Nov 1994 04:53:18 GMT

Archive-name: apple2/part1
Last-modified: 08 Sep 1994
Version: 4.01

Table of Contents
----- Part I
Q#1    What's a FAQ?
Q#2    How do I get to comp.sys.apple2 and what is it?
Q#3    How do I get files off the net?
Q#4    Where can I get Apple II software on the net?
Q#5     How can I find a particular program?
Q#6    What archivers do I need to know about?
Q#7     BinSCII
Q#8     ShrinkIt and NuFX archives
Q#9     Executioner
Q#10    Apple Archive Format (aaf)
Q#11    Net standard formats
Q#12    A quick note about ProDos filetypes
Q#13   What do the file extensions mean?
Q#14   How do I tell what kind of file this is?
------ Part II
Q#15   What is an Apple II?
Q#16    The Apple I
Q#17    The Apple ][ and Apple ][+
Q#18    The Apple //e
Q#19    The Apple //C and IIC+
Q#20    The Laser 128EX
Q#21    The Apple IIGS
Q#22    The Apple ][e Emulation Card
Q#23   Some Common Questions (with answers!)
Q#24    Info about A2's:
Q#25     What is 8 bit and 16 bit?
Q#26     How can I tell what version my computer is?
Q#27     What programming languages are available for the Apple ][?
Q#28    Adding Hardware:
Q#29     Can the Apple II connect to SCSI devices?
Q#30     Can I use Macintosh Monitors or 3.5" drives with my ][?
Q#31     Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple //e?
Q#32     Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple IIGS?
Q#33     Can I hook up a scanner up to my //e? Can it do OCR?
Q#34     Can a Disk ][ be used on a GS smartport?
Q#35     What's the scoop on the new HD 3.5" drive?
Q#36     I want a Y-adapter for my GS keyboard.
Q#37    File Transfer:
Q#38     How can I transfer stuff to/from and IBM/Mac?
Q#39     File transfer: Apple //e ---> Macintosh
Q#40     File transfer: Apple //e <--- Macintosh
Q#41     File transfer: Apple //e ---> IBM
Q#42     File transfer: Apple //e <--- IBM
Q#43     File transfer: Apple IIGS ---> Macintosh
Q#44     File transfer: Apple IIGS <--- Macintosh
Q#45     File transfer: Apple IIGS ---> IBM
Q#46     File transfer: Apple IIGS <--- IBM
Q#47     What's the CTI Drive?
Q#48     How about hooking up cheap IDE Hard Drives?
Q#49     How do I USE stuff I have transferred to/from an IBM/Mac?
Q#50     How do I get cool Mac Icons and fonts onto my GS?
Q#51     What programs are there for conversion of graphic images?
Q#52     I have an old CPM / PASCAL / DOS 3.3 disk.  How do I get it into ProDos?
Q#53     How do you copy from a 5.25" disk to 3.5" disk?
Q#54    Strange problems:
Q#55     How do I get out of Basic (that little "]" prompt and flashing cursor?
Q#56     What are the problems with GSCII?
Q#57     AppleWorks won't print to my printer.  What gives?
Q#58     My GS control panel keeps resetting to the defaults and/or forgetting the date.
Q#59     I'm getting Error XXX.  What's it mean?
Q#60     Why does my Apple II lose characters when I'm using the modem?
Q#61     Where do I get support for AE boards now that they are closed?
Q#62     Is there a QWK reader for the Apple // E?
Q#63   System 6.0 mini-FAQ
Q#64    Common Problems
Q#65    Tips & Hints
Q#66    If you have a RamFast
Q#67    If you have a Vulcan or AE High Density disk
Q#68    If you have ProSel
Q#69    If you have an AMR 3.5"
Q#70    GSCII+ & HFS Note
Q#71   What to do with an Apple ][?
Q#72     What can you hook up to an Apple ][?
Q#73     What can you do with an Apple ][?
Q#74     What can the //e can "borrow" from other computers?
Q#75     What can the GS can "borrow" from other computers?
Q#76   Resources for the Apple II
Q#77    Apple II Groups
Q#78    Getting Parts & Software
Q#79    Fun hardware add-ons
Q#80    Periodicals & Books
Q#81    Misc Resources
Q#82   General guidelines on How To Troubleshoot
Q#83    General troubleshooting
Q#84    Trouble shooting and good maintenance
Q#85    GS Trouble shooting
Q#86   SCSI
Q#87    Tips on setting up a SCSI system:


#########################
#  Q#1   What's a FAQ?  #
#########################

Hi!  Welcome to the comp.sys.apple2 newsgroup!

This article contains the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
often seen in comp.sys.apple2.  I am posting this article (once every three
weeks or so--but once a week in September) to help reduce the volume in this
newsgroup and to provide hard-to-find information of general interest.

I hope it answers some of your questions.  If you have other questions, feel
free to e-mail me.

     Dan DeMaggio ([e-mail])

###########################################################
#  Q#2   How do I get to comp.sys.apple2 and what is it?  #
###########################################################

c.s.a2 is a USENET newsgroup.  USENET posts originate from your local
newsreader and spread to hundreds of thousands of machienes throughout the
Internet, FidoNet, ProLine BBS system, etc. etc.  Please use proper
netetteiquete when posting. (Browse the news.answers newsgroup.)

The comp.sys.apple2 groups were created for the discussion of the Apple II
series of computers. They provide a forum for interested people to compare
notes, ask questions, and share insights about Apple IIs. Currently, these
groups include:

comp.sys.apple2              - General discussion and questions
                               relating to all Apple //'s
comp.sys.apple2.comm         - Communications and networking related
                               issues
comp.sys.apple2.gno          - Discussion of program GNO/ME for the
                               Apple IIGS (UNIX for the Apple IIGS)
comp.sys.apple2.marketplace  - Buying, selling and promoting Apple //
                               related products
comp.sys.apple2.programmer   - Discussion relating to any aspect of
                               programming the Apple //
comp.sys.apple2.usergroups   - Discussion relating to Apple //
                               usergroups
comp.binaries.apple2         - Public Domain/Shareware Software for all
                               Apple //'s
comp.sources.apple2          - A moderated newsgroup for the posting of
                               Apple // related source code
alt.emulators.ibmpc.apple2   - Discussion relating to the use of Apple //
                               emulation software/hardware on an IBM
                               compatible system

If you have e-mail-only access to the Internet, you will find the following
addresses helpful.  Make sure you have a large mailbox and the time to sift
through lots of messages per day.

For this:                        Send a message body of "help" to:
---------------------------      ---------------------------------
Subscribe to C.S.A2              [e-mail]
  (BITNET address of above)      LISTSERV@NDSUVM
APPLE2-L archives                [e-mail]
  (BITNET address of above)      LISTSERV@BROWNVM
Games from APPLE2-L              [e-mail]
  (BITNET address of above)      LISTSERV@UTARLVM1
More files via E-Mail            [e-mail]
  (BITNET address of above)      FILESERV@PLAINS
Kermit file transfer program      [e-mail]
  (BITNET address of above)      KERMSRV@CUVMA (BITNET)
Apple /// files                  [e-mail]

Once you are getting c.s.a2 in your mailbox, you may want to post.  Just use
the addresses listed below.  People with direct access to the newsgroups do
not need these, as they can use their news software to post.

Post to any newsgroup           [e-mail]
          OR                    [e-mail]
          OR                    [e-mail]
          OR                    [e-mail]
          OR                    [e-mail]
          OR                    [e-mail]
Post to comp.sys.apple2         [e-mail]



Comp.binaries.apple2 is a newsgroup used to distribute public domain,
freeware, and shareware Apple II software (executables, pictures, sounds,
etc...).  Software distributed on comp.binaries.apple2 is expected to be a
BinSCII text file containing a ShrinkIt archive. [See later in the FAQ for
information on getting these programs.] ALWAYS include text in the first
message that describes what is in the BSQ file.  Include such things as what
type of computer it runs on and what it does. You may crosspost the
description (only) to comp.sys.apple2.

[Public Domain programs may be used and copied freely.  Freeware is the same,
except that the original owner retains the Copyright.  Shareware programs can
be distributed freely, and tried out for free, but if you use it a lot, you
are expected to help pay for it.]

Comp.sources.apple2 is a newsgroup used to distribute public domain, freeware,
and shareware Apple II source code.  The posts in comp.sources.apple2 should
be in Apple Archive Format.  Contact [e-mail] for details.

Discussions concerning the software posted in these groups, or the methods of
locating, decoding, or accessing this software, or questions on locating
archive sites of this software, or any OTHER discussions are to be held in
comp.sys.apple2.  If someone DOES either intentionally or accidentally post
to the binary/source groups, please respond only in Email - do not compound
the problem!

     Distribution of commercial software is strictly prohibitied.

###########################################
#  Q#3   How do I get files off the net?  #
###########################################

Quick Summary:
Step 1: Make a list of files that you want
Step 2: Get files to your host (a UNIX box or ProLine BBS)
Step 3: Get files to your Apple II
Step 4: Create BINSCII
Step 5: Create ShrinkIt
Step 6: Use BinSCII & Shrinkit to create Shrinkit GS
Step 7: Extract the files you _REALLY_ wanted
Step 1: Make a list of files that you want
1) You need BINSCII (binscii.exe) and ShrinkIt (shrinkit.3.3.exe.bsc)
   unless you already have them, or know someone who has them.
2) If you have a GS (and use GS/OS), you will want Shrinkit GS
   (shrinkit.gs.exe) and GSCII (gscii.bsc)
3) Add any other files you want. Don't try to get everything the
   first time around.  Try one or two test files for starters.

  Note: Filenames will vary from site to site. Shrinkit and Binscii
        are usually available on all the Apple II FTP sites.

Step 2a: Get files to your host (For ProLine users)
1) Dial up your host and log in.
2) I'm not familiar with ProLine, so I'll be vague here. Just go
   into the files section and look...


Step 2b: Get files to your host (For UNIX, using FTP)
1) Choose an FTP site from the FAQ
2) At your UNIX prompt, type "ftp ______" (fill in site name)
3) At the "Login:" prompt, type "anonymous"s
4) Type in your e-mail address
5) Type "bin"
6) use "cd ____" to get to where the Apple II files are
7) Locate each file (more "cd ___"'s and "ls" (list files). Also,
   "cd .." will move up a directory.)
8) use "get ______" to get it
9) When you are done using FTP, type "quit"
10) Advanced users may want to run uudecode, uncompress, tar, SciiBin,
   or Nulib on the files before they download them.

Step 3: Get files to your Apple II
1) Find out what file transfer protocols your Apple communications
   package supports. (see below for a list)
2) On your local comm program, set your file transfer type to Text
   (TXT) or Binary (BIN) depending on what type of file you are
   downloading. If there is an option to "strip incoming linefeeds",
   try turning it on.
3) Get your host to send you the file.  I don't know about ProLine,
   but UNIX users can use these commands:
   For Z-Modem: "sz ___ ____ ____"  (file names)
   For X-Modem: "sx ____" (one at a time)
   For Kermit:  "kermit", then "put _____" (filename)
5) If needed, tell your local communications program to Receive. You
   must do this quickly, or the other host will give up trying to
   send the file.
4) Write down the full pathname of the files you downloaded and where
   you put them. There will be a quiz later.  Pathnames look like
   "/DISK/DIR/FILE.NAME"

  Note: If something goes wrong, hit ESC, Ctrl-X or Ctrl-C 3 times.
        If you can't get one protocol to work, try the next one
        down. Z-modem is much faster than the others. You will
        want to find a program that supports it.

Step 4: Create BINSCII
1) After you disconnect, go into Applesoft by starting BASIC.SYSTEM
2) At the `]` prompt, type 'EXEC ____' (your BINSCII file name)
  Note: If you get ?SYNTAX ERRORs then something went wrong. Try
        looking at the file with a Text Editor.
3) Type "cat" and look for BINSCII (type 'SYS')
4) type "-BINSCII" or "-BINSCII.SYSTEM" depending on above

  Note: You should get the BINSCII opening screen.

Step 5: Create ShrinkIt
1) If your Shrinkit file ends in ".BSC" then (In BINSCII) type in
   the filename of your ShrinkIt file
2) Quit BINSCII. Get into AppleSoft again.
3) Type "EXEC SHRINKIT3.3.XTX" (you may need the full pathname)
4) Run ShrinkIt with "-SHRINKIT.SYSTEM"

Step 6: Extracting everything else
1) If it's BSQ or BSC, run it through BINSCII
2) If BINSCII creates a ".SHK" file, or if you download a ".SHK"
   file, then use ShrinkIt on the file.  It's easy to use and it
   doesn't give you the dreaded "FILENAME QUIZ!"



For those who haven't picked a program to download with, here are the biggies:
 When in doubt, buy ProTerm.

Program   Comp Emulations     Protocols             Note
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ProTerm    E$  PSE, VT-100     Kermit, X,Y,Z-modem  From InSync
Kermit-65  E   VT-100          Kermit, X-modem      Hard to use,Works on ][+
Z-Link     E   VT-100          X-modem              Good.
CommSys    E   none            X-modem              Works on ][+
TIC        E$  VT-100 (+)      X-modem              Small, Scripting.
Agate      E   mono ANSI       X,(Y,Z rec'v only)   Unpacks ZIP, Buggy
ColorTerm  GS  color ANSI      X-modem              Desktop based
MegaTerm   GS  color ANSI      none                 ProDOS 8
ANSITerm   GS$ color ANSI, PSE X,Y,Z-modem          Editor, scrollback, etc.
SnowTerm   GS  VT-100 (+)      none                 Desktop based
FreeTerm   GS  none            X-modem              Desktop based
GenComm    GS  none            none                 Text, Shell Compat.
GSVT       GS  VT-100          none                 Desktop
GTerm      GS  color ANSI      none                 Written in BASIC/ML
Telcom     GS  VT-100, PSE     X, (Y rec'v only)    Shell compat
----------Key:---------
Key: $ = A commercial program   + = And other obscure ones
Computer:  E = works on GS and //e, GS = only works on GS
See the resources section for where to buy the commercial programs.



All of the non-commercial programs are available on the different FTP sites.
If you don't have a comm program already, your best bet is to have someone
mail you one on a disk.

#########################################################
#  Q#4   Where can I get Apple II software on the net?  #
#########################################################

Note: For a listing of BBS's, see Mike Shecket's list:

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/misc/textfiles/bbs.list.txt

The following is a list of FTP sites with Apple // related files. See "FTP"
for details about using FTP.

Site name                    Directory
---------                    ---------
apple2.archive.umich.edu ($) /archive/apple2
archive.orst.edu             /pub/mirrors/archive.umich.edu
bric-a-brac.apple.com        = ftp.apple.com
brownvm.brown.edu ($) (+)    LISTSERV.193
bull.cs.williams.edu         /pub/AppleII
?calvin.sfasu.edu             /pub/apple2
cco.caltech.edu ($)          /pub/apple2
ccosun.caltech.edu           = cco.caltech.edu
cs.bu.edu                    /PC/APPLE
cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu        KERMA
f.ms.uky.edu ($)             /pub/appleII
ftp.apple.com                /dts/aii
ftp.cc.utexas.edu            /gifstuff/apple
ftp.hawaii.edu (@)           /incoming/apple2
ftp.uni-kl.de ($)            /pub/apple2
grind.isca.uiowa.edu ($)     /apple2, /unix/apple2
?headcrash.berkeley.edu       /pub/Apple2
info2.rus.uni-stuttgart.de   /afs/umich.edu/group/itd/archive
isca02.isca.uiowa.edu        = grind.isca.uiowa.edu
iskut.ucs.ubc.ca             /pub/apple (Kermit, BinSCII, unshrinkit)
?j.cc.purdue.edu              /kermit/appleII
?jyu.fi                       /pub/apple2
methan.chemie.fu-berlin.de(@) /pub/doc/faq
pindarus.cs.uiuc.edu         /pub/apple2
plains.nodak.edu ($)         /pub/appleII
?relay.cs.toronto.edu (@)     /pub/lists.1989
slab.slip.uiuc.edu           /apple2
syr.edu                      /software/kermit/appleII
trantor.ee.msstate.edu       /files/appleII
ucrmath.ucr.edu              /PC/apple2
watsun.cc.columbia.edu       /kermit/a
wilbur.stanford.edu          /pub/emulators/apple2/DiskImages/
wuarchive.wustl.edu ($)      /systems/apple2
(+)  Files on brownvm.brown.edu are stored by serial number.  For a human-
readable directory, send e-mail with the text "INDEX APPLE2-L" to
[e-mail].
($)  This sign marks the "major" sites--those with especially large and
diverse collections.
(@)  This sign indicates "small" sites--each site so marked has only one
or two Apple-related files.
(?)  Did not answer ping requests

Archives of C.S.A2 Newsgroups:
===============================
wuarchive.wustl.edu      /usenet/comp.sources.apple2 (complete!)
                         /usenet/comp.binaries.apple2
ftp.tohoku.ac.jp         /pub/news/comp.binaries.apple2
hp4nl.nluug.nl           /pub/newsarchive/comp/sources/apple2 (incomplete)
mcsun.eu.net             /pub/newsarchive/comp/sources/apple2 (incomplete)
nic.funet.fi             /pub/archive/comp.sources.apple2 (complete?)
relay.cs.toronto.edu     /pub/lists.1989 (1989 only)



FTP: watsun.cc.columbia.edu   /kermit/a (the OFFICIAL source for Kermit)

Non-USENET readers wanting files should look at the e-mail addresses in the
"What is comp.sys.apple2" section.  Or try finding archives thru gopher (i.e.
umich).

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#5   How can I find a particular program?  :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

There is a program called archie that allows you to search many archives
quickly.  Look for the program 'archie' or 'xarchie' at your site, or (if you
are on the internet) you can telnet (login as archie) to:

archie.rutgers.edu   128.6.18.15   (Rutgers University)
archie.unl.edu       129.93.1.14   (University of Nebraska in Lincoln)
archie.ans.net       147.225.1.2   (ANS archie server)
archie.mcgill.ca     132.206.2.3   (Canada server, original archie site)
archie.au            139.130.4.6   (Australian server)
archie.funet.fi      128.214.6.100 (European server in Finland)
archie.doc.ic.ac.uk  146.169.11.3  (UK/England server)
archie.wide.ad.jp    133.4.3.6     (Japanese server)

###################################################
#  Q#6   What archivers do I need to know about?  #
###################################################

:::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#7   BinSCII  :
:::::::::::::::::::

BinScii converts binary files to text files and back.  Binary files contain
pictures, computer programs, etc.  Text files usually contain human readable
text (like this file), but a BinSCII file just looks like a jumble of letters
and symbols. A BinScii text file is larger than the original binary file.
Binscii is needed to transfer programs across the network when there is no
binary mode (like the Usenet newsgroups and e-mail).

When turning a binary file into text, BinSCII will output a series of files.
Each file contains a segment of the original program encoded in BinSCII
format.  These segments are small enough to be posted or e-mailed without
clogging the network. (Actually, they are usually posted 3 at a time to save
bandwidth).

When re-creating a binary file from the BinScii segments, all one has to do is
collect ALL the segments and run them through BinScii.  Each segment has a
header that tells BinScii which segment it is.  BinScii is intelligent enough
to wade through all extraneous text (i.e. newsgroup headers, etc) and find
the segments.  It does not matter what order the segments are in, and the
segments can be in different files.  The only thing you have to remember is
that BinScii does not check to see if ALL of the segments have been accounted
for.  If there are segments missing, the program will not work, or more
likely you will get a 'file corrupted' error when unshrinking.

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/archivers/binscii.exe

GS users can use GSCII+, an NDA version of Binscii.  GSCII+ can also
encode/decode several other formats.

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/gs/archivers/gscii.bsc

     [ Note that most files on the network are NuFX archives that have been
BinSCII'ed so they can be posted.  After running Binscii, you will still need
to run ShrinkIt on the resulting file.]

For those of us on Unix boxes who are able to transfer binary files to our
Apple ][, SciiBin can reduce the time spend downloading. It is a decode-only
version of BinSCII written in C.  The idea is that you compile this on your
Unix box, and run your BinScii files from comp.binaries.apple2 through it. It
will re-create the original (smaller) file.  This works great if there is a
NuFX archive in the BinSCII file, but can cause problems if BinSCII was
applied directly to ProDos executable files. (Unix has no way of storing the
ProDos file type and aux type of a file, so they simply get lost. See the
section on filetypes.

FTP: wuarchive.wustl.edu /?

If you need a Unix BinSCII encoder, Bsc will do the trick. The source code is
in "Apple archive format".

FTP: cco.caltech.edu /pub/apple2/source/bsc.aaf ?

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/unix/bsc.aaf

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#8   ShrinkIt and NuFX archives  :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

ShrinkIt is an Apple II program which takes one or more Apple II ProDOS files
or disks and 'archives' them into a single file (called a NuFX archive).  It
also stores all the vital ProDos information, such as filetype and auxtype.
Usually these files are denoted by putting a ".SHK" extension on the archive.
ShrinkIt can also shrink an entire disk into a file (extension ".SDK"), but
this is only used when the disk is not ProDos.   ShrinkIt is also a menu
driven utility that compresses/extracts, but also formats disks, copies
files, etc. ShrinkIt can also extract programs with Binary II headers, and
files in BLU archives.

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/archivers/shrinkit.3.3.exe.bsc

GShk is a version of ShrinkIt for GS computers.  This is even more of a wonder
utility in that it extracts many different archive types (Unix compress, PC
Arc, Mac StuffIt, Apple Single).  Files encoded with GShk are usually smaller
than those encoded with ShrinkIt, but can still be extracted with ShrinkIt
(except files with resource forks).

ShrinkIt+ and UnShrinkIt+ are programs for the Apple II+ that allow an Apple
II+ user to create NuFX archives and extract from them. Autounshrink is a
NuFX extractor that attempts to recover from errors within an NuFX file.

:::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#9   Executioner  :
:::::::::::::::::::::::

Executioner was the standard program previous to BinSCII for converting Apple
II files into text to be mailed/posted.  It is no longer considered the
standard for most transferals of Apple II binary files.  Presently,
Executioner is typically only used to distribute BinSCII.  Some older files
in the various archives may also be encoded with this program. Many of them
will not work under ProDos.

To translate an Executioner text file to an Apple II file required that you
delete the mail headers/trailers, translated the newlines into carriage
returns, download the file to your Apple II and from Applesoft Basic, type
the command 'EXEC <filename>' where <filename> is the name of the file you
downloaded.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#10  Apple Archive Format (aaf)  :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Apple Archive Format was invented as a standard way to post source code to
comp.sources.apple2. The C and Basic source code to aaf unpackers are
available on the various FTP sites, in aaf format. Fortunately, files in aaf
format can be turned back into source code with a simple text editor. Just
break the file up into component files and remove the first character of each
line.

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/unix/?.aaf

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#11  Net standard formats  :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

There are several formats that are used widely on the Internet.  The most
common in FTP sites are tar (.tar) and compress (.Z). To undo a Tape Archive,
type 'tar -xvf filename.tar'.  To undo a compress, type 'uncompress
filename.Z'.  Since tar does not make the file smaller, and compress can only
compress 1 file, many times you will find files that are 'tarred an
feathered'.  They have a '.tar.Z' extension.  Just run uncompress then un-tar
the result.

To distribute binaries on the net, most other groups use uuencode (c.b.a2 uses
BinSCII). To return them to normal, type 'uudecode filename'.  Note that
uuencoded things were not meant to be split up and posted, so when getting
multiple parts, you will have to paste them together and run them through
uudecode. (BinSCII is a lot smarter, that's why we use it on c.b.a2.)
BinSCII is better because 1) It stores the ProDos filetype, etc.  2) It
splits the file into 12K chunks, 3) It does a CRC checksum on each chunk.

Most of these 'Unix' standard formats are available on the Apple.  For
example, ShrinkIt GS will uncompress files, there is a uudecode for the //e,
and Tar is available as a GS shell executable.

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/util/dearc.?

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#12  A quick note about ProDos filetypes  :
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

ProDos keeps some information about a file's type.  Files can be text (TXT),
binary (BIN), executable (SYS), fonts (FON), etc. Most other file systems do
not have a place to store this information, so it may get 'lost' when you
upload the file.  Similarly, when you download a file, you may not know the
file type. Most comm programs will use some default.  For NuFX archives, this
is not a big deal, since you can still unpack an archive if the filetype is
wrong (and the archive stores the filetype of the files inside the archive).
For other files, you may need to change the file's type.  One utility I
recommend is File Attribute Zapper II.

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu /apple2/8bit/util/fazz.2.3.bsq

Program        Format   Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nulib v3.21      C      Andy McFadden  ([e-mail])
SciiBin v3.10    C      Marcel Mol, Dave Whitnet, Bruce Kahn
Bsc v1.2         C      Neil Parker
Executioner      A      Glen Bredon
BinSCII v1.0.3   A      David Whitney  ([e-mail])
ShrinkIt v3.3    A      Andy Nicholas  ([e-mail])
(Un)ShrinkIt+    A      Andy Nicholas  ([e-mail])
AutoUnShrink     A      Andy Nicholas  ([e-mail])
GShk v1.1        G      Andy Nicholas  ([e-mail])
GSCII+ 2.3.1     G      Darek Taubert  ([e-mail])
Format:
  C - Distributed as source code written in C.
  A - Executable, runs on most Apple //s.
  G - Executable, runs on GS only.

     |Type| NuFX | Bin  | uuen-| com-  |.ZOO | Bin | LZH/| Stuff| ARC | Other|
Program | |      | SCII | code | press |     | Hex | LHA | -It  |     |      |
--------|-|------|------|------|-------|-----|-----|-----|------|-----|------|
Binscii |e|      |   X  |      |       |     |     |     |      |     |      |
Shrinkit|e|   X  |      |      |       |     |     |     |      |     |      |
DeArc   |e|      |      |      |       |     |     |     |      |  D  |      |
Angel[1]|e|      |      |      |   X   |  X  |     |  X  |      |  X  | .ZIP |
GShk    |g|   X  |      |      |   D   |  D  |     |     |  D   |  D  |      |
GSCII+  |g|      |   X  |   X  |       |     |  D  |     |      |     | .AAF |
sscii   |x|      |   X  |   X  |       |     |  X  |     |      |     |      |
PMPUnzip|x|      |      |      |       |     |     |     |      |     | .ZIP |
LHext   |x|      |      |      |       |     |     |  D? |      |     |      |
BSC     |c|      |   E  |      |       |     |     |     |      |     |      |
Nulib   |c|   X  |      |      |       |     |     |     |      |     |      |
SciiBin |c|      |   D  |      |       |     |     |     |      |     |      |

(Key:   E = Encode only,    D = Decode only,  X = Encode and Decode)
(Type:  e = Apple //e,  g = GS Only,  x = GS EXE file, c = C Source code)

[1] Angel is pretty Buggy, but it's worth a try.




#############################################
#  Q#13  What do the file extensions mean?  #
#############################################

Many times, people put filename extensions (extra characters at the end of a
filename) to denote what type of file it is. Please note that these are just
accepted standards.  If a file does not indicate it's type, see the section
on file formats.  The following is a table of some common filename
extensions.  See the section on archivers for programs that will deal with
these files.



Extension   What is it?  (What program do I use?)
---------  ---------------------------------------------------------------
 .aaf   [TEXT] Apple Archive Format for source code (aaf.unpacker)
 .ACU   Applelink Conversion Utility (Shrinkit)
 .ARC   ARC Archive (IBM ARC, GS Shrinkit, //e Angel or DeArc2E)
 .CPT   Compactor Pro archive (Compactor Pro on a Mac only)
 .BSC   BinScii file. [TEXT]  (BinScii)
 .BSQ   BinSCII'ed NuFX file. [TEXT]  (BinScii, Shrinkit on the result)
 .BXY   NuFX archive with a Binary II header.  (Shrinkit)
 .BNY   BLU archive. (Shrinkit)
 .BQY   NuFX or Binary II  with BLU header. (Shrinkit)
 .BNX   NuFX with BLU header. (Shrinkit)
 .exe   Executioner file [TEXT]. May only work in DOS 3.3.
 .GIF   Graphics Interchange Format: Compressed picture.
        (IIGIF for //e, many programs for all other computers)
 .HQX   Mac BinHex file. [TEXT] (BinHex on Mac or GSCII+)
 .JPG   Newer graphics format. (only Unix/IBM/etc viewers)
 .JPEG  Newer graphics format. (only Unix/IBM/etc viewers)
 .LZH   LZH Archive (IBM/Amiga LZH program, //e Angel)
 .LHA   LHA Archive (IBM/Amiga LZH program, //e Angel)
 .QQ    BLU archive.  (Shrinkit)
 .SEA   Self-extracting archive (Might be Mac, Might be Shrinkit archive)
 .SIT   Mac StuffIt archive. (Stuffit on Mac or GS ShrinkIt)
        GS Shrinkit will not decode StuffIt Deluxe files.
 .SHK   NuFX archive. (Shrinkit)
 .SDK   NuFX with a shrunk disk image. (Shrinkit)
 .tar   Unix Tape Archive (Unix tar [with -xvf option, GS EXE tar])
 .txt   [TEXT] An ASCII text file: usually english text.
 .TIFF  Graphics format (GS SHR Convert)
 .uu    Unix uuencode file [TEXT] (//e uudecode, Unix uudecode)
 .ZOO   IBM Zoo Archive (GS Shrinkit or IBM ZOO program, //e Angel)
 .ZIP   IBM Zip Archive (GS EXE Unzip, IBM PKUNZIP, Unix unzip, //e Angel)
 .Z     Compressed file (GS Shrinkit, Unix uncompress, //e Angel)



All of these types, except the ones marked [TEXT] are BINARY files.  Binary
files cannot be sent over e-mail, posted to the newsgroups or FTP'd in text
mode.  You must FTP them in binary mode (see the section on FTP). You can
also download them using kermit, X-,Y- or Z-Modem.

Generally, anything labeled as 'Archive' above will contain multiple files,
and even subdirectories.  Most archives are also in compressed format.

Sometimes you will find multiple filename extensions.  Simply take the
filename extensions apart one at a time and you should be able to reconstruct
the original file. (i.e. somefile.bsq.tar.Z would mean: uncompress, untar,
unbinscii, then unShrink to get the original file!)

####################################################
#  Q#14  How do I tell what kind of file this is?  #
####################################################

Here is a simple guide to help you identify a file.  You should always go by
filename extension first, but not everybody uses those. In Unix, you can use
the 'head' command to look at the first couple of lines of a file.  If it
turns out to be a binary file, you may be in for a surprise.  You may want to
use the Unix 'file' command to find out if it is a text file or not first.
Once you have identified the file, see the section on filename extensions for
how to deal with it.

If there are lines in the file that look like this (there can be other text
before it--search for 'FiLeStArT'):

FiLeStArTfIlEsTaRt
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789()
GBINSCII        AQhmAAAAA8)4MIAI02DA9ARMQEDtAQhmAIVZ
gYITA6u7xADA0MjM3YTNBlDOENkQwYURzITM2UDN5gzNDJUQGVERyEDM1QzM4cjN
CFUOFR0QxAjR0MjM3YTNBlDOENkQwAQRzITM2UDN5gzNDJUQGVERyEDM1QzM4cjN
..

then you've got something encoded by BinSCII. You must decode _all_ the parts
using BinSCII before attempting to extract using ShrinkIt.

On the other hand, if you have a binary file which resembles:

NuFilei][![/#NuFX_<:c[[[ H`F-fGSCII~[
cRJ0)fNN^P)3'A2p6SF6X#GPd<9#'LC^08N7n\NB7Dd!eMN&eYX0Am=fXp
d@PAsp7rh`I'NS0ALAfi2)2ysGEQ$k9CP%L9
...

then you have a NuFX file (note the key words NuFile and NuFX).  You should be
able to extract the files it contains using ShrinkIt.

On the third hand, if you have a text file which resembles:

begin 666 nonsense.bny
M4W5N3U,@4F5L96%S92 T+C$@\%-$4U0V,"D@(S@Z(%1U92!/8W0@.2 Q,CHS
M...3HT.2!%1%0@,3DY, HT

then you have a uuencoded file.

On another hand, if you have a text file which begins with

(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)
:$&4)48C28N0&,P009!"6593K8dP8)3%!!!#L@!!!!!!Qie009#%!!3!!SPKb6'&
e!3!!!!!!!!!#!!P8D'8J4QpbBf9P)IN33)(4$N#"d4K!JG%S!!!!!`!'VfJ!"VP

then you have a BinHex file. The GSCII+ NDA by Derek Taubert decodes BinHex
files on an Apple IIGS. You can also use a variety of macintosh programs to
do the decoding. There is also a Unix implementation of BinHex called mcvert.

On one more hand, if you have a text file which resembles:

CALL-151
E00:38 A5 FF D0 32 D8 20 8E FD AD 30 BF 8D 6A 0E 20 00 BF C7 6D 0E 0D 80 02
E18:D0 1D 20 00 BF C5 69 0E B0 15 AD 81 02 29 0F AA E8 8E 80 02 A9 2F 8D 81

and more lines like that, followed by a bunch of lines that look like:

A90885A420732090242039FB2058FCA200BD9220F00620EDFDE8D0F5200CFDA9
008DF2038DF3038DF4036CFCFFE6A4A5A4C96F90CFA9008DFCBFA9018DFDBFA0
A90885A420732090242039FB2058FCA200BD9220F00620EDFDE8D0F5200CFDA9

then you have an Executioner file.

======================================================================
This FAQ is available on-line at apple2.archive.umich.edu (see FTP)
CopyLeft 1994 by Dan DeMaggio. Non-profit distribution encouraged.
                  Mail me at: [e-mail]
--
[e-mail] | When laws are outlawed,      | Ono-Sendai: the best
Dangerous  Dan | only outlaws will have laws. | Sim Stim decks
--
[e-mail] | When laws are outlawed,      | Ono-Sendai: the best
Dangerous  Dan | only outlaws will have laws. | Sim Stim decks