Conference hydra::amiga_v1

>    2. Where are public domain programs found?


I've kept a short list of ENET locations on WJG::AMIGA:net.kits

Please respect owners wishes to copy AFTER HOURS relative to thier local time
zone.

There are several notes detailing up/down loading. Try a DIR/TITLE=ARC
or TITLE=UPLOAD, or TITLE=DOWNLOAD etc..


Welcome to Amiga!!


John

    3> Transferring programs to your Amiga:
    	To transfer programs to the Amiga, they must be in a UUENCODED
    form.  All binaries found on USENET are already in this form.  Simply
    use KERMIT to download them, and obtain a copy of UUDECODE from
    a friend, or your local Amiga dealer.  (Someone should have an
    executable version for you)  Then, type UUDECODE filename to decode
    your downloaded file.  If you get programs by copying from DECNet
    or ENet, you must first encode them before downloading (Or at least,
    I have had to).  You can find a version of UUENCODE.EXE in some
    of the PD accounts (Listed in VAXnotes).  If you have trouble getting
    a copy, send me some e-mail, and I'll be happy to find one for you.
    To encode the file, use the syntax: UUENCODE filein fileout   Once
    you've done this, follow the previously mentioned downloading and
    decoding process.
    	Sometimes, programs are in an archive format.  The two main
    archive programs are arc, and zoo.  Programs that are stored with
    arc have a .ARC extension AFTER UUDECODING.  Programs that are stored
    with zoo have a .ZOO extension.  The files in these archives must
    be extracted.  The executable versions of ARC and ZOO, and their
    documentation can be found on the net.  Just copy these, Encode
    them, download them, and decode them.  Then, you can read the
    documentation to find out how to use them to extract archived files.
    	I hope this helps in some way.  If it isn't clear (And I'm getting
    the feeling that it isn't), send me e-mail for help.
    
    Chris
    (RAVEN1::EVERHART)
    
    P.S. Straight Text files do not need to be encoded for downloading.
    

    I welcome the offer of help. The hardest part that I can see is
    getting that first set of comm software (kermit & uudecode). 
    
    Is there anyone out there close to the Landover (MEL) facility that
    I could send/bring a blank 3.5 disk to obtain a copy of the basics?
    
    Thanks..Al

    
    Sounds like you need (drumroll.....) Acciardi's Starter Disk!
    
    I've put together a disk with everything a beginner needs to download,
    un-arc, or whatever.  I also include the best PD and/or shareware
    utilities that make the Amiga a much nicer place to work.
    
    All you need to do is send a blank floppy to me at NKS1-1/E3 and
    I'll get the Starter disk out the next day.
    
    For convenience, I hope that you have 1 meg an at least two drives.
    Life will be miserable until you reach this configuration.
    
    All of the files on my Starter disk are in either ARC format or
    are directly executable from Workbench or CLI.  To UN-Arc a file,
    first copy the ARC program itself to your C directory on your system
    disk.  Then, copy the ARCHIVE that you wish to unpack to RAM:.
    Then, you just type...
    
    CD RAM:
    ARC e filename.arc
    
    Alternately, you could use a directory utility program that I include
    that lets you unpack ARC files from a friendlier menu oriented
    environment.  Either way, if you have any problems, just ask.
    
    Congratulations on your new Amiga.  
    
    Ed Acciardi

Re .2:

Binaries DO NOT have to be UUENCODED to be transmitted as part of an
archive.  I almost never use UUENCODE - only when forced to because that is
the way they have been posted.  They will transmit slower that way than as
part of an archive, and are a darn sight less convenient to manipulate.

Take Ed up on his offer of a starter disk.  What you need most is VT200
(alias Smokey) and ARC for the Amiga, and a vms version of Kermit or
XMODEM.  Then you will be in business getting software off the net.
(Another thing you will need is CVTARC for use on vms.)

	Paul

    Re .5:
    	I thought there must be a way to download binaries.  I've tried
    setting my VT200 kermit transfer to image, and setting file type
    to binary on the VAX kermit, but it just doesn't seem to download
    properly.  Any suggestions???
    
     - Chris
    

    My blank disk will go out tomorrow. How do I get SMOKEY (I know,
    after I get Kermit and download it from somewhere).
    
    I've "started" with a standard A500 (.5M and 1 drive). I'm at least
    glade to be able to share my Imagewriter II printer from my IIe.
    
      Al

    
    Al, for the sake of your sanity, at least go out and buy a second
    disk drive.  You can get them for around $150.
    
    You'll hate the Amiga with only one drive.  Really.  It will be
    so frustrating to use that you'll be tempted to pitch it out the
    window.  I would also forsake food and rent and other frivolities
    and invest in the 512K upgrade with clock.
    
    Ed.

    Aw, cmon now Ed.  It's not all *that* bad.  I lived with, and loved,
    a one-drive Amiga for over 1.5 years.  Not that I'd necessarily
    recommend it to anyone, but it's certainly possible to love the
    Amiga, even if you only have one drive and 512K RAM.  Nowadays,
    I'd find it hard to live without that extra drive, and I'm really
    looking forward to the arrival of my hard disk drive, but if it
    comes down to a choice between having an Amiga with 1 drive or no
    Amiga at all, I know what I'd choose.

    I hope that VD0: and the Dillon/Drew shell are on your starter disk.
    :-)  (They're a one drive user's best friends.)
    
    Gary, who used to compile Modula-2 programs using 1 drive.  Ugh!

    Re .6
       To transfer binaries one must first make sure the file has the
    correct record format on VMS. I have also had problems transfering
    binaries. I will point you to note 59.6 which describes the program
    CVTARC which can convert binaries to the correct record format before
    transfer.
    
    Hope this helps.

    I recommend getting Ed's starter disk.  But, I had some trouble
    getting Handshake (the VT102 emulator) to do Kermit or Xmodem
    transfers.  This may be my error, but I had problems.  I personally
    use the following programs:
    
    	To Download files:
    
    	(ARC files must be Stream_LF or 128 fixed (methinks) format
    		for the transfer to work)
    	VMS: CVTARC -u downloadfile.ARC
    	Amiga: Use Protocomm terminal emulator (Does NOT emulate a DEC
    		terminal, but has Zmodem <the FASTEST transfer protocal>)
    	VMS: SZ downloadfile.ARC	- SZ is the Zmodem program on
    						the VAX.
    
    	BUT, for everything else (e.g. VTxxx emulation),  I use Smokey
    the VT200 emulator.
    
    Happy Downloading,
    
    -Mike
    

     An addendum to 1697.11 -
     Note that if you dial up through TYMNET, you cannot use xmodem,
     zmodem, or ymodem (I think), but must use kermit. To use kermit, make
     sure the to-be-downloaded file is in the proper format by entering the
     following on VMS: 
     
     $ CVTARC V downloadfile.ARC
       
     This converts the file to variable length, maximum 510 bytes record
     format, a fact you can verify as follows:
     
     $ DIRECTORY/FULL downloadfile.ARC
                                              
     (You'll cause no harm by specifying CVTARC V for a file already in
     variable format.)
    
     Dave

    I am still trying to download (successfully) over TYMNET. The best
    combination so far is using HANDSHAKE's KERMIT (7 bit) feature.
    All works well (though real slow) till the end. It consistently
    bombs with a message to the effect of "Failed CRC Check". I assume
    that I must use 7 bit over TSN.
    
      Al

    True.  TSN is 7 bit only.  But I don't understand why the transfer
    would work up until the end and THEN fail.  
    
    Have you tried a KERMIT transfer using SMOKEY?  
    
    					John

    Can't try Smokey till I can download it (without errors). I just
    got a copy  of another PD VT100 emulator from someone that I will
    try this weekend. Actually, I've tried it and it seemed to work.
    I downloaded something called BURGER.ARC (1 block), de-arc'd it.
    Had no idea what it (BURGER) was suppossed to do (only generated
    DISK.INFO). Tried VT200.ARC next but round out of room on the disk.
    
    What's the correct way of specifying what volume you want the KERMIT
    download to go to. I tried (from the AMIGA) specifying 
    VOLNAME:VT100.ARC but it did not seem to take it (the emulator hung).
    
    I'll try again later to see how it goes.
    

    Try selecting Change Dir (Amiga D) and put the volume name in there.
    Then, put the disk in to answer the requestor.  Now, start up the
    download.

    Finally did get a download to work. Another VT100 emulator seemed
    to work fine with KERMIT. Everyone's right though..SLOW. I just
    downloaded PACMAN from TAPE (this time bypassing TYMNET & using
    XMODEM). Things seem to work fine with the download but now I've
    gotten to a new level of curiosity.
    
    How does one make the disk with the software on it self booting
    (other than just install). PACMAN provides a STARTUP-SEQUENCE which
    I can EXECUTRE from CLI. I've copied over to the new disk (PM:)
    the library in question, created a C directory, and copied the commands
    used in the STARTUP-SEQ file. WORKBENCH is still requested though.
    Does someone have a good description of setting up a disk to boot
    the software that you want without requiring WB to be swapped (I
    still have a single drive)?
    
      AL

    Running INSTALL on a disk just makes it a BOOT disk.  (i.e. It writes
    the necessary info into the Boot Block.)  Unless somebody's lied
    to me, when you put a 'boot' disk into DF0: and reset the system,
    the Amiga'll try to execute a file named "startup-sequence" which it
    expects to be in the "S" directory.  This file is like your VMS
    SYSTARTUP.COM.  If it issues a LOADWB command, then Workbench gets
    started.  
    
    Note that Amiga an Amiga command FOO actually translates to something
    like "RUN FOO" in VMS terms (not exactly, but close enough for this
    discussion).  The Amiga will look for FOO in your current directory.
     If it doesn't find it, it looks in other directories, which you
    specify using the "ADD PATH" (or "PATH ADD" or something like tha
    -- I'm not sure of the syntax) command.  I believe that the directory
    DF0::C/ may be in the search path by default, but don't quote me
    on that.  
    Anyway, the point of all this drivel is:  ANY commands that appear
    in the startup-sequence, as well as ANY commands you intend to use,
    had better have been added to the search PATH or be in your current
    directory.  (A 'gotcha' I found when I started playing around with
    my startup-sequence.)
    
    Hope this has helped some. 
    
    
    					John