From: dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu (Dan DeMaggio)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2,news.answers,comp.answers
Subject: comp.sys.apple2 - Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) part 1 of 2
Followup-To: comp.sys.apple2
Reply-To: dmag@umich.edu
Summary: What you need to know about the comp.sys.apple2 newsgroups
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.Edu

Archive-name: apple2/part1
Last-modified: 08 Feb 1995
Version: 4.3

Table of Contents
Q#1   What's a FAQ? 2/8/95
Q#2   How do I get to comp.sys.apple2 and what is it? 2/9/95
Q#3   How do I get files off the net? 2/8/95
Q#4   Where can I get Apple II software and info on the net? 2/8/95
Q#5   What archivers do I need to know about?
Q#6    More about BinSCII
Q#7    ShrinkIt and NuFX archives
Q#8    Executioner
Q#9    Apple Archive Format (aaf)
Q#10   Net standard formats
Q#11   A quick note about ProDos filetypes
Q#12  What do the file extensions mean?
Q#13  How do I tell what kind of file this is? 2/8/95
Q#14  What is an Apple II? 1/1/95
Q#15   The Apple I
Q#16   The Apple ][ and Apple ][+
Q#17   The Apple //e
Q#18   The Apple //C and IIC+
Q#19   The Laser 128EX
Q#20   The Apple IIGS
Q#21   The Apple ][e Emulation Card
Q#22  Some Common Questions (with answers!) 2/8/95
Q#23   Info about A2's:
Q#24    What is 8 bit and 16 bit?
Q#25    How can I tell what version my computer is?
Q#26    What programming languages are available for the Apple ][?
Q#27   Adding Hardware:
Q#28    Can the Apple II connect to SCSI devices?
Q#29    Can I use Macintosh Monitors or 3.5" drives with my ][?
Q#30    Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple //e?
Q#31    Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple IIGS?
Q#32    Can I hook up a scanner up to my //e? Can it do OCR?
Q#33    Can a Disk ][ be used on a GS smartport?
Q#34    What's the scoop on the new HD 3.5" drive?
Q#35    I want a Y-adapter for my GS keyboard.
Q#36   File Transfer:
Q#37    How can I transfer stuff to/from an IBM/Mac?
Q#38    File transfer: Apple //e ---> Macintosh
Q#39    File transfer: Apple //e <--- Macintosh
Q#40    File transfer: Apple //e ---> IBM
Q#41    File transfer: Apple //e <--- IBM
Q#42    File transfer: Apple IIGS ---> Macintosh
Q#43    File transfer: Apple IIGS <--- Macintosh
Q#44    File transfer: Apple IIGS ---> IBM
Q#45    File transfer: Apple IIGS <--- IBM
Q#46    What's the CTI Drive?
Q#47    How about hooking up cheap IDE Hard Drives?
Q#48    How do I USE stuff I have transferred to/from an IBM/Mac?
Q#49    How do I get cool Mac Icons and fonts onto my GS?
Q#50    What programs are there for conversion of graphic images?
Q#51    I have an old CPM / PASCAL / DOS 3.3 disk.  How do I get it into ProDos?
Q#52    How do you copy from a 5.25" disk to 3.5" disk?
Q#53   Strange problems:
Q#54    How do I get out of Basic (that little "]" prompt and flashing cursor?
Q#55    What are the problems with GSCII?
Q#56    AppleWorks won't print to my printer.  What gives?
Q#57    My GS control panel keeps resetting to the defaults and/or forgetting the date.
Q#58    I'm getting Error XXX.  What's it mean?
Q#59    Why does my Apple II lose characters when I'm using the modem?
Q#60    Where do I get support for AE boards now that they are closed?
Q#61    Is there a QWK reader for the Apple //e?
Q#62  System 6.0 mini-FAQ
Q#63   Common Problems
Q#64   Tips & Hints
Q#65   If you have a RamFast
Q#66   If you have a Vulcan or AE High Density disk
Q#67   If you have ProSel
Q#68   If you have an AMR 3.5"
Q#69   GSCII+ & HFS Note
Q#70  What to do with an Apple ][? 2/8/95
Q#71    What can you hook up to an Apple ][?
Q#72    What can you do with an Apple ][?
Q#73    What can the //e can "borrow" from other computers?
Q#74    What can the GS can "borrow" from other computers?
Q#75  Resources for the Apple II 2/8/95
Q#76   Apple II Groups
Q#77   Getting Parts & Software
Q#78   Fun hardware add-ons
Q#79   Periodicals & Books
Q#80   Misc Resources
Q#81  General guidelines on How To Troubleshoot
Q#82   General troubleshooting
Q#83   Trouble shooting and good maintenance
Q#84   GS Trouble shooting
Q#85  SCSI
Q#86   Tips on setting up a SCSI system:


################################
#  Q#1   What's a FAQ? 2/8/95  #
################################

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

Sorry about the previous posts (or lack there of). Some things weren't getting
into new posts because the highly contorted way I post this. Hopefully, this
post actually works. Feel free burn me in effigy if I don't get it right,
then e-mail me about it.

I hope it becomes a valuable resource. If not, what's it missing??

     Dan DeMaggio (dmag@umich.edu)

##################################################################
#  Q#2   How do I get to comp.sys.apple2 and what is it? 2/9/95  #
##################################################################

c.s.a2 is a USENET newsgroup.  USENET posts can originate from your local
newsreader and spread to hundreds of thousands of machines throughout the the
world. The comp.



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
comp.emulators.apple2        - Discussion relating to the use of Apple //
                               emulation software/hardware on an IBM
                               compatible system
alt.emulators.ibmpc.apple2   - Older "ALT" version of above

If you only have e-mail 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.  Consider getting better connected to the
Internet (read "The Whole Internet Users Guide And Catalog" for more info.)

For this:                        Send a message body of "help" to:
---------------------------      ---------------------------------
Subscribe to C.S.A2  (internet)  LISTSERV@vm1.nodak.edu
                     (BITNET)    LISTSERV@NDSUVM
APPLE2-L archives    (internet)  LISTSERV@brownvm.brown.edu
                     (BITNET)    LISTSERV@BROWNVM
Games from APPLE2-L  (internet)  LISTSERV@utarlvm1.uta.edu
                     (BITNET)    LISTSERV@UTARLVM1
More files via E-Mail (i-net)    archive-server@plains.nodak.edu
                     (BITNET)    FILESERV@PLAINS
Kermit file transfer program      KERMSRV@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu
                     (BITNET)    KERMSRV@CUVMA (BITNET)
Apple /// files      (internet)  APPLE3-L@WVNVM.WVNET.EDU

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           group-name@cs.utexas.edu
          OR                    group.name.usenet@decwrl.dec.com
          OR                    group.name@news.demon.co.uk
          OR                    group.name@news.cs.indiana.edu
          OR                    group-name@pws.bull.com
          OR                    group-name@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
Post to comp.sys.apple2         info-apple@apple.com



Comp.binaries.apple2 is a newsgroup used to distribute PD (Public Domain - may
be used and copied freely.), FW (Freeware - ditto, except that the original
owner retains the Copyright.) or SW (Shareware - try it for free, pay for it
if you use it) 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. Please post a text description of your
program and what it requires to run so people can tell if they need it or
not. You may cross-post the description (only) to comp.sys.apple2. Please
don't post questions or answers in the binaries group. Remember, distribution
of commercial software is illegal.

Comp.sources.apple2 is a newsgroup used to distribute Apple II source code.
The posts in comp.sources.apple2 should be in Apple Archive Format.  Contact
jac@paul.rutgers.edu 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 E-mail - do not compound
the problem!

##################################################
#  Q#3   How do I get files off the net? 2/8/95  #
##################################################

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).
   For a shortcut, see Chuck Orem in the resources section.
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 can vary from site to site. Shrinkit and Binscii
        are usually available on all the Apple II FTP sites.

Step 2a: (For ProLine users) Get files to your host
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... Anyone wanna clue me in?

Step 2b: (for those with a Sell account) Get files to your host
1) Choose an FTP site from the FAQ
2) At your UNIX prompt, type "ftp _____" (fill in hostname)
3) At the "Login:" prompt, type "anonymous" (or "ftp" if you are
   a bad speller like me ;)
4) Type in your e-mail address when prompted for a password.
5) Type "bin" unless you are only getting text files
6) Type "cd ______" (directory) to move to the right directory.
6) type "ls" to see a list of files.
7) Locate each file (more "cd ___"'s and "ls"). Also, "cd .."
   will move up a directory in the tree.)
8) use "get ______" (filename) to get it
9) When you are done using FTP, type "quit"

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 (if needed)
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 (if needed)
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.
All of the non-commercial programs are available from FTP sites. If you don't
have a comm program already, your best bet is to have someone mail you one on
a disk or buy ProTerm. (See resources).

Program   Comp Emulations     Protocols             Note
---------|----|---------------------------------------------------------------
ProTerm    E$  PSE, VT-100     Kermit, X,Y,Z-modem  From InSync
PTP        E$, VT-100          X-Modem, (Y-mdm D/L) From Quality Computers
Kermit-65  E   VT-100          Kermit, X-modem      Hard to use,Works on ][+
Z-Link     E   VT-100          X-modem              Good.
CommSys    E   none            X-modem              Works on ][+
TIC        E$  VT-100 (+)      X-modem              Small, Scripting.
Agate      E   mono ANSI       X,(Y,Z D/L 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 D/L only)      Shell compat
----------Key:---------
| Key: $ = A commercial program   + = And other obscure ones
| Computer:  E = works on GS and //e, GS = only works on GS
| D/L = Download from other computer
---
PTP = Point-To-Point. I don't think it's being sold anymore. Anyone know?
See the resources section for where to buy the commercial programs.

#########################################################################
#  Q#4   Where can I get Apple II software and info on the net? 2/8/95  #
#########################################################################

[A quick note about URL notation: For those of you with full net access, you
can run a web browser (like Lynx if you are dialed in from your Apple), which
will understand URLs directly. Otherwise, ignore the 'http:' ones and see the
previous section on how to use the FTP ones.)

Hint:
       ftp://grind.isca.uiowa.edu /apple2
             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^
                 Hostname         Directory

OK, so here's a bunch of resources:

URL: http://www.umich.edu:80/group/itd/archive/Public/html/apple2/faq/faq.html - Hypertext version of this FAQ

URL: http://www.umich.edu/~archive - Umich archive via the web

FTP: rtfm.mit.edu in /emulate-apple2-faq - Emulation FAQ

URL: http://www.info.apple.com/aboutapple/prodlst.html - Apple's Product List, including some Apple II products!

URL: http://www.ericse.ohio-state.edu/SSII.html - ShareWare Solutions II Homepage

URL: http://www.ccsf.caltech.edu/~dmz/a2archive.html - Caltech Apple II Archive

URL: http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~nathan/apl2.resource.html - Nathan Mates Apple II Links. Lots of 'em.

URL: http://starship.nmsu.edu:6502/ - ?

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu in /apple2/misc/textfiles/bbs.list.txt - Mike Shecket's BBS listing

FTP: names.wvu.edu in /pub/apple3 - Apple III stuff

URL: http://micromedia.com/www/stlouis/usergrps.htm - Apple user group

Major FTP sites and mirrors:

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu in /archive/apple2

URL: gopher://wuarchive.wustl.edu:70/11/systems/apple2/umich.edu

FTP: archive.orst.edu in /pub/mirrors/archive.umich.edu

FTP: archive.orst.edu in /pub/mirrors/archive.umich.edu/

FTP: cco.caltech.edu in /pub/apple2

FTP: brownvm.brown.edu in /LISTSERV.193

FTP: ftp.ms.uky.edu in /pub/appleII

FTP: ftp.uni-kl.de in /pub/apple2

FTP: grind.isca.uiowa.edu in /apple2

FTP: grind.isca.uiowa.edu in /unix/apple2

FTP: plains.nodak.edu in /pub/appleII

FTP: wuarchive.wustl.edu in /systems/apple2

Note: Files on brownvm.brown.edu are stored by serial number.  For a human-
readable directory, send e-mail with the text "INDEX APPLE2-L" or "INFO
REFCARD" (no subject) to brown@brownvm.brown.edu.

Other FTP Sites:

FTP: cs.bu.edu in /PC/APPLE

FTP: cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu in /KERMA

FTP: ftp.apple.com in /dts/aii

FTP: ftp.cc.utexas.edu in /gifstuff/apple

FTP: headcrash.berkeley.edu in /pub/Apple2

FTP: info2.rus.uni-stuttgart.de in /afs/umich.edu/group/itd/archive

FTP: iskut.ucs.ubc.ca in /pub/apple

FTP: j.cc.purdue.edu in /kermit/appleII

FTP: jyu.fi in /pub/apple2

FTP: pindarus.cs.uiuc.edu in /pub/apple2

FTP: slab.slip.uiuc.edu in /apple2

FTP: syr.edu in /software/kermit/appleII

FTP: trantor.ee.msstate.edu in /files/appleII

FTP: ucrmath.ucr.edu in /PC/apple2

FTP: watsun.cc.columbia.edu in /kermit/a

FTP: wilbur.stanford.edu in /pub/emulators/apple2/DiskImages/

FTP: methan.chemie.fu-berlin.de in /pub/doc/faq

FTP: ftp.hawaii.edu in /incoming/apple2

FTP: relay.cs.toronto.edu in /pub/lists.1989

FTP: watsun.cc.columbia.edu in /kermit/a

FTP: oak.oakland.edu in /pub/hamradio/apple2

FTP: ftp.uu.net in /apple2

FTP: ftp.uu.net in /systems/apple2

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)

If you have a Shell account, you can use 'archie' to find ftp sites with a
particular file.

###################################################
#  Q#5   What archivers do I need to know about?  #
###################################################

There are two programs you will need to have an be familiar with to get
software off the net. They are BinSCII and ShrinkIt. ShrinkIt is like PKZIP
on the PC, or STUFFIT on the mac.: It puts multiple files into one compressed
archive. This way, you can get the program, documentation and related files
in one swoop. Unfortunately, USENET can only handle text, not 8-bit binary
information. Thus the need for BinSCII, which can take a file (usually a
ShrinkIt file) and turn it into a series of meaningless letters, numbers and
punctuation. This text travels thru USENET to you, where you need BinSCII to
turn back into data that the computer can actually use.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#6   More about BinSCII  :
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

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). [NB: A BinScii text file is somewhat larger than the original
binary file.] On FTP sites, these will be 'blah.BSQ', but on USENET, you give
them your own name when you save a posting. 

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 what to do. 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 you will
get a 'file corrupted' error when unshrinking.

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

For those with Shell accounts, you can use SciiBin (decode-only version of
BinSCII) to reduce your download time. You will need to compile this on your
Unix box (ask for help from a local Guru), then run your BinScii files (from
comp.binaries.apple2) through it. You will now have 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. In this case, you will have to download the BinSCII file.

FTP: apple2.archive.umich.edu in /apple2/unix/sciibin.c

If you need a Unix BinSCII encoder, Bsc will do the trick.

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

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

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#7   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 should only used when the disk is not ProDos.   ShrinkIt is also a menu
driven utility that not only compresses and extracts, but it can also format
disks, copy files, etc.

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

If you have a GS, you will want the GShk, which is even more of a wonder
utility than it's 8-bit counterpart. Files encoded with GShk are usually
smaller than those encoded with ShrinkIt, but can still be extracted with
ShrinkIt (except files with resource forks. Watch those Teach documents if
you want Apple //e's to read it!).

If you can't run Shrinkit because you have a ][+, you can use ShrinkIt+,
UnShrinkIt+ and Autounshrink.

:::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#8   Executioner  :
:::::::::::::::::::::::

Executioner is an older format that is only used to distribute BinSCII
(otherwise you would have a catch-22!). It usually has a "CALL -151" at the
top (if not, delete everything above it), and doesn't use punctuation like
BinSCII does.

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#9   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  in /apple2/unix/aaf

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#10  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. Other USENET groups will use uuencode (.uu) to send binaries.
Just type 'uudecode file.uu'. BinSCII is better than uuencode because 1> It
stores the ProDos filetype.  2> It splits the file into manageable 12K
chunks. 3> It does a CRC checksum on each chunk.

Most of these 'Unix' standard formats are available on the Apple.  See the
table below.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
:  Q#11  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 protects 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  in /apple2/8bit/util/fazz.2.3.bsq

     |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.



Program        Format   Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nulib v3.21      C      Andy McFadden  (fadden@uts.amdahl.com)
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  (davewh@microsoft.com)
ShrinkIt v3.3    A      Andy Nicholas  (shrinkit@apple.com)
(Un)ShrinkIt+    A      Andy Nicholas  (shrinkit@apple.com)
AutoUnShrink     A      Andy Nicholas  (shrinkit@apple.com)
GShk v1.1        G      Andy Nicholas  (shrinkit@apple.com)
GSCII+ 2.3.1     G      Darek Taubert  (dat33228@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu)
Format:
  C - Distributed as source code written in C.
  A - Executable, runs on most Apple //s.
  G - Executable, runs on GS only.

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


#############################################
#  Q#12  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, your guess is as
good as mine.  The following is a table of some common filename extensions. 
See the previous 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   [TEXT] BinScii file. (BinScii)
 .BSQ   [TEXT] BinSCII'ed NuFX file. (BinScii--then Shrinkit)
 .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   [TEXT] Executioner file. May only work in DOS 3.3. See above.
          NB: .EXE also means IBM executable program..
 .GIF   Graphics Interchange Format: Compressed picture.
        (IIGIF for //e, many programs for all other computers)
 .HQX   [TEXT] Mac BinHex file. (BinHex on Mac or GSCII+ on GS)
 .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 -xvf', 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
download either with kermit, X-,Y- or Z-Modem.

Generally, anything labeled as 'Archive' above will contain multiple files,
and even subdirectories.  Most archivers are also compressed the files to
make the whole smaller than the sum of it's parts. (only in computers ;)

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#13  How do I tell what kind of file this is? 2/8/95  #
###########################################################

Here is a sample of what file formats look like, in case you get stuck. View
the file in an editor (or use the UNIX "head" command). Once you have
identified the file, see the previous section (on filename extensions) for
what to do next.

BinSCII: (.BSC, .BSQ)

FiLeStArTfIlEsTaRt
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789()
GBINSCII        AQhmAAAAA8)4MIAI02DA9ARMQEDtAQhmAIVZ
gYITA6u7xADA0MjM3YTNBlDOENkQwYURzITM2UDN5gzNDJUQGVERyEDM1QzM4cjN
CFUOFR0QxAjR0MjM3YTNBlDOENkQwAQRzITM2UDN5gzNDJUQGVERyEDM1QzM4cjN

NuFX (Shrinkit Archive) (.SHK)

NuFilei][![/#NuFX_<:c[[[ H`F-fGSCII~[
cRJ0)fNN^P)3'A2p6SF6X#GPd<9#'LC^08N7n\NB7Dd!eMN&eYX0Am=fXp
dsPAsp7rh`I'NS0ALAfi2)2ysGEQ$k9CP%L9

uuencoded file (.uu)

begin 666 nonsense.junk
M4W5N3U,s4F5L96%S92 T+C$s\%-$4U0V,"Ds(SsZ(%1U92!/8W0s.2 Q,CHS
M...3HT.2!%1%0s,3DY, HT4F5L96%S92 T+C$s4F5L96%S92 T+C$s

Executioner (.exe)

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
A90885A420732090242039FB2058FCA200BD9220F00620EDFDE8D0F5200CFDA9
008DF2038DF3038DF4036CFCFFE6A4A5A4C96F90CFA9008DFCBFA9018DFDBFA0
A90885A420732090242039FB2058FCA200BD9220F00620EDFDE8D0F5200CFDA9

======================================================================
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: dmag@umich.edu
