Date: Wed, 12 Jan 94 11:09:31 EST
From: Rusty Harold <eharold@pilot.njin.net>
Subject: submission of new FAQ version
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps,comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.mac.system,comp.sys.mac.wanted,comp.sys.mac.hardware,comp.answers,news.answers
Subject: Introductory Macintosh frequently asked questions (FAQ)
From: elharo@shock.njit.edu (Elliotte Rusty Harold)
Reply-To: elharo@shock.njit.edu
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.misc
Organization: Dept. of Mathematics, NJIT
Keywords: FAQ, Macintosh, Mac, macintosh, mac, general, introduction
Summary: This document answers a number of the most frequently asked
questions on Usenet about Macintosh computers. To avoid wasting
bandwidth and as a matter of politeness please familiarize yourself
with this document BEFORE posting.
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.edu
Archive-name: macintosh/general-faq
MACINTOSH FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
====================================
comp.sys.mac.faq, part 1:
Introduction to the Macintosh Newsgroups
Copyright 1994 by Elliotte Harold
Version: 2.2.3
Last-modified: January 8, 1994
What's new in version 2.2.3:
----------------------------
The tables of contents have been adjusted to reflect changes in the
other FAQ's and the release of the FAQ list for comp.sys.mac.wanted.
3.6: What is .bin? .hqx? .cpt? .image? .etc.?
StuffIt is now at version 3.0.7.
4.4: Zap the PRAM and Reset the Clock
I now give a more complete list of which Control Panels zapping
the PRAM will affect.
TABLES OF CONTENTS
==================
General FAQ
-----------
I. I have a question...
1. How do I use this document?
2. What other information is available?
3. Which newsgroup should I post to?
4. How should I answer frequently asked questions?
II. FTP
1. Where can I FTP Macintosh software?
2. Can I get shareware by E-mail?
3. Where can I find application X?
4. Where can I find an application to do X?
5. Can someone mail me application X?
6. What is .bin? .hqx? .cpt? .image? .etc.?
7. How can I get BinHex? StuffIt? etc.?
8. How can I get BinHex, StuffIt, etc. from a PC?
III. Troubleshooting. What to do when things go wrong
1. Identify the problem.
2. Read the READ ME file.
3. Check for viruses.
4. Reinstall the application and all its support files.
5. Reinstall the system software.
6. Isolate the problem.
7. Contact technical support.
IV. Preventive Maintenance
1. Trash Unneeded Files
2. Reevaluate Your Extensions
3. Rebuild the desktop.
4. Zap the PRAM and Reset the Clock
5. Resize the system heap. (System 6 only)
6. Reinstall the system software.
7. Disk Utilities
8. Backing Up
9. Disk Defragmentation
10. Reformatting and partitioning your hard disk
V. Meta-FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions about the FAQ)
1. There's a mistake in your FAQ.
2. Why don't you include this complicated/payware solution?
3. Would you please include my software in your FAQ?
4. Why don't you post the FAQ more often?
5. Can you help me with this problem I'm having with my Mac?
6. Will you send me the FAQ?
7. Why don't you format the FAQ in Word? Digest? etc.?
comp.sys.mac.system
-------------------
I. Memory
1. Why is my system using so much memory?
2. What is Mode 32? the 32-bit enabler? Do I need them?
3. Cache and Carry (How much memory should I allot to my cache?)
II. System Software
1. Why does Apple charge for System 7.1?
2. What does System 7.1 give me for my $35 that System 7.0 doesn't?
3. Where can I get System 7.1?
4. How can I use System 6 on a System 7 only Mac?
5. Non-US scripts and systems
6. What is System 7 Tuneup? Do I need it?
7. Why do my DA's disappear when I turn on MultiFinder?
8. Do I need System 7.0.1?
9. How can I get System 7.0.1 on 800K disks?
III. Hard Disks, Filesharing, and the File System
1. Help! My folder disappeared!
2. Why can't I throw this folder away?
3. Why can't I share my removable drive?
4. Why can't I eject this SyQuest cartridge? CD-ROM? etc.?
5. Why can't I rename my hard disk?
6. How do I change my hard disk icon?
IV. Fonts
1. How do I convert between Windows fonts and Mac fonts?
TrueType and PostScript?
2. What font will my screen/printer use when different types
are installed?
3. Where should I put my fonts?
V. Miscellaneous:
1. What does System Error XXX mean?
2. What is a Type Y error?
3. What is A/ROSE?
4. Easy Access or One Answer, Many Questions
comp.sys.mac.misc
-----------------
I. Viruses
1. Help! I have a virus!
2. Reporting new viruses
II. Printing and PostScript
1. How do I make a PostScript file?
2. How do I print a PostScript file?
3. Why won't my PostScript file print on my mainframe's printer?
4. Why are my PostScript files so big?
5. How can I print PostScript on a non-PostScript printer?
6. How do I make my ImageWriter II print in color?
7. Why doesn't PrintMonitor work with the ImageWriter?
8. Why did my document change when I printed it?
9. How can I preview a PostScript file?
10. Can I use a LaserJet or other PC printer with my Mac?
III. DOS and the Mac
1. How can I move files between a Mac and a PC?
2. How can I translate files to a DOS format?
3. Should I buy SoftPC or a real PC?
IV. Security
1. How can I password protect a Mac?
2. How can I password protect a file?
3. How can I password protect a folder?
4. How can I prevent software piracy?
5. How can I keep a hard drive in a fixed configuration?
V. Sound
1. How can I copy a track from an audio CD onto my Mac?
2. How can I extract a sound from a QuickTime movie?
3. How can I convert/play a mod/wav/etc. file?
VI. No particular place to go (Miscellaneous Miscellanea)
1. Are there any good books about the Mac?
2. How do I take a picture of the screen?
3. How do I use a picture for my desktop?
4. Can I Replace the "Welcome to Macintosh" box with a picture?
5. What is AutoDoubler? SpaceSaver? More Disk Space? Are they safe?
6. How do they compare to TimesTwo, Stacker and eDisk?
7. Where did my icons go?
8. Where can I find a user group?
9. Where can Ifind the 1984 Quicktime movie?
comp.sys.mac.apps
-----------------
I. What's the Best...
1. Text editor
2. Word processor
3. Genealogy software
4. TeX/LaTeX
5. Integrated application
6. Spreadsheet
7. JPEG Viewer
8. Electronic publishing software
9. Drawing application
II. Microsoft Word
1. How can I assign styles to characters?
2. How can I automatically generate cross-references?
3. How can I change a Word document to TeX? and vice-versa?
4. How can I depersonalize Word?
5. Where can I get more information?
III. TeachText
1. How can I change the font in TeachText?
2. How do I place a picture in a TeachText file?
3. How do I make a TeachText document read-only?
comp.sys.mac.wanted
-------------------
I. Buying and Selling Used Equipment
1. Should I buy/sell on Usenet?
2. Where should I buy/sell used equipment?
3. I've decided to completely ignore your excellent advice and
post my ad anyway. What should I do?
4. I've decided to completely ignore your excellent advice and
buy something offered for sale on the net anyway. How can
I avoid being ripped off?
II. Fair Market Value
1. How much is my computer worth?
2. What is used software worth?
3. Going prices?
III. Where Should I Buy a New Mac?
1. Authorized Dealers
2. VAR's
3. Superstores
4. Performas
5. Educational Dealers
6. Direct From Apple
7. Does anyone know a dealer in New York City?
IV. When Should I buy a New Mac?
1. Macrotime
2. Microtime
3. When will I get my Mac?
V. How Should I Buy a New Mac?
1. Know what you want
2. The dealer needs to sell you a mac more than you need to buy one
3. Have a competitor's ad handy
4. Cash on delivery
5. The sales tax game
6. Leasing
7. Be nice to the salesperson.
VI. The Gray Market and Mail Order
1. What is the gray market?
2. Are gray market Macs covered by Apple warranties?
3. Does anyone know a good mail-order company?
ADMINISTRIVIA
=============
Copyright
---------
This work is Copyright 1993 by Elliotte M. Harold. Permission
is hereby granted to transmit and store this document as part of an
unedited collection of any newsgroup to which it is posted by myself.
I also grant permission to distribute unmodified copies of this
document online via bulletin boards, online services, and other
providers of electronic communications provided that no fees in
excess of normal online charges are required for such distribution;
i.e. if the FAQ is available on a system, it must be available at
the minimum charge for accessing the system. For instance you may
post it to most BBS's that charge either a flat monthly fee or a
per hour rate. However if there is an extra charge for downloading
files over what is charged per normal access, either per hour, per
kilobyte, or per month, then the FAQ may not be posted to that
system without my explicit, prior permission. Portions of this
document may be extracted and quoted free of charge and without
necessity of citation in normal online communication provided
only that said quotes are not represented as the correspondent's
original work. Permission for quotation of this document in
edited, online communication (such as the Info-Mac Digest and
TidBITS) is given subject to normal citation procedures (i.e. you
have to say where you got it). If you wish to republish this FAQ
in a modified form or in a non-electronic medium, please contact
me with specific details. I'm normally receptive to non-profits
that wish to redistribute it at no charge, and to anyone who
is willing to make reasonable remunerative arrangements for
non-exclusive republication rights.
Disclaimer
----------
I do my best to ensure that information contained
in this document is current and accurate, but I can accept no
responsibility for actions resulting from information contained
herein. This document is provided as is and with no warranty of
any kind. Corrections and suggestions should be addressed to
elharo@shock.njit.edu.
Trademarks
----------
Apple, Macintosh, LaserWriter, ImageWriter, Finder, HyperCard
and MultiFinder are registered trademarks and PowerBook is a
trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Linotronic is a registered
trademark of Linotype-Hell AG, Inc. PostScript is a registered
trademark and Illustrator and Photoshop are trademarks of Adobe
Systems, Inc. Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft
Corporation. PageMaker is a registered trademark of Aldus Corp.
AutoDoubler and DiskDoubler are trademarks of Fifth Generation
Systems, Inc. StuffIt and StuffIt Deluxe are trademarks of Raymond
Lau and Aladdin Systems, Inc. StuffIt SpaceSaver is a trademark
of Aladdin Systems, Inc. More Disk Space is a trademark of Alysis
Software Corporation. TimesTwo is a trademark of Golden Triangle
Computers, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of AT&T. All other
tradenames are trademarks of their respective manufacturers.
How to Get the Entire FAQ
-------------------------
This is the FIRST part of the this FAQ. The second part is
posted to comp.sys.mac.system and features many questions about
system software. The third part answers miscellaneous questions
about Macs and is posted every two weeks in comp.sys.mac.misc.
The fourth part covers frequently asked questions about Macintosh
application software and appears in comp.sys.mac.apps. The fifth
part covers buying and selling Macintosh computers, software and
peripherals and is posted in comp.sys.mac.wanted. Tables of
contents for those three pieces are included above. Please
familiarize yourself with all five sections of this document
before posting.
All pieces are available for anonymous ftp from rtfm.mit.edu
[18.70.0.209] in the directory pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh.
Except for this introductory FAQ which appears in multiple
newsgroups and is stored as general-faq, the name of each
file has the format of the last part of the group name followed
by "-faq", e.g the FAQ for comp.sys.mac.system is stored as
system-faq. You can also have these files mailed to you
by sending an E-mail message to mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu with the
line: send pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh/"name" in the body
text where "name" is the name of the file you want as specified
above (e.g. general-faq). You can also send this server a message
with the subject "help" for more detailed instructions.
===========================
I HAVE A QUESTION... (1.0)
===========================
Congratulations! You've come to the right place. Usenet is
a wonderful resource for information ranging from basic questions
(How do I lock a floppy disk?) to queries that would make Steve
Jobs himself run screaming from the room in terror. (I used
ResEdit to remove resources Init #11, WDEF 34, and nVIR 17 from my
system file and used the Hex Editor to add code string #A67B45 as a
patch to the SFGetFile routine so the Standard File Dialog Box
would be a nice shade of mauve. Everything worked fine until I
installed SuperCDevBlaster, and now when I use the Aldus driver to
print from PageMaker 5.0d4 to a Linotronic 6000 my system hangs.
P.S. I'm running System 6.0.2 on a PowerBook 170.)
Since the Macintosh newsgroups are medium to high volume, we
ask that you first peruse this FAQ list including at least the
table of contents for the other pieces of it, check any other
relevant on-line resources listed below in question 1.2, especially
the FAQ lists for the other Macintosh newsgroups, and RTFM (Read
the Friendly Manual) before posting your question. We realize that
you are personally incensed that the System is taking up fourteen
of your newly-installed twenty megs of RAM, but this question has
already made its way around the world three hundred times before,
and it's developing tired feet. Finally, before posting to any
newsgroup (Macintosh or otherwise), please familiarize yourself
with the basic etiquette of Usenet as described in the newsgroup
news.announce.newusers.
HOW DO I USE THIS DOCUMENT? (1.1)
----------------------------------
comp.sys.mac.faq is currently divided into multiple pieces, a
general introduction which you're reading now, and specific lists
for the newsgroups comp.sys.mac.system, comp.sys.mac.misc and
comp.sys.mac.apps. This introductory document is posted to all
of the concerned newsgroups. The tables of contents for each of
the specific FAQ lists are at the beginning of this file so you
should be able to get at least some idea whether your question is
answered anywhere else in the FAQ even if you don't have the other
parts at hand. It's not always obvious, especially to newcomers,
where a particular question or comment should be posted. Please
familiarize yourself with the FAQ lists in all the major Macintosh
newsgroups before posting in any of them. Which questions
appear in which FAQs can serve as a basic guide to what posts
belong where.
To jump to a particular question search for
section-number.question-number enclosed in parentheses. For
example to find "Where can I FTP Macintosh software?" search
for the string "(2.1)". To jump to a section instead of a
question use a zero for the question number.
This document is in "setext" format. Akif Eyler's freeware
application EasyView can parse this document into a hierarchical
outline view that makes for easier browsing.
WHAT OTHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE? (1.2)
-------------------------------------------
comp.sys.mac.faq provides short answers to a number of
frequently asked questions appropriate for the Usenet newsgroups
comp.sys.mac.misc and comp.sys.mac.system. Five other FAQ lists are
worthy of particular note. All are available for anonymous ftp from
rtfm.mit.edu [18.70.0.209] in the directory pub/usenet/group-name
(where "group-name" is the name of the group in which they're posted)
as well as in their respective newsgroups. Jon W{tte maintains
a public domain FAQ list for comp.sys.mac.programmer which is
posted about every three weeks. The original FAQ list for
comp.sys.mac.programmer is no longer being posted or updated but
is still useful and available via anonymous ftp to rtfm.mit.edu.
Eric Rosen maintains a frequently asked questions list for
comp.sys.mac.comm. This list answers many frequently asked
questions about networking, UNIX and the Mac, telecommunications,
and foreign file formats. Norm Walsh has compiled an excellent FAQ
for comp.fonts that answers a lot of questions about the various
kinds of fonts and cross-platform conversion and printing. Finally
Jim Jagielski maintains a FAQ for comp.unix.aux covering Apple's UNIX
environment, A/UX. It's posted every 2 to 3 weeks in comp.unix.aux.
WHICH NEWSGROUP SHOULD I POST TO? (1.3)
----------------------------------------
There are no stupid questions, but there are misplaced ones.
You wouldn't ask your English teacher how to do the definite
integral of ln x between zero and one, would you? So don't ask
the programmer newsgroup why your system is so slow when Microsoft
Word is in the background. Ignorance of basic netiquette is not an
excuse. If you want people to help you, you need to learn their
ways of communicating.
Posting questions to the proper newsgroup will fill your
mailbox with pearls of wisdom (and maybe a few rotten oysters too
:-) ). Posting to the wrong newsgroup often engenders a thundering
silence. For instance the most common and glaring mispost, one
that seems as incongruous to dwellers in the Macintosh regions of
Usenet as would a purple elephant to Aleuts in the Arctic, asking
a question about networking anywhere except comp.sys.mac.comm,
normally produces no useful responses. Posting the same question
to comp.sys.mac.comm ensures that your post is read and considered
by dozens of experienced network administrators and not a few
network software designers.
Please post to exactly ONE newsgroup. Do not cross-post.
If a question isn't important enough for you to take the extra
minute to figure out where it properly belongs, it's not important
enough for several thousand people to spend their time reading.
For the same reason comp.sys.mac.misc should not be used as a
catch-all newsgroup.
The breakdown of questions between different newsgroups in
this document can also serve as a reasonable guide to what belongs
where. Questions about productivity applications (software you
bought your Macintosh to run, not software you bought to make your
Macintosh run better) should go to comp.sys.mac.apps unless the
application is covered in a more specific newsgroup. Communications
programs, games, HyperCard, compilers and databases all have
more topical comp.sys.mac.* newsgroups. Post questions about
non-communications hardware including questions about what
software is necessary to make particular hardware work to
comp.sys.mac.hardware. Questions about MacOS system software
belong in comp.sys.mac.system. Questions about utilities and
extensions normally belong in comp.sys.mac.misc. Questions about
A/UX go to comp.unix.aux. Detailed questions about Appletalk
belong in comp.protocols.appletalk. Direct questions about
HyperCard to comp.sys.mac.hypercard. Non-HyperCard programming
questions and questions about development environments should go to
comp.sys.mac.programmer. ResEdit questions may be posted either to
comp.sys.mac.misc, comp.sys.mac.system, or comp.sys.mac.programmer;
but generally the netters who inhabit the darker recesses of
comp.sys.mac.programmer are considerably more practiced at
the art of resource hacking.
A general exception to the above rules is that any VERY
technical question about an application that actually begins to
delve into the how's of a program as well as the what's (Recent
example: How does WriteNow which is written entirely in assembly
compare to other word processors written in high level languages?)
might be better addressed to the programmer newsgroup.
For Sale and Want to Buy posts should go to
comp.sys.mac.wanted and misc.forsale.computers.mac ONLY. We
understand that you're desperate to sell your upgraded 128K Mac
to get the $$ for a PowerBook 180; but trust me, anyone who wants
to buy it will be reading comp.sys.mac.wanted. Political and
religious questions (The Mac is better than Windows! Is not! Is
too! Is not! Is too! Hey! How 'bout the Amiga! What about it?
Is Not! Is too!) belong in comp.sys.mac.advocacy. Anything not
specifically mentioned above probably belongs in comp.sys.mac.misc.
Finally don't be so provincial as to only consider the
comp.sys.mac newsgroups for your questions. Many questions about
modems in comp.sys.mac.comm are much more thoroughly discussed
in comp.dcom.modems. Questions about Mac MIDI are often better
handled in comp.music even though it's not a Macintosh specific
newsgroup. Posts about the Newton belong in the comp.sys.newton
hierarchy, not in ANY of the Macintosh newsgroups.Look around.
Usenet's big and not everything relevant to the Macintosh happens
in comp.sys.mac.
HOW SHOULD I ANSWER FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS? (1.4)
------------------------------------------------------
Mostly through private E-mail. Frequent answers are just as
boring and uninteresting as frequent questions. Unless you really
have something new to add to the traditional answers (such as the
recent discovery that fonts in System 7.1 could eat memory) private
E-mail is a much better medium for answering FAQs. You might want
to add a mention of this FAQ list in your E-mail response and a
polite suggestion that your correspondent read it before posting
future questions.
==========
FTP (2.0)
==========
WHERE CAN I FTP MAC SOFTWARE? (2.1)
------------------------------------
The three major North American Internet archives of shareware,
freeware, and demo software are sumex-aim.stanford.edu (36.44.0.6),
mac.archive.umich.edu (141.211.120.11), and wuarchive.wustl.edu
(128.252.135.4) which mirrors the other two sites and several
others. Unless otherwise noted shareware and freeware mentioned
in this document should be available at the above sites.
To keep traffic on the Internet manageable, Scandinavians
should try connecting to ftp.funet.fi (128.214.6.100) or ftp.lth.se
(130.235.20.3) first. In the U.K. look to src.doc.ic.ac.uk
(146.169.2.1). Continental Europeans can try nic.switch.ch
(130.59.1.40), ezinfo.ethz.ch (129.132.2.72), and
anl.anl.fr (192.54.179.1). In Australia check out archie.au
(139.130.4.6). Japanese users will find sumex mirrored at
ftp.u-tokyo.ac.jp (130.69.254.254). In the Middle East
try ftp.technion.ac.il (132.68.1.10) in the directory
pub/unsupported/mac. In Taiwan nctuccca.edu.tw (192.83.166.10
or 140.111.1.10) mirrors both sumex and mac.archive.
A fourth very useful site is ftp.apple.com (130.43.2.3).
This is Apple's semi-official repository for system software,
developer tools, source code, technical notes, and other things
that come more or less straight from Apple's mouth. Some material
at this site may not be distributed outside the U.S. or by other
sites that don't have an official license to distribute Apple
system software. Please read the various README documents
available at ftp.apple.com for the detailed info if you're
connecting from outside the U.S. or if you wish to redistribute
material you find here.
CAN I GET SHAREWARE BY E-MAIL? (2.2)
-------------------------------------
The info-mac archives at sumex-aim are available by E-mail from
LISTSERV@RICEVM1.bitnet (alternately listserv@ricevm1.rice.edu).
The listserver responds to the commands $MACARCH HELP, $MACARCH
INDEX, and $MACARCH GET filename. Mac archive files are available
from mac@mac.archive.umich.edu. Send it a message containing the
word "help" (no quotes) on the first line of your message for
instructions on getting started. You can retrieve files from
other sites by using the server at ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com. For
details send it a message with just the text "help" (no quotes).
WHERE CAN I FIND APPLICATION X? (2.3)
--------------------------------------
If you can't find shareware you're looking for at one of
the above sites, try telnetting to your nearest archie server or
sending it an E-mail message addressed to archie with the subject
"help." Archie servers are located at archie.rutgers.edu (128.6.18.15,
America), archie.mcgill.ca (132.206.2.3, Canada), archie.au
(139.130.4.6, Australia), archie.funet.fi (128.214.6.100,
Scandinavia), and archie.doc.ic.ac.uk (146.169.3.7, the U.K. and
the continent). These sites index the tens of thousands of files
available for anonymous ftp. Login as "archie" (no password is
needed) and type "prog filename" to find what you're looking for or
type "help" for more detailed instructions. For instance you would
type "prog Disinfectant" to search for a convenient ftp site for
Disinfectant. If the initial search fails to turn up the file you
want, try variations on and substrings of the name. For instance
if you didn't find Disinfectant with "prog Disinfectant", you might
try "prog disi" instead.
Most common payware is stocked by MacWarehouse and featured
in their catalog which you can request from MacWarehouse at
(800) 622-6222. Apple brand software not stocked by MacWarehouse
and not available on ftp.apple.com is often available from
APDA, the Apple Programmers' and Developers' Association. Call
(800) 282-2732 in the U.S., (800) 637-0029 in Canada, (716) 871-6555
elsewhere, for a catalog. Finally most third party programming
tools with too small a market to be advertised in the MacWarehouse
catalog are advertised in every issue of MacTech along with
information on how to order.
Please check the above catalogs and ARCHIE personally BEFORE
asking the net where you can find a particular piece of software.
These sources provide answers much more quickly than the net.
WHERE CAN I FIND AN APPLICATION TO DO X? (2.4)
-----------------------------------------------
Most archives of shareware and freeware have index files
which briefly describe the various programs available at the site.
At anonymous ftp sites these files typically begin with 00 and end
with either .txt or .abs. Lists that cover the entire archive and
topical subdirectories are both available. For example if you're
looking for a program to play MOD files, ftp to sumex-aim and
look in the directory Sound/util for any files beginning with two
zeroes. You'll find 00Utility-abstracts.abs. Get it and then
browse through it at your leisure. Then when you've located a
likely candidate in the index file you can ftp it and try it out.
The best source of information about payware programs is the
MacWarehouse catalog. You'll occasionally find it on sale at
newsstands for about two dollars; but if you call MacWarehouse
at 1-800-622-6222, they'll be happy to send you one for free.
Unlike many other catalogs almost all common software is
advertised in the MacWarehouse catalog. A quick browse through
the appropriate section normally reveals several products that
fit your needs.
CAN SOMEONE MAIL ME APPLICATION X? (2.5)
-----------------------------------------
No. Nor will anyone mail you a part of a file from
comp.binaries.mac that was corrupt or missed at your site.
Please refer to the first questions in this section to
find out about anonymous FTP, archie, and E-mail servers.
WHAT IS .BIN? .HQX? .CPT? .ETC? (2.6)
--------------------------------------
Most files available by FTP are modified twice to allow them to
more easily pass through foreign computer systems. First they're
compressed to make them faster to download, and then they're
translated to either a binhex (.hqx) or MacBinary (.bin) format
that other computers can digest. (The Macintosh uses a special
two-fork filing system that chokes most other computers.) BinHex
files are 7-bit ASCII text files, while MacBinary files are pure
8-bit binary data that must always be transferred using a binary
protocol.
How a file has been translated and compressed is indicated
by its suffix. Normally a file will have a name something like
filename.xxx.yyy. .xxx indicates how it was compressed and .yyy
indicates how it was translated. To use a file you've FTP'd and
downloaded to your Mac you'll need to reverse the process. Most
files you get from the net require a two-step decoding process.
First change the binhex (.hqx) or MacBinary (.bin) file to a
double-clickable Macintosh file; then decompress it. Which
programs decode which file types is covered in the table below.
Also note that most Macintosh telecommunications programs will
automatically convert X
BinHex 4.0 | X
DiskDoubler| X X
ZipIt | X
DiskCopy | X
macutil | X X X X
***************************************************************************
A few notes on the decompressors:
StuffIt is a family of products that use several different
compression schemes. The freeware StuffIt Expander will unstuff
all of them. Versions of StuffIt earlier than 3.0 (StuffIt 1.5.1,
StuffIt Classic, UnStuffIt, and StuffIt Deluxe 2.0 and 1.0)
will not unstuff the increasing number of files stuffed by
StuffIt 3.0. You need to get a more recent version of StuffIt
or StuffIt Expander.
StuffIt 3.0.7 (Lite and Deluxe) consistently makes
smaller archives than any other Macintosh compression utility.
To allow maximum space for files on the various ftp sites and
to keep net-bandwidth down, please compress all files you send
to anonymous ftp sites with StuffIt 3.0.7.
UUTool, MacCompress, and SunTar handle the popular
UNIX formats of uuencode (.uu), compress (.Z), and tar (.tar)
respectively. The UNIX versions are often more robust than
the Mac products, so use them instead when that's an option.
Macutil is dik winter's package of UNIX utilities to
decompress and debinhex files on a workstation before downloading
them to a Mac. Since UNIX stores files differently than the
Mac, macutil creates MacBinary (.bin) files which should be
automatically converted on download. It can't decompress
everything. In particular it can't decompress the new StuffIt 3.0
archives. However, if you need only one or two files out of an
archive--for instance if you want to read the README to find out if
a program does what you need it to do before you download all of
it--macutil is indispensable. It can be found at sumex-aim in
the info-mac/unix directory.
A few notes on the compression formats:
.bin: These are MacBinary files. Always use a binary file
transfer protocol when transferring them, never ASCII or text.
Most files on the net are stored as .hqx instead. Only rascal
stores most of its files in .bin format. Most communications
programs such as ZTerm and MacKermit are capable of translating
MacBinary files on the fly as they download if they know in
advance they'll be downloading MacBinary files.
.image: This format is normally used only for system software,
so that on-line users can download files that can easily be
converted into exact copies of the installer floppies. Instead of
using DiskCopy to restore the images to floppies, you can use Steve
Christensen's freeware utility MountImage to treat the images
on your hard disk as actual floppies inserted in a floppy drive.
MountImage has a reputation for being buggy, so you should have
some blank floppies and a copy of DiskCopy handy just in case.
.sea (.x, .X): .sea files don't merit a position in the above
table because they're self-extracting. They may have been created
with Compact Pro, StuffIt, or even DiskDoubler; but all should be
capable of decompressing themselves when double-clicked. For some
unknown reason Alysis has chosen not to use this industry standard
designation for self-extracting archives created with their
payware products SuperDisk! and More Disk Space. Instead
they append either .x or .X to self-extracting archives.
HOW CAN I GET BINHEX? STUFFIT? ETC.? (2.7)
---------------------------------------------
By far the easiest way to get these programs is to ask a
human being to copy them onto a floppy for you. If you're at a
university there's absolutely no excuse for not finding someone to
give you a copy; and if you're anywhere less remote than McMurdo
Sound, chances are very good that someone at a computer center,
dealership, or user group can provide you with a copy of StuffIt.
Once you have StuffIt (any version) you don't need BinHex.
If you're such a computer geek that the thought of actually
asking a living, breathing human being instead of a computer
terminal for something turns you into a quivering mass of
protoplasmic jelly, you can probably download a working
copy of StuffIt from a local bulletin board system.
If you have religious objections to software gotten by any
means other than anonymous ftp, then I suppose I'll mention that
you can in fact ftp a working copy of StuffIt though this is
by far the hardest way to get it. Ftp to wuarchive.wustl.edu
and login. Type the word "binary." Hit return. Type
"cd mirrors/rascal/compression" and hit return. Then
"get StuffIt_Expander_1.0.1_SEA_bin" and hit return. Of course
it's always possible that by the time you read this StuffIt
Expander will have been updated and the name changed so if this
fails look for something similar. If you've ftp'd straight onto
your Mac you should now have a self-extracting archive which will
produce a working copy of StuffIt Expander when double-clicked.
If you've ftp'd to your mainframe or UNIX account first, you still
need to use a modem program to download it to your Mac. Just make
sure that the Mac is receiving in MacBinary mode and the mainframe
is sending in binary mode. If you need more details on the last
step, consult the FAQ list for comp.sys.mac.comm and the manuals
for both your mainframe and Macintosh telecommunications software.
HOW CAN I GET BINHEX, STUFFIT, ETC. FROM A PC? (2.8)
-----------------------------------------------------
You can't. There is absolutely NO way to get an executable
Macintosh file from an ftp site onto a PC and then onto your Mac
without some software obtained by means other than anonymous ftp.
You MUST beg, borrow, or steal the necessary software such as
Binhex or StuffIt Lite from another person. I realize this may
terrify those among you who haven't left your parents' basement
since you got an Apple II+ in 1980, but eventually you're going
to need to link up with some human being other than your mother.
(though I suppose if you're this much of a nerd you could send
your mother out to get it for you.) While you're gathering
your nerves for a venture into the strange and terrifying world
of daylight, please don't bother the net by asking this question
again. There simply is no way to move executable Macintosh
programs from a PC or other non-Macintosh computer onto a
Mac without software that is not bundled with most Macs.
========================================================================
TROUBLESHOOTING: WHAT TO DO (BEFORE POSTING) WHEN THINGS GO WRONG (3.0)
========================================================================
While the various FAQ lists cover a lot of specific
problems, there are far more problems that aren't covered here.
These are a few basic techniques you should follow before
asking for help. You should probably also perform the ten-step
preventative maintenance routine described in section four,
especially rebuilding the desktop (4.3) and resizing the system
heap (4.5). Following these steps may or may not solve your
problem, but it will at least make it easier for others to
recommend solutions to you.
IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM. (3.1)
----------------------------
"Microsoft Word is crashing" doesn't say much. What were you
doing when it crashed? Can you repeat the actions that lead to
the crash? The more information you provide about the actions
preceding the crash the more likely it is someone can help you.
The more precisely you've identified the problem and the actions
preceding it, the easier it will be to tell if the following steps
fix the problem. For example, "Sometimes QuarkXPress 3.0 crashes
with a coprocessor not installed error." is not nearly as helpful
as "QuarkXPress 3.0 crashes when I link two text boxes on a master
page when copies of those text boxes already contain text." The
former will leave you wondering whether the bug remains after a
given step. The latter lets you go right to the problem and see
if it's still there or not.
READ THE READ ME FILE. (3.2)
-----------------------------
Many companies include a list of known incompatibilities
and bugs in their READ ME files. Often these aren't documented
in the manual. Read any READ ME files to see if any of the
problems sound familiar.
CHECK FOR VIRUSES. (3.3)
-------------------------
Run Disinfectant or another anti-viral across your disk.
Virus infections are rarer than most people think, but they do
occur and they do cause all sorts of weird problems when they do.
REINSTALL THE APPLICATION AND ALL ITS SUPPORT FILES. (3.4)
-----------------------------------------------------------
For half a dozen reasons (external magnetic fields,
improperly written software, the alignment of the planets) a file
on a disk may not contain the data it's supposed to contain. This
can cause all types of unexplained, unusual behavior. Restoring
from original masters will normally fix this. Check to see if the
application has a preferences file in the Preferences folder in
the system folder and if so trash it. This is often overlooked
when reinstalling. Since the preferences file is often the most
easily corrupted file in an application, reinstalling it alone
may be sufficient to fix the problem.
REINSTALL THE SYSTEM SOFTWARE. (3.5)
-------------------------------------
Bits are even more likely to get twiddled in the system file
than in the application and the effects can be just as disastrous.
See question 4.6 for a detailed procedure for performing a clean
reinstall.
If the problem continues to occur after you've taken these
steps, chances are you've found either a conflict between your
application and some other software or a genuine bug in the
program. So it's time to
ISOLATE THE PROBLEM. (3.6)
---------------------------
You need to find the minimal system on which the problem
will assert itself. Here are the basic steps of isolating the
cause of a system or application crash:
a. Run only one application at a time. Occasionally applications
do conflict with each other. If the problem does not manifest
itself without other applications running simultaneously, you can
begin launching other applications until you find the one that
causes the crash.
b. If you're running System 6, turn off MultiFinder. If you're
running System 7, allot as much memory to the application as you
can afford. Sometimes programs just need more memory, especially
when performing complicated operations.
c. If you're running System 7, turn off virtual memory and 32-bit
addressing. There's still an awful lot of System 7 hostile
software out there including some from companies that really
have no excuse. (Can you say Microsoft Word 5.1, boys and girls?
I knew you could.) Some of this software only expresses its
incompatibilities when certain uncommon actions are taken.
d. If you have a 68040 Mac, turn the cache off. Many older
programs don't work well with the built-in cache of the 68040.
e. Boot from a virgin system floppy. If the problem
disappears you likely have an init conflict. You need to
progressively remove extensions until the problem vanishes.
Ricardo Batista's freeware Extensions Manager 2.0.1 lets you
pick which extensions to load at startup so you don't have to
spend a lot of time moving files into and out of the System
Folder. Use a little common sense when choosing the first
extensions to remove. If the problem occurs when you try to
open a file, remove any inits that mess with the Standard File
Open procedure such as Super Boomerang first. If the problem
remains after the obvious candidates have been eliminated,
either remove the remaining extensions one at a time or, if you
have a lot of them, perform a binary search by removing half of
the extensions at a time. Once the problem disappears add half
of the most recently removed set back. Continue until you've
narrowed the conflict down to one extension. When you think
you've found the offending init restart with only that init
enabled just to make sure that it and it alone is indeed
causing the problem.
CONTACT TECHNICAL SUPPORT. (3.7)
---------------------------------
By now you should have a very good idea of when, where, and why
the conflict occurs. If a tech support number is available for the
software, call it. If you're lucky the company will have a work
around or fix available. If not, perhaps they'll at least add the
bug to their database of problems to be fixed in the next release.
=============================
PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE (4.0)
=============================
You wouldn't drive your car 100,000 miles without giving it a
tune-up. A computer is no different. Regular tune-ups avoid a lot
of problems. Although there are Mac mechanics who'll be happy to
charge you $75 or more for the equivalent of an oil change, there's
no reason you can't change it yourself. The following nine-step
program should be performed about every three months.
TRASH UNNEEDED FILES (4.1)
---------------------------
Many of the operations that follow will run faster and more
smoothly the more free disk space there is to work with so spend
a little time cleaning up your hard disk. If you're at all like
me, you'll find several megabytes worth of preferences files for
applications you no longer have, archives of software you've
dearchived, shareware you tried out and didn't like, announcements
for events that have come and gone and many other files you no
longer need. If you're running System 7 you may also have several
more megabytes in your trash can alone. Throw them away and empty
the trash.
RETHINK YOUR EXTENSIONS (4.2)
------------------------------
Some Macintoshes attract inits like a new suit attracts rain.
Seriously consider whether you actually need every extension
in your collection. If you don't use the functionality of an
extension at least every fifth time you boot up, you're probably
better off not storing it in your System Folder where it only takes
up memory, destabilizes your system, and slows down every startup.
For instance if you only read PC disks once a month, there's no
need to keep AccessPC loaded all the time. Cutting back on your
extension habit can really help avoid crashes.
REBUILD THE DESKTOP (4.3)
--------------------------
The Desktop file/database holds all the information necessary
to associate each file with the application that created it.
It lets the system know what application should be launched when
you open a given file and what icons it should display where.
Depending on its size each application has one or more
representatives in the desktop file. As applications and files
move on and off your hard disk, the Desktop file can be become
bloated and corrupt. Think of it as a Congress for your Mac.
Every so often it's necessary to throw the bums out and start
with a clean slate. Fortunately it's easier to rebuild the
desktop than to defeat an incumbent.
One warning: rebuilding the desktop will erase all comments
you've stored in the Get Info boxes. Under System 7 Maurice
Volaski's freeware init CommentKeeper will retain those comments
across a rebuild. CommentKeeper also works with System 6 but
only if Apple's Desktop Manager extension is also installed.
To rebuild the desktop restart your Mac and, as your
extensions finish loading, depress the Command and Option keys.
You'll be presented with a dialog box asking if you want to rebuild
the desktop and warning you that "This could take a few minutes."
Click OK. It will take more than a few minutes. The more files you
have the longer it will take. If you're running System 6 you may
want to turn off MultiFinder before trying to rebuild the desktop.
If you're experiencing definite problems and not just doing
preventive maintenance, you may want to use Fifth Generation's
freeware init Desktop Reset. Desktop Reset completely deletes
the Desktop file before rebuilding it, thus eliminating possibly
corrupt data structures.
ZAP THE PRAM AND RESET THE CLOCK (4.4)
---------------------------------------
All Macs from the original 128K Thin Mac to the Quadra 950
contain a small amount of battery powered RAM that holds certain
settings that belong to the CPU rather than the startup disk, for
example the disk to start up from. Unfortunately this "parameter
RAM" can become corrupted and cause unexplained crashes. To reset
it under System 7 hold down the Command, Option, P, and R keys
while restarting your Mac. Under System 6 hold down the Command,
Option, and Shift keys while selecting the Control Panel from the
Apple menu, and click "Yes" when asked if you want to zap the
parameter RAM. Zapping the PRAM erases the settings of most Apple
Control Panels including the General Controls, Keyboard, Startup
Disk, Mouse, and Map. It also erases the Powerbook 100's
non-volatile RAM disk. Thus after zapping the PRAM you will
need to reset these Control Panels to fit your preferences. One
setting that zapping the PRAM does not erase is the date and time;
but since the internal clock in the Macintosh is notoriously
inaccurate you'll probably want to reset it now anyway.
RESIZE THE SYSTEM HEAP (System 6 Only) (4.5)
---------------------------------------------
Even after rethinking their extensions as per step two, most
people still have at least half a row of icons march across
the bottom of their screen every time they restart. All these
extensions (and most applications too) need space in a section of
memory called the System Heap. If the System Heap isn't big enough
to comfortably accommodate all the programs that want a piece of
it, they start playing King of the Mountain on the system heap,
knocking each other off to get bigger pieces for themselves and
trying to climb back on after they get knocked off. All this
fighting amongst the programs severely degrades system performance
and almost inevitably crashes the Mac.
Under System 7 your Macintosh automatically resizes the
system heap as necessary, but under System 6 you yourself need
to set the system heap size large enough to have room for all your
extensions and applications. By default this size is set to 128K,
way too small for Macs with even a few extensions. The system heap
size is stored in the normally non-editable boot blocks of every
system disk. Bill Steinberg's freeware utility BootMan not only
lets you resize your system heap but also checks how much memory
your heap is already using so it can tell how much more needs to
be allocated. If you're running System 6, get BootMan, use it,
and be amazed at how infrequently your Macintosh crashes.
REINSTALL THE SYSTEM SOFTWARE (4.6)
------------------------------------
System files can become corrupt and fragmented, especially
if you've stored lots of fonts and desk accessories inside them.
Merely updating the System software will often not fix system file
corruption. I recommend doing a clean reinstall. Here's how:
1. Boot from the Disk Tools floppy of your System disks.
2. Copy any non-standard fonts and desk accessories out
of your System file into a temporary suitcase.
3. Trash the System file on your hard disk. Also trash the
Finder, MultiFinder, DA Handler, and all other standard Apple
extensions like Control Panel and Chooser. These will all be
replaced in the new installation. If you're running or
installing System 7, move everything in the Extensions,
Control Panels, and Preferences folders into the top
level of the System Folder.
4. Rename the System Folder. Any name other than System Folder
is fine.
5. ShutDown and then boot from the Installer floppy of your
system disks.
6. Double-click the installer script on your System disk. Then
choose Customize... Select the appropriate software for your
model Mac and printer. You could do an Easy Install instead,
but that will only add a lot of extensions and code you don't
need that waste your memory and disk space.
7. Once installation is finished, move everything from the
temporary folder you created in step 4 into the new System
folder. If you're asked if you want to replace anything, you
forgot to take something out in step 3. You'll need to replace
things individually until you find the duplicate piece.
8. Reinstall any fonts or DA's you removed in step 2.
9. Reboot. You should now have a clean, defragmented System file
that takes up less memory and disk space and a much more stable
system overall.
DISK UTILITIES (4.7)
---------------------
Much like system files hard disks have data structures that
occasionally become corrupted affecting performance and even
causing data loss. Apple includes Disk First Aid, a simple utility
for detecting and repairing hard disk problems, with its System
disks. It's also available for anonymous ftp from ftp.apple.com
in the directory /dts/mac/sys.soft/utils. If you have an earlier
version than 7.2 (and almost everyone does) you should get version
7.2 from ftp.apple.com, make a copy of your Disk Tools disk, and
replace the old Disk First Aid on the copy with the new version.
At the same time you should also replace the old version of HD SC
setup on your Disk Tools disk with the new HD SC Setup 7.2.2 from
the same directory.
Several companies sell payware disk utilities that detect
and repair considerably more problems than Disk First Aid though,
interestingly, none of them detect and repair everything that Disk
First Aid does. The three most effective for general work are
Central Point's MacTools 3.0, Fifth Generation's Public Utilites,
and Symantec's Norton Utilities for the Macintosh 2.0. A department
or work group should have all of these as well as Disk First Aid
since none of them fix everything the others do. For individuals
MacTools ($48 street) is about half the price of Norton ($94
street) or Public Utilities ($98 street) so, features and ease
of use being roughly equal, I recommend MacTools.
All of these products occasionally encounter problems they
can't fix. When that happens it's time to backup (4.8) and
reformat (4.10).
BACKING UP (4.8)
-----------------
This is one part of preventive maintenance that should be
done a LOT more often than every three months. The simplest back
up is to merely copy all the files on your hard disk onto floppies
or other removable media. If you keep your data files separate
from your application and support files then it's easy to only back
up those folders which change frequently. Nonetheless every three
months you should do a complete backup of your hard disk.
A number of programs are available to make backing up
easier. Apple included a very basic full backup application with
System 6. With the Performas Apple ships a new Apple Backup
utility that can backup the entire disk or just the System folder
onto floppies. The previously mentioned Norton Utilities for the
Mac and MacTools Deluxe 2.0 include more powerful floppy backup
utilities that incorporate compression and incremental backups.
Finally if you're lucky enough to have a Tape Drive, network
server, or removable media device to use for backups, you should
check out the more powerful payware utilities Redux ($49 street,
doesn't support tape drives) and Diskfit Pro ($74 street). There
are NO freely available backup utilities other than the old HD
Backup from System 6.
DISK DEFRAGMENTATION (4.9)
---------------------------
As disks fill up it gets harder and harder to find enough
contiguous free space to write large files. Therefore the
operating system will often split larger files into pieces to
be stored in different places on your hard disk. As files
become more and more fragmented performance can degrade.
There are several ways to defragment a hard disk.
The most tedious but cheapest method is to backup all your
files, erase the hard disk (and you might as well reformat while
you're at it. See question 4.10.), and restore all the files.
A number of payware utilities including Norton Utilities
and Mac Tools Deluxe can defragment a disk in place, i.e. without
erasing it. Although the ads for all these products brag about
their safety, once you've bought the software and opened the
shrink-wrap they all warn you to back up your disk before
defragmenting it in case something does go wrong.
Fast Unfrag is a $10 shareware disk defragmenter by Kas Thomas.
It appears to do the job it was designed for; (defragmenting the files
on a hard disk) and my brief tests didn't reveal any glaring bugs or
trash any files. Nonetheless, I'm a bit nervous about this product
because the programmer and his skill level are unknown to me, and
writing a disk defragmenter is not something I'd trust to a novice.
The interface is flaky; the program only works on the disk where the
application resides (very unusual behavior for a disk defragmenter);
it's unfriendly to background applications (not so unusual for any disk
intensive app); and neither documentation, online help, nor an E-mail
address are provided with the program. Since this is still a relative
unknown I STRONGLY recommend that you backup your files before using
it. I'd appreciate hearing any experiences you have with it.
Regardless of which defragmenter you choose please note that
defragmentation will NOT cure problems with a disk. In fact,
defragmenting will most likely make existing problems worse.
If you are having trouble with a hard disk do not use a
defragmenter on it. Backup, reformat, and restore instead.
REFORMAT YOUR HARD DISK (4.10)
-------------------------------
Just as a floppy disk needs to be initialized before use, so
a hard disk must be formatted before it can hold data. You don't
need to reformat every three months; but when your system is
crashing no matter what you try, reformatting is the ultimate means
of wiping the slate clean. Reformatting your hard disk may even
gain you a few extra megabytes of space. Not all hard disks are
created equal. Some can hold more data than others. To facilitate
mass production and advertising without a lot of asterisks (* 81.3
megabytes is the pre-formatted size. Actual formatted capacity
may vary.) Apple often formats drives to the lowest common denominator
of drive capacity. When you reformat there's no reason at all
not to reclaim whatever unused space Apple's left on your disk.
Unlike floppies hard disks need a special program to
initialize them. Most hard disks come with formatting software.
Apple's disks and System software ship with HD SC setup, a minimal
disk formatter which will format Apple brand hard drives ONLY.
Version 7.2.2 of HD SC Setup was recently released as part of the
System Software Update 2.0.1 and should be used in preference
to earlier versions. HD SC Setup 7.2.2 is available on
ftp.apple.com in the directory /dts/mac/sys.soft/utils. Most
other manufacturers ship appropriate formatting software with
their hard drives. Normally this is all you need to reformat
your hard disk.
A number of general-purpose formatters are also available
which go beyond the bundled software to include features like
encryption, password protection, multiple partitioning, faster disk
access, System 7 compatibility, and even compression. Two of the
best are the payware Drive7 and Hard Disk Toolkit Personal Edition
($49 street for either). While there are one or two freeware
formatters available, none are likely to be superior to the
ones bundled with your hard disk.
PowerBook owners should be sure to turn off Sleep and
processor cycling before reformatting their hard drives no
matter what software they use. Otherwise disk corruption,
crashes, and data losses are likely.
===========================================================
META-FAQS (FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FAQ) (5.0)
===========================================================
Since posting the first version of my FAQ list a little over
a year ago I have noticed a precipitous drop in the frequency of
certain questions. Most noteably: Why is my system using 14 of my
20 megs of RAM? Though that still shows up occasionally, it's no
longer at the twelve times a day level that induced me to start
writing. I count that as some measure of success. However, I have
experienced one unexpected phenomenom. Certain questions have begun
appearing frequently in my mailbox so I've composed this little list
of meta-faqs, i.e. frequently asked questions about the FAQ. Please
familiarize yourself with this list before mailing me comments
or questions.
THERE'S A MISTAKE IN YOUR FAQ. (5.1)
-------------------------------------
Thanks for pointing this out. Since I maintain several
documents of about 200K total size, it would be helpful if
you would reference the specific document where you found
my error and the question number.
WHY DON'T YOU INCLUDE THIS COMPLICATED/PAYWARE SOLUTION? (5.2)
---------------------------------------------------------------
When there are multiple solutions to a common problem, I try
to pick the one that is achievable with the simplest and cheapest
tools. Chances are I do know about that undocumented feature
of WhizzyWriter 1000 that lets you download PostScript files.
Call me crazy, but I suspect that most people would prefer to
download a free utility from ftp.apple.com rather than shell
out $995 for WhizzyWriter just to solve their PostScript problems.
Similarly if a problem can be solved with the tools that are
bundled with every Mac, I'll choose that solution over one that
requires downloading some shareware. Space in the FAQ is limited;
(mainly by brain-dead news software at some sites that restricts
files to 64K) and I can't give comprehensive lists when they're
not needed.
WOULD YOU PLEASE INCLUDE MY SOFTWARE IN YOUR FAQ? (5.3)
--------------------------------------------------------
As explained above space in these documents is limited, and
I simply can't mention every imaginable software that conceivably
falls somewhere within the purview of the Macintosh newsgroups.
If, however, you feel your software answers a frequently asked
question (e.g. a virtual desktop manager) or it provides a
solution to a common problem superior to what's already available,
then I'll be happy to consider it for inclusion in the FAQ.
WHY DON'T YOU POST THE FAQ MORE OFTEN? (5.4)
---------------------------------------------
The FAQ is posted automatically about every two weeks, give or
take a day. Normally it doesn't change more frequently than that;
and I want to avoid wasting bandwidth since Usenet is not, contrary
to popular belief, free. The FAQ includes an Expires: header to
insure that one version doesn't disappear from your news spool
until the next one arrives and a Supersedes: header so multiple
copies won't waste everyone's disk space. This is all accomplished
automatically via Jonathan Kamens' faq server. If the FAQ is ever
not available at your site, then your news software is BROKEN and
should be fixed. Complain to your news administrators about their
broken software that ignores Expires: headers, not to me.
CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THIS PROBLEM I'M HAVING WITH MY MAC? (5.5)
----------------------------------------------------------------
Certainly! I negotiate consulting fees on a case-by-case
basis, but they tend to average about $60 an hour with a four
hour minimum. If you're outside the metropolitan New York
area (roughly Philadelphia to New Haven) the minimum is seven
hours and you'll also be expected to provide airfare and $100
a day expenses for meals, hotel, and car rental. Quantity
discounts and support contracts can be negotiated on a
case-by-case basis. Oh, you meant free help?. Sorry, that's what
Usenet is for. Post your question to the appropriate newsgroup,
and you'll probably get a lot more advice than I could give you.
WILL YOU SEND ME THE FAQ? (5.6)
--------------------------------
No. I have neither the time nor the inclination to act
as a mail-server for people who can't be bothered to use the
mail-server at rtfm.mit.edu as outlined in the introduction.
I reject all such requests.
WHY DON'T YOU FORMAT THE FAQ IN WORD? DIGEST? ETC.? (5.7)
------------------------------------------------------------
While I get about one request per month to adhere to some
imagined "standard" format, I have yet to receive two requests
for the same format. The FAQ has recently been redone in setext.
I may release a Microsoft Word version when Word 6.0 is released
if the promised macro language is included and proves powerful
enough to let me support multiple formats from a single source
document. I'm also very interested in Common Ground, Adobe Acrobat,
and MIME-based news. However none of these are particularly high
on my priority list.
--
Elliotte Rusty Harold Dept. of Mathematics
elharo@shock.njit.edu New Jersey Institute of Technology
erh0362@tesla.njit.edu Newark NJ 07103
..