Path: sdcc6!ucsd!orion.oac.uci.edu!ucivax!jarthur!uunet!uunet!pmafire!geoff
From: geoff@pmafire.inel.gov (Geoff Allen)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.announce
Subject: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
Summary: Last change, Feb. 28, 1991
Message-ID: <1991Jun01.073512.16247@pmafire.inel.gov>
Date: 1 Jun 91 07:35:12 GMT
Expires: 06 Jul 91 07:35:04 GMT
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.misc
Organization: WINCO
Lines: 418
Approved: by the moderator, posted by geoff@pmafire.inel.gov
Supersedes: <1991May01.073513.2238@pmafire.inel.gov>
[Things have been busy at work, so no changes this month, though I do
have some in the works.
Well, I did change one typo, but that hardly counts. :^)
-- Geoff]
This document answers some frequently asked questions from the
comp.sys.mac newsgroups. These answers generally haven't originated
with me. I've primarily served as an editor, putting together my own
knowledge and some collective net wisdom. If your favorite FAQ isn't
here, write it up (along with an answer) and send it to me for possible
inclusion.
The questions answered in this document are:
Q: How do I print PostScript to a file instead of a laser printer?
Q: I have a folder I can't delete. What should I do?
Q: I took my document to another Mac so I could print it on a
LaserWriter, and the formatting was all messed up. What did I do
wrong?
Q: What do I do with the files on comp.binaries.mac (or *.hqx files that
I FTP'd)?
Q: Where can I get BinHex 4.0?
Q: What does ".hqx" (or ".sit", etc.) mean?
Q: What is FTP?
Q: What are some sites from which I can FTP Macintosh software?
Q: Where's the System software on apple.com?
Q: How do I get stuff from um-mts.cc.umich.edu?
Q: I'm at a .UUCP site; can I use FTP?
Q: How do I post to comp.binaries.mac?
Q: What is the proper format for submissions to comp.binaries.mac?
Q: Why is my posting to comp.binaries.mac taking so long to show up?
Did it get lost in the mail?
Q: How can I convert a file from my word processor format to TeX (or
troff)? (Or the reverse.)
~~~~~~~~~~
Q: How do I print PostScript to a file instead of a laser printer?
A: Make sure that the LaserWriter is chosen in the Chooser DA (even if
you don't have a LaserWriter). Immediately after clicking OK in the
Print dialog box, press and hold the `f' key (`k' if you want the
LaserPrep header information included in the document). You should
see a dialog box telling you that a postscript file is being created.
The file will be named ``Postscript0'' and you may need to use the
Find File DA (or equivalent) to locate it. You can then send it to a
LaserWriter on a Mac using a program called SendPS. For use on Unix
systems with other PostScript printers, check out the program macps,
available from sumex and other places.
If you're running MultiFinder, this will only work if you have
background printing turned off.
For a lot more information about generating PostScript on the Mac,
check out the file /info-mac/tips/generating-postscript.txt from
sumex-aim.stanford.edu. (If you don't understand what I just said,
see the question on FTP below.) This file has a lot of useful
information and is definitely worth your time and effort to get.
Q: I have a folder I can't delete. What should I do?
A: This is the infamous ``Folder From Hell'' problem you may see
mentioned from time to time. The problem is usually that the
Finder's count of the number of files in the folder gets messed up
(including being negative). The Finder will only trash folders that
it believes contain 0 folders. There are about 5,000,000 suggested
ways to get rid of Folders From Hell. I used to include several of
them in this post. Now I offer one (it's *that* good):
First, make sure that the folder is empty! It may contain hidden files
in it. (Hidden files can't be seen on the Desktop, but can be found
with various utilities, including ResEdit, MacTools, DiskTop, etc.)
Create a new folder on another drive or in another folder with
the same name as the Folder From Hell. Drag this new folder to the
same folder/disk that contains the Folder From Hell. The Mac will
ask you if you want to replace items with the same name. Of course
you do. Voila! No more Folder From Hell.
I wish I had thought of it! (Special accolades to Matt Howard
<HOWIE@triton.tamu.edu> for suggesting this first.)
If you're still interested in the other techniques, they include
holding down command and option while dragging it to the trash (useful
in other situations too), putting a few files into the folder and
then trashing them (which may reset the file count to 0 if it was
negative), trashing the folder after booting off another disk,
stuffing the folder with StuffIt, and resetting the folder's file
count with ResEdit or MacSnoop (only for the stout of heart :^) ).
There is also a program called HellFolderFix, which claims to correct
the problem.
The final ``if all else fails'' move is to back up the disk, erase it, and
restore it.
These latter techniques are here for the curious. I don't see any
need for them any more. The replacement folder trick should work.
Q: I took my document to another Mac so I could print it on a
LaserWriter, and the formatting was all messed up. What did I do
wrong?
A: The Macintosh uses slightly different formatting for LaserWriters and
ImageWriters. If you are going to print the file on a LaserWriter,
choose the LaserWriter in the Chooser DA (whether you have a
LaserWriter or not) when composing your document. Then the
formatting will be correct for the LaserWriter.
Selecting ``Tall Adjusted'' in the ImageWriter Page Setup dialog
seems to work also. Can anyone positively confirm or deny this?
Q: What do I do with the files on comp.binaries.mac (or *.hqx files that
I FTP'd)?
Q: Where can I get BinHex 4.0?
A: These two questions are related, so they will be answered together.
I know that the file you've got says,
(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)
but the truth is that you most likely don't need BinHex 4.0. What
you really need is StuffIt or UnStuffit (or the Deluxe or Classic
versions of either). Here's why:
StuffIt will encode and decode files into BinHex format. The large
majority of files you'll see are Stuffed, in addition to being
BinHexed, so you will need StuffIt (or the free UnStuffIt) anyway.
(The differences between the programs are:
StuffIt is the original shareware compression program which has
become the standard.
UnStuffIt is a free program which only unstuffs files.
StuffIt Deluxe is the commercial version of StuffIt.
StuffIt Classic is the latest shareware version of StuffIt.
There's also an UnStuffIt Deluxe, which is analogous to
UnStuffIt. There may also be an UnStuffIt Classic.
The ``Un'' versions of StuffIt *don't* convert BinHex files, so
for translating net stuff, I'd recommend getting StuffIt or you
can get one of the BinHex conversion programs mentioned in the
next question.
Adding to the confusion caused by all the versions of StuffIt out
there is the existence of new compression programs which are starting
to gain popularity. One that you'll probably hear about is Compact
Pro (formerly Compactor), which is a shareware contender to the
StuffIt throne. See the next question for what some common filename
extensions mean.
Anyway, back to the original topic... :^)
Once you get the files to your Macintosh, join all the pieces into
one file using your word processor (be sure to edit out everything
that doesn't look like gibberish). The first and last character of
all the gibberish stuff (the actual BinHex encoding) should be a
colon (":"). Save this file in ``text only'' format. Then run one
of the StuffIt programs and use the ``Decode BinHex File'' option on
the ``Other'' menu. This should give you a StuffIt file (or regular
file, if the original was not Stuffed). You can then unstuff the
file using (Un)Stuffit.
Compact Pro can also decode BinHex. You have to delete everything
before ``(This file...'' info to use it, though (you don't need to
with StuffIt).
Another alternative, for those using Unix, is to get the program
mcvert (available as a shar file from sumex and other places).
Mcvert will convert your BinHex files to MacBinary before you
download them. It also saves you the trouble of joining the files
(you simply specify them as command arguments -- no editing is
necessary), and is much faster than converting the files on the Mac.
The MacBinary file will also be smaller, which saves transmission
time to your Mac.
Q: What does ".hqx" (or ".sit", etc.) mean?
A: Here are some common file suffixes that you are likely to see and
what they mean:
.hqx BinHex format -- use BinHex 4.0, BinHex DA, any of the
StuffIt programs, Compact Pro, or mcvert (for Unix).
.sit StuffIt format -- use any of the StuffIt programs or
unsit (for Unix). (There is also a program which will
convert StuffIt to Compact Pro format, if you're using
Compact Pro.)
.cpt Compactor format -- use Compact Pro or Extractor
.sea Compact Pro-generated self extracting archive.
Double-clicking on this should give you the
uncompressed file.
.pit PackIt format, not used much any more -- use PackIt or any
of the StuffIt programs.
.image DiskCopy images of a floppy disk. This is the format
used for the System software on apple.com. Use the
DiskCopy application to translate these back onto disks.
Q: What is FTP?
A: FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It is only available if your
site is on the Internet (check with your site administrator if you
aren't sure). Usually you'll hear that a site has items available for
``anonymous ftp.'' This means that to get something from that site,
you:
1. type 'ftp [site-name]' (e.g. 'ftp sumex-aim.stanford.edu')
[If this doesn't work, it may be that you need to type the
Internet address of the site, rather than its name. For
example, sumex-aim.stanford.edu is 36.44.0.6.]
2. Log in as 'anonymous' and use anything for a password
(convention says to use your login id, e.g. joe@blow.com).
3. go to the specified directory (using cd, etc.)
4. type 'get [filename]' (e.g. get disinfectant-24.hqx)
You should then have the file. Check your local man page or guru for
more on ftp at your site, since specific implementations may vary
somewhat.
Also, please, only ftp during non-business hours. Ftp is a privilege
granted to you by these sites. Don't beat up on them during working
hours.
Q: What are some sites from which I can FTP Macintosh software?
A: The main sites are:
sumex-aim.stanford.edu [36.44.0.6], which contains a large
collection of public domain and shareware programs.
ftp.apple.com, (coming soon -- until then look for stuff on
apple.com [130.43.2.2] ) which contains many items provided by
Apple (System Software, Technical Notes, etc.),
um-mts.cc.umich.edu [35.1.1.43], which has more stuff than you
could ever imagine. It's a different beast, though; see
below.
and
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil [26.2.0.74]
Items at sumex and apple are in BinHex form. Items at simtel20 are
in binary form; be sure to execute the 'binary' or 'image' command
from within the ftp program before getting them.
Q: Where's the System software on apple.com?
A: It's in the directory /pub/dts/sw.license. Not the most intuitive
place, I know. :^)
(By the way, you should download and read the license agreement
before you get the System software. Also be sure you have a copy of
the DiskCopy application found in this directory, so that you can
translate the .image files back into disks.)
Q: How do I get stuff from um-mts.cc.umich.edu?
A: Like I said, it's a different beast. It fools you because everything
is in one *huge* directory, even though there are slashes ('/') in
the file names. Here's what to do there (based on ftp-ing from a
Unix system. I have no idea what it's like from VMS):
cd pc2:
[This puts you where you can get the Mac stuff.]
get !index umich-index
[Transfer the index. Believe me, you don't want to do
an 'ls' here! The 'umich-index' tells Unix what to name
it on your machine. If you leave it out, you'll get a
file named '!INDEX', which will cause you lots of grief
if you use the C-shell.]
bye
Now peruse the index. You'll notice that files have names like
FO/NIFTY-FONT. That slash in the filename will freak Unix out. If
you simply type 'get fo/nifty-font', you'll get an error message
stating that the file couldn't be created (unless you happen to have
a directory named 'fo' in your current directory). To deal with
this, just use the above suggestion, type 'get fo/nifty-font
nifty-font.hqx' (or whatever filename you want to give it).
The files are all in BinHex form.
Q: I'm at a .UUCP site; can I use FTP?
A: No. But there are alternatives. Perhaps the most useful is the
listserver at Rice. It mirrors the archive at sumex, and is updated
every night. You can reach it at:
LISTSERV@ricevm1.rice.edu (or ricevm1.rice.edu!LISTSERV)
The message you send should be of the form:
$MACARCH GET [what-you-want-to-get]
For example:
$MACARCH GET $MACARCH.CONTENTS
will give you a listing of the contents of the Mac archive.
$MACARCH GET VIRUS/DISINFECTANT-24.HQX
will give you a binhex'ed copy of Disinfectant 2.4
$MACARCH HELP
will give you a help message that may be more confusing than helpful
(at least *I* found it confusing). But I was contacted by the Mac
archive's maintainer, and he's looking to make the help message more
helpful. Part of the problem is that it's intended more for direct
Bitnet users rather than mail users. That's one of the main things
that confused me. Anyway, he plans to have two help messages, one
long one and one short one. I'll update the info here when that
happens.
There is a limit of 256 Kb/person/day.
The listserver appears to be case insensitive, but the help info and
the listings in MACARCH.CONTENTS give the commands as all uppercase,
so I just use uppercase.
If the file has lines that are over 80 characters long, LISTSERV will
put the file into ``Listserv Punch'' format. To decode this on a
Mac, there was a program on sumex to handle this, but it doesn't seem
to be there any more. If you're using a Unix machine, send me e-mail
and I'll send you an awk script that I wrote to handle the conversion.
Another alternative for folks without FTP access is to use the FTP
server at princeton. Send a message to bitftp@pucc.princeton.edu (or
bitftp@pucc if you're mailing from Bitnet). The first message you
send should be the word ``HELP'' (all uppercase), on the first line
starting in the first column. Read that, and then (hopefully) you'll
be ready to send ftp requests to their server. I personally haven't
tried it, but from what I've seen, it looks handy.
Q: How do I post to comp.binaries.mac?
A: Your news software should handle this for you. Posting to the group
should automatically get your message mailed to the moderator.
If this does not happen on your system, you can mail your posting to
the moderator yourself. The moderator of comp.binaries.mac is Roger
Long and his address (for submissions only) is
macintosh@felix.uucp
Q: What is the proper format for submissions to comp.binaries.mac?
A: Submissions should be in BinHex form. If the file is long, it may
need to be split into two or more parts to get through some mail
gateways (<100K per part should work). If you do split your file,
put a line at the end of each part like ``End of part 1'' and a line
at the beginning of each part like ``Beginning of part 2.'' This will
help the moderator to know that everything made it through the mail,
and to put it all back together again.
Use the original StuffIt format for compressing files before sending
them. Not everyone has the newer programs, and StuffIt is still the
lowest common denominator.
Q: Why is my posting to comp.binaries.mac taking so long to show up?
Did it get lost in the mail?
A: Probably not. The group has a sizable backlog of items to post and,
according to the moderator, is limited (administratively) to a volume
of about 2.5Mb/month (which works out to about 84K/day). This means
that only so much can be sent out each day. So your posting is
probably not lost; it's just waiting its turn.
Q: How can I convert a file from my word processor format to TeX (or
troff)? (Or the reverse.)
A: This is a FAQ in the Mac groups *and* in comp.text.tex. It's most
common incarnation deals with RTF <=> TeX, since Microsoft's Rich
Text Format resembles TeX.
Given all the interest, there really isnt much available. A recent
posting by bin@primate.wisc.edu (Brain in Neutral) tells of Unix
programs written by dubois@primate.wisc.edu (Paul Dubois) available
on indri.promate.wisc.edu [128.104.230.11] in /pub/RTF. These
programs take RTF input and output nothing; plain text; troff; and
character, word, and paragraph count. They are described as not yet
being polished, and comments are welcomed.
If you want to be a net.hero, just write a translator between RTF and
TeX. The opportunity awaits! :^)
--
Geoff Allen
uunet!pmafire!geoff
geoff@pmafire.inel.gov