Software Distribution On The Internet - A Primer Minuteman Systems April, 1994 Introduction The Internet is increasingly becoming a viable means for the distribution of software. Originally the primary users on the Internet were government-sponsored-research, military , and educational organizations. However, since approximately 1990 there has been a veritable explosion of new users, many of whom are in the general public or the business community. These new Internet members are often the ideal customer for the developers of many software programs. Surprisingly, many software developers are unfamiliar with both the capabilities of the Internet, and its users. This document is written for them. It will have more detail than the many gee-whiz "Wonders of the Information Superhighway" articles in newspapers and magazines. It's focus on software distribution will filter out many of the superfluous details present in the large volume of books being published. Readership This document is targeted at smaller developers of software, both amateur and professional. Shareware and Freeware authors would be specific examples, but the methods described here would also be of use to many others such as those at universities wishing to widely distribute their works. Besides software, text articles could also be distributed using this information. Technical pre-requisites of the reader are few but important. The reader is expected to be at minimum fluent in the use of personal computers. They should know how to operate dial-in communications lines to electronic information systems (such as Compuserve and America On- Line). They should be able to upload and download files, and know how to compress and decompress files. Unfortunately, accessing much of the Internet requires a minimal-level of ability to use the UNIX operating system. Since many DOS, WINDOWS, and MAC users are not familiar with that OS, bare-bones UNIX information will be provided. Additional Material - Software Distribution Kit This document is copyrighted material. It is distributed at no charge. It may be copied and distributed freely, provided that it is in no way modified. A large collection of expanded and additional material, called the Software Distribution Kit, is available at a charge of $19.95 to cover reproduction and distribution costs. The contents are itemized in detail in Appendix 6. The software distribution kit diskettes include the complete contents of several files used to prepare this document, additional extremely useful Internet documents, an index of Shareware and Freeware available on the primary Internet software archive (with a Browser program), and several programs useful in transferring files over the Internet. Also, a laser-quality printed version of this manual with many illustrations is supplied, and a softcopy of the original MSWORD/WIN source file. This document will tell you how to locate all these on your own. But the Software Distribution Kit is an incredible bargain compared to the time and connect charges you would have to spend to collect the material. To order, fill out the order form in Appendix 6 and mail a check or money order for $19.95 to Minuteman Systems P.O. Box 152 Belmont, MA 02178 If you have any questions or comments, the author can be reached at Compuserve Address 74252,2350 or Internet Address bck@world.std.com or Telephone Number (617)489-5639 Table of Contents 1. Overview ............................................... Page-1 2. Types of Network Systems ............................... Page-2 Bulletin-Board-Systems - or BBS'es. ................... Page-2 On-Line Data Services ................................. Page-3 Computer Networks ..................................... Page-4 The Internet ........................................... Page-5 3. Who and What Are On The Internet ....................... Page-6 Internet Nomenclature ................................. Page-7 Services and Getting around the Internet ............... Page-8 Telnet - Connecting To A Member Host. ................. Page-8 File Transfer Protocol - FTP ........................... Page-8 FTP Via EMAIL ......................................... Page-9 Finding Files - Archie. .............................. Page-11 Finding People - Finger .............................. Page-12 Mail .................................................. Page-12 Newsgroups ............................................ Page-13 MailLists ............................................ Page-14 Electronic Magazines .................................. Page-14 Moving around the Internet - GOPHER. .................. Page-15 Other Services ........................................ Page-16 Enough Already About The Internet .................... Page-17 4. Using The Internet To Distribute Software and Text .... Page-18 Getting an Account .................................... Page-18 Where to Send To ...................................... Page-19 Anonymous FTP Sites ................................ Page-19 Internet-Accessible BBSes .......................... Page-22 Direct-Mail of Files To Specific People ............ Page-23 5. The Internet and Compuserve .......................... Page-24 About The Appendices ........................................ A-1 Appendix 1 - List of Internet Dial-In-Access Providers ..... A1-1 Appendix 2 - UNIX Command Summary ......................... A2-1 Appendix 3 - List Of Internet-Accessible BBSes ............. A3-1 Appendix 4 - List of Anonymous FTP Sites ................... A4-1 Appendix 5 - List of Archie Servers ....................... A5-1 Appendix 6 - The Software Distribution Kit ................. A6-1 1. Overview The front of this document will provide information on the Internet. Basic Internet concepts will be very briefly described - Internet history and architecture, - Comparison to BBS'es and online data services - Naming conventions, - Primary "tools" for connecting to host-sites, - Transferring files, etc. The remainder of the document will be more "hands-on" - How and where to get an Internet Account - Uploading/Downloading to The Internet - Transferring to recipient sites - Using "Mail" for distribution. Finally a large number of lists will be provided (The Internet community loves lists) - mostly sources and destinations for software and files, but also places to find out more about the Internet. Please Remember If one word had to be selected to describe the Internet, it would be "chaos". Chaos is at once the Internet's weakest and strongest feature. This document will try to be organized, but a certain amount of hands-on trial-and-error will be required by the reader when actually using the Internet. Page-1 2. Types of Network Systems The Internet is more easily understood if it is first compared to other communications systems which the reader is likely to be familiar with. Let's start with Bulletin-Board-Systems - or BBS'es. This basically consists of a single personal computer. However, it's distinguished by (usually) having a large hard-disk storage system (100's of Megabytes to Gigabytes). Also, it has a device which allows multiple (up to 50 or maybe 100) dial-in telephone lines. It's possible to have a BBS with a low-power PC, a small hard-disk drive, and only a single telephone line, but it would have limited u sefulness. Users dial-in and access the system. The main features are usually - There's a library of files that can be uploaded or downloaded. They may be general in nature or fit a special purpose. - Sending mail from one user to another. - Posting notes in some organized fashion on one-or more discussion topics or "special interest groups" (SIGs). - "Real-time" electronic discussions or "chat" between two or more users. A couple last comments - BBS'es may be free or may charge a membership fee. - They usually don't have 800-number telephone service, so users tend to be local. - The "BBS" software comes from a handful of suppliers ("Wildcat" is one) so once you've become familiar with a couple, you can easily use them all. - BBS'es may be "general" in nature or set up for specific interest groups. This can range from gardening interests to "sinful, wicked" purposes. Increasingly, companies are setting up BBS'es, often with an 800 number, to provide service to their cust omers. There are a lot of BBS'es out there. There are even magazines for BBS operators. A file of BBS'es will be appended to this document. Page-2 On-Line Data Services This means the large companies like Compuserve, Genie, America-On-Line, and Prodigy. These are really just large-scale BBS'es. The computer tends to be a mini-or main-frame system, often with some sort of redundancy built in. America On-Line's computer system is in Vienna, VA. It consist of 9 Stratus Inc. fault-tolerant computers. A fault-tolerant computer is one which can keep running, without lo ss of computation or loss of data, even when certain elements fail. On-Line Services also deal with telephone access on a larger scale. Rather than having individual users dial directly into their services, which would involve a toll-call, the Services contract with a nation- or world-wide telephone system carrier. America On-Line uses Sprintnet. When you dial AOL in Pittsburgh, you're really dialing a number AOL is buying from Sprintnet in Pittsburgh. Sprintnet r outes the call through their system to their Pittsburgh office, and then into AOL headquarters. On-Line Services charge money, obviously, in return for which they provide an enormous range of service, and access to a large subscriber base. On-Line services are increasingly offering some degree of connectivity to the Internet, which will be discussed more later on. Page-3 Computer Networks The average home-computer user is typically familiar with a pc operating by itself. Connection to "networks" may often only mean using a communication tool such as PROCOMM to dial into a BBS or commercial On-Line-Service. However, in many medium- to large-size companies where there are a sizable number of computers, the computers are often "networked" together. This basically means cables run between them and files and electronic mail messages can be moved between different machines, or to commonly-shared devices such as printers or mass-storage systems. Typically "Local Area Networks" or LANs consisting of a vari ety of "Ethernet" or "Token-Ring" hardware and software perform this networking. To connect between multiple LANs at remote sites (say sales offices for one company, spread around the country or the world), other hardware and software are used with cabling from the telephone carriers (including microwave) to form "Wide Area Networks" or WANs. Page-4 The Internet The Internet grew out of an early attempt at a Wide-Area-Network. The ARPANET was established in the late 1960's to link together numerous remote sites involved in government-sponsored research. It was very successful and started growing. It's use spread to non-restricted utilizations. A technical strength of the Internet is that it uses one communication-protocol TCP/IP as a common language for all sites. This means that a wide variety of computer architectures and media can be all work together, because they all share the same "language". Numerous networks like the ARPANET were formed and interconnected. Collectively, this "Network of Networks" is called the Internet. As of the Fall of 1993, the Internet consisted of over 5000 networks. One "Network" on the Internet could consist of a single computer, or thousands of computers on one compan's network. (Digital Equipment Corporation has something like 40,000 nodes on its one network). Given that many computers are mini- or main-frame computers that may have 100's or even thousands of user accounts, the total number of Internet user accounts can be seen to be in the millions. Incidentally, the ARPANET itself was dismantled in the early 90's Page-5 3. Who and What Are On The Internet The Internet is often drawn schematically as a "cloud" with individual networks connecting into the cloud. Anyone on a network connected into the cloud can utilize various services to communicate with other networks. It's not important (for this document) what goes on inside the cloud - its just important that any points connected into it can communicate. Some comments about specific types of networks connected into the Internet. a. On-Line Services - The major services like Compuserve and Prodigy all have a point of interconnection to the Internet. They typically only make use of a subset of the wide range of Internet services available. Most often, they only provide the ability to send and receive electronic mail. b. Individual Companies - If you work for a company of (ball-park) 500 or more employees, your company may be have a connection from their internal network to the Internet. (They cost from $5000/yr up to perhaps $100,000 per year, depending on the rate of traffic supported and the range of services subscribed to.) This means you may be able to access some Internet services from a pc or mac on your desk. c. Local Access Providers - Increasingly, companies are being set up whose main service is to provide individuals inexpensive access to the Internet. These companies have a mini-computer, and a number of dial-in lines. Individuals can call up and register for accounts at a relatively low price (such as $5 per month plus $2 per hour of connect time.) You dial in with a pc using a terminal-emulator communication program, such as PROCOMM, and you have access to a full range of services on the Internet, and you're also allocated some reasonable amount of storage (1-2 Megabytes) on their system for moving files. d. Local BBS'es - the small-time BBS'es, including vendor-support sites, are increasingly buying an Internet connection. This means that once you have an Internet account, you can log onto their BBS without having to dial over long-distance land-lines. There's virtually no "telephone charge" involved. (However, some may charge a membership fee) Software publishers - you can distribute a lot of sof tware a lot less expensively this way. A list of Internet-accessible BBSes is included at the end of this document. Page-6 A more comprehensive list of "what's out there" organized by content rather than company would include; - libraries : both card catalogs and (increasingly) books-on-line - transcripts of newspapers and magazines - vendor support sites - news services and financial information - software archives Internet Nomenclature Before proceeding, its necessary to describe the nomenclature on the Internet for user accounts and sites. You'll see many strange names of the general shape "username@organization". The "organization" consists of several names separated by periods such as "oak.oakland.edu" or "world.std.com". The rightmost name is one of several broadbrush categories - edu (educational), com (commercial), mil (military), gov (government), etc. The rest of the organization usually consist of a top-most name (oakland) assigned by a central naming committee. The organization then assigns its own sub-org names (oak) and user-account names. This mechanism greatly simplifies the naming process. Page-7 Services and getting around the Internet Telnet - Connecting To A Member Host. Assume that you have a terminal session running on a host. You can establish a session on another host, almost anywhere on the Internet, by typing Telnet and the other host's name. Example; >TELNET oak.oakland.edu at this point you may be prompted for a username and password. Many systems accept a generic username such as "anonymous" or "guest" and then will accept anything as the password. (Obviously. many really require a valid username/password and you can't get on.) Once you've entered an acceptable username/password, you will receive that system's prompt and you will have a session running on that system as if you had logged on locally. You will have full access to all system commands and services, within any limits imposed by the system's security. You will be able to view directory structures and files, and perhaps even utilize the local Mail facility. Generally you can type "help" to find out what's available. You will not be able to transfer files to/from the site from your home host. For that, you need the next service, FTP. File Transfer Protocol - FTP At your local host prompt, you can type FTP followed by the name of a valid host and you will establish a connection, much like Telnet, to a remote host. You will be able to do some directory browsing, but most importantly you will be able to transfer files to/from your host using the commands "get" or "put" Like Telnet, you'll get prompted for a username/password, and "anonymous" will often get you on the system. Unlike Telnet, you will not be able to do some functions like "type" a file or do mail. A substantial list of anonymous FTP sites is included at the end of this document. Page-8 FTP Via EMAIL Even if you don't have full Internet access, you may still be able to access much FTP functionality by sending EMAIL to sites. There are 2 types of approaches 1. Info Servers - Some FTP sites respond to EMAIL requests as well as direct FTP connections. In general you mail a message to the FTP handler-address, and it executes the contents of the message as if it were coming from an FTP connection. In the event of a "get" instruction, it then emails back to you the requested file. I said "in general" for several reasons. First, not all FTP sites (anonymous or otherwise) support this feature. Secondly, those that do support FTP via mail do not all use the same command set. To find out how to use a particular sites' FTP mail functions, you (usually) can send it a mesage with the single word "help" (lowercase) in the body, and it will mail back to you a file with the instructi ons. While just the word "help" often works, sometimes other commands are supported . Example - mail a message to the info-server at info-server@nnsc.nsf.net. The "subject" field can be anything, but have the body be request: info topic: help and you will receive a set of instructions A list of info-servers is available via anonymous ftp at host pit-manager.mit.edu at directory pub/usenet/news.answers. Not surprisingly, its also available by email-server. Send a message to mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu with the command "help" in the subject field. (Note that this is different from other systems where you put "help" in the body). 2. ftpmail-servers - An info-server can only send files from its own system. There are a limited number of ftp-via-email systems which allow you to access files on any anonymous-ftp host. An ftp-mail-server accepts a command string in a message from you. It then does its own anonymous ftp logon to the requested host, executes the command string, and mails you the results. Send a message with the one-line body "help" to ftpmail@pa.dec.com or ftpmail@decwrl.dec.com to receive Page-9 instructions for using those ftp-mail-servers. (Note that both are sponsored by Digital Equipment Corp - "dec") Page-10 Finding Files - Archie. You can, within certain limits, locate files on the Internet, by content or by name, using the "archie" service. To do this, you must first Telnet to an "archie server". >Telnet archie.sura.net (Yes, a list of archie servers is included in this document) You will then get an archie> prompt. HELP will describe the features available on that particular system. Generally, using the command "prog string" will locate all files whose name includes the characters "string". You can also scan for files by strings in their contents (works for text articles, but not for programs.). This is a limited feature - no one archie server knows about all the files reachable via the Internet. Page-11 Finding People - Finger Unfortunately, there does not exist today the equivalent of a telephone system "white pages" for locating individuals on the Internet. If you Telnet to any one host, you can identify user accounts on that host by entering ">finger name". This comes from the depression-era expression "to finger (point out) someone. A list of user accounts with name as part of the string will be presented. More co mprehensive people-searching services are under development. Mail Almost all Internet hosts provide an electronic mail service. You can mail to anyone on the net, assuming you have their address, and you can reach people on the commercial networks is you know the proper service-prefix. Mail is generally limited to text. There are (complicated) methods for mailing non-text files, such as compressed files (.ZIPs), pictures (GIFs, MPEGs, etc) but generally it is be tter to use FTP to move files to on-Internet sites. Page-12 Newsgroups These are postings of series of messages. They are "broadcast across the whole Internet, on specific subjects. You call up a "news reader" program on your Internet host to browse the different newsgroups and read the entries in each. Since many Internet hosts are UNIX-based, the newsreaders tend to be rather difficult to use, with cryptic commands. On some systems there are Windows-based newsread ers which tend to be a little more user-friendly. There are an incredible number of newsgroups - thousands, with more being created every day. They range from new-service postings and financial news, to computer-professional information, to "recreational" and "alternative lifestyles". If you have a hobby or a filthy, disgusting habit you can probably find a newsgroup for others who share it. Some sample names - alt.beer -discussions about beer - clari.news.davebarry - "clari" is a news posting service, and among other things posts the articles of syndicated columnists such as Dave Barry - rec.humor - jokes! - comp.msdos.announce - announcements about msdos services and programs available. - news.newsgroups.announce - news about new newsgroups When you're using a newsreader, the postings in any specific newsgroup generally consist of a numbered series of titles, with the phrase "RE:" indicating postings that are replies to earlier postings. Unfortunately, there is a high content of RE's, especially with a lot of "junk". The newsreader will usually have functions for saving the contents of one or more postings to a file, creating repli es, and posting new messages. A sample newsgroup listing, and the contents of one message, are listed below; (on the MSWORD/WIN version of this document) Page-13 MailLists MailLists are a variant on Newsgroups. These are Mailings to your specific mailbox on selected topics. There are thousands of MailLists, and you have to subscribe to the ones you want. You generally send a generic message with "enroll me" in the subject field to the maintainer of the MailList, and a program automatically enrolls you. Similarly, the MailList has an address to which you mail message s you want to post, and they will be automatically re-mailed to all members of the MailList. Some MailLists are "moderated" - the maintainer will censor messages felt to be "inappropriate" - which can mean illegal, immoral, or just a waste of bandwidth. Bookstores generally carry several books which have listings of MailLists, with enrollment instructions. Electronic Magazines There are an increasing number of periodicals being distributed, usually for free, on the Internet. These are not repostings of commercial efforts, but individual efforts on a "special interest" basis - many of them are on professional topics. I don't believe there's any "advertising" in them. Enrollment is much like for MailLists. Lists can be found in bookstores. Page-14 Moving around the Internet - GOPHER. GOPHER is a menu-driven search tool for finding information on the Internet. On an Internet account, typing GOPHER will bring up a menu. Moving through the menu is quite straightforward. Just type the number of the menu-item you're interested in, or use up/down arrow to make a selection. There are a virtually unlimited combination of sub-menus. Many end in actual files, often text files, and you will be presented with options to copy the file to your home system. Note that there is almost always a top-level-menu entry that says something like "access other GOPHER servers". While no one GOPHER services knows about every file on the Internet, by hopping from server to server you can cover almost the entire Internet, but admittedly it can take a long time. Page-15 Other Services A lot of people are working on advanced features to move around the Internet and locate information. WAIS (Wide Area Information System) is an existing wide-ranging tool for searching for files by name or by content. WWW (World-Wide-Web) is an existing system for even more detailed searches. MOSAIC is a tool under development from several vendors, which is supposed to be the ultimate user-friendly "search" facility. Some of these tools, due to using windows-like screens, require a workstation with direct connection to t he Internet - that is, you can't just use PROCOMM to dial in from a home system onto a bigger system. Page-16 Enough Already About The Internet The preceding general information is a sufficient grounding in the basics of the Internet. For more information, consult any of the many good books available in bookstores. I'll just mention a few "lingo" conventions that you'll run into on the Internet. Knowing these can make reading easier. "newbie" - A "newcomer". Keep in mind that by the tine you've become even an "Internet newbie" with a valid Internet account, you're probably already well versed in using services like Compuserve. "wizard" - one who is very knowledgeable on the Internet. As a point of reference, the author is not a "wizard". I'm an Internet-service-user, and fairly uncognizant of the deep details of how the Internet actually operates. "wizard-ness" is a very multifaceted state of being. "Flames" and "flame-wars" - Exchange of mail or news-group postings with a high critical or emotional content. You would not believe the amount of bandwidth wasted on these. People say many things via the anonymity of the Internet that they'd never say in a person-to-person interaction. "BTW" - short for "By the way" "IMHO" - short for "In my humble opinion". "Net-surfing" - generally means hopping across multiple Internet resources, perhaps reading a lot of different files, or joining in a lot of newsgroups or "chat" groups. "Cypber-punk"- Generally a youthful person making use of the Internet, largely to "net-surf". Page-17 4. Using The Internet To Distribute Software and Text This section will actually be fairly straightforward. We'll describe how to get on the Internet, where to distribute your files to, and how to do it. Getting an Account Having an account on Compuserve, Prodigy, or one of the other large data services is probably not sufficient to allow distribution of files on the Internet. These services typically only provide an electronic mail linkage to the Internet. You need FTP and/or Telnet to get around on the Internet, and they typically don't supply those services. So, to use the Internet you need an Internet account. If you are fortunate enough to work at a large enough company with Internet-access, you may already have FTP and Telnet access. Many companies only subscribe to the Internet with privileges for electronic mail, but many also utilize other services in the course of their business (i.e. many high-tech firms need to transfer binary data-files to suppliers.) You'll have to ask around at your place of employment. Depending upon your personal situation, it may also be necessary to find out what's "appropriate" use of the company's facilities for "personal" uses. Assuming you don't already have Internet access, the best way to get it is to subscribe to an Internet Access Provider. Appendix 1 provides a list of these. These often cost a lot less than the major commercial data services. On the down-side, many tend to be UNIX-based systems which require some learning if you're a DOS, WINDOWS, or MAC user. Appendix 2 is a very basic listing of UNIX commands, Even these may vary from system to system. You can usually type "HELP" to get information on commands and services available on your system. These accounts are dial-in services, just like logging onto Compuserve or other services. You use PROCOMM or a similar terminal emulation program. Unfortunately today most of these systems do not offer a shell (like WINCIM) to reside on your home system to simplify sessions. You have to operate directly at the terminal prompt. Still, if you want to distribute software, you probably have the skills to learn your specific system. Page-18 Where to Send To The places you may distribute your files to consist of several broad-brush categories. - Software Archive Sites and "Anonymous FTP Servers" - Internet-Accessible Bulletin Board Systems - Direct Mail To Specific Users Each will be described, with details on how to transfer files to each. As a working example, it will assumed that you have an account on an Internet host, which you are dialing into from a pc. Anonymous FTP Sites There are numerous sites or hosts around the Internet where software and other files are stored and made available for public access. A listing is given in Appendix 4. "Anonymous FTP site" mean that you can gain access to a site by using FTP and then entering "ANONYMOUS" as username, followed by your own accountname ("bck@world.std.com" in my own case) as the password. Please don't be misled or confused by the fact that some sites also may incorporate "anon" or "anonymous" in their address. The procedure for posting files on an FTP site will vary somewhat from site to site. We'll go through the details of one particularly popular site as an example, and then describe variations you may expect at other sites. Perhaps the most well-known anonymous FTP site is the SIMTEL site. This is an account originally installed by the military at White Sands Missile Range. It is one of the largest repositories of Freeware and Shareware in the world. For security reasons, you cannot directly access SIMTEL. However, numerous exact duplicates copies of it are maintained around the Internet. The most frequently used one is at address oak.oakland.edu. The first step is to upload the file you wish to post from your pc or mac to you Internet host over your telephone dial-in line. Most Internet hosts accept any of the common upload/download protocols such as kermit, xmodem, Compuserve B, Page-19 etc. (On some sites you have to specify if the transfer is a binary/zip transfer or an ascii-tect transfer. On others it may be automatically sensed. Consult the on-line help on your Internet host.) To actually access the FTP site, at your host's prompt (typically ">") enter >ftp oak.oakland.edu after a pause you'll receive a greeting message and a prompt for username. Enter anonymous as follows; >USERNAME: anonymous. Caution - many UNIX sites are case-sensitive. You'll next get a prompt for password. Enter your full Internet address from your home system. >PASSWORD: bck@world.std.com After a series of greetings you'll be at the top directory level on the server. Type "ls" to get a directory listing. Before preceding to actually post your file, it would be a good idea to familiarize yourself with the SIMTEL directory structure. There is a top-level directory called PUB where all software goes. Below PUB there are subdirectories for (at least) MSDOS and MAC areas. Within each are a great many program categories. At the top level there are also a couple handy README files, some very large INDEX files, and some tools for browsing the indices. You can't read the README or any other files within FTP. You must copy them to tour home system and read them there. Do this as follows (there will probably be an FTP> prompt) FTP> GET filename (case is important!) Then exit FTP by doing FTP> QUIT Page-20 You'll be back at your own system. You can read the files on-line (UNIX systems use a read-command called "MORE filename" instead instead of the "TYPE filename" familiar to DOS users.) Or, you can transfer files back to your pc/mac and read them there. Once familiar with the SIMTEL directory structure, you're ready to post. You cannot post files directly onto a SIMTEL mirror. (Some sites allow direct post, others don't). Instructions for submitting a file for posting are contained in the file at path/name /pub/msdos/README.how-to-upload The instructions are pretty simple. You'll be given the name of the SIMTEL maintainer. You'll be asked to send him an EMAIL message describing your program. You'll also get warnings n what is and isn't appropriate to post. By return mail you'll get the name of an upload-site and a temporary username/password. Connect to that site with FTP and use the "PUT filename" command to place your file there. That's pretty much the procedure. A couple last comments about SIMTEL; - Your file, if accepted, will appear within a few days. - SIMTEL\PUB\MSDOS is mostly for DOS, but a number of WINDOWS programs are posted there also. There is no separate WINDOWS directory. - SIMTEL doesn't accept games except for very special purposes. There's other sites that do accept games. One (mentioned later on, accepts almost only games.) - The SIMTEL system maintainer is quite helpful, if somewhat overworked (something like 300 uploads per month). He's open to suggestions about how to organize the file structures. A more comprehensive list of FTP sites is given in Appendix 4. This list is by no means complete. As you browse the Internet you can find other lists of sites. Also, bookstores have "Internet encyclopedias" with such lists. Another major site besides SIMTEL is the games archive site at ftp.uml.edu (University of Massachusetts at Lowell, MA) Some FTP sites are easier to upload to. Many maintain a top-level directory named "UPLOADS" or something similar - you Page-21 just FTP-PUT your file in that directory. All FTP sites have some top-level README or similar files to help you find your way around. Internet-Accessible BBSes Shareware vendors often post their programs on BBSes for wider distribution. Some pay services to do this, paying a fey proportional to the number of sites posted to. There are a large and growing number of BBSes which are now directly tied to the Internet. Appendix 3 gives one list. I'm not aware today of any service which will do the posting for you. In the meantime, you can do it yourself, with the knowledge that you are not paying any long-distance charges to reach these systems. (Some systems may charge fees to join.) You also have the leverage of knowing that a growing number of Internet users are becoming aware of, and starting to use, these systems. Some of these BBSes are admittedly pretty obscure or specific. However, a good number are of the "more popular" or more general-purpose usage. There are a number of magazines available now either directly or indirectly targeted towards BBS users. By picking up a copy, you can keep pace of new Internet-accessible systems as they become available. Boardwatch and Online-Access magazines are two. Also, the Computer Shopper magazine frequently carries lists of BBSes. Page-22 Direct-Mail of Files To Specific People There are situations where you may wish to send a file directly to specific individuals or groups of individuals; - Sending out new revisions or bug fixes to existing customers - You may have developed a list of "likely targets" for a direct-mail campaign. This may occur by using "finger" to identify members of a SIG host, by recording names off of newsgroup postings, or numerous other clever means. Internet mail is geared towards sending text, not binary or compressed files. Some extra work is required to send those type of files, described below. In order to send a binary file over the Internet mail, it must be encoded into a text format. This means that the sender must have an encoding program, and the recipient must have a decoding program. UUENCODE and UUDECODE are the commonly used encode/decode pairs. Most Internet host systems have these programs running directly on them This helps you avoid the "chicken and egg" situation of getting the decoding file to your recipient. The format is very straightforward. To encode just use UUENCODE sourcefilename outputfilename and UUDECODE works the same way. Both programs are also widely available as DOS programs. This leaves you the option of doing the encoding or decoding on your Internet host (usually UNIX based) or you pc. The different versions are fairly compatible - you can encode on a pc and decode on a UNIX host, or vice-versa. DOS versions of both programs are widely available. They can both be obtained, with a number of related useful tools, on the previously-mentioned SIMTEL server, in the directory \pub\msdos\decode Most UNIX Internet hosts have a software library and a DOS versions of the programs are available there for download. There follow-on package to this document includes a set of them. Page-23 5. The Internet and Compuserve Included here are a few basic facts about Compuserve and the Internet. If someone sends me relevant info on other commercial systems, it will be rolled into this document. Internet functionality on Compuserve is presently limited to a mail connection only. To send mail from your Compuserve account to someone on the net, prefix their internet address with INTERNET: i.e. INTERNET:bck@world.std.com to reach the author To have someone on the Internet send mail to your account on Compuserve, your address is your Compuserve ID, with the "," replaced by a period, followed by @compuserve.com i.e. 74252.2350@compuserve.com to reach the author. Mail messages between Compuserve and the Internet are limited to 50kbytes maximum in length. Being limited to email does not eliminate entirely your ability to access software on the internet, or to post files. Refer to the previous section on info-servers and ftp-mail-servers for a way to access ftp-like services on internet hosts. You may also be able to mail (uuencoded) files to host managers to get them posted. Page-24 Page-25 About The Appendices Much of the information in the Appendices has been obtained from files available on the Internet. Following is a list of these files, and where they can be found. PDIAL - Lists of Dial-in Internet Access Providers From: FTP from nic.merit.edu in /internet/providers ZAMFELD.TXT - List of BBS'es that can be logged onto via Internet From: Download from GOPHER on host world.std.com MODER.LST List of Anonymous FTP Sites With DOS/Windows Files From: FTP from oak.oakland.edu /pub/msdos/info/moder*.zip Note: Due to space constraints, only key parts of some of these documents are included here. If you order the "Software Distribution Kit" you'll receive a copy of the full contents of these files, with much more information. A-1 Appendix 1 - List of Internet Dial-In-Access Providers Access Providers By Area Code 201 jvnc-tiger 202 CAPCON clarknet express michnet tmn 203 jvnc-tiger 205 nuance 206 eskimo GLAIDS halcyon netcom nwnexus olympus 212 echonyc maestro mindvox panix pipeline 213 crl dial-n-cerf kaiwan netcom 214 metronet netcom 215 jvnc-tiger PREPnet 216 OARnet wariat 217 prairienet 301 CAPCON clarknet express michnet tmn 302 ssnet 303 cns csn netcom nyx 305 gate.net 310 class crl dial-n-cerf kaiwan netcom 312 InterAccess mcsnet netcom xnet 313 michnet MSen 401 anomaly ids jvnc-tiger 403 PUCnet UUNET-Canada 404 crl netcom 407 gate.net 408 a2i netcom portal 410 CAPCON clarknet express 412 PREPnet telerama 415 a2i class crl dial-n-cerf IGC netcom portal well 416 hookup.net UUNET-Canada uunorth 419 OARnet 503 agora.rain.com netcom teleport 504 sugar 508 anomaly nearnet northshore novalink 510 class crl dial-n-cerf holonet netcom 512 realtime 513 fsp OARnet 514 CAM.ORG UUNET-Canada 516 jvnc-tiger 517 michnet 519 hookup.net UUNET-Canada uunorth 602 crl Data.Basix evergreen indirect 603 MV nearnet A1-1 604 UUNET-Canada 609 jvnc-tiger 613 UUNET-Canada uunorth 614 OARnet 616 michnet 617 delphi nearnet netcom northshore novalink world 619 cg57 class crash.cts.com cyber dial-n-cerf netcom 703 CAPCON clarknet express michnet netcom tmn 704 concert Vnet 707 crl 708 InterAccess mcsnet xnet 713 blkbox nuchat sugar 714 class dial-n-cerf express kaiwan netcom 717 PREPnet 718 maestro mindvox netcom panix pipeline 719 cns csn oldcolo 804 wyvern 810 michnet MSen 814 PREPnet 815 InterAccess mcsnet xnet 817 metronet 818 class dial-n-cerf netcom 905 UUNET-Canada 906 michnet 907 alaska.edu 908 express jvnc-tiger 910 concert 916 netcom 919 concert Vnet Access Providers Alphabetically << a2i >> name ----------> a2i communications dialup --------> 408-293-9010 (v.32bis), 415-364-5652 (v.32bis), 408-293-9020 (PEP); login 'guest' << agora.rain.com >> name ----------> RainDrop Laboratories dialup --------> 503-293-1772 (2400) 503-293-2059 (v.32, v.32 bis) 'apply' << alaska.edu >> name ----------> University Of Alaska Southeast, Tundra Services dialup --------> 907-789-1314 A1-2 << anomaly >> name ----------> Anomaly - Rhode Island's Gateway To The Internet dialup --------> 401-331-3706 (v.32) or 401-455-0347 (PEP) << Ariadne >> name ----------> Ariadne - Greek Academic and Research Network dialup --------> +301 65-48-800 (1200 - 9600 bps) << blkbox >> name ----------> The Black Box dialup --------> (713) 480-2686 (V32bis/V42bis) << CAM.ORG >> name ----------> Communications Accessibles Montreal dialup --------> 514-931-7178 (v.32 bis), 514-931-2333 (2400bps) << cg57 >> name ----------> E & S Systems Public Access *Nix dialup --------> 619-278-8267 (V.32bis, TurboPEP), 619-278-8267 (V32) 619-278-9837 (PEP) << clarknet >> name ----------> Clark Internet Services, Inc. (ClarkNet) dialup --------> 410-730-9786, 410-995-0271, 301-596-1626, 301-854-0446, 301-621-5216 'guest' << cns >> name ----------> Community News Service dialup --------> 719-520-1700 id 'new', passwd 'newuser' << concert >> name ----------> CONCERT-CONNECT dialup --------> contact for number << connect.com.au >> name ----------> connect.com.au pty ltd dialup --------> contact for number << crash.cts.com >> name ----------> CTS Network Services (CTSNET) dialup --------> 619-637-3640 HST, 619-637-3660 V.32bis, 619-637-3680 PEP 'help' A1-3 << crl >> name ----------> CR Laboratories Dialup Internet Access dialup --------> 415-389-UNIX << cyber >> name ----------> The Cyberspace Station dialup --------> 619-634-1376 'guest' << Data.Basix >> name ----------> Data Basix dialup --------> 602-721-5887 << Demon >> name ----------> Demon Internet Systems (DIS) dialup --------> +44 (0)81 343 4848 << delphi >> name ----------> DELPHI dialup --------> 800-365-4636 'JOINDELPHI password:INTERNETSIG' << dircon >> name ----------> The Direct Connection dialup --------> +44 (0)81 317 2222 << echonyc >> name ----------> Echo Communications dialup --------> (212) 989-8411 (v.32, v.32 bis) 'newuser' << eskimo >> name ----------> Eskimo North dialup --------> 206-367-3837 300-14.4k, 206-362-6731 for 9600/14.4k, 206-742-1150 World Blazer << evergreen >> name ----------> Evergreen Communications dialup --------> (602) 955-8444 << express >> name ----------> Express Access - A service of Digital Express Group dialup --------> 301-220-0462, 410-766-1855, 703-281-7997, 714-377-9784, 908-937-9481 'new' << fsp >> name ----------> Freelance Systems Programming dialup --------> (513) 258-7745 to 14.4 Kbps A1-4 << gate.net >> name ----------> CyberGate, Inc dialup --------> 305-425-0200 << GLAIDS >> name ----------> GLAIDS NET (Homosexual Network) dialup --------> 206-322-0621 << halcyon >> name ----------> Halcyon dialup --------> 206-382-6245 'new', 8N1 << holonet >> name ----------> HoloNet dialup --------> 510-704-1058 << hookup.net >> name ----------> HookUp Communication Corporation dialup --------> contact for number << ibmpcug >> name ----------> UK PC User Group dialup --------> +44 (0)81 863 6646 << ids >> name ----------> The IDS World Network dialup --------> 401-884-9002, 401-785-1067 << IEunet >> name ----------> IEunet Ltd., Ireland's Internet Services Supplier dialup --------> +353 1 6790830, +353 1 6798600 << IGC >> name ----------> Institute for Global Communications/IGC Networks (PeaceNet, EcoNet, ConflictNet, LaborNet, HomeoNet) dialup --------> 415-322-0284 (N-8-1), 'new' << indirect >> name ----------> Internet Direct, Inc. dialup --------> 602-274-9600 (Phoenix); 602-321-9600 (Tucson); 'guest' << InterAccess >> name ----------> InterAccess dialup --------> 708-671-0237 A1-5 << jvnc >> name ----------> The John von Neumann Computer Network - Tiger Mail & Dialin' Terminal dialup --------> contact for number << jvnc-tiger >> name ----------> The John von Neumann Computer Network - Dialin' Tiger dialup --------> contact for number << kaiwan >> name ----------> KAIWAN Public Access Internet Online Services dialup --------> 714-539-5726, 310-527-7358 << maestro >> name ----------> Maestro dialup --------> (212) 240-9700 'newuser' << mcsnet >> name ----------> MCSNet dialup --------> (312) 248-0900 V.32, 0970 V.32bis, 6295 (PEP), follow prompts << metronet >> name ----------> Texas Metronet dialup --------> 214-705-2901/817-261-1127 (V.32bis),214-705- 2929(PEP),'info' or 214-705-2917/817-261-7687 (2400) 'signup' << michnet >> name ----------> Merit Network, Inc. -- MichNet project dialup --------> contact for number or telnet hermes.merit.edu and type 'help' at 'Which host?' prompt << mindvox >> name ----------> MindVOX dialup --------> 212-989-4141 'mindvox' 'guest' << MSen >> name ----------> MSen dialup --------> contact for number << netcom >> name ----------> Netcom Online Communication Services A1-6 dialup --------> 206-547-5992, 214-753-0045, 303-758-0101, 310-842-8835, 312-380-0340, 404-303-9765, 408-241-9760, 408-459-9851, 415-328-9940, 415-985-5650, 503-626-6833, 510-274-2900, 510-426-6610, 510-865-9004, 617-237-8600, 619-234-0524, 703-255-5951, 714-708-3800, 818-585-3400, 916-965-1371 << northshore >> name ----------> North Shore Access dialup --------> 617-593-4557 (v.32bis, v.32, PEP) 'new' << novalink >> name ----------> NovaLink dialup --------> (800) 937-7644 'new' or 'info', 508-754-4009 2400, 14400 << nuance >> name ----------> Nuance Network Services dialup --------> contact for number << nuchat >> name ----------> South Coast Computing Services, Inc. dialup --------> (713) 661-8593 (v.32) - (713) 661-8595 (v.32bis) << nwnexus >> name ----------> Northwest Nexus Inc. dialup --------> contact for numbers << nyx >> name ----------> Nyx, the Spirit of the Night; Free public internet access provided by the University of Denver's Math & Computer Science Department dialup --------> 303-871-3324 << OARnet >> name ----------> OARnet dialup --------> send e-mail to nic@oar.net << oldcolo >> name ----------> Old Colorado City Communications dialup --------> 719-632-4111 'newuser' << olympus >> name ----------> Olympus - The Olympic Peninsula's Gateway To The Internet dialup --------> contact voice number below << panix >> name ----------> PANIX Public Access Unix dialup --------> 212-787-3100 'newuser' A1-7 << pipeline >> name ----------> The Pipeline dialup --------> 212-267-8606 'guest' << portal >> name ----------> The Portal System dialup --------> 408-973-8091 high-speed, 408-725-0561 2400bps; 'info' << prairienet >> name ----------> Prairienet Freenet dialup --------> (217) 255-9000 'visitor' << PUCnet >> name ----------> PUCnet Computer Connections dialup --------> 403-484-5640 (v.32 bis) 'guest' << realtime >> name ----------> RealTime Communications (wixer) dialup --------> 512-459-4391 'new' << sugar >> name ----------> NeoSoft's Sugar Land Unix dialup --------> 713-684-5900 << teleport >> name ----------> Teleport dialup --------> 503-220-0636 (2400) 503-220-1016 (v.32, v.32 bis) 'new' << telerama >> name ----------> Telerama Public Access Internet dialup --------> 412-481-5302 'new' (2400) << tmn >> name ----------> The Meta Network dialup --------> contact for numbers << Vnet >> name ----------> Vnet Internet Access, Inc. dialup --------> 704-347-8839, 919-406-1544, 919-851-1526 'new' << well >> name ----------> The Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link dialup --------> 415-332-6106 'newuser' << wariat >> A1-8 name ----------> APK- Public Access UNI* Site dialup --------> 216-481-9436 (V.32bis, SuperPEP on separate rotary) << world >> name ----------> The World dialup --------> 617-739-9753 'new' << wyvern >> name ----------> Wyvern Technologies, Inc. dialup --------> (804) 627-1828 Norfolk, (804) 886-0662 (Peninsula) << xnet >> name ----------> XNet Information Systems dialup --------> (708) 983-6435 V.32bis and TurboPEP A1-9 Appendix 2 - UNIX Command Summary Above all else - remember that file and directory are case-sensitive !!! Append to a file Command: cat file1 >> file 2 Change Directory Command: cd directory [example cd /pub ] [cd without argument returns to home or top directory] Copy a file Command: cpy file1 file 2 Current Directory Command: pwd ["present working directory"] Compress File Command: compress file1 [compresses to file1.z] Decompress File Command: uncompress file1.z Disk Space Left Command: du List Files Command: ls -argument (include the "-") arguements -s = filesize -F = file type -cl = by date -a = invisible files Make New Directory Command: mkdir new-directory-name Move a File Command: mv filename directory Remove Directory Command: rmdir directory-name Remove File Command: rm filename Rename File Use "Move File" to do this View Contents of a file Command: more filename A2-1 NAME ADDRESS LOGIN BBS Software --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Appendix 3 - List Of Internet-Accessible BBSes TEST SITE phred.pc.cc.cmu.edu ANOTHER TEST SITE utbbs.civ.utwente.nl bbs AfterFive af.itd.com 9999 APA BBS atl.calstate.edu apa Auggie BBS nic.augsburg.edu bbs Eagles BadBoy`s Inn nameserver.aue.com bbs Pirate 2.0 -- badboy.aue.com Bergon By Byte oscar.bbb.no bbs unknown Chatsubo BBS chatsubo.nersc.gov bbs pirate 1.7 Cleveland Free-Net freenet-in-a.cwru.edu CWRUBBS -- freenet-in-b.cwru.edu -- freenet-in-c.cwru.edu CueCosy cue.bc.ca cosy Cosy 4.2 Delft University BBS 130.161.180.68 BBS -- tudrwa.tudelft.nl Eagle's Nest 131.95.127.2 bbs Mod. Pirate -- seabass.st.usm.edu Endless Forest 137.48.1.8 2001 or login ef w/0 port # -- forest.unomaha.edu 2001 Halcyon.com 192.135.191.2 bbs Waffle Heartland Peoria Illinois FreeNet -- 136.176.10.10 fnguest -- heartland.bradley.edu Hewlett-Packard BBS hpcvbbs.cv.hp.com IDS World Network 155.212.1.2 guest -- ids.net A3-1 NAME ADDRESS LOGIN BBS Software --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ISCA BBS bbs.isca.uiowa.edu iscabbs DOC (Citadel) -- whip.isca.uiowa.edu -- 128.255.40.203 -- Dial-Up 319-335-6409 (2400 baud) Lorain County Freenet freenet.lorain.oberlin.edu guest Mars Hotel Mars.EE.MsState.Edu bbs Pirate -- Jupiter.EE.MsState.Edu MindVOX phantom.com mindvox + ('guest' at ID) -- 38.145.218.228 -- voice#: 212-988-5987 M-Net hermes.merit.edu Monochrome 138.40.11.1 mono (passwd mono) -- 138.40.21.1 -- 138.40.31.1 -- 138.40.41.1 -- victoria.city.ac.uk -- paddington.city.ac.uk -- kingsx.city.ac.uk -- euston.city.ac.uk National Education BBS nebbs.nersc.gov guest Netcom netcom.netcom.com guest + at passwd Nyx BBS nyx.cs.du.edu new -- 130.253.192.68 OuluBox (Finnish) tolsun.oulu.fi box -- 130.231.96.16 The Picayune milo.ndsu.NoDak.edu new -- star96.nodak.edu 20 -- star24.nodak.edu or star12.nodak.edu for slower speeds -- 134.129.107.131 Samba North Carolina 152.2.22.80 bbs Modified XBBS -- lambada.oit.unc.edu -- (919)-962-9911 A3-2 NAME ADDRESS LOGIN BBS Software --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Softwords COSY softwords.bc.ca cosy Cosy -- 134.87.11.1 Spacelink BBS 192.149.89.61 NEWUSER passwd NEWUSER -- Please use IP address only until -- net restructuring is complete. -- spacelink.msfc.nasa.gov Sparcs BBS ara.kaist.ac.kr bbs Pirate 1.8 -- 143.248.1.53 Tiny BBS tiny.computing.csbsju.edu bbs TriState Online 129.137.100.1 visitor FreeNetIII -- tso.uc.edu Virginia Tech Cosy vtcosy.cns.vt.edu cosyreg -- 128.173.5.10 bbs (for list) Youngstown Free-Net yfn.ysu.edu visitor -- 192.55.234.27 The World world.std.com new -- 192.74.137.5 A3-3 Appendix 4 - List of Anonymous FTP Sites List of World-Wide Anonymous FTP Sites European sites garbo.uwasa.fi nic.funet.fi ftp.technion.ac.il nic.switch.ch micros.hensa.ac.uk ftp.uni-koeln.de ftp.uni-paderborn.de ftp.informatik.rwth-aachen.de ftp.germany.eu.net ftp.tu-clausthal.de North American sites OAK.Oakland.Edu (OAK) wuarchive.wustl.edu ftp.uml.edu ftp.cica.indiana.edu kermit.columbia.edu ftp.halcyon.com barnacle.erc.clarkson.edu ftp.cso.uiuc.edu msdos.archive.umich.edu info.umd.edu ymir.claremont.edu beach.gal.utexas.edu eugene.gal.utexas.edu urvax.urich.edu ftp.hawaii.edu handicap.afd.olivetti.com ftp.mv.com ftp.uwp.edu gallifrey.ucs.uoknor.edu archives.math.utk.edu Oceanian sites archie.au ftp.cc.monash.edu.au ftphost.vuw.ac.nz kirk.bu.oz.au ftp.psychol.utas.edu.au ftp.mq.edu.au Asian sites NCTUCCCA.edu.tw A4-1 ftp.csie.nctu.edu.tw African sites ftp.sun.ac.za A4-2 Appendix 5 - List of Archie Servers Service Address Login --------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- Archie quiche.cs.mcgill.ca archie -- 132.206.2.3 -- archie-client sites. -- archie.sura.net -- archie.mcgill.ca -- archie.funet.fi -- archie.au -- archie.doc.ic.ac.uk -- cs.huji.ac.il -- Archie is the easiest, fastest, and most convienent -- way to find files available via anonymous FTP. The -- archie-client sites are sites that are used for -- archie front ends to query info, the -- quiche.cs.mcgill.ca is the original archie site, and -- you can telnet to and use this archie without a client, -- although the client is much simpler to use and -- easier on the server. A5-1 Appendix 6 - The Software Distribution Kit This document is copyrighted material. It is distributed at no charge. It may be copied and distributed freely, provided that it is in no way modified. A "software distribution kit" containing numerous additional and expanded files, additional software, and an expanded version of this document, may be obtained for a nominal fee of $19.95. This will help cover the costs of reproduction and distribution, and also somewhat recapture the connection- time costs incurred in collecting this information. This document was prepared using Microsoft Word for Windows 2.0. It includes several informative illustrations. You will receive a laser- quality printed version, and a softcopy of the sourcefile of the document. Other formats may also be made available - ask. You will also receive diskettes containing , at minimum, the files described on the following pages. Several of the files were used in shortened format in this document - the full versions provide much more information. The expanded version of the FTP-sitelist, for example, includes not only the list of site addresses, but the addresses of the moderators, and a list of what's available at those sites. Again, this document has shown you how to find any of the above on your own. Order the Software Distribution Kit if you want to save both time and connection costs. To order, use the Order Form on the following page A6-1 Order Form ---------- Fill in the information below, and mail with a check or money order for $19.95 to Minuteman Systems P.O. Box 152 Belmont, MA. 02178 Service Telephone (617)489-5639 Name _____________________________ Company:____________________________ Land Mail: Address ___________________Apt\MailStop___ City/Town _____________ State__ ZipCode____ Telephone - Business:________ Home:__________ Electronic Addresses: Internet :___________ Compuserve:__________ Other:______________________________ Media : ___ 5.25" floppy ___ 3.5" micro-floppy How did you obtain this document? Service/BBS : Compuserve _ Delphi _ Prodigy _ Other ___ Sample: _ Shareware Vendor : Name _____________ Other : ____________________________ A6-2 PACKING LIST ------------ MAILLIST.TXT List of Maillists on the Internet From: Internet NewsReader, Article in news.announce.newusers ZAMFELD.TXT List of BBS'es that can be logged onto via Internet From: Download from GOPHER on WORLD USBBS115.LST List of Dial-In BBS Numbers in US From: Download from SIMTEL /pub/msdos/bbslist/usbbs115.zip YANOFF.TXT Misc. Useful SIG's, Resources on Internet via FTP, MAIL From: FTP from csd4.csd.uwm.edu in /pub/inet.services.txt MAASINFO.TXT Index of index files on Internet From: FTP from niord.shsu.edu in maasinfo MODER.LST Anonymous FTP Sites (&Moderators) With DOS/Windows Files From: FTP from SIMTEL /pub/msdos/info/moder*.zip SIMTEL.TXT Complete index of MSDOS files available on SIMTEL FTP sites From: Download from SIMTEL \pub\msdos SIMSRCH.EXE Progrqam to Browse/Select files in SIMTEL.TXT From: Author SIMSRCH1.TXT Documentation for using SIMSRCH From: Author UUENCODE.EXE Programs to encode/decode binary & zip files into text, &UUDECODE.EXE suitable for transmission via Internet Mail. From: Download from SIMTEL /pub/msdos/decode PDIAL.TXT Lists of Dial-in Internet Access Providers From: FTP from nic.merit.edu in /internet/providers INETPRIM.DOC Microsoft Word for Windows source file of this document From: Author Note - SIMTEL mirror FTP site referenced above was oak.oakland.edu A6-3