Date:	Mon, 18 Jul 1994 05:09:00 -1000
From:	Cyuenrci.rogers.com@ngm.rogers.com (Calvan Yuen /vanc)
Message-Id: <02632A2E012B854A@-SMF->
Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Subject: Using ftpmail and the archives


    As a recent arrival to rec.kites and the Internet in general,
    I  am  slowly learning  the  ins and outs  and navigating the
    'information freeways' as  best I  can.   Since I'm connected
    via e-mail and  don't have access to real-time FTP, I have to
    use the ftpmail  service  to get anything  from the archives.
    The note about ftpmail in  the FAQ set me on my way, but it's
    been somewhat  rocky so far.   I suppose there  are others in
    the  same  boat  as I  am.   Anyways, I'd  like  to share  my
    experiences, and maybe  get others to  share their encounters
    also.

    By  the way, if  there is some other newsgroup that acts as a
    'tutorial' for ftpmail users like me, please point us in that
    direction!

    In General---

    When using a  mail server for  the first time,  send a simple
    message containing  the  words 'help'  or  'send help'.   You
    should  get  an e-mail  reply  with help text.   This is very
    important as the commands for various servers vary.

    Upper and lower  case is extremely  important, especially for
    filenames!  If  you ask  for  a file named  kite.zip and it's
    listed in the archives under KITE.ZIP, you won't get it!

    Never accept  the  command defaults!   Each  message that you
    send to ftpmail should be in the following general format...

    reply <your e-mail address>
    connect <to host computer...i.e. ftp.hawaii.edu>
    cd or chdir <set directory on host>
    <actions - get a file, do a directory, etc.>
    end or quit

    What  you'll  get as  a  reply (usually)  is  a long  message
    containing  what  the mail server  tried to do.   It is often
    very hard to figure out if it did anything, especially if you
    were asking for a file!

    Sending/receiving files

    In  my e-mail system, I can send any type of file (text, gif,
    zip,  etc.)  as an enclosure  to others.  This  does not work
    with the Internet, so keep that in mind!

    All non-text files must be encoded before transmitting on the
    net.   For  IBM'ers,  I  suggest  getting an  uuencode/decode
    program  (there  are a few  in the shareware  domain, and for
    Windoze  too !)   You  also should  specify  'binary' in your
    message,  and set the  coding to 'uuencode'.  (Even though it
    may be the default;  on one server, I assumed that, and got a
    file encoded in 'btoa' which I couldn't do anything with :( )

    Anyways, if everything worked out OK, a text file will appear
    in  the body of  your reply, and  an encoded file  will be an
    attached enclosure.  I assume the same if you are sending.

    Suggestion to the archive masters---

    It would  be  most helpful  to  have a  file  listing of  the
    archives   (including   the  directory  tree)   that  can  be
    pointed to in the FAQ and in the pointer to the FAQ.

    The reason being that us e-mail users using dec's ftpmail are
    limited to one chdir per message, and it's cumbersome to send
    a  series of 'cd  xx/xx/xx - dir'  messages to try  to find a
    file.

    Sorry  if  this  is  so  long-winded,  I had  to  get it  off
    me...again,  if there is  another group that can handle this,
    point us in that direction and we shall follow...


    Cal Yuen (cyuen@rci.rogers.com)
    Vancouver, BC Canada
            |        (2500 mi)
             --------------------------Toronto, Ont CAN
    (West is the best!)                      |
                                             |
                                           Internet!


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Date:	Tue, 19 Jul 1994 23:45:16 -1000
From:	uspehmev@ibmmail.COM
Message-Id: <Ct8GIL.3D3@das.harvard.edu>
Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University
Subject: RE:USING FTPMAIL AND THE ARCHIVES

----------------------- Mail item text follows ---------------




Thank you, Cal. At least I don't feel alone in my problems retrieving
anymore. I have been using what you use, and have retrieved text but
never been successful with programs or graphics. Do you type
"UUENCODE" in your request as I have been typing "BINARY". Maybe
that's why what I receive is not readable. I've used the UUDECODE
program, only to have it tell me that nothing needed decoding. I'm
sure with a few correct instructions I could download translatable
graphics & software.

                                Mark V (uspehmev@ibmmail.com) or
                                       (marklift1@aol.com)

I don't know. I didn't have any trouble downloading pictures of the
comet hitting Jupiter from America On Line.


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