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From: dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu (Dan DeMaggio)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: comp.sys.apple2 - Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) part 1 of 2
Followup-To: comp.sys.apple2
Reply-To: dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu
Summary: What you need to know about comp.sys.apple2 and comp.binaries.apple2,
two newsgroups dedicated to the Apple ][ family of computers.
Archive-name: apple2/part1
Last-modified: 1992/09/02
Version: 3.2
Topic: The FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) post
==========================================
Hi! Welcome to the comp.sys.apple2 newsgroup!
This article contains the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) often seen in comp.sys.apple2. I am posting this article (once every
three weeks or so--but once a week in September) to help reduce the volume in
this newsgroup and to provide hard-to-find information of general interest.
I hope it answers some of your questions. If you have other questions,
feel free to e-mail me.
Dan DeMaggio (dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu) June 9,1992
/* OK, guys, I promise that the next FAQ will be new and improved,
and posted in January.. -=Dan=- Dec 11, 1992 */
Table of contents
-----------------
Part I: The Net
- What is c.s.a2? What is INFO-APPLE? (Why is there air?)
- What is c.b.a2? (Binaries only please)
- FTP sites and e-mail servers (or How To Get Great Programs for Free!)
- File name extensions (How to ID a file)
- Archivers and decoders (What they are useful for)
- Downloading (Term programs and download protocols)
- Field guide to file formats (How to ID a file part II)
Part II: Apple stuff
- What is an Apple II? (common configurations and additions)
- Frequently Asked Questions (IBM+HFS disks, HD drives, computer versions)
- GS System 6.0 Notes (from the experts)
- What the Apple II can do (ideas for adding to your system)
- Apple II resources (Places supporting the II)
- troubleshooting (90% of problems can be solved with these hints)
- SCSI Notes (Notes on dealing with SCSI)
Topic: What is comp.sys.apple2? What is INFO-APPLE?
==========================================
Comp.sys.apple2 is a Usenet newsgroup that was created for the discussion
of the Apple II series of computers. This forum provides a way for interested
people to compare notes, ask questions, and share insights about Apple IIs.
Each message gets passed on to tens of thousands of systems around the world
that make up Usenet.
INFO-APPLE is a mailing list that is maintained on some networks other
than Usenet. Comp.sys.apple2 messages are sent to INFO-APPLE and INFO-APPLE
messages are sent to comp.sys.apple2. The central location of INFO-APPLE is
at apple.com.
Thank you, Apple Computer!
Comp.sys.apple2 is also accessed by users of ProLine bulletin board
systems. ProLine systems run, appropriately enough, on Apple II computers.
ProLine users account for a large group of participants on comp.sys.apple2.
Using ProLine's Conference System, users can read and reply to articles on
comp.sys.apple2, as well as many other Usenet newsgroups. And since ProLine
systems have UUCP/Internet access, users can also exchange electronic mail
with people world-wide.
To subscribe (or (sadly) unsubscribe) to INFO-APPLE, send your request to
the info-apple-request@apple.com address. Please do not send subscription
requests to info-apple@apple.com - it is doubtful that you will achieve what
you are attempting!!!! There is no need to subscribe to INFO-APPLE when you
are getting comp.sys.apple2, since the messages are identical.
To post a message to the thousands of readers of INFO-APPLE (and
comp.sys.apple2) subscribers send their messages to one of the following
addresses: info-apple@apple.com OR comp-sys-apple2@ucbvax.berkeley.edu. To
post programs to be used by thousands of grateful readers, send the
appropriately formatted mail to one of the following addresses:
comp-binaries-apple2@ucbvax.berkeley.edu. Source code in AAF format should go
to comp-sources-apple2@ucbvax.berkeley.edu
[There is no need for comp.sys.apple2 users to do this - they can use the
standard posting features of Usenet.]
On BITNET, INFO-APP@NDSUVM1 (aka VM1.Nodak.Edu) is available through the
LISTSERV on NDSUVM1 to distribute the Apple II discussion mail and
APPLE2-L@BROWNVM distributes messages dealing with programs. They work by
maintaining a private list of users who wish to see the messages in their
mailbox.
The appropriate place for posting equipment for sale is in the Usenet
groups misc.forsale.computers, misc.forsale, or misc.wanted.
Topic: comp.binaries.apple2 and comp.sources.apple2
==========================================
Comp.binaries.apple2 is a newsgroup used to distribute public domain,
freeware, and shareware Apple II software (executables, pictures, sounds,
etc...). Software distributed on comp.binaries.apple2 is expected to be a
BinSCII text file of ShrinkIt archives. [See later in the FAQ for information
on getting these programs.]
Comp.sources.apple2 is a newsgroup used to distribute public domain,
freeware, and shareware Apple II source code. The posts in
comp.sources.apple2 should be in Apple Archive Format. Contact
jac@paul.rutgers.edu for details.
Discussions concerning the software posted in these groups, or the
methods of locating, decoding, or accessing this software, or questions on
locating archive sites of this software, or any OTHER discussions are to be
held in comp.sys.apple2. If someone DOES either intentionally or accidentally
post to these groups, please respond only in Email - do not compound the
problem! We may switch to a moderated group eventually.
Note: Distributing commercial software on the net is a crime - just don't
do it!
Topic: e-mail to other services
==========================================
Compuserve: Enter the Compuserve address, replacing commas with periods,
and tack "@compuserve.com" to the end. America Online: Enter the America
Online address, followed by "@aol.com". Do not use uppercase letters in the
AOL name.
Topic: Anonymous FTP sites and e-mail servers
==========================================
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. It allows one Internet computer to
access files on another site. Many sites archive software and make it
available via Anonymous FTP. The following is a list of sites with Apple //
related files.
Site name Internet address Relevant Directory
--------- ---------------- ------------------
apple2.archive.umich.edu [in transition] /archive/apple2 ($)
bric-a-brac.apple.com ftp.apple.com
avalanche.berkeley.edu 128.32.234.22 /pub/Apple2
brownvm.brown.edu 128.148.128.40 LISTSERV.193 ($) (*)
bull.cs.williams.edu 137.165.5.2 /pub/AppleII
cnam.cnam.fr 192.33.159.6 /pub/Archives/comp.binaries.apple2
/pub/Archives/comp.sources.apple2
cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu 128.59.40.129 KERMA
cco.caltech.edu OR ccosun.caltech.edu /pub/apple2 ($)
f.ms.uky.edu 128.163.128.6 /pub/appleII ($)
ftp.apple.com 130.43.2.3 /dts/aii
ftp.hawaii.edu 128.171.43.7 /incoming/apple2 (@)
ftp.cc.utexas.edu 128.83.136.13 /gifstuff/apple
ftp.tohoku.ac.jp 130.34.8.9 /pub/news/comp.binaries.apple2 (@)
grind.isca.uiowa.edu 128.255.19.233 /apple2 ($)
/unix/apple2
hp4nl.nluug.nl 192.16.202.2 /pub/newsarchive/comp/sources/apple2
isca02.isca.uiowa.edu grind.isca.uiowa.edu
j.cc.purdue.edu 128.210.9.2 /kermit/appleII
jyu.fi 128.214.7.5 /pub/apple2
mcsun.eu.net 192.16.202.1 /pub/newsarchive/comp/sources/apple2
methan.chemie.fu-berlin.de 130.133.2.81 /pub/doc/faq (@)
nic.funet.fi 128.214.6.100 /pub/archive/comp.sources.apple2
pindarus.cs.uiuc.edu 128.174.240.84 /pub/apple2
plains.nodak.edu 134.129.111.64 /pub/appleII ($)
relay.cs.toronto.edu 128.100.3.6 /pub/lists.1989 (@)
shark.nosc.mil 128.49.80.1 KER*MIT.
syr.edu 128.230.1.49 /software/kermit/appleII
trantor.ee.msstate.edu 130.18.64.2 /files/appleII
tybalt.caltech.edu See cco.caltech.edu
ucrmath.ucr.edu 138.23.146.21 /PC/apple2
watsun.cc.columbia.edu 128.59.39.2 /kermit/a
wsmr-simtel20.army.mil 192.88.110.20 PD2:<ARCHIVES.APPLE>
wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 /systems/apple2 ($)
/usenet/comp.binaries.apple2
/usenet/comp.sources.apple2
[$] These are the "major" sites--those with many files.
[@] These are the "small" sites--those with few Apple II files.
[*] Files on brownvm.brown.edu are stored by serial number. For a
human-readable directory, send e-mail with the text "INDEX APPLE2-L" to
LISTSERV@brownvm.brown.edu.
Subtopic: A quick blurb on Anonymous FTP
------------------------------------------
You should be able to find some documentation on FTP at your site.
Anonymous FTP is just FTP, except you login as a guest on the remote system.
As a guest, you must not abuse your privileges: Only use the site at off peak
times: i.e. after 6pm their time. (Yes, these sites are all over the world:
fr=France, jp=Japan). Here's a summary of the main FTP commands.
What you see What you type Comment
-------------------- ------------------- -----------------------------
PROMPT% FTP (at your unix/VMS prompt)
FTP> open f.ms.uky.edu substitute the site name
username? anonymous to login as a guest
ident? dmag@engin.umich.edu type your e-mail address
FTP> type binary set binary mode to on
FTP> ls to list files
FTP> dir another way to list files
FTP> cd /pub/apple2 to go into a directory
FTP> get file.ext to get a file
FTP> close close connection
FTP> quit leave FTP
Subtopic: Apple II-related Electronic Mail servers
------------------------------------------
[users who have access to FTP should not need to use the e-mail servers]
APPLE2-L is an software archive of Apple II programs provided by a BITNET
mail server. To get help, send mail with a body of 'help' to
LISTSERV@BROWNVM.BITNET. You can also send the message 'INDEX APPLE2-L' for a
long listing of the Apple 2 archives. To get a program (BinSCII in this
example), send the message 'get APPLE2-L 89-01123'. The file will come by
return e-mail in text format. Most of the files come in BinSCII format
(except BinSCII, of course-- it's in EXE format). Note that many sites have a
maximum size on e-mail, so be sure to check the size of the file (the nrecs
column) before getting it. The server may break up files for you (and you
must piece them together before decoding them).
Chris Chung <CHRIS@BROWNVM> administers APPLE2-L. (Thanks Chris!)
There is also the server at plains.nodak. Send e-mail with the body
'help' or 'index appleII' to archive-server@plains.nodak.edu for details.
Note that these e-mail servers must do more work than FTP servers, and
they can cause quite a bit of traffic on the networks. Do not abuse them by
requesting large files. For alternatives, check the 'Apple II resources' part
of the FAQ.
---------Internet------------- ----------BITNET--------
archive-server@plains.nodak.edu FILESERV@PLAINS (BITNET)
KERMSRV@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu KERMSRV@CUVMA (BITNET)
LISTSERV@brownvm.brown.edu LISTSERV@BROWNVM (BITNET)
LISTSERV@utarlvm1.uta.edu LISTSERV@UTARLVM1 (BITNET)
{umn-cs, ogicse, uunet}!plains!archive-server (UUCP)
Note: Most games from comp.binaries.apple2 are stored on UTARLVM1, rather
than BROWNVM.
Subtopic: Archie, the archive searcher
------------------------------------------
There is a program called archie that allows you to search many archives
quickly. Look for the program 'archie' or 'xarchie' at your site, or you can
telnet to archie.mcgill.ca, and login as archie (there is online help). If
you are not on the Internet, you can send mail to archie@archie.mcgill.ca
with the subject of "Help".
Topic: Some common filename extensions
==========================================
Many times, people put filename extensions (extra characters at the end
of a filename) to denote what type of file it is. Please note that these are
just accepted standards. If a file does not indicate it's type, see the
'Field guide to file formats'. The following is a table of some common Apple
// filename extensions. See the section on 'Archivers and decoders' for
programs that will deal with these files.
Extension What is it? (What program do I use?)
--------- ---------------------------------------------------------------
.SHK NuFX archive. (Shrinkit)
.SDK NuFX with a shrunk disk image. (Shrinkit)
.exe Executioner file [TEXT]. May only work in DOS 3.3.
.Z Compressed file (GS Shrinkit or Unix uncompress)
.tar Unix Tape Archive (Unix tar [with -xvf option, GS EXE tar])
.txt [TEXT] An ASCII text file: usually english text.
.aaf [TEXT] Apple Archive Format for source code (aaf.unpacker)
.uu Unix uuencode file [TEXT] (uudecode or Unix uudecode)
.GIF Graphics Interchange Format: Compressed picture.
(IIGIF for //e, many programs for all other computers)
.LZH LZH Archive (IBM/Amiga LZH program)
.LHA LHA Archive (IBM/Amiga LZH program)
.QQ BLU archive. (Shrinkit)
.BSC BinScii file. [TEXT] (BinScii)
.BSQ BinScii'ed NuFX file. [TEXT] (BinScii, Shrinkit on the result)
.BXY NuFX archive with a Binary II header. (Shrinkit)
.BNY BLU archive. (Shrinkit)
.BQY NuFX with BLU header. (Shrinkit)
.BNX NuFX with BLU header. (Shrinkit)
.ACU NuFX (Shrinkit)
.HQX Mac BinHex file. [TEXT] (BinHex on Mac or GSCII+)
.SIT Mac StuffIt archive. (Stuffit on Mac or GS ShrinkIt)
GS Shrinkit will not decode StuffIt Deluxe files.
.CPT Compactor Pro archive (Compactor Pro on a Mac only)
.SEA Self-extracting archive (Mac only)
.ARC IBM Archive (GS Shrinkit or DeArc2E or IBM Arc program)
.ZOO IBM Zoo Archive (GS Shrinkit??? or IBM ZOO program)
.ZIP IBM Zip Archive (UNZIP [GS Shell EXE]or IBM PKUNZIP or Unix unzip)
.JPEG Newer graphics format. (only Unix/IBM/etc viewers)
.JPG Newer graphics format. (only Unix/IBM/etc viewers)
.TIFF Graphics format (GS SHR Convert)
All of these types, except the ones marked [TEXT] are BINARY files.
Binary files cannot be sent over e-mail, posted to the newsgroups or FTP'd in
text mode. You can FTP them if you set 'type binary'. You can also download
them using x,y or z-modem.
Generally, anything labeled as 'Archive' will contain multiple files, and
even subdirectories. Most archives are also in compressed format.
Sometimes you will find multiple filename extensions. Simply take the
filename extensions apart one at a time and you should be able to reconstruct
the original file. (i.e. file.bsq.tar.Z would mean: uncompress, untar,
unbinscii, unShrink to get the original file!)
Topic: Archivers and decoders
==========================================
Subtopic: BinSCII
------------------------------------------
BinScii converts binary files to text files and back. Binary files
contain pictures, computer programs, etc. Text files usually contain human
readable text (like this file), but a BinSCII file just looks like a jumble
of letters and symbols. A BinScii text file is larger than the original
binary file. Binscii is needed to transfer programs across the network when
there is no binary mode (like the Usenet newsgroups and e-mail).
When turning a binary file into text, BinSCII will output a series of
files. Each file contains a segment of the original program encoded in
BinSCII format. These segments are small enough to be posted or e-mailed
without clogging the network. (Actually, they are usually posted 3 at a time
to save bandwidth).
When re-creating a binary file from the BinScii segments, all one has to
do is collect ALL the segments and run them through BinScii. Each segment has
a header that tells BinScii which segment it is. BinScii is intelligent
enough to wade through all extraneous text (i.e. newsgroup headers, etc) and
find the segments. It does not matter what order the segments are in, and the
segments can be in different files. The only thing you have to remember is
that BinScii does not check to see if ALL of the segments have been accounted
for. If there are segments missing, the program will not work, or more likely
you will get a 'file corrupted' error when unshrinking.
GS users can use GSCII+, an NDA version of Binscii. GSCII+ can also
encode/decode several other formats.
[ Note that most files on the network are NuFX archives that have been
BinSCII'ed so they can be posted. After running Binscii, you will still need
to run ShrinkIt on the resulting file.]
For those of us on Unix boxes who are able to transfer binary files to
our Apple ][, SciiBin can reduce the time spend downloading. It is a
decode-only version of BinSCII written in C. The idea is that you compile
this on your Unix box, and run your BinScii files from comp.binaries.apple2
through it. It will re-create the original (smaller) file. This works great
if there is a NuFX archive in the BinSCII file, but can cause problems if
BinSCII was applied directly to ProDos executable files. (Unix has no way of
storing the ProDos file type and aux type of a file, so they simply get lost.
See the section on filetypes.
If you need a Unix BinSCII encoder, Bsc will do the trick. The source
code is in the file bsc.aaf ("Apple archive format") is in the various
comp.sources.apple2 archive sites as well as on cco.caltech.edu in the
directory /pub/apple2/source.
Subtopic: ShrinkIt and NuFX archives
------------------------------------------
ShrinkIt is an Apple II program which takes one or more Apple II ProDOS
files or disks and 'archives' them into a single file (called a NuFX
archive). It also stores all the vital ProDos information, such as filetype
and auxtype. Usually these files are denoted by putting a ".SHK" extension on
the archive. ShrinkIt can also shrink an entire disk into a file (extension
".SDK"), but this is only used when the disk is not ProDos. ShrinkIt is also
a menu driven utility that compresses/extracts, but also formats disks,
copies files, etc. ShrinkIt can also extract programs with Binary II headers,
and files in BLU archives.
GShk is a version of ShrinkIt for GS computers. This is even more of a
wonder utility in that it extracts many different archive types (Unix
compress, PC Arc, Mac StuffIt, Apple Single). Files encoded with GShk are
usually smaller than those encoded with ShrinkIt, but can still be extracted
with ShrinkIt (except files with resource forks).
ShrinkIt+ and UnShrinkIt+ are programs for the Apple II+ that allow an
Apple II+ user to create NuFX archives and extract from them. Autounshrink is
a NuFX extractor that attempts to recover from errors within an NuFX file.
Subtopic: Executioner
------------------------------------------
Executioner was the standard program previous to BinSCII for converting
Apple II files into text to be mailed/posted. It is no longer considered the
standard for most transferals of Apple II binary files. Presently,
Executioner is typically only used to distribute BinSCII. Some older files in
the various archives may also be encoded with this program. Many of them will
not work under ProDos.
To translate an Executioner text file to an Apple II file required that
you delete the mail headers/trailers, translated the newlines into carriage
returns, download the file to your Apple II and from Applesoft Basic, type
the command 'EXEC <filename>' where <filename> is the name of the file you
downloaded.
Subtopic: Apple Archive Format (aaf)
------------------------------------------
Apple Archive Format was invented as a standard way to post source code
to comp.sources.apple2. The C and Basic source code to aaf unpackers are
available on the various FTP sites, in aaf format. Fortunately, files in aaf
format can be turned back into source code with a simple text editor. Just
break the file up into component files and remove the first character of each
line.
Subtopic: Net standard formats
------------------------------------------
There are several formats that are used widely on the Internet. The most
common in FTP sites are tar (.tar) and compress (.Z). To undo a Tape ARchive,
type 'tar -xvf filename.tar'. To undo a compress, type 'uncompress
filename.Z'. Since tar does not make the file smaller, and compress can only
compress 1 file, many times you will find files that are 'tarred an
feathered'. They have a '.tar.Z' extension. Just run uncompress then un-tar
the result.
To distribute binaries on the net, most other groups use uuencode (c.b.a2
uses BinSCII). To return them to normal, type 'uudecode filename'. Note that
uuencoded things were not meant to be split up and posted, so when getting
multiple parts, you will have to paste them together and run them through
uudecode. (BinSCII is a lot smarter, that's why we use it on c.b.a2.)
Most of these 'Unix' standard formats are available on the Apple. For
example, ShrinkIt GS will uncompress files, there is a uudecode for the //e,
and Tar is available as a GS shell executable.
Subtopic: A quick note about ProDos filetypes
------------------------------------------
ProDos keeps some information about a file's type. Files can be text
(TXT), binary (BIN), executable (SYS), fonts (FON), etc. Most other file
systems do not have a place to store this information, so it may get 'lost'
when you upload the file. Similarly, when you download a file, you may not
know the file type. Most comm programs will use some default. For NuFX
archives, this is not a big deal, since you can still unpack an archive if
the filetype is wrong (and the archive stores the filetype of the files
inside the archive). For other files, you may need to change the file's type.
One utility I recommend is File Attribute Zapper II.
All of the above programs are available via FTP (cco.caltech.edu and/or
archive.umich) A quick author/version summary and compatibility chart:
Program Format Author
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nulib v3.21 C Andy McFadden (fadden@uts.amdahl.com)
SciiBin v1.30 C Marcel Mol, Dave Whitnet, Bruce Kahn
Bsc v1.1 C Neil Parker
Executioner A Glen Bredon
BinSCII v1.0.3 A David Whitney (davewh@microsoft.com)
ShrinkIt v3.3 A Andy Nicholas (shrinkit@apple.com)
(Un)ShrinkIt+ A Andy Nicholas (shrinkit@apple.com)
AutoUnShrink A Andy Nicholas (shrinkit@apple.com)
GShk v1.0.4 G Andy Nicholas (shrinkit@apple.com)
GSCII+ 2.3.1 G Darek Taubert (dat33228@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu)
Format:
C - Distributed as source code written in C.
A - Executable, runs on most Apple //s.
G - Executable, runs on GS only.
|Type| NuFX | Bin | uuen-| com- | tar | Bin | LZH/| Stuff| ARC | aaf |
Program | | | SCII | code | press | | Hex | LHA | -It | | |
--------|-|------|------|------|-------|-----|-----|-----|------|-----|-----|
Nulib |C| X | | | | | | | | | |
SciiBin |C| | D | | | | | | | | |
Shrinkit|A| X | | | | | | | | | |
GShk |G| X | | | D | | | | D | D | |
BSC |C| | E | | | | | | | | |
GSCII+ |G| | X | X | | | D | | | | X |
LHArc |E| | | | | | | D? | | | |
(Key: E = Encode only, D = Decode only, X = Encode and Decode)
(Type: C = C Source code, A = Apple //e, G = GS Only, E = GS EXE file)
Topic: How to get stuff off the net:
==========================================
This is a tricky question. You will have to look around for what
resources you can get your hands on. You can break it down into two steps.
Step 1: Get the file to your online account. Step 2: get the file to your ][.
Step 1 depends on what type of account you have.
-Most people with Internet accounts will be able to do FTP. See the
section on FTP sites.
-If you get comp.binaries.apple2, you can use your newsreader to save the
articles to your account.
-BITFTP is a way of doing FTP by e-mail. See the section on FTP sites for
details.
-Somebody could e-mail you a file.
Once you have the file on your online account, you may want to run
uudecode, uncompress, tar, SciiBin, Nulib, etc on the file. See the section
on Decoders and archivers for details. By far, most Apple // files are
transferred around in either .SHK (NuFX) or .BSQ format. I recommend getting
SciiBin to turn your .BSQ files into .SHK files for 3 reasons: 1) The archive
is smaller than the original files, and a LOT smaller than BinScii files. 2)
One file can hold all the files and documentation for the program. 3) The
archive keeps the ProDos filetype information.
Step 2 also has a variety of options:
a) If your ][ has a modem, you may be able to download it directly. There are
a variety of downloading protocols (both sides must support the same
protocol). Kermit is slowest, but can work over a 7 bit network. X-modem
is faster and available just about everywhere. Y-modem and Z-modem are
even better. (the Unix command for zmodem is usually 'sz'). Sometimes
downloading can be tricky if you are not familiar with your terminal
program.
b) If you can get the files to a Mac (maybe it is on the net or has a modem):
If you have a GS, just use System 6's HFS FST directly on the Mac Disks.
If you have a //e with a 3.5" drive, you can do the same thing with the
program a2fx or HFSLink. If you can't find those, you can use the
Macintosh Apple File Exchange program to put the data onto a ProDos disk,
but it is SLOW.
c) If you can get the files to an IBM (maybe it is on the net or has a
modem): If you have a PC Transporter, you are all set. Otherwise, use
Apple File Exchange on the Mac to copy the files from MS/DOS directly
onto a ProDos disk.
Once you get the file to your Apple, you have to undo any encoding (i.e.
run ShrinkIt). Alternately, you may have to change the ProDos file type. One
easy to use program is File Attribute Zapper II (FAZII).
Subtopic: Communications programs
------------------------------------------
If you go for route (a) above, you will need a communications program on
your Apple //. Most of the time, the program is simply a 'dumb terminal'
putting characters on the screen and sending them out the serial port to the
modem. There are two areas where the program actually DOES something:
terminal emulation and downloading. Emulation is where your computer pretends
to be a certain type of terminal. By far, the standard is VT-100. This allows
the other computer to do nice effects on your screen, like clear it or move
text around. If your program doesn't support it, your screen may look funny,
and you will see ]'s and ;'s where the remote computer is trying to make the
screen look nice. IBM's use a special character set and variation of VT-100
called ANSI. ProTerm supports a subset of this (no graphics), and also
another format called ProTerm Special Emulation (PSE). [Don't you just love
standards?]
The other time your term program matters is when you are trying to
download. By far, the Apple ][ standard is X-modem. It allows a file to be
sent across a modem with an error correction protocol. New variations are
Y-modem and Z-modem. These are very, very nice and should be used where
possible. Note that both sides have to support it in order to use it. There
is also a protocol called Kermit. You are probably better off using X-modem,
but sometimes it is useful.
Program Comp Emulations Protocols Note
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ProTerm E$ PSE, VT-100 Kermit, X,Y,Z-modem From InSync
Kermit-65 E VT-100 Kermit, X-modem Hard to use,Works on ][+
Z-Link E VT-100 X-modem Good.
CommSys E none X-modem Works on ][+
TIC E$ VT-52 (+) X-modem For hackers. From Q-Labs
Agate E mono ANSI X,(Y,Z rec'v only) Unpacks ZIP, Buggy
ColorTerm GS color ANSI X-modem Desktop based
MegaTerm GS color ANSI none ProDOS 8
ANSITerm GS$ color ANSI, PSE X,Y,Z-modem Haven't seen it.
SnowTerm GS VT-100 (+) none Desktop based
FreeTerm GS none X-modem Desktop based
GenComm GS none none Text, Shell Compat.
GSVT GS VT-100 none Desktop
GTerm GS color ANSI none Written in BASIC/ML
Telcom GS VT-100, PSE X, (Y rec'v only) Shell compat
----------Key:---------
Key: $ = A commercial program
Computer: E = works on GS and //e, GS = only works on GS
All of the non-commercial programs are available on the different FTP
sites. If you don't have a comm program already, your best bet is to have
someone mail you one on a disk.
Topic: Field guide to file formats
==========================================
Here is a simple guide to help you identify a file. You should always go
by filename extension first, but not everybody uses those. In Unix, you can
use the 'head' command to look at the first couple of lines of a file. If it
turns out to be a binary file, you may be in for a nasty surprise. You may
want to use the Unix 'file' command to find out if it is a text file or not
first. Once you have identified the file, see the section on filename
extensions for how to deal with it.
If there are lines in the file that look like this (there can be other
text before it--search for 'FiLeStArT'):
FiLeStArTfIlEsTaRt
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789()
GBINSCII AQhmAAAAA8)4MIAI02DA9ARMQEDtAQhmAIVZ
gYITA6u7xADA0MjM3YTNBlDOENkQwYURzITM2UDN5gzNDJUQGVERyEDM1QzM4cjN
CFUOFR0QxAjR0MjM3YTNBlDOENkQwAQRzITM2UDN5gzNDJUQGVERyEDM1QzM4cjN
..
then you've got something encoded by BinSCII. You must decode _all_ the
parts using BinSCII before attempting to extract using ShrinkIt.
On the other hand, if you have a binary file which resembles:
NuFilei][![/#NuFX_<:c[[[ H`F-fGSCII~[
cRJ0)fNN^P)3'A2p6SF6X#GPd<9#'LC^08N7n\NB7Dd!eMN&eYX0Am=fXp
d@PAsp7rh`I'NS0ALAfi2)2ysGEQ$k9CP%L9
...
then you have a NuFX file (note the key words NuFile and NuFX). You
should be able to extract the files it contains using ShrinkIt.
On the third hand, if you have a text file which resembles:
begin 666 nonsense.bny
M4W5N3U,@4F5L96%S92 T+C$@*%-$4U0V,"D@(S@Z(%1U92!/8W0@.2 Q,CHS
M...3HT.2!%1%0@,3DY, HT
then you have a uuencoded file.
On another hand, if you have a text file which begins with
(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)
:{body}amp;4)48C28N0&,P0*9!"6593K8dP8)3%!!!#L@!!!!!!Qie0*9#%!!3!!SPKb6'&
e!3!!!!!!!!!#!!P8D'8J4QpbBf9P)IN33)(4$N#"d4K!JG%S!!!!!`!'VfJ!"VP
then you have a BinHex file. The GSCII+ NDA by Derek Taubert decodes
BinHex files on an Apple IIGS. You can also use a variety of macintosh
programs to do the decoding. There is also a Unix implementation of BinHex
called mcvert.
On one more hand, if you have a text file which resembles:
CALL-151
E00:38 A5 FF D0 32 D8 20 8E FD AD 30 BF 8D 6A 0E 20 00 BF C7 6D 0E 0D 80 02
E18:D0 1D 20 00 BF C5 69 0E B0 15 AD 81 02 29 0F AA E8 8E 80 02 A9 2F 8D 81
and more lines like that, followed by a bunch of lines that look like:
A90885A420732090242039FB2058FCA200BD9220F00620EDFDE8D0F5200CFDA9
008DF2038DF3038DF4036CFCFFE6A4A5A4C96F90CFA9008DFCBFA9018DFDBFA0
A90885A420732090242039FB2058FCA200BD9220F00620EDFDE8D0F5200CFDA9
then you have an Executioner file.
======================================================================
This FAQ is available on-line at apple2.archive.umich.edu and via AFS
(in /afs/umich.edu/group/itd/archive/apple2). Permission granted to
copy portions into non-profit User Group newsletters.
This FAQ is also in transition. Any additions/corrections/suggestions
would be appreciated. Also, if this FAQ has helped you, e-mail me
and let me know!
Dan DeMaggio (dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu)
From: dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu (Dan DeMaggio)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: comp.sys.apple2 - Frequently Asked Questions (and answers) part 2 of 2
Followup-To: comp.sys.apple2
Reply-To: dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu
Summary: Covers many common questions, and contains many resources.
Archive-name: apple2/part2
Last-modified: 1992/09/02
Version: 3.2.1
Topic: What is an Apple II?
==========================================
Excuse me while I wax a little philosophical, but the Apple II is one of
the computer that started the computer revolution because it is so flexible
and open--a pure hacker's machine, but also one that there is a lot of
software to allow novices to use it too. The following are the various models
of the Apple ][:
Apple ][
Apple ][+
$ Clones, like the Multitech MPF-II/III, Franklin Ace
Apple /// (w/emulation software)
][ In A Mac emulator
track emulator for IBM
Apple ][ Emulator for Unix
Apple ][e (Unenhanced)
E+ Laser 128
E Laser 128 EX/2
E+ Apple ][e Emulation card (and a Mac LC)
E Apple ][e (Enhanced)
E+ Apple //e (Platinum w/numeric keypad)
E Apple //c
E Apple //c+
E Apple IIGS (ROM 00/Woz edition.)
E Apple IIGS (ROM 01 with 256K built-in)
E+ Apple IIGS (ROM 03 with 1 MB built-in)
(E) = Emulates an Enhanced //e (+) = Still in Production
($) = Different features, depending on model.
Apple ][+: Surprisingly, the ][+ can run some of today's software. For
instance, Davex and FredWriter. You can even run AppleWorks if you have more
than 128K and a program called PlusWorks. Recommended configuration: 16K
language card (in slot 0 with a ribbon cable running to the RAM), an
80-column video card (not the same as a //e 80-column card), shift key
modification (a wire running from shift key to game port). You can also add
accelerators like the Rocket/Zip.
Apple //e: The //e comes in two flavors: Enhanced and Unenhanced. The
Enhancement kit allows an upgrade path by replacing 4 chips. Most current
software requires an Enhanced //e, and sometimes 128K too. The current
operating system is ProDos. The Apple //e is still useful for three major
reasons: 1) It runs AppleWorks, a simple to use, yet sophisticated integrated
program. 2) There are many Apples in schools, so there is a ton of
educational software for it. 3) It is was and will always be a _Personal_
computer. You can learn as little or as much as you want, and nothing stops
you from learning about every nook and cranny in it. Ask any big name
programmer in MS/DOS or Mac where they learned to program. Most of them
taught themselves on a good ol' Apple //. Good programs for an Apple //e:
AppleWorks 3.0 (from Claris) with TimeOut (Beagle Brothers), Copy ][+
(Central Point), ProTerm (InSync), PrintShop (Broderbund). Recommended
configuration: 80 extended column card, 512K to 1MB RAM, Enhanced, Hard Drive
is nice. You can also speed it up with an accelerator (like the Rocket Chip
or the Zip Chip or TransWarp).
//c and //c+: The //c and //c+ are 'luggable' versions of an Enhanced
//e, with many built-in 'cards'. Included are 2 serial ports, a mouse port, a
3.5" disk port and 128K of RAM. The //C+ has a built-in accelerator that runs
at 4 MHz. Even though they were supposed to be unexpandable, you can still
add extra memory (there's room under the keyboard) and a hard drive (through
the disk port--a bit slow by ordinary standards, but usable). Some software
that uses the mouse may get confused on the //C+. The //C and //C+ cannot do
AppleTalk or take any cards. Recommended configuration: Not much you can add
to it, except maybe extra RAM and a 3.5" drive/Hard drive. Runs everything
that an Enhanced //e runs.
The Laser 128EX is a cross between the //c and an Enhanced //e. It is as
luggable as a //c and has built-in 'cards', and an accelerator. It also has a
slot to expand. If you want to add a card, you may have to disable the
internal UDC (for 3.5" drives) or the internal 1MB memory expansion. Runs
almost everything that the //c and //e runs.
The Apple IIGS represents a giant leap in the Apple // line. It can still
run //e software, but has a better processor (16-bit), a new super-hires
graphics mode, a toolbox in ROM (just like the Mac) and a 32 oscillator
Ensoniq sound chip. It can not only run ProDos, but it can also run GS/OS, a
sophisticated operating system very much like the Macintosh's OS. The
original GS (I think they all have the Woz signature) must have several chips
upgraded to boot/run current software. The ROM 01 had 256K on the
motherboard, while the ROM 03 has 1 MB. Although there were a few ROM
changes, the current system software will work patch the toolbox ROMs to look
identical. Recommended configuration: 1.25 MB lets you boot up and launch
programs. With 2 MB, you will have room for Desk Accessories. Go for 4 MB if
you want a RAM disk (useful if you don't have a hard drive) or do a lot of
Graphics work. Adding a hard drive is highly recommended. You can also speed
it up with a TransWarp GS or Zip GS (better).
The Apple ][e emulation card is a card that can only go into a Macintosh
LC, and lets one run Apple //e software. It is actually more like a //c
because it has no slots. Unfortunately, the emulation can be slower than a
real //e because the LC is slow at updating the screen. There is a place on
the back of the card to plug in a UniDisk 5.25" and a joystick.
Q: What is 8 bit and 16 bit?
A: That indicates how big the chunks of data are that the CPU can manipulate.
The Apple IIGS is a 16-bit machiene and all previous Apple ]['s are 8-bit.
This is only one of the reasons you cannot run GS software on a //e.
Q: How do I get out of Basic (that little "]" prompt and flashing cursor?
A: Type the word "BYE" and press return. Now get out the Apple manual 'A Touch
of BASIC' and read it.
Q: Can the Apple II connect to SCSI devices?
A: Yes. See the section on SCSI in this FAQ.
Q: Can my Apple read IBM/MAC disks? What about High Density disks?
A: Well, here is a quick summary chart for 3.5" disks:
3.5 Disk type| //e GS Mac W/DD Drive Mac W/HD drive
------------|------------------------------------------------------------
ProDos 800K | yes yes AFE AFE
ProDos 1600K| yes* yes* no AFE
HFS 800K | 1 yes (Sys 6) yes yes
HFS 1440K | not yet yes* (Sys 6) no yes
IBM 720K | 2,3 2,3 AFE AFE
IBM 1440K | 2 2 no AFE
Key: yes = no problem no = impossible
yes* = no problem, but requires HD Disk Drive and HD controller card
1 = Look for A2FX and HFSLink at various FTP sites
2 = look for MSDOSCOPY (via FTP). Req a HD controller/drive
3 = get the new CTI card and an IBM drive (address below)
AFE = Apple File Exchange on the Macintosh. Very S-L-O-W.
[note: for those who don't know, HFS is the normal Macintosh format]
For 5.25" disks, the encoding method is completely different between IBM
and Apple. If you are really a glutton for punishment, you can get an Applied
Engineering PC Transporter to read IBM 3.5" or 5.25" disks. A better idea is
to get the new card from CTI. It allows you to hook up to IBM 3.5" and 5.25"
disk drives (no High Density support yet). Not only are IBM drives cheaper,
but also some software is included to read MS/DOS disks. For info, contact:
Conversion Technology (CTI) Phone: (801) 364-4171
c/o Patrick L. McLaughlin
516 12th Ave
Salt Lake City, Utah 84103
Q: How do I get stuff from my Apple // to IBM (or Mac)?
A: there are two parts to this question. Physically, you can use AFE (see
above Q) or a null-modem cable. (a null-modem cable is really a printer
cable. You connect the 2 serial ports, and poof, they can send files back and
forth with any communications software) The other part to this question is
data conversion. Once you copy your file to the IBM, you may find there is no
software that can use it. Of course, converting an Programs back and forth is
useless because the computers cannot run eachother's programs.
One helpful hint is that all computers can read text files. Most word
processors can save your file as text and import as text. But with text
files, you will loose all your formatting (font type, centering and
so-forth). For spreadsheets, saving as DIF will make conversion a breeze.
Databases can be saved as tab-delimited records. (Note that in AppleWorks,
you have to go to Print to save in these formats).
If you want to do better, there are several options available. For
example, AFE can convert between some kinds of documents (For example
AppleWorks Word Processor to MsWorks) if you have the right translator (try
anon FTP: sumex-aim.stanford.edu, /info-mac/util/afe-appleworks-msworks.hqx).
A commercial program called MacLinkPlus can do some conversions. Some Claris
programs do conversions automagically. (In a related topic: There is an init
by Apple called 'ProDos File System Manager' that lets the Finder mount
ProDOS disks directly--No AFE involved.)
For IBM folk,The CrossWorks program can convert between many Apple and
IBM formats, and even comes with a universal null modem cable. Alternately,
If you use AppleWorks a lot, you can get SuperWorks for the IBM, a clone of
AppleWorks. It can import AppleWorks files directly. For graphics,
SuperConvert can convert between all Apple-specific graphics formats and many
Mac, Amiga and IBM specific formats. It can also save as GIF, which is a
universal standard.
Q: What's the scoop on the new HD 3.5" drive?
A: In order to do High Density on the Apple //, you will need both the High
Density 3.5" drive and the new Apple 3.5" controller. If you don't have both,
you will only be able to do regular density. Of course, you will also need
High Density Disks.
Once you have collected the above items, you are in for a pleasant
surprise. ProDos 8 programs not only recognize it, but they can format HD
disks just fine. GS/OS has no problems either. You can even boot off of it,
giving extra room for Desk Accessories and such. Drawbacks: You cannot boot
copy-protected software or boot some FTA demos. Also, it takes up a slot on
the GS. If you are clever, you can get around this. You can put it in slot 5,
but then you will not be able to use a RAM disk (/RAM5). If you have a ROM 03
GS, you can put it in slot 4 and disable the mouse. Your GS/OS programs will
work, but your ProDos 8 programs won't be able to find the mouse. If you use
AppleTalk on a ROM 01, you may be able to put it in slot 1 (or 2), and use
the drive in the same slot as AppleTalk.
Q: AppleWorks won't print to my printer. What gives?
A: AppleWorks will refuse to print to a slot that has a disk device. In the
past, this worked well because if you try to print to a slot that has a disk
controller in it, you will re-boot. But now, this can cause problems when a
disk device is 'mapped' into your printer slot (due to a limitation in
ProDos, you can only have 2 drives per slot. Extra partitions on your hard
drive will be re-mapped to other slots). If you have a RamFast, you can
re-map the drives to different slots. Otherwise, (for AW 3.0) use this patch:
POKE 768,128: POKE 769,10 and then BSAVE APLWORKS.SYSTEM,TSYS,A$300,L2,B$AE3.
For a full set of AW patches, try John Link's SuperPatch!
Q: Can I use Macintosh Monitors or 3.5" drives with my ][?
A: In general, no. Apple's 3.5" drive has logic to sense which machine it is
hooked up to (Apple II or Macintosh) and it works accordingly. Most 3rd party
drives don't bother to put in Apple II support in their drives. The Mac
monitors cannot be used with the ][ line, not even the GS.
Q: Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple //e?
A: Yes, all the above connections have regular serial or parallel connections.
The tricky part is getting them to do what you want. The DeskJet, for example
will print very nice looking text with regular old "PR#1". But if you want to
change the font or print graphics, you may have to purchase some software.
One excellent program for these types of printers is PublishIt 4. You won't
believe the output you can get from a //e. For AppleWorks fans, there is the
program called SuperPatch. Among it's patches is a cool DeskJet 500 printer
driver. You can print sideways, and change fonts with normal AppleWorks
commands.
Q: Can I hook up a LaserWriter, DeskJet, etc to my Apple IIGS?
A: On the GS, you can hook up a LaserWriter via AppleTalk or direct serial
connection. A GS program can typically print to a LaserWriter if it's
connected to the GS via AppleTalk. If you get a DeskJet, or PaintJet, etc,
you can hook them up via the serial port. But in order to use them
effectively, you will want Harmony from Vitesse (better) or Independence
(cheaper) from Seven Hills. They are new printer drivers for GS/OS programs
only. If you want to print from an 8-bit program, see the previous question.
Q: Can I hook up a scanner up to my //e? Can it do OCR (Optical Character
Recognition)?
A: Yes and Yes. Just pick up a Quickie scanner (by Vitesse) and InWords (by
WestCode Software). You can scan 4" columns (you must have 512K to 1 Meg) and
can even paste them together to make 8" scans. Then you can use InWords to
"read" text and put it into a text file or AppleWorks Word Processor file.
Q: What version is my computer?
A: Apple //e: The major division is between the Enhanced and unenhanced
models. Look at your computer while re-booting. If it says "APPLE ][", it is
not enhanced. The enhanced computers will say "Apple //e". You can upgrade it
yourself by getting the Apple //e Enhancement kit. (It contains 4 chips to
replace on your motherboard.) Many newer programs will not work unless you
have an Enhanced //e. If you have a //c or GS, or a Laser 128, you have
Enhanced //e compatibility. There are also some older //e's that are not
capable of double-hires. Check the serial number on the motherboard (in the
back, by the power-on led). If it ends in -A, you may need a motherboard swap
(unless you have the PAL version).
Apple //GS: There are 3 major versions of the GS: Check the initial
power-up screen. It will say ROM 01, ROM 03. If it does not say either, you
have the Original (Woz Signature edition). You must upgrade it in order to
run current system software. The ROM 01 has 256K on the motherboard, while
the ROM 03 has 1 MB on the motherboard. All the enhancements of the ROM 03
(except the 1MB, of course) can be added to the ROM 01 simply by booting up
with current system software.
Apple //c: Go into Basic and type "PRINT PEEK (64447)" and press return.
If it says 255, you have a very old //c. See your dealer about getting an
upgrade. If it says 0, you can do 3.5" drives, but you don't have the memory
expansion connector. If it says 3 You have the memory expansion. If it says
4, you have the latest model of the //c. If it says 5, you have a //c+.
Q: I have a ][+/Franklin. Where can I get tech support?
A: Send a Self Addressed, Stamped Envelope to: TEBR, RFD #1, North Salem, NY
10560-9705 or call PH# (914)-669-5421
Q: My Applied Ingenuity drive died. Does anyone repair them?
A: Bill Heineman, Custom Software Inc, 7734 S. Broadway Rd, Whitter, CA 90606
PH# (213)-695-3966. He also does other types of drives.
Q: Can I get replacement chips for my Apple //c?
A: Alltech Electronics carries all the //c chips for $9 to $39 each (depending
on the chip). Pick up the latest A+ and look for their ad. You can them at
(619) 721-7733.
Q: Where can I find oscillator crystals?
A: Digi-Key Corp (Phone: 800-344-4539). They charge $3.75 per crystal and $5
for shipping an order. Here are the part #'s for a TransWarp GS: (TWGS speed
in parens) 32MHz (8MHz) SE1101, 36MHz (9MHz) SE1103, 40MHz (10MHz) SE1104.
Q: What programming languages are available for the Apple ][?
A: well.. (sofware is 8 bit unless noted as GS specific)
Basic: Applesoft (built-in to your computer!), which can be extended
with several utilities in commercial and non-commercial form.
To speed it up: Beagle Brother's Applesoft Compiler.
TML Basic, Micol Basic, or Z-Basic, which are BASIC development
packages. Pecan Power System Basic.
GS-Basic, available through Resource Central.
Forth: Purple Forth+, Q Forth+, Mad Apple Forth+, GS Forth, GraForth
Full C: Orca C (GS), Manx Aztec C
Small C: Hyper-C+
Pascal: Complete (formerly TML) Pascal, Orca/Pascal, Apple UCSD Pascal
and Quick Pascal (via Resource Central) and Pecan Power
System's Pascal.
Assembly: Orca/M, Orca/M GS, APW, Merlin 8/16 Plus, Lisa+, EDASM.
Other: Pecan Power Systems Fortran. Lisp, Logo, Promal. GS Scheme+
Orca/Modula-2
(+ = share/freeware [available via FTP])
And more. Watch this space for update on the next FAQ.. -=Dan=-
Q: My GS control panel keeps resetting to the defaults and/or forgetting the
date.
A: It's probably your battery. If you have a ROM 03 GS, you just pop it out an
get another. On the ROM 01, you will need a Slide-On Battery Replacement Kit
from Night Owl Productions. See address in 'Resources' section.
Q: I want a Y-adapter for my GS keyboard.
A: Redmond Cable has an ADB Y-connector cable for separating your mouse from
the side of your keyboard (also can be used to work around a failing ADB port
on the keyboard). See the 'Resources' section of this FAQ.
Q: What programs are there for conversion of graphic images?
A: There are quite a few:
IIGIF is a freeware GIF converter for any Apple II (but there is a patch
needed for the Apple //c). It reads in GIF and saves as hires or
double-hires.
MACDOWN is also freeware and lets you do the same with MacPaint pics.
A ProDos 8 version of The Graphics Exchange (don't know much about it).
[The following software only work on an Apple IIGS]
The Graphics Exchange (with library disk 1 - and soon with library disk 2 and
The RGB Exchange) converts between many formats of graphics.
SuperConvert loads all GS formats, plus GIFS and other non-GS specific
formats and saves in all GS formats (including Finder Icon files). It has
more dithering options than most of the other programs, but you may have
to play with it to find the best one.
SHRConvert is the earlier, shareware, predecessor to SuperConvert. It does a
pretty good job on the types of graphics it supports.
Platinum Paint can import all GS formats (yes, even PrintShop) plus MacPaint.
It can only save in SHR and Apple Preferred. It can view (but not
make/edit) SHR animations.
ShowPic 6 is a shareware NDA that can display most GS formats. You can also
save the resulting graphic as a IIGS SHR painting.
Dream Grafix supports all 3200 color picture types and also 16 color and 256
color pictures. This is a very impressive paint program with its 3200
color support.
Note: 'All GS formats' includes Superhires (type $C1 and $C0), hires,
double-hires and PrintShop/PrintShop GS.
Q: I have an old CPM / PASCAL / DOS 3.3 disk. How do I get it into ProDos?
A: The //e system software, the DOS3.3 FST (GS/OS System 6), and Copy ][+ can
all convert Dos 3.3 files into ProDos. This is only helpful for text files,
graphics, and some Basic programs. For ProDos, CPM, Pascal, Dos 3.3, try the
program Chameleon. It's only drawback is that it does not recognize hard
disks. (just use a temporary ProDos floppy disk)
Q: How do you copy from a 5.25" disk to 3.5" disk?
A: ProDos has no problems with this, as long as you copy by files. Note that
ProDos can only have 51 files in the main directory. If you try to exceed
that, it will give you a cryptic 'Disk Full' error. If there really is space
left on the disk, you can copy all the files into a subdirectory to get
around the 51-file limit. In theory, you can put an unlimited number of files
in a Subdirectory, but in practice, you should limit them to a few hundred.
Q: Why does my Apple II lose characters when I'm using the modem?
A: Check the following: 1) Your software may need interrupts enabled. Examine
DIP Switch 2-6 on your Super Serial Card. 2) If you have an unenhanced //e,
you need to enhance your //e. 3) If you have a //c, it may be one of the ones
that had a serial port problem. Talk to your dealer about upgrading it for
2400 baud support.
Q: What happened to Beagle Brothers?
A: Quality computers is now distributing the Apple II Beagle Brothers
packages. In fact, they are even expanding the TimeOut line of AppleWorks
enhancement packages. The status of Beagle isn't so good: Beagle wanted to
concentrate on the Mac market with their BeagleWroks package, but then that
was bought out. BB has retired their extremely old stuff (mostly DOS 3.3) and
it now you can download it (for free) exclusively on the QC BBS. (email
jerry@pro-quality.cts.com for details).
Q: Is the Apple // dead?
A: Old computers never die, they just get upgraded. Ok, ok, maybe not. But as
long as the computer is still useful to you, it is not dead. In fact, despite
the lack of advertising, there are some people at Apple supporting the II.
Consider that this year alone, we have a new GS/OS, an improved HyperCard, a
new ProDos (Don't expect V2.0, they said), a High Density 3.5" drive and
controller, and an announcement for an EtherTalk card. Hmmmm... (and it's not
all GS stuff either)
Q: Yes, but isn't the Apple // wimpy? Isn't it old technology? Isn't 1 MHz
slow in today's computer world?
A: You don't always need a 50 MHz computer to do word processing, or a 3-D
relational spreadsheet to do checkbook balancing. Of course, I wouldn't use
my Apple to run Mathmatica. Use the right tool for the job. The Apple // is
simple enough that one can take total control of it. Write directly to to
screen. Re-write the operating system. Do cool hardware hacks with it. Write
a simple basic 'guess-the-number' game. Whatever. The point is that many
programmers write software for the Apple // because it is FUN as well as
challenging.
As for the 'old' bit: the IBM PC was released well over a decade ago too.
The GS is to an Apple II+ as the IBM 486 is to the IBM XT. (Ok, so maybe
that's stretching it a bit). As for speed, you can't directly compare those
because the underlying processors are different. The Apple gets more done in
1 clock cycle than the IBM processor. Really, the only speed that matters is
REAL time. Windows and fancy graphics can really load a computer down. Even
though hardware is getting faster and better, software is getting larger and
slower. You can't win. Compare the time to start up the following word
processors: FrameMaker on a Sun SparcStation w/X-windows (30 seconds), M.S.
Word on a Mac w/System 7 (2 seconds) classic AppleWorks (instantly --I have a
RamFast ;).
Topic: System 6.0 mini-FAQ
==========================================
Subtopic: Common Problems
------------------------------------------
Some programs are incompatible with CloseView. Symptoms are the mouse
wipes out everything it moves over. Remove CloseView or inactivate it in the
system folder. May still cause troubles if active, but set to 'off'. See GS
Technote #91.
EasyAccess is also incompatible with some applications, (especially on
ROM 01). Symptoms are a locked keyboard, and not being able to reboot. Remove
it or make it inactive.
Missing features of system 6? Perhaps you just used easy install, which
doesn't install all the bells and whistles. Try clicking on customize and add
the nifty things like Calculator, Find File, HFS FST, etc. You can also read
the Shortcuts file on SystemTools2 for some great keyboard shortcuts.
Finder icons that match by name and have a leading wildcard require
uppercase letters. For example, a name like "*.txt" never matches, but
"*.TXT" works fine (it matches regardless of a file's actual capitalization).
(This was accidental; the 5.0.4 Finder did not care about capitalization in
icon files.)
Two misconceptions about System 6: The A2.RAMCARD is not for the GS's
/RAM5. It only works with "slinky" (i.e. standard slot) cards. Also, the DOS
3.3 FST has nothing to do with MS-DOS.
Subtopic: Tips & Hints
------------------------------------------
The AppleShare logon programs have always looked for a folder named
"Mail" inside your user folder whenever you log onto a user volume. If
there's any items in there, they present a dialog that says "You have mail."
Under SSW 6.0, that also sends a SysBeep2 request so you can get the sound of
your choice.
If you don't want to see your icons on boot, set bit 1 (i.e. the 2nd LSB)
of BRAM Location $5F. Be sure not to mess with the other bits. Use the
toolbox calls!
The FinderExtras folder goes in the same folder as the Finder (generally
*:System).
If you don't like yellow folders in the Finder you can change the byte at
offset +65 in the Finder resource with type $C001 and ID 1. Change the $E0 to
whatever you want (the first digit is the default folder foreground color,
and the low nibble is for the outline color). Only folders that do *not*
already have a color recorded in a Finder.Data file get the default color.
Subtopic: If you have a RamFast
------------------------------------------
The RamFast and ProDos 2.0.1 both try to do re-mapping of drives to
unused slots. This can cause problems, mostly when launching and returning
from ProDos 8 applications (crashes or wants you to insert disk). Solution:
Configure the RamFast not to re-map. If you have a RamFAST with a ROM
revision less than 2.01a, you need to get a newer ROM from CVT. Otherwise,
V2.01c allows setting Slot Priority Allocations to 0 which will let ProDos
deal with them. V3.0 allows you to choose between RamFast mapping (works now)
and ProDos 8 mapping. If you can't wait, you can Patch ProDos 2.0 not to
re-map slots. Look for "10 BF C9 A5 D0 07" and change the $A5 to $00 (should
be byte $1A3 in the 5th block of the file). Hack at your own risk.
Subtopic: If you have a Vulcan or AE High Density disk
------------------------------------------
Due to problems with the Vulcan, when booting, it asks for your System
Disk. Just put the Vulcan driver on your boot disk, boot it, and then launch
the installer. Alternately, put the driver on the installer disk and boot it.
(but you have to delete some of the installer scripts first) For the AE High
Density Drive, be sure to remove Apple's 3.5" driver when putting on AE's.
Subtopic: If you have ProSel
------------------------------------------
Rename start to something else before running the installer, or else the
Finder won't be installed. Believe me, you don't want to miss out on Finder
6.0!
Subtopic: If you have an AMR 3.5"
------------------------------------------
If the computer hangs (mostly at the Standard File dialogue box) with no
disk in the drive, try putting one in. What's happening is that GS is reading
the status from the drive, and the drive won't return anything unless there
is a disk in the drive. Just stick a disk in and all will be fine. If it
really annoys you, either deactive the 3.5" driver (get IR so you can
double-click to re-activate it) or simply keep a disk in the drive at all
times. This is not a problem under ProDos 8.
Subtopic: GSCII+ & HFS Note
------------------------------------------
There is a problem with the HFS FST, but only GSCII seems to be affected.
When de-binscii-ing files, put the output onto a ProDos volume, not an HFS
one.
[ Mega-thanks to Dave Lyons & friends for these. ]
Topic: What to do with an Apple ][?
==========================================
Q: What can you hook up to an Apple ][?
A: Hard Drives, Scanners, Video Digitizers, Laser Printers, Video Overlay
Cards, Tape backups, Inkjet Printers, 24 pin Dot Matrix Printers, EPROM
Burners, AppleTalk Networks, High Density 3.5" drives, serial cards, parallel
cards, audio Digitizers, CP/M boards (Z-80 processor), an IBM-on-a-card, 9600
baud modems, D/A and A/D cards, joysticks, mice, graphics tablets, touch
screens, extended keyboards, track balls, several Megabytes of RAM, Real-time
clocks, (cheap) IBM disk drives and of course, Users!
This list is by no means exhaustive: This is just what I personally have
done. All of it is available NOW, and can be done on any Apple //e. In the
very near future, you will be able to hook up:
EitherTalk Networks, DSP boards, and cheap FAX modems.
Q: What can you do with an Apple ][?
A: As if the above weren't impressive, how about: Optical Character
recognition, Desktop publishing, Integrated Spread sheet, Database and Word
Processing, Interactive fiction adventure games, Arcade quality games,
Educational games, Programming, Telecommunications, Inventory, Accounting,
Money Management, and that's not even scratching the surface.
Q: What can the //e can "borrow" from other computers? (w/the right software)
A: GS bitmapped fonts, Mac Disks, MacPaint pictures, GIF pictures, just about
any Mac SCSI device (Hard Drives, Tape backup), Mac sounds?, many archive
formats (like uudecode), any serial device (EPROM burners, FAX modems,
mega-fast modems w/ MNP5), etc.
Q: What can the GS can "borrow" from other computers? (w/the right software)
A: Mac bitmapped fonts, Mac Icons, Mac and Windows TrueType fonts, Mac Disks,
Amiga Mod songs, MacPaint pictures, MacWrite documents, GIF pictures,
WordPerfect documents, just about any Mac SCSI or ADB device (including Hard
Drives, Pen Mice, etc), Mac sounds, Many archive formats (.uu, .zip, .arc,
.sit, .hqx, etc), any serial device (EPROM burners, FAX modems, mega- fast
modems w/hardware MNP-5), etc.
If you are interested in doing any of the above, feel free to e-mail me
(dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu). Someday, maybe I'll fill in the specific
software or hardware you need to do any of the above. If you have any
additions, let me know too!
Topic: Resources for the Apple II:
==========================================
Listed below are some places to get information about the Apple II. You
can also try your local user group (and the user group library), friends,
relatives, library, school, FTP sites, etc.
To find the closest Apple II (or Macintosh) User Group near you, contact:
The Apple User Group Connection Phone:
Apple Computer, Inc. (800) 538-9696, extension 500
20525 Mariani Avenue, MS:36-AA
Cupertino, CA 95014
InCider/A+ is a monthly Apple II/Macintosh magazine. Although their Apple
II coverage is shaky at best, you can find a lot of Apple II ads in there.
InCider/A+
P.O. Box 56818
Boulder, CO 80322-8618
A2-Central is a tiny monthly publication, but it is packed with
information. It has technical discussions and philosophical discussions. It
is also available on disk, with many PD/SW programs each month. They also
publish many monthly disks, including ones for HyperStudio users, TimeOut
users, HyperCard users, and probably others. All are on 3.5" disk only. They
also have taken over APDA's job of keeping the latest and greatest from Apple
and some 3rd party vendors. They have programming tools and manuals not
available anywhere else (like the Video Overlay Card Development kit, Tool
35/SynthLab docs, etc).
A2-Central (913) 469-6502
P.O. Box 11250 (913) 469-6507 (FAX)
Overland Park, KS 66207
GEnie: A2-CENTRAL, UNCLE-DOS, or DENNIS.DOMS
Apple Programmers and Developers Association (APDA) produces the Develop
CD, a great resource if you have access to a CD player. APDA (800) 282-2732
Apple Computer, Inc. 20525 Mariani Ave, MS:75-2C Cupertino, CA 95014
You can become an associate in the Apple Developer Program for $350 (for
Mac and Apple II) or a mere $150 (for Apple II only) by calling
1-408-974-4897. That gets you Develop magazine, Apple Technical notes, the
Apple Developer CD, discounts on Apple products, and more! If you want to
license Apple Software for distribution with your product you can get
information by calling 1-408-974-4667. (Note: You need a license to
distribute Apple System Software, including ProDOS, and the Installer.)
Apple has a toll-free customer assistance line for handling sales
questions and user concerns. This toll-free line is not designed to be a
technical support hotline, but instead is an extension to the comprehensive
Apple customer relations effort. The Customer Assistance Center is open
Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific time by dialing
1-800-776-2333.
GS+ is published bi-monthly, as a magazine and as an accompanying disk.
They are a great source for unique programs, which are not available anywhere
else. They also have reviews of new software. Of course, it's GS specific.
GS+ Magazine (800) 662-3634 (orders only)
c/o EGO Systems (615) 843-3988 9am-6pm M-F EST
P.O. Box 15366 (913) 469-6507 (FAX)
Chattanooga, Tennessee 37415-0366
Aol: GSPlusDiz Delphi: GSPlusDiz GEnie: JWANKERL
Internet: jwankerl@pro-gonzo.cts.com
Hyperstudio Network is a quarterly newsletter about HyperStudio. They put
out an annual 'Best of HyperStudio' disk of stacks, and have discounts on
HyperStudio accessories. They even do some teacher-oriented stuff.
HyperStudio Network Phone:
Box 103 (609) 446-3196
Blawenburg, NJ 08504
II Sysops is a bi-monthly newsletter for Bulletin Board System Operators.
It explores every aspect of running a BBS, from the technical issues, to
legal issues, to sysop policy. They even have board-by-board news on the
major BBS's.
II Sysops
P.O. Box 720
Eldersburg, MD 21784
The Road Apple - An Apple // "End Users" Underground Newsletter.
Published bi-monthly.
1121 NE 177th, Suite B Phone:
Portland, OR 97230 (503) 254-3874.
Computist is a publication devoted to gathering and distributing
information on removing copy protection from Apple II software.
P.O. Box 110846
Tacoma, WA 98411
Softdisk and Softdisk GS - monthly disk magazines containing a variety of
software (PD/SW, clip art, reviews, etc). Softdisk is available on 5.25" or
3.5" disks. Softdisk GS is available only on 3.5" disks.
Softdisk Publishing Phone:
P.O. Box 30008 (800) 831-2694
Shreveport, LA 71130-0008 (318) 221-8718
AOL: zak Internet: zak@aol.com
USUS is an international non-profit organization dedicated to promoting
and influencing software standards to aid in the development of portable
software. They have a large software library including a lot of source code
(for almost every language or computer).
Keith Frederick (Secretary), USUS Inc.,
P.O. Box 1148
La Jolla, CA 92038
Night Owl makes a slide-on battery for ROM 01 GS's.
Nite Owl Productions Phone:
Slide-On Battery Dept. (913) 362-9898
5734 Lamar Street
Mission, KS 66202
Redmond cable makes and sells all sorts of custom cables.
Redmond Cable Corporation Phone:
17371-A1 NE 67th Ct (206) 882-2009.
Redmond, WA 98052,
Quality Computers not only sells Apple II products, but maintains a list
of user groups and publishes an informative newsletter geared towards
educators (called Enhance). To get a QC catalog and a free subscription to
Enhance, just call or write.
Quality Computers (800) 777-ENHAnce
20200 E. 9 Mile Road (313) 774-7200 (International)
Box 665 (313) 774-2698 (FAX)
St. Clair Shores, MI 48080 (313) 774-7740 (Technical Support)
NAUG, the National AppleWorks Users Group is a group devoted to that
wonder program, AppleWorks.
NAUG (313) 454-1115
Box 87453 (313) 454-1965 FAX
Canton, Michigan 48187 (615) 359-8238 BBS
A new ShareWare-Fee payment service has been established:
Some Assembly Required
1132 Adelaide St. N. #719
London, Ontario N5Y 2N8
Canada
shareware@uwo.ca or hackett@gaul.csd.uwo.ca
(More resources to be added as I think of them. Email suggestions to
dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu. as always, let me know of any mistakes, updates,
corrections, additions, etc.)
Topic: General guidelines on How To Troubleshoot
==========================================
First, resist the temptation to install all your new toys at once. Take it
one step at a time and test everything after adding each item.
Leave the computer plugged in, but turned off when installing cards. Touch
the power supply before and often during your work. Better yet, use a
wrist strap tied to ground through a 1 Megaohm resistor.
When asking others for help, it is essential to know the EXACT error message
you are getting. Also, be as specific as possible. Saying "It did not
work" or "I could not get any farther" is not helpful. Exactly which
screen did it stop at? Does it respond to any input at all? What had you
done up to that point? Is it reproducible any other way?
Make sure you have the required components for the program. Does it require
an Enhanced //e? More RAM? A separate boot disk?
Never use your original disks. Make a backups and store the write-protected
originals in a safe place.
Be sure to keep your disks away from stray magnetic fields emanating from
phones, monitors and speakers.
If you have an accelerator, try to disable it or take it out entirely. It may
not be compatible with the new item.
Is the problem re-producible? If so, what are the MINIMUM actions to
reproduce it?
Check all your cable connections. Do not disconnect or connect any cables
with the computer on.
Try pulling out other cards and disconnect your joystick. If you have a lot
of cards, you might consider a Heavy-Duty Power Supply from A.E. It
supplies 6 Amps instead of a measly 2.5 Amps. Test the power supply with
a voltmeter while the computer is on.
Call the manufacturer to see if there is an upgrade or a fix.
Subtopic: Trouble shooting and good maintenance
------------------------------------------
Try the system test: hold down the Control key, the Open Apple key, and the
Option (or Solid Apple) key. Then press and release Reset. Lastly, let up
on the other keys. Sit back and 'Watchen Der Blinken Lighten.'
Most RAM cards come with a memory tester. Try running it in continuous mode
for several hours, even if your RAM seems to be working.
Write down your configuration when you have it working (for future
reference).
Verify your disk(s) with Copy ][+ or the Finder to see if you have any bad
blocks.
Subtopic: GS Trouble shooting
------------------------------------------
Check your control panel settings: What is the startup slot set to? Is the
slot set to "Your Card"? Check your RAM disk setting. Is it taking up all
your memory? Try setting the speed to normal if it's a non-GS program.
Take out or disable your INITS, CDAs, NDAs, and CDEVS. (With System 6, just
hold down Shift while booting).
If you have a hard disk, try booting from a System Disk and/or re-install the
latest system software. Many random problems can be traced to corrupted
or improperly installed system software.
Never connect/disconnect an ADB device when the computer is on.
AppleWorks GS comes with a memory tester (try it).
The TransWarp GS has a continuous test on the CDA (try it too).
Topic: SCSI
==========================================
SCSI is a protocol (kind of like serial or parallel) that lets you hook
up several devices (up to 8) on a SCSI bus (a bus is just a series of wires).
You must give each device it's own unique ID number from 0-7. The SCSI card
is usually set to 7. There are two types of SCSI cables: the 50 pin
Centronics-type (like on parallel printers) or the 25-pin "D" connector. The
50-pin is the SCSI standard, the 25-pin is the Apple standard. On a SCSI
chain, there must be a Terminator at each end. A Terminator is just a bunch
of resistors. Some drives have internal terminators (3 small yellow-orange
packs), and some drives come with an external terminator (a "plug" to put on
the back of the drive). Also, somebody on the bus must supply terminator
power (one of the SCSI lines). If There are any problems (multiple things
with the same ID, too much termination or not enough, or no terminator
power), you may be able to use the drive, but your data will get corrupted.
Most of the time, the computer will refuse to recognize the drive.
At first, there was the Apple Rev 'C' SCSI card (named after the final
ROM version--all previous versions MUST be upgraded to work with current
software). There were several clones from the likes of CMS and Chinook. Then
Apple came out with it's High Speed DMA SCSI card. This has the ability to do
Direct Memory Access to the RAM in your computer, which speeds things up.
This created a lot of problems with cards that were not DMA compatible. CV
Technologies also has a DMA SCSI card called the RamFast. This card has 256K
or 1MB of on-board RAM to make it even faster than Apple's card. It can also
supply terminator power if you drive does not supply it. Both of the new
cards support things like SCSI tape backup units, removable SCSI drives, SCSI
CD-ROM, and of course SCSI hard drives. Both the new cards also require an
Enhanced //e.
Subtopic: Tips on setting up a SCSI system:
------------------------------------------
You can have multiple drives on one SCSI card, just make sure you remove the
termination on all the drives but the last one. This is because the newer
SCSI cards are terminated (and they count as a SCSI device).
Always check that the cords are plugged in properly. Never connect/disconnect
anything when the computer is on.
The computer will boot the hard drive with the highest SCSI ID, which should
be ID 6.
Try letting the drive 'warm up' for 15 seconds before turning the computer
on. The SCSI cards look for drives only at startup, and may ignore any
drives that are not ready.
Try turning off DMA. If this helps, you may have a non-DMA compatible card,
such as the early versions of the TransWarp, early versions of the GS
RAM, or any 8-bit accelerator.
Check that each device has a unique ID. Most drives have a thumbwheel on the
back to set the ID. Your SCSI card (yes, it counts too) is probably ID 7.
Number your drives from 6 downwards for best compatibility. The IDs have
nothing to do with what slot the card is in.
Is there a terminator at each end of the SCSI bus? (the DMA cards are
terminated, and some drives are internally terminated.)
Try the software that came with the card. It may give helpful diagnostic
messages (I.E. the Apple DMA SCSI utilities-- Does it say "No Apple SCSI
card found" or "No SCSI devices found"?)
Do you get the message "Unable to Load ProDos"? If so, it's booting your
drive but you have no system software on it. Try hitting Control-Reset,
then PR#5 (or PR#6) to boot a floppy. Then install the system software
(i.e. ProDos or GS/OS).
In extreme cases, try reformatting the drive, repartitioning, and
re-installing the System software.
If the drive access light blinks in a regular pattern before the computer is
turned on, it is telling you that it has a hardware malfunction. It needs
to be serviced.
Did you try re-installing the System software? Many times, the data on a
drive will get corrupted if you run the drive with improper terminators
or conflicting SCSI ID's. Sometimes you will not notice the corrupted
data until after you fix the problem. If re-installing the System
software helps, it was probably a software problem, not a hardware
problem.
The Apple HS DMA SCSI card requires an Enhanced //e. It will not work on the
older //e without an Enhancement Kit.
To really put a drive through it's paces, copy a LOT of stuff from one
partition to another (copy the entire partition if you can). If there is
a problem with DMA or SCSI ID's, it will probably show up as a strange
GS/OS error. (GS only)
Make sure you do not have the Apple SCSI drivers installed if you have a
RamFast. It may cause random problems (they leave an interrupt handler
dangling if they can't find their card.) (GS only)
Make sure you are booting the right slot. If the card is in slot 7, you can
set the startup slot to Scan or 7. (GS only)
If you boot up and only 1 partition shows up, you need to install the SCSI
drivers. (GS only)
If you boot up and it says "Drive XXX is already on the desktop" over and
over: Probably a SCSI ID problem. (GS only)
If you add a CD-ROM, drivers are avaliable from Trantor Systems LTD, 5415
Randall Place, Fremont, CA 94538 (415)770-1400 (GS only)
Watch this space for info on flopticals...
======================================================================
This FAQ is available on-line at apple2.archive.umich.edu and via AFS
(in /afs/umich.edu/group/itd/archive/apple2). Permission granted to
copy portions into non-profit User Group newsletters.
This FAQ is also in transition. Any additions/corrections/suggestions
would be appreciated. Also, if this FAQ has helped you, e-mail me
and let me know!
Dan DeMaggio (dmag@caen.engin.umich.edu)