Internet - Technical

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4. Technicalities

4.1. Requirements for your Machine

The software listed below can be used on a Macintosh or a PC. Installing software for Unix machines is more difficult and should be left to a local systems administrator; however, publicly accessible internet sites are given so that you can test the various services as well, without going through any installation process.

For a Macintosh, your machine must have access to the Internet, and must have MacTCP installed. For details on MacTCP, refer to a local systems administrator.

For IBM compatibles, your machine must have access to the Internet, and must have Novell's Lan Workplace installed. For details on Lan Workplace, refer to a local systems administrator. (All IBM software is also available for so-called packet-driven TCP/IP access, but installation varies for different network types. You may want to experiment with the publicly accessible Ftp sites to find the necessary software yourself, or ask your local systems administrator.)

4.2. Where to Get the Software

All of the following software is free or requires a small fee after using the program for a period of time. I do not claim that the software is the best available. It is simply easy to obtain, easy to use, and cheap. If you are interested in any of these programs, you can upload the package via Ftp (see example below). If Ftp access is too difficult, you can write to me and I will send you the necessary programs at a nominal charge.

        Macintosh - MacTCP           IBM - Novell

Telnet  Ftp:  ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu      built-in 
        Dir:  Telnet/mac/Telnet2.5
        Name: Telnet2.5sit.hqx

Ftp     Ftp:  dartmouth.edu
        Dir:  pub/mac
        Name: Fetch-2.1.sit.hqx

Usenet  Ftp:  sumex-aim.stanford.edu   Ftp:  ftp.utas.edu.au
        Dir:  info-mac/comm}           Dir:  pc/trumpet/lwp-version
        Name: the-news-224.hqx}        Name: newslwp.zip

Gopher  Ftp:  sumex-aim.stanford.edu   Ftp:  boombox.micro.umn.edu
        Dir:  info-mac/comm            Dir:  pub/gopher/incoming
        Name: turbo-gopher-105.hqx     Name: gopher.exe and gopher.doc

WAIS    Ftp:  think.com                no working program found
        Dir:  public/wais
        Name: wais-for-mac-1.1.sea.hqx

IRC     Ftp:  sumex-aim.stanford.edu   Ftp:  ftp.utas.edu.au
        Dir:  info-mac/comm            Dir:  pc/trumpet/lwp-version
        Name: ircle-135.hqx            Name: irclwp.zip

To obtain, for example, the program TurboGopher for a Macintosh, you would do the following:

Find a machine that has Ftp installed (most Unix systems) and login.

Type: ftp
Type: open sumex-aim.stanford.edu
Tpye: anonymous (when asked for a user name)
Type: -guest (when asked for a password)
Type: cd info-mac/comm (to change to the appropriate directory)
Type: dir turbo* (to see if the file is actually there, and check the version)
Type: binary (to change to binary mode for uploading programs)
Type: get turbo-gopher-105.hqx (to upload the file to your computer)

You now need to get that file to your Macintosh computer and convert it properly. Ask yoursystems administrator how to do that.

Similar client programs are also available for Unix-based computers. However, they usually have to be compiled before they can be used, and installation should be left to the local systems administrator.

There are specialized Telnet sites which allow access to the services mentioned above without requiring a client program (other than Telnet). Below is a list of sites, the services they offer, and how to login. Other sites may offer similar services.

Service    How to reach it                     Notes

Usenet     rn or nn                            on many local Unix machines
Gopher     telnet ux1.cso.uiuc.edu             login as: gopher
WAIS       telnet sunsite.unc.edu              login as: swais
IRC        telnet tiger.itc.univie.ac.at 6668  no login necessary
Archie     telnet archie.sura.net              login as: qarchie

4.3. Where to Find the Servers

If you installed the client software you will need the address of a server. It is usually best to use a server that is located geographically close to you. Ask your local systems administrator for more information. To start, however, here are some selected servers:

Service    Address (selected)

Usenet     usenet.coe.montana.edu
           news.yale.edu
           sol.ctr.columbia.edu
           quip.eecs.umich.edu (Posting OK)
           news.fu-berlin.de (Germany)
Gopher     gopher.tc.umn.edu (University of Minnesota - General)
           e-math.ams.org (AMS Gopher - Math. Interest)
           gopher.math.lsa.umich.edu (Univ. of Michigan - Math)                          
           laurel.euromath.dk (Euromath Gopher in Denmark)
           begbick.law.cornell.edu (Cornell Law School - Experimental)
WAIS       usually provided with client program
IRC        csd.bu.edu
           ucsu.colorado.edu
           irc.caltech.edu
           sunsystem2.informatik.tu-muenchen.de (Germany)

4.4. How to Learn about more Services

Many other services are available through the Internet that could not be mentioned here. The best way to find out about them is by using the Internet itself. Use either Gopher or WAIS to locate documents describing whatever it is you might be interested in. Chances are, it is available somewhere on the Internet. You can also use either of these services to find client software for Archie, Finger, Talk, and other programs.

Some fun services available are (it is left as an exercise to find out how to access them):

Weather Info: get an update about current weather forecasts \par
Sports Info: find out how the Mets are doing \par
NASA Info: check the time-table for the latest space shuttle missions \par
Supreme Court: obtain the exact wording of latest supreme court rulings \par
White House: obtain speeches and policy statements of President Clinton

Some documents that describe many more features of the Internet are:

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Internet
Internet Gold - Finding the Nuggets
Internet Users' Glossary
Introduction to Gopher
Merit's Cruise of the Internet
WAIS Introduction
What is the Internet - Working Draft, FYI
Zen and the Art of the Internet: A Beginner's Guide to the Internet

Search for these documents using Gopher or WAIS with appropriate keywords.

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