Hopkins In Cyberspace By Mike Field ***************************************************************** Does this column help? What cyberspace questions would you like answered? Please e-mail comments and suggestions to us at gazette@resource.ca.jhu.edu with "Cyberspace" in the subject line, or fax us at 516-5251. ***************************************************************** The last Cyberspace column (April 10) described the World Wide Web, an Internet connection that brings pictures, sounds and even video into your Apple Macintosh or IBM Windows-equipped computer. Accessing this wealth of interactive information on the Web requires a Web browser like Netscape, currently the most popular such program in use. This column will walk you through the process of loading Netscape from a remote source onto your own computer; those who already have Mosaic or a similar Web browser can go directly to Homewood Academic Computing's Shareware/Freeware directory at http://jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu/pub, where it should be possible to retrieve the Netscape program by the point-and-click method. The Windows version of Netscape is labeled ns16-100.exe, and can be found in the WINDOWS section of the pc-msdos_software directory. Apple users will want to retrieve Netscape1.1B3 by starting at the apple-mac_software directory then looking under Internet then World_Wide_Web. If you don't already have a Web browser such as Mosaic installed, you can retrieve the files through the gopher-to-ftp interface installed on JHUniverse. This will only work if the gopher software is resident on your machine. If, for instance, you telnet to a remote computer and then log on to JHUniverse, you will only succeed in transferring the Netscape software from JHUNIX, where it is stored, to a new account on the remote computer. That won't help at all. If you have gopher resident on your computer, call up JHUniverse and go to number 3, Search JHUniverse Menu Titles. Enter "Software Archive" at the search prompt. The first choice that will appear is HAC Software Archive and other Free Stuff, which is what we want. Hit return. This will give us the same choice of menus described above. Follow the appropriate path to either the Mac or Windows Netscape software and then hit return. A special menu, titled "Fetch Binary File," will appear on your screen. Make sure you note, at the bottom of the menu, the location the file is being transferred to, since you will need to find the file before you can inflate it. On a PC, for instance, the file will typically be transferred to C:\Gopher\*.* which is where we will look. Transfer the file by hitting return. When complete, leave JHUniverse. All Windows users, regardless of how they import the file, will need to create a temporary directory in their hard drive to house the compressed Netscape file. Let's call it Temp. From your C: prompt, type md temp, which means, in DOS language, make directory temp. Check to make sure it's there by typing cd\temp at the C: prompt--you should get C:\Temp> in response. You want to move the compressed Netscape file to this directory before you inflate it. Go to the directory where the Netscape file was placed and type dir to review the directory of files. You should find ns16-100.exe, which is our Netscape file. To move it, type the following at the prompt, omitting the final period which merely signifies the end of this sentence: copy /b ns16-100.exe /b C:\Temp /b/v. The final /v tells the computer to confirm the action; it should reply "1 file transferred" at the end of the action. If so, erase the file from the current directory by entering erase ns16-100.exe at the prompt. Now move to the C:\Temp prompt and follow the inflation directions below. If you cannot use Mosaic or Gopher to retrieve Netscape you will need to import it via anonymous ftp. Those unfamiliar with how to ftp should read previous Cyberspace columns describing the procedure. They are available on-line through JHUniverse by going to #12 Publications, then #1 Publications, then #4 The Gazette, and finally, #6 Cyberscope. Cyberspace columns are now arranged chronologically under the Cyberscope heading for easy reference. One additional note: you must have some kind of ftp software installed on your computer in order to retrieve Netscape in this manner. If you do not, contact your local computer support specialist and ask to have the appropriate software installed. Using anonymous ftp The folks at Netscape really want you to use their software package. They figure if enough people are connecting to the Internet through Netscape they will effectively set the industry standard, thereby enjoying the obvious benefits that come with market control. They have therefore packaged the Netscape software in a nifty self-importing file that installs itself in your computer with minimum fuss and muss. Imagine an inflatable raft with a canister of compressed air: you pull the rip cord and--phumpft!--instant raft. Installing Netscape is much the same. For Mac users with Fetch the whole process is relatively simple and straightforward, involving mostly point-and-click. But for PC users, it's a different matter. To retrieve the file via anonymous ftp, first make the Temp directory, then type cd temp which should bring the prompt C:\Temp> to your screen. You want to ftp from this prompt, so the file you retrieve will be stashed within this directory. From the C:\Temp prompt, type telnet jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu and log in anonymously (if this is a bit unfamiliar, review the ftp Cyberspace columns on JHUniverse before you begin). Once accepted in, you should get a Guest lftp> prompt. Type cd pc-msdos_software/WINDOWS, making sure to follow capitalization exactly. The computer will acknowledge this change of directory by responding "250 CWD command successful." You are now in the same directory where the inflatable Netscape file is kept (you can check this by typing dir to see the directory). Before you retrieve the file, however, you must tell your computer that we want to transfer a file, not text, and so will need to use binary protocol. If we fail to do so, the computer will still transfer our file, but in ASCII format, which in this case will render the file unusable (ASCII, remember, is used exclusively to move text around). At the ftp> prompt, type binary. The computer will acknowledge the change in format by responding 200 Type set to I. Now you're ready to retrieve the file. Type Get ns16-100.exe at the prompt. The machine will respond with several lines specifying how long the transfer takes (roughly 10 seconds or so) and concluding with "220 Transfer complete." End the ftp session by typing bye. Return to the C:\Temp> prompt. Type dir for the directory; the file named ns16-100.exe should be there. For all computer users, you are now at the point where we are ready to inflate. Type ns16-100 and hit return. You've now pulled the ripcord and Netscape will begin expanding. When the process is complete, there will be nine files in your Temp directory. To load Netscape on your machine permanently, type setup at the C:\Temp> prompt. The Netscape software will now walk you through the rest of the process, asking you questions and offering to let you read explanations along the way. When completed, you should be ready to use Netscape to surf the Net. Have fun.