Hopkins In Cyberspace

By Mike Field

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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.

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     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.