The Online World resources handbook

Practical tips http://home.eunet.no/~presno/bok/12.html
mailbox. Before doing that, you may have to navigate to a given file catalog (cd directory), and tell the
host that the transfer is to be binary (bin). Finally, start the transfer by entering a "GET file name"
command.
The file will be transferred to your local mailbox computer at high speed. When the transfer is
done, you logoff from the remote center to "get back" to your mailbox computer's prompt line.
Now, you can transfer the file to your personal computer using communications protocols like
Kermit, XMODEM, ZMODEM or whatever else is available.
Note: I usually prefer Lynx for retrieval jobs using URLs like you would use with Netscape, as in
"Lynx ftp://ftp.eunet.no/pub/text/online.txt".
Binary files transferred as text codes
If you do not have access to FTP or Lynx, you must use ordinary email for your binary transfers.
Usually, email through the Internet can only contain legal character codes (ASCII characters
between number 32 126). Most systems cannot transfer graphics or program files directly, since
these files normally contain binary codes (which are outside this ASCII character range).
The solution is to convert binary files to text codes using a utility program called UUENCODE. The
encoded file can be sent by ordinary email, as in this example:
From TRICKLE@VM1.NoDak.EDU Fri Aug 16 16:32:37 1991
Date: Fri, 16 Aug 1991 09:31:34 CDT
To: presno@eunet.no
Subject: Part 1/1 SIMTEL20.INF PD:
The file PD:SIMTEL20.INF has been uuencoded before
being sent. After combining the 1 parts with the mail headers
removed, you must run the file through a decode program.
Part 1 of 1
begin 600 SIMTEL20.INF
M6T9I;&4Z(% )351%3#(P+DE.1B`@("`@("`@("`@("`@("`@("!,87 T(')E
M=FES960Z($IU;F4@,C@L(#$Y.3%=#0H "B`@(%M.;W1E.B!$=64@=&\@9&ES
M:6P "AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:
M&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:
6&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&AH:&@(Z
end
End of part 1 of 1
When you receive a message with uuencoded text, download it to your personal computer's hard disk.
Use an editor to cut out the codes and paste them to an empty work file. Using the example above,
the first line in your work file should contain:
begin 600 SIMTEL20.INF
The last line of your work file should contain
end
Now, use a utility program called UUDECODE to convert the file back to its binary form (or whatever).
More information about uuencoding and uudecoding is given in the MSDOS1 file mentioned above
(for MS DOS computers). It has a detailed explanation, BASIC source code for making the program
UUDECODE.COM, and a DEBUG script for those preferring that.
Versions of UUDECODE are also available for other types of computers.
Transfer of pictures
In 1992, Denis Pchelkin (Protvino, Russia) was 11 years old, had two cats and one dog, and was a
famous contributor of beautiful computer graphics art to the Kidlink project.
The file ART019 in the KIDART catalog of the North Dakota center contains one of his creations.
It is a UUENCODEd picture in GIF graphics format.
Retrieve Denis' art by sending a command to listserv@listserv.nodak.edu. Put the following in the
TEXT of your message:
GET KIDART.ART019
The LISTSERVer will return a message filled with strange uu codes. We assume that you have
already retrieved the MSDOS1 file, and that you have a version of the conversion program. Your next
step is UUdecoding:
Read the message into an editor or a viewing program. Cut and paste the codes to a work file.
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