MacFormat 1995 April/macformat-023.iso/Shareware City/Info/macintoshscreensaverfaq3.0.txt

Internet Message Format | 1994-12-20 | 144.1 KB | [TEXT/unix]

From: [e-mail]
Subject: Mac Screensaver FAQ 3.0 TEXT version
To: Distribute Mac stuff <[e-mail]>
Date: Sun, 20 Nov 1994 22:31:32 +0000 (GMT)

Here is more than anyone could possibly want to know about Mac
screensavers, with extensive information on Energy Star and DPMS,
Apple's screen- and energy-saving software and working with and
around it, and the commercial and shareware packages and fun modules.

This is the TEXT version, as FAQs, the contents of info-mac/info/sft,
and similar information sources are text-readable to be accessible as
possible.

L.

--
<[e-mail]>___SatCommsEngMSc___Voicex4233___buildingabetterfuturenow
<A HREF="http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Personal/L.Wood/index.html">Lloyd Wood</A>


Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps,comp.sys.mac.misc,comp.sys.mac.system,comp.answers,news.answers
Followup-To: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Macintosh Screensaver Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Expires: Fri, 30 Dec 1994 00:00:00 GMT
Summary: This posting contains a list of Frequently Asked Questions on
 Macintosh screensavers, with answers. Energy Star, power-saving monitors
 and modular screensavers for entertainment are discussed in depth. Before
 asking a question about screensavers in any of these newsgroups, please
 read this document and look for the answer to your question.
Keywords: FAQ, Macintosh, Mac, screensaver, After, Dark, monitor, screen, energy, star
Approved: [e-mail]

Archive-name: macintosh/screensaver-faq
Last-modified: 1994/11/19
Version: 3.0
Maintainer: [e-mail]




COMP.SYS.MAC FAQ: Screensaver/After Dark answers
================================================
   Version: 3.0
   Last updated: Saturday, 19 November 1994

   Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 Lloyd Wood <[e-mail]>.


   Not for physical or retail distribution without my express
   permission. See Copyright at end for full conditions of use.

   Web FAQ archive maintainers, please link to this FAQ as:

ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/info/Current_AfterDark_FAQ

   instead of storing an out-of-date text copy locally.
   Even better is to link to the screensaver site:

ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/index.html

   as that way you will access the full HTML version of this FAQ
   when it appears, instead of doing limited HTML conversion yourself
   on a locally-stored copy, which will require extra effort on your
   part, will soon be out of date, and may infringe my copyright by
   producing a derivative work without my permission as well.

   This FAQ is crossposted to most of the comp.sys.mac.* newsgroups
   on an irregular basis whenever it is updated. A copy should
   be found for anonymous ftp on sumex (info-mac) mirrors, in:

info-mac/info/sft/

   on umich mirrors, in:

mac-umich/misc/documentation/

   [I'm not giving full URLs for sites mirrored around the world, as
    I don't want to load one site unnecessarily. You should find the
    mirror site closest to you from the regular postings in the
    comp.sys.mac.digest newsgroup, and use that instead.]

   on the After Dark programmers' list ftp site in:

ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/info/

   and, of course, as it's a FAQ:

ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/Macintosh/screensaver-faq

   Email corrections and additions for this FAQ are always welcome,
   although asking a question already answered here will just get you
   an emailed copy of the FAQ - I don't repeat myself.

   Compuserve and ZiffNet/Mac users, email me on 72511,447 and avoid
   being billed extra for internet mail that shouldn't cost more.


   Despite the emphasis of this FAQ on After Dark modules, I have no
   connection with Berkeley Systems or any of the other commercial
   screensaver publishers, or with Apple Computer, other than as a
   user of their products. I'm not a contracted beta-tester of their
   products, and am not subject to non-disclosure agreements.
   This FAQ constitutes my independent analysis of Mac screensavers,
   based on talking to screensaver users and makers worldwide.

   I'm declaring the T-shirts Berkeley Systems and Bit Jugglers gave
   me for generously saving them a **fortune** in tech support at no
   charge, though. Nothing underhand here.

   [I welcome free clothing, and will wear it around a busy campus.
    I welcome sponsors for my degree course - any satellite or
    space engineers reading this? As a full-time student with bills,
    I am willing to consider commercial exploitation of any form.]





So what is a FAQ?
=================
   This is a FAQ - a Frequently Asked Questions list, in this case
   covering the esoteric topic of Macintosh screensavers. FAQs are
   written and posted to newsgroups to cut down on unnecessary
   repetition of questions that everyone, bar the questioner, who
   never reads the group regularly, knows the answers to by heart.
   There are FAQs on almost every topic imaginable.

   You can find many of the other FAQs in existence by:
   a. reading the *.answers newsgroups
   b. searching back through newsgroups for the title 'FAQ'
   c. ftp'ing to rtfm.mit.edu or one of its mirrors, or looking
      through it with Mosaic or gopher.

ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/

   If you don't know what ftp is, ask your systems administrator.
   If you don't know what 'rtfm' means, you really do need to read
   some FAQs. Start with news.announce.newusers.


   There are a number of Macintosh-specific FAQs, posted regularly
   in the comp.sys.mac.* newsgroups and archived on:
      rtfm.mit.edu and mirrors, in pub/usenet/news.answers/macintosh

   They can be found, along with other useful information files, In:
      sumex (info-mac) mirrors, in info-mac/info
      umich mirrors, in mac/misc/documentation

   If you have access to the World-Wide Web, you can look at the FAQs
   with Mosaic, MacWeb, lynx, or a similar browser, under one of the
   following URLs:

http://www.apple.com/

http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/hypertext/faq/usenet/macintosh/top.html

http://www.astro.nwu.edu/lentz/mac/faqs/home-faqs.html

   (I suggest the last one, as it's generally more up to date.)

   Anyone reading comp.sys.mac.whatever should have the courtesy
   to other readers to read through these FAQs regularly. Stay
   up-to-date on what's new. Check the relevant FAQ to see if the
   question you are about to ask has already been answered for you.





Easy questions and answers
==========================
   This FAQ list addresses problems Mac screensaver users may have.
   Rather than just answering common questions, it attempts to give
   enough background information to make more sense and rather more
   interesting reading.

   In doing that, this also answers some common questions new Mac
   users have. These questions have nothing to do with screensavers,
   but are asked so often it's worth pointing out that the answers
   are here for you to find using this handy index.

   Posting any of these questions is considered both lazy and rude.

   These common questions are:

   Where can I find Apple system software updates? See (15.0)
   What format are they in? How do I read it? What is a disk image,
   anyway? See (15.2).

   Where can I find Mac stuff? See (15.0)
   What do I need to interpret the files? See (17.0)
   How can I send stuff to these sites for others to get? See (16.0).

   Are viruses a problem on the Mac? How can I deal with them? See
   the entry for Virex-D under (12.2.2).

   What is Macsbug? Where can I find it? What do I do with it? How
   do I use it? See (12.2.1).

   Why are my General Controls colours black and white? How can I fix
   this? See the entry for Wallpaper under (12.4).

   How can I change the name of my hard disk? Why does my hard disk
   look like a blank page? How can I get colour floppy disk icons?
   See 'Other things FileTyper is useful for' at the end of (12.3).

   My PowerBook's hard disk spins down. Why doesn't my desktop
   Mac's? See (7.4).

   How can I get a picture of the screen? With the cursor and menus
   visible? See (12.8).

   Why does my monitor have a faint line across it? See (4.2).

   How do I get a working Brightness control panel? See (9.5).

   How can I read this MacWrite Pro file? See (10.1).





Contents of this FAQ
====================
   How do I use this FAQ? (0.0)
      I don't want to read all of this - what's important? (0.1)

   What do those abbreviations mean? (1.0)

   Do I **want** a screensaver? (2.0)

   Do I **need** a screensaver? (3.0)

   Monitor stuff (4.0)
      What monitor should I buy? (4.1)
      Why does my monitor have a faint line across it? (4.2)

   What screensaver is best for my PC? (5.0)

   What screensaver is best for my Mac? (6.0)
      for my brand-new PowerMac? (6.1)
      for my desktop Mac? (6.2)
      for my portable Mac? (6.3)
      for my Newton? (6.4)
      but I'm running A/UX! (6.5)
      for the lab network I maintain? (6.6)

   What is Energy Star, anyway? (7.0)
     How can I implement Energy Star on my computer? (7.1)
     by turning off the monitor (7.2)
     by turning off the computer (7.3)
     by spinning down the hard disk (7.4)


   What do these Apple system control panels do? (8.0)
     CPU Energy Saver (8.1)
     Auto Power On/Off (8.2)
     Screen (8.3)
     PowerBook Display (8.4)

   Strictly functional savers (9.0)
      Monitor Energy Saver (9.1)
         Why isn't it system software? (9.1.1)
         How can I make it work? (9.1.2)
         How can I make it sleep properly? (9.1.3)
         How can I shut off that BEEP BEEP BEEP? (9.1.4)
         How can I set sensible sleep times? (9.1.5)
      Radius Power Saver (9.2)
      Sleeper (9.3)
      Basic Black (9.4)
      Twilight (9.5)
      Connectix Desktop Utilities (9.6)

   Minutes of pointless fun (10.0)
      DarkSide of the Mac (10.1)
      Twilight Zone (10.2)
      The After Dark family (10.3)
         After Dark 1.x (10.3.1)
         After Dark 2.x (10.3.2)
            Why can't it sleep over 'You may now switch off...'? (10.3.2.1)
            Why can't it sleep on my networked Mac? (10.3.2.2)
            Help! I've forgotten my password! (10.3.2.3)
            Randomizer crashes my Mac! (10.3.2.4)
         After Dark 3.0 (10.3.3)
            Where can I get help with After Dark 3.0? (10.3.3.1)
            Quick tips (10.3.3.2)
            Help! I've forgotten my password! (10.3.3.3)
         Star Trek: The Screensaver (10.3.4)
            Why are my Star Trek modules out of memory? (10.3.4.1)
            How can I see all the pictures? (10.3.4.2)
         The Disney Collection (10.3.5)
            Why are my Disney modules out of memory? (10.3.5.1)
            Why does my sound level get reset? (10.3.5.2)
            Why does my IIvx/IIvi/Performa 600 crash? (10.3.5.3)
            How can I see all the pictures? (10.3.5.4)
         Marvel Screen Posters (10.3.6)
         Star Trek Screen Posters (10.3.7)
         The Simpsons (10.3.8)
         X-Men (10.3.9)
         Star Trek: The Next Generation (10.3.10)
      The UnderWare family (10.4)
         UnderWare (10.4.1)
         Kids World (10.4.2)
      The Intermission family (10.5)
         Intermission (10.5.1)
         Opus N Bill (10.5.2)
      Comedy Central CD-ROMs (10.6)
      NowFun! (10.7)
      ScreenSavor (10.8)
      Snoopy (10.9)
      Wallpaper Light and Dark (10.10)

   In need of trashing (11.0)
      Pyro! (11.1)
      Moire (11.2)

   Screensaver modules (12.0)
      Where can I get modules? (12.1)
         Downloading from archives (12.1.1)
         The book/disk packages (12.1.2)
      Why does my fun screensaver crash? (12.2)
         When I use Randomizer or MultiModule? (12.2.1)
         At other times? (12.2.2)
      My modules (and After Dark) lost their icons. Why? (12.3)
      Which of these modules is latest? (12.4)
      Which of these modules is which? (12.5)
      Where can I find a module that plays pictures at random? (12.6)
      Where can I find a module that plays PICS files? (12.7)
      How can I save my screensaver's picture? (12.8)

   Programming screensavers (13.0)
      How can I write my own screensaver? (13.1)
      Why write screensaver modules? (13.2)
         What's the contest worth? (13.2.1)
      How can I write modules? (13.3)
         for DarkSide of the Mac? (13.3.1)
         for After Dark 2.x compatibles? (13.3.2)
      Got any good ideas for writing modules? (13.4)
      How can I make my application screensaver-aware? (13.5)


   Interesting questions I get asked (14.0)
      What happened about those lawsuits? (14.1)
      If the screensaver is obsolete, why isn't it dead? (14.2)
      When is <insert rumour here> going to be released? (14.3)

   Where can I find all those files? (15.0)
      by ftp? (15.1)
      by gopher? (15.2)
      by the World-Wide Web? (15.3)
      by email? (15.4)

   How can I spread my files to the world? (16.0)

   I got that file you recommended. How do I open it? (17.0)

   Copyright

   Disclaimer





How do I use this FAQ? (0.0)
============================
   If you're new to Macs, start with (15.0) to (17.0). Otherwise,
   start with (2.0) and (3.0) to find out which parts are of interest
   to you.

   This FAQ is in setext format. The easiest way to read this on a Mac
   is to use Easy View, the setext browser made popular by TidBITS.

info-mac/text/easy-view-250.hqx

   Drop a copy of the TidBITS file included with Easy View in the
   same folder as the FAQ and open the copy. This breaks the FAQ into
   manageable sections and makes it easier to navigate. It looks best
   if you turn 'Use Styles' on.

   setext readers for DOS and unix are readily available:

ftp://ftp.bilkent.edu.tr/pub/local/setext/



I don't want to read all of this - what's important? (0.1)
----------------------------------------------------------
   3.0 was a major update from previous FAQ versions, so it's worth
   looking through the entire FAQ to see what's new. There's a number
   of things you do need to know about, though:

   What Energy Star is and does, and how to get it working
   properly on your Mac. See (7.0).

   What the Apple system software you already have does, so you know
   how to use it effectively. See (8.0).

   The most useful screensavers for your system. See (9.0).

   Are you having problems simply because you're not running a recent
   version of your favourite screensaver? Check the section on your
   screensaver and see how to update.

   Are you having problems with your fun screensaver crashing because
   some of your modules aren't written properly or are plain buggy?
   See (12.2).

   Get involved in programming screensavers - but avoid reinventing
   the wheel. See (13.0).



What do those abbreviations mean? (1.0)
=======================================
   Mac - Apple Macintosh computer,
         the world's premier screensaver platform.
   AD  - After Dark,
         a commercial screensaver package for the Mac from BSI.
   BSI - Berkeley Systems, Inc. The makers of AD.
         Not to be confused with the British Standards Institute.
   BJ  - Bit Jugglers,
         the makers of UW.
   CRT - Cathode Ray Tube,
         found in the traditional, box-like, monitor.
   DS  - DarkSide of the Mac,
         a freeware Mac screensaver that runs AD modules. Recommended.
   DPMS- Display Power Management System.
         The first phase of ES, often thought of **as** ES.
         Imminent death of the screensaver predicted. Honest.
   ES  - Energy Star.
         A US government programme to cut electricity demand.
         DPMS is the first stage; guidelines on overall system
         consumption and turning off systems have been produced.
   KW  - Kid's World
         A screensaver construction kit, from BJ, that includes UW.
   LCD - Liquid Crystal Display.
         No screensaver required - just turn off any backlighting.
   MAD - More After Dark,
         a commercial pack of extra AD modules from BSI.
   MES - Apple's Monitor Energy Saver.
         Partially and inconsistently implements ES on the Mac.
   QT  - QuickTime,
         Apple's free movie/picture/sound/time-handling extension.
   TZ  - Twilight Zone,
         a free application that runs AD modules in resizeable windows.
   URL - Uniform Resource Locator,
         a standard description of where information is and how to
         access it, implemented by the World-Wide Web.
   UW  - UnderWare,
         a commercial screensaver that can run AD modules on your
         desktop behind your windows. This makes it unique.






Do I **want** a screensaver? (2.0)
==================================
   Do you want to save on your electricity bill by using Energy Star?
   Read on, particularly (7.0).

   Do you want some privacy from others and protection for files on
   your computer, without making data impossible to retrieve?
   See what screensavers have passwording available in (9.0) and
   (10.0).

   Do you want to be entertained? You've come to the right place.
   Start with (9.0).





Do I **need** a screensaver? (3.0)
==================================
   Not for burn-in. Screen phosphor burn-in on modern CRTs is not the
   problem it once was, although it's still possible to burn in your
   menu bar or the 'You may now switch off your Mac' dialog after a
   **very** long time. You can avoid these problems by:

   1. Using Aurora to give a white-on-black menu-bar.

info-mac/gui/aurora-302.hqx

   2. Buying a soft-power Mac in the first place.

   You do need screensaving software to enable Energy-Star DPMS
   features. This software is somewhat different to the traditional
   screensaver. Using ES software will save you money on your
   electricity bills and make you feel good for being green.
   These two benefits far outweigh any perceived benefit from other
   screensavers, and should take precedence. See (7.0)

   If you lack an ES-compatible monitor or video output, you can turn
   your monitor off or use a simple screen blanker. Hardware devices
   that monitor ADB activity and switch your monitor off and on for
   you are available, and can pay for themselves in electricity
   savings - the Monitor Miser, from Inversion Developers,
   and the Ecoman are two such devices I've been told about, but have
   not seen. Check a catalogue.

   If you work with colour professionally, you may be worried about
   phosphor burning unevenly across the screen, resulting in slight
   colour variations - use a screen blanker. ES monitors can take a
   while to restore colour balance after they wake, so you won't like
   ES or switching your monitor off for that reason; most 21" monitors
   aren't ES-compliant, anyway. (Whenever uneven colour burn is
   mentioned, red phosphor is referred to. It may be that that the
   red phosphor is the most sensitive to burning, explaining the
   predominance of cyan in UnderWare and in several Disney modules.)

   For privacy, screensaver passwording gives a basic level of
   protection, but this can often be easily circumvented by shift-
   booting or by using a debugger. Not as good as most security
   packages, which often include hard-disk driver level passwording.

   Ask yourself whether you need to be entertained by your Mac when
   you're not using it - or would that be a frivolous waste of disk
   space and memory that will simply distract you from anything else
   you are doing?





Monitor stuff (4.0)
===================
   Getting asked questions about monitors goes with the territory.
   I've included some monitor-related information here, since these
   questions crop up a lot.



What monitor should I buy? (4.1)
--------------------------------
   If I was buying a monitor, I'd insist on the following features,
   ranked from most to least important:

   1. Multiscan. New Macs' video is very flexible; the new Display
      Enabler software allows you to change resolutions on the fly.

gopher://info.hed.apple.com/11/Apple.Support.Area/
          Apple.Software.Updates/Display&Display.Card.Software/

ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/
       Display & Display Card Software/

      Limiting that flexible video with a fixed-frequency monitor
      is wasteful, especially when the monitor will be useful to
      you far longer than the computer will.
      So, you want a multiscan or multisync monitor - don't limit
      yourself to looking at Apple's own, as they are not necessarily
      the best.
      I'd want to get 16" resolution (832x624) on a 14 or 15"
      multiscan monitor. At that screen size, higher resolutions
      aren't really readable without magnification, so I wouldn't
      worry about 19" (1024x768) or higher resolutions unless I was
      using a 17" monitor or larger. However, full-page editing with
      1024x768 is very useful, as is switching down to 640x480 for
      full-screen games that assume that everyone owns a 14" monitor.
      Monitors that allow you settings (such as horizontal shift) for
      each resolution are preferable.
      I'd make sure that the resolutions I want to use most often are
      displayed at 70Hz or above. Buying a cheap VGA monitor that
      does 640x480 at 60Hz is a recipe for bad eyeight.

   2. Guaranteed Mac compatibility without requiring a sense-pin
      adapter or sync-on-green adapter (the Liberty adapter allows
      you to use old monitors requiring sync-on-green with new Macs
      that don't generate it). Messing around with diodes to tell
      the Mac what resolutions the monitor supports is not everyone's
      cup of tea; the monitor should work correctly on your Mac
      **without** a clunky settings box between the two, supplied or
      not.

   3. DPMS (Energy-Star) compatibility. I want visual indication of
      the power mode via an LED - monitors, such as Samsung and Sony
      models, that have red and green LED combinations indicating
      what power mode they are in, get my vote, and make trouble-
      shooting problems with the MES from the other side of the
      planet much easier for me.
      Some monitors switch off their single power indicator LED when
      energy-saving, causing you to think that the monitor is turned
      off and to reach for the power button on your Mac. This is
      stupid; avoid buying one of these monitors.
      The monitor should support both standby and off modes, at the
      very least.
      Monitors that include their own energy-saving software score
      points for saving users configuration hassle. Radius includes
      its own Power Saver, and BSI's After Dark Starter Edition with
      Ecologic ES software is bundled with a number of monitors,
      including Nanao's FlexScan range.
      Apple includes the MES on the Display Software disks for its
      multiscan monitors, but since that's the MES, source of
      problems galore, the points scored are in fact negative.

   4. Trinitron. I prefer them for the sharp, bright picture,
      although some of the new flatter, squarer tubes come very
      close.

   5. A decent tilt-and-swivel stand. I had to buy one for my old
      Apple 13" monitor, and I still can't believe what Apple charged
      me for it. No, I can't believe I parted with that much money
      for it.

   I'm not too fussed about MPR-II compliance, as the jury is mostly
   out on the physical effects and MPR-II monitors tend to have less
   shielding, making them far more susceptible to interference from
   outside than older monitors. I'll take not having a headache
   from visible interference right now over the effects of cumulative
   cell damage twenty years from now any day.

   I'd compare monitors hooked up to Macs running side by side before
   buying. I'd take a tape measure too - the tube diagonal measurement
   refers to the entire tube, and not the visible area. Screen area
   can vary a lot in size, so check what you're paying for, and use
   the measurement to defend against sales pressures.
   ('Call this a 15" monitor? Look, it's only 13.5"! What do you mean
     by calling this a bargain?')

   Don't rely on reviews of monitor models - you're going to use the
   monitor day in, day out, so your opinion of the monitor in front
   of you is all that matters.



Why does my new monitor have a faint line across it? (4.2)
----------------------------------------------------------
   Because it's a Trinitron monitor. You paid good money to buy a
   monitor with a sharper display than a normal 'dot-pitch' monitor,
   and this is necessary for that sharper display. It's not a fault.

   'Normal' monitors have a metal 'shadow mask' which is punched with
   holes that the three guns shoot electrons through, to hit the
   blurry red/green/blue phosphor triads on the screen. A Trinitron
   is physically far simpler; a single gun shoots electrons between
   the thin vertical wires separating stripes of alternating-colour
   phosphor on the screen. Tap the side of a Trinitron monitor
   sharply, and you'll see those wires, and the picture, vibrate.

   That horizontal line is a bracing wire to keep the vertical
   wires in place. Larger Trinitrons have two. You'll get used to it;
   after a couple of weeks you'll stop noticing it.




What screensaver is best for my PC? (5.0)
=========================================
   With the plethora of video cards and operating systems on the PC,
   this is a very loaded question, and I simply don't have enough
   information to provide a comprehensive answer.

   ES implementation on PCs is not as standard or as consistent as
   on the Mac. Do not take this to mean that ES on the Mac is either
   standard or consistent - there's bad, there's worse, and there's
   damning with faint praise.

   Although Windows includes support for its own screensaver modules,
   they are very poor, so replacement modules, screensavers and
   modular screensavers are popular. And there's a lot of them.

   This FAQ does not cover the use of AD and compatibles on the
   Windows platform - they're entirely different beasts to their Mac
   counterparts. There is no easy way to convert between Windows and
   Mac AD modules without extensive rewriting of the source code -
   it's a job for the authors of that module, and few have experience
   of programming screensavers on both Windows **and** the Mac.
   Conversion jobs are often advertised on the programmers' mailing
   list. See (13.2).

   Like the Mac version, AD for Windows is now 3.0something, and
   you can get technical support for it by emailing BSI on
   <[e-mail]>.

   Anyone still using AD 2.0 for Windows should be using 2.0c or
   later - grab the 2.0c updater from BSI's ftp site, or from the
   WINAPC forum of Compuserve, ln library 4. Users of 2.0c and older
   can get a cheap upgrade to 3.0 - email BSI for further details of
   the procedure.

   Star Trek 1.0 users - email BSI about upgrading to Star Trek 1.0a
   for free. Don't use that 2.0c updater.

   After Dark for DOS users - 1.0e has been released. Changes from
   the original 1.0 are an updated installer to recognize more types
   of menu program, no need for an environment variable to run, and
   a fixed CLOCK.ADD, which works properly with daylight savings
   time. If these fixes affect you, email BSI about a free upgrade.

   Windows AD users should take a good look at

ftp://ftp.berksys.com/pub/AfterDark/win/

   for the electronic updater, helpfiles (using AD with OS/2, with
   Soundblaster, with true-colour video cards, with Delrina FaxPro,
   etc.), the programming package for those wishing to write Windows
   AD modules, and for other Windows and PC-related files, including
   third-party modules.

   [If someone is willing to put information on other PC screensavers
   together, I'd be glad to include it here.]





What screensaver is best for my Mac? (6.0)
==========================================
   This depends on what Mac model you are using - there is,
   unfortunately, no consistent answer for everything, although
   the Radius Power Saver comes closest for all desktop Macs.



for my brand-new PowerMac? (6.1)
--------------------------------
   All PowerMacs are DPMS-compliant, so the MES should be all you
   need, along with System 7.5 or the PowerMac 1.0.2 enabler for 7.1.

   The MES isn't native, but then neither is 99% of your operating
   system, so don't grumble about it. The MES doesn't impact on
   PowerMac performance in the slightest.

   The MES should have been in the 'Apple Extras' folder on your hard
   disk when you received your PowerMac, if it wasn't on the
   installer disk. Or get a copy from one of Apple's support sites.
   See (9.1).

   If you don't like the MES or can't get it to work satisfactorily,
   try the Radius Power Saver. See (9.2).

   You don't need a native screensaver, since a screensaver doesn't
   eat up a lot of CPU time anyway. However, in the interests of
   PowerMac users who worry needlessly about these things, and want
   to say 'Look! My Mac does nothing - **really** quickly!':

   Avoid AD 2.x, as this patches a lot of native QuickDraw traps with
   68K code, causing varying amounts of slowdown. Use DS instead,
   as it doesn't patch these traps. See (10.1).

   AD 3.0 doesn't have this problem, and even includes a native
   PowerMac-only rendered graphics module called Vista. Since AD 3.0
   includes Ecologic, a substitute for Apple's Energy Savers with a
   nicer interface but much the same code, you can buy it with a
   clear conscience if you so wish, but do read about its conflicts
   and problems first. See (10.3.3).

   There are 'fat' modules for DS already available.

info-mac/gui/ad/charlies-faders-ds.hqx

   Tom Dowdy has said that the forthcoming DS 5.0 will be fully fat,
   making modules like WaveTank far smoother.

   A number of AD-compatible screensavers supporting AD 3.0's new fat
   format are under development, although fat and native shareware
   modules are still very rare.

   Many old shareware modules are unlikely to ever be recompiled as fat,
   and would not benefit visibly even if they were.



for my desktop Mac? (6.2)
-------------------------
   If the Mac has an internal colour CRT, you want the Screen control
   panel, which came with your system software. See (8.3).

   Otherwise, the MES or similar. If you're running 7.0.1 or earlier,
   or your old Mac cannot switch video sync lines, a simple screen
   blanker will do; there are several good ones to choose from.
   See (9.0).



for my portable Mac? (6.3)
--------------------------
   If you own a Mac with an LCD display you are unlikely to need
   a conventional screensaver. You already have sleep mode. The LCD
   is not a phosphor display, and cannot suffer from phosphor burn.
   The only 'screensaver' you would be interested in is one that dims
   the backlight after a period of inactivity, to save power when
   running off the batteries while doing long computations -
   included in many PowerBook-specific utility packages. There's
   a basic no-frills one from an Apple staffer:

   ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/
          Utilities/Backlight Control 1.0.hqx

   Some LCDs can retain the colour they are set to, whether black or
   white, in a 'memory effect' that takes time to change, but does
   fade away. If you use a (probably unneeded) screensaver, it has
   been suggested that it should be one which flips all of the pixels
   regularly, to prevent this memory effect. This is unrelated to
   the ni-cad battery 'memory effect'. More information on both of
   these topics can be found in the PowerBook FAQs of the Mac
   newsgroups. Read through comp.sys.mac.portables.

   PowerBooks with external video ports can't use the MES, but they
   can use the PowerBook Display panel in an attempt to accomplish
   the same thing. Whether you want to is another question entirely.
   See (8.4).

   In Powerbook SCSI disk mode the backlight stays on, even though
   you're only using the PB as an external hard disk. The backlight is
   at its default level; this is a hardware design fault, and you're
   stuck with it. At least the screen is showing you the disk's SCSI
   ID, which is useful to know (avoid 0 and 7, as the other Mac is
   very likely to be using them).

   Apple recommends that the PowerBook not be used in the closed
   position in SCSI disk mode, as the backlight can cause overheating.
   Again, good hardware design would turn the backlight off when the
   case is closed.



for my Newton? (6.4)
--------------------
   Do you find the thought of a Newton running a screensaver silly?
   A waste of battery power, when it could go to sleep instead?

   Yes? Good. Bear that in mind when asking what your PowerBook
   should use.



but I'm running A/UX! (6.5)
---------------------------
   The MES doesn't work under A/UX, as different video drivers are
   present.

   You will want to use something to cover the login screen.
   So far Moire has been reported as the only screensaver doing
   this without complex installation. DS and other startup
   applications will never do this.

   Read through comp.unix.aux and see its FAQ for more information on
   these and other A/UX issues.



for the lab network I maintain? (6.6)
-------------------------------------
   Labs can use screensavers to indicate which Macs are not in use at
   the moment. First, look at the MES and the Radius Power Saver, and
   see if one of them  will benefit your setup.

   Educating your users about the MES and its waking habits will
   take some doing - they tend to wonder why the Mac is beeping and
   the screen is dead, and thump the reset button. I suggest putting
   up posters explaining this, just as you have put up posters that
   explain soft-power, shutting down, saving your work, ejecting
   disks, and a host of other things they just can't seem to figure
   out by themselves.

   DS, AD and the like are unsuitable for your needs, as they are far
   too configurable, distracting, noisy, and password features allow
   the possibility of locking up machines. You also want to prevent
   users from adding buggy modules which hang the Macs.

   If the MES isn't suitable, look at the standalone screensavers in:

info-mac/gui/

   Evaluate them all and choose a suitable one - the authors are open
   to customisation work (e.g. messages) for individual requirements
   and are happy to negotiate site licences to quiet your conscience.





What is Energy Star, anyway? (7.0)
==================================
   The US Energy Star programme from the Environmental Protection
   Agency is leading to the demise of the screensaver as unused
   monitors power themselves down. It aims to avoid building
   another twelve coal-fired stations in the US by 2000 just to
   supply energy to unused computers, and is gradually introducing
   pressure for low-power computers that turn unused parts off.

   Apart from turning off unused monitors automatically, ES
   specifies that all computers should use less than 30W when
   powersaving; this may be tightened in due course, and guidelines
   for fully turning off unused systems may be enforced.

   ES for monitors is also known as VESA-DPMS (Video Electronics
   Standards Association Display Power Management System, an acronym
   designed by a committee). Some manufacturers market this under
   their own names - for example, BSI call their implementation in
   AD 3.0, which includes CPU shutdown and wild estimations of the
   money you've saved on your electricity bill, 'Ecologic', not
   to be confused with a brand of Hoover washing machines.

   Running a screensaver, other than an Energy Star (ES) saver on an
   ES-compliant monitor and video output, or a backlight dimmer on an
   LCD, will not significantly decrease your screen's energy
   consumption.

   A completely black screensaver reduces power consumption on a
   standard non-ES monitor by only around 23% [Byte, Jan 1994, p204]
   and probably by less on the single-gun Trinitrons more common in
   the Mac world, whereas consumption is reduced by over 90% with an
   ES monitor, and by 100% by pressing the 'off' switch.

   A 'normal' animated pattern, fishtank or cartoon screensaver will
   not decrease CRT energy consumption, and doesn't do as good a
   job of saving your screen as a simple screen blanker.

   ES works by disabling the signals on the separate horizontal and
   vertical sync lines, on video outputs that are capable of
   switching this. An ES-compliant monitor detects this, and enters
   one of a series of low-power modes, depending on the sync signals:

   POWER MODE    H SYNC     V SYNC     RECOVERY TIME    POWER SAVINGS
   Active (on)    on         on          -               0%
   Standby        off        on          rapid           10-30%
   Suspend        on         off         slow            80-90%
   Off            off        off         slow            85-98%

   This is **signalling**. The computer says 'I have been idle long
   enough; monitor, go to sleep' and the monitor listens and obeys
   if it can. This has nothing to do with switching power, and you do
   not have to route the power for the monitor through a switched
   outlet on the back of the computer to get ES to work. This is a
   common fallacy.

   At the moment, the only ES requirement is for computers to implement
   support for Off, and for monitors to support Standby and Off. This
   may change in future. Blanking the screen in software is similar
   to Standby mode, anyway, and avoids problems with multisync monitors
   that don't support Standby trying to sync to a signal that isn't
   there, so running a software screen blanker in parallel with your
   ES saver is a good idea.

   A non-ES monitor has nothing to sync to, so it loses the picture,
   and goes black. On a non-ES setup, simply turn your monitor off
   when you're not using the Mac for some time. It's more convenient
   than going through lengthy shutdown and startup processes, saves
   energy, and protects your phosphor better than even a black-screen
   screensaver will. Remember that a conventional monitor uses far
   more energy than the Mac itself does.

   All new monitors should be ES-compliant - it should be stated
   on the packaging and on the back of the monitor.



How can I implement Energy Star on my computer? (7.1)
-----------------------------------------------------
   Ideally, you shouldn't have to; ES only applies to new equipment,
   and as the manufacturers are producing ES-compliant equipment, you
   just plug and play, right?

   Ah, no. There are variations in the implementations of the
   standard, which cause problems to be worked around. The hardware
   is often ES-compliant, but the manufacturers (Apple being a prime
   culprit) neglect to give you the software to enable this, so
   you need to find and install the software yourself.

   And retrofitting power saving to older computers to save users
   money holds little profit for the manufacturers, meaning
   you get to do it yourself.

   Hence one of the reasons for this FAQ.



by turning off the monitor (7.2)
--------------------------------
   Newer Macs (the LCIII and 4xx, the PowerMac, Quadra, Centris, and
   all their Performa equivalents) have internal video capable of
   switching off the sync lines, and capable of implementing DPMS
   with an ES-compliant monitor.

   However, they don't include the software to switch the lines for
   you, so you need to get it yourself. Apple has produced its own
   Monitor Energy Saver. MES 1.1 is now available online. See (9.1).

   However, the MES has problems. It doesn't always work; some would
   call it broken. It's not part of System 7.5 as a result. One
   freely available alternative is the Radius Power Saver. See (9.2).
   One of these should work for you. (NEC also produce similar
   software, not seen. More information welcome.)

   With one of these ES savers, you shouldn't need another
   screensaver. However, the ES savers don't implement support for
   the SAVR gestalt used by After Dark and compatibles, so
   applications don't know that the monitor has gone to sleep and
   continue to waste time drawing stuff to the screen, instead
   of simply refreshing the screen while the monitor wakes.

   Other screensavers can't detect an ES saver as yet, and will
   run even though they cannot be seen - although they can, somewhat
   disconcertingly, be heard. This is silly, and a 'stop
   animating and blank the screen when the MES comes on after x
   minutes' option is something the writers ought to add. After Dark
   3.0 is the exception here, as it already does this by including
   its own ES saver, licenced from the MES code.

   Since the ES savers implement full power off after fifteen or
   so minutes, and you don't want to be switching your monitor on and
   off more often than that, running a software screen blanker (that
   supports the After Dark gestalt) in parallel with the ES saver
   to give the equivalent of standby mode would appear to be a good
   idea. [I use DarkSide on its internal 'Blank Screen' option, which
   allows me a password, quitting to save memory, and running all
   those AD modules I have to test, too. Since 'Blank Screen' is
   internal to DS, there's never any disk activity on sleep.]




by turning off the computer (7.3)
---------------------------------
   This is where soft-power Macs have their day. Apple's CPU Energy
   Saver and Auto Power On/Off control panels do this - see (8.1) and
   (8.2) - but not particularly well.

   Apple is now bundling Connectix Desktop Utilities 1.0.4a with
   high-end Macs.
   [MacWeek_26/09/94, News: Apple to distribute Connectix Mode32]

   CDU does the job rather better, as you get a far better interface
   which works on more Macs. CDU can reload all documents on startup
   to put you back where you were, allowing the entire computer
   system to be switched off when you're not using it.
   [TidBITS 230_13-Jun-94 MailBITS]




by spinning down the hard disk (7.4)
------------------------------------
   Although the ES specification isn't yet tight enough to include
   this as standard, you may also want to consider saving even more
   energy and keeping your desktop Mac quiet by spinning down your
   hard disks when they are not in use - PowerBook System Software
   does this all the time to save on battery power. Although some
   drivers, such as Silverlining, include this feature, the standard
   Apple driver doesn't.

   Sleeper by Jon Gotow <[e-mail]> adds this facility,
   as well as including a gestalt-capable screen dimmer.

info-mac/gui/sleeper-102.hqx

   If you're using your Mac for filesharing, doing lots of
   intermittent disk access with something like AutoDoubler or
   DiskExpress, or insist on a new, randomly-chosen, AD module every
   few minutes, this will be of no use to you, and you'll find the
   many pauses as the disk spins back up irritating. If your Mac is
   on but idle, with no disk access, for long periods of time, you
   may find the silence a relief - and if you have to wait for an ES
   monitor to come back to life, the spin-up delay is less noticeable.

   Set a spin-down time of not less than half-an-hour.

   With AutoDoubler 2.0 and later, setting 999 minutes and using the
   'compress corner' on leaving your Mac will help to prevent
   intermittent disk activity.






What do these Apple system control panels do? (8.0)
===================================================
   Apple supplies a number of bits of system software related to
   screensaving, but neglects to tell you what they do and what they
   don't do. This section is here to remedy that.



CPU Energy Saver (8.1)
----------------------
   Latest known version: 1.0.6 (System 7.5 custom install, first
                                appeared with high-end PowerMacs)

ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/
      Supplemental System Software/CPU Energy Saver (1.0.6).hqx

   A control panel that switches off your Mac at set times or after
   being idle for up to twelve hours. Requires a soft-power Mac.
   Hobbled to only work on Quadras and PowerMacs due to incomplete
   testing by Apple - to use it on your soft-power Mac II, open it
   with ResEdit and delete the 'mach' resource.

   Has a lousy interface and features overlap with the Auto Power
   control panel. Badly programmed, too - there's a hideous
   amount of System 6 glue code in there, which is odd considering
   how it refuses to work under System 6.



Auto Power On/Off (8.2)
-----------------------
   Latest known version: 1.0 (System 7.5 Custom Install, first
                              appeared with Quadra 840av)

   Requires one of the very few soft-power Macs that support setting
   a time to turn the Mac on. Although this feature was standard on
   the Lisa, the feature wasn't implemented on soft-power Macs until
   Auto Power appeared for the Quadra 840av and later machines,
   although the IIsi, IIvx and Quadra 900 and 950 have been confirmed
   as having the necessary hardware support. Owners of the IIci and
   earlier soft-power Macs are definitely out of luck.

   Very badly programmed, breaking Apple's own programming
   guidelines. Conflicts with 'Network Time' as a result. Has
   a lousy interface with features overlapping with the CPU Energy
   Saver.



Screen (8.3)
------------
   Latest known version: 1.0.4 (Software Update 3.0, System 7.5)

   This predates the MES, and does exactly the same thing with
   exactly the same interface, but only works on Macs with an
   internal colour CRT, such as the Color Classics and the LC5xx
   family, which follow Energy Star recommendations.

   (Why wasn't the MES code simply added to Screen so that one
   control panel did the same thing consistently on all Macs?
   Why isn't all of this in 'Options' in the Monitors control
   panel, anyway? Good questions. Go ask Apple.)

   You don't need another screensaver, but installing a screen
   blanker in parallel with Screen for more time flexibility
   and gestalt support is a good idea.

   If you use an LC575, early versions of Screen use the same PRAM
   location as other software, so the mac defaults to 45 minutes to
   sleep. Fix this by using the Screen 1.0.4 control panel, installed
   by the System Update 3.0 package on all of the Apple sites.
   This package is a disk image - see (15.2).

gopher://info.hed.apple.com/11/Apple.Support.Area/
         Apple.Software.Updates/System Software/System.Update.v3.0/

   Unlike Brightness, which works from anywhere, the Screen control
   panel must be in the Control Panels folder at startup to work
   properly. If you want to put Screen somewhere more convenient,
   make an alias of it and use that.



PowerBook Display (8.4)
-----------------------
   Latest known version: 1.1 (Software Update 3.0)

   PowerBooks with external video out are DPMS-capable, but can't
   use the MES software, for reasons known only to Apple. Instead,
   PowerBooks have MES code embedded in the PowerBook Display
   panel.

   It's not much of an interface; it may not sleep or may sleep
   even when you don't want it to.

   Conventional wisdom says trash PowerBook Display, because
   it's not worth the bother; Connectix PowerBook Utilities is
   often named as a useable alternative.





Sensible functional savers (9.0)
================================
   The savers listed in this section are all you really need.



Monitor Energy Saver (9.1)
--------------------------
   Latest known version: 1.1 (free)

   Apple's own ES saver. Requires System 7.1; may require an updated
   enabler or 7.5 to work properly. The MES 1.1 includes fixes to the
   activity-sensing INIT code in 1.0.

ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/
      Display & Display Card Software/Monitor Energy Saver (1.1).hqx

   It's in the Apple support forums on the commercial online
   services. Or ask your Apple dealer for it.


Why isn't it system software? (9.1.1)

   Speculation suggests that the MES was produced solely in order
   meet ES requirements to secure renewal of Apple's US government
   contract (Apple's hardware was ES-capable for two years before the
   enabling software turned up), and that Apple has no intention of
   being unpopular and destroying the screensaver market by actively
   promoting it and making it widely available. All indications are
   that Apple is shooting itself in the foot very effectively here.

   Or it could be that Apple is anticipating the death of the CRT
   as portable sales blossom. Or it could be that they have no
   intention of having their lines tied up with tech-support calls
   for it as users get another piece of confusing system software to
   play with.


How can I make it work? (9.1.2)

   You need System 7.1 or later. You need a newish Mac. The LCIII and
   4xx, the PowerMac, Quadra, Centris, and all their Performa
   equivalents have internal video capable of switching off the sync
   lines, which is required by ES.

   A non-Apple video card may require its own ES software. Radius
   cards need the Radius Power Saver, for example.


How can I make it sleep properly? (9.1.3)

   If the MES is not making the monitor sleep properly on a PowerMac,
   check the version of your PowerMac system enabler. 1.0.2, which
   is later than the 1.0.1 supplied as part of System Update 3.0,
   includes fixes that should make the MES drop both sync lines,
   instead of just the one.

gopher://info.hed.apple.com/11/Apple.Support.Area/Apple.Software.Updates/
         System.Enablers/PowerPC 1.0.2.enabler/

ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/
      Supplemental System Software/System Enablers/PowerPC Enabler (1.0.2).hqx

   I've been receiving reports that the MES only dropping one
   sync line is not confined to PowerMacs - the monitor doesn't
   support the ES mode produced, and spends its time trying to
   sync to a non-existent signal instead of sleeping. Upgrading
   to 7.5 may fix this; some success has been reported with trashing
   the MES and using the Radius Power Saver instead. See (9.2).

   If you don't have success, talk to the makers of your monitor.
   Find out why you're having trouble - is the monitor to blame
   (unlikely, but possible) or the MES? (far too likely indeed)
   Ask them for software that will do the same job as the MES.


How can I shut off that BEEP BEEP BEEP? (9.1.4)

   Annoying, isn't it? Ideal for the busy shared office. And the
   beeps are three times longer than the maximum monitor wake I've
   come across - what **was** Apple thinking of, when it stopped
   you from doing anything until the beeps finished?

   Beep Saver will fix that. Just drop it into your system folder
   and restart.

info-mac/cfg/beep-saver-11.hqx

   Or just use the Radius Power Saver instead, as it doesn't beep.
   See (9.2).

   Alternatively, if you're familiar with ResEdit, select the
   contents of the snd -440 resource inside the MES, and cut it out,
   making the size zero. Just deleting the sound doesn't work, as the
   MES then uses your system beep.


How can I set sensible sleep times? (9.1.5)

   Fifteen-minute pauses are pretty sensible as minimum intervals
   between powering your monitor on and off, and I wouldn't want to
   be switching it any more often. It would be bad for monitor life.

   Run a screen blanker in parallel with the MES, set to the three
   or so minutes you desire. Think of it as roughly equivalent to the
   standby mode that the MES doesn't bother to implement.



Radius Power Saver (9.2)
------------------------
   Latest known version: 1.2.1 (free)

   This is a desirable ES saver lacking a number of the problems that
   are associated with the MES, making it a worthwhile alternative.
   It's not just for Radius monitors - remember that DPMS is a
   standard, that Radius monitors can be hooked to your Mac's
   internal video, and that there's no way your Mac knows what make
   your monitor is. So, Power Saver handles internal video and
   Radius cards, making it a superset of the MES functionality.

   And it happily blanks the screen on older Macs, although it
   does not appear to be SAVR-gestalt aware. More useful than
   the MES for a mixed-Mac environment trying to standardise on
   installed software.

   If you're unhappy with the MES, grab a copy and try this out.

ftp://ftp.radius.com/pub/radius/software/mac/PowerSaver/

   Note the following, though:
   On PowerMacs the Power Saver will need enabler 1.0.2 to work,
   just as the MES does.
   You can't run the Power Saver and the MES together, even with the
   MES turned off. You'll have to remove the MES and shutdown before
   using the Power Saver.
   That button in the Power Saver indicates the current state.
   Pressing a button marked 'Off' to turn something on is not ideal,
   and is right up there with using 'Put Away' instead of 'Eject
   Disk' to eject disks properly and putting the power button under
   the disk drive on the 610 box.



Sleeper (9.3)
-------------
   Latest known version: 1.0.2 (shareware)

info-mac/gui/sleeper-102.hqx

   Combines a SAVR-gestalt aware screen dimmer with the ability to
   spin down your desktop Mac's hard disk, saving more energy and
   quieting your Mac. Requires System 6.0.7 or later; includes a
   useful hot-key feature.

   The easiest way to spin your desktop Mac's hard disk down to save
   energy. See (7.4).



Basic Black (9.4)
-----------------
   Latest known version: 1.4.1 (free)

info-mac/gui/basic-black-141.hqx

   A screen blanker, with a number of options, that supports the AD
   SAVR gestalt. Well-supported, with a loyal user base and a proven
   history. Localised French version:

mac-umich/util/screensaver/basicblack1.41fr.cpt.hqx



Twilight (9.5)
--------------
   Latest known version: 7.2.1

info-mac/gui/twilight-721.hqx

   A simple screen dimmer, notable for including software to allow
   the Brightness control software to function on any colour Mac.



Connectix Desktop Utilities (9.6)
---------------------------------
   Latest known version: 1.0.4a (commercial, not seen)

   This is a commercial package, but rates a mention here because, as
   noted in (7.3), Apple is bundling it with high-end Macs as it's
   rather more ES-compliant and has a better design than Apple's own
   efforts. The same can also be said when comparing Connectix
   PowerBook Utilities to Apple's PowerBook Display.

   In fact, all Connectix products appear better-engineered than the
   Apple equivalents, for once bearing out the maxim "you get what
   you pay for".




Minutes of pointless fun (10.0)
===============================
   There are a lot of animated entertaining screensaver packages out
   there. Most are AD-compatible. AD is the most popular, is well-
   established (it has been around since 1989), has the most support
   from other programmers in the form of different screensaver
   modules, and AD-compatible screensavers and modules have become
   another branch of the California entertainment industry,
   commercialized, with movie tie-ins galore.

   This is all completely unnecessary for your computer, you know.
   Still, there's no accounting for taste.

   If you simply want to play the many shareware/freeware AD modules
   available from ftp sites, download the freeware DS and TZ, below.
   As there are a few hundred modules out there, working your way
   through those will take some time.

   Any AD-compatible screensaver package you buy will play those
   shareware/freeware modules, so look at the modules supplied with
   the package and any additional features when weighing them up.

   Note that AD, UnderWare, Opus N Bill and other commercial packages
   are commercial. They and their commercial modules **cannot**, and
   **should not**, be obtained from ftp sites. Updaters can be
   obtained by ftp, but they must update the original package which
   you have bought.

   If you want to use AD (or UnderWare, or Opus N Bill, or one of the
   other commercial packages) or the modules supplied with it, you
   must buy that package.

   You'll find that many package modules only work with the player
   supplied with the package, limiting your choice. UnderWare can't
   play Disney modules, and vice versa.

   I haven't seen all of the packages detailed below; I may not have
   heard of some packages. Do not consider this list to be complete.
   Everyone and his grandmother appears to have written an
   AD-compatible screensaver, and I can't keep track. Corrections
   and additions welcome.

   If I haven't seen a package, I won't be able to diagnose problems
   with it. You're on your own. Some packages are apparently more
   AD-compatible than others, but I'm not able to rate this on the
   indirect information available to me, since I haven't seen all of
   them.


DarkSide of the Mac (10.1)
--------------------------
   Latest known version: 4.2 (free)

   A complete screensaver package that comes with many of its own
   fader modules, but also plays the AD 2.x standard modules.
   Localised for many foreign languages, too. A must-have bargain.

   Upgrade by downloading the latest package. There are no
   separate updaters.

mac-umich/util/screensaver/darkside/darkside4.2.sit.hqx

   Since it's written by Tom Dowdy <[e-mail]>, an Apple
   staffer who worked on QuickDraw GX, new DS releases always appear
   on the Apple developer site first. For example, DS 4.2
   first appeared as

ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/mac/hacks/darkside-of-the-mac-4-2.hqx

   Some of the forty-odd supplied DS-only modules, such as Circuit,
   LostInSpace and VaseDance, are very polished, original and well
   worth a look. Many others, e.g. Searchlight and Worms, are similar
   to AD's, but with fewer cute frills.

   Includes very basic passwording and a Randomizer function. It's
   a startup application that only patches one trap when it needs to,
   so you can quit if you require that last 64K of memory. Uses
   less memory than AD 2.x does to play AD modules (64K plus module,
   against AD's 140K or so plus module), and DS takes up less disk
   space and less CPU time. I'm told that some AD modules are
   incompatible with accelerators like Rockets when run under AD,
   and that you're better off running them under DS instead.

   DS's manual is in MacWrite Pro format. There are as yet no ftpable
   Claris translators for MacWrite Pro. If you do not own
   MacWrite Pro and wish to read the DS documentation, which includes
   some programming information, either:

   1. Register DarkSide, which gets you a printed copy of the manual.
      [Registering also lets you stay ahead of the crowd - 4.2 was
       finished in April 94, but not released for ftp until August.]

   2. Download the MacWrite Pro demo, which will let you view it.

ftp://ftp.claris.com/pub/2.Trial_Software/Macintosh/MacWritePro.sea.hqx

   3. Buy DataViz Translators 7.5, which can read MacWrite Pro files.

   If DS stays at the front on startup, even though you checked
   'Finder to front on startup', look at your Startup Items folder.
   DS should be there only once.

   To randomize a selection of DS modules, put them or their aliases
   together in a folder, and open that folder with Open...

   If you keep your AD and DS modules together, note they both have
   'Clock' and 'Puzzle' modules, and that MAD also has a 'Rain'
   module. Remove or rename one of each.

   WaveTank, a new fader as of DS 4.2, is a very demanding fader that
   can crash DS. Try giving DS more memory, or avoid running
   WaveTank.

   If DS wakes up unexpectedly, you have the Unfade sound level, a
   new feature as of 4.2, set too low. Note that DS can hear itself,
   so that making a noise can make it wake itself up.

   DarkSide's password dialog can crash as a result of extension
   conflicts. If you use Greg's Buttons, a popular shareware 3D
   buttons and interface adjuster, upgrade to Greg's Buttons 3.2
   or later.

info-mac/gui/gregs-buttons-351.hqx

   Another culprit is Okey Dokey 1.0.1, which presses default buttons
   in dialogs for you after a while. Try turning off Okey Dokey's
   countdown timer. Okey Dokey Pro 2.0 is nearing release as I write,
   and fixes this. Look for it.

info-mac/gui/ (when it's released)

   If DS crashes, try giving it slightly more memory (your INITs may
   be eating up a lot of program heap space) or trashing the DS
   Preferences file, and see if matters improve.

   The MAD Confetti Factory module crashes under DS 4.0. Update DS.

   DS's Spectrum module, like other sampling software, is
   incompatible with Global Village's Teleport menu.

   If you don't already have a screensaver, want to write screensaver
   modules, or are interested in using the wide range of free- and
   shareware AD modules, this is **the** screensaver to get. The
   price is unbeatable.


Twilight Zone (10.2)
--------------------
   TZ was an entry for MacHack 1993 by Steve Falkenburg or
   Bollinger - I've seen attributions to both. Like many MacHacks,
   it's never been revised or polished. (freeware)

mac-umich/util/screensaver/afterdark/twilightzone.sit.hqx

   Although it isn't a screensaver, this little application will run
   AfterDark modules inside individual windows. The modules can be
   resized, moved, run in the background, and more than one can be
   run at once. It won't run all of the Berkeley Systems modules,
   but, as an example, I had Fractals, Mathos and Spinning Bow Tie
   running at the same time, faster than they do when screensaving.

   [Tip: In order to run BSI modules, the TZ documentation suggests
    you copy the 'ADex' resource from the AD control panel into TZ,
    using ResEdit. I have found that best results are obtained using
    the 'ADex' resource from AD 2.0*v*, rather than a later version
    which has changes that TZ does not know about, and which causes
    crashes as a result. I do not recommend doing this, as you may
    infringe copyright. I've had no problem running most BSI 2.0x
    and third-party modules under TZ plus the 2.0v 'ADex' resource.]

   TZ is a bit of a hack, and could do with updating - anyone want
   to use the source code (included) or know where to email feedback?
   If you like the while-you-work ability of Twilight Zone, but find
   it unreliable, take a good look at UnderWare.



The After Dark family (10.3)
----------------------------
   by BSI. Technical-support questions to <[e-mail]>.
   ftp support from ftp.berksys.com. (commercial)

   The king of Mac screensavers - AD defined the standard for modules
   and is extremely popular, to the extent that every other fun
   screensaver in existence has to be AD-compatible.


After Dark 1.x (10.3.1)

   This screensaver is dead. It is no more. It has ceased to be.
   It won't work with anything as new as system software barely
   remembered by some as being obsolete.

   Either see what BSI will give you if you upgrade to AD 3.0,
   or, if you're running System 7 (which you can download from
   ftp.support.apple.com), upgrade to DS. See (10.1).


After Dark 2.x (10.3.2)

   This is the de-facto standard 'modular' screensaver.

   You should be running 2.0x or later, which requires System 6.0.4
   or later. The 2.0x updater v1.02 has been available online since
   February 1993:

info/mac/gui/ad/after-dark-20x-updt-102.hqx

   Every so often, someone inside BSI mumbles something about
   releasing a 'final' 2.0z updater, now that 3.0 is out, but
   I haven't seen it yet.

   Older versions need updating to stay compatible with system
   software. However, if you insist on using ancient system software,
   AD 2.0w works all the way back to System 4.2, but needs System
   6.0.3 for sound. Email <[e-mail]> and ask them for the
   2.0w updater.

   If you're running an earlier version of 2.0, new 2.0x features
   include a new control panel icon, clearing the password (the first
   release of the updater scrambled it), more 'When' options, muting
   sound via the control key, recognizing System 7 aliases, and
   playing Star Trek (the 60s series package) modules.

   The 2.0x update includes fixes and improvements to almost every
   module. Fixes to note:
   Slide Show (now 2.1) now works with QT JPEGs without crashing.
   Allows longer Randomizer times, but only with v1.0.2 of the
   updater updating a non-2.0x Randomizer.
   Only the 1.02 updater gives you Fish! 2.01.

   Now AD 2.0x and later finally support aliasing the modules folder
   under System 7, so you can keep an alias of the folder in the
   System folder, and the modules folder outside - ideal for those
   running AutoDoubler.

   Both the alias in the System folder and the folder itself must be
   named 'After Dark Files'. Note that the 2.0x updater gets confused
   by the alias - put the updater in the After Dark Files folder and
   put the folder back in the System Folder if you need to run the
   updater on a module. After updating you can move the modules
   folder out and put the alias back again.

   AD 2.x reserves as much memory as the current module says it needs
   at next startup to ensure that it will run okay, and this memory
   is not reclaimable. So, if you pick a large module then restart,
   all your memory vanishes. This has given AD 2.x a reputation for
   eating memory. AD 3.0 uses memory differently, and doesn't have
   this problem; neither does DS.

 Why can't it sleep over 'You may now switch off...'? (10.3.2.1)

   Because your AD, ST, Disney or Marvel saver only sleeps here on
   Macs it knows it can sleep on, and your model of Mac is newer than
   your version of After Dark.

   If you're already running 2.0x or later and this really bothers
   you, email <[e-mail]> for a fix. Oh, and kick yourself
   for not buying a 'real' soft-power Mac.

   BSI tells me that AD 3.0 checks for the existence of soft power
   support, instead of attempting to maintain a feature list for
   every Mac model in existence, as their programmers switched to
   using gestalts when they rewrote the engine.


 Why can't it sleep on my networked Mac? (10.3.2.2)

   If you have two or more servers open and AD, ST or Disney won't
   sleep, it's because SysIQ is being too sensitive to network
   activity. Email <[e-mail]> for a fix.


 Help! I've forgotten my password! (10.3.2.3)

   If you are using System 7, hold down the shift key on restart
   (press the reset button, or control-command-power on newer Macs -
   don't turn the Mac off and on!) to disable all extensions and
   control panels, including AD.

   If you are running System 6, you will need to startup from a floppy
   disk instead of holding down the shift key.

   Note that you must fully disable AD. If you don't, the password
   information will be carried over to the fresh control panel as a
   security measure. Simply turning off AD with its on-off switch
   does NOT disable it, and won't do you any good. If you can open
   any copy of the AD control panel, you haven't disabled AD on
   startup, and the password will be carried over.

   Throw away the control panel and replace it with a fresh,
   unopened, copy installed from your master disk. Restart and then
   enter a new password.

   If you have misplaced your AD master disk, you could try grabbing
   a copy of the 2.0x (or later) updater and updating the control
   panel instead of replacing it. The 2.0x updater clears the
   password on updating the control panel.

   AD Read 1.0a is an application that will tell you what your AD
   password is by looking inside the AD control panel. I haven't seen
   this. BSI have asked that ftpable copies of this be deleted, and
   have changed the password system for AD 3.0.

   Or, if you have an 'extensions manager' installed, use that to
   disable AD instead. I suggest Extensions Manager 2.01:

gopher://info.hed.apple.com/11/Apple.Support.Area/Apple.Software.Updates/
          Unsupported SW/Extensions.Manager.2.0.1/

ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/Utilities/
       Extensions Manager 2.0.1.hqx

   [A cut-down version of Extensions Manager, including a cut-down
   version of Find Pro III, is included in System 7.5.]


 Randomizer crashes my Mac! (10.3.2.4)

   Third-party modules that crash Randomizer are discussed in detail
   in (12.2.1).

   Note that the Randomizer 2.3 supplied as part of AD 2.0x may crash
   your Quadra av. [If your Randomizer is earlier than this, you need
   to run the 2.0x updater. See (10.3.2).] You need to update
   Randomizer.

   To obtain the latest version of Randomizer, version 2.32 or later,
   email BSI at <[e-mail]>, and ask them to email you a
   binhexed copy of the latest Randomizer. In your email, tell them
   the problem you are having (that you have Disney, or a Quadra av,
   or both) and tell them that you saw it here first.


After Dark 3.0 (10.3.3)

   Version 3.0b, later revisions possible. (Commercial, not seen).

   The long-awaited rewrite of AD 2.x, unique for being ES-compliant.
   Plays modules on sleep for x minutes, then the Ecologic DPMS
   system cuts in and powers the monitor down. Can turn off your
   Mac after x minutes being idle, too. So, it aims to replace
   Apple's CPU Energy Saver and Monitor Energy Saver (albeit with
   licenced MES code) and to be the only screensaver you ever need.

   If you've upgraded from an old (pre-2.0x) version of AD to 3.0,
   you will need to run the 2.0x updater to update old modules.
   See (10.3.2).

 Where can I get help with After Dark 3.0? (10.3.3.1)

   Unfortunately, AD 3.0 has incompatibility problems with other
   software. BSI has released a list of known and suspected
   conflicts, with causes and workarounds.

info-mac/info/sft/after-dark-30-bugs.txt

   They've also promised an updater to registered users. To register,
   send email to <[e-mail]>, including your After Dark
   serial number, and your full name, address, and daytime phone
   number. Questions can be directed to BSI's technical support
   team at <[e-mail]>.
   [TidBITS_245 26-Sep-94 After Dark 3.0 Problems]

   Since that conflicts list was released, BSI has released 3.0b,
   which fixes a number of the problems (3.0a was an international
   installer fix only), so you should be using 3.0b or later.

 Quick tips (10.3.3.2)

   Check the After Dark Online Manual included on your installer
   disks for other hints and conflict information.

   You could try trashing the Module Settings, Preferences and
   Visual Client files in the After Dark Preferences folder in
   the Preferences folder of your System folder, if you have a
   problem not mentioned in the conflicts list. AD 3.0 will
   rebuild those files.

   Don't open AD 3.0 or 3.0a with ResEdit, as they contain resources
   with duplicate IDs. This confuses ResEdit, and can wipe out the
   control panel. This is fixed in 3.0b.

   Don't run the old 2.x Randomizer and MultiModule modules under
   3.0.

   Fish! 3.0 can't import Fish! 2.x third-party fish. That's a good
   reason to keep Fish! 2.01 from AD 2.0x around.

 Help! I've forgotten my password! (10.3.3.3)

   Hold down the shift key on restart (press the reset button, or
   control-command-power on newer Macs - don't turn the Mac off and
   on!) to disable all extensions and control panels, including AD.

   Open the After Dark Preferences folder in the Preferences folder
   of your System folder. Throw the Preferences file in the Trash.
   Restart.


Star Trek: The Screensaver (10.3.4)

   Version 2.0x/ST or later.

   No updater available, although you may need to run the 2.0x
   updater to update your old modules to 2.0x if you went from an
   old (pre-2.0x) version of AD to ST. See (10.3.2).

 Why are my Star Trek modules out of memory? (10.3.4.1)

   It's a matter of getting the files in the right place. The ST
   modules have a lot of pictures, sounds and features in common, and
   to save space these are provided by a number of files in a 'Shared
   Resources' folder, which, like the modules, must be in the
   'After Dark Files' folder. (Why does 'Ion Storm' need those
   resources? Good question.)

   So you're just seeing a very poor error message. The Star Trek
   package installs everything correctly, so this really shouldn't be
   a problem.


 How can I see all the pictures? (10.3.4.2)

   Open ResEdit's Preferences (using ResEdit), and create two
   RMAP resources named 'PiCT' and 'SiCT'. Open them, and set MapTo
   to PICT. Save changes to Preferences.


The Disney Collection (10.3.5)

   Version 2.0y or later.

   No updater available, although you may need to run the 2.0x
   updater to update your old modules to 2.0x if you went from an
   old (pre-2.0x) version of AD to Disney. See (10.3.2).

 Why are my Disney modules out of memory? (10.3.5.1)

   If you're using 16- or 24-bit colour mode, reduce the screen
   depth. Try lowering the number of characters appearing in that
   module. At least, I'm told that that's what the card BSI puts
   in the box says - and, as I haven't seen Disney, that's all I can
   suggest. I'm told Little Mermaid and Sorcerer require the most
   memory, needing 2.5Mb to run and an extra 1Mb for the music, so
   these are the most likely to say this.

   If all the modules say they are out of memory, the problem might
   be far simpler - the reason detailed in (10.3.4.1).

   If the only module that refuses to run is Donald Paints, you have
   an early version of Disney. Email BSI for an upgrade.


 Why does my sound level get reset? (10.3.5.2)

   Randomizer 2.31, supplied as part of the Disney package, alters
   the Mac's volume setting to match its own, as the result of a
   minor incompatibility with Sound Manager 3.0, which is now
   standard system software. Upgrade to 2.32 or later.

   To obtain the latest version of Randomizer, version 2.32 or later,
   email BSI at <[e-mail]>, and ask them to email you a
   binhexed copy of the latest Randomizer. In your email, tell them
   the problem you are having (that you have Disney, or a Quadra av,
   or both) and tell them that you saw it here first.


 Why does my IIvx/IIvi/Performa 600 crash? (10.3.5.3)

   You've got an early production Mac with old ROMs containing buggy
   sound routines. To prevent the crashes, turn off the music and
   mute the sound.

   To have sound without crashing, you need to install Sound Manager
   3.0, which is rolled into System 7.5 and supplied with the System
   Update 3.0 package.

   You will need to do a custom install to install the Sound Manager
   3.0. Then do an easy install to get the other fixes that your Mac
   needs.

   You now need the latest Randomizer, to fix a minor incompatibility
   with the Sound Manager 3.0 that you installed to prevent the major
   incompatibility with your Mac's early ROM. See (10.3.5.2).

 How can I see all the pictures? (10.3.5.4)

   In the same way you get to see Star Trek's pictures.
   See (10.3.4.2).


Marvel Screen Posters (10.3.6)

   Version 2.0y+ or later.

   No updater available, although you may need to run the 2.0x
   updater to update your old modules to 2.0x if you went from an
   old (pre-2.0x) version of AD to Marvel. See (10.3.2).


Star Trek Screen Posters (10.3.7)

   Version 2.0z or later.

   No updater available, although you may need to run the 2.0x
   updater to update your old modules to 2.0x if you went from an
   old (pre-2.0x) version of AD to Marvel. See (10.3.2).


The Simpsons (10.3.8)

   Uses the AD 3.0 engine. See (10.3.3) for a discussion of problems.


X-Men (10.3.9)

   Uses the AD 3.0 engine. See (10.3.3) for a discussion of problems.


Star Trek: The Next Generation (10.3.10)

   Uses the AD 3.0 engine. See (10.3.3) for a discussion of problems.



The UnderWare family (10.4)
---------------------------
   by Bit Jugglers. (commercial)

   The only screensavers to run on the desktop while you work -
   quite an impressive feat.

   Contact techsupport at <[e-mail]>.


UnderWare (10.4.1)

   Latest known version: 1.0.1 (commercial)

   An updater to upgrade UW from 1.0 to 1.0.1 is available as:

info-mac/gui/underware-10-101-updt.hqx

ftp://ftp.netcom.com/pub/juggler/underware_updter_1.0.1.hqx

   (Set binary transfer mode to download the smaller .bin package.)

   As I first saw UW 1.01, I haven't tested this updater. See the
   included readme for instructions and details of new features
   and bugfixes.

   Ostensibly a screensaver, but its main selling point is an
   animated desktop that interacts with your icons and windows. See
   TidBITS_192 for a preview. I'm impressed by the evaluation copy
   of UW 1.01 that BJ sent me to try out. The 26 supplied desktop
   animation modules are very well done. The ability to have AD
   modules running instead of a still desktop pattern is still unique
   (although AD 3.0's Bad Dog module attempts to emulate this
   effect), and makes this package stand out.

   You can have a different module as a screensaver, and the supplied
   animations can do different things when screensaving. A desktop
   pattern utility and patterns, on a par with Desktop Textures [see
   entry for Wallpaper under (7.2)] is also included. UW can also
   give you a full-screen backdrop, a la Decor and other utilities.

   While-you-work animation leads to fairly high system requirements.
   A 68020 or better Mac running System 7 or better is essential. BJ
   say a 4Mb Mac is required - I'd say 8Mb if you want full-screen
   animations, and far more if you want them on a large/deep monitor.
   My IIsi can lose a megabyte to UW with a 640x480 8-bit full-screen
   display. Desktop animations need far more memory than screensavers
   do.

   In my opinion, the effect is worth it - but only if you have a
   640x480 monitor. UW fares badly on bigger screens, as it doesn't
   understand on-the-fly-resolution switching or multiple screens,
   introduced with Apple's new Display Software.

   Parts of UnderWare assume that monitor sizes and positions are
   fixed on startup, even though UW's 'Options...' boxes show updated
   on-the-fly monitor positions, so it's quite possible to get UW to
   draw in the corner of a large screen or on no visible screen at
   all. This is rumoured to be fixed in the next release.

   If you're buying a new Mac, you should get a multisync monitor to
   make the most from the Mac's video capabilities - see (4.1). The
   Display Software is extremely useful - avoid frustration by
   avoiding using UW 1.0.1 with it.

   Minor caveats:
   AD About boxes aren't shown. There is no continuously-visible
   notification of alerts during screensaves. No visible indication
   of typed password. No included programming information, so we
   can't write our own desktop animations - although Kid's World
   makes customised animations possible, they're not standalone.
   No balloon help, even though UW requires System 7. No random
   selection for the desktop patterns or for the desktop animation
   or screensaver modes - again rumoured to be fixed in the next
   release.


   Compatibility:
   UW is incompatible with CopyDoubler and CopyDoubler Lite 2.0.2
   and earlier in 24-bit addressing mode. Upgrade CopyDoubler:

info-mac/cmp/disk-doubler-pro-11-updt.hqx

   Connectix Powerbook Utilities (CPU) 2.0 is incompatible with UW.
   Upgrade to 2.0.1 or later - CPU has reached 2.04.

   Hints and tips:
   Version 1.01 supports aliases - I suggest that you move the
   'UnderWareTM files' folder out of the Preferences folder, and
   put an alias, named the same, there instead. That way AutoDoubler
   can transparently compress it. I suggest dropping this folder in
   the 'After Dark files' folder, which is where UW expects to find
   AD modules. You'll need an alias of 'After Dark files' in the
   System folder too.

   WindowShade, included with System 7.5, will make it easy to
   see UW.

info-mac/gui/window-shade-12.hqx

   Download DS to see the About boxes that UW won't show you and
   to give decent notification when screensaving.


Kids World (10.4.2)

   Latest known version: 1.0.1 (commercial)

   Aimed (surprise!) at children, you get seven 'scenarios'
   (the Wild West, dinosaurs, farms, camping, space, backyard
   and haunted) that you can populate with animated figures and set
   running to watch the figures interact. A primitive drawing
   package is included for drawing and modifying the backgrounds,
   but there are no sprite-editing routines. The result is that a
   four-year old can produce something impressive, but the
   temptation to slam every sprite down for maximum effect and
   minimum product longevity is hard to resist.

   Comes with three example modules showing what is possible;
   modules can be saved in UW format for use with the supplied
   UW control panel, or in AD format, but you'll still need to
   own Kids World and its 'Shared Resources' folder to run them -
   Bit Jugglers have taken a leaf from BSI's book there. This isn't
   a full UW programming kit.

   Created modules fill a 640x480 screen, and don't scale up on
   larger monitors; the editing area lives in the top left of big
   screens. Being kid-friendly means it has large controls and is
   difficult to switch out of; perspective effects are handled
   automatically, making any efforts look good.

   It kept several twentysomething year-olds busy for over four
   hours. Interactive entertainment.



The Intermission family (10.5)
------------------------------
Rather a chequered history here.


Intermission (10.5.1)

   Latest version 1.0 (commercial)

   Delrina bought the rights to Intermission from Viacom New Media
   and use it as the screensaver engine in Opus N Bill (below). As
   far as I can tell, Intermission has no future - look at Opus N
   Bill instead.

   Intermission comes as an extension, controlled by a desk
   accessory. Plays AD and Pyro! modules, as well as coming with
   over fifty modules in its own format - programming information
   for this included. Its own modules include all the modules Mac
   users have come to expect - fish, worms, spotlights, patterns -
   as well as originals like Dancing Pig, Dragon Kites, and versions
   of Breakout and Pong.

   Can't display non-text AD About boxes. Has a complicated, Windows-
   like interface with far too many configuration options. Includes
   password and systemIQ features, but passwording and sound were
   unreliable in the copy I tested.

   Put an alias to the Intermission Modules folder in your System
   Folder, and put aliases to your Pyro! and AD Files folders within
   the Intermission folder.
   Download DS to see the animated About boxes that Intermission
   can't show you.


Opus N Bill (10.5.2)

   Latest version ? (commercial, not seen)

   Uses the Intermission screensaver engine mentioned above, so
   should be able to also run AD and Pyro! modules. I'm told that it
   comes with 16 modules and includes an update service, which you
   pay extra to subscribe to, to receive five new modules every
   quarter. (As Intermission included over 50 modules, I speculate
   that the update service is the original Intermission modules
   repackaged. More information welcome.) Notable for the lawsuits
   it sparked off - see (14.1).

   I know nothing further, since I haven't seen Opus N Bill.



Comedy Central CD-ROMs (10.6)
-----------------------------
   by Time Warner Interactive (commercial). Email <[e-mail]>

   Dating and Mating; It's all Relative (and Sports Shorts, not seen)

   Each contains fifty QT movie clips of various American
   standup comedians, talking for a few minutes on the subject
   matter (Each CD is about half-full). Comes with a standalone
   application that allows you to select clips, with neat backgrounds,
   and with an AD-compatible screensaver module that lets you play
   clips from the CD-ROM as a screensaver.

   256 colours only; the American humour didn't travel that well
   across the Atlantic, and the clips soon palled. I suspect a
   video of your favourite comedian would be better value for money
   than excerpts from stand-up shows that lose the atmosphere of the
   show and feel disjointed.


NowFun! (10.7)
--------------
   by Now Software Latest version: 1.0.1 (commercial, not seen)

   An updater to take NowFun! to 1.0.1 is available on:

info-mac/gui/now-fun-10-to-101-updt.hqx

   I don't know what it fixes - I haven't seen NowFun!
   Techsupport can be reached at <[e-mail]> or
   <[e-mail]>.



ScreenSavor (10.8)
------------------
   by MIFP Development. Latest known version 3.01 (commercial)

   Details/support from <mbg3b2![e-mail]> or
   <[e-mail]>.

   A 'specialist' picture displayer. Includes a startup application
   (similar to DS) and an equivalent module (v2.0.1) that will run
   under AD or Intermission - this module is unreliable under DS,
   judging from the evaluation copy of 3.0 MIFP sent me to try out,
   but works under UnderWare.

   22 sets of professional-quality digital photographic images (e.g
   landscapes, kittens, the planets, aircraft, golf courses) are also
   available - you might think of ScreenSavor as a novel way for
   a good photographer to sell his efforts.

   Does fades, zooms, and many other effects. Shows QT JPEGs and
   PICTs as well as its own proprietary format - *far* more flexible
   than the AD Slide Show module. QT is both required and included.
   A demo of the SS AD module (v1.01), with sample pictures, is
   available:

info-mac/gui/ad/screen-savor-101-demo.hqx



Snoopy (10.9)
-------------
   by Image Smith. Latest version ? (commercial, not seen)

   Includes custom icons, desktop patterns and 8 modules featuring
   the Peanuts characters. I'm told it's AD-compatible (Image Works
   licensed the BSI 2.0y engine) but that it has a buggy installer.



Wallpaper Light and Dark (10.10)
--------------------------------
   by Thought I Could. Latest version ? (commercial, not seen)

   A desktop pattern utility that I'm told includes the DS engine for
   screensaving, along with a module that does neat things with
   desktop patterns. I haven't seen this package, but I would expect
   it to be outshone by the combination of the freeware Desktop
   Textures and the full DS, or by UW.





In need of trashing (11.0)
==========================
It's no longer supported. It hasn't seen an update in ages. Running
it may decrease the reliability of your system. Trash it and get
something else.


Pyro! (11.1)
------------
   Last version: 4.1 (commercial, 4.01 seen)

   This was the original 'fireworks' screensaver, predating AD.
   It peaked at 4.1, where it came with 35 modules. When Symantec
   took over ownership of Pyro! a couple of years back they did
   nothing with it. It's dated, and will crash your av or PowerMac.
   Use is not recommended.

   Intermission (and presumably Opus N Bill) will run Pyro!
   modules. DiskLock is reported as being a commercial security
   package that also runs Pyro! modules. Or just upgrade to DS.



Moire (11.2)
------------
   Last version: 4.0.1 (shareware)

   If you've been using Moire for years, and then move it to a new
   Mac, you will have to update to Moire 4.0.1:

info-mac/gui/moire-401.hqx

   If you find that 'Finder Shortcuts' vanishes from the Finder's
   Balloon Help menu, or that restarts or shutdowns are slow, an old
   copy of Moire could well be the problem. Update to Moire 4.0.1.

   Moire does not support the screensaver gestalt used by AD and
   compatibles, Basic Black, Sleeper, SuperClock! and many
   applications. As a result, it does not always hide things, such
   as SuperClock!, correctly. The fix? Get another screensaver.
   Moire is also available as an AD module which runs happily
   under DS.





Screensaver modules (12.0)
==========================
   The things that are actually entertaining - the screensavers just
   run them. People write these things for fun; DS will play almost
   all the modules you can download.


Where can I get modules? (12.1)
-------------------------------
   Shareware modules for AD and DS are being written all the time.
   DS modules can eventually become part of the DS distribution
   package; once a year, after the BSI contest results are announced,
   a number of AD modules that were unsuccessful entrants appear
   online, and the usual steady trickle becomes a sudden flood.


Downloading from archives (12.1.1)

   New AD modules posted to macgifts will appear in:

info-mac/gui/ad/

mac-umich/misc/screensaver/afterdark/

   New DS modules will appear in:

info-mac/gui/

umich-mac/misc/screensaver/darkside/

   No-one writes Pyro! modules these days - tough - and the
   UW module format is, alas, not available to programmers.

   The screensaver site acts as a repository of modules; 'under
   development' modules can often be picked up here to give
   feedback to the authors before a general release.

ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/HQX/


The book/disk packages (12.1.2)

   Apart from the screensavers talked about in (10.0), there are a
   number of module packages, some given more weight with a book.


  More After Dark (MAD)
   A commercial disk package from BSI containing a number of modules,
   some being contest winners, along with an updater for AD 2.x -
   2.0u or later, depending on when the disk was mastered.

   There was a minor revision of MAD from 1.0 to 1.0a to fix some
   obscure bugs - this is only available by returning your disk to
   BSI, and you'll only need it if you have the problems listed below.
   I haven't yet seen this revision.

   The changes in 1.0a are:
   Mowin' Man bug-fix. With some large monitors and video cards,
   Mowing Man could crash if the mower started from the top right of
   the screen.
   Tunnel bug-fix. With some video cards, Tunnel could crash if the
   Round Rectangle setting was used.
   Virex-D was removed from MAD 1.0a as it was no longer up-to-date,
   pretty well useless, and BSI's licence has expired.

   There isn't an updater for these modules. There were reports of
   incompatibilities between some MAD modules and System 7 Pro
   [TidBITS_197]. Some MAD modules will be revised - see the AD 3.0
   conflicts list. The modules are available on the BSI AD CD-ROM,
   along with 3.0, the Art of Darkness and the 2.x modules, the
   Windows versions, audio tracks and other stuff.

   [MAD revision info from Jim Tso at BSI]


  Art of Darkness
   author Erfert Fenton, Peachpit Press, ISBN 1-56609-012-1.
   A lightweight five-minute read book from BSI, with eight rather
   good modules (plus the freeware Movies 'Til Dawn and a very
   primitive Flying Toasters called ProtoToasters).
   The modules are available on the BSI AD CD-ROM, along with MAD
   (see above).
   [Tip: Try Fractal Forest on Christmas Day.]


  Cool Mac After Dark
   author Ross Scott Rubin, Hayden Books, ISBN 0-672-48529-X.
   A third-party lightweight book, with seventeen previously-
   shareware modules revised for the book.





Why does my fun screensaver crash? (12.2)
-----------------------------------------
   Are you running the latest version of your screensaver? Check the
   section on your screensaver and see. Is it a problem with your
   screensaver, or with a module your screensaver is running? Can you
   isolate the problem to a specific module?

   If the problem is with a module written by BSI, well and good,
   provided that the module is *not the Randomizer or MultiModule*.
   Email them about it, at <[e-mail]>.

   If you run modules under Randomizer or MultiModule, you're far
   more likely to have problems, as a number of third-party modules
   aren't well-written and can crash under the more stringent
   memory conditions running as a sub-module requires. This gives
   the screensaver an undeserved reputation for crashing in the
   process - analogous to buggy shareware system extensions giving
   Macs a reputation for being crash-prone.

   So a list of modules to avoid running under Randomizer or
   MultiModule is given below.

   And some modules just crash. I have a list of those, too.

   If you've found a crashing problem with a module not on the
   list, do the following:
   1. Look for an updated version of the module.
   2. If you can't find one, email the author, and see if there's
      a fix.
   3. If you have no luck, let me know full details and I can
      document it here.

   The lists concern modules running under AD only - we're assuming
   that AD-compatibles are fully compatible, and we're not making
   allowances for any differences. (Although programmers often
   have to.)

   Although it's been asked for, I'm not creating a canonical list of
   every AD module in existence with compatibility comments.

   I don't have access to many of the online AD forums in the US.
   I haven't seen a number of the commercial packages or the books.
   I can't sneak into BSI's labs, on the other side of the world, in
   the dead of night, to look at all the competition entries. (Heck, I
   couldn't afford the trip.)

   I estimate I have seen less than a tenth of all the modules in
   existence - and I've been working at it. A definitive list of modules
   is simply not possible.

   If a module is not mentioned, either I don't know about its
   problems or I simply haven't seen it.

   Modules that 'fail safe' and display error messages, as opposed to
   crashing, are no longer listed, due to space constraints. You're
   on your own troubleshooting them.


When I use Randomizer or MultiModule? (12.2.1)

   When trying out a new AD module, try it as the only module
   selected in the Randomizer, and see how well it behaves. If you
   use the Randomizer a lot, this is an easy way of spotting problem
   modules before they crash your machine and lose you work. Most
   modules that crash under the MultiModule or Randomizer will do so
   as soon as they are run - no waiting around needed.

   To see if any modules you already have cause problems under the
   Randomizer, select the Randomizer module, set the delay to ten
   seconds, select 'in order', select Choose... and press the All
   button to choose All modules. If you do not see an All button,
   you need to update your Randomizer to 2.3 or later and your copy
   of AD to 2.0x or later. [AD 3.0 includes Randomizer and
   MultiModule internally - don't run the 2.x equivalents under it.]

   Close AD, go into screensave, and watch to see which modules crash
   your Mac, usually as the module starts. If you have Macsbug
   installed, pressing Escape when the crash has dropped you into
   Macsbug will show you what happened last, usually the last
   module to run successfully.

   Restart [by using control-command-power, or the interrupt switch -
   Macsbug will let you recover from the crash smoothly, but AD will
   usually be disabled until restart], remove the badly-written
   module, and repeat until there are no crashes. If you have
   Have-a-Blast or Off the Air present, see (12.2.2).

   Removing modules that crash your Mac is a very good idea -
   although you may know not to use them under MultiModule or
   Randomizer, other users won't, and you know they'll fiddle with
   the AD settings...

   If you must keep particularly impressive 'bad' modules around, a
   neat trick with AD 2.0x under System 7 is to make aliases of the
   offending modules. Keep the 'bad' modules in another folder, and
   their aliases with the other modules in the AD Files folder. AD
   can then see the aliased modules, but Randomizer and MultiModule
   can't, and crashes are avoided. Until someone 'tidies up' your
   'unnecessary' aliases, of course... removing the bad modules is
   far better.

   If you're running an AD-compatible in parallel with the MES,
   having Randomizer on anything other than 1 module duration is
   wasteful.


   [If your Mac is crash-prone, for whatever reason, you should
   consider installing Macsbug to help you track the cause down.

ftp://ftp.apple.com/dts/mac/tools/macsbug/

    This will allow you to exit from most crashes without needing to
    restart (type 'es'), or to smoothly restart without minutes of
    disk-checking (type 'rs'). Shut down by typing 'g power'. Press
    escape to toggle between the debugger and a screen showing what
    the Mac was doing *before* it crashed. Type 'help' for more info.

    The only downside to Macsbug is that any 'Type x error' will put
    you into Macsbug, needing 'es' to continue, making the Mac less
    idiot-proof. Don't worry - that's just Macsbug doing its job.
    Macsbug is not an extension. It lives loose in the System Folder,
    not in the Extensions folder, and it won't cause extension
    clashes - it just highlights the ones you already have, allowing
    you to work around them.

    If your Mac locks up, invoking Macsbug by pressing the interrupt
    switch, or command-power on cheaper Macs, and then typing 'es',
    can save you a lot of trouble.

    With its white screen, Macsbug makes AD Randomizer crashes
    noticeable as soon as they happen. Good for troubleshooting.]


   Here's that list of modules to avoid under Randomizer and
   MultiModule. Some modules misbehave under MultiModule only under
   very specific conditions - size of allocated area, covered or not,
   system setup - and a list of these is impossible. Troubleshooting
   obscure MultiModule settings is left as an exercise for the
   reader.

  Barney Blaster 2.0.1 - Karl Bunker <[e-mail]>
   A dancing pink dinosaur explodes. 1.0.1 is said to fix 1.0's
   crashing on some Macs and in 16-bit depths, but 1.0.1 does not
   allocate enough memory to run under Randomizer, and can crash as
   a result. A fixed version 2.0.1 is out. [TidBITS_250 MailBITS]

  Bat Signal 1.1a - subversive software <[e-mail]>
   A Spotlight-like module, but using the Bat Signal, and with the
   coolest animated About box yet seen. There are at least two
   pre-1.0 versions of this module in existence with no version
   numbers - one of those crashed under Randomizer. Replace with 1.1.
   Well worth seeing, **especially** for the About box.
   Bat Signal Returns is under development.

  Chomp! - BSI <[e-mail]>
   This was one of the original modules for the original AD. Bites
   are taken out of the screen with a chomping sound. Causes the
   System 7 Finder to quit when run under Randomizer with AD v2 on
   my setups. No longer supported by BSI and should probably be
   trashed. Although other modules from the same era, like TacTiles
   and Shapes, seem to work fine for me, treat them with caution.

  EarthSplash 1.1 - Chuan Y. Fu <[e-mail]>
   (Previously Earthbounce 1.0). Unstable under Randomizer - seen to
   crash in _MakeRGBPat. The author claimed he was working on an
   update - a couple of years ago.

  Faces in the Dark 1.0 - Geoffrey Hutchison (no email address)
   Draws b/w face doodles. Can occasionally 'freeze' under
   Randomizer - command-option-escape recovers to Finder.

  Frect 1.0 - Adam Miller <[e-mail]>
   Produces 'fractal rectangles'. Causes the System 7 Finder to quit
   when run under Randomizer on my systems.

  Gates Does Windows 1.0.2 - Robert Gibson ([e-mail]>
   and Mark Simmons <[e-mail]>
   Bill Gates appears as a window cleaner. The graphics are large and
   impressive, but 1.0.1 crashed under Randomizer as it runs out of
   memory. Version 1.0.2 fixes this crashing, but behaves oddly on
   some systems under Randomizer. This module is a 'ZiffNet
   exclusive', so it can't be put on ftp sites. You'll have to ask
   someone with ZiffNet/Mac access for it - there's a QuickTime
   movie of the animation, too.
   Worth a look if you want a Gates parody but can't find an early
   copy of Opus N Bill. You'll find it in the ZiffNet/Mac MacUser
   forum, in MacUser utilities [3], as BillDK.CPT.
   The QT movie is there as BILLQT.CPT.

  Hearts 2.1 - Josh de Cesare <[e-mail]>
   Large, visually impressive module where rendered hearts grow, spin
   and tumble around the screen. 2.0 crashed under MultiModule or
   Randomizer, and 2.1 fixes this. The initial release of 2.1
   (Now Compress archive, module size 597K) was, among other things,
   too big. Second 2.1 release (Stuffit archive, module size 451K) is
   the one to get. The author says there's a hidden easter egg.

  HolisticSofa 0.94 - Alan Keahey <[e-mail]>
   This module explores the sofa-on-stairs problem detailed in
   Douglas Adam's 'Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency'. It
   crashes under the Randomizer on most newer Macs. The author wrote
   it on a Plus, which it didn't crash on, and can't duplicate the
   problem. Another Plus owner has reported crashing under
   Randomizer.
   [Also available as a standalone screensaver.]

  Kablooie 1.0 - Adam Miller <[e-mail]>
   and Jakub Buchowski
   A customisable fireworks module for AD. Reported as crashing on
   a PowerMac 6100. Puts up 'Kablooie:' running under the Randomizer
   and nothing else on my systems. Adam says that the sound
   definitely doesn't work under Randomizer, and blames Jakub!

  Kings Cross Coke 1.0 - John Rotenstein (PO Box 165, Double Bay
   NSW 2028, Australia)
   Shows logos and illuminates them as if they were flashing/cycling
   neon signs. Includes a scrapbook feature to choose images from.
   Has memory problems - crashes under Randomizer and MultiModule,
   and is pretty flaky on its own, especially when cutting and
   pasting in the scrapbook. Spectacular, but risky.
   Better to use the stand-alone application (v2.0):

info-mac/grf/kings-cross-coke.hqx

  Off The Air 1.0 - Guy Rice (Mark Hatle <[e-mail]>)
   Simulates a noisy television channel after the station has gone
   off air. Under Randomizer changing modules every few minutes,
   causes a crash a few modules AFTER it has run. (Trashing memory?
   Finding this one took ages.) The 'Set Monitor Depth' feature is
   bad ju-ju and can also crash the Mac. Email will be passed on by
   Mark Hatle.

  Shredded Crystals - BSI <[e-mail]>
   This was one of the original modules for the original AD. Jagged
   shapes appear on screen. Causes the System 7 Finder to quit when
   run under Randomizer with AD v2 on my setup. No longer supported
   by BSI, and should probably be trashed. Although other modules
   from the same era, like TacTiles and Shapes, seem to work fine
   for me, treat them with caution.

  Sierpinski's Gasket 1.1 - David L. Thompson, WinterBright Software
   <[e-mail]>
   The author confirms reports that this can crash under MultiModule
   when running with MAD's Satori. The reason is unknown. I can't
   duplicate this problem.

  Sparkler 1.0 - Mike Wessler
   Pixels explode off the screen. Crashes under Randomizer. [Not to
   be confused with the catherine-wheel-like Sparklers 1.0, by Frank
   Kubin, which works fine under both MultiModule and Randomizer.]

  Torgo - Brandon <[e-mail]>
   Plays MOD SoundTracks while animating a character from Mystery
   Science Theatre 3000, an American television programme. Cannot
   find its MOD file under Randomizer - beeps three times and puts
   up an error message.

  Twisture 1.0b1 - Steve Bushell <[e-mail]>
   Can't find its internal picture under Randomizer and drops into
   the debugger. The author knows of this problem. No fix seen.

  VectorBalls 1.0 - Mark Adams <[e-mail]> of Maverick Software
   <[e-mail]>
   Very impressive bouncing sets of crystal-lattice-like 3D balls.
   Crashes under Randomizer and MultiModule. The author claims the
   crash occurs in a ROM routine he calls, and is not sure why. With
   the crashing fixed, and a 'Random Shapes' option, this module
   would be a must-have.
   A later version is reported as being included in the NowFun!
   screensaver package



At other times? (12.2.2)

   Here the list of modules with problems where Randomizer or
   MultiModule are not required:

  Have a Blast 1.0.1 - Alan Goates, Otherware <[e-mail]>
   1.0 could crash on wake (moving the mouse or Randomizer choosing
   another module) if 'Repair Damage' was chosen. 1.0.1 fixes this.

  Hopper 1.0.1 - Rob Snevely, Wild Nobility Productions
   Under later versions of AD, this module only displays its
   generated pattern in the bottom-right quadrant of the screen. It
   uses the whole screen under DS, though. Very strange. Anyone have
   an email address for these guys? Strange Attractors, with the
   Art of Darkness book, creates the same pattern, but better.

  Movies 'til Dawn 1.01 - BSI <[e-mail]>
   A free demonstration module. One of the smaller movie-players in
   existence.
   1.01 works with all versions of QT, unlike 1.0, which stopped
   working at QT 1.5. Get 1.01 and trash 1.0.
   Playing movies is pointless for a screensaver, since it may save
   your screen, but kills your hard disk through overwork and keeps
   your CPU running at full speed - important on a portable.
   If you *must* play movies, make sure you have QT 1.6.1 or later;
   2.0 or later is preferable. Far less disk access and memory is
   used than with 1.5 or earlier.

   Alternatives to Movies 'til Dawn include:
   Movies in the Dark 1.0 by Maurice Volaski
   (reachable via <[e-mail]>)
   OURA QT (say each letter!) movie player 1.0d2 by Laurence
   d'Oliveiro.
   Bouncing Movie - Trash this and get one of the others.

   Note that Slide Show 2.1 (with 2.0x or later) can display QT
   JPEG-compressed PICT files, which is far more useful than playing
   movies.
   If you use JPEG pictures with Slide Show 2.1, remember that
   pictures are uncompressed with a blank all-colours-are-black
   screen. AD will not wake until QT has finished decompressing the
   picture, so you may spend time staring at a black screen. If you
   have the password feature enabled, you may have to type the
   password blind, and then wait for QT to finish decompressing the
   picture - a similar problem to using 'FadeAway' down to 0% with
   the password enabled.
   (And you know about QT's 'Startup Movie' feature, right?)

  Orbs Return 2.0.2 - Stephen Linhart <[e-mail]>
   Crashes in 16- and 24-bit colour depths. Version 3.0 is available
   as part of NowFun!, and does not have this problem.

  Paw-Paw 1.4 - Aaron Barnet <[e-mail]>
   Version 1.2b had known memory problems, most visible when running
   with Microsoft Excel or Word (like a lot of Mac software - blame
   Microsoft's un-Mac programming methods). Get Paw-Paw 1.3b3 or
   later, which fixes these problems, and trash 1.2b.

  Virex-D (MAD 1.0) - BSI <[e-mail]>
   Virex-D, one of the MAD 1.0 modules, was an advertisement for the
   commercial Virex virus-killer. As the D indicates, Virex-D
   **detected** viruses - it did not remove viruses or repair damage
   caused by viruses. This is not useful.
   Virex-D has not been updated recently and has not been distributed
   with MAD 1.0a since the licence expired in December 1992.
   Virex-D SHOULD NOT be used for virus protection. It's completely
   useless. It wears your disk unnecessarily, too.
   Use the freeware Disinfectant application (version 3.5 as I write)
   and Gatekeeper system extension (version 1.3 as I write) to combat
   Mac viruses.

info-mac/vir/disinfectant-35.hqx

info-mac/vir/gatekeeper-130.hqx

   A commercial package is not a requirement for protection from
   viruses. Remember that the few Mac viruses in existence are
   mostly benign and are very rarely seen - this is not something to
   even think about if you have an up-to-date virus-killer, and
   Disinfectant and Gatekeeper are far more than adequate, not to
   mention completely free. Read the excellent Disinfectant on-line
   help for complete and accurate information on Mac viruses.

http://www.astro.nwu.edu/lentz/mac/jlnstuff

   Click on Gatekeeper's title box to have it launch NCSA Mosaic and
   find Chris Johnson's Web pages.

  VoiceWaker 1.07 - Alessandro Levi Montalcini <[e-mail]>

   This module works with a microphone to wake up a Mac when you
   shout at it. (A neat trick - just say 'Wake up!' and pretend your
   humble LC runs PlainTalk) All versions seen, including 1.07, crash
   the Mac on screensave if a Global Village Teleport ADB modem is in
   use and the Teleport menu is present - the Teleport menu appears
   to be incompatible with all sampling software. 1.07 is included
   in the NowFun! screensaver.
   As of version 4.2, DS incorporates the same functionality.
   WakeUp! 1.3 can add this ability to other screensavers.

info-mac/gui/wake-up-13.hqx



My modules (and After Dark) lost their icons. Why? (12.3)
---------------------------------------------------------
   There are a couple of modules floating around that have
   accidentally had their 'bundle bits' set, and you have either
   just obtained one of these modules or just rebuilt your desktop,
   with one of these modules around, bringing the problem to light.

   The 'bundle bit' of a file tells the Finder that the file has
   icon information the Finder must show. A module with a bundle bit
   set causes its (non-existent) icon information to replace AD's
   correct icon information - hence the 'blank' generic icons you
   are seeing. Check a list view of your modules. If they say they're
   '<a particular module> documents' you've found the first culprit.

   To fix this, you need a utility that will show file flags, such
   as the shareware FileTyper or ResEdit.

info-mac/disk/file-typer-412.hqx

ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/
       Utilities/ResEdit (2.1.3).hqx

   Go through all your modules, bringing up the file flag information
   (This is the 'Has BNDL' box under the 'Get File/Folder' option in
   ResEdit's File menu) and make sure the bundle bit is cleared.
   If it isn't, clear it and save that file. Alternatively, just drop
   all of your modules on FileTyper, clear a bundle bit and 'change
   all' - a simple drag and drop operation.

   Check that the AD control panel does have a bundle bit - if it
   doesn't, the Finder won't know about its icons.

   Once you have cleared that bundle bit, restart while holding down
   option and command to rebuild your desktop files. If you haven't
   found a set bundle bit, it's possible that something like Norton
   Utilities found and fixed the bundle bit a while back, in which
   case you merely need to rebuild your desktop. You should then see
   the AD icons in all their glory.

   If you have Twilight Zone, the AD control panel will look like a
   blank document and your AD modules will become TZ modules, so
   that double-clicking on a module launches it in a TZ window. If
   you rebuild your desktop, they'll look like TZ documents. This is
   normal behaviour - remove TZ and rebuild the desktop to revert
   everything to standard AD.

   Other things FileTyper is useful for:
   Colour floppy disk icons. Drop a floppy disk onto FileTyper, set
   hasCustomIcon, drag the disk to the trash and then reinsert it.
   You don't need SpeedyFinder or Discolour.

   Fixing colour icons. If your hard disk is showing a blank piece
   of paper as its icon, drop it on FileTyper, clear hasCustomIcon
   and restart to get it back to a white box. Then repaste that icon
   you spent ages designing and kept a backup copy of. If you see
   'The command could not be completed, because it cannot be found'
   when trying to paste an icon on a folder, hasCustomIcon is set
   but the icon file is missing. Clear hasCustomIcon and restart.

   Renaming your hard disk. If you can't rename your hard disk you
   are probably using filesharing, which prevents renaming so that
   the network doesn't get confused. Turn off filesharing to rename
   your hard disk. If filesharing isn't on and you still can't
   rename it, use FileTyper to clear the disk's 'nameLocked or
   isSystem' field, then restart. Disk First Aid 7.2 now fixes this,
   along with vanishing files and other disk-related problems.

ftp://ftp.support.apple.com/pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/
       Utilities/Disk First Aid (7.2).hqx





Which of these modules is latest? (12.4)
----------------------------------------
   Names on the left are old -> changed to names on the right. Look
   out for the new AD modules, and trash the old ones once you've
   got their replacements. Listed in alphabetical order of the old
   names.

  EarthBounce 1.0 -> EarthSplash 1.1
   Has Randomizer problems. See (12.2.1).

  MacTabloid 2.0 -> Headlines 1.0.1
   MacTabloid 2.0 is a third-party hack of Headlines 1.0.1. The size
   of its word database appears to give it problems Headlines does
   not have. MacTabloid runs out of memory under Randomizer - the
   memory requirements do not appear to have been adjusted upwards
   for the larger database. Avoid it - Headlines 1.0.1 is the
   latest, most stable, official, version.

  Mandelbrot -> Fractals 1.33
   Alessandro Levi Montalcini's 'Mandelbrot' underwent a name change
   when Hoffman and Hartshorne's 'Mandelbrot' module appeared as
   part of the MAD package. It's now the shareware Fractals 1.33,
   and is a full-fledged configurable fractal generator, whereas
   MAD's commercial 'Mandelbrot' just shows you the set and some
   expanded detail. A later version of Fractals, 2.1.2, is reported
   as being included in the NowFun! screensaver.

  Wallpaper 1.0 -> Mathos (no version, Oct. 1, 92 given in about
  box, but released May, 93)
   Generates fractal 'wallpaper' patterns.
   A number of versions of the Wallpaper module were released
   without version numbers and as versions 1.0 - with and without a
   separate coprocessor-only Wallpaper881 module - so upgrading to
   Mathos or Mathos881 (together in one archive) will solve your
   'what version is this?' problem for now.

   The name was changed to avoid confusion with Thought I Could's
   commercial 'Wallpaper' desktop-pattern utility. I'm a fan of the
   far cheaper and better Desktop Textures 2.1, myself.

info-mac/gui/desktop-textures-21.hqx

   Desktop Textures includes a 'Deinstall texture' command that will
   let your General Controls panel give you back a colour palette for
   your desktop patterns. The comprehensive Desktop Textures online
   help explains this and other desktop pattern issues.]



Which of these modules is which? (12.5)
---------------------------------------
   These AD modules have similar names, but are different!

  Lines by Charles Clarke, ArtLines by AC Capehart, LineCA 1.0.1 by
   WildMan Software, Quantum Lines by Scott Berfield and Roaming
   Lines 1.1c by David Bau.
   Lines simply fills the screen with coloured lines, ArtLines adds
   blanking frequency and line thickness controls, LineCA is a
   scrolling one-dimensional Life-like cellular automata generator,
   Quantum Lines is bouncing twisting pattern, and Roaming Lines is
   a variation on Berkeley's String Theory with some neat options.

  Maze (the first version) 1.0 by David Bau, and (Calico) Maze
   1.1.1 by Richard Lesh.
   Two different maze builders/solvers. Bau's Maze lacks colour, but
   has an interesting maze-drawing method. Calico Maze has more
   colour and more choice of maze sizes than the very similar MAD
   Snake module, and is well worth a look as the 'definitive' Maze
   module.

  Messages by BSI, and Random Messages 1.0 by Paul Russell.
   Two modules that choose a string from a message-list and display
   it on screen. MAD includes the polished Say What?, but the
   out-and-out-winner has to be Headlines 1.0.1 by Jamie McCarthy,
   which, like the unix spew it's based on, generates hilarious
   random headlines from a topical database.

  Sparkler 1.0 by Mike Wessler, and Sparklers 1.0 by Frank Kubin.
   Sparkler has Randomizer problems. See (12.2.1). Two totally
   different modules and effects.

  Color Swarm! 1.2 by Dan Walkowski, and The Swarm 1.0 by Leo
   Breebaart.
   Both are xswarm ports. Color Swarm! was first; The Swarm is far
   slicker (check out that animated About box), but less
   controllable. The comprehensive documentation for The Swarm
   details the differences between the two.

  Torgo by Brandon, and Trigo 1.2 by Ernst 'pooh' Mulder.
   Torgo plays MOD SoundTracks. See its entry under (12.2.1).
   Trigo draws animated patterns based on a mathematical function.
   It's a truly wonderful module, and I'm not saying that just because
   Ernst begged me for an entry in this FAQ for over a year and then
   only wrote one module as payment. I'm saying that because I'm
   expecting more modules from him.



Where can I find a module that plays pictures at random? (12.6)
---------------------------------------------------------------
   The Slide Show module is part of the commercial AD package from
   BSI. It displays pictures chosen at random from a folder. If you
   don't have AD, but you're familiar with QT, just save all your
   pictures as single-frame movies. Print2Pict, a chooser device,
   allows you to print to movie, disk, etc. from any application.

info-mac/prn/print-2-pict-35.hqx

   Then use one of the free movie-playing modules to do the same job
   as Slide Show. See Movies 'Til Dawn under (12.2.2).

   Displaying pictures at random is ScreenSavor's sole purpose.
   See (10.8).


Where can I find a module that plays PICS files? (12.7)
-------------------------------------------------------
   The PICS Player module is part of the commercial AD package from
   BSI. It displays a PICS file - AD includes a simple wireframe cube
   PICS file. More interesting files, such as Rob's Eyes (bloodshot
   rendered eyes) and Santa's Sleigh are available online.

info-mac/gui/ad/robs-eyes.hqx

   If you don't have AD you can open the PICS file with Simple
   Player, and you will be given the option to turn it into a QT
   movie. The movie will be far more compact, but may require more
   disk access to play back. Use one of the free movie-playing
   modules to do the same job as PICS Player. See Movies 'Til Dawn
   under (12.2.2).


How can I save my screensaver's picture? (12.8)
-----------------------------------------------
   Later versions of AD include WallZapper, which will do this for
   you. If you don't have that available, let's fall back on the
   system.

   Have you tried the obvious - pressing command-shift-3? This is the
   'Camera' function key (FKEY), which captures your screen to disk.
   [Under System 6, this only works in black-and-white. Yet another
    reason to grab System 7.0.1 from ftp.support.apple.com]

   Disable your screensaver password if you use one, and set your
   screensaver going. When ready, press command-shift-3 together.
   You should hear a camera shutter click and your screensaver will
   wake. If this is successful, a PICT file called 'Picture
   <number>' will appear in your hard disk's Finder window.

   Double-click on this to open it with TeachText and see what you
   have captured.

   If it's the screensaver picture, well and good. This method
   appears to work fine with AD 2.0x under S7.1, although it may not
   work for earlier ADs and/or earlier Systems. This doesn't work
   for DS under S7.1, which wakes before the screen capture takes
   place - you will get a picture of your desktop instead.

   If the Camera FKEY didn't work for you, look at using Snapz
   instead:

mac-umich/system.extensions/cdev/snapz1.00.cpt.hqx

   Snapz is good at getting the picture under adverse conditions.
   Rather more useful for general work is Flash-It!, especially
   when you set its function hotkey to be command-shift-3,
   replacing the Camera FKEY.

mac-umich/system.extensions/cdev/flashit3.02.sit.hqx

   These utilities are very useful for getting screenshots with menus
   down or the cursor visible, for when you're doing documentation.
   The Camera FKEY can't do that.





Programming screensavers (13.0)
===============================
   You'd be amazed at the number of people who want to do this.
   Where else can so little programming have so much visible effect
   on so many people?



How can I write my own screensaver? (13.1)
------------------------------------------
   Don't bother. The world doesn't need another screensaver.

   If you write a module for AD or DS you will have a much larger
   market than for yet another standalone screensaver, and all of the
   standalone niches (smallest, brightness, clock etc.) have already
   been filled. You can worry less about conflicts with other
   software or breaking with the next system release - making sure
   that the activity-sensing code works is the job of the saver
   authors, so you can get on with the effects and avoid reinventing
   the wheel. (And, if you don't want to solve incompatibilities
   with AD-compatible packages, make sure you write DS modules.)

   Writing AD modules means you can enter the annual contests, too.

   Of course, if you think you can write a better ES-compliant saver
   than the Monitor Energy Saver that also includes gestalt support,
   go right ahead.

   If you want to write something that does interesting things with
   AD modules, the code supplied with TZ should get you started.

   If you really want to write your own screensaver, The Macintosh C
   Programming Primer (Vol 1, 2nd ed.) contains source code, as does
   The Macintosh Pascal Programming Primer, but this code is well
   out of date - you should be writing an application of some form
   without patching traps.

   AD defines a gestalt for screensaving that many other screensavers
   and applications now use. Implementing support for this in your
   screensaver is **essential** - see (13.5).



Why write screensaver modules? (13.2)
-------------------------------------
   Fame. Fortune. Boredom. Something to do in those long and lonely
   winter nights. A way of self-expression. An attempt to win the
   BSI programming contest, thus scooping the first two in this list
   in one go.


What's the contest worth? (13.2.1)

   $10,000. Plus a variety of runner-up prizes in various categories,
   some of which only require artistry and no programming.

   The last contest closed on October 14, 1994; results have not yet
   been announced. Expect another contest next year. To see who won
   what and why, check out

ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/index.html

   [TidBITS_241 29-Aug-94 - After Dark Contest]



How can I write modules? (13.3)
-------------------------------
   Pretty easily. A number of people have started off Mac programming
   by writing screensaver modules.


for DarkSide of the Mac? (13.3.1)

   Writing DS modules is a good bet, since everyone's downloaded DS
   to play AD modules anyway, so there's a large installed base.

   As there's only one DS, this saves you from tearing your hair
   out wondering why your AD module crashes under the three
   AD-compatible packages you don't own. Life is much simpler.

   All the DS programming examples and information you need are
   provided in the DS package - read the documentation for additional
   hints and tips, and Tom Dowdy <[e-mail]>, the author, is
   the ultimate expert on writing DS modules.


for After Dark 2.x compatibles? (13.3.2)

   Download the latest AD 3.0 programming kit. If your copy of AD is
   so old that it came with the programming kit, download the new,
   updated package.

ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/info/ADM3SDK.sit.hqx

   This includes example code for a 2.x-compatible module for most
   compilers, as well as information on 3.0 features like the resized
   About box and animated thumbnails. Essential.

   Join the AD module programming list, where you can get feedback
   on your work and discuss problems. This list also deals with
   anything else to do with Mac screensavers. Send email to
   <[e-mail]> to join.

   Look at sample code, such as how to animate your module's About
   box, from the list's ftp site:

ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/info/

   If you're writing an AD module, unless you're allocating memory
   yourself using temporary memory (a very good idea - see the source
   code to 'The Swarm' for an example of how to do this), you must
   include a 'sysz' resource so that memory for the module is
   allocated correctly under AD 2.x, especially under MultiModule
   and under Randomizer.

   Note that AD 2.x reserves as much memory as is specified in the
   current module's 'sysz' resource at next startup to ensure that
   it will run okay, and that this memory is not reclaimable. This
   explains AD's reputation for eating memory.

   You must fine-tune the 'sysz' resource so that your module has
   enough memory to run correctly under all conditions that you can
   test for, but no more. This FAQ was filled with modules which set
   'sysz' just a little too small, until I gave up trying to list
   them all - temporary memory is a far more flexible approach,
   without these drawbacks.

   Do test your module under MultiModule (at a variety of window
   sizes, opaque and transparent, behind and in front of a number of
   other modules) and under Randomizer, and under MultiModule running
   under Randomizer, and under Randomizer running in parallel with
   other modules under MultiModule. Make sure it's **reliable**.

   Check for memory leaks, and fix them. To do this:
   1. Run your module, then wake it.
   2. Drop into MacsBug. Do hx until you're in the system heap.
      Do ht and check the numbers. The interesting ones are the top
      one (free memory) and the last one (heap size). Note them.
   3. Repeat. It may take a while to settle down, but the numbers
      should be consistent. If the free space is constantly dropping,
      you have a memory leak. Fix it!
   Memory leaks are more of a problem if you are using temporary
   memory, as AD cleans up its heap in some circumstances, notably
   under Randomizer.

   Make sure that your module will run without problems (either
   coding or cosmetic) under other AD-compatible screensavers,
   particularly the freeware DS and TZ. There's no sense in
   restricting your market or in giving yourself tech-support
   headaches or lots of email bug-reports to answer.

   If you're working from the BSI generic module, look at what's in
   of the 'ADrk' resource. You don't need to include that, do you?

   Some simple non-programming things help too:

   Include decent documentation, detailing requirements, known
   problems, contact details and so on. See the documentation to
   'The Swarm', 'Screenflip' and 'Buzzz!' as good examples.

   Make sure your module has version resources - you may want to
   issue an update, and as AD 2.x and compatibles write preferences
   into the module, relying on the modification date is a bad idea.

   Include your email address in the module About box. Textfiles
   get lost; Mac users don't look at who uploaded the file in
   archive abstracts. The most common excuse I get from module
   writers is 'No-one reported any problems' because no-one knew
   where to mail.
   [Intermission 1.0 only shows text About boxes; UnderWare 1.01
   shows only the two-line strip. You'll still need separate
   documentation for users of those packages.]
   Putting an email address within your module ensures feedback.

   To be AD 3.0-friendly, include an animated thumbnail - see
   the AD 3.0 programming package for details and 'Buzzz!' for
   a real live example - and bear the change in size of the window
   for About picts in mind. Consider a fat compile if your module
   does enough to warrant it.

   Putting balloon help in dialogs and adding polish with a custom
   Finder icon scores bonus points.



Got any good ideas for writing modules? (13.4)
----------------------------------------------
   Loads. If you want a module written, your best bet is to send an
   email detailing your idea to the mailing list, which you have of
   course joined in order to get news of new screensavers and modules
   before they are released.

   Offering money guarantees attention, too - the mailing list is the
   clearing house for AD programmers willing to slave away to produce
   modules for that movie you've just licensed the computer tie-in
   rights for.

   Requested are:

   A 'Sequencer' module that lets you control the order and timings
   of your AD modules, so that you can have following modules
   perform interesting effects with the stuff left on the screen.
   Randomizer just doesn't cut it - Murphy's Law dictates that
   Puzzle ends up shifting a blank screen around, for example.
   (Intermission includes a basic 'Sequencer' module that does this,
    but it has the terminal disadvantage of needing Intermission.)

   Torgo will play MOD soundtracks, but as it looks for a single
   file in the System Folder, it's awkward to use. There's an
   opening here.
   (Tracker/ProTracker-playing code is readily available. Star Trek
   includes a simple sound- and SoundEdit-file playing module.)

   A screensaver that creates realistic-looking Finder windows with
   icons, and has the mouse pointer doing operations, so that you
   can claim that your Mac is working even when you are not.
   (AppleEvents on a scriptable Finder?) Underware and Disney do this
   to some extent, but it's rather obvious that a screensaver is
   running.

   A GIF picture viewer. Slide Show does PICTs and JPEGs (with QT)
   but not GIFs. Aaron Giles <[e-mail]>, the author of
   JPEGView, suggests that all a module need do is send AppleEvents
   to JPEGView to control its SlideShow feature as a screensaver.
   Contact him for details. MIFP, the makers of ScreenSavor, are
   considering adding GIF support if user demand warrants it. What
   the world really needs, though, is a GIF translator plug-in for
   QT. Honest.

   A 'starfield' module that gives you a 3D effect thanks to red/blue
   images (Doppling is boring thanks to black-body radiation; BSI's
   ST:TNG package features a 'special effect' module.)

   A module that moves you rapidly down a 3D maze, or along an alley
   or trench (like Star Wars, which has been rumoured as a package
   for about a year now, but has only just been released).

   A module based on Frank Zappa's "The Dangerous Kitchen".
   Bread, fruit and cheese appear on your screen, and slowly go
   mouldy. (This was suggested by someone at Apple - you'd think
   he'd be capable of writing it himself...)

   A neko or gengi-type module featuring puppies, not kittens.

   A module featuring Benny Hill, late British comedian and legendary
   fastest milkman in the west.

   Tetris. It runs under everything else...

   Exact copies of the Sun screensavers, so Macs can pretend to be
   workstations.
   Exact copies of the default screensavers supplied with Windows,
   so that Macs can lurk better in PC-dominated offices.

   A module giving filesharing information - who's using your Mac?

   Curtains pulling across the screen.

   More modules featuring domestic appliances. We have Flying
   Toasters, fridges and washing machines (Major Metaphysical
   Appliances, with the Art of Darkness) but no steam irons,
   blenders, tumbler dryers or cats in microwave ovens.

   Anvils falling on lusers.

   And fixes to all those still-buggy modules listed above, of
   course. Please...



How can I make my application screensaver-aware? (13.5)
-------------------------------------------------------
   If you write Mac applications doing anything unusual with graphics
   like writing direct to the screen, you will want to support the
   screensaver gestalts used by all the screensaver packages that
   matter. This will prevent your mailbox being flooded by hundreds
   of users complaining that garbage appears on the screen.

   Get the Gestalt Selectors List. This explains both the SAVC and
   SAVR gestalt selectors. Obtain it by emailing
   <[e-mail]>, or ftp it:

info-mac/dev/info/gestalt-selectors-26.hqx

   It will point you towards the AfterDarkGestalt.h with the
   AD programming package:

ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/info/AfterDarkGestalt.h

   If you're writing a full-screen game for the Mac, support of these
   selectors is **essential**. It's possible to do some interesting
   things with gestalts - look at Coffee Break as an example of
   what can be done.

info-mac/app/coffee-break-11.hqx





Interesting questions I get asked (14.0)
========================================
   This section is a completely transparent attempt to decrease the
   size of my mailbox.


What happened about those lawsuits? (14.1)
------------------------------------------
   Delrina launched Opus N Bill, which included a module where Opus
   shoots down flying toasters with a shotgun. BSI claimed that this
   was an infringement of their trademark, sued, and won. The judge
   ruled that the Opus N Bill module wasn't a parody, as Opus N Bill
   competed directly with After Dark, for profit. Product confusion
   was possible.

   The toasters in Opus N Bill now have propellors, not wings; both
   sides got a lot of free publicity. Opus N Bill is also notable
   for the sudden disappearance of a Bill Gates parody module, and
   early Opus N Bill packages with winged toasters and a nerdy Gates
   are apparently valued collectors' items. (As I haven't seen
   Opus N Bill, I'm unable to give a critic's opinion.)

   Getting wind of all this, and scenting money, Jefferson Airplane
   sued BSI, claiming that the flying toaster was theirs in the first
   place, as flying toasters feature on the cover of their 1973 final
   album 'Thirty Seconds over Winterland'.

   The case was dismissed, as the album cover was declared incidental
   to the copyright on the album, which concerned the music. The
   cover had not been separately copyrighted (old US copyright law
   required copyright to be filed; they fell in line with the rest of
   the world recently).

   Jefferson Airplane has had five years to sue BSI over those
   toasters, anyway; they were way too late.

   In an unrelated move, Software Advertising, of La Costa,
   California, has patented any system integrating advertisements
   into computer software without changing the software's function.
   They're demanding royalties from PC Dynamics, who make a PC-based
   screensaver featuring the Energizer Bunny, even though
   PC Dynamics pays a licence to the owners of the Bunny trademark
   [Chaos Manor, Jerry Pournelle, Byte, July 1994.]

   Only in the USA.




If the screensaver is obsolete, why isn't it dead? (14.2)
---------------------------------------------------------
   A triumph of marketing and of the human condition over common
   sense.

   Why didn't TV kill cinema?
   Why didn't the Mac kill Windows?

   Humans are highly illogical.

   Besides, it's a new, interactive, artform. Humans like art
   and pay hideous amounts for it. Energy Star confuses a lot
   of people, too, and is nowhere near as interesting as all
   those animated screensavers it supposedly made obsolete.



When is <insert rumour here> going to be released? (14.3)
---------------------------------------------------------
   I have absolutely no idea, since I'm not in California and don't
   know which film tie-in is up for grabs at the moment.

   The 'Star Wars' screensaver that has been rumoured for over a
   year has finally been released. I know nothing about it.

   A 'Grateful Dead' package using the BSI package is rumoured for
   the end of the year. I'm told that this satisfies the request
   for a 'dancing bear' module.

   I do know that AD 3.0 is being revised to fix the conflicts,
   and I'd expect an electronic updater at some point.

   UnderWare will be revised to fix the Display Enabler problems
   and throw in a randomizer.

   I'm expecting a fat DS 5.0 pretty soon (which should support fat
   AD modules), and another load of shareware After-Dark compatible
   modules to be released to the sites as soon as the winners of the
   recent contest are announced. The number of fat and native AD
   modules should increase as people upgrade their compilers.

   I'm not expecting fixes to any of the Apple system software.
   Ever. I am expecting a few more AD-compatible packages to
   appear.

   I don't know anything else.




Where can I find all those files? (15.0)
========================================
   Here's a quick summary of where to look for most of the things
   discussed in this FAQ.



by ftp? (15.1)
--------------
   The major Mac-specific anonymous FTP sites, which provide the
   world with Mac freeware, shareware, updates, and useful
   information no Mac user can afford to be without:


 sumex-aim.stanford.edu ("sumex") - the home of the Info-Mac
   archives (info-mac). Many mirror sites worldwide. Any file with a
   path starting 'info-mac/...' is on sumex or its mirrors. See the
   Info-Mac Digest in comp.sys.mac.digest for details of new Mac
   software available here, and for regular postings giving info-mac
   mirror locations.

   You will find screensavers are in

info-mac/gui/

   and all the After Dark modules are in

info-mac/gui/ad/


 mac.archive.umich.edu (umich-mac or "umich") - unrelated to sumex,
   althought they work from the same submitted files. Many mirror
   sites worldwide - ftp to mirror.archive.umich.edu to get to a
   mirror in the US. Any file with a path starting 'umich-mac/...'
   is on umich or its mirrors. See the regular newfile postings in
   comp.sys.mac.digest for details of new Mac software available
   here.

mac-umich/util/screensaver

   is the place to look - lots of standalone screensavers,
   and AD and DS get their own subdirectories:

mac-umich/util/screensaver/afterdark/
msc-umich/util/screensaver/darkside/


 ftp.support.apple.com - Apple's own software archive on the net.
   Here you will find system software and updates, utilities and
   gadgets written by Apple's engineers. This is **the** place to
   get new system fixes and free copies of system software up to
   7.0.1. Information on new files made available is given in
   postings to comp.sys.mac.announce.

   This site has pathnames with spaces in them - you'll
   need to put quotes around them to change directory, eg:
   cd "Really Stupid Pathname with lots of non-standard characters"

   Other Apple sites to look at for Apple software:

   ftp.info.apple.com           - PR, mission statements, pointers.
   ftp.apple.com                - developer material
   seeding.apple.com            - mainly communications stuff

   And, if you're particularly interested in screensavers, check
   out BSI's own ftp site, and the screensaver site:

ftp://ftp.berksys.com/pub/
ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/

   A complete list of Mac ftp sites of interest can be found in the
   mac-ftp-list in

info-mac/info/comm/

   This is posted regularly to comp.sys.mac.misc, .apps and .games.
   Advice on how to find and download Mac files, and get them
   uncompressed, converted and into your Mac is also given, although
   you'll find the basics in (15.2).

   Find your **local** sumex (info-mac) or umich mirror, listed in the
   mac.ftp.list and in the regular mirror information postings in
   comp.sys.mac.digest. Use gopher if you can. Don't tie up distant
   sites when there's a mirror just down the road, and don't keep
   ftping to sumex-aim and then complaining that you can never get in
   simply because you can't be bothered to find a decent mirror.

   [UK users should be gophering to phoenix.ic.ac.uk or ftping to
   src.doc.ic.ac.uk - if you're in the UK, email me for more
   information on gzip and the features of that mirror.]

   If you have internet access, accessing the mirrors is well worth
   doing - the wealth of knowledge, information and software eclipses
   anything on any of the commercial services.



by gopher? (15.2)
-----------------
   If you have gopher, use it instead of ftp. You're much more likely
   to get through.

   Start by gophering to info.hed.apple.com, Apple's Higher Education
   Server. You'll find links to mirror sites, Apple software and lots
   of Apple information here.

   For umich, you can gopher straight to gopher.archive.umich.edu.
   Look under Software Updates.



by the World-Wide Web? (15.3)
-----------------------------
   There are some obvious starting points:

http://www.apple.com/
http://www.info.apple.com/

   Everything Mac-related should be indexed under there somewhere.
   For Apple system software and updates the site of choice is:

http://www.support.apple.com/

   Take a look at the After Dark/screensaver site and home of the
   mailing list, where modules galore and example code can be
   found:

ftp://ftp.att.com/pub/afterdark/index.html



by email? (15.4)
----------------
   If all you have is email, see news.announce.newusers for details
   of mail ftp servers, such as the one maintained by DEC, where you
   send your ftp commands to the server, it treats them as ftp
   commands at the ftp site of your choice, and mails you the files
   you request.

   The umich server is an obvious choice. Simply email
   <[e-mail]> with a message containing the word
   "help".





How can I spread my files to the world? (16.0)
==============================================
   Do you have an email account? Do you know what binhex is?
   Congratulations, you too have qualified to be an unsung hero.

   If you want to spread good Mac shareware or freeware,
   including AD modules, to the world, giving millions of people,
   including me, the chance to see it, simply email a binhexed copy
   of the compressed archive to <[e-mail]>.

   This will copy it to Mac-related ftp archives around the world,
   including the big ones - info-mac, umich, their many mirrors, and
   comp.binaries.mac. Remember to add a text description of the
   contents saying what the software is, giving name and version
   number, to the start of the file before that long binhex column.
   Give a meaningful Subject: heading, too.

   Compress and binhex the file with one of the following:

   Compact Pro:
info-mac/cmp/compact-pro-134.hqx

   Stuffit Lite is at 3.0.7 (don't forget that binhex update)
info-mac/cmp/stuffit-lite-307.hqx
info-mac/cmp/stuffit-lite-binhex4-307a-updt.hqx

   DropStuff 3.5.1 may be all you need.
info-mac/cmp/drop-stuff-with-enhancer-351.hqx

   Don't use Stuffit 1.5.1 or Classic - they are incredibly
   inefficient at file compression and waste time, disk space,
   and money on phone bills when downloading. Trash them and update.

   Don't submit self-extracting archives (SEAs) or obscure archive
   formats - Compact Pro, Stuffit Expander and Stuffit Lite are
   readily available from these ftp archives, and we all know how
   to use them. Dial-up access to ftp sites is on the increase and
   SEAs run up others' phone bills unnecessarily.



I got that file you recommended. How do I open it? (17.0)
=========================================================
   This is a pretty basic question, covered in all those other Mac
   FAQs you must have missed. Better catch up on your reading.

   The combination of Aladdin's Stuffit Expander and DropStuff
   will handle almost everything you throw at it, including the
   common .cpt, .sit, .bin and .hqx files and MIME, although you may
   find yourself editing multi-part binhex postings together by hand,
   and the uudecoder won't handle everything you can find to throw
   at it.
   Get them both.

info-mac/cmp/stuffit-expander-351.hqx

info-mac/cmp/drop-stuff-with-enhancer-351.hqx

   The exception to 'almost' everything is .image, which requires
   ShrinkWrap.

info-mac/disk/shrink-wrap-112.hqx

   The .image file can be in either Disk Copy or DART format - two
   Apple utilities designed to ensure that software reaches users
   in a pristine this-is-the-disk-we-relased condition, without
   having files 'improved' or removed as 'unnecessary' along the way.

gopher://info.hed.apple.com/11/Apple.Support.Area/
         Apple.Software.Updates/Utilities/

ftp://ftp.support.apple.com//pub/Apple SW Updates/Macintosh/Utilities/

   Although it's not Apple software, ShrinkWrap, like DART, handles
   both formats, without the problems caused by anything with a name
   containing 'Mount' or 'Image'. It benefits from DropStuff, too.

   (Anyone distributing .image files in DiskDup+'s own obscure
   format should be taken out and shot.)

info-mac/disk/disk-dup-plus-25.hqx

   If you still think Stuffit 1.5.1 or Classic is all you need,
   you're wrong, and we're not going accommodate you. Update.





Copyright
=========
   Lloyd Wood asserts the right to be identified as the author of
   this work, and claims the moral rights of paternity and integrity,
   in accordance with the UK Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988.

   This work is Copyright (C) 1993, 1994 Lloyd Wood. Permission is
   hereby granted to distribute this unmodified document without
   my express permission, provided that no charge is made for access
   to this document.

   Services charging a fee for information or for access to this
   FAQ (e.g. membership fees to access a members-only file area)
   require my express permission to publish my FAQ in this manner.

   Such services wishing to obtain permission to distribute this FAQ
   must first negotiate with me concerning payment for my services.

   I DO NOT PERMIT PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION OR PUBLICATION ON FLOPPY
   DISK OR ANY OTHER NON-ELECTRONIC MEDIUM. IF YOU WANT TO PUBLISH,
   YOU NEED MY PERMISSION.

   I WILL DEMAND A COPY OF ANY CD-ROM THIS FAQ IS PUBLISHED ON AS
   MINIMUM REDRESS FOR INFRINGEMENT OF MY COPYRIGHT. THIS DOES NOT
   AFFECT MY RIGHT TO FURTHER REDRESS.

   Portions of this document may be extracted and quoted free of
   charge and without necessity of citation in normal online
   communication provided only that said quotes are not represented
   as the correspondent's original work. Permission for quotation of
   this document in printed material and edited online communication
   (such as the Info-Mac Digest and TidBITS) is given subject to
   normal citation procedures, i.e. I demand an attribution or
   credit.








Disclaimer
==========
   I do my best to ensure that the information contained in this
   document is current and accurate, but I can accept no
   responsibility for actions resulting from information contained
   herein. This document is provided as is and with no warranty of
   any kind.

      With each new computer screen
      The world tells me I'm more green -- "Stuck in the 90's",
                                            Moxy Fruevous.