Almathera Ten Pack 1: Comms & Networking/Almathera Ten on Ten - Disc 1: Comms & Networking.iso/surf's up!

Text File | 1995-05-12 | 16KB | 341 lines

                  Surf's Up! <The words for Net/Com CD 1>

              <C> THP / citrus'95. For Almathera-CD use ONLY.

<there's no business like show business. you can prove it by differentiation>

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------


Part 0. Introduction and Gen'URL Wybbl.
---------------------------------------


<Normally, this stuff gets put into the generic 'read.me' file, but because
of this being a 10-pack, I've got to cover the keydisk system as well, so
this has been split off into it own file.  Besides, this is a dedicated CD
to Comms and Networking, with special regard to the Internet, so I'm doing
a complete breakdown of the disc contents so you know how to get started.
This style of comms is a lot more complicated than dialing up your local
BBS, but it's *much* more flexible.  And fun.  Hooboy, it's fun.  ;->


Depending on your machine, you'll find your OS software in either the 1.3,
2.1 or 3.0 drawers.  Bear in mind that most of this CD requires KickStart
2.x or higher for full software functionality - and a hard disc is a good
investment.  More actually, if you're going to be fully connected to the
Internet, it's vital.  Because of the amount of configuration required to
set up the software suite, it's impossible/pointless having a run-from-CD
version of the TCP/IP system.  Hard drives make Amigas seem like bliss if
you've only experienced floppies before, anyway.  Do yourself a favour and
get one ;->


If you need a good source of sites to look at, or simply want a good read
of a magazine that goes past the gosh-wow technology and through to the
people and ethics behind the whole Internet/Cyberspace/1990s/c00l vibe, I'd
recommend Wired magazine - either the UK or US edition.  Good meaty
articles, great design, a strong sense of humour and lots of
thought-provoking material from writers.  Sound stuff.


With many of the items which will be mentioned in a while, a knowledge of
the Shell and AmigaDOS is a great asset.  Use of the Shell, WorkBench and
AmigaDOS are all documented in your system manuals as supplied with your
machine.  Learning about these makes life with your Amiga infinitely less
frustrating.  SnoopDOS in the background is a MUST.


With all that said, let's go!


Part 1.  How to get online.... <Jacking In>
-------------------------------------------


First, read up the Amigaguide in "EFF 'Net Guide", as kindly authorised by
the EFF themselves.  This will tell you what's available and how to use the
basic Internet tools such as ping, ftp and telnet, so you can at least tell
if your system is working as it should be.


Then, get hold of an Internet provider and sign up for a service.
Preferably SLIP or PPP.  Get all the details you need <IE IP number, login,
password, default router, news server, &tc> and as much information about
their hardware setup as you can.  Connect to it a couple of times with a
terminal program <have a look in JackingIn/Terminals>, and see what the
password and login messages are.  Make copious notes of them.  If you're
dialing into a SLIP connection you'll probably get garbage after you log in
<different protocol designed for not-humans>, so hang up and examine the
scrollback buffer to see what the login prompts should look like.


You may have a Unix shell account if you're at a University and have dialup
access, or if your Internet provider is very lenient with good system
protection.  If you can compile C code with your account, you'll want to
run a system such as the full version of DNet2_10_13, or better still,
Multilink <in JackingIn/AmiTCP-support>.  These allow you to run TCP/IP
style data packets over a noral dialup link, IE the good stuff like IRC,
FTP and Telnet.  And multitask the link <run Telnet, IRC, FTP and Web in
parallel just like you can with SLIP>


If you've got a SLIP link, you'll need to get a dialer for AmiTCP of some
sort.  There are programs and SANA2 network drivers that can do this.
GWCSlip <JackingIn/SANA2> and IPDial <JackingIn/AmiTCP-Support> both do
this - select whichever you prefer.  You can even use a terminal package
such as Term to script the login, then quit the program <making sure you
leave the line connected and don't drop the carrier> and start AmiTCP, but
it's a bit overkill.


Now install AmiTCP.  v2.3 is easier to install and configure, but only
v4.demo allows Mosaic <World-Wide-Web> and more recent software clients to
be run.  <A lot was added between the two versions, and many Amiga clients
and servers require the extra functionality>.  Look at the documentation in
the Tools drawer to see which version you want to use.  I'd recommend v2.3
to start with, as you can install it once, then add your dialer-system and
reconfigure to use THAT.  The v4 demo is a bit harder to reconfigure, but
it's much better in terms of client stability and features.  Read the FAQ
texts in JackingIn for more help in configuring.  This is where you need to
use the prompts and responses you get during login, so your dial-out system
knows when to send what.


Demon Internet has a v3.x demo with their own installer - you may prefer to
use that to get a specialised setup.  FTP to ftp.demon.co.uk login 'ftp',
use your email address as a password, cd into /pub/amiga and read the texts
that come up for the current version.  Unfortunately, Demon Internet are
<at time of writing> official beta-testers for 3.x whilst that version has
been deleted off the rest of THE world's FTP sites.  They've a GREAT
installation package which sets up news, mail, the hookup and more, but
it's specifically designed for Demon dialup, doesn't officially exist and
the only Mosaic-'n-other-3.x-stuff version that anybody is allowed to
distribute to non-beta-testers is the 4.x demo.  Meaning:  we couldn't put
it on this CD.


You learn more about the system by doing it yourself, anyway.  I currently
use the 4.x demo version of AmiTCP, with GWCSlip as set up in the extra
documentation I tacked into the JackingIn/SANA2/GWCSlip distribution, as
the device had updated slightly.


Currently <at time of writing>, Demon Internet don't officially support
AmiTCP, prefering a hacked-up NOS system.  Unfortunately, NOS is, well,
crap ;-> You can't run the good stuff over it, and it's got nothing like
the grass-roots support that AmiTCP has.


If you've got ethernet access, you'll want to use the SANA2 dvice driver
that came with your card.  Likewise for ISDN.  Some drivers are included
with AmiTCP, if you can't find something suitable, look in JackingIn/SANA2
for more.


That should get you online.  From there, check out the EFF guide to the
'Net to see what you can run.  <Most of the services available have Amiga
versions of the software in the Tools section>.  Try telnetting to a few
sites, pinging machines and doing some test FTP sessions - if you can do
that, you're set up.  To go offline, use the 'Stopnet' script in AmiTCP, or
kill your IP level program <Mlink>, or if all else fails, turn the modem
off...


Part 2. The Killer Aps. <Tools>
-------------------------------


Every major Internet system <available for and from your Amiga> is here.
Here's my personal recommendations for stuff-you-should-run, in
cute-ASCII-graphics order...


                        Mono/The Best Internet BBS?
                           WWW/Mosaic_1.2_AmiTCP
                             Netrek/Art Of War
                             WWW/ZGifDatatype
                              News/NewsAgent
                               IRC/Grapevine
                               News/DanNews
                                IRC/Socket
                                Mail/MPack


Read up on them all in the EFF's guide.  There's also some extra enhanced
utilities in the JackingIn/AmiTCP-spport section.


Note that there's 2 styles of Amiga TCP/IP that are supported on the Amiga,
and it's worth knowing how to use both.  You know about AmiTCP, well there's
another system called AS225 which was developer-only, because of this had a
minimal public userbase and so didn't take off.  To this day, it's still
not officially been released.  However, some developers have coded
according to the AS225 standard, some to AmiTCP, and some to both.  There's
a way of getting AS225 clients working through AmiTCP, though.  It's called
'socket.library', and it's found in Tools/IRC/Socket <as the Grapevine IRC
client is the most well-known program to use it?>.  You also need it for
the Netrek client, which is Randall Jessup's own one AFAIK <it runs in
huge-screen interlace overscan and it's AS225, so chances are they played
it over the CBM LAN on A3k's with their excellent flickerfixers.  Guess
what *we're* going to set up here ;->


Socket.library needs a little configuration before use, but if you've
managed to get this far, you'll find it easy ;->


Part 3.  What's out there for my Amiga?  <AmigaResources>
---------------------------------------------------------


Once you're online, you need to be getting hold of:

    <1> Amiga Report.  THE best source of information on the global
Amiga userbase, it's available regularly, is currently FREE, has complete
editorial independance <they speak their minds and have no advertisers to
suck up to>, can report on all the major events AS THEY HAPPEN thru on-line
conferences on Internet Relay Chat, immediate releases <zero
printing/distribution time>, and on this CD there's a complete collection
of all the back-issues.  Covers blow-by-blow the phoenix that was CBM
International, has reviews of a myriad of Amiga products, shows, interviews
with the people on the development scene, floorscrbber jokes and more
besides.  If you've got an Amiga and an interest in the Net, nothing comes
close.  Forget the paper mags.>

    <2> comp.sys.amiga.reviews.  The moderated UseNet newsgroup,
covering product reviews of anything that the user community cares to write
about.  Grassroots, objective, you can guarantee that anything going
through this feed will be from a user's and buyer's point of view, which is
a refreshing change from the normal mags.

    <3> AmiNet.  The chain of FTP sites which has become one of the
strongholds of Amiga grassroots software.  Born out of the death of
larc.ab20.nasa.gov on an Amiga 3000T running CBM SVr4 Unix, it's THE place
to look for ANY low-no-cost software.  The complete fairly-current index,
the list of sites and features <access by WWW, IRC, ftp-by-mail, the
mailing lists of uploads> and more.  Your first port of call for software.

    <666> BLAZEMONGER.


Part 4. Everything Else <GeneralInfo>
-------------------------------------


Of course, there's more out there than purely Amiga related stuff.  UseNet
has science, sociology, arts, sport, Unix, modems, fan-groups, and more.
Of course, because of the computer fraternity and mindset, there's a strong
technical bias, but it's always pretty open-minded and funny, as anyone in
alt.fan.lemurs will be only to happy to tell you.


So, for your reading pleasure, you've got:  FAQs <Frequently Asked
Questions> from a pot porri of UseNet groups, the complete set of Internet
standards <RFCs and FYIs>, Zen & The Art Of The Internet, the CIA World
Fact Book 1993, the Jargon File <THAT night was like kicking dead whales
down a beach..>, and a spam of other god stuff.  Good stuff.  Whichever.


Part 5. Not The Internet <Amiga2Amiga>
--------------------------------------


In case your networking ideals are not as global, here's the smaller end of
the scale.  Envoy is IAM's Amiga-to-Amiga peer networking system, with
security groups, realm-servers, drive-exporting, network-printing, and
more.  It's a pure Amiga system, and it performs as such.  Well.  <We run
it around the office LAN to hook the A3000s, A4000s and A2000s up with
Ethernet>.  We're also the UK distributors for the system as well.  <Quick
plug>.  IAM's Dale Larson also wrote a lot of the SANA-2 specifications
<another ex-Commodore guy> and wrote the book 'Connect Your Amiga' which
covers a lot of the information in part 1 in much more detail.  Available
from us, again.  If you're going between just a couple of machines and have
no Ethernet cards, use ParNet, or if that's not practical and there's no
other choice, SerNet.


In the directory Amiga2Amiga you can find support utilities for the
abovementioned systems.  ParNet and SerNet also have ready-set-up startup
icons for simple connection to another Amiga, to act as a CD-fileserver.
ParNet requires a ParNet lead and a machine running ParNet on the other end
of the link, and SerNet over DNet requires a machine runnning SerNet and
DNet <Surprise> with a null-modem cable connecting the two machines.  You
also need ParNet or SerNet installed on the other Amiga.


Both networking systems are compatible with all versions of KickStart, and
will work on CD³² and CDTV as long as you've got the requisite hardware
connections.


ParNet is easy to start up - SerNet is a little more complex.  To start
SerNet up, click on TurboSerNet-StartUP.  DNet's own window will open up,
offering a menu selection of Quit, SendBreak and Start DNet, via the right
mouse button.  SendBreak clears the serial line, for setting up the
connection, and Start DNet kicks the whole thing off.  If DNet connects to
the remote machine, SerNet will then be mounted as the device SNET:


All serial preferences for the various KickStarts on this CD have been set
at the fastest reliable configuration for DNet - 31250 baud, no parity,
XOn/XOff, 8 data bits read/write and 1 start/stop bit for normal SerNet.
TurboSerNet runs at 31250.  Set the remote machine's serial preferences to
match this to achieve the correct DNet setup.


As an enhancement for this CD, I've added NetUtils into the configuration -
this small set of enhancements is useful if your remote machine doesn't
have a readily-accessible keyboard handy, for example.  <Good for doing
assigns and such on a CD32>.  The icon Net+ starts the Inform server <you
need to have ParNet or SerNet running beforehand> - see the NetUtils
documentation for more info on the enhancements available.


Unfortunately, Inform seems to be hardwired to use NET:  for its
connectivity.  Meaning it's not much use against the SNET:  convention I
use for SerNet.  However, assigning NET:  to SNET:  makes Inform work.
<The Net+ script checks to see if NET:  is available, if it isn't, NET:  is
assigned to SNET:  as you must be running SerNet>


This basically means:  You can't run ParNet AND SerNet at the same time AND
have the NetUtils suite up as well.  Although hopefully you won't ;->
Incidentally, the Net+ script requires KickStart 2.x minimum due to the
braindead way 1.3 AmigaDOS handles IF clauses.  <If you're running 1.3 I
seriously suggest you get rid of the CBM commands and replace the lot with
ARP - it's one hell of an improvement>


Part 6. Internet, and Amiga technical stuff <Amiga-Tech>
--------------------------------------------------------


What's that jumper?  Where's that util?  The A4000 Hardware guide covers a
lot more than that machine in particular, and is a great help around the
office.  The SystemGuide will help you find that last OS file that is
stopping your application firing up, and my FishXRef will probably tell you
where to get it.  And a few other goodies.  The Net is a good source of
tecnhical knwoledge - especially UseNet.


Part 7. Uh? <AmigaKicks>
------------------------


A few things to play with.  Contributions from Matt Dillon, The Bomb demo
team, a bunch of guys who hang out on #amigascne whenever they get the
chance, and something that keeps beating me at chess.  <Nyahh, I can beat
it at sex, drugs 'n rock 'n roll, so make me care...>


Part 8. The whole 9 yards. <Amiga-Useful>
-----------------------------------------


And finally, to wind up, a set of the latest versions of Amiga utilities
that we find useful here.  Mucho good stuff.