From: [email protected] (Nathan Mates)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2,comp.answers,news.answers
Approved: [email protected]
Followup-To: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: comp.sys.apple2 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Part 3/4

Archive-name: apple2/faq/part3
Posting-Frequency: monthly
Last-modified: January 13 1998
Version: 5.1.34
URL: http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/csa2.html

The next section is the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) posting of
the comp.sys.apple2 newsgroup. Copyright (c) 1997 by Nathan Mates
(email: [email protected]), all rights reserved. This document can be
freely copied so long as 1) it is not sold, 2) any sections reposted
elsewhere from it are credited back to this FAQ with the FAQ's
copyright info and official WWW location
(http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/csa2.html)left in place.

This FAQ is posted on the WWW for 24 hour a day (barring system and/or
internet malfunctions) availability from
http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/csa2.html. Please do NOT make a
copy of this FAQ and post it on the web; I'm continually updating and
fixing sections of it. A html link is fine.

--- Begin part 3 of 4

How do I get files off the net? 8/26/96

Quick summary:
1: Make sure you know how to download files from ftp sites
2: Make sure you have a Binscii decoder
3: Make sure you have a Shrinkit unpacker
4: Unpack with the programs

And, in more detail, starting with a word of explanation:

[There used to be details about older Apple II packing programs in the
FAQ, but as they're pretty much never used anymore, the info on them
has been relegated to the 'obsolete' section of the comp.sys.apple2
FAQ at http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/csa2.old.html]

5.1 What are Binscii & Shrinkit, and why do I need them? 8/26/96

Shrinkit was written by Andy Nicholas to be able to take multiple
files or disks and compress them into one file. This allows a authors
to distribute programs, documentation, and anything else as one
complete file. It is analogous to (but NOT the same as) Stuff-It or
[PK]ZIP for Macs and IBMs. Shrinkit comes in many different forms, as
is noted in the section on downloading it.

Binscii is a method of turning Apple II files into pieces that can be
safely transmitted by the internet, such as usenet and email, and
restored to the Apple II file later. It is used for two major reasons:
1) Since it splits files up into manageable pieces, it lets huge files
be transmitted without fear of being cut short. 2) Since it translates
files to strictly printable characters, mediums that cannot safely
send binary files (i.e. files put through Shrinkit) such as email and
usenet can send binscii'd files.