TITLE
    Apple ftp Sites: Frequently Asked Questions
Article ID:
Created:
Modified: 		15553
6/7/94
7/29/99
TOPIC

    This article provides an overview of ftp sites in general, a description of the ftp sites maintained by Apple, and answers to common problems.

DISCUSSION

    What are ftp Sites?

    An ftp site is a server which has an Internet connection and uses the File Transfer Protocol (an agreed upon standard for transferring files using the TCP/IP protocol) to let you log on and download files.

    Servers can be Macintosh computers, MS-DOS machines, or UNIX based PCs or workstations. Limits, such as the number of users logged on, can be placed on an ftp site. Obviously, the more memory and processor speed a machine running as an ftp site has, the better able it is to handle more users, more file transfers, and so on.

    Apple's ftp Sites

    There are currently a number of ftp sites maintained at Apple, most of which are located in Austin, Texas or Cupertino, California. Apple Computer, Inc. is constantly upgrading and adding additional ftp servers:

    ftp://ftp.info.apple.com (Austin, Texas, USA)
    ftp://ftp.apple.com (Cupertino, California, USA)
    ftp://ftp.info.euro.apple.com (Zeist, the Netherlands)
    ftp://ftp.apple.com.au (Australia)
    http://www.apple.ca/fr/software/ (Website, Toronto, Canada)

    The Software That is Available Online

    On Wednesday, November 11, 1998, Apple Software Updates on Apple's Support Web site [http://www.apple.com/support/] was substantially revised. The revised site is available at: http://til.info.apple.com/swupdates.nsf/search . Direct links and descriptions are listed in the Discussion section of Tech Info Library article http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n16332 The following updates are available in several languages by searching or browsing the Software Udpates database or via ftp: ftp://ftp.info.apple.com/Apple_Support_Area/Apple_Software_Updates/
    • Apple II
    • DOS-Windows
    • Macintosh
    • Newton
    • Power Computing
    • UNIX (on some servers)

    What software You Should Use

    In general, Apple recommends that you obtain the latest version of an application that uses the ftp protocol to transfer files.

    The following are the most common applications, many of which are included in the Apple Internet Connection Kit, now available in the USA.

    Fetch 2.1.2 or 3.0
    An application developed at Dartmouth College; the most popular ftp client for Macintosh users. It automatically downloads and converts the binhexed files to the .sea file format.

    Anarchie 140
    Anarchie is an ftp and Archie client. It lets you browse ftp sites, download files, or find them using an Archie server. It requires System 7 and MacTCP 1.1 or later. Anarchie lets you view any directory as a folder, making it a very Macintosh-like application.

    Turbogopher 1.0.8b4
    An Internet surfing application developed by the University of Minnesota, capable of downloading and converting binhexed files to the .sea file format.

    Netscape Navigator
    A web client from the Netscape Communications Corp.

    Microsoft Internet Explorer
    A web client from Microsoft Corp.

    File Types

    Files on Apple's ftp sites typically have names that end with a three character suffix such as .sea or .hqx or .txt These suffixes, or extensions, are meaningful. They provide you (and your computer) with information regarding what type of file it is. After downloading a file, you may need additional software to decompress or otherwise restore the file(s) to a functional state. Knowing a file's file type enables you to determine when this is the case, and makes it easier to select the correct utility software for managing the downloaded file. Here are some of the file types you will encounter on Apple's ftp sites:
    Extension
    Type
    Notes
    .txt text A plain text file; no processing needed. Can be opened with SimpleText or any other text editor; it may even display itself automatically within your web browser or ftp client's window.
    .hqx BinHex Some download programs automatically decode BinHex files. Numerous utilities can process this type of file.
    .bin MacBinary Some download programs automatically decode MacBinary files. Numerous utilities can process this type of file.
    .sea Self Extracting Archive A self-contained archive containing one or more files. No utility software necessary; simply double-click the archive file. The files contained within it are automatically extracted.
    .img Disk Copy image Use Apple's Disk Copy utility to open it and view/copy the file(s) within.
    .scr Disk Copy Script Use Apple's Disk Copy utility. See Tech Info Library article 21238, titled " .scr Suffix On Downloaded Files " for complete details on Disk Copy scripts.
    .smi Self Mounting Image A self-contained Disk Copy image that can be opened with a double-click; the Apple Disk Copy program is not needed.

    In some cases, a file on an Apple ftp site will have two extensions, indicating that it has been processed first with one utility and then further processed with another. For example, consider this file:

    foobar.sea.hqx

    This file is a self-extracting archive that has been binhex'ed. When you download the file, the processing associated with the last extension may be automatically performed by your software . Consequently, your downloaded file would be a self-extracting archive with this filename:

    foobar.sea

    If the binhex encoding is not automatically processed by your software when you download, then you will have to perform the task yourself before being able to access the self-extracting archive within.

    Common Problems

    We do verify each file we upload, but occasionally files do get corrupted and we replace them.

    The following common problems may be encountered by customers on Apple's ftp servers.

    ftp server: cannot log on

    Problem: You cannot log on due to the maximum concurrent user limit.
    Solution: You should try again later or another Apple ftp server.

    However, most of the time, you cannot download a file due to one of following problems:

    Problem: Not using most current version of ftp client, such as Fetch 2.1.2 or Fetch 3.0.
    Solution: Upgrade your ftp client software, then try again.

    Problem: The server connection "times out" or disconnects.
    Solution: Try logging on again using one of the other servers.

    Problem: You cannot establish a consistent connection with any ftp site.
    Solution: Make sure TCP/IP software is the most current version.
    Problem: The Microsoft Internet Explorer browser does not seem to process MacBinary files the way you expect.
    Solution: Make sure the browser is configured to properly handle MacBinary files. For information on this issue, see Tech Info Library article 24629: " Microsoft Internet Explorer: Configuring For MacBinary ".

    Check out the Behind the Scenes web page http://support.info.apple.com/support/smoke&mirrors.html for the latest news, statistics, current ftp traffic and how we do what we do on www.info.apple.com

    These are just a few reasons why you may have difficulty downloading Apple Software Updates. For a comprehensive outline of many possible problems please see the following Tech Info Library article:

    Article 44000: " Trouble Downloading Software Updates From info.apple.com "

    Other Commercial Online Services Apple Supports

    Currently Apple publishes to America Online in addition to the Internet.

Document Information
Product Area: Apple General Information
Category: Apple On Line Resources
Sub Category: Apple Web & ftp Sites

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