Internet Training: Finding and Downloading Software

What is FTP?

FTP is a Client/Server application just like WWW, Gopher, and Telnet. You request a file using ftp client software. The ftp server listens for requests and then sends the requested files to the client. WWW browsers (like Netscape or Mosaic) can function as FTP clients.

anonymous ftp refers to an FTP site that will let anyone fetch software without requiring them to have an individually assigned username and password. (Actually, users usually have to give the username anonymous and enter their e-mail address as the password. This part is done for users automatically when they use a www browser to do FTP.)

Why would I want to use FTP?

How do I use FTP?

When you click on an FTP link in WWW, your browser will download the file. This file is placed in whatever folder you have set your TEMPORARY FOLDER to in your browser preferences. After you click on an FTP link, this is where you must go to find the file you just downloaded.

In many cases, this file is a compressed file and/or an archive. In this case, your browser will need to launch a Helper Applicication to uncompress and/or unpack this file so that you can use it. Your browser must be configured as to which helper application it should launch based on the type of file you try to FTP. This is done through your browser's preferences in the HELPER APPLICATIONS area. For MACS, StuffitExpander is a common Helper Applciation to use for .sit, .hqx, .bin, .cpt, and .sea files.

Files at FTP sites are usually compressed so that they can be fetched more quickly. Files at ftp sites are frequently archives (a package of) many files so that you can get the package with one transfer - which is much easier than having to transfer each file and folder in the package separately.

You will notice that when you use FTP, frequently more than one file appears. This is because the original file was compressed and or packaged up as an archive and/or converted to a non-binary format. Your browser brings over the original file (say netscape.sit.hqx). Then your helper application (like StuffitExpander) converts it back to a binary format (netscape.sit), and then uncompresses it which produces a Netscape folder. When you are done, you are left with all 3 of these file, though you need to keep only the Netscape folder.

It is important to remember that caution should be exercised when fetching files. It is preferrable to fetch only well-known applications from well-known sites. One should also have virus protection software like disinfectant on hand. Software such as Norton Utilities can help you recover if you do fetch something that turns out to be harmful.

What is Archie?

How do I use Archie?

• Search Keyword - The name of the software or file you are looking for. You can use any portion of the name you remember.

• Type of Search ("Case Insensitive Substring" is a common choice.)
  • Case Insensitive Substring Match - You don't care how the keyword is capitalized when you are searching for a match. Also, you want to find matches where your keyword is only a part of the file name Archie finds. For example: if you ask Archie to look for a keyword of "weaver", it should tell you if it finds "WebWeaver".

  • Exact Match - Archie should look for file names that exactly match your keyword, including the capitalization. Archie should not tell you about files with names that contain your keyword, but have additional characters in it. For example: if you ask Archie to look for a keyword of "weaver", it will not tell you if it finds "webweaver".

  • Case Sensitive Substring match - Archie should look for names that contain your keyword (plus possibly extra characters), but the capitalization must match.

  • Regular Expression - Archie should look for a name that matches the keyword pattern you have used. This pattern can include wildcards and ANDs and ORs. An explanation of how to write Regular Expressions is beyond the scope of this tutorial.

• How to Sort Results - Select date if you want to see the newest files first. This is useful when you want to get the most recent release of some software. Select host when you want to see your results sorted by the names of the machines that have the files you want.

• Archie Server to Use - Archie has a reputation for being busy, so the writer of this page kindly provided a list of many different Archie servers for you to try. I have had the best luck recently with Switzerland, Germany, Israel, Norway, Sweden, and Spain.

• Host Domain - You can specify that you want Archie to look at only certain sets of machines that are in the domain you type enter. Examples: fnal.gov, umich.edu, apple.com, us, il.us, ... I usually leave this field blank so that Archie will find the software I want regardless of where it is. But if you know where you think the software is, you can speed up your search this way.

• Number of Results - Tell Archie how many matches to find before it quits. A number between 10 and 30 will usually work fine. Using lower numbers will make the search faster, but Archie may find old versions of software and software packages you were not looking for - so if you ask for only a few matches, you may not find what you are looking for.

• Impact on other Users - You get decide how high a priority your request should be. "Nice" is usually the best choice. Using a lower priority may take significantly longer, and using a higher priority is considered rude to whomever was nice enough to allow you to run your search on their machine.

How do I go about finding software and files from FTP sites?

1. If you know the name of the company or person who wrote the software or file you are looking for, go directly to that WWW site.

2. Find out if the software has a WWW home page, by using a search program or an appropriate subject catalog.

3. Use a list of FTP Sites for products you are interested in.

4. If you know the name of the software or file, use Archie to find it.

Hints for Finding Software

1. If you are at an FTP site and you don't know what to click on, see if there is a folder called pub. This is a common place for people to put publically available software.

2. Look for a folder that has the name of the type of machine you are using - like mac, windows, or unix.

3. If one FTP site is busy, try another site. In particular, look for mirror sites that "mirror" or have the same software as the original site. These mirror sites are set up because writers of popular software know that they need to make their software available from more than one machine in order to reduce the busy signal problem.

4. You usually want to look for the most recent version of the software. You can find this by looking for the latest release number or the latest date on the file. If the year is not listed for a file, that means it is from the last 12 months.

5. When you get a list of links that have the software you are looking for, pass your mouse over these links to see what extension (ending) the filename has. The extension tells you what kind of file it is. Look for an extension that you know you have helper applications to handle. For example: with Stuffit Expander you can download files that end in .sit, .bin, .hqx, .sea, and .cpt. You cannot download files that end in .gz, .uu, or .zip.

What are some good sites to use for Finding Software

Practice Finding Software

1. Find Netscape (Go directly to Netscape's WWW site)
2. Find an HTML editor for the IBM (Use "World Wide Web Information" links)
3. Find Disinfectant (Use WebCrawler)
4. Find Web Weaver (Use Archie)
5. Find MacHTTP (Pick a way to find it)