Re: Arghhhh with PC--->Apple over Null Modem Cable

["Marvin Miller" <marvinmiller@hotmail.com>]

I considered (and tried) the file transfer over the null modem cable and ran
into these problems;

[1] I had to get a cable that fit the //gs and terminated in a db9 serial
port (I Did)
[2] I had to get a null modem intermediate adapter (I Did)
[3] I had to get an adapter to go from the db9 serial end of the //gs cable
to get it to connect to the null modem joiner (I Did)
[4] I had to get an extension to make the computers reach (I Did)
[4] I had to get an adapter to make it connect to the extension (I Did)
[5] I had to get another adapter to make the extension terminate in the
proper gender to the PC (I Did)

$65 dollars later....

BTW, It looked like this !

mini-din 8------->db9 (female) -----gender changer-----null modem
adapter------gender changer------extension cable-------gender changer

In the end, the cable did connect to both machines but it wasn't pretty!
After that I spent two hours trying to get the two machines to talk to each
other using z-link. I could get no communication whatsover and had problems
even inputting the correct directory into z-link. There's something strange
with that program.....

As a result of this, my null modem cable experience stinks, not to put too
fine a point on it.

Also, the software issue comes into play. Seeing I can't use a single
self-extracting zip file on the //gs, I would have to enter in around 4,000
file names to transfer! It would be _MUCH_ easier if I had a GS/OS based
communication program that could work with HFS drives. Even if I did though,
I still question my patched together null modem cable. There's enough joins
in there to cause problems.

The issue with that is that I am in Canada, and there's not much in the way
of null modem adapters that will work. I already ordered all the //GS parts
& components from the US and I'm getting tired of importing :-)

If I had a standard db9 ---> db9 null modem adapter the cable would be
correct without the need for a million gender changers. This would make me
more confident but I come back to the comms software issue. I'm still trying
to do this fast & easy. The only comms program I've got is z-link and it
looks pretty scary!

So, I wish I had Linux experience and could do the above posted solution
but......It's looking like getting a CD-ROM for the //gs and borrowing my
buddies burner is going to be the best bet......By the way, I was under the
impression that you could use the long filenames under ISO 9660. I know most
of the files I want to transfer are very long names....

Thanks for the continued help everyone!
Marvin




"Mark Cummings" <figjams@primus.com.au> wrote in message
3a66db1a@news.iprimus.com.au">news:3a66db1a@news.iprimus.com.au...
> Marvin,
>
> >...unzipped everything on the PC, re-zipped it as a self-extracting
> executable
> >and than wanted to transfer ONE file via the null modem cable (instead of
> >4,000 !!).
>
> as you now know, a PC self extracting .zip will not unzip on your GS, ie.
> different processors. So burning a CD is looking like the next easiest
> option.
>
> >...I tried that using a cobbled together cable with
> >around 6 or 7 adapters to join the beasties together, but no dice.
>
>
> PC DB9 or DB25 to IIGS/Mac minidin-8 cables can still be bought new for
> reasonable prices, and are still usefull. Make sure you get the null modem
> type. Or you can make one if you ask for the pinout, I'm sure that you'll
> get a reply. I've got one, so if you want the pinout let me know.
>
> Lets say you want to transfer a 2Mb file later, what do you do...
> a. burn another CD for one file... very wastefull. multi session won't
work
> on the GS so don't go there.
> b. try to transfer it via a floppy... but it won't fit on a floppy !
> c. send it via a null modem cable... good plan.
>
> There is one other option that I tried to find out about and this would be
> as good as your first method as it could be set up, started and left
alone.
> That is to transfer multiple files in one batch via the null modem cable.
> Apparantly this can be done if you have suitable file transfer program on
> each end. I was told that a script can be written to do this in some
> software which I don't own, however that is beyond my knowledge at this
> time. I have tried "Y-Modem" protocol, between Appleworks-GS and
> Hyperterminal, which is a batch transfer protocol, but couldn't get it to
> work. Only X-Modem seems to work for me.
>
> BTW: If you do burn a CD in ISO-9660 make sure the file names are all 8+3
> uppercase format, or you may have problems reading them on the GS.
>
> Mark
>
>