Re: MAC File Transfer

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Andrew Webber <andrew.webber4@virgin.net> wrote:

> I have transfered some files from my Mac to a 800K Prodos disk, but
> when I subsequently run an application under GS/OS from that disk all
> i get is a dialog Window saying that "An application can't be found
> for this document"
> 
> I come from mainly a PC background, is this something to do with
> resource and data forks being different between MACs and GS/OS?

The internal structure of Mac and IIgs resource forks are different, but
that doesn't affect simple file copying - it would only be significant
if you tried to open a Mac-specific file in a IIgs application or vice
versa.

The error message you are getting probably means that the IIgs file type
has not been set correctly (and possibly the auxiliary type), so the
IIgs doesn't recognise the file in question as an application.

The Mac is pretty reliable at retaining ProDOS directory information (it
maps the ProDOS file type and auxiliary type into the Mac file type, and
sets the Mac creator code to 'pdos'), but this is only useful if the
file was copied from a ProDOS disk in the first place.

How exactly did the files get to the Mac, and in what form were they
transferred?

The most likely explanation is that the download process didn't set the
Mac file type and creator correctly, so the files end up with the wrong
details when transferred to the IIgs.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz