Re: More Net DL info

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

phoenyx writes ...
> 
> We have been discussing downloading from the net
> recently and I was asked to run a test. Here are the
> results with a few additional tests I added. The file
> tested was mar2.0.1.bxy. All downloads were started
> via the save as method. A right click on the link in
> all systems. The function name may vary a bit. For
> Netscape it's 'save link as'. I don't remember the
> IE name but you will get a file locator window if you
> select the right one.
> 
> Windows 95
>     Netscape ver 3.04
>         DL size from browser = 107k
>         Actual size  of file       = 110,268
>         Tested ok?                    = No
> 
>     IE ver 4.01 (SP1)
>         DL size from browser = 107k
>         Actual size of file        = 109824
>         Tested ok?                    = Yes
> 
>     AOL 4.0 (16 bit).
>         Couldn't access file! Access to page was ok though.
> 
> Linux
>     Netscape 4.6
>         DL size from browser    = 107k
>         Actual size of file           = 109824
>         Tested ok?                      = Yes
> 
>     Netscape 4.6 direct to HFS volume
>         DL size from browser     = 107k
>         Actual size of file            = 109824
>         Tested ok?                        = Yes
> 
> As this shows, only Netscape on Win 95 system
> failed to download correctly.
 ....

     Interesting results. (110,268 checks with the size I get for a bad
download of the file under Netscape 4.61 on a Win95 PC. 109824 bytes is the
size of the Uncook-ed-- good-- file.)

     It appears that the problem with http downloads on many systems may relate
to a MIME type which your browser is told is "unknown". The different Win95
results obtained seem to indicate that Netscape's response to "unknown" is to
assume Text type; whereas, IE's response is to assume Binary type.

     Don't know why Netscape makes the right choice running under Linux unless
there is something about Linux default MIME type choices which forces Binary.

 
> As an aside. The download to HFS was nice for me. Now
> I download straight from the net to a filesystem which the
> KEGS emulator understands. From there, manipulation
> is quite easy.

     Really, downloading Apple II stuff to the Win95 PC and NULL modem
transferring it to our IIgs works very nicely, too. Most Apple II software is
on ftp sites and a few http sites which do know about A2 files.

     The few exceptions encountered by Netscape users can be dealt with by
getting the site manager to append the .bin suffix to A2 files on the site or,
for corrupt downloads, by using Uncook. 



Rubywand