Re: Need Help Downloading

[supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer)]

Robert Boucher <boucher1@pdq.net> wrote:

>I started with a II+ when they first came out; I still use a IIe with AW
>5.1 on a daily basis. When AOL dropped Apple II support, I went to a Mac
>for Internet access. I just recently discovered the number of files
>available for the II (although it seems mostly for the IIGS) on the
>various Web sites. My problem is I cannot seem to sucessfully download a
>file using NN 3.04, transfer the D/L to a floppy, and get the file
>decoded properly. (Shrinkit either tells me it cannot work with a forked
>file, or it doesn't even recognize the file, etc).

You are describing two separate problems.  I'll address them one at
a time.

For the times that 8-bit Shrinkit TELLS YOU that a FILE INSIDE the
archive is forked and can't be extracted, that file is an APPLE IIGS
program or data extended file.  The Apple IIGS uses extended files
with resource forks just like the Mac.  You need an Apple IIGS with
GS/OS and 16-bit GS Shrinkit to extract and use these files.  The
Apple IIGS does not care if Macintosh makes an archive extended
(does not care about resource forks since it makes use of them too)
so the all advice after this paragraph DOES NOT apply to the GS
with GS Shrinkit.

For the times that you can't recognize the file with 8-bit Shrinkit,
Macintosh has added a resource to your .shk file, making it extended.
ONLY GS Shrinkit can then extract these files on an Apple II and
that Apple II must be an Apple IIGS.  However, you can use either
Macintosh or Apple IIe to remove the resource fork.

IF you want to do the removal on the Apple IIe, you need a program
called A2FX...available at...
http://liquefy.isca.uiowa.edu/8/ground/apple2/apple8/Utils/a2fx.8

To use this program, simply run it, put a Macintosh (NOT ProDOS)
formatted HFS disk into the IIe's 3.5" drive (make sure disk is
DS/DD) and read the files off the disk, selecting the data fork to be
copied.

HOWEVER, since A2FX is bincii encoded, if you can't get the file
over to the IIe without a resource fork in the first place, you can't
use A2FX.  The second option is to do it on Macintosh.

The Macintosh program ProTYPE will also remove resource forks.
This program is available at...
http://liquefy.isca.uiowa.edu/8/ground/apple2/Mac/ProTYPE11.hqx

To use this program, you need to run your downloads through it
and save the output to a PRODOS formatted disk.

Why not get both so you can use BOTH standard Macintosh
800k format disks (A2FX) AND ProDOS 800k disks (ProTYPE) to
transfer your files?

Remember that neither A2FX or ProTYPE will let your 8-bit
Shrinkit magically extract GS extended files from WITHIN GS
Shrinkit archives...they only remove the resource fork from
the ARCHIVE ITSELF.