Re: not there yet (FAQ info)

[pubpc1@library.ucla.edu]

nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates) wrote:
>in response to my reply:
>>People, there is _NO_ problem with forked files under a GS.
>
>   Scott, _NOT_ everyone with a GS has GS/OS available.

Then at least make it crystal clear that a GS _w/_ GS/OS will handle
forked files.

>   What I've written in the FAQ will stay: with ProDOS 8, forked
>files are bad news. I will not put in any _WRONG_ information about
>the label on the case affecting dealing with forked files, when it is
>the OS's business to deal with files, not the motherboard's. 

Nate, here is what I propose.  This is a quote from a previous version
of the A2 FAQ (sorry, I don't have the new one with ProTYPE info yet...
it is probably in transit).

While I understand that you are trying to find the lowest common
denominator, the GS programs should still be mentioned because they are
sufficiently different.

Notice that my actual proposal says "GS with System 5.0 or later."


A2 FAQ quote:
>  5.9 How do I read/write Apple II files from a Mac?
>
>   If you can read/write Apple II 3.5" disks, Macs can usually read/write
>   to them fine. Apart from the Apple //e emulation card (see below),
>   Macs never really had 140K 5.25" support. Using a null modem is almost
>   always an option; see above.
>
>   With Mac System 7.5 and up, the Control Panel 'PC Exchange' lets
>   inserted ProDOS and MS-DOS disks appear on the desktop and copy files
>   to and from them, making the procedure rather simple. Before 7.5
>   (starting somewhere in Mac System 5 or 6; it was definitely around in
>   the late 6.0.x series), the program 'Apple File Exchange' was bundled
>   on the system disks; it could manually (and very slowly) copy
>   individual files, but only from within Apple File Exchange. Consult
>   the system software disks for your Mac if you can't find these
>   programs.
>
>   Unfortunately, if a Macintosh program (such as the program you're
>   using to download a file) tends to add a 'resource fork' to a file
>   when writing it to an Apple II disk, then programs not running under
>   GS/OS (such as Binscii, Shrinkit 3.4, Appleworks, etc) can not read

Now this is good, but you don't list WHAT GS/OS programs WILL extract them.

>   them, giving a 'FILE TYPE MISMATCH' error. If you are comfortable with
>   ResEdit or other filetype changers, you can apparently change the type
>   and creator to 'TEXT' and 'pdos', before copying it to the ProDOS
>   disk-- that'll prevent it from adding the resource fork when writing
>   to a ProDOS disk. [If there already is a resource fork, I think this
>   won't remove it, which is why the Mac program mentioned in the next
>   paragraph is useful.]
>
>   If this gets monotonous, or you don't know how to run ResEdit, there
>   is a Mac program to fix this problem, however; download, unpack and
>   run the following programs on any files that have had their resource
>   fork added. (For information on downloading and unpacking Macintosh
>   programs, please see the comp.sys.mac.misc FAQ, or ask a friend)
>  
>ftp://mirrors.aol.com/mir02/INFOMAC/info-mac/disk/file-stripper-utilities.hqx
>
>   Once you have the ability to download .bsq files and unpack them,
>   there are some Apple II files to remove forks. [These files are packed
>   with Binscii. If you don't have binscii because it's got a resource
>   fork on it, you can't use these fork removers. Thus, you'll need to
>   deal with it on the Mac end at first.]
>
>   HFS.LINK, listed above can apparently read out the data from either
>   fork; there are also the programs ConvertForks 1.0 or ForkSplit 0.5.
>
>   Also, the Apple //e emulation card (available for a few models of
>   Macs-- see the section on it) allows you to plug in a real Apple II
>   5.25 drive, and read files off of it.


I would add that HFS.LINK (and A2FX, if you don't have that already)
actually read from _HFS_ disks, not ProDOS disks.

I would also add another section for the Apple IIgs:

DOES THESE PROBLEMS APPLY IF I HAVE AN APPLE IIGS AND RUN GS/OS?

  No.  GS/OS, from System 5.0 onward, fully supports forked files. On
  a GS system running GS/OS, a binscii file downloaded on a Mac can
  be decoded with GSCII+ regardless of whether it has a resource fork
  or not.  If you are using System 6.0 or greater and the HFS FST,
  you can use HFS 800K disks (Mac format) instead of ProDOS disks
  to simplify sneakernetting.  GSHK will unpack files with or without
  a resource fork and mistyped files as well.

-Scott G.