4.6. How do I know which magazines to subscribe to?
This list of magazines is included for informational purposes only.
No attempt by the FAQ maintainer has been made to validate the
information contained in this list. Also, the list is organized in
a first-come, first-served order. The ordering does not imply the
rating of the magazines by the FAQ maintainer, nor does it indicate
the past or present business status of each magazine. Due to the
somewhat dynamic nature of magazines, it is highly recommended that the
prospective subscriber verify this information before subscribing.
=0C
--
Jim Brain, Embedded System Designer, Brain Innovations, Inc. (BII)(offlin=
e sig)
j.brain@ieee.org "Above views DO reflect my employer, since I'm my empl=
oyer"
Dabbling in WWW, Embedded Systems, VR, Old CBM computers, and Good Times!=
-Me-
Jim Brain: BII, VR, and CBM info
#! rnews 21691
Path: pravda.aa.msen.com!conch.aa.msen.com!not-for-mail
From: brain@mail.msen.com (Jim Brain)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: COMP.SYS.CBM: General FAQ, v3.1 Part 3/9
Supersedes:
Followup-To: comp.sys.cbm
Date: 13 Aug 1996 00:36:46 -0400
Organization: Brain Innovations, Inc.
Lines: 464
Sender: brain@msen.com
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU
Expires: 05 Sep 1996
Message-ID:
Reply-To: brain@mail.msen.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: conch.aa.msen.com
Summary: This posting contains answers to questions that commonly surface=
in
comp.sys.cbm. This posting will tell you enough to get your
computer connected to a network, fixed, and/or enhanced. This f=
ile
should be read by new users of comp.sys.cbm before posting to th=
e
group. It should also be proofread by users who are currently
active in comp.sys.cbm.
Keywords: CBM FAQ Help List C64 C128 VIC Modem
X-URL: http://www.msen.com/~brain/
X-Posted-By: YPost, version 0.08
Archive-name: cbm-main-faq.3.1.p3
Comp-answers-archive-name: commodore/main-faq/part3
News-answers-archive-name: commodore/main-faq/part3
Comp-sys-cbm-archive-name: main-faq/part3
Version: 3.1
Last-modified: 1995/08/12
=09
-----------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
Table of Contents (for this file)
---------------------------------
5. Connecting Up
5.1. How do I connect my computer to the outside world?
5.2. What services can I use to get online?
5.3. What hardware do I need?
5.4. What kinds of terminal programs exist?
5.4.1. What kinds of terminal programs exist for the 64?
5.4.2. What kinds of terminal programs exist for the 128?
5.5. Can I use my Commodore computer on Amateur Radio?
5.6. Is there TCP/IP software available for Commodore computers?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
5. Connecting Up
5.1. How do I connect my computer to the outside world?
First, we need to define what "outside world" means. In this sense, we=
are
referring to the process of connecting the Commodore computer up to ano=
ther
computer or computers and exchanging textual, binary, or graphical
information. To connect to another computer, one must have a
Commodore computer system, a modem, a phone line, and a telecommunicati=
ons
program (called a terminal emulator or terminal emulation program).
While you can use this to connect to other individuals, to access great
stores of online information you need to subscribe to an "online
service", which can take many forms. This type of service allows you
to correspond with many people with a single phone call, and may permit
you to contact people out of your area without a long distance phone ca=
ll.
5.2. What services can I use to get online?
The following services can be accessed by a Commodore computer and
allow the user to access online information.
Bulletin Board System (BBS). - Small system usually with one phone
line operated by an individual. Fees are optional. For a list of
BBS systems in your area, contact Myles Skinner for a listing at
mskinner@julian.uwo.ca.
Compuserve Information Service. - CompuServe has two Forums designed
specifically for Commodore 8-bit computer users. CBM Application=
s
Forum (GO CBMAPP) deals with programming, geoProgramming,
applications software, telecommunications, CP/M, utilities and
hardware. CBM Arts/Games/Music & GEOS Forum (GO CBMART) deals wi=
th
GEOS in general, music (including SidPlayer and MIDI), games,
graphics and graphics utilities. Both Forums have full message
boards and extensive data libraries, and both Forums have weekly
real-time conferences.
The CompuServe network is available virtually world wide. The
Commodore Forums are attracting increasing membership from Europe
and Australia, and have begun to tap into the vast variety of
Commodore files available around the world (some of the best new
Commodore programs are coming in from Europe these days). CompuS=
erve
has an extensive network of local numbers throughout the United
States and Canada and is also available through supplemental
networks such as SprintNet and DataPac. The number of direct
CompuServe connect numbers in Europe is beginning to expand.
While there is no standalone CompuServe navigator program availab=
le
for Commodore users, CBMAPP has the CIS.EXE script set that
automates Dialogue 128 on CompuServe, and also VIDAUT.BIN which w=
ill
virtually automate Vidtex (which is available again through Softw=
are
Support International). In addition there is OFFLIN.HLP, a text
file in CBMAPP, that provides a method for semi-automating access
with any standard comm program and word processor.
CompuServe's rates are as follows:
STANDARD PRICING PLAN
Membership Support Fee: $ 9.95/month
PLAN BENEFITS
For $9.95, your CompuServe membership entitles you to five free
hours on the service. This includes forums, mail, and Internet
access. After your first five hours, additional hours are billed
at the rate of $2.95/hour.
For an additional $15 a month, our Super Value Plan adds 15 free
hours (for a total of 20 hours each month) and each additional
hour is just $1.95.
Premium ($) services carry additional surcharges, however, during
your free hours, you are not charged for connect-time.
Any communications surcharges apply.
INTERNET ACCESS
Direct Internet Access (Dail PPP)
File Transfer Protocol (FTP)
Remote Login (Telnet)
USENET Newsreader ASCII
USENET Newsreader CIM
For additional information on the listed services, GO INTERNET.
MAIL
CompuServe Mail is billed for connect time. This includes reading
mail and viewing classified ads. Surcharged areas, such as fax,
telex and CongressGrams carry additional charges. For a complete
list of mail services and rates, including hardcopy deliveries
through the postal service, GO MAILRATES.
CONNECT-TIME RATES
Connect-time is billed in one minute increments, with a minimum o=
f
one minute per session. Partial minutes are rounded each log-in
session to the next full minute for our billing purposes.
Compuserve Information Systems
P.O. Box 20212
Columbus, OH 43220
(800) 848-8990 (Information)
| GEnie - GEnie is a general interest
+ online service that was previously run by General Electric. Ther=
e
+ are four different subscription packages from which a member can
+ choose:
+ GenieLite
+ This is a subscription for the occasional user -- someone who
+ primarily uses e-mail but likes to take occasional journeys into
+ Genie's RoundTables.
+ Monthly subscription*: $7.95/month
+ Per hour rate for all Genie services: $2.75/hour
+ Additional prime time surcharge: $1.00/hour
+ *GenieLite monthly subscription includes 5 free hours of e-mail u=
se.
+ Genie
+ This is our standard membership plan and is a tremendous value
+ for any of our members who use more than 6 or 7 hours a month.
+ Monthly subscription**: $23.95/month
+ Per hour rate for all Genie services: $2.75/hour
+ Additional prime time surcharge: $1.00/hour
+ **Genie monthly subscription includes 9 free hours of Genie
+ services. Monthly subscription is reduced to $18.95 for anyone w=
ho
+ had a Genie account prior to February 1, 1996.
+ GenieNet
+ Internet. There are two different plans under the GenieNet banne=
r:
+ Option 1
+ The GenieNet Option 1 plan gives unlimited access to the Inter=
net
+ but without a graphical interface. This is total, unrestricted=
,
+ 28.8Kbps access to the Internet, WWW, FTP, and Newsgroups.
+ Monthly subscription***: $15.00/month
+ Per hour rate for all Genie services: $2.75/hour
+ Additional prime time surcharge: $1.00/hour
+ *** GenieNet Options 1 & 2 provide UNLIMITED Internet usage.
+ Option 2
+ The GenieNet Option 2 plan gives unlimited access to the Inter=
net
+ but this time with a graphical interface. In addition to the
+ features offered under Option 1, you'll also get free Netscape
+ Navigator software and the ability to create a personal web pa=
ge.
+ Monthly subscription***: $29.00/month
+ Per hour rate for all Genie services: $2.75/hour
+ Additional prime time surcharge: $1.00/hour
+ *** GenieNet Options 1 & 2 provide UNLIMITED Internet usage.
+ Note: Two separate e-mail addresses, one on Genie and one on
+ GenieNet, are issued when you select either GenieNet subscription
+ option.
The Commodore support area on GEnie is known as the Flagship
Roundtable. While there are a few premium services on GEnie that
charge an extra price, all of the Flagship is available at the ba=
sic
rate. The Flagship RT includes some "Real-Time Conferences" (RTCs=
)
featuring classes or discussion of issues associated with Commodo=
re
computers. Additionally, there is a BB (Bulletin Board), which wo=
rks
much like Usenets comp.sys.cbm (only the discussion is broken dow=
n
into categories and topics). Finally, the Flagship has an extensi=
ve
library of Commodore files.
The BB messages can be read economically by capturing all the new
messages in a terminal programs capture buffer, and reading the
messages off-line. Wizard, the C=3D GEnie fron end, supports this.
Because GEnie is a general interest service,it supports many diff=
erent
computers, and you can use any ASCII terminal program to connect =
to
GEnie. Wizard is available, but not required. GEnie operates norm=
ally
| at 300 - 28,800 bps. There are local access numbers across the
country.
GEnie
401 North Washington Street
Rockville, MD 20850
(800) 638-9636 (Information)
Delphi Internet Services. - Delphi is a commercial system that,
while small in comparison to other systems, is growing rapidly. =
It
has a large forum dedicated to Commodore computers, as well as ac=
cess
to the Usenet and the comp.sys.cbm newsgroup. Delphi has two pla=
ns.
One, called the Standard Plan, costs $10.00 a month and gives the
user 4 hours of non-prime time (6PM-7AM) free each month. Each
additional hour is $4.00. The other plan, called the Advantage P=
lan,
costs $20.00 a month and gives the user 20 hours of non-prime-tim=
e
free each month. Each hour over 20 is $1.80. Access to the Inte=
rnet
via Delphi costs an additional $3.00 for both plans each month.
Delphi Internet Services
1030 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
(800) 695-4005 (Information)
Internet - The largest online service. The
Internet is a collection of 4 million machines interconnected usi=
ng
a common protocol called TCP/IP. This service is the result of a=
U.S. defense experiment started in the late 1960's. Due to its
distributed nature, the Internet is unlike most other online serv=
ices.
In some cases, as in universities, there is no cost to access the=
"net", as it is called, and some other online services offer acce=
ss
to the Internet. This is the home of all the FTP sites, the USEN=
ET
and the USENET newsgroup comp.sys.cbm, Internet email, and the Wo=
rld
Wide Web. When you use these services you are utilizing the Inte=
rnet.
QuantumLink - Q-Link was a Commodore specific
telecommunications service. This service, while booming in the l=
ate
1980's, has now been discontinued.
There was an effort to retrieve as many of the QuantumLink files
as could be retrieved. Email Brenda G4 at b.gann1@genie.geis.com
| for more information. Also, a list of ex-Qlink-ers is being
| maintained. If you want to be on the list, send email to
steward@shell.portal.com or sirfitz@kaiwan.com.
5.3. What hardware do I need?
To access online services you will need a functional Commodore computer
that is physically able to have a modem of some kind attached to the
computer. The more common C64 and C128 are able to be used with a mode=
m,
but computers like the Commodore C16, C116, some PETs and some older CB=
M
business machines may require significant investments in order to be
used.
With a functional computer, you will need a modulator/demodulator
(modem) unit of some kind. There are two basic kinds that can be used
on the Commodore computers:
A standard RS-232 (EIA-232) external modem.
These modems are very common in today's market, as they are usable on a=
ll
computer systems. They usually are constructed in a small rectangular
box, have lights across the front, and have either a standard 9 or 25
pin D-style connector on the back of the unit. Speeds range from 300bp=
s
to 28,800 bps and above. This modem requires an interface cable of som=
e
kind to connect to the Commodore computer.
A Commodore compatible external modem.
These modems are much less common in today's market. Originally
manufactured only by Commodore, some examples include the C1600 (300bps
manual dial), C1650 (300bps, pulse dial), C1660 (300bps, DTMF dial), an=
d
C1670 (1200bps, AT commands, DTMF/Pulse dial). Although other
companies manufacture compatible modems, it seems that the maximum spee=
d
is 2400bps for all models. This modem style plugs directly into the
Commodore user port.
Please note that all speeds marked are maximums. Most modems will
operate at any speed up to the maximum. Most users agree that buying
a Commodore compatible modem these days is an unwise move, except
for special circumstances. The suggestion is to purchase a standard
modem and an interface to use the modem with the CBM machine.
If you chhose to purchase a standard external modem, you must also
purchase or build a suitable interface. There are two major types
of interfaces:
Simple Cable Interface.
This type of interface merely converts the nonstandard RS-232 pinout
on the Commodore user port to the standard RS-232 pinout and performs
voltage level translation as required by RS-232 specifications. This
interface can be purchased for $20 to $40 new or built by the user.
There are a number of homemade interfaces available. The TRANSACTOR
published an interface in the Nov 87 issue (V8iss3) and Commodore Hacki=
ng
Online Magazine published plans for one in issue 4 (See MailServer sect=
ion
for retrieval instructions. These are both supposed to emulate the
VIC1011A that C=3D put out many years ago, and you might find one at a
computer "flea market". Another version is designed by Stephen Coan.
| Send email to Fred Mueller (fred.mueller@lucent.com) for a copy of
| the schematic in ASCII format. The differences between the two is the
| Transactor one has switchable options for some of the leads and the
| Coan one is hard wired. (See Section 12.4 and 12.5 for interface design=
s)
UART interface.
To use a modem, a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART)
is needed. When Commodore designed the CBM VIC-20, C64 and C128, they
emulated a UART in software to keep costs down. Although this works
for slower speeds, there is a limit to how fast the software UART can
function. For faster access, a real UART is needed. This type of
interface provides a complete UART in a cartridge that plugs into the
expansion port. To utilize it, all software must be written to take
advantage of the real UART. UART interfaces can be purchased from
CMD (Swiftlink), HART (HART Cartidge), or built from plans (DataPump).
(See Section 13.6 for addresses and further information on UART cartrid=
ges.)
The decision of which interface to buy depends on the speed of your mod=
em
and the software you are using.
The software UART on the Commodore 64 can handle speeds at up to 2400 b=
ps.
The software UART of the Commodore 128 can handle speeds at up to 4800 =
for
all software and 9600 bps for some very well-written software.
If you are under these maximum limits for your system, the simple inter=
face
cable will suffice, and most terminal programs can be used.
For speeds between 2400 and 9600 bps (4800/9600 and 19200 bps on a C128=
), a
number of options are open. Some programs can use the simple interface=
cable to allow this faster access. Newer terminal software may be writ=
ten
to exploit Daniel Dallmann's 9600 bps access technique, which requires
some small modifications to the simple interface cable (see Section 12.=
5
for more information). Finally, some programs allow the use of a UART
cartridge.
For speeds above 9600 bps (19200 on a C128), a UART interface and an
appropriate terminal program is your only option.
5.4. What kinds of terminal programs exist?
There are many types and versions of telecomunications programs (referr=
ed
to as terminal emulation programs or terminal programs). Some are bett=
er
than others, but individual users will ultimately decide which they
like best. Most terminal programs available today are Shareware, but
some are still sold commercially, and some new commercial terminal
programs are being sold.
All of these programs include emulations of the popular terminals such =
as
DEC VT100, VT102, VT52, and ANSI. Also, each includes a number of
file transfer protocols (See Section 6.1 for more information on transf=
er
protocols).
5.4.1. What kinds of terminal programs exist for the 64?
Novaterm
Novaterm 9.6
Nick Rossi
10002 Aurora Avenue North #1159
Seattle, WA 98133
This program, previously marketed as shareware, is now commercial,
| and can be ordered from Mr. Rossi for $29.95 US.
| voyager@eskimo.com (Contact)
+ http://wwweskimo.com/~voyager/novaterm.html
| The 9.5 version is available as shareware at
ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/voyager/Novaterm/nova9.5-?.sfx
Kermit
Kermit 2.2
Kent Sullivan
16611 NE 26th Street
Bellevue, WA 98008
$12.50 US for the program, now at version 2.2.
Note that Columbia University holds the copyright for the Kermit Termin=
al
Software. You can get a copy of the Commodore version by ftp:
ftp://ftp.cs.columbia.edu/archives/kermit/c64* (for speeds up to 1200=
bps)
ftp://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/pub/cbm/telecomm/KERMIT/kermit-Notes.txt
kermit-v2.2a.sda
kermit-v2.2b.sda
(for 1660 modem users) kermit-c1660.sda
(for Swiftlink/DataPump modem users) kermit-v2.2s.sda
5.4.2. What kinds of terminal programs exist for the 128?
Desterm
Desterm 2.0/2.1
Matt Desmond
| mdesmond@ionline.net
+ http://www.ionline.net/~mdesmond/desterm.html
For more information on DesTerm or to get a copy by mail, contact Matt.
Bob's Term Pro
Dialogue 128
Wave
Click Here Software
Maurice Randall
ftp://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/pub/cbm/INCOMING/telecom/
A GEOS 128 high speed terminal program. Demo available at above addres=
s.
5.5. Can I use my Commodore computer on Amateur Radio?
Yes you can. If you want to use your CBM system as a terminal for a
standard RS-232 compatible packet radio Terminal Node Controller (TNC),=
you can hook it up in the same way as a modem. See Section 5 for more
information on how to connect your Computer to a modem.
In addition, the ICHPUG User Group (see Section 15 for address) has
an extensive library of files for the C64/128 relating to Amateur Radio.
If you would like to use the Commodore 64 as a Amateur Radio repeater
controller, Engineering Cosulting manufacturers such an item:
Engineering Consulting
583 Candlewood Street
Brea, CA 92621
Robert Blumenkranz (Contact)
radiobob@earthlink.net (Contact)
http://www.earthlink.net/users/engcon/webdocs/
5.6. Is there TCP/IP software available for Commodore computers?
Unfortunately, there is none at this time. However, the following
information is available:
Jim Brain has performed tests that demonstrated the ICMP and IP
protocol layers. Daniel Dallmann has now verified these
tests and both of them, as well as Cameron Kaiser, are independently
working on a TCP/IP protocol stack for the Commodore 64.
=0C
--
Jim Brain, Embedded System Designer, Brain Innovations, Inc. (BII)(offlin=
e sig)
j.brain@ieee.org "Above views DO reflect my employer, since I'm my empl=
oyer"
Dabbling in WWW, Embedded Systems, VR, Old CBM computers, and Good Times!=
-Me-
Jim Brain: BII, VR, and CBM info
#! rnews 25375
Path: pravda.aa.msen.com!conch.aa.msen.com!not-for-mail
From: brain@mail.msen.com (Jim Brain)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: COMP.SYS.CBM: General FAQ, v3.1 Part 4/9
Supersedes:
Followup-To: comp.sys.cbm
Date: 13 Aug 1996 00:41:53 -0400
Organization: Brain Innovations, Inc.
Lines: 433
Sender: brain@msen.com
Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU
Expires: 05 Sep 1996
Message-ID:
Reply-To: brain@mail.msen.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: conch.aa.msen.com
Summary: This posting contains answers to questions that commonly surface=
in
comp.sys.cbm. This posting will tell you enough to get your
computer connected to a network, fixed, and/or enhanced. This f=
ile
should be read by new users of comp.sys.cbm before posting to th=
e
group. It should also be proofread by users who are currently
active in comp.sys.cbm.
Keywords: CBM FAQ Help List C64 C128 VIC Modem
X-URL: http://www.msen.com/~brain/
X-Posted-By: YPost, version 0.08
Archive-name: cbm-main-faq.3.1.p4
Comp-answers-archive-name: commodore/main-faq/part4
News-answers-archive-name: commodore/main-faq/part4
Comp-sys-cbm-archive-name: main-faq/part4
Version: 3.1
Last-modified: 1996/08/12
=09
-----------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
Table of Contents (for this file)
---------------------------------
6. The Online Information Reservoir
6.1. How do I download? What is a transfer protocol?
6.2. What is the difference between PETSCII and ASCII?
6.3. Where can I find Commodore programs?
6.4. What is a file extension, and what do they stand for?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------=
----
6. The Online Information Reservoir
How true this is. There is information everywhere online, just
waiting to be accessed and used. Hoever, getting at the information
can be a time consuming process.
6.1. How do I download? What is a transfer protocol?
To transfer files for another computer (another 64 or 128, UNIX, OS/2,
DOS, MVS, VMS, Amiga, Atari, or other), you should use a transfer proto=
col.
Although it is possible to transfer files by turning on the terminal
program's capture buffer and receiving the file, this is not very
reliable and is prone to errors. When transferring any sizable amount =
of
data, one should use some sort of error-correcting file transfer protoc=
ol.
A file transfer protocol splits a file into many pieces, or "packets", =
and
send a number of them at a time. It then waits for an acknowledgement =
from
the receiver that the received received the packets correctly. At this
point, the sender send the next batch of packets. This process is
repeated until the entore file is transmitted. Each packet contains
computed checksums and other error detection bytes to ensure the
received data is not corrupt.
Below are descriptions for some of the more popular protocols:
C1 (commonly called Punter Protocol)
C1 is a Commodore specific transfer protocol that used to be the
standard for file transfer. However, with the increase in IBM-based
bulleting board, it has been replaced by other protocols. Most Commodo=
re
BBS systems still offer C1 (usually called Punter in the list) as an op=
tion,
but almost no other BBS systems have support for it. There is, however=
, a
C1 protocol transfer program for MS-DOS called puntr104.zip.
KERMIT
KERMIT is the name of one of the oldest file transfer protocols. KERMI=
T
is unique in that it can encode the file being transmitted so that
it does not contain any bytes greater than 128 and does not contain any
special control bytes that terminals use to perform special actions. A=
s
such, this protocol is the most robust, but it is also the slowest.
A common statement is, "if you can't KERMIT it, you can't get it"
XMODEM
XMODEM comes in several varieties. Standard XMODEM sends files in 128 =
byte
packets. There are two standard error-correction methods with XMODEM
checksum and CRC. CRC is the more modern of the two. There is also a
version of XMODEM which supports 1K-byte packets. This version is most
commonly known as XMODEM-1K, but is sometimes erroneously called YMODEM.
YMODEM
YMODEM is a "batch" XMODEM protocol, allowing you to transfer multiple
files in one operation.
ZMODEM
A new file transfer protocol is ZMODEM. ZMODEM is theoretically the
fastest transfer protocol, but only shows a speed gain over the others
on noise-free telephone lines. It achieves this speed increase by only
replying to the sender about the bad packets.
Most terminal programs support PUNTER, XMODEM, XMODEM-1K, YMODEM, and
KERMIT. The Kermit terminal program only supports KERMIT, and Novaterm=
,
as of version 9.5, supports ZMODEM receives, but not sends.
6.2. What is the difference between PETSCII and ASCII?
(Note that the Amiga line of computers uses the ISO 8859-1 character
set, so this does not apply to Amiga computers)
When Commodore designed the PET line of computers, they chose for the
character set encoding a special encoding called PETSCII. This set is
similar but not the same as the American Standard Code for Information
Intercahnge (ASCII). Now, this does not cause any
problem when transferring information between or among Commodore
computers (except the Amiga, which I believe uses ASCII), but causes
problems when exchanging information with othe computer types.
The obvious solution is for all Commodore users to translate incoming
information into PETSCII from ASCII when talking to another type of
computer. However, this effectively ruins binary files, which have
no concept of character codes. Therefore, the rules are:
Do not translate when exchanging binary files with any computer
Translate all textual information exchanged with non-Commodore computer=
s.
Translate textual information exchanged with Commodore computers only
if they are translating it as well.
If a text file you retrieve looks like the uppercase letters should
be lowercase and vice versa, then the file is in ASCII and needs to
be converted to PETSCII.
6.3. Where can I find Commodore programs?
Commodore programs are available from a number of sources. For commer=
cial
software, please see Section 15.1 for a list of software dealers. For
shareware and public domain, you can use FTP (Section 6.9), electronic
mail (Section 6.5.2), and bulletin board system in addition to the
software dealers to download or buy programs and other software.
6.4. What is a file extension, and what do they stand for?
A file extension is a 1 or more letter suffix appended to the end of a =
file
name to indicate the type of file it is. The extension usually indicat=
es
the contents of a file. The list below describes some more common file
extensions, what they are used for, and how to use the file.
Please note that these file extensions are not Commodore-exclusive. Ma=
ny
computers use file extensions. Also note that some file extensions
are cumulative. IF a file is named "filename.tar.gz", this indicates t=
hat
the file is of type "gz", and the file(s) inside the gz file are of typ=
e
"tar". To use this file, one would note that both extension are
archival extensions. One would undo the "gz" archival method to restor=
e
the "filename.tar" archive, then undo the "tar" archival method to rest=
ore
the original file.
Extension: Meaning: Notes:
-----------------------------------------
.txt Text File This file is not compressed, so it ne=
eds
no decompression step. However, the =
file
may be in either ASCII or PETSCII for=
mat,
so a conversion step may be necessary.
Most terminal programs can do this
conversion, and there are stand-alone
programs that do the necessary conver=
sion
also.
.sda Self-Dissolving Just load and run the .sda file to
Archive dissolve the archive. Will dissolve
itself into its constituent files.
C64 and C128 .sda files are not
compatible with each other.
.sfx Self-Extracting Load and run just like a .sda file.
Archive The same archive can be extracted on
either a C64 or a C128, memory permit=
ting.
.arc ARChive Use the program arc250.4 or earlier
for the 64 or arc128 for the 128 to
dissolve the archive. arc128 is avai=
lable
as part of the CS-DOS package. Other
de-archive programs may exist.
.lzh LHArchive Use the program lhx in CS-DOS on the
128 to dissolve this archive. These
are not very common. This archive
uses the same format as .sfx files,
but is not self-extracting. It is
a standard format also used by
Amiga (and MS-DOS) computers. This
format originated on the PC.
.lnx Lynx Archive The above formats all compress files =
when
storing them; Lynx just stores them.
There are many different versions of
Lynx out there, so good luck dissolvi=
ng
these.
.lbr Library Archive A format similar to lynx. Library
dissolving programs exist for both th=
e
64 and 128 to dissolve these.
.uue UUEncoded file UUencoding is a process whereby a bin=
ary
file can be converted to an all-text
file, transferable by E-mail. This
encoded file can later be UUDecoded b=
ack
to the original binary file. Unix
has uuencoding/decoding utilities.
A program "uuxfer" for the
C64 (by Fuzzy Fox) will both uuencode
and uudecode. Note that the contents=
of
uue file could be another archived fi=
le.
.uua UU archive An extension of uuencoding, a uuarchi=
ve
file is a concatenation of one or mor=
e
UUEncoded files. So far as I know, t=
his
was introduced by Craig Bruce in his =
ACE
shell for the C=3D128, and the utilit=
ies
included with that shell create and
dissolve uuarchives.
.kar Kevin's Archive Another text archive format that seem=
s
to have originated with Craig Bruce,
this is a proscription for concatenat=
ing
a series of text files (which can inc=
lude
uuencoded files) into one file. More
information can be found in C. Bruce'=
s
documentation for his ace shell.
x! ZIPCoded file ZIPCode is a program that takes an en=
tire
disk and "compacts" it into 4 files t=
hat
have a number followed by a '!' and t=
hen
a filename. Also, ZipCode can compre=
ss
files, in which case the x is a lette=
r
(a,b,c,d) and there need not be 4 fil=
es.
If ZipCode has compressed individual
files, there will be an "i!" or
"x!"-prefixed file on the disk that h=
olds
the directory of the file compressed.=
To
make things even more confusing, ther=
e
are two versions of ZipCode (v1 and v=
2).
The newer version will accept v1 arch=
ives,
but not vice-versa. Use ZipCode v2 t=
o
unpack such archives.
+ _x.z64 ZIPCoded file This is just another way of naming th=
e
+ above x! ZIPcode files so they =
can
+ be placed on UNIX/DOS machines easier.
+ The files mst be renamed to x!
+ before decompression.
x!! ZIPCode 6-pack This is a ZIPCode archive that takes =
an
entire disk and puts it into 6 files,
each file containing GCS codes and he=
ader
info for the tracks. This is basical=
ly
a nybble copier that stores the data =
it
receives from the disk into files.
.bco BCODEd file BCODing is very similar to UUencoding=
in
that a binary file is converted into =
an
all-text format that is 33% larger th=
an
the original. The difference is that=
the
BCODE format provides additional
information for error detection and
automatic data segmentation and
reordering. C-code versions of "bcod=
e"
and "unbcode" are available via FTP a=
nd
Commodore versions are provided with
ACE-128/64.
.zip ZIP archive Zip is a file format used on IBM
platforms and is created by the PKZip
program that is available for some
platforms. There are two forms of zi=
p
files that have the same extension.
Both are created by different version=
s of
PKZip. The first, version 1.01, can =
be
dissolved on a 64 by using the progra=
m
UNZIP64. The second, newer format is
version 2.04, which cannot be dissolv=
ed by
UNZIP64. Your best solution when in =
doubt
is to dissolve the files on another
platform. For the 128, there is a ve=
rsion
of the UNZIP64 program, called UNZIP1=
28
that has been modified to run in 128 =
mode.
It is in a file called NZP12817.SFX. =
This
archive also has a 64 version.
]x Compression Kit x =3D 4,7,8, cmd, or c(xx) to denote =
type
Archive of media that was compressed. The fi=
les
can be extracted only with The Compre=
ssion
Kit, from Mad Man Software.
.tar TAR Archive UNIX Tape ARchiver. This program can=
be
used to archive files as well. The f=
ile
must be decoded using tar.
.Z Compress archive Compress is a program on UNIX that wi=
ll
shrink a single file. It is usually =
used
on .tar files in UNIX to reduce their
size. The file must be decoded by th=
e
uncompress program, available on UNIX=
, PC,
Mac and other platforms.
Also, a very old version of GNU Zip u=
sed
this extension, although the file is =
not
fully compatible with the compress fo=
rmat.
.gz GZIP Archive GZIP is a free program developed by t=
he
Free Software Foundation to freely sh=
rink
their software. the resulting file m=
ust be
decoded by GUNZIP, available on many
platforms, before using.
.taz Compressed TAR This is a file that should have the
extension "tar.Z", but has been short=
ened
for MS-DOS. Run uncompress, then tar=
on
this file.
.tgz Gzipped Tar File This is a file that should have exten=
sion
tar.gz, but has been shortened for MS=
-DOS
Run gzip or similar on the file, then=
tar.
.gif Graphics This is a compressed graphics format
Interchange created by Compuserve. To view this =
file,
| Format one must find a GIF viewer program:
+ GEOGif.SFX - Converts GIF to GEOPain=
t.
+ VGIF.SFX - 64 mode viewer.
+ GDS.SFX - 128 mode viewer.
.jpeg Joint This graphics format can use one of t=
wo
Photographers compression algorithms. One, called =
DPCM
Expert (Differential Pulse COde Modulation)
Group retains all of the information in the=
original file, which is usually a pic=
ture.
The more common algorithm, called DCT
(Discrete Cosine Transform), relies o=
n the
inability of the human eye to disting=
uish
among some colors. DCT "throws away"=
some
information in the file (picture), wh=
ile
still retaining the essence of the pi=
cture.
To view these pictures, one must eith=
er
obtain a JPEG veiwer or convert them =
to
GIF format.
.jpg JPEG This is an MS-DOS named .jpeg file.
.tiff Tagged This is a graphics format used on hig=
h
Image performance workstations. To view th=
is
File graphics format, you will need to con=
vert
Format something else.
.pcx IBM Picture This is graphics format used in DOS o=
n
IBM machines. Convert this file to a
GIF file to view.
.pict Mac PICTure This is a graphics format used on App=
le
Macintosh machines. Convert this fil=
e
to a GIF file to view.
.d64 1541 Disk Image This file stores an image of one enti=
re
.x64 disk, for use with Commodore emulator
programs. Several programs exist to
extract the image onto a disk or plac=
e a
disk onto an image. The only differe=
nce
between the .x64 and .d64 file types =
is an
added 64 byte header on a .x64 file.
.t64 DataSette Image This file is analogous to the .d64 fi=
le
type, but for tapes.
.p00 PC64 (Emulator) This file encapsulates a Commodore pr=
ogram
Program File Image or data file. To extract the origina=
l
file, remove the first 26 characters.=
In
addition to .p00, there is .s00 (SEQ)=
, and
.u00 (USR) files, but are very rare.
.bmp Windows Bitmap This is a format used for graphics in
Microsoft Windows and OS/2. Convert =
this
file to a GIF to view.
.pbm Portable Bitmap
.xbm X bitmap This is a format used for graphics on=
the
X windowsing system. Convert this fi=
le
to a GIF to view.