The Online World by Odd De Presno
2. Transfer from your local mailbox host to your personal
409 words | Chapter 60
computer.
Transfer to your local mailbox host
-----------------------------------
We will explain the most commonly used method for those who only
have access to file transfer by email. This method can be used by
everybody.
Transferring plain text files is easy. Files with imbedded
word processor control codes will often have to be treated as
binary files. More about this later.
To transfer a text to another user, just send it as an ordinary
electronic message.
Getting text files from a library on a remote computer is a
special case. Often, they can be had by sending a retrieval command
(like GET) by email to the remote center. After a while, the file
will be sent to your mailbox by email. You can read it like you
read other mail.
Example: The file BINSTART can be retrieved from the KIDART
directory on a computer center in North Dakota, U.S.A. It explains
how to retrieve binary art files from the KIDLINK project's file
libraries.
To get the file, send a message to the center's mail forwarding
'agent' at [email protected]. Use the following command
syntax in your text:
GET
To get the BINSTART file, write the following command in the TEXT
of your message:
GET KIDART BINSTART
Note that the command has to be put in the body of the mail and not
in the subject field. The file will arrive in your mailbox after a
while.
Also, note that lists of available files are usually available
by using an "INDEX " command. To get a list of
files in the KIDART directory, add the command "INDEX KIDART" in
your message above.
Non-LISTSERV libraries may use other retrieval commands. Often,
you can get information of what commands to use by sending the word
HELP to a mailing service (in the Subject area or in the body of
the text).
Transferring binary files
-------------------------
Users with a direct connection to the Internet usually have access
to the FTP command (File Transfer Protocol). If they do, they often
prefer FTP for transfers of binary files like computer programs,
pictures, sound, and compressed text files.
The bad news is that the FTP command is not available to all
users of Internet mail. These will have to use "FTP by mail," or
other tricks to transfer such files. More about this in a moment.
The FTP command gives access to a special file transfer service.
It works in the following way:
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