Internet starter kit for Macintosh.

866 Pages·1996·7.614 MB·English

by  Engst, Adam C.

Contents i
Internet
Starter
Kit
for Macintosh
Fourth Edition
Contents iii
Internet
Starter
Kit
for Macintosh
Fourth Edition
Adam C. Engst
iv Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh, Fourth Edition
Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh, Fourth Edition
Publisher
(cid:211) 1996 Hayden Books, a division of Macmillan Computer Lyn Blake
Publishing
Publishing Manager
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No Laurie Petrycki
part of this book may be used or reproduced in any form or by
Managing Editor
any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without
Lisa Wilson
prior written permission of the publisher except in the case of
brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. Development Editor
Making copies of any part of this book for any purpose other Steve Mulder
than your own personal use is a violation of United States
Copy/Production Editor
copyright laws. For information, address Hayden Books, 201 W.
Kevin Laseau
103rd Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46290.
Technical Editor
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 96-75906
Tonya Engst
ISBN: 1-56830-294-0
Publishing Coordinator
Copyright (cid:211) 1996 Hayden Books Rosemary Lewis
Printed in the United States of America 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Cover Designer
Sandra Schroeder
Warning and Disclaimer Book Designer
Sandra Schroeder
This book is sold as is, without warranty of any kind, either Manufacturing Coordinator
express or implied. While every precaution has been taken in Brook Farling
the preparation of this book, the authors and Hayden Books
Production Team Supervisor
assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any
Laurie Casey
liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the
information or instructions contained herein. It is further stated Production Team
that the publisher and authors are not responsible for any Kim Cofer
damage or loss to your data or your equipment that results Terrie Deemer
directly or indirectly from your use of this book. Tricia Flodder
Beth Rago
Erich Richter
Christy Wagner
Indexer
Tim Griffin
Contents v
Dedication
As always, I dedicate this book to my lovely and talented wife, Tonya, to whom I continue
to dedicate both this book and my life.
I’d also like to dedicate this book to the memory of my friend and business partner, Herb
Effron, who passed away unexpectedly during the final weeks of writing. His enthusiasm for
helping others will always remain infectious.
About the Author
Adam C. Engst is the editor and publisher of TidBITS, a free electronic newsletter distrib-
uted weekly on the Internet to over 150,000 readers. After graduating from Cornell
University with a double major in Hypertextual Fiction and Classics, he worked as an
independent consultant in Ithaca, New York, where he started TidBITS in April of 1990.
He now lives in the Pacific Northwest with his wife, Tonya, and cats, Tasha and Cubbins,
but seems to spend most of his time corresponding via electronic mail with friends and
associates around the globe.
He has written or coauthored numerous Internet books and magazine articles, has collabo-
rated on several Internet videos, and has appeared on a variety of local and national
television and radio shows. On the Internet he continues to participate in a number of
mailing lists, is the Assistant List Mom on the Apple Internet mailing lists, and is an Info-
Mac moderator. To people who ask how he manages to do so much (he wishes he knew),
he generally replies that he’s actually only a clever artificial intelligence.
Like anyone who attempts to condense the immensity of the Internet into a single book,
he is certifiably crazy. His favorite quote (which reportedly comes from Apple Fellow Alan
Kay) is, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it.”
Trademark Acknowledgments
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or services marks have
been appropriately capitalized. Hayden Books cannot attest to the accuracy of this informa-
tion. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of any
trademark or service mark. Apple, Mac, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple
Computer, Inc.
vi Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh, Fourth Edition
Acknowledgments
Many people have helped me throughout the writing of this edition and with previous
editions of the book. I especially want to thank my wife Tonya, who not only helped out by
working on several chapters and editing everything but also put up with me during the
final few weeks of each edition, which is not a task for the faint of heart.
Thanks as well to my mother, who now runs her own Web server, and my father, who has
become quite the late-night Internet denizen. I’d also like to thank all the readers of
TidBITS because they have kept me going these last six years. Finally, thanks to the many
readers and supporters of the previous editions of Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh. Word of
mouth goes a long way, and the book wouldn’t have lasted nearly this long without such
support from so many individuals in the Internet community.
If I’ve forgotten anyone, my sincere apologies. Please accept my absent-minded thanks.
Surrogate Editors
Thanks are due to the many people who helped edit portions of this and previous editions
of the book and those who either provided me with information or helped test the Internet
Starter Kit Installer. I wish only that I had room to give everyone the full credit they
deserve.
Alan Oppenheimer, Alwin Li, Amanda Walker, Andrew Green, Barbara Maxwell, Bill
Cockayne, Bill Dickson, Bill Gram-Reefer, Bill Lipa, Brad Miser, Brian Hall, Cary Lu,
Chad Magendanz, Chuck Shotton, Chuq Von Rospach, Cory Low, Dave Reiley, Dave
Winer, David Rogelberg, David Thompson, Demitri Muna, Draper Kauffman, Drummond
Reed, Erik Speckman, Geoff Duncan, Glenn Fleishman, Gordon Watts, Guy Kawasaki,
Gwenne Lally, Herb Effron, Igor Livshits, Jason Snell, Jeff Needleman, Jeffrey Veen, Jennie
Gilmore, Jim Matthews, John Baxter, John Hardin, John Norstad, John Werner, Jonathan
Lundell, Jud Spencer, Kee Nethery, Ken Landau, Ken Stuart, Larry Blunk, Laurent
Humbert, Laurie McGuire, Len MacDonell, Leonard Rosenthol, Mark H. Anbinder, Mark
McCahill and the Gopher Team, Mark Williamson, Michael Tardiff, Michael Wellman,
Mikael Hansen, Mike Simon, Paul Celestin, Pete Resnick, Peter Lewis, Quinn, Richard
Ford, Rick Watson, Robin Littlefield, Roger Brown, Roger Jacobs, Ross Scott Rubin, Roy
Wood, Roz Ault, Sandro Menzel, Scott Gruby, Scott Pinzon, Sky Dayton, Steve Dagley,
Steve Dorner, Steve Mulder, Steve Worona, Tonya Engst, Werner Uhrig, Will Mayall,
Marshall Clow, Galen Magendanz, and Andrew Nielsen.
Software Thanks To…
Although I don’t have room to acknowledge individually the programmers of all the
software I mention in the book, I do want to thank those who graciously allowed me to
include their programs in the Internet Starter Kit Installer, including the following:
Contents vii
Leonard Rosenthol and all the folks at Aladdin Systems, for StuffIt Expander
Garry Hornbuckle, Richard Ford, and the MacTCP and Open Transport teams at Apple
Computer, for MacTCP and making Open Transport possible
Steve Dagley, Rick Reynolds, and the rest of the FreePPP Group, for FreePPP
Peter Lewis, for Anarchie
Peter Lewis, again, and Quinn “The Eskimo!”, for Internet Config
Steve Dorner and Qualcomm, for Eudora Light
Mr. Bill and Microsoft Corporation, for Microsoft Internet Explorer for the Macintosh
Other Invaluable Aid Provided by…
Ed Morin, Ralph Sims, and everyone else at Northwest Nexus for technical assistance
above and beyond the call of duty and for providing my Internet connections
Paul Celestin, for creating and maintaining the Providers of Commercial Internet Access
list
Geoff Duncan, for creating the Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh Web page
Mike Farr, for creating the Internet Starter Kit Installer
And finally, Tonya Engst, for writing Chapter 22, “Create Your Own Web Site,” updating
Chapter 4, “Step-by-Step Internet,” and for just generally being wonderful
Hayden Books
The staff of Hayden Books is committed to bringing you the best computer books. What
our readers think of Hayden is important to our ability to serve our customers. If you have
any comments, no matter how great or how small, we’d appreciate your taking the time to
send us a note.
You can reach Hayden Books at the following:
Hayden Books
201 West 103rd Street
Indianapolis, IN 46290
[phone] voice
[phone] fax
Email addresses:
America Online: Hayden Bks
Internet: [email protected]
Visit the Hayden Books Web site at http://www.hayden.com/
Contents ix
Contents at a Glance
What’s Inside
Introductions
Part I: Getting Connected 1
Chapter 1: The Right Stuff....................................................................................................3
Chapter 2: Choosing a Connection ....................................................................................15
Chapter 3: Installing the Software ......................................................................................31
Chapter 4: Step-by-Step Internet........................................................................................51
Chapter 5: Things that Go Bump in the Net......................................................................89
Part II: Internet Essentials 113
Chapter 6: What Is the Internet?......................................................................................115
Chapter 7: What Can You Do on the Internet?................................................................123
Chapter 8: Internet Past, Present, and Future...................................................................137
Chapter 9: Addressing and URLs......................................................................................161
Chapter 10: File Formats ...................................................................................................177
Part III: Using the Internet 201
Chapter 11: Open Transport and MacTCP.......................................................................203
Chapter 12: PPP and SLIP ................................................................................................231
Chapter 13: All About Email............................................................................................273
Chapter 14: All About Usenet News................................................................................347
Chapter 15: All About FTP ..............................................................................................385
Chapter 16: All About the World Wide Web...................................................................417
Chapter 17: Real-Time Communications.........................................................................491
Chapter 18: Utilities and Miscellany ................................................................................517
Chapter 19: Commercial Services.....................................................................................535
Part IV: Making More of the Net 565
Chapter 20: Finding Things on the Internet ....................................................................567
Chapter 21: Macintosh Internet Resources ......................................................................593
Chapter 22: Create Your Own Web Site...........................................................................609
Chapter 23: Set up Your Own Server................................................................................699
Appendix A: Internet Starter Kit Providers .....................................................................735
Appendix B: Providers of Commercial Internet Access...................................................773
Appendix C: Glossary........................................................................................................819
Index..................................................................................................................................837
x Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh, Fourth Edition
Table of Contents
Part I: Getting Connected 1
1 The Right Stuff 3
Hardware...............................................................................................................4
Software ..............................................................................................................13
Requirement Checklist.......................................................................................13
2 Choosing a Connection 15
Connection Options...........................................................................................16
Cost.....................................................................................................................20
Service.................................................................................................................25
Taking the Plunge...............................................................................................30
3 Installing the Software 31
What If You Don’t Have a CD-ROM Drive?.....................................................32
Internet Starter Kit Installer...............................................................................32
Internet Configurator .........................................................................................34
Installation Details..............................................................................................40
What’s on the CD-ROM ....................................................................................42
There’s More…...................................................................................................48
4 Step-by-Step Internet 51
Open Transport 1.1.............................................................................................52
MacTCP 2.0.6.....................................................................................................55
FreePPP 2.5.........................................................................................................57
Internet Config 1.2.............................................................................................63
Eudora Light 1.5.4...............................................................................................66
Anarchie 1.6 .......................................................................................................74
NewsWatcher 2.1.2.............................................................................................78
Internet Explorer 2.0...........................................................................................83
This Is Only the Beginning ................................................................................88
5 Things that Go Bump in the Net 89
Initial Troubleshooting .......................................................................................90
Reporting Problems.............................................................................................91
Open Transport Q&A ........................................................................................93
MacTCP Q&A...................................................................................................94
Domain Name Server Errors...............................................................................97
FreePPP and MacPPP Q&A.............................................................................101
InterSLIP Q&A................................................................................................109
Tune in Next Week….......................................................................................112
Contents xi
Part II: Internet Essentials 113
6 What Is the Internet? 115
Computers.........................................................................................................116
Networks...........................................................................................................117
Software ............................................................................................................118
People—Doing What They Do Best................................................................119
7 What Can You Do on the Internet? 123
Communicating with People............................................................................124
The Internet Is What You Make of It...............................................................136
8 Internet Past, Present, and Future 137
Internet Past......................................................................................................138
Internet Present ................................................................................................144
Internet Future..................................................................................................155
9 Addressing and URLs 161
Addressing.........................................................................................................162
Newsgroup Names.............................................................................................168
URLs .................................................................................................................171
10 File Formats 177
Text Encoding...................................................................................................178
Compression Formats........................................................................................185
Other File Types................................................................................................192
Format’s Last Theorem......................................................................................198
Part III: Using the Internet 201
11 Open Transport and MacTCP 203
What’s the Difference?......................................................................................204
Open Transport.................................................................................................206
MacTCP............................................................................................................215
Open Transport and MacTCP Utilities............................................................225
12 PPP and SLIP 231
PPP....................................................................................................................233
FreePPP and MacPPP Add-Ons.......................................................................260
Other PPP Software..........................................................................................263
SLIP...................................................................................................................266
ARA..................................................................................................................269
13 All About Email 273
Electronic Communications.............................................................................274
Virtual Communities ........................................................................................280
Email Construction...........................................................................................286
How Does Email Work?....................................................................................293
Using Email Programs.......................................................................................295
Mailing Lists......................................................................................................299
xii Internet Starter Kit for Macintosh, Fourth Edition
Email Program Reviews ....................................................................................310
Other Email Programs.......................................................................................328
Email Utility Programs......................................................................................332
Things that Go Bump in the Net: Email..........................................................340
14 All About Usenet News 347
Usenet Manners................................................................................................348
Usenet Posting Construction............................................................................351
How Does Usenet Work?..................................................................................354
The Newsgroup Stork.......................................................................................356
ClariNet............................................................................................................357
Using Usenet Newsreaders ...............................................................................358
Usenet Newsreader Reviews.............................................................................363
Other News Programs.......................................................................................377
Things that Go Bump in the Net: News..........................................................383
15 All About FTP 385
FTP Manners.....................................................................................................387
How Does FTP Work?.......................................................................................389
Using FTP Programs .........................................................................................391
FTP by Email.....................................................................................................394
Archie ...............................................................................................................395
FTP Program Reviews.......................................................................................395
Other FTP Programs.........................................................................................408
Things that Go Bump in the Net: FTP............................................................409
16 All About the World Wide Web 417
What Is the Web? .............................................................................................418
Web Evolution..................................................................................................420
New Web Technologies....................................................................................422
How Does the Web Work?................................................................................426
Using Web Browsers .........................................................................................428
Web Browser Reviews.......................................................................................434
Other Web Browsers.........................................................................................453
Helper Applications..........................................................................................457
Plug-Ins .............................................................................................................463
Bookmark Managers .........................................................................................472
Things that Go Bump in the Net: The Web....................................................486
17 Real-Time Communications 491
Text Communications ......................................................................................493
Audio Communications ...................................................................................508
Video Communications....................................................................................511
Games................................................................................................................513
18 Utilities and Miscellany 517
Internet Config .................................................................................................518
Gopher..............................................................................................................525
Finger and Ph....................................................................................................527
Other Programs.................................................................................................529