From: SMTP%"VMSGopher-L@trln.lib.unc.edu" 3-JAN-1995 09:21:37.60 To: EVERHART CC: Subj: VMSGopher Frequently Asked Questions X-ListName: Gopher for VMS implementation and testing Warnings-To: <> Errors-To: owner-vmsgopher-l@trln.lib.unc.edu Sender: owner-vmsgopher-l@trln.lib.unc.edu Date: Tue, 03 Jan 1995 08:58:31 EST From: "Dennis R. Sherman" Reply-To: VMSGopher-L@trln.lib.unc.edu To: vmsgopher-l@trln.lib.unc.edu Message-ID: <00989E70.A5FF08A0.20@trln.lib.unc.edu> Subject: VMSGopher Frequently Asked Questions Archive-name: vmsgopher-faq Last-modified: 1995-01-03 vmsnet.infosystems.gopher and VMSGopher-L@trln.lib.unc.edu FAQs or Questions Frequently Asked About VMS Gopher ------------------------------------------- Certain topics come up regularly on this newsgroup/mailing list. Each time they recur much net bandwidth and reader time is spent on repetitive responses and corrections to incorrect or incomplete answers. This article, which is posted on a regular basis, attempts to cover these common topics definitively and succinctly, so that discussion doesn't get bogged down in the repetition. This article may be retrieved via Gopher by connecting to trln.lib.unc.edu, and selecting TRLN Other Services VMS Gopher Development and Porting VMSGopher-L Frequently Asked Questions Or using link: Type=0 Name=vmsgopher-l.faq Path=0gopher_root1:[vmsgopher-l]vmsgopher-l.faq Host=trln.lib.unc.edu Port=70 URL: gopher://trln.lib.unc.edu:70/00gopher_root1:[vmsgopher-l]vmsgopher-l.faq It may also be retrieved via email file server. To retrieve the Frequently Asked Questions list, send the message SEND VMSGopher-L.FAQ as the only line in an email message to Archives@trln.lib.unc.edu. Table of Contents: 0.1 What is Gopher? 1. Where do I get a Gopher Client for VMS? 1.1 How do I install the client? * 1.2 What is the latest version? 1.3 What TCP/IP implementations does it support? 1.4 Does it run on an AXP? 1.5 How do I get it to work from a .COM file? or What does "I don't understand your terminal type" mean? 2. Where do I get a Gopher Server for VMS? 2.1 How do I install the server? 2.2 What is the latest version? 2.3 What TCP/IP implementations does it support? 2.4 Does it run on an AXP? 2.5 Why can't my search find my files? 2.6 Is there a Gopher+ server for VMS? 3. Where do I get a Gopher X for X? 4. Related Tools. 4.1 Is there a Veronica for VMS? 4.2 Is there a Jughead for VMS? 4.3 Is there a WAIS for VMS? 4.4 Is there a CSO Nameserver for VMS? 5. Are there archives for this group? 6. How do I [un]subscribe to/from VMSGopher-L? 7. How do I suggest changes in this FAQ list? (* = changed since last posting) Copyright: This VMSGopher Frequently Asked Questions list is copyright 1993, 1994 by Dennis R. Sherman . It may be freely copied and distributed for no commercial gain, as long as it is kept whole, and this notice is included. Disclaimer: None of the information in this list is guaranteed to be accurate. Use it at your own risk. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 0.1 What is Gopher? Gopher is a client/server information discovery and retrieval tool. For more information, including description, protocol definitions, a FAQ for which that question is in scope, and so on, gopher to: Type=1+ Name=Information About Gopher Path=1/Information About Gopher Host=gopher.tc.umn.edu Port=70 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: 1. Where do I get a Gopher Client for VMS? There are several sites that make VMS Gopher client software available. niord.shsu.edu: Available via Gopher and FTP .zip file of source code precompiled executable, select based on your TCP/IP may have beta-test software available trln.lib.unc.edu Available via Gopher .zip file of source code source code may have beta-test software available boombox.micro.umn.edu: Available via Gopher and FTP .zip file of source code main archive site for all Gopher software ------------------------------ Subject: 1.1 How do I install the client? UnZip the archive you have retrieved, modify conf.h for your site, and execute the make.com file. UnZip is available at many sites that archive VMS software. Try ftp.spc.edu if you don't have a favorite site of your own. ------------------------------ Subject: 1.2 What is the latest version? The absolute most up-to-date version of the client makes Gopher+ features available, and the client you should expect to be actively supported, is gopher2_016 (that's 2.0 pl 16) Update: as of this date (1995-01-03) gopher 2.1-1, currently available at sci.wfeb.edu via gopher, is the most current version. This will get moved to trln.lib.unc.edu as soon as I get time. ------------------------------ Subject: 1.3 What TCP/IP implementations does it support? MultiNet, DEC TCP/IP Services for VMS (UCX), Wollongong, CMU and Netlib. It will also work with TCPware with its UCX emulation mode. ------------------------------ Subject: 1.4 Does it run on an AXP? Yes. You shouldn't even have to do anything special to build it, as there is code built into the .com files to detect an AXP and adjust accordingly. ------------------------------ Subject: 1.5 How do I get it to work from a .COM file? or What does "I don't understand your terminal type" mean? To get the gopher client to run from within a .COM file, you need to include the following line in the .COM file before invoking gopher: $ define/user_mode sys$input sys$command: Without it, you will get a "I don't understand your terminal type" message. ------------------------------ Subject: 2. Where do I get a Gopher Server for VMS? There are several sites that make VMS Gopher server software available. psulias.psu.edu Available via Gopher .zip file of source code source code may have beta-test software available niord.shsu.edu: Available via Gopher and FTP .zip file of source code precompiled executable, select based on your TCP/IP may have beta-test software available trln.lib.unc.edu Available via Gopher .zip file of source code source code may have beta-test software available boombox.micro.umn.edu: Available via Gopher and FTP .zip file of source code main archive site for all Gopher software ------------------------------ Subject: 2.1 How do I install the server? UnZip the archive you have retrieved, and follow the instructions in SERVER.DOC. UnZip is available at many sites that archive VMS software. Try ftp.spc.edu if you don't have a favorite of your own. Note the VMS Gopher Server is intended to be installed and maintained by a system manager, and cannot be installed by a general system user. Generally, installation questions are already answered in SERVER.DOC, which has been indexed and is available for searching via Gopher at psulias.psu.edu, niord.shsu.edu, and trln.lib.unc.edu. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.2 What is the latest version? The latest version of the server for general distribution is gopher1.2VMS patchlevel 1 ------------------------------ Subject: 2.3 What TCP/IP implementations does it support? The latest version of the server software supports MultiNet, DEC TCP/IP Services for VMS (UCX), and Wollongong. It will also work with TCPware with its UCX emulation mode. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.4 Does it run on an AXP? Yes. There are still a few inconsistencies in operation between an AXP and a VAX, but overall it does work. There are problems with some fields being returned in 7$version searches, and there is some problem with initialization problem with configuration file lines beginning with Ext: and greater than 37 characters long. Neither of these are fatal errors, and can be worked around. Work continues attempting to resolve them. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.5 Why can't my search find my files? The most likely reason is that you didn't specify a GOPHER_ROOTx pathname when you built your indices. You must specify a gopher-relevant pathname in your build_index command. See SERVER.DOC for more information on this. The next most likely reason is that you aren't specifying the correct GOPHER_ROOTx pathname in the search link. ------------------------------ Subject: 2.6. Is there a Gopher+ Server for VMS? Not yet. There is one under development, but not yet to an Alpha test stage. When it is available, an announcment will be made to the list. ------------------------------ Subject: 3. Where do I get a Gopher X for X? We don't know about software other than for the VMS operating system. We suggest you try boombox.micro.umn.edu, accessible via Gopher and FTP. ------------------------------ Subject: 4. Related Tools. There are a number of tools and other software packages that work together with Gopher in one way or another. Some are available for VMS, some are not. ------------------------------ Subject: 4.1 Is there a Veronica for VMS? Not yet -- want a project? ------------------------------ Subject: 4.2 Is there a Jughead for VMS? J.Lance Wilkenson has a port of Jughead to VMS available. This software is to be considered beta-test software at best -- use entirely at your own risk, and don't be surprised if it breaks. Contact Lance at the above address for information on retrieving it -- currently he is making it available to people interested in working on the port. ------------------------------ Subject: 4.3 Is there a WAIS for VMS? Not yet -- want a project? Although there is more to this answer... An equivalent set of indexing/searching tools for VMS has been developed by Bruce Tanner , and is distributed with the VMS Gopher Server software. Its use is documented in SERVER.DOC. ------------------------------ Subject: 4.4 Is there a CSO Nameserver for VMS? Bruce Tanner has developed QI, a CSO Nameserver for VMS. It is available via anonymous FTP from ftp.cerritos.edu as [anonymous.vmsnet]qi13.zip and via gopher as Type=9 Name=qi.zip Path=9gopher_root:[cerritos.gopher]qi.zip Host=gopher.cerritos.edu Port=70 A Gopher client can act as a nameserver client, or you can get the ph client from icaen.llnl.gov in [.ph.vms] (for multinet) and from uxc.cso.uiuc.edu in /net/ph/vms (for wollongong). ------------------------------ Subject: 5. Are there archives for this group? All messages to this group are archived at trln.lib.unc.edu. They may be searched or retrieved via Gopher or retrieved via an email fileserver. To search or retrieve the archives via Gopher, Gopher to trln.lib.unc.edu, Other TRLN Services VMS Gopher Development & Porting VMSGopher-L Archives Or use the following link: Type=1 Name=VMSGopher-L Archives Path=1gopher_root1:[vmsgopher-l] Host=trln.lib.unc.edu Port=70 For information about the fileserver, send a message to archives@trln.lib.unc.edu, with the single line HELP in the body of the message. ------------------------------ Subject: 6. How do I [un]subscribe to/from VMSGopher-L? All administration of the VMSGopher-L is handled at the address VMSGopher-L-Request@trln.lib.unc.edu. To subscribe to the list, send a mail message with the single line SUBSCRIBE Your Name to the administrative address, substituting your first and last names for Your Name. To Unsubscribe from the list, send a mail message with the single line SIGNOFF to the administrative address. Other commands are available, send a mail message with the single line HELP to the administrative address. ------------------------------ Subject: 7. How do I suggest changes in this FAQ list? Send email with your suggestions and comments to me or to gopher@trln.lib.unc.edu, with FAQ included in the subject heading. Dennis R. Sherman Triangle Research Libraries Network dennis_sherman@unc.edu Univ. of North Carolina - Chapel Hill ------------------------------ End of VMSGopher-L Frequently Asked Questions *********************************************