From: John Hay (OceanCity_at_mac.com)
Date: Tue Oct 18 2005 - 03:05:02 PDT
Again, this is EXACTLY what happened to me.
I downloaded NCU from UNNA using Safari to my desktop. It all seemed to
occur as normal even to the extent that no .txt extension was appended
to the existing .sit extension, HOWEVER, to no avail was I ever even
able to find in Safari where to force a .pkg or a .sit file to download
as binary vs. text. Next I tried using the Opra browser to download the
same file from the same server and Opra gave me the opportunity to "save
to disk" vs. launch or download as a text file. All I know is prior to
the latter download methodology I too was in the endless install-limbo
where by even the NCU appeared to launch and even appeared to on my
desktop with ONE VERY INTERESTING CLUE which Marty picked up on and
saved my neck. Low and behold after launching NCU on my PowerMac there
was no command menu for NCU, and hence now ability to set NCU's prefs.
This telltale observation which Marty picked up during my exhausting
penance just to get my Newton connected to my PowerMac was the only
visible clue, this all in addition to and after actually waiting 10-15
minutes on my dual G5 just for the expanded NCU installer to install, a
very odd situation indeed to begin with.
In my haste and utter frustration I decided to throw out the baby with
the baby water and since I had already dedicated this particular
PowerMac to the sole purpose of a bench-test hardware scenario to
establish a legacy connection to my Newton 2x00, I re-installed Classic
9.2.1 natively from a Classic CD, as opposes to installing Classic under
OSX. So now I was using the broad stroke of the brush to accomplish the
following three changes to my system:
1) Initialized, then installed Classic 9.2.1 to my PowerMac
2) Above was installed NATIVELY, as opposed to installing Classic under OSX
3) Finally then re-downloading NCU from UNNA using Mac-Explorer which
allowed me to designate any and all .pkg type files to download as
binary as opposed to text in the Explorer prefs. THE BINARY SETTINGS
issues are CLEARLY EXPLAINED at the UNNA page here:
<http://www.unna.org/mac.shtml>
This could not be more explicit, and includes screen shots under
Classic, albeit in say French? <G>
My only regret in reaching immediate success after have followed the
above three steps to finally get NCU installed onto my Classic box was
that in my utter exasperation after DAYS of futile attempts to get NCU
to actual install and then actual work, all the while being lead on a
rouse by all indications on what was displayed on my screen that I "had"
properly downloaded the NCD .sit file from UNNA and I "had" installed it
after waiting the insane 15 minutes or whatever it was, with every other
possible permutation of intermittent results in between, was that I had
not systematically taken the above three steps INDEPENDENTLY ONE AT A
TIME so as to know exactly which one of the three variables was at the
root of my simple installation of NCU problem. So I can't swear to which
of the 3 above possibilities (or possible two combinations thereof) was
the jewel that finally gave me the keys to the kingdom and the gate
swung wide open as I downloaded the NUC .sit file in Classic using the
Explorer browser after having set the browser (as explained in the above
UNNA link) to force .pkg files through as binary, all this under a
totally fresh install of native Classic. NCU installed in about 20
seconds or so as it should. I plugged in my serial cable from my
PowerMac's serial port to my Newton Dongle, and instantly had a rock-
solid reliable NCU connection ever since.
Later, I realized, that as in my particular case I have no need or want
to do any syncing, I installed NewTen(TM) onto my primary workstation which
is a dual G5 running the latest version of Tiger and using the Keyspan
USA-19HS <http://1234zzzz.com/pub/KeySpans.jpg> dongle along with the
KeySpan OSX drivers I simply use NewTen(TM) for installing new packages to
my 2100 since it's faster than booting up the other Classic box.
So as a practical matter may I suggest the following options, one or
more of which may appeal to your particular situation and hardware:
1. Using an OSX browser such as Opra, or OmniWeb, which you can force to
download files as binary, as opposed to Safari which I could never find
where to accomplish this fundamental configuration, download NewTen from
UNNA or wherever you get it to your OSX box, plug in a KeySapn Dongle
and use the KeySpan drivers, plug in your Newton, and install away to
your hearts content.
2. Do all of the above in Classic under OSX, and try using NCU as
opposed to NewTen. I did not test this.
3. Last resort. Install native Classic to a PowerMac, use Explorer to
download NCU from UNNA as a binary file. Expand NCU in Classic, install
it, plug in your Newt and fly.
YMMV, but if you are in my exact situation, follow my exact procedures,
you should obtain the exact success.
Best of luck,
John
p.s. the only suggestion I can think of to alert new users about the
binary download method, that is even **assuming** this was the sole
culprit in my case of the three above noted variables to a successful
installation of NCU onto my native Classic box, would be to make the new
user more aware of the neccessity to download the NCU .sit file package
using the notes clearly stated by UNNA here <http://www.unna.org/
mac.shtml> something like this mocked up screen shot here: <http://
1234zzzz.com/pub/NCU-download-sshot.gif>
10/17/05 Zoont Foomby issued the following and I have taken literary
license to pass it along on a "Need to Know Basis" . . . ?
>However, after his recent response, it would seem that something might be
>wrong with his Safari installation. I have never had it place a .txt
>extension at the end of any stuffit file I have downloaded - both from UNNA
>and many many other places. I don't think I have seen it put a .txt
>extension on any file other than a text file, actually. Its all very wierd.
-- This is the NewtonTalk list - http://www.newtontalk.net/ for all inquiries Official Newton FAQ: http://www.chuma.org/newton/faq/ WikiWikiNewt for all kinds of articles: http://tools.unna.org/wikiwikinewt/
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