Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!sun!pepper!cmcmanis From: cmcmanis%pepper@Sun.COM (Chuck McManis) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga Subject: Re: Bitnet,FTP,TCPIP Message-ID: <125286@sun.Eng.Sun.COM> Date: 26 Sep 89 09:56:34 GMT References: <8909260648.AA04504@jade.berkeley.edu> Sender: news@sun.Eng.Sun.COM Reply-To: cmcmanis@sun.UUCP (Chuck McManis) Organization: Sun Microsystems, Mountain View Lines: 45 Concerning BITNET and FTP and anonymous FTP etc. Networks are funny things and WorldNet is funniest of all. WorldNet, what a lot of people think of when they say "The Net" is a collection of dissimilar networks joined by *Mail* gateways. Withing segments of the net, such as The Internet, additional services such as FTP, remote logins, spacewars, what have you, may be available. There are two big "chunks" of WorldNet in the USA called "The Internet" and "Usenet." All computers that are part of "The Internet" run TCP/IP software and are connected to each other via NSFnet/Milnet/Arpanet. Most of those machines are either made by DEC (Vaxen) or Sun. TCP/IP software includes facilities for remote execution, process to process communication, and Mail. All of the computers that are connected to "Usenet" are running the UUCP software. (and most often some form of "news" software.) The UUCP software provides facilities for limited remote execution, and Mail. UUCP software runs on most anything these days (except CP/M-80). "BITNET" is a collection of IBM machines with facilities for some remote execution and Mail. Some machines, such as the Mail machine at Sun or UUnet, are on two networks "The Internet" and "Usenet". And they forward mail but not remote execution or any other services from one side to the other. Thus, mail can be sent from a Usenet host to an Internet host by simply informing the mail program how to get from here to there. Some machines such as cunyvm are on BITNET and "The Internet." and forward mail from one to the other. When "anonymous FTP" is mentioned in this newsgroup it refers to machines that are on the Internet. When references are made to "LIST-SERVERS" those machines are usually on BITNET, and when references are made to "archive servers" they can be on any net with the right software. (File transfer is accomplished using a protocol layered on top of the protocol of "mail"). Hope that clears up some of the confusion. Remember, you have to have both the write protocol software *and* be on the right network segment to use something like FTP. To send Mail you generally just have to figure out an address that will explain to your mailer where you want it to go. --Chuck McManis uucp: {anywhere}!sun!cmcmanis BIX: cmcmanis ARPAnet: cmcmanis@sun.com These opinions are my own and no one elses, but you knew that didn't you. "If I were driving a Macintosh, I'd have to stop before I could turn the wheel."