: : : ::: fade-in ||| University of Maryland ||| fade-out ::: : : :
MDK-12 Note on Download Software
blue line

Relevancy note -- This page was written in the early days of the Web. Since that time, network and PPP access to the Internet has increased significantly. Many teachers have such access at school. The complications of the chicken-and-egg approach necessitated in the old days when such access was unavailable are probably unnecessary for most teachers, who can use school access to download files onto disks and take them home. Teachers with school access can ignore this page.

In order to run Netscape and other network client programs like FTP and TELNET on your own computer when you are connected over a phone line, you need a LOT of software. You not only need the network client programs themselves, but software that enables your computer to handle the network information that comes over the phone line.

In this part of the MDK-12 Web area, you learn how to get all this software and install it. Of the various ways of getting the software, this document covers downloading it from the World Wide Web using lynx, which is the technique suggested throughout this section.

Once you're in lynx and on a page with a link that offers to let you download a needed file, all you have to do is:

  1. Use your down-arrow key to highlight that link.
  2. Press return/enter (or your right-arrow) to enter the link
  3. Normally this will give you a menu of files at the FTP site from which you are going to get desired file.
  4. Move the cursor down to the desired file. (If it lists a file type of "text" or "plain text", you'd better type "q" to quit -- this transfer won't work.)
  5. Press return/enter (or right-arrow) to "go into" the file
  6. You will be told that the file cannot be displayed, and be asked whether you want to type D for download, or C for cancel.
  7. Type "D"
  8. Down near the bottom you will see a counter of bytes-counted start cranking up, as the file is brought by FTP from its remote source down to a temporary place on the aITs Cluster.
  9. You're than asked what to do with the file
    1. "Save-to-disk" (on your Unix account, where it is worthless), or
    2. Transfer it straight to your own machine via Kermit or Zmodem.
  10. Choose Kermit or Zmodem (BINARY form) and press Enter to start the transfer
  11. Handle the transfer as you would normally. (If you're not familiar with file transfers, please use lynx to check the MDK-12 Web area for the document that describes how to do them.)

Updated: 9 August 2002
Questions, comments, and/or suggestions should be directed to mdk12-editor@umail.umd.edu