The Trials of Installing a New Program

by Etana Finkler

My friend Esther, whom I had known for many years called me recently and asked me to help her to cope with a change in the e-mail program she had been using for a number of years. Esther had been happy with the basic e-mail program provided free to supporters of FM Station WETA. The program was Pine.

Pine is an electronic messaging program created and maintained by the Computing & Communications group at the University of Washington in 1998. Pine was an easily operated program with an address book, folders to hold mail, easy word processing, etc. But, it had its limitations. In response to requests for a better e-mail program, WETA decided to drop Pine completely and to introduce an e-mail program with multiple features and more suitable to service on the Internet. The new program was: First Class Client, a product of Centrinity.

Esther called me to help to install the program knowing that I was a seasoned Macintosh user and generally competent in the intricacies of converting from one programs to another.

WETA announced that the new program would take effect in about a month and that required material would be made available. For those who would like to start early, the basic First Class Client was available on both http://www.weta.org and http://www.capaccess.org.

I proceeded to http://www.capaccess.org. A choice was available for downloading-PC or Macintosh. Linked to Macintosh were four folders for downloading.

*

Three were small, but the largest was 11.5 MB. Downloading with my 56k modem took 2.5 hours. I was so appreciative that my Remote Access held and did not cut out early.

 These were the downloaded items.

*

Of course the next step was to decompress each of the "sit" labeled downloaded items. Two took the form of documents. So I knew that they were not to be opened but are subject to and ready for absorption into the final program during the installation process. But the big main program refused to be more decompressed than its present state. I Tried various alternative decompression programs to no avail. What could be the hang-up? The pdf item was the Manual, which I opened and printed.

*

I returned to recheck the material I had downloaded. Perhaps I had not downloaded everything notwithstanding that it took 2.5 hours. I clicked the image again and to my surprise in word-processing format there was a full page of the guts of the program. Aside from all the programmer's language, the first line read: Open in BINHEX4. There was the needed clue. I copied that page onto Simple Text and readied it for conversion using Binhex decoder.

(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)
:'NPZFh4KE'`J4QPbFh4$E'&cFkJJ3faTC@jd!%&38%a@59-c)!!!2cXX!!A53&D
"8eC$9!#3!`%'e2XAY@q`%B!"!`J!N!-"!*!)G@H4dJ!qaf#!!3-)5$$Kl(qAe"e
d#rPr$2jZ09ZZ5*!!3k&E&F3Cq)aRK#[P6$ZPHlKA,'c@HG#U@eQZbL9F[aBY""r
+8'0,+8",`R,6ijT-qFA89r`h)3pfq$M`q-IKafk#6h%'!1bL"-j'!l-%6JbqH#D
lS(04KV$kRf!cNQ+SrkSL"6mdIcf+8N[hCViaR4YU6pE490mZU-@@(2$k[,r[6GJ
`K@Qfrk*a'CY@Z23mGcEbB3DI9T!!&RFAcY!PP%lpN!#Ck%cPEZ+IMPGl$6$9eT2
QEE9fd[9JCjLl`X9C,$d+k6cS)QS%N!#N`%3I1M)RqZl%5D!*Y)KU0'DIAPNl*Cj
52lV(5P,SbDd6T`XMlNXDEXN'@C+k8%$%Xk(UXGJ!X!X(5bEB8KG01#jG@V-bP'k
EKafhQ!+N*al@Y%XIiUj[$F"#&j3I$Bf"('`*mAMG"E(N)1r4NU0$lhYIF6Jfar`
a$Gi2r!TlFZpKQKU,X*b5bERfFHXC8PYXe10,cU+66p%CXIU2#diX1dN*!pak!2[
SbPblGp[#TYe!GRE*GYIL!6k%+"b!M,d[i'I@$ZRXBD+3!1*AjDpqJL-U9iB!9fk
dkC-"XJcHKCYZ(R,d@4GT8dQKaQ+Pf*19UP-NB!P&j@3V3GShBAA`c,q%Dah)pk$
jQJ`-4S54Ya0c+[G$lmk6eMQZ)h(2430)ALMHC$I[P8%STqF+#6K*Q[H5MRYTNiM
6)pE92K2-ET36j5L!"Rb)HE%qMG#[l0kV'1GpJ0$bib(d')"qC,5mh[jSDBbpPbe
39F'mX@,jB)BL4Yh%BS3*"$TdC`!1,q(6Z'QKM%0a8&X0'G56"(Q6Y8L#k+1Bp`%
[BUkQkibceA)9mbZ&UX$XIAlB,JKAV89R+50FC"Ybp`![$8H#!+,Y%60pe9HZG5(
XQmHUY&N*Tq"$krQ[NNkPrV+EXabc@6*lD8eJU#QQhE(F-fH0aidfNLBiMSU@[mU
18d85VTN0a(q2!l,cE0I#iqZaVDfN38B8p`RV+cBJBbfmk"S"N!!c%qAKCk4DE2%
V(H)l@8&KE2!B5Rk0dLSmiNXqb'46$F!L"eP'#R[8@m1P-d-e%TkSAS`k8qYaPGB

Excitedly, I pulled out my file of decoders. One was Binhex5. That did not work. Another: I YA-Decoder. That did not work. Frustrated, I searched the internet for other decoders to no avail. I sent an e-mail to Capaccess explaining my problem. Capaccess is staffed by volunteers. I received a reply saying that the volunteers present were skilled only in PC's. Try someone who knows Mac.

I went back to the downloading page I thought I might just try downloading again even if it took some hours. Once again as I clicked on the image of the big fellow, the material opened in word-processing format. But this time I was not satisfied to just stop at one page, let's see how far it goes. Well, after 15 minutes I realized that what was coming through. It was the entire 11.5 MB. That opened my eyes. The entire 11.5 MB must be subject to conversion via binhex4.

Using YA-Decoder the file opened. There bright and eager to go was the Installer for First Class Client. Happily, eagerly I installed the program.

Now I was ready to see how it operates.

I clicked on the installed program and this banner announcement came up:

"Can not open a connection to OT/TCP.Check that the OpenTransport Internet Lib Shared Library is in your extension folder".

Well, getting a missing extension should be easy. It is like getting a missing driver or such Just contact the program people, etc. etc. The program people would be Apple.

Via the internet, for the next 90 minutes i went through the ins and outs of http://www.apple.com/software/. Nothing! What now?

Thinking that the missing extension might be unique to my machine (running 9.1), I installed all of the downloaded material onto Esther's machine (running 9.0). The same banner announcement blared through.

What now? Of course, the Mac club-Washington Apple Pi. Those gurus know everything. This then is the dialogue with the experts at the Pi via the TCS:

C3 B13 Msg # 7121 Missing Extension

FROM HERBERT BLOCK, ON 20 Jul 01 18:56:54

TO ALL, LINES: 9, REPLIES: 2

I am helping a friend who uses Capaccess for her e-mail. Capaccess is in process of converting to First Class Client as their operating program. I have installed First Class, but I have run into a hang-up.. The program requires an extension which neither her IMac or my G3 has. The extension is: OpentTransport internet Lib Shared Library. I spent over an hour with WWW.Apple.Com/Software,but it seems there is no separate listings of Extensions subject to download--at least I could not find such a list.

I will appreciate giving me any leads as to where I can get this particular extension. Thanks in advance. HERB

C3 B13 Msg # 7122 R/7121 Missing Extension

FROM BILL HARK, ON 20 Jul 01 21:01:44

TO HERBERT BLOCK/ALL, LINES: 5, REPLIES: 1

Try the Open Transport Networking Group which contains an extension (among others) called, I believe, Internet shared library. I found it with Conflict Catcher 8. Hope this helps. Bill

C3 B13 Msg # 7123 R/7121 Missing Extension

FROM JON THOMASON, ON 20 Jul 01 21:13:17

TO HERBERT BLOCK/ALL, LINES: 10, REPLIES: 0

>> The program requires an extension which neither her IMac or my G3 has.

>> The extension is: OpentTransport Internet Lib Shared Library.

That's not right. It requires the Open Transport subsystem to be present and active. It doesn't want any specific files copied around by themselves.

The functionality these days happens to be split between two files, called "Open Transport" and "Open Transport ASLM Modules". But if Open Transport isn't present and functioning, First Class Client isn't likely to show the only symptoms. It might be time to swim back to the life raft.

C3 B13 Msg # 7125 R/7122 Missing Extension

FROM BILL HARK, ON 20 Jul 01 21:37:43

TO HERBERT BLOCK/ALL, LINES: 10, REPLIES: 1

I see Jon's reply now. I think the grouping I mentioned above may be done by Conflict Catcher so that all the included extensions are turned on or off together rather than individually. Anyway, there are two such groupings with several extensions in each. One of those extensions is the internet shared library (it appears that all are classified as "shared libraries." In any event, it is consistent with Jon's note that these are packages that work together and are not to moved around as individual extensions. Hope I have not confused things. Bill

C3 B13 Msg # 7126 R/7125 Missing Extension

FROM JON THOMASON, ON 21 Jul 01 01:06:35

TO BILL HARK/ALL, LINES: 26, REPLIES: 0

>> consistent with Jon's note that these are packages that work together

>> and are not to moved around as individual extensions.

I should clarify a point from my earlier message: the Open Transport stuff used to be spread out among a bunch of separate files, at least six or eight. One of these was "Open Transport Internet Lib" and another"OpenTptInetLib". Each of these files contained several components, all logically intertwined with corresponding components stored within the remaining files.

Apple realized that large numbers of people were doing home surgery, often with disastrous results, keeping their (and others') support lines busy. So in later systems they combined all those pieces into fewer, larger files. This dramatically reduces the number of possible misconfigured permutations.

But while Open Transport and its ASLM companion can't be combined any further, and although they could be conceptually treated as a pair, the tricky part is that the combined Open Transport functionality is really tightly coupled into the rest of the system. From dealing with alias files, to one application asking another to perform some task or shut down, every aspect of communication throughout the system is either handled, overseen, or tweaked by Open Transport in some way. It's just not to be separated from the system, whether connecting to the Internet or not. (Though First Class wants to connect to it in a way.)

More importantly -- don't combine one or more of the files from older versions of Open Transport with the rest of the system and the current Open Transport.

They'll fight, bitterly. And you don't want to be the clean-up crew...

C3 B13 Msg # 7127 Missing Extension

FROM HERBERT BLOCK, ON 21 Jul 01 08:18:36

TO JON THOMASON,ALL/ALL, LINES: 11, REPLIES: 2

Thanks for the further enlightenment.

For information, I am running OS 9.1 and my friend,s IMac is running 9.0. Each time we open First Class Client the following banner appears: "Could not open a connection to Open Transport TCP. Check that the -OpenTransport Internet Lib Shared Library- is in your extension folder.

Any leads re searching the internet for this particular extension. Alternatives

C3 B13 Msg # 7128 R/7127 Missing Extension

FROM PAUL SCHLOSSER, ON 21 Jul 01 10:01:13

TO HERBERT BLOCK/ALL, LINES: 10, REPLIES: 0

>I am running OS 9.1 and my friend,s IMac is running 9.0.

I would reboot the iMac with the Mac OS 9.0 ALL extension set then upgrade to Mac OS 9.1. That should install the missing pieces Jon mentioned in one of his messages.

Alternatively, a custom install from the 9.0 disk selecting only the Open Transport items might work.

Myself, I'd either upgrade to 9.1 or better yet do a clean install of 9.1.

C3 B13 Msg # 7129 R/7127 Missing Extension

FROM JON THOMASON, ON 21 Jul 01 13:01:55

TO HERBERT BLOCK/ALL, LINES: 8, REPLIES: 0

>> Any leads re searching the internet for this particular extension.

Chicken-egg. "Could not open a connection to Open Transport TCP" means that it can't access the Internet in the first place. And as I've explained, the other sentence is a ruse -- or at least refers to operating systems of a bygone era.

Your task is to reenable Open Transport, ignoring First Class's faulty advice.

I think Paul's two suggestions are the shortest route to doing that.

C3 B13 Msg # 7130 Missing Extension

FROM HERBERT BLOCK, ON 22 Jul 01 13:40:32

TO ALL, LINES: 4, REPLIES: 0

You guys are great!! Jon your explanation of the "evolution: of Open transport explained that an extension was not missing-it was embedded with others. And Paul came through with how to recover the required extensions. I am back on track now. Thanks to you both. Herb

As recommended, I reinstalled 9.1 on my machine and 9.1 on Esther's.

Here its is! ready for installation.

The complete First Class Client was successfully installed. Esther's iMac is ready for application of WETA's networks.