In article <Roberts_D-240393074016 at riversend.bms.com> Roberts_D at BMS.COM (Dan Roberts) writes:
>Well firstly I want to thank everyone who helped me out yesterday
>concerning my quest for the thrombin receptor sequences. As per usual I
>have even more questions than before. Is there a gopher FAQ out there that
>I can get??.. I would like to search these databases more extensively. I
>am still trying to bet the Kinemages of rhodopsin and the thrombin
>receptor!!..Thanks..Dan
>
Here's an edited version of the Gopher FAQ which is good for getting
folks started with gopher.
Happy Searching,
Dan Jacobson
danj at welchgate.welch.jhu.edu
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Gopher Info
This is a heavily edited version of the Gopher FAQ intended to
give people just starting with gopher enough information to get a
client and jump into Gopher-space - a complete version can be obtained
as described below.
Dan Jacobson
-----
Common Questions and Answers about the Internet Gopher, a
client/server protocol for making a world wide information service,
with many implementations. Posted to comp.infosystems.gopher,
comp.answers, and news.answers every two weeks.
The most recent version of this FAQ can be gotten through gopher, or
via anonymous ftp:
pit-manager.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/gopher-faq
Those without FTP access should send e-mail to mail-server at rtfm.mit.edu
with "send usenet/news.answers/finding-sources" in the body to find out
how to do FTP by e-mail.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
List of questions in the Gopher FAQ:
Q0: What is Gopher?
Q1: Where can I get Gopher software?
Q2: What do I need to access Gopher?
Q3: Where are there publicly available logins for Gopher?
Q4: Who Develops Gopher Software?
Q5: What is the relationship between Gopher and (WAIS, WWW, ftp)?
Q6: Are papers or articles describing Gopher available?
Q7: What is veronica?
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Q0: What is Gopher?
A0: The Internet Gopher client/server provides a distributed
information delivery system around which a world/campus-wide
information system (CWIS) can readily be constructed. While
providing a delivery vehicle for local information, Gopher
facilitates access to other Gopher and information servers
throughout the world.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Q1: Where can I get Gopher software?
A1: via anonymous ftp to boombox.micro.umn.edu. Look in the directory
/pub/gopher
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Q2: What do I need to access Gopher?
A2: You will need a gopher "client" program that runs on your local PC
or workstation
There are clients for the following systems. The directory
following the name is the location of the client on the anonymous
ftp site boombox.micro.umn.edu (134.84.132.2) in the directory
/pub/gopher.
Unix Curses & Emacs : /pub/gopher/Unix/gopher1.12.tar.Z
Xwindows (athena) : /pub/gopher/Unix/xgopher1.2.tar.Z
Xwindows (Motif) : /pub/gopher/Unix/moog
Macintosh Hypercard : /pub/gopher/Macintosh-TurboGopher/old-versions *
Macintosh Application : /pub/gopher/Macintosh-TurboGopher *
DOS w/Clarkson Driver : /pub/gopher/PC_client/
NeXTstep : /pub/gopher/NeXT/
VM/CMS : /pub/gopher/Rice_CMS/ or /pub/gopher/VieGOPHER/
VMS : /pub/gopher/VMS/
OS/2 2.0 : /pub/gopher/os2/
MVS/XA : /pub/gopher/mvs/
Many other clients and servers have been developed by others, the
following is an attempt at a comprehensive list.
A Macintosh Application, "MacGopher".
ftp.cc.utah.edu:/pub/gopher/Macintosh *
Another Macintosh application, "GopherApp".
ftp.bio.indiana.edu:/util/gopher/gopherapp *
A port of the UNIX curses client for DOS with PC/TCP
oac.hsc.uth.tmc.edu:/public/dos/misc/dosgopher.exe
A port of the UNIX curses client for PC-NFS
bcm.tmc.edu:/nfs/gopher.exe
A beta version of the PC Gopher client for Novell's LAN Workplace
for DOS
lennon.itn.med.umich.edu:/dos/gopher
A VMS DECwindows client for use with Wollongong or UCX
job.acs.ohio-state.edu:XGOPHER_CLIENT.SHARE
* Note: these Macintosh clients require MacTCP.
Most of the above clients can also be fetched via a gopher client
itself. Put the following on a gopher server:
Type=1
Host=boombox.micro.umn.edu
Port=70
Path=
Name=Gopher Software Distribution.
Or point your gopher client at boombox.micro.umn.edu, port 70 and
look in the gopher directory.
There are also a number of public telnet login sites available.
The University of Minnesota operates one on the machine
"consultant.micro.umn.edu" (134.84.132.4) See Q3 for more
information about this. It is recommended that you run the client
software instead of logging into the public telnet login sites. A
client uses the custom features of the local machine (mouse,
scroll bars, etc.) A local client is also faster.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Q3: Where are there publicly available logins (ie places to telnet to
in order to get a taste of gopher) for Gopher?
A3: Here is a short list, use the site closest to you to minimize
network lag.
Telnet Public Logins:
Hostname IP# Login Area
------------------------- --------------- ------ -------------
consultant.micro.umn.edu 134.84.132.4 gopher North America
gopher.uiuc.edu 128.174.33.160 gopher North America
panda.uiowa.edu 128.255.40.201 panda North America
gopher.sunet.se 192.36.125.2 gopher Europe
info.anu.edu.au 150.203.84.20 info Australia
gopher.chalmers.se 129.16.221.40 gopher Sweden
tolten.puc.cl 146.155.1.16 gopher South America
ecnet.ec 157.100.45.2 gopher Ecuador
tn3270 Public Logins:
Hostname IP# Login Area
------------------------- --------------- ------ -------------
pubinfo.ais.umn.edu 128.101.109.1 -none- North America
It is recommended that you run the client software instead of
logging into the public login sites. A client uses the
custom features of the local machine (mouse, scroll bars, etc.)
and gives faster response. Furthermore many of the basic features
of clients - saving a file to your hard drive, printing a file
to a local printer, viewing images, retrievving files from ftp
sites etc.... are not available by the telnet logins.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Q4: How can I add to the information in gopher?
A4: You can do this by running a gopher server. Servers are available
for a number of systems. Use anonymous ftp to
boombox.micro.umn.edu (134.84.132.2) and look in /pub/gopher. The
following servers are available there:
Unix : /pub/gopher/Unix/gopherxx.tar.Z
VMS : /pub/gopher/VMS/
Macintosh : /pub/gopher/Mac_server/
VM/CMS : /pub/gopher/Rice_CMS/ or /pub/gopher/Vienna_CMS/
MVS : /pub/gopher/mvs/
DOS PC : /pub/gopher/PC_server/
When you have your server ready you can publish it to the world by
sending e-mail to the maintainters of the "Other gophers" list:
If your gopher server is in Europe, send mail to:
gopher at ebone.net
Otherwise send mail to:
gopher at boombox.micro.umn.edu
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Q5: Who Develops Gopher Software?
A5: Gopher was originally developed in April 1991 by the University
of Minnesota Microcomputer, Workstation, Networks Center to help
our campus find answers to their computer questions.
It has since grown into a full-fledged World Wide Information
System used by a large number of sites in the world.
Many people have contributed to the project, too numerous to
count.
The people behind the much of the gopher software can be reached
via e-mail at gopher at boombox.micro.umn.edu, or via paper mail:
Internet Gopher Developers
100 Union St. SE #190
Minneapolis, MN 55455 USA
Or via FAX at:
+1 (612) 625-6817
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Q6: What is the relationship between Gopher and (WAIS, WWW, ftp)?
A6: Gopher is intimately intertwined with these two other systems.
As shipped the Unix gopher server has the capability to:
- Search local WAIS indices.
- Query remote WAIS servers and funnel the results to gopher
clients.
- Query remote ftp sites and funnel the results to gopher
clients.
- Be queried by WWW (World Wide Web) clients (either using
built in
