How to Get Netscape.

Network Information Services Group
Computing & Information Services.

Introduction.

Netscape is a supported CIS product and we support the current version and one version previous to that. We do not support beta versions (which can be identified by a "b" in the version number) and we do not support the non-browser portions of the Netscape package (e-mail, newsreader, etc.). As of this writing the current version is 4.x and the previous version is 3.x.

Note on Terminology and Versions.

The term "Netscape" is commonly used to refer both to a specific browser and to the package ("suite") in which that is bundled. Through Netscape version 3.x, the full name is really "Netcape Navigator" and starting with version 4.x it is "Netscape Communicator." While our support focus is on the browser, please be aware that there are other components included, such as for e-mail, newsreading, etc.

In refering to versions, the digit to the left of the decimal point indicates a major release and then digits to the right of the decimal point indicate a series of version updates, typically to fix bugs (we just put an "x" to stand for them). As of the date on this document the latest versions are 3.04 and 4.04. How do you know if you should do a major upgrade? Version 3.x functions very well and some even prefer the interface (menus) to version 4.x. There is no compelling reason to upgrade to 4.x except that you will miss newer features (such as support for cascading style sheets on Web pages). How do you know if you should do a lesser version update? If your version is functioning well then there is no need to, though you may have a small increased exposure to some of the security bugs that are fixed in those version updates.

From Your Internet Service Provider.

If you buy Internet access through Telecommunications in Computing & Information Services, you receive Netscape as part of the set-up. For direct-wired office connections Netscape is installed by the set-up staff. For dial-up PPP access via the NetLink service you are given a starter kit that includes diskettes and directions. For residence hall PPP access you are given a starter kit that includes diskettes and directions. If you are given an older version (prior to 3.x), you should use it to bootstrap yourself up to a newer version as described below.

From Netscape.

Once you have an Internet connection, the recommended way to get Netscape is to download it directly from Netscape. You can do this either by following links on Netscape's Web pages, using a Web browser (the more user-friendly way), or you can use an FTP client application and connect directly to Netscape's FTP server (sometimes convenient if you are familiar with FTP). We include a section on each approach.

Netscape has grown to be five to fifteen megabytes in size (depending on the version), so you need to be aware of download times and of the fact that you can't use diskettes to sneaker-net it from system to system, you'd need larger capacity cartridges such as Zip cartridges. If you are downloading on campus with a system that has a direct Ethernet connection, download time will not be an issue. However, on a dial-up line the download time will be many minutes (as a rough rule of thumb, figure about 30 minutes for each five megabytes over a 28.2 or 33.6 modem connection). For better response from Netscape avoid the highest usage times of day, such as weekday afternoons when all U.S. time zones are awake and active at work.

Downloading with a Web Browser.

Start at http://home.netscape.com/ and click the "Netscape Download" link in the right margin. That brings you to a series of links so that you can pick either the current or an older version. Most people will pick Communicator (4.x) and either Standard Edition, Professional Edition, or Navigator 4 Stand Alone. They differ in size and what is bundled into them. If you are only going to do browsing, the Stand Alone is sufficient, but many people may want the standard edition (and its extra capabilities) just-in-case.

Then select the prominent DOWNLOAD button. That will lead you to a page where you further specify your options and then select the DOWNLOAD FOR FREE button near the bottom of the page.

For a windows system the file you ultimately save will be an executable file (.exe) you run and (for Windows 95 and Windows NT) launch an installation wizard. For a Macintosh system you will have a choice of an executable (.bin) or pseudo-ascii encoded file (.hqx); if you are unfamiliar with those, see the Macintosh appendix below.

Downloading with an FTP Client.

Netscape operates multiple FTP servers. These servers can be accessed using an Internet browsing tool such as Netscape (itself) or Lynx, or using an FTP-specific tool. With a large (long) download such as this, people sometimes get better results with an FTP-specific tool, such as "ftp" on central Unix and VMS systems, "Fetch" on Macintoshes, and "WinQVT" on DOS and Windows systems.

The address (URL) for the Netscape servers is of the form:

       http://ftpN.netscape.com/

where you should replace "N" with a number from 1 through 7 or 8 or higher (number of servers varies according to expected variation in demand). If you pick a number that is too high you will just get a message saying that the system could not be found (words to that effect).

At this writing you would navigate the FTP directories as:

1. Choose "pub".
2. Choose either "navigator" or "communicator".
3. Choose the version, e.g. "4.04" for communicator.
4. Choose "shipping".
5. Choose "english".
6. Choose "mac" or "windows" (or "unix").
7. For the Macintosh choose either "68k" or "PPC" depending on the type of Macintosh you have.
   • Then choose the base, complete, standalone, or professional package.
   • Select either the executable (.bin) or the pseduo-ascii (.hqx) version.
8. For Windows choose either "windows3.1" or "windows95_or_nt".
   • Then choose the base, complete, standalone, or professional package.
   • Select the executable. The names are cryptic but revealing of the contents. For example, "cc32e404.exe" means Communicator complete, 32-bit for windows, version 4.04.

This document does not attempt to address any other considerations about upgrading an existing version of Netscape in terms of setting options or preserving bookmarks.

Secure 128-bit Version.

Some Web sites that support financial transactions, such as loan applications or allocation of retirement funds, may require that you use a more secure version of Netscape and we have details on downloading the 128-bit version.

Appendix: Some Macintosh Formats.

The ".hqx" file format is a way to make network transfer of Macintosh files more foolproof by encoding them into a pseudo-ascii format. The trade-off is that you need to have a software tool to convert the ".hqx" file to its native Macintosh format for futher processing or use. This can present a bootstrapping or chicken-and-egg problem if you don't have such a tool. StuffIt Expander is widely recommended as freeware tool for this because it can un-BinHex a file and, if the resulting file is a StuffIt archive (commonly used to keep related files together and to compress the files to save space), it can extract the files from an archive. See details below on how to get StuffIt Expander.

Alternatively some programs, such as Netscape are also available in native Macintosh binary form, usually identified with a ".bin" file type as part of the file name. Netscape makes both ".bin" and ".hqx" versions available on its servers. Normally both Web browsers and FTP tools are set to automatically recognize files named with ".bin" as binaries and to take the right steps in downloading them. When you get the file downloaded, launch it (double-click) and it will extract the various parts of Netscape and store them on disk (where you specify).

By the way, the ".bin" files are smaller than the corresponding ".hqx" because the pseudo-ascii encoding requires more characters.

A common tool to un-BinHex and un-archive a file once it is downloaded is StuffIt Expander. How to get that? Use Fetch to get a copy from either:

	   ftp://mirror.aol.com/
	

	   ftp://ftp.scruz.net/