Click on the logo above to return to the Grant Wood AEA home page.


WWW Utility Software for Windows

Notes on Downloading DOS / Windows Software

Most DOS and Windows software that you will download is compressed into the ZIP format. You will need the PKUNZIP.EXE utility software from PKWARE, Inc. to decompress and install the files. If you don't already have PKUNZIP.EXE, you can download it here. Download or copy the PKUNZIP.EXE file into a directory that is in your DOS PATH.

ZIP'ped software is usually provided as a single file with an extension of .ZIP or .EXE. If the extension is .EXE, it is a self-extracting file and the PKUNZIP.EXE file is not needed to install the software. If the extension is .ZIP, the PKUNZIP.EXE file is needed.

The following procedure is a general guideline for installing ZIP'ped software.
  1. Before downloading, check to see if there are any special instructions. These may be provided on the Web page or in text files, usually named README.* or *.TXT. This is also a good time to check for shareware registration fees, restrictions, and requirements.
  2. Create a new empty directory on your hard drive, and download the .ZIP or .EXE file into that directory.
  3. Go to a DOS prompt and change to the directory where the ZIP'ped file was downloaded.
  4. Unzip the file. The file will expand into one or more larger files. The unzip process is done as follows:
    • If the file is a .EXE file, just run it (type the name of the file at the DOS prompt).
    • If the file is a .ZIP file, type the command "PKUNZIP filename"; where "filename" is the name of the ZIP file.
  5. ERASE the original .ZIP or .EXE file that you downloaded.
  6. Display the directory containing the unzipped files and again look for README or .TXT files that may contain special install and usage instructions. Most Windows programs are installed from the Program Manager. Under the "File" menu, select "RUN", then browse for a file named "SETUP.EXE" or "INSTALL.EXE" in the directory where you unzipped the files.
Return to menu.

Setting up a WWW Server or a POP3 Mail Server on a Windows Computer

A WWW Server will allow you to publish a home page and other information about your school on the Internet World Wide Web. A POP3 mail server will allow you to set up mailboxes so your students can send and receive e-mail over the internet.

What's needed?

  • A dedicated Windows 3.1 computer. Suggested configuration:
    • 486 DX-33 or above
    • 8MB or more RAM
    • enough free hard disk space to contain the server and utility software, mail boxes and mail messages, and web documents and images that you intend to publish. I suggest that you have at least 40 MB of free disk space to get started.
    • Windows 3.1, 3.11 or WFW 3.11
  • A "permanent" link to the Internet. Grant Wood AEA customers accessing the Internet through the Frame Relay wide area network have this kind of connection. Don't set up a web server on a dial up line. It is too slow and will frustrate people if they try to link to you when you are not dialed in.
  • TCP/IP protocol drivers and WINSOCK 1.1 compliant socket software. Again, Grant Wood AEA customers accessing the Internet on IBM compatible computers through the Frame Relay network already have this software.

    For a WWW Server:
  • Windows httpd web server software. This is a shareware package that is free to education.
  • A HTML editor for creating your home page and other web pages. The page you are reading was created with HTML Writer. HTML Writer is a very nice document editor that is free (donation requested). Click here for a review of HTML Writer and other HTML editors.

    For a POP3 Mail Server:
  • POP3 Mail Server software. Unfortunately, Seattle Labs has discontinued their Windows 3.x version of SLmail, so you will need to run your mail server on a Windows 95 or NT platform. Click here for a review of SLMail for Windows 95.
  • E-mail client software for your students' computers. Eudora Light is a good package available for both Windows and Mac computers (free). Click here for a review of Eudora and other mail software.

Other Information

There is a wealth of information available for learning about HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) and creating web pages. Here is a good place to start.

If you want to create graphics images and include them in your web pages, you will need a good painting program that can save files in the GIF or JPG format. One very good one is Paint Shop Pro (shareware $69). To save GIF images with transparent backgrounds, you may want to try LVIEW Pro (shareware $30). Click here for a review of these and other graphics products.

You may also want to use a scanner or a graphics camera to capture graphics images for your web pages. Grant Wood AEA customers can contact Jerry Cochrane (JCochrane@aea10.k12.ia.us) for more information about these devices.

While it may be possible to run the WWW server and POP3 server on the same computer, it is better to dedicate a separate computer to each server.

Once you have your server installed and your home page created and tested, you will need to have its name registered so other people can find it. Name registration is also required for the mail server. Grant Wood AEA customers should contact Al Buck (Abuck@aea10.k12.ia.us) for more information.

Grant Wood AEA customers please note: We will operate a web site and e-mail services for you. There is no charge for these services. Contact Al Buck (Abuck@aea10.k12.ia.us) for more information.

Return to menu.

Browsers, Players, Helper Applications, Other Interesting Stuff

WWW Browsers

  • Netscape Navigator ($49.95, free for education). The current version is 301. If you are still using an older version of Netscape, you should download and install the latest version. Note: Before you upgrade the Netscape Navigator to a new version, make sure you go into "Preferences" under the "Options" menu and record all settings. Also, make a copy of your bookmarks. You may need to reestablish these settings after you upgrade.
  • Microsoft Internet Explorer (free) is steadily gaining market share over Netscape Navigator. The current version is 3.01a.
  • DOSLynx (free for non-commercial use.) A text based browser for DOS computers. Not pretty, but it works!
Click here for a review of these and other browsers.

POP3 Mail Clients

Click here for a review of these and other e-mail products.

Telnet Clients

A Telnet client is a terminal emulation program that is used to log in to and access a host computer over the Internet. You probably don't need to use Telnet, but in case you do, here are a couple of free ones. Click here for a review of these and other Telnet clients.

Graphics

  • Paint Shop Pro ($69 shareware). A complete graphics painting program.
  • LVIEW Pro ($30 shareware). You will need this if you want to make transparent backgrounds for images on your web pages.

Poor Person's Audio

If you don't have a sound board in your Windows computer, you can still play simple audio files (WAV, AU and others) found on the Internet through your internal PC speaker. You will need to install both of these programs to make it work.
  • Microsoft SPEAK.EXE internal speaker driver (free add on for Windows 3.1).
  • WPLANY "Windows Play Any" sound program (free). Configure this as the "helper application" in your WWW browser.

Movie Players

The movie files you find on the internet come in several formats including QT (Apple's Quicktime), MPEG and AVI. Here are some of the freeware packages available. Click here for a review of these and other movie players.
Return to menu.
Links checked on 4/11/97. Questions regarding this page should be directed to Al Buck (ABuck@aea10.k12.ia.us)