Arizona Mathematical Software on the Internet


Note: this document explains how to obtain and install the Arizona Mathematical Software via the Internet network.
Document Version II: 8/1/95

Introduction

The Arizona Mathematical Software is freely available on the Internet network. Those with World Wide Web (WWW) access, i.e., people with information browsers such as Mosaic, Netscape, or Lynx, should set their URL to:
http://math.arizona.edu/~www_main_2002/software/uasft.html
WWW links are provided to pages that describe the various Arizona Mathematical Software programs. Links are also provided for downloading software distribution sets and individual executable programs. WWW users should read (and please follow) the installation instructions that are given in the latter sections of this text.

FTP users should connect to (the machine) `math.arizona.edu' at Internet address 128.196.224.2. FTP users should read (and please follow) the file transfer and program installation instructions that follow.

The Arizona Mathematical Software is provided free of charge. The programs are copy protected, but non profit, unaltered redistribution of the software is fully encouraged. Address questions about the Arizona Mathematical Software to:

Mathematical Software
Department of Mathematics
The University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721

phone: (520) 621-6892
email: software@math.arizona.edu

The Arizona Mathematical Software spans material of interest to students and instructors who are involved with high school and college level mathematics. The software collection includes more than 40 different MS-DOS programs. The complete set of programs occupies approximately 12 megabytes of hard disk space. The programs are most easily executed from a front-end menu interface, the program `ua.exe', that is included with the various software distributions. The Arizona Mathematical Software programs require minimal hardware resources, i.e., CGA graphics and 640k of memory. Please note that neither MS-Windows nor hardware mouse are necessary.

The Arizona Mathematical Software programs fall into four educational categories:

Are You Ready?
Slide Shows
Teacher Aids
Toolkits
To simplify the software distribution and installation processes, we have created two packages, i.e., an archive of the Toolkit programs and a second archive of nonToolkit software (comprising the Are You Ready, Slide Shows, and Teacher Aids programs). The archives are partitioned for copying onto 3.5" high density floppy diskettes. The archive files are located in the `math-disks' subdirectory of `AZ-MATH' on `math.arizona.edu'.

Individual Arizona Mathematical Software programs, ex., the Linear Algebra toolkit, the Venn Diagram toolkit, the Complex Numbers toolkit, etc., are available in the `AZ-MATH/math-progs' area of `math.arizona.edu'. Look in the `aids', `ready', `slides', and `tools' subdirectories of `AZ-MATH/math-progs' for particular software programs (not archive sets).



Assumptions and Suggestions

Before downloading the Arizona Mathematical Software, we suggest that you:
> read this text
> choose a distribution format, i.e., do you want a single program or a complete software set?
> create and change to an empty storage directory on your local PC system

For our sample file transfer (ftp) session, we assume that:

> you are using an MS-DOS PC
> your PC is connected to the Internet
> your **current** DOS drive is either `A:' or `B:'
> you wish to download the Arizona `nonToolkit' software package

Those planning to install the Arizona Mathematical Software onto multiple PCs might want to copy (and save) the Toolkit and nonToolkit archives onto floppy diskettes. The nonToolkit archive requires three formatted floppies (each with 1.44 megabytes of free space). The Toolkit archive requires five formatted floppies (each with 1.44 megabytes of free space). The Toolkit installation program, `installt.exe', and the first Toolkit archive file, `ua_t.001', must be copied onto one (the same) floppy diskette. Similarly, the nonToolkit installation program, `installn.exe', and the first nonToolkit archive file, `ua_nt.001', must be copied onto one (the same) floppy diskette. All further archive files should be copied onto labeled diskettes, i.e., nonToolkit #2, nonToolkit #3, Toolkit #2, Toolkit #3, ....

The Arizona Mathematical Software Toolkit and nonToolkit archives can also be transferred directly onto (and subsequently installed from) a PC hard disk. If you prefer this method, it is important to store the nonToolkit and Toolkit archives in separate disk directories, i.e., create an empty directory to hold the Toolkit archive files -- create an empty directory to hold the nonToolkit archive files. Keep the Toolkit archive files in the Toolkit hard disk directory. Keep the nonToolkit archive files in the nonToolkit hard disk directory.



The FTP Network Connection

Using the `ftp' program, connect to the `math.arizona.edu'. To login, give `anonymous' for a username and `guest' for a password. In the following example, we issue the ftp `dir' command to obtain a listing of the login directory location.

> pcprompt$ ftp math.arizona.edu
Connected to amethyst.math.arizona.edu.

> Name: anonymous
331 Guest login ok, send ident as password.

> Password: guest
230 Guest login ok, access restrictions apply.

> ftp$ dir 
  dr-xr-xr-x 5  root  root  512  Nov 15 1993  AZ-MATH
  dr-xr-xr-x 2  root  root  512  Jul 2  1991  bin
  dr-xr-xr-x 2  root  root  512  Jul 2  1991  etc
  drwxrwxrwx 2  ftp   ftp   1024 May 17 17:54 incoming
  dr-xr-xr-x 6  root  root  512  Apr 16 1992  pub


The Fileserver

The Arizona Mathematical Software is stored in the subdirectories of `AZ-MATH'. The nonToolkit and Toolkit archives are stored in subdirectories of `/AZ-MATH/math-disks'. In ftp, we change to and list the contents of this location.

> ftp$ cd AZ-MATH
250 CWD command successful.

> ftp$ dir 
  dr-xr-xr-x  2 root  staff  512 Feb 25  1994 MAC
  dr-xr-xr-x  2 root  staff  512 Mar 12  1992 archive
  dr-xr-xr-x  4 root  staff  512 Jul  3 23:44 math-disks
  dr-xr-xr-x  6 root  staff 1536 Jul  3 17:23 math-progs
> ftp$ cd math-disks
250 CWD command successful.

> ftp$ dir 
  dr-xr-xr-x 7  ftp  ftp   512  Oct 7  09:40 nontools
  dr-xr-xr-x 11 ftp  ftp   512  Oct 7  09:40 toolkits



Downloading onto the First Floppy

Recall that -- for this sample session -- we wish to obtain the Arizona Mathematical Software nonToolkit distribution. We change to the `nontools' subdirectory and obtain a listing of this location.

> ftp$ cd nontools

> ftp$ dir 
  -r--r--r-- 1 root  root  121575 Jul 3 09:43 installn.exe
  -r--r--r-- 1 root  root 1333432 Jul 3 09:43 ua_nt.001
  -r--r--r-- 1 root  root 1457664 Jul 3 09:43 ua_nt.002
  -r--r--r-- 1 root  root 1013020 Jul 3 09:43 ua_nt.003
For diskette-based distributions, the installation program and the first archive file -- in this case `installn.exe' and `ua_nt.001' -- must be copied onto the same (ONE) diskette. Subsequent archive files are then stored on separate (labeled) floppy diskettes. Note that three 3.5" high density floppies are required for the nonToolkit distribution.

Before transferring any data, set the ftp program into `binary' mode. Please note that all Arizona Mathematical Software files must be transferred in `binary' mode. Use the ftp `get' command to copy data back to your local PC. Note that `get' is case sensitive, i.e., you must enter the desired file name exactly as it appears in the `dir' listing.

For demonstration purposes, we copy the first diskette back to your local PC system:

> ftp$ bin
200 Type set to I.

> ftp$ get installn.exe
150 Binary data connection for installn.exe
(128.196.224.37,3088) (121575 bytes).

> ftp$ get ua_nt.001
150 Binary data connection for ua_nt.001
(128.196.224.37,3089) (1333432 bytes).



Downloading onto Subsequent Floppies

You must now remove the first diskette from the floppy drive. Insert an empty diskette in its place. (If you plan to install the Arizona Mathematical Software nonToolkit distribution from hard disk and are transferring the archive files directly to this device, remain in your local working directory.)

We proceed to get the next nonToolkit archive file:

> ftp$ get ua_nt.002
150 Binary data connection for ua_nt.002
(128.196.224.37,3089) (1457664 bytes).

Remove this (now full) diskette from the floppy drive; insert an empty diskette in its place. Continue this process until all nonToolkit archive files are transferred to your local PC system.

The ftp `mget' command allows multiple file transfers and the use of metacharacters in expanded filename patterns. For example, you can give the `mget *' command in the `/AZ-MATH/math-disks/nontools' directory to retrieve all the nonToolkit archive files. When using mget and transferring directly to diskette, insert blank floppies before confirming that you wish to copy the 2nd, 3rd, and any following archive files.



Closing the Connection

Having completed the file transfer process, we now terminate the `ftp' connection.

> ftp$ quit
221 Goodbye.

pcprompt$



Archive Installation and Program Execution

Change to the installation program `drive:directory' location. If you are installing from a floppy-based distribution set, insert and go to `disk1'. If you are installing from a hard disk, change to the location of the archive files. To install the Toolkits archive, run the `installt' program. To install the nonToolkits archive, run the `installn' program. The installation program provides all necessary information.

When the installation process is complete, the archive files are no longer necessary. Diskette-based archives can be stored away. Hard disk archive directories can be deleted.

Execute the `ua' menu program -- it should reside in the root directory of the hard disk which you chose for installation. Explore the Toolkits, `Are You Ready?', Slide Shows, and Teacher Aids submenus for applications of interest.



Single Program Installation and Execution

Individual Arizona Mathematical Software programs are available in self extracting files (`PAK251' format). Each of the Arizona Mathematical Software programs is saved in a similarly named PAKfile (prefixed with a 0). Please note that you must install each bundled program in its own directory.

As an example (assuming that you wished to obtain the Linalg program), you would connect to `math.arizona.edu' with ftp and `get' the binary `0linalg.exe' PAK file from the `AZ-MATH/math-progs/tools' subdirectory location. In a local PC hard disk directory (containing only 0linalg.exe), you would unbundle the PAKfile by executing `0linalg.exe'. After unpacking the Linalg program, you would run the Linalg application by executing the `runme' command (in the Linalg installation directory.

Hope that this helps you to get started,

Arizona Mathematical Software
The Mathematics Department
University of Arizona

email: software@math.arizona.edu