Need help w/Macintosh - FTP, script

chkman · Post by **chkman** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 7:27 pm

Could anyone please tell me about a couple programs on the Mac?
I need to know if there is a simple FTP (File Transfer Protocol) program that comes with the Mac. On a PC the FTP program is an old DOS program that can run with command line options including running a text file of commands. Does Mac have something similiar?

Again going back to the days of antiquity, DOS has batch files which can run programs such as the FTP program. Is there something similiar on the Mac such as Korn or Perl available for use?

We're trying to get this genetic algorithm for G-Force thing going. I have two techniques for automating the process for the people who want to participate. One is to automatically display the config combination in the web browser and the other is to download the next combination to be tested. As a fallback, Mac users can start G-Force manually and download the next script with right-click and save-as etc. But if someone will help me we can automate it same as the PC.

Also if anyone has Media Player or is willing to install it you could test this web page for me and let me know how well it works.

Download Media Player for Mac at
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/window ... fault.aspx
If you have G-Force Platinum you can easily reinstall for Media Player. People with Gold, as I understand it, can only install for one specific player. So if you got it for iTunes you can't install for MP.

The page to test is
http://gforce.gatlight.com/test.htm
You should see Media Player with G-Force running in it. We'll discuss the autorun of a script at a later time. Don't bother clicking on Submit - crash!

If you want to learn more about the genetic algorithm for G-Force please see this topic:
http://forums.soundspectrum.com/viewtopic.php?t=251

willrob · Post by **willrob** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:17 pm

Can't see it. I get [Front Page Save Results Componant]. No media player window.

chkman · Post by **chkman** » Fri Dec 16, 2005 8:29 pm

Do you have Media Player installed? With G-Force?

willrob · Post by **willrob** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 12:27 pm

I have Media Player installed, but G-Force is insalled (by default) into my iTunes libary folder. Can I put an alias of it in the Media Player library folder?

chkman · Post by **chkman** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 1:03 pm

I don't know. Is an alias Mac-terminology for a copy? MP probably needs it's own specific ?bin? file. Remember I am Mac-illerate, the closest experience I've had is the Apple IIe.

If you purchased Platinum G-Force you can just re-install G-Force, making sure Media player is checked. If you have Gold you're SOL.

willrob · Post by **willrob** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 1:07 pm

On the Mac install, everything is automatically put into the iTunes folder. There is no other option, except to manually place everything. Actually I'm not sure G-Force runs in the Mac version of Media Player. I will try it and post results.

willrob · Post by **willrob** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 1:13 pm

Windows Media Player for the Mac doesn't have a vizualizer, nor does it appear to have a location to place the G-Force plug-in (which would have to be the iTunes plug-in, since that's the only one installed on a Mac).

chkman · Post by **chkman** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 1:41 pm

Okay, thanks for checking it out. bsk in another topic confirms the lack of G-Force for Mac Media Player.

I will have a different test page for Macsters that will require a little more work to do the voting. I'll do what I can to include Mac owners.

bsk · Post by **bsk** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 3:19 pm

chkman wrote:I don't know. Is an alias Mac-terminology for a copy? MP probably needs it's own specific ?bin? file. Remember I am Mac-illerate, the closest experience I've had is the Apple IIe.

If you purchased Platinum G-Force you can just re-install G-Force, making sure Media player is checked. If you have Gold you're SOL.

alias = shortcut in windows

Apple IIe, now those were the days

I've looked into the installer package for Platinum G-Force & there are no components for anything other than iTunes. Speaking for myself & my friends who have Macs, there is no reason to run any other music player under OS X. I don't know what WiMP is like on a Windows box, but it sure doesn't cut the mustard on a Mac.

chkman · Post by **chkman** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 7:08 pm

I decided on WiMP because I could embed it in the web page with FrontPage and it shows G-Force. Normally, I use WinAmp to run G-Force. I do have iTunes but have been using WinAmp for years.

Sometimes for beta testing I get WiMP, iTunes, WinAmp runing G-Force as well as the standalone and V-bar. Just to make sure it's working.

bsk · Post by **bsk** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 8:41 pm

chkman wrote:I decided on WiMP because I could embed it in the web page with FrontPage and it shows G-Force. Normally, I use WinAmp to run G-Force. I do have iTunes but have been using WinAmp for years.

Sometimes for beta testing I get WiMP, iTunes, WinAmp runing G-Force as well as the standalone and V-bar. Just to make sure it's working.

chkman

I do not question what you do on the Windows platform - if it works for you, go for it. Apart from using it at work, I have little knowledge of, and little use for Windows. However, I don't want to get into the whole Windows vs Mac debate which I find fruitless. We all use what suits us best.

It is just that, IMO, I'm not sure it is going to be worth your time to develop Mac compatibility visualiser stuff for WiMP. I may be very wrong, of course, and a chorus of Mac WiMP users will curse the day I was born & shoot me down in flames - please do & I'll stand corrected.

chkman · Post by **chkman** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 8:50 pm

Joe might have found a way to embed iTunes into a web page. Here is the link, please test:

http://gforce.gatlight.com/itunes_test.html

I am a little skeptical since it askes me on a PC, if I want to upgrade to QT 7.0. QT won't cut it, we need iTunes (pretty sure anyway).

But hey, we're still trying...

BTW, Joe was hoping to chat online with someone to get this working. If anyone has a Yahoo or AIM or ICQ ID and wants to volunteer please indicate so.

chkman · Post by **chkman** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 8:57 pm

No, I wasn't suggesting using WiMP on the Mac at this point. I thought it would run G-Force on the Mac same as PC. I guess MS has offered a short-cutted, save time and effort, chopped down, substandard version for the Mac. What else would you expect?

Hey, what are you doing still up? Isn't it about 2AM in London?

bsk · Post by **bsk** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 9:32 pm

Bit of an insomniac & listening to some very very old psychedelic Pink Floyd - but probably should call it a day soon.

Got part way through the script. But some problems which should be solved with a brighter head tomorrow.

nite nite (as my folks used to say)

chkman · Post by **chkman** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 9:48 pm

Umma Gumma, no doubt?

Good nite!