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XIV. Public Download Area:

The Public Download Area (PDA) is a collection of software you may find useful when interacting with CCN and the Internet. You can download communication programs, file viewers, utilities, and compression software. It does NOT contain games, pictures, or any sort of programs not related to CCN or the Internet. Try a local BBS for those type of programs.

The PDA is accessible from anywhere on CCN by the use of the command "g pda" (without the quotes).

PDA Homepage

PDA Software Libraries Available

• Amiga
• Apple II & GS
• Atari ST
• Commodore 64/128
• Linux
• Macintosh
• MS-DOS
• OS/2
• Windows
• Windows '95

Some points to keep in mind:

1. CCN is in no way responsible if you get a virus from any program here, so download at your own risk. These files have come from reputable FTP sites that do extensive virus checking, but that's not a guarantee. There are virus checkers here that you can use yourself, but there's no guarantee they're virus free themselves. It's highly recommended that you check every file you get from the PDA, either with your own program or one of the ones available here.

2. Since this is a Community Network, there is a bias here toward Public Domain and Freeware, but there is some Shareware as well. It is important to realize the distinction:
   • Public Domain software may be freely distributed, copied, and even modified.

   • Freeware may be freely distributed and copied, but the source code still belongs to the author, and may not be modified or reused without the consent of the author.

   • Shareware is in *no* way free. It is distributed for evaluation purposes only, and if you use it, you must pay the original author for it (usually called "registering"). The process of registering shareware varies, but details can normally be found within the program's documentation.

3. Be aware that these files are sometimes quite large, and may take a long time to download, even with a fast modem. Generally speaking, they cannot be broken down into smaller pieces, because that would be in violation of the original author's distribution instructions.

4. However, there is a solution. If your comm program supports the Zmodem download protocol (and most do) then you can use it to get a large file over several different logins. Zmodem has a special feature that allows it to resume a file transfer if it is interrupted. There should be an option somewhere in your software settings that enables this feature. Once it's on, you can download as much of a file as possible, then log in again later and get the rest of it.

5. Unless otherwise noted, none of these programs are supported by the User Support Team, although the volunteers there will make an effort to deal with any problems you might have.

Each program in the PDA has a description explaining what it is, what it does, features, etc., and whether it is shareware, freeware, or public domain. Below the description is a link to the file or files containing the actual program. Downloading these files is just like downloading a file in your home directory. Just highlight it, press "d" for download, and choose a download protocol.

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