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»For Amiga users, the way into the Internet isn't neither easy nor cheap. Besides the costs for a modem (65 Euro); a replacement for the old, slow serial port (30 Euro); a browser (25-50 Euro), TCP stack (30-50 Euro) etc. the inclined Amiga freak and Internet user also has to face the ignorance of big providers (and their tariffs) and the loss of quite a lot money.
Looking for a free and reasonably "modern" FTP client, I found by chance the freeware program AmiTradeCenter (short ATC) from Matthias Böcker. I'd like to tell you now how it proved itself in the practice.
System requirements:
A TCP stack like Genesis or Miami, AmigaOS Version 3.1 and (of course) MUI 3.8 are required by ATC. Furthermore, it uses some MCC's (MUI Custom Class), whose download sources are found in the documentation. The program is available in german and english, the documentation is currently german-only, but a english translation of the docs and further localizations of the program are in the works.
The documentation doesn't mention minimum hardware requirements, but reasonable working should start at a 020 CPU and 2 MB of free RAM.
The test system (Amiga1200, AGA, Bliz1230IV, 64MB Ram, 2.1GB IDE HD, 2.9GB SCSI HD, SilverSurfer, ElsaMicroLink56k, OS3.5, ...) was properly equipped anyway. PowerPC is not supported.
Installation:
After unpacking the archive, ATC presents itself in an appealing GlowIcon-look, of which you don't see much under OS versions older than 3.5 (it uses the original OS3.5 color icon format).
The installation uses the standard Amiga installer and is available in german and english. Much like the OS3.5 installation, it opens its own screen with a colored background (blue in this case). Furthermore an ATC logo is displayed. If you are using an older version of the installer, you get a normal window on the Workwench and won't see the new graphics. After choosing the location on the harddisk where the ATC directory should be created, the you may choose one of four different icons in OS3.5-look. After copying all files and a short glance in the docs the installation is completed.
Configuration:
After starting ATC, the so called "Server Manager" opens its window. Here you can configure as many FTP server addresses as you want and configure them to your needs. The addresses can be sorted in hierachical groups and sub-groups.
In the standard configuration, there are 3 groups ("AMINET", "AMIGA Support" and "INET Support") predefined. If the user opens the group "AMINET" 26 different Aminet server are displayed. Now you could for example move all servers located in Europe to a sub-group called "Europe".
Furthermore, all groups and entries can be moved to other groups using "Drag and Drop". Unfortunately you can only move one object at a time, which can make reorganising a huge database very laborious.
Worth mentioning are the many options in the configuration of the servers. You can set for every single FTP server an own local directory, the number of connect retries, the login mode (anonymus, password, ADT ("Aminet Download Tool" - see below) and (among many other features) even the connection speed. And if that's still not enough, you can open the ATC preferences window and configure things like sounds for special events, display mode for the data transfer, a file viewer, etc. Configuration fetishists and DOpus users will be delighted ;-). Users who don't like those configuration orgies can in most cases live with the default values. Very helpful is the intregrated Bubble Help, because most Internet(/FTP) beginners will feel run over by all those technical terms.
Last but not least, ATC keeps statistics for each FTP server where can see how many files have been transmitted from or to this server, when the first and last login was, how much data has been transfered and a lot more.
First contact:
The configuration of the server addresses can be done resource friendly and Amiga-like without a running TCP stack. Only before you want to connect to a FTP server you have to start one, of course. When the connection is established, ATC opens an "ATC-TRADER" window.
The "ATC-TRADER" window is in usage and look comparable to a simple directory manager. Everyone who has ever worked with such a program will have no big difficulties using "ATC-TRADER". The contents of the local directory on the harddisk is displayed on the left side, while the right side holds the files and directories of the FTP server. Above the two listers, you can see a input field where the current path is displayed and can be changed by hand if needed. Next to it are several buttons to go to the parent directory or directly jump to another directory that was used before. It is also possible to reload the current directory. You navigate through the directories using the mouse. Double click on a directory and it becomes your current directory and its contents are displayed. Below the listers are some buttons for file operations like Send/Receive, MakeDir, Delete, etc. In the big text field at the bottom of the window you can see the FTP commands and their results as well as the output of the FTP server.
It is very pleasant that you can have several connections to different servers at the same time. For every server a new "ATC-TRADER" window will be opened. It is even possible to have several connections to the same server. You just have to duplicated the server entry in the "Server Manger" and connect again. The system performance goes considerably down when you have mutiple windows open, so that you can have only 3-4 simultaneous connections on an 030.
A special feature of ATC is the so called "Batch-Mode". If you want to download several files from different directories on a FTP server, you just have to select them and click on the "Remember" button (on the right side below the lister). Then move on to the other directories and "remember" all the files that should be downloaded. All you have to do now is to click on "Receive" and ATC does the rest. You can also save the batch list and even modifiy it during download.
Furthermore you can download complete directory trees including contents >from a server. Anyone who can afford the online costs could download the complete Aminet and create his own Aminet-CDs (but Aminet-CDs will be cheaper anyway ;-).
Apropos Aminet: the aforementioned "ADT"-Mode is a connection mode especially designed for Aminet servers. It allows you for example to have the newest uploads displayed at login or to search for archives on Aminet servers. In the "ATC SERVER Manager" you define whether you want to see all uploads of the last 7 resp. 14 days or only the newest and make some other settings. Unfortunately the "Search" function didn't work for me - ATC always told me that it couldn't find the ADT server.
In case of very lenghty downloads, you can kill the time while playing "ATC-Tetris". While downloading, ATC shows some statistics and information in the ATC-TRADE window. But you can disable them using the menu or the preferences, because in lower resolutions, the display can get quite overloaded.
If a download is interrupted, ATC can resume it after reconnecting. {ATC-Fortsetzen.png}
Documentation:
The well written, (momentarily) german-only documentation is available in the formats ASCII and AmigaGuide. If you want to know why a FTP program is called "AmiTradeCenter", you should read the funny introduction (well... I've been laughing loudly). Furthermore, all settings are explained here, so if the Bubble Help isn't enough you will surely find here the needed help.
Probleme:
If you open the preferences window a second time, you get problems with the Bubble Help.
...and that's how it's supposed to look...
I didn't find any other bugs. The program works without any difficulties with the comman hacks and patches (FBlit, MCP, OS3.5 usw.) and is very stable. The only thing that is missing is the ARexx port, but this announced for a future version.
Result:
Matthias Böcker has put a lot effort in ATC and you have to take into account that don't want any mony for it (well, you won't get rich on the Amiga market anyway). ATC is professionell, user-friendly, stable, feature-loaded, easy to use and free. Once you have made your way through the configuration, the FTP-up/download is even fun (thank to Tetris...). The little bug in the Bubble Help is a children's illness, that is normal (for a first public version) and easy to get over (remember, this is freeware!) And since there is already a new beta version on the homepage, so we can look forward to new versions of ATC:
Sources:
AmiTradeCenter is, like almost any free software, available from Aminet. Go to the directory /comm/tcp/ and get the archive AmiTradeCenter.lha (or just search for "amitradecenter"). There is also a homepage at http://www.amisource.de/ATC. You can get a new beta version of ATC and subscribe to a mailing list to torture other users with your (ATC specific) problems.
Last words:
I always welcome productive criticism, praise and reprimands (or no, no reprimands! ;)
regarding this text. (Remark of translator: Criticism regarding the translation to
Christian Aichinger <aichi@gmx.de>«
