Best Way To Send Files Via The Internet

[Mac128]

What is the best way to make software available for downloads to be as compatible as possible with everyone's systems?

When a known good disk image won't mount on an old Mac for floppy duplication, is the primary culprit that it was "tainted" by the internet? Or is the cause more likely an older Mac's ability to process it?

I use OS X for everything having to do with the internet, so it is unlikely I will ever upload files from my old Macs (none of which can get onto the internet anyway), nor is it likely I will ever prepare a disk image with any hardware other than my Mac 512Ke running 6.0.4.

Frankly, I have never had a problem I couldn't fix with a disk image, but I frequently have problems with various compression formats.

 

[tomlee59]

There are several possibilities. I favor binhex (.hqx) because plenty of older decompressors can handle it. Since binhex files are essentially textfiles, they survive unmolested (i.e., no resource fork problems). The only drawback is the moderate bloat in size.

I'm sure others will offer their faves, too.

 

[MacJunky]

I just use .sit or .hqx myself.

 

[equill]

Binhex, as tomlee59 says and for the reasons that he advances. 'Within' the .hqx can be .sea, .sit, .img or wotchermaycallit. As of last week I have about 832kb/s available upstream, but what recipients have for download has to be considered. I have recently sent 3MB and 7MB attachments with success.

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