File Transfer Protocol -- FTP software allows you to transfer files between your desktop computer and a remote computer, such as a UW Uniform Access Computer.
You can download the latest FTP software for your operating system from the C&C web site (click on "software included").
Pine is the email program on the UW's Uniform Access Computers. When you are in Pine and want to figure out how to do something, look at the bottom of the Pine window. Available commands are listed, with brief definitions. (Hint: the ^ symbol stands for your control key, and you don't have to use your shift key. So to justify a paragraph of text, which is listed as ^J, you would hold down your control key and type j.)
For more information: C&C's page on email
Telnet software allows you to interact with a remote computer from your desktop. When you "telnet" to a Uniform Access Computer, you can tell you're working in a different computing environment because, for example, you have to use your arrow keys instead of your mouse to move your cursor.
You can download the latest Telnet software for your operating system from the C&C web site (click on "software included").
Uniform Access Computer -- a mainframe computer or computer cluster maintained by Computing and Communications at the University of Washington for use by students, faculty, and staff. Examples: Homer, Aagaard, Mead, Dante. Your email goes to an account on one of these computers, and when you read your email using Pine you are accessing your UAC account via Telnet software.
UAC Home Directory -- Your UAC account consists of disk space on one of the University's Uniform Access Computers (see above). This disk space contains your email files in a subdirectory, which sits in your overall directory, or "home directory". You can use this directory to store files or subdirectories.
Unix is the operating system used by many large mainframe computers, including the Uniform Access Computers. If you only use your UAC account to read and send email, you may never need to use Unix. But if you want to interact with the files in your UAC home directory, or create and use subdirectories, you'll need to learn a few Unix commands, which must be issued from the "shell prompt", which looks like this:
homer 19%
To learn more, visit the C&C page on Unix.