As a rule, all files in the ICOT Free Software archives use ASCII +JIS (JIS X 0208) character code. So you can read the files from your own UNIX terminal. The software programs for PSI, Multi-PSI and PIM use PSI character code that is different from ASCII+JIS. If you want to run one of these programs, you must convert the character code from ASCII to PSI. The FTP command on SIMPOS has a function for character code conversion. You can convert the character code using the FTP command on SIMPOS when you transfer files from UNIX to PSI by the method as stated in the followings.
As a rule, all files in the ICOT Free Software archives use ASCII +JIS (for KANJI) character code (Exception: The source files for CESP and SICStus Prolog use EUC character code for KANJI). So you can read or print the files extracted with the tar command, without any character code conversion. (You need a KANJI terminal, such as kterm on X11R5, to read the KANJI characters.)
You can install the programs for UNIX (written in C, CESP, Prolog, etc.) simply by extracting the files with the tar command, without any character code conversion. For detail information, see the INSTALL file for each piece of software.
You must convert the character code from ASCII to PSI when you want to run the software on PSI, Multi-PSI or PIM. You can convert the character code by using the FTP command on SIMPOS.
FTP on SIMPOS converts character code from ASCII to PSI automatically by setting ascii transfer type. But FTP on SIMPOS does *NOT* convert the KANJI character code. When you transfer files that include KANJI, You must set the character code name by using the `/jis' option after the remote UNIX file name. A comment must be made in the README file of each piece of software to state whether the file contains KANJI or not. If you cannot judge whether the files use KANJI or ASCII only, you should always use the `/jis' option after the remote file name.
For example, FTP> mget *.kl1 /jis *.kl1