NEWK - Version 1.0
Copyright (c) 1995 by Richard K. Mason
All rights reserved


NEWK is a small  DOS  utility I wrote to help with packages that 
do not install properly from the PC to the Newton.  

A number of PC users have found it difficult to install packages 
obtained from AMUG and UIOWA.  One of the frequent causes, other 
than corrupt files, is the presence of additional bytes appearing 
both before and after the actual Newton package file.  

This utility checks for the presence of a Mac header, strips it if 
it can be found, and rewrites the package file, using the encoded 
file length in the Newton package header, thereby restoring the 
package file to its original size.  

As an added feature, since I had already used another utility 
available from John Mullan (jmullan@vaxxine.com), which stripped 
only the header, I included the capability to resize the file if the 
file length does not match the encoded length of the file - in other 
words - if you already used John Mullan's "CONVERT", or manually 
stripped the first 128 bytes from the file, but don't like the error 
message at the end of installation, you can still use this utility 
to strip the trailing garbage that causes 26018 error messages when 
installing  CONVERT-ed packages.

The original ".pkg" file is saved with the extension ".old" - just in 
case something terrible happens.  As always - back up your package files 
to be safe.


INSTRUCTIONS

NEWK can be run in one of two ways.  The easiest is to copy NEWK.exe to a
directory somewhere on your hard drive and create an associaion between 
NEWK and files with the "PKG" extension.  To do this, go into File Manager
and highlight a ".pkg" file.  Click on "File" and then "Associate".  A
dialog box will show PKG highlighted.  Click on Browse and locate the
directory which you copied NEWK to.  Double click on NEWK.exe.  Click on
OK to exit the dialog box.

Now, any time you double click on a package file, NEWK will attempt to 
repair the package.

You can also run from the command line in DOS or Windows.  


WINDOWS File Manager:

Make sure NEWK is either in the directory that contains the Newton 
package file to be converted, or in your path.

Highlight the file to be converted.

Pull down the "Files" menu, and select "Run".

Place the cursor bar in front of the file name in the dialog box, 
and type "NEWK" followed by a space, and then press the "Enter" key.

The file will be converted if appropriate.

Install the package using NPI or NCK.

Delete the ".old" file.

That's all there is to it.


DOS comand line:

Make sure NEWK is either in the directory that contains the Newton 
package file to be converted, or in your path.

Type the following on the comand line:

NEWK filename.pkg 
   
where "filename.pkg" is the Newton package file 
(".pkg" extension is required).




A few notes:

1)  Back up your .pkg file before you run NEWK - just in case!

2)  This is a free utility - what I call "e-mailWare".  Don't expect 
support.

3)  If you like NEWK - let me know via e-mail.  If it damages your 
package file (which it shouldn't) read #1.

4)  Please feel free to distribute this utility, provided no charge is 
made and this text file is included with the archive.



DISCLAIMER

Use at your own risk.  User assumes all responsibility for loss or
damages.  Batteries not included.  Your mileage may vary.  This utility 
may contain small parts of code not suitable for children under 3 years 
of age.  Void where prohibited by law.



Richard K. Mason
rmason@ro.com