The BOREAS Information System
Using Netscape to Get BOREAS Data With the Web
Access to BOREAS data is currently restricted to BOREAS Science Team members, their associates, and BOREAS Project Staff (the data is Password Protected).
Netscape is the only Web browser currently available that can make FTP connections to a VAX (which is where the BOREAS data is stored). NCSA Mosaic and Microsoft Explorer do not work with VAXes running VMS and Multinet. Several other browsers were tested, and only Netscape worked correctly.
Download Netscape now
Warning: To get data from BOREAS through the Web,
you must use the Netscape Web Browser!
Note: the Web browser called WebExplorer (available for OS/2 only)
is also capable of making an FTP connection to the BORIS FTP site.
A special data-access password is required to gain access to the preliminary BOREAS data. This password is separate from any Investigator BOREAS accounts (you cannot use your BOREAS account password here, it requires the separate data-access password). BORIS will periodically change the password to enforce data security. All BOREAS investigators will be informed of any change by e-mail.
NOTE: The data-access password was changed on April 1, 1996
(this is not an April Fools joke, just a fortuitous date).
There are three ways to get the data-access password:
If you know the old data-access password (before April 1996), then you can find out the new data-access password by Clicking Here and typing in the old data-access password.
The data-access password can be obtained from the BOREAS Bulletin Board. Connect to the BOREAS computer (boreas.gsfc.nasa.gov) using your BOREAS account name and password then type "BULL" when you see the BORIS Menu System screen.
BOREAS investigators and associates can call Ms. Beth McCowan at the BOREAS Information System (301) 286-4005, 9AM to 5PM EST to receive the current data-access password.
Note: Please do not share this data-access password with
anyone not associated with the BOREAS Project!
Connecting to BOREAS
The first time an FTP link is activated using Netscape, you will be asked for the data-access password. Once this has been entered, you will not be asked for it again until you start a totally new Netscape session.
Viewing and Downloading Files
Once connected, you will be in the directory for the team you requested, viewing a list of data files. There are two ways to download a file to your computer.
Simply click on a file name to display that file within Netscape. You will then have to save that file to your hard drive (using the "Save As..." command). Note: this will not work well for large files.
Hold down the mouse button over the file you want to download. A menu will appear that contains several options. Select the "Save This Link as..." option. You can then select a location on your hard drive to store the file. Note: this will download the file without displaying it.
One of these processes must be repeated for each file you want to download.
Navigating in the FTP Archive
You can move around in the directory structure simply by clicking on a new directory (a name ending in a slash /) or the line "Up to higher level directory" at the top of each page. You cannot go any higher in the directory structure than the "boreas/" directory.
Send a data request to the BOREAS Data Manager (BOREAS Investigators only)
E-Mail a comment on this page to the curator 
Return to the "Getting BOREAS Data" Page
Return to the BOREAS Home Page
Last Updated: May 20, 1998