opening "unix executable files" in os 10

midterm4x

Registered
Hello,
I just found your site while searching for answers......
Been a mac user for sometime, just bought new macbook and am converting all my old mac os9 stuff to my new computer. When I transfer my aol email documents and my photoshop elements stuff and filemaker pro stuff I get a little grey box icon. And I can't open it. When I go to "get info" it says it is a "unix executable file". Since I get that with a number of different software files there must be something I'm doing wrong.....
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
 
That's a feature. When "Launch Services" sees a file it can't identify
by extension, it defaults to calling it a Unix Executable. You'll have
to assign standard filename extensions to your "stuff" to get OSX
to identify it.
 
I might sound ignorant....'cause I am, I guess. How to assign such standard filename extensions? As I look on my screen, do I just type .something or other on the filename under the icon? On my system 9 documents and images I don't see any identifier, so i'm wondering what filename extensions I should use. Thanks..........
 
Well, basically, you just have to know what filetypes they are.
What program was used to create them? Then we can help you define the correct ending or rather which program to use to open/convert them.
 
I have a similar problem. My old computer, I copied to a back up drive. It turned alot of files into a "unix executable file" The ones I cannot open are mailboxes that belong to Eudora. What extension do I try to append?
Janet
 
Mailboxes are mailboxes, and they (.mbox files) can/should be able to be opened with an email program.
 
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