[net.micro.pc] Access XT Remotely? How?

cnrdean@ucbtopaz.CC.Berkeley.ARPA (12/01/84)

Can you tell me of a way to access an XT remotely?  For example,
I have a terminal at home.  I would like to call up my XT at work and 
do some work on it (not just transfer files).  (I also have an XT at home.
If it would be any easier, I could use that as a terminal.)

(Of course, I assume that I have RS232 communications and a modem 
at each site.)

Thanks

Sam Scalise

dwight@timeinc.UUCP (Dwight Ernest) (12/02/84)

> 
> Can you tell me of a way to access an XT remotely?  For example,
> I have a terminal at home.  I would like to call up my XT at work and 
> do some work on it (not just transfer files).  (I also have an XT at home.
> If it would be any easier, I could use that as a terminal.)
> 
> (Of course, I assume that I have RS232 communications and a modem 
> at each site.)
> 
> Thanks
> 
> Sam Scalise

Sam, It's not easy to do what you want to do. Most applications software
for the PC has depending a great deal upon the ROM BIOS and insists on
only writing to or reading from CON:. Even redirection to one of the COM:
ports doesn't do a lot of good with most applications that have this
ROM BIOS dependency, and almost all good stuff has it. About the only
editor that works with a redirected PC with a COM port is, for instance,
EDLIN, and you and I both know how limited that is.

I recommend you get a good terminal management program that permits you
to support dialin as well as dial out, like Chuck Forsberg's Professional
YAM (Yet Another Modem--I can send you further information on this
great program if you need it). Then get a PC or even <sigh> a jr, and
put this other machine at home. Run the applications you want to run
at home, and then use your modem to transfer the files between work and
home. It's really the only way to do it... remember, the other problem
with what you want to do is that line noise can really throw things
off, even if the application you wanted to run ran properly through the
COM: port.
-- 
		--Dwight Ernest	KA2CNN	\ Usenet:...vax135!timeinc!dwight
		Time Inc. Editorial Technology Group, New York City
		Voice: (212) 554-5061 \ Compuserve: 70210,523 \ EIES: 1228
		Telemail: EDPISG/TIMEINC \ MCI: DERNEST

ee161abt@sdcc13.UUCP ({|stu) (12/04/84)

> > 
> > Can you tell me of a way to access an XT remotely?  For example,
> > I have a terminal at home.  I would like to call up my XT at work and 
> > do some work on it (not just transfer files).  (I also have an XT at home.
> > If it would be any easier, I could use that as a terminal.)
> > 
> > (Of course, I assume that I have RS232 communications and a modem 
> > at each site.)
> > 
> > Thanks
> > 
> > Sam Scalise
> 
> Sam, It's not easy to do what you want to do. 
> -- 
> 		--Dwight Ernest	KA2CNN	\ Usenet:...vax135!timeinc!dwight

While it's true that most software won't work over a serial line,
doesn't PC-DOS allow the use of the machine remotely via 
ctty (or is it stty?). although I've never tried it, "ctty aux"
should do what you want.  If this method polls the serial port
(as oposed to being interrupt driven) you might not be able to go
very fast, but ....

- stu

dwight@timeinc.UUCP (Dwight Ernest) (12/05/84)

> > > 
> > > Can you tell me of a way to access an XT remotely?  For example,
> > > I have a terminal at home.  I would like to call up my XT at work and 
> > > do some work on it (not just transfer files).
> > > Sam Scalise
> > 
> > Sam, It's not easy to do what you want to do. 
> > 		--Dwight Ernest	KA2CNN	\ Usenet:...vax135!timeinc!dwight
> 
> While it's true that most software won't work over a serial line,
> doesn't PC-DOS allow the use of the machine remotely via 
> ctty (or is it stty?). although I've never tried it, "ctty aux"
> should do what you want.
> - stu

Well, you'd probably want to do a "ctty com1:" (or whatever the port's
designation is). But that's just fancy redirection on the same level that
I pointed out in my previous message was not very functional.

I received some mail from folks who said "try PC/IX" or "try Xenix" or
"try Coherent." And I will, someday, if/when I don't have a VAX to play
with. But in the meantime, I think what Sam probably wanted to do was
run PCDOS applications through his modem, and all I'm trying to say is
that this just isn't very practical at all due to the dependence on the
goddam ROM code to do screen i/o. (I think all PC owners, if they thought
about it, would admit to a love/hate relationship with that proprietary ROM
stuff.)
-- 
		--Dwight Ernest	KA2CNN	\ Usenet:...vax135!timeinc!dwight
		Time Inc. Editorial Technology Group, New York City
		Voice: (212) 554-5061 \ Compuserve: 70210,523 \ EIES: 1228
		Telemail: DERNEST/TIMECOMDIV/TIMEINC \ MCI: DERNEST

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