towson%amsaa@sri-unix.UUCP (02/28/84)
From: David Towson (CSD) <towson@amsaa> Multics people - I have been having an interesting exchange of messages with David Cargo at Hi-Multics concerning the transfer of Simtel20 files stored in ITS binary format (this includes all binary files, and ALL files in the SIGM and CPMUG archives). Apparently, Hi-Multics' FTP doesn't accommodate TENEX mode (which works so nicely for us here on the BRLNET UNIX machines). That has left David in the same awkward position we were in until we were told about TENEX mode, namely, that of having to transfer the files using binary mode, and then post-process them to get rid of the four padding zeros that follow the four 8-bit bytes in each 36-bit ITS binary word. With the aid of a system wizard, David now has a program that is a modified version of a proprietary system copy routine, and which does the necessary post-processing. Using this program, he has successfully transferred ITS binary files from Simtel20. He has then used Keith Petersen's ITSCVT program (available as ITSCVT.HEX on Simtel20 in directory MICRO:<CPM.HEX>) to remove the four ITS "header-bytes". (This is done after the program has been downloaded to a CP/M machine.) So my question to you Multics users is this: What methods are you using to transfer ITS binary files from Simtel20 ? Does anyone have an FTP that will transfer these files and automatically discard the padding bits ? Or is there an FTP option that has not been mentioned here, and which will do the job ? As the maintainer for this list, I get many queries. By far, the most frequent questions deal with the archives and how to FTP. Not being a Multics user, I am very much at a disadvantage in trying to help Multics people, and I would greatly appreciate your assistance in providing me with information. The program David is now using is based on proprietary roots, and cannot, therefore, be freely distributed. He has suggested the possibility of creating a difference file that could be used by legitimate users of the base-program to produce the modified version. Back before we learned about TENEX mode (which solved our problem on the UNIX machines), we too used a post-processor. It was a happy day when we were able to abandon it. Is there a similar happy solution for Multics users ? Dave Towson info-cpm-request@amsaa
rag@AMSAA.ARPA (03/05/84)
From: David Ragozin <ENTROPY!rag@AMSAA.ARPA>
Some time ago someone posted the following suggestion for FTP'ing ITS
format files to get rid of thepadding bits in each 36-bit word:
>quote (> is the FTP prompt)
type "l 8"
Entering these two lines seems to set things up properly on the UNIX
system I work on, even though FTP does not have the
TENEX mode (type?).
There is still the need to eliminate the first 4 bytes using ITCVT
(or using dd on a UNIX system).
Hope this helps.
David Ragozin - entropy!rag@uw-beaver
VaughanW%hi-multics@sri-unix.UUCP (03/12/84)
From: Bill Vaughan <VaughanW@hi-multics>
Date: 27 Feb 84 22:00:22 PST (Mon)
From: David Ragozin <ENTROPY!rag@AMSAA.ARPA>
Subject: Re: Query to Multics people.
Some time ago someone posted the following suggestion for FTP'ing ITS
format files to get rid of thepadding bits in each 36-bit word:
>quote (> is the FTP prompt)
type "l 8"
Entering these two lines seems to set things up properly on the UNIX
system I work on, even though FTP does not have the
TENEX mode (type?).
There is still the need to eliminate the first 4 bytes using ITCVT
(or using dd on a UNIX system).
Hope this helps.
David Ragozin - entropy!rag@uw-beaver
sorry - I tried it and it doesn't work
Bill