info-kermit@ucbvax.ARPA (05/01/85)
From: Frank da Cruz <SY.FDC@CU20B.ARPA> Info-Kermit Digest Tue, 30 Apr 1985 Volume 2 : Number 22 Departments: ANNOUNCEMENTS - Second Pre-Release of Columbia Macintosh Kermit Kermit for the Burroughs B7900 Minimum files for running VMS Kermit 3.1 MACINTOSH KERMIT PRERELEASE #1 FEEDBACK - .HQX file for new Mac Kermit Clarification on version #'s Comments on MacKermit Prerelease MacKermit Bug Report Problem and question re Mackermit MISCELLANY - Rainbow 100+ Kermit-MS vs MS-DOS 2.11? Kermit for Grid Compass? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue 30 Apr 85 15:37:44-EDT From: Frank da Cruz <SY.FDC@CU20B> Subject: Second Pre-Release of Columbia Macintosh Kermit To: Info-Kermit@CU20B, Info-Mac@SUMEX-AIM This is to announce the second pre-release of Columbia Macintosh Kermit, version 0.6(4). It fixes a few problems with the first pre-release that were reported to Info-Kermit. These are discussed in detail in the messages below, but briefly they are: . Version number incorrect -- 0.5(0) should have been 0.6(1) . Bare CR's rather than CRLF's in .HQX file . Saved settings files not correctly closed in all cases . Transferred files not correctly closed in all cases . Can't get back to Switcher using Apple menu . Outgoing filenames not converted to uppercase . Certain limitations and features not documented The files are available via anonymous FTP from CU20B as <MACKERMIT>*.*, and replace the earlier files in the same area. These are the new or changed files: CKAAAA.HLP List of files CKMFIO.C Macintosh file i/o CKMKER.BLD (new) Instructions for building CKMKER.BWR Beware file -- list of bugs, edit history CKMKER.HQX Binhex'd MacKermit resource file CKMKER.MAK Makefile CKMKER.RC Resource Compiler input CKMKER.RSRC MacKermit resource (8-bit binary) CKMSAV.C Settings Saver CKMSUM.C (new) SUMACC fiddling CKMUSR.C User Interface CKMUTL.C Utilities The first "real" release of this program will coincide with the next release of Unix C-Kermit, upon which it is based. This will probably be a few weeks hence, so in the meantime, keep sending comments and suggestions to Info-Kermit@CU20B. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 23 Apr 85 09:36:02 EST From: Frank da Cruz <SY.FDC@CU20B> Subject: Kermit for the Burroughs B7900 This is to announce a new Kermit implementation written in Algol for the Burroughs B7900 computer, contributed by Drs. B.J.M. Morselt, Technische Hogeschool Eindhoven, Netherlands. The files are in KER:B79*.*, available via anonymous FTP from CU20B. ------------------------------ Date: Friday, 26 Apr 85 17:34:04 EST From: nbush (Nicholas Bush) @ sitvxb.ccnet Subject: Minimum files for running VMS Kermit 3.1 Reply-to: SIT.BUSH @ CU20B To: Info-Kermit @ CU20B It is not necessary to have all of the VMSxxx files in order to put up VMS Kermit 3.1. If there is no reason for the site to rebuild Kermit from sources, the only files needed are: VMSMIT.HEX - "Hexified" copy of the .EXE file for Kermit-32 VMSDEH.MAR - Source for dehexifying program VMSMIT.RNH - RUNOFF source for .HLP files. Alternately, VMSUSR.HLP and VMSSYS.HLP can be retrieved. VMSV31AN.MEM - Description of changes between v3.0 and v3.1 If there is some need to rebuild Kermit from the Macro-32 sources, you will need to include VMS*.MAR, VMS*.COM and VMS*.MSG. If Kermit is to be rebuilt from the Bliss sources, retrieve VMS*.BLI, VMS*.MSG, VMS*.REQ, VMS*.COM and VMSGEN.MAR. Note: If you do not have a Bliss compiler, there is no reason to get copies of the .BLI and .REQ files, since the .MAR files include the Bliss source listing. Likewise, if you have a Bliss compiler there is no reason to get copies of the .MAR files (except VMSGEN.MAR), since they are just built from the Bliss sources. Hopefully, this will cut down on the file transfer times for those who need a new copy of Kermit-32. - Nick [Ed. - Note that several files were either missing or were left over from the old version when the announcement of this new version first appeared in the last digest; they are now correct. The files are KER:VMSGLB.MAR, KER:VMSMIT.MAR, and KER:VMSSYS.MAR. Also, apologies for not mentioning in the initial announcement that the files are available as KER:VMS*.* via anonymous FTP from CU20B.] ------------------------------ Date: Mon 29 Apr 85 09:14:29-CDT From: Bob <CP.PAVER@MCC.ARPA> Subject: .HQX file for new Mac Kermit To: sy.fdc@CU20B This may be a problem on my side, but both times I transferred copies of CKMKER.HQX to our DEC-20 here, the file came over with ONLY CR's at the end of each text line. A quick TECO job (showing my age) fixed it but thought I'd mention it--just in case there's something wrong on your side. I've only used the new Kermit a couple of times so far and really like what I see. Thanks for all the good "stuff" you and your people do. Bob Paver [Ed. - Sorry, the .HQX file has been fixed to have CRLFs rather than just bare CR's between the lines.] ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Apr 85 01:21:44 pdt From: Harry Saal <hjs@Lindy> Subject: Clarification on version #'s To: info-kermit@cu20b.ARPA I ftp'd the mackermit.hqx file from <mackermit> on cu20b and the .hlp file that is there also. The .hlp file refers to a version V0.6(1), but looking at the About Mackermit screen on the Apple Menu says that the version available for beta-test is V 0.5(0). Thought you would like to know about this so you can track down problems against the current version. [Ed. - The first pre-release contained all the advertised features and bugs, but the version number was wrong. The new release has an appropriate version number.] ------------------------------ Date: Sat 27 Apr 85 09:19:33-PST From: Doug Brutlag <brutlag@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA> Subject: Comments on MacKermit Prerelease To: info-kermit@CU20B After using MacKermit to communicate with both a TOPS-20 system at 1200 BAUD and MSKERMIT on an IBM PC at 9600 BAUD I have noted the following problems which were not mentioned on CKMKER.BWR. I should mention that I got KERMIT.HQX from CU20B Thursday evening the day of the announcement and I am running it on a 512 K Mac but configured with Switcher to be in 128 K. 1) KERMIT does not SEND/RECEIVE files from the DEFAULT disk. Instead it always looks at the disk from which it has been launched. This is inconvenient since you must always have a copy of MacKermit on the disk which contains your data. | We tested SENDING from a second disk to DEC and VAX Kermit, it | works. Select the file and volume you want in the SFGetFile | dialog. Please Supply further information if this is still a | problem. | | For GET you can specify the disk name when you specify the | file name -- "Startup:foo.c" -- this is a MAC standard done by | the file manager. 2) SAVED SETTINGS files are not actually closed until after you QUIT MacKermit properly so if you SAVE SETTINGS and then reboot and try to RESTORE SETTINGS from that file you get an Error reading file -39. If you actually QUIT MacKermit and then relaunch it, you can then RESTORE from a SETTINGS file. | This problem has been fixed in MacKermit V0.6(4), a FlushVol | was added after a close. 3) There also seems to be a problem with properly closing transferred files. If one downloads a series of files to the MacKermit and then uses switcher to move to the FINDER those files are not visible on the desktop or in the opened Disk window. If you RELAUNCH a new finder the files appear. The files are present in File Selection menus and hence it is just their icon that appears missing from the finder. Most other applications I have used that create new files set something in those files that cause the FINDER to generate their icon when you switch to it in Switcher. | This has been fixed in MacKermit V0.6(2), we added a FlushVol | in the file close routine and now all works well. 4) In the communications SETTINGS menu the PORT and AUTOWRAP settings do not darken when selected. | Will document. These are not supported. 5) If one starts a file transfer and something is wrong at the other end (like forgot to start kermit) it takes a long time for KERMIT to time out. It would be nice if in addition to the CANCEL FILE and CANCEL GROUP buttons there was an ABORT button like Control-C in MSKERMIT. Either this or to document the Command-. on the file transfer progress window would be helpful. | Will display Command-. message. 6) If one types in a filename in lower case in the file transfer window when sending to a TOPS-20 system, the file name on TOPS-20 comes out in lower case!! This makes it very difficult to reference the file to delete or to type it. One has to type control-V before every character of the name in order to reference filenames in lowercase on TOPS-20. Is there any way one could prevent MacKermit from sending TOPS-20 a lower case filename but still allow this for UNIX systems? | There is code to uppercase outgoing filenames. When the "AS" | filename is specified in the SEND dialog MacKermit does not do | file name conversion. We changed the dialog to no longer | stuff the "AS" filename. Also we found a bug in the file name | conversion routine which failed to deposit a NULL at the end | of the converted name. These two changes made to MacKermit | V0.6(1) should solve your problems. | | We had not noticed this problem because TOPS-20 is doing | conversion for us, it can for you too by using the most recent | version of 20 kermit, 4.2(255). 7) The Close box in the MacKermit window does nothing. It might make a nice way to Quit the program. | Matter of taste. 8) Sending DATA files to and from other kermits worked fine but whenever I tried to send a Resource fork (I tried sending BINHEX 4.0) it always hung (and always on the same packet, 9 for BINHEX 4.0). | We tried sending Binhex 4.0 and other resource files from | MacKermit to a VAX/Unix and DEC-20 Kermit and could not reproduce | this problem. What version Kermits are you using, what are | the parity settings? Does anyone else have this problem? 9) Terminal emulation: The display supports all VT100 commands I tried and works well with display programs on TOPS-20, but key board support is lacking. The Numeric keypad does not send standard VT100 characters, nor is the command=numeric keypad setting implemented. Also MacKermit does not respond to the ALTERNATE KEYPAD APPLICATION command from the host. The Command key works nicely for the rest of the keyboard even with shifted characters and unshifted ones. It would be nice if the OPTION key worked like a META key, either setting the eighth bit OR sending an escape character before each character typed. The latter implementation has the advantage that it works over 7 bit networks. | All known. Some of this may be addressed in future versions. In general MacKermit works very well and I think you have another winner on your hands. Doug Brutlag ------------------------------ Date: 28 Apr 1985 1534-PDT (Sunday) From: Elgin Lee <ehl@Navajo> To: Info-Kermit@cu20b Subject: MacKermit Bug Report I just picked up MacKermit -- it looks very good! I think I've found a couple of bugs, though: 1. Double-clicking on a settings file doesn't work -- I get system error 02 on startup. | We haven't seen this problem and can't reproduce it. It | sounds like your finder is running the settings file instead | of the CKMKER file. This would occur for example if you | modified your settings file to be type APPL instead of type | TEXT; or you forced the finder to run the settings file by | using the magic command-option-shift-capslock-double-click. 2. With Switcher 2.0, using the Apple menu to get back to the Switcher doesn't work. Command-\ does work, however. I have no problem getting the Apple menu route to work in other applications. | This problem has been fixed in MacKermit V0.6(3). 3. Trying to switch between active MacKermit and MacTerminal programs doesn't work. I either get system code 02, continuous rampaging through memory, or a never-ending sequence of alert boxes telling about error at the Serial Port -- error -28. I'm not sure if this is a Switcher bug or MacKermit bug, but I thought I'd mention it anyway. I've had no trouble switching between two active MacTerminal programs. | Not totally true. If one of the two programs closes the port | on the other these things can happen, but otherwise we've used | that combination fine. Definitely a proceed-at-your-own-risk | situation. Maybe we'll install some recovery for the error | that occurs when the serial port is closed from beneath | MacKermit. Well, that's about it. Other than that, MacKermit looks very good. Elgin Lee EHL@SU-NAVAJO.ARPA ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Apr 85 01:25:57 pdt From: Harry Saal <hjs@Lindy> Subject: problem and question re Mackermit To: info-kermit@cu20b.ARPA 1. I tried using MacKermit 0.5(0) (??) when I had the analog watch desk accessory running in the corner (it is on info-mac..). I did not get any characters from the keyboard handled by mackermit. When I closed down the accessory, all was ok. SOmeone is guilty... | MacKermit only accepts input if the terminal emulator is the | front window. We decided at one point that this would be | a good thing because otherwise typein to desk accessories is | accepted by Kermit. A better solution would be to check for | active rather than front window. This will be inserted in | our to do list. 2. Question about 9600 baud operation. Can I use it for server/host file xfers, if I do not have a response window open, and am just going from file to file and not the screen? The comments about 9600 baud being a problem in the HLP and BWR documents put me off.... | 9600 baud is fine, just loses some chars if a number of | screens are sent continuously. No problems during protocol. 3. By the way: THANKS A LOT for this. I was struggling with the old simple buggy MacK and this seems to do what I was looking for. Now I am about to see about using the IBM PC-Kermit for a server implementation, driven by MacKermit as Users. It looks like MacKermit running against UNIX C-kermit was fine when I tried it. Next to beat on the PC.,.. wish me luck!!!!!!!!!!!!! ------------------------------ Date: Mon 29 Apr 85 08:09:06-EDT From: Harry Berger <Berger@CWR20C.CCNET> Subject: Rainbow 100+ Kermit-MS vs MS-DOS 2.11? To: info-kermit@CU20B I tried using version 2.27 of kermit on a Rainbow 100+ under MS-DOS 2.11 without any success. Once I entered the CONNECT command nothing further will happen. Has anyone else come across the same problem? If so what needs to be done to get around the problem. [Ed. - I have had confirmation that 2.27 MS-DOS Kermit works OK on the Rainbow under MS-DOS 2.11 on a hardwired connection. The only problems I can imagine would involve the pesky business of DTR dropping, detection, etc, which seems to change with every DOS version. Anybody out there with DOS 2.11 and Kermit 2.27 that can shed some light on this?] ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 28 Apr 85 00:07:55 est From: Alan Parker <parker@nrl-css> To: SY.FDC@CU20B.ARPA Subject: Kermit for Grid Compass? Are you aware of a kermit for Grid Compass 1101? -Alan [Ed. - Not me. Anyone out there working on one?] ------------------------------ End of Info-Kermit Digest ************************* -------