[mod.protocols.kermit] Info-Kermit Digest V5 #11

SY.CHRISTINE@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU (Christine M Gianone) (09/26/86)

Info-Kermit Digest         Thu, 25 Sep 1986       Volume 5 : Number 11

Today's Topics:

      New Release of QK-KERMIT (MsDos and CP/M Kermit in Turbo Pascal)
                       New Release 1.6 of KERMIT/TSO
                              Motorola Kermit
              New IBM and Rainbow .BOO Files for MS-DOS 2.29a
                        MS-DOS Kermit 2.29 Question
                       VMS File Attributes and KERMIT
                             Timing out on CMS
                      Re: Kermit BOO for HP Integral?
                       UNIX SYS/V Version of Kermit?
             UUCP and Kermit Server at Okstate returns to life
                              Kermit for C128?

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Date: Mon, 22 Sep 86 16:27 EDT
From: VIC@QUCDN
Subject: New Release of QK-KERMIT (MsDos and CP/M Kermit in Turbo Pascal)
Keywords: QK Kermit, Turbo Pascal

I am sending you version 2.6 of QK-KERMIT (an MsDos and CP/M Kermit program
written in Turbo Pascsal.)
In addition to the new Pascal source, I have sent the following files:
     1. hex file for MsDos (IBMPC) kermit with VT100 emulation.
     2. hex file with overlay file for a kermit with VT100/TEK4010 emulation.
     3. hex file for a KayproII kermit.
     4. updated installation documentation
     5. updated user documentation.
Both the MsDos versions will also contain code to handle the APL character
set.  You should replace the old files with the new files. The old files
which I didn't send are the same for the new version.  There is also a new
QKKER.SCR (Script source for the documentation) will also be sent.

[Ed. - Thanks, Vic.  The new files have been installed in KER:QK*.* on CU20B,
and in BITNET KERMSRV on CUVMA as QK* *.]

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Date: 23 Sep 86  14:15 CET
From: Fritz Buetikofer <M70B@CBEBDA3T.BITNET>
Subject: New Release 1.6 of KERMIT/TSO

Since May 86 some bugs in the version 1.4 have appeared.  And furthermore
some new commands have been implemented:

 * Bugs fixed and error handling improved in the routine which checks
   for the presence of a file (Check_Dsn).
 * New command TAKE to execute KERMIT-commands from within a file.
 * When displaying STATUS screen, you will find a notice, whether
   the INIT-file (KERMIT.SETUP) has been found or not.
 * New command SET ATOE/ETOA to modify the ASCII <-> EBCDIC translation
   tables, while running KERMIT.
 * New command SET INCOMPLETE, to specify what has to be done with a
   file when user aborts the transfer.
 * Update of SEND command, so that the user may specify a filename,
   which is sent to the micro (instead of generating one automatically).

Only the Pascal source file and the documentation were changed.  For the
very near future, I'm going to implement a STATISTICS command, handling of
attribute packets and (maybe) long packets.

Regards to all TSO freaks, F.Buetikofer, University of Bern (Switzerland)

[Ed. - Thanks, Fritz!  The new files are installed as KER:TS2KER.PAS and
KER:TS2KER.DOC, replacing the old version, on CU20B for anonymous Internet
FTP, and TS2KER PAS and TS2KER DOC on CUVMA for BITNET KERMSRV access.  This
version of MVS/TSO Kermit works only on linemode (3705-style) connections,
but it has many more features than the original TSO version.  Meanwhile,
watch Info-Kermit for announcements of at least two other new TSO Kermits on
the way, both with many advanced features, and both able to operate over
both linemode and Series/1-style connections.]

------------------------------

Date: 22 sep 86  17:07 GMT +0100
From: <RBG.XX@GEN>
Subject: Motorola Kermit
Keywords: Motorola Kermit, 68000

     After experimenting the high reliability of the Kermit file transfer
protocol, I promoted its utilization in my department.  Since we make a
heavy use of Motorola microprocessors I am writing a Kermit implementation
for 680xx processors based systems.

     The language used is assembly, and I think it may be processed by most
assemblers following the syntax defined by Motorola (I proved the 2500 A.D.
68000 cross assembler, the Motorola MC68000 cross assembler and the CERN
M68MIL cross macro assembler).  The key principle of this Kermit
implementation is machine independence (obviously stated that the processor
belongs to the 680xx family).  The system dependent part is composed by a
few routines, containing all the knowledge about the system's file structure
and I/O ports.  The program is thoroughly documented, thus allowing the
implementors to modify it easily, according to their need.

     This Kermit implementation has been written in order to be installed
also on those 680xx family based machines, which have no or not-standard
operating system, being often custom built for the solution of specific
processing problems.  At least in the high energy physics field, that
frequently happens.

     I think that the first version of the program will be ready in 1 or 2
months. If you are interested in it, I would be glad to send it to you, so
that you can distribute it.  

                  Roberto Bagnara
                  Physics Department
                  Bologna University
                  via Irnerio, 46
                  40126 BOLOGNA
                  ITALY

                  DECnet address: 39948::MICRO
                  Bitnet address: RBG.XX@GEN.BITNET

[Ed. - This will be announced when it is received.]

------------------------------

Date: 21 SEP 86 18:24-MDT
From: JRD@USU
Subject: New IBM and Rainbow .BOO Files for MS-DOS 2.29a
Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit

MSTIBM.BOO  and  MSTRB3.BOO are identified as MS Kermit 2.29 test 21 Sept 1986.

        The items of note are:

- new command to control width (7 or 8 bits) of characters displayed in
 non-file-transfer mode:
        Set Display  Regular | Serial | Quiet | 7-bit | 8-bit
 7-bit is the default width. Any two keywords above can be used together on
 the same command line. The Status display also shows the Regular etc type
 plus the 7-bit or 8-bit tag. 8-bit is ineffective if parity is other than
 None.

- Set Send Packet ### has been modified slightly to use this command to set
 the ultimate upper limit the size of outgoing packets. The default value
 is 1000. The Status screen still shows the active, negotiated, size. In
 practice this means MS Kermit will send packets of size "other end's
 requested size" or the Set Send Packet value, whichever is smaller; thus
 the user need not do anything to send long packets to an appropriate host.
 However, MS Kermit requests only standard 94 byte packets be sent to it
 unless the user specifically requests another length by giving the
 command Set Receive Packet ###. The limit of 1000 bytes is arbitrary and
 can be enlarged by changing the single parameter "maxpack" located in the
 header file and rebuilding; two lines of Help in mssset.asm should also be
 edited to match the readjusted maxpack value.

- Bug fixed: incompletely received files were not deleted when a transfer
 was prematurely terminated.

- Bug fixed: VT102 emulator did not always correctly position the cursor
 within a restricted scrolling region when the escape sequence
 ESC top; bottom r  was received.

        Regards,
        Joe D.

[Ed. - Thanks, Joe!  The new files replace the old ones as KER:MST*.BOO
(and KB:MST*.EXE) on CU20B and MST* * on CUVMA.  This should pretty much
complete the list of new functions for 2.29a; leaving only the tedium of
bringing all the other versions up to this level and testing them, and
then bringing the manual up to date...]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 22 Sep 86 19:47 EDT
From: Michael G. Chan <seismo!mcnc!duke!chan@columbia.edu>
Subject: MS-DOS Kermit 2.29 Question
Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit

Is there any way to patch MSKermit to recognize the 43 lines mode of an EGA?
I can put the display in 43 lines mode but MSKermit always put the status
line on the 25th line when connected.

						Thanks
						Michael Chan
						chan@duke

[Ed. - From JRD: There are no quick patches even though most of the code is
written for arbitrary sized screen. Some parts are specific about line
numbers (location of the status line, for example).  Also, my experience has
been that 43 line mode is such a hybrid (ega vs the rest of the Bios and
DOS) that it may not function well on machines having two display adapters;
I have such a situation. For a while I considered including more specific
ega mode support but quit when the quirks became too much. EGAs were
designed with most registers being write-only. Thus, the ega needs to be
managed; in turn, that is tough to do properly within an applications
program containing an inner program (terminal emulator).]

------------------------------

Date: 19 Sep 1986 2127-EDT
From: "Bernie AT&T:617-467-5664 LDP Workstations" <EIBEN@MARLBORO.DEC.COM>
Subject: VMS File Attributes and KERMIT
Keywords: VMS Kermit

With a 'little bit' of trickery it's possible to send any file from VMS to
any other system and back to VMS.

Single files :
Use LZCOMP/LZDECOMP {base language C - an implementation of Lempel-Ziv-
        Welch compression} in {non-portable} VMS-specific mode.
        In this mode RMS-attributes are carried and reestablished
        at decompression. Use KERMIT to move the file.

Collection of files :
Use VMS BACKUP to generate a single 'Backup' save-set and then

        a. LZCOMP/LZDECOMP {see above}

or      b. VMSBAK.BAS {source language BASIC} to 'restructure' the blocking
           of the save-set to KERMIT's 512 bytes fixed records. Then
           use KERMIT to move and VMSBAK again to de-block back to original
           blocking {restriction - original blocking has to be multiple of
           512!!.

.. last {but not least}
single and multiple files

        Use Stevens Institute's VMSHEX and VMSDEH {source language MACRO} -
        and transmit the resultant 'hexified' files via KERMIT. This method
        (although the oldest) will generate the largest files for trans-
        mission via KERMIT and could therefore be the slowest one.

BTW 'standard' VMS executables can also be 'moved' by telling the
'receiving' KERMIT 'SET FILE TYPE FIXED'. However the above three 'choices'
will work in all cases - since LZCOMPRESS, BACKUP and VMSHEX all include RMS
file descriptors in the encoded file and reconstitute same.

[Ed. - Thanks, Bernie!  The VMSBAK.BAS program was already in the Kermit
distribution, and now the LZW-compression programs have also been added, as
KER:VMSLZ*.*; the file KER:VMSLZ.HLP explains the organization and contents
of the files.  The programs are written in C, and may be compiled under
VAX/VMS with VAX-11 C, on PDP-11s with DECUS C, or under Unix.  Thanks to
Martin Minow of DEC for adapting 'compress' to the DEC operating systems.]

------------------------------

Date: Mon 22 Sep 1986 16:26:54 CDT
From: Dan Theriault <DANNO@UIUCVMD>
Subject: Timing out on CMS
Keywords: CMS Kermit

Some of our users here type Kermit Receive on CMS and then realize too late
that they forgot their PC Kermit at home or whatever.  The result is that
they can't get out of Kermit so what they often end up doing is hanging up
their telephone and run disconnected on CMS for days.  They often wind up
using 80 percent of our CPU as Kermit searches and searches and searches for
an incoming file.  I've looked at the source to our Kermit and I found a
variable that claims to be the time-out counter for Receiving, but nothing
I've done causes it to work.

Any help?

Dan Theriault
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

[Ed.- From John F. Chandler <PEPMNT@CFATA1.BITNET> The normal method of
escaping from a Kermit protocol wait is to type a bunch of CR's at Kermit.
The number required will depend on the context: for the initial packet
exchange, the retry threshhold is 16, but after that the threshhold is
determined by the SET RETRY command (default 5).  There is no need to set
aside some special sequence of characters to abort a transfer "by hand"; all
it takes is the patience to type 16 carriage returns.]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 19 Sep 86 11:33:29 cdt
From: seismo!uiucdcs!uxc.CSO.UIUC.EDU!zinzow@columbia.edu (Mark Zinzow)
Subject: Re: Kermit BOO for HP Integral?
Keywords: HP Integral Kermit

It seems the only boo files for Ckermit are for machines like the Amiga.
The HP does not come with a c compiler so having a boo file available from
kermsrv would be desirable.

[Ed. - Can anybody send in a Kermit .BOO file for this system?]

I was very happy when MSTIBM.BOO made it over the net.  Does anyone have an
application to run on an IBM mainframe using a 7171 or Series/1 type front
end, that utilizes the new print support for local printing of a mainframe
file (under VM/CMS) with kermit on the PC?

Mark S. Zinzow                        ARPA:  zinzow@uiucuxc.CSO.UIUC.EDU
Research Programmer                   BITNET: MARKZ@UIUCVMD.BITNET
Computing Services Office             UUCP: ihnp4!pyrchi!uiucuxc!zinzow
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

------------------------------

Date: 15 Sep 86 20:25:20 GMT
From: jc@cdx39.UUCP
Subject: UNIX SYS/V Version of Kermit?
Keywords: UNIX Kermit

Does kermit now cooperate with uucp?  That is, does it know how to create
the uucp lockfiles for a device, so that uucp won't wake up and stomp on
kermit's toes?  Of course, if it doesn't, it would be easy enough to modify
kermit, if only we had the source.

[Ed. - Yes, C-Kermit includes code to "cooperate" with uucp.  BUT...  Every
version of Unix wants this to be done a different way, and every site tends
to change it again.  And then come the perennial questions: what is the name
of the lock directory?  what are the lock files called?  should the lock
directory be publicly writeable, or should Kermit be sutuid'd or setgid'd to
it?  Should the lock file be empty, or contain the pid of the process that
has line locked.  A quick look at ckutio.c (yes, the sources are widely
available, e.g. see next message) will show just some of the variations on
these themes, as will a perusal of many past issues of this digest...]

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Date: Sun, 21 Sep 86 15:18:51 -0500
From: Mark Vasoll <vasoll%a.cs.okstate.edu@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
Subject: UUCP and Kermit Server at Okstate returns to life
Keywords: Okstate, UUCP

The UUCP and Kermit Server services at the Oklahoma State University
Department of Computing and Information Sciences are back on the air again.
The information in the okstate.txt blurp still contains the correct access
information.

One side note though, since we reactivated the dial-in line on Sept 16th,
someone's system has been dialing us every 15 minutes, 24 hours a day and
using the uucpker login and password.  Since this type of thing is easily
automated and forgotten, and since the system in question doesn't get far
enough into the UUCP protocol to identify itself (so I could send the system
manager a mail message), I am making this public plea for everyone who even
*might* have something like this set up to go take a look before your phone
bill hits the mega buck level.

Thanks,

Mark Vasoll
Department of Computing and Information Sciences
Oklahoma State University
Internet:   vasoll@a.cs.okstate.edu
Obsolete:   vasoll%okstate.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa
UUCP:  {cbosgd, ea, ihnp4, isucs1, pesnta, uokmax}!okstate!vasoll

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 19 Sep 86  20:47:40 EDT
From: mek%UMass.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: Kermit for C128?
Keywords: Commodore Kermit

Are there any plans for a version of KERMIT-65 for the COMMODORE 128 in 128
mode?  I have all kinds of problems with the COMMODORE 64 version, and it
would be very convenient, I think, for all COMMODORE 128 users to have a
128-mode version.  An ideal program would be one similar to the other
kermits, but one that redefined the 128 character set for special unix-type
characters (backslash, curly braces, tilde, etc.), worked in 80-COLUMN mode,
emulated a VT-52, and could take advantage of the 8502 microprocessor's
2-MHZ speed, at least during actual file transfers, and prefereably always
when in 80-column mode.  If anyone has plans for this, I would be happy to
help out.  I don't know 6502 assembly language, but I do know BASIC, Pascal
and C quite well.  If anyone knows of any plans for a 128 version, please
let me know!  Thanks!

Matt Kimmel,
MEK@UMASS.BITNET   <BITNET>
MEK%UMASS.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA  <ARPANET>

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End of Info-Kermit Digest
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