SY.FDC@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU (Frank da Cruz) (01/18/86)
Info-Kermit Digest Fri, 17 Jan 1986 Volume 4 : Number 4
Departments:
MS-DOS KERMIT -
New Kermit for Olivetti M24 PC (and IBM PC) with VT100 Emulation
MS-DOS Kermit Available for RMX-86
HP-Portable Kermit 2.28 jrd/2
Don't Drop H-19 Emulation
Feedback on W-Kermit
Kermit Versus Cermetek Modem (212PC) and Modem-Mate Software
TI Pro Kermit at 9600 Baud
MISCELLANY -
Contacting Lancaster University for Kermit Distribution in the UK
Kermit Diskette Wanted for HP-9836
CMS Kermit 2.01 bugs fixed
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Date: Wed 15 Jan 86 10:45:55-EST
From: Frank da Cruz <SY.FDC@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU>
Subject: New Kermit for Olivetti M24 PC (and IBM PC) with VT100 Emulation
This is to announce MS-DOS Kermit support for the Olivetti M24 PC, which is
IBM compatible except for the keyboard, contributed by Andrew J. Hunt of
CSIRO, Division of Radiophysics, Epping NSW (Australia). It includes VT100
emulation, and extensive support for the Olivetti keypad. The new support
is embodied in the files KER:MSXM24.ASM and KER:MSYM24.ASM. A "boo" file
(encoded .EXE file, decodable using the KER:MSBPCB.BAS or KER:MSBPCT.BAS
programs) based on version 2.27 of MS-DOS Kermit is available in
KER:MSVM24.BOO, and the .EXE file itself (for those who can FTP 8-bit binary
files) in KB:MSVM24.EXE. I tried it briefly on a PC/AT, and it seemed to
work as a VT100 emulator, at least for EMACS purposes. Andrew claims it
also simulates the VT100 graphic set sufficiently to produce EDT help
screens.
This code will probably not be used as a basis for any VT100 emulation that
may appear in the forthcoming release, 2.29, but it will certainly be
looked at to see if there is anything there that might be missing from the
Indiana/Purdue VT100 code. In the meantime, those who are desparate for
VT100 emulation in IBM PC Kermit might be able to get by using this version.
The program is thoroughly documented in KER:MSVM24.HLP. As usual, all files
mentioned above are available on the Internet using FTP login to host CU20B,
user ANONYMOUS, any password.
------------------------------
Date: Fri 17 Jan 86 16:14:04-EST
From: Frank da Cruz <SY.FDC@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU>
Subject: MS-DOS Kermit Available for RMX-86
This is to announce an implementation of MS-DOS Kermit for iRMX-86 on the
Intel 300 Series from Jack Bryans, California State University, Long Beach
(JAFW801@CALSTATE.BITNET). This is a rather unusual addition to the MS-DOS
Kermit family, in that the underlying operating system is not MS-DOS at all.
As Jack puts it, "MS-Kermit (essentially unchanged) has been placed in a
cradle which leaves it blissfully unaware that it is not running under DOS".
When he says "essentially unchanged" he means that a few minor syntax
changes were necessary in some of the system-independent modules, which
should be reflected in the forthcoming release 2.29. The files relating to
this version are in KER:MS%RMX.* ("%" is DEC-20 wildcard notation to match
any single character), available using anonymous FTP from CU20B.
Included is a .BOO file, which will be of use only if the Intel system has a
Basic interpreter that can run one of the .BOO file decoders --
KER:MSBPCB.BAS or KER:MSBPCT.BAS. The 8-bit binary executable program is in
KB:MSVRMX.EXE; if there is some more standard way of representing it
printably (an Intel HEX file maybe?) then I'd appreciate it if someone
would create one from the .EXE and send it in. It's probably not possible
to recreate this program from the sources in KER:MS*.* at this point because
of inconsistencies between the current version (2.28) and the version upon
which Jack's work is based (2.26), the name changes, etc, plus the fact that
the current source does not reflect Jack's suggested syntax changes (see
KER:MSVRMX.BWR about this). If all this sounds too complicated to deal with,
the program may be ordered on diskette from:
California State University, Long Beach
University Bookstore
Attn: Lyle Bartlett
6049 E. 7th St.
Long Beach, CA 90840
$6.00 per 5 /14" DSDD RMX format diskette. Thanks to Jack for this submission.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 86 19:58:50 mst
From: dwf%f@LANL.ARPA (Dave Forslund)
Subject: HP-Portable Kermit 2.28 jrd/2
The new jrd/2 version of Kermit works fine on the HP Portable Plus. I've been
testing it for a few days and have noticed no problems.
Since the last submitted version of MSXHPX.ASM, we have fixed the problem of
leaving the modem/serial port on. The context diffs follow:
[Ed. - Thanks, Dave! Code omitted; the updated module is available in
KER:MSXHPX.ASM.]
------------------------------
Date: Mon 13 Jan 86 23:13:46-EST
From: Joe Smith (415)794-2512 <LSM.SMITH@MARLBORO.DEC.COM>
Subject: Don't Drop H-19 Emulation
Removing H19 emulation won't make the terminal emulator smaller. Because if
you are doing full VT102 emulation, then you have to respond to <ESC>?2l which
puts a real VT10x terminal in VT52 mode. Given all the routines to do VT102
functionality, adding H19 features to the VT52 dispatch table is trivial.
In other words, it costs almost nothing to have VT102 and H19 emulation both.
I strongly recommend ripping out the "SET H19" command and replacing it with
a new command, such as "SET TERMINAL xxx" with the default of xxx=ANSI.
People that need H19 response need only "SET TERMINAL H19" or have the host
computer send <ESC>2l to get the VT102 out of ANSI mode and into VT52/H19 mode.
[Ed. - This is the most succinct and sensible statement on the subject to
date, and 2.29 will probably wind up structured along these lines. Thanks
to all who sent their opinions -- I think this approach will make everyone
happy.]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Jan 86 08:52:35 PST
From: walton%Deimos@Hamlet.Caltech.Edu
Subject: Feedback on W-Kermit
I downloaded WKERMIT.EXE (C-Kermit with windows for MS-DOS) yesterday, the
16th. Works like a charm on my Zenith Z-151 under MS-DOS version 3.10. I
connected two machines together directly via the serial ports. At 9600 baud,
the time to transfer a 33,000 byte executable file was 128 seconds for the
latest version of MS-Kermit, and 90 seconds for WKERMIT. Since no delays were
involved, this 45% improvement is presumably due to WKERMIT's compression.
Now if we can only convince CompuServe to use windowed Kermit instead of
XMODEM...
Steve Walton
swalton@caltech.bitnet
walton%deimos@hamlet.caltech.edu
[Ed. - Good news! I would be very interested in any statistics that people
who use the public networks could provide about W-Kermit's performance. If
anyone is in a position to do some benchmarking, we could really see if the
windowing extension lives up to expectations in the environment it was
designed for. The idea would be to pick a group of MS-DOS files, say a .COM
file, an .EXE file (preferably unpacked), a plain text file, and a highly
indented text file (like C program source, untabified) -- all of nontrivial
size, say 10K-50K -- and transfer them at 1200 baud over a link having no
built-in delays (say, a direct dialup or hardwired connection) and again
over a public data network (like Telenet or Tymnet), both with windowing and
without. And maybe even with several different window sizes. All other
options should remain constant. Note the elapsed time to transfer each file
in each case. The test could be conducted between two PCs (XTs, ATs)
running W-Kermit (one of them might be at the TCOMM BBS mentioned by Jan van
der Eijk in his Windows Kermit announcement in Info-Kermit V4 #1), or
between a PC running W-Kermit and the Kermit at The Source (if you have an
account there). The latest release of Profession YAM is also reported to
support the windowing extension. Any reports will be reproduced in
Info-Kermit, naturally, and may also make it into the Kermit Book (with full
credit) if I get them in time. Here's a sample table to fill in:
(No windowing) (Full Duplex Windowing..........)
Xmodem Kermit Kermit Kermit Kermit Kermit
Window Size: 0 0 4 8 16 31
File File Elapsed time to transfer at 1200b, in seconds:
Name Length Direct connection:
???.COM ????? ? ? ? ? ? ?
???.EXE ????? ? ? ? ? ? ?
???.TXT ????? ? ? ? ? ? ?
???.C ????? ? ? ? ? ? ?
Public network (which one?):
???.COM (same ? ? ? ? ? ?
???.EXE files ? ? ? ? ? ?
???.TXT as ? ? ? ? ? ?
???.C above) ? ? ? ? ? ?
It's more important to fill in a whole column than a whole row.
Thanks in advance to anyone who undertakes to do any of this!]
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Date: 17 Jan 1986 10:21:41 CST
Subject: Kermit Versus Cermetek Modem (212PC) and Modem-Mate Software
From: Delatorre@USC-ISIE.ARPA
What is the latest word on Kermit and internal modems? Is it possible to
get Kermit to run on PC's with internal modems such as the Cermetek (212PC)?
If the answer is yes I would surely be interested in how, if the answer is
no I would be most appreciative of a laymen's explanation as to why.
Regards,
Sam DelaTorre
[Ed. - This is an oft-asked question. MS-DOS Kermit includes absolutely no
code to deal explicitly with internal modems. If it did, the program would
rapidly become unmanageable. Rather, we depend -- so far, at least -- upon
the modem manufacturer to make the modem behave exactly as the regular
asynchronous adapter does. Many internal modems do (like the Hayes); others
emphatically do not (like the PCjr's built-in modem). Those that don't
would require very hardware-specific code to support, and this code would
tend to reduce the transportability of the program (e.g. among IBM
compatibles) as well as its robustness and longevity. So the party line
remains "avoid internal modems!"]
------------------------------
Date: Thu Jan 16 11:41:27 EST 1986
From: dolqci!irsdcp!scsnet!sunder@seismo.CSS.GOV
Subject: TI Pro Kermit at 9600 Baud
Has anyone had any experience with TI kermit version 2.28 revision 5
transfers at 9600 baud? I am trying to get my TI to transfer files to my
Unix System III box over a direct line at 9600 baud. It work MOST of the
time, but intermittently my C-Kermit thinks it got a ^C and aborts, and then
Unix gets a ^D and logs me out. Any thoughts, suggestions, or messages of
condolance please sene to me via uucp and/or to the digest. Thanks.
UUCP: (1) seismo!dolqci!irsdcp!scsnet!sunder (202) 634-2529
(2) decvax!philabs!ubbs!sund (voice)
CIS: 74026,3235
Mail: IRS 1111 Constitution Ave. NW PM:S:D:NO
Washington, DC 20224 Atten: Mark E. Sunderlin
------------------------------
Date: 16-JAN-1986 10:18:44
From: SYSKERMIT%vax1.central.lancaster.ac.uk@cs.ucl.ac.uk
Subject: Contacting Lancaster University for Kermit Distribution in the UK
Lancaster University maintains a collection of almost all Kermit files
online on a VAX, and keeps it as in-step with CU20B as possible. The files
are in a public access username, which can be logged in to from the JANET or
PSS networks or by dial up at any time. To access the distribution service,
users should do the following:
From PSS: 1. Call 23425240010104
to get to our PSS gateway using X29. Depending on what PAD you
are using the first few digits may need replacing with, eg, "A"
2. Call 000010404000
from the gateway to get to our VAX11/780 system (running VMS)
3. Log in to user KERMIT, password KERMIT.
From JANET: 1. Call 000010404000 using X29
(The system's NRS name is LANCS.VAX1 which you might have
already configured and available to match this address)
2. Log in as (3) above
By Dial-up: 1. Call one of 0524-63423, 0524-67754 or 0524-67671. These are all
V21/V23 autosense modems: put your modem online as soon as ours
answers, rather than waiting for carrier. Lines are set for full
duplex, 8 data bits, no parity, XON/XOFF flow control.
2. Press RETURN a few times to wake up the pad and get a "PAD>"
prompt
3. Type CALL LANCS.VAX1 to connect to the VAX
4. Log in as above.
News of the day will appear, as well as pointers to the help files and indexes.
The system is rather overloaded and slow, so please be patient when logging in.
I can be contacted in several ways:
By letter: Alan Phillips
Communications Group
Department of Computing
Computer Building
Lancaster University
Lancaster LA1 4YW
UNITED KINGDOM
By phone : 0524-65201 x 4881
By e-mail: To user SYSKERMIT @ LANCS.VAX1
PSS address 234252400101.000010404000.FTP.MAIL
JANET address 000010404000.FTP.MAIL
Please give your own full mail address and site name. Reply over
ARPA is unreliable and slow. I cannot reply over uucp, or anything
other than JANET and ARPA.
I would prefer contact by e-mail if at all possible. Response may be slow as
this is a one-person operation and it stops when I'm away.
All users can collect files from us by Kermit or by file transfer at no
charge.
I can write tapes in DEC ANSI D or VMS BACKUP formats, and supply some
Kermits on floppy disc (contact me for availability). Supply is free to all
educational establishments, but there is a handling charge to others. I
can't, I'm afraid, generally undertake to supply outside outside the UK/Eire
as the work load would become too great.
[Ed. - Many thanks for providing this service within the UK!]
------------------------------
Date: Thu 16 Jan 86 15:19:08-PST
From: David Liu <DLIU@SU-SIERRA.ARPA>
Subject: Kermit Diskette Wanted for HP-9836
Is there anyone who has a copy of HP-9836 Kermit? I would like to arrange to
get a disk.
[Ed. - This is a frequent request. Can anyone help David out? Better
still, does anyone know of the existence of an HP-98xx user group? If so,
could someone who has this version of Kermit on an HP-98xx-format diskette
please submit it to the user group so that others could order it from there?
If there's no such user group, maybe HP itself would be willing to
distribute it to their customers.
Anyone who manages to set up something like this, please let me know so I
can refer future inquiries of this kind to the user group (or HP). In fact,
this goes for every microcomputer, PC, workstation, etc, version of Kermit.
If you have a working version, please submit it on native media, with any
appropriate documentation, to a user group that accepts mail orders.
Thanks!]
------------------------------
Date: 16 January 86 17:57 EST
From: NJG@CORNELLA
Subject: CMS KERMIT 2.01 bugs fixed
I have discovered (and corrected!) a couple of bugs in CMS KERMIT version
2.01:
If CMS KERMIT is executed more than once from an EXEC without returning
to CMS command level any attempt to 'take' a file more than once will
fail as the file has been left open. This can be fixed by closing the file.
Update 2 to version 2.00 of CMSKERM does not pad RECFM F files
with spaces as it claimed, it pads with hex 0's.
When processing a SERVER 'bye' request on a 7171 (or Series/1) line
no XON should be sent before issuing the CP LOGOFF command. If it is
the CONWAIT following the WRTERM will wait forever.
The content of file CMSKERM FIXBYE are:
"8-)" Nick Gimbrone <NJG@CORNELLA.BITNET> (607)256-3747
[Ed. - Thanks, Nick! The listings are omitted, but have been added to
the KER:CMSMIT.BWR file, and will be included (in one form or another) in
the next release of CMS Kermit.]
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End of Info-Kermit Digest
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