[comp.sys.amiga] console only progs for AUX: terminal

norm@hpfcdq.HP.COM (Norm Gee) (06/12/89)

Over the weekend I hooked up a terminal to my Amiga's serial port, mounted
the serial port as an AUX: device (as described in the 1.3 enhancer docs), and
created a cli on the terminal.  It seems to work quite well, and I have thought
of several uses for this capability already.  However, the obvious limitation
is that only programs which use just the cli console window will work properly
on the terminal.  Since almost every program I have seen for the amiga opens
its own screen or at least its own window, none of these are useable from the
terminal.  
  So, I am looking for programs that run using only the cli console. ( public
domain is preferred, and I doubt that any marketed product would use only the
cli window).  If you have any information on any of the subjects below, please
let me know (preferrably by email).

1) Have you used the AUX: device to hook a terminal to the amiga's serial port?
   If so, what has your experience been with it?

2) Do you know of any useful programs (databases, spreadsheets, etc) that 
   use only the cli window?

I would greatly appreciate any information on the above topics, and if there
is any interest on the net, I would be happy to post a summary of what I learn.


Norm Gee                ...!hplabs!hpfcdq!norm

mkd@mtunh.ATT.COM (Mark Darby) (06/13/89)

In article <4710002@hpfcdq.HP.COM>, norm@hpfcdq.HP.COM (Norm Gee) writes:
> Over the weekend I hooked up a terminal to my Amiga's serial port, mounted
> the serial port as an AUX: device (as described in the 1.3 enhancer docs), and
> created a cli on the terminal.  It seems to work quite well, and I have thought
> of several uses for this capability already.  However, the obvious limitation
> is that only programs which use just the cli console window will work properly
> on the terminal.  Since almost every program I have seen for the amiga opens
> its own screen or at least its own window, none of these are useable from the
> terminal.  
>   So, I am looking for programs that run using only the cli console. ( public
> domain is preferred, and I doubt that any marketed product would use only the
> cli window).  If you have any information on any of the subjects below, please
> let me know (preferrably by email).
> 
> 1) Have you used the AUX: device to hook a terminal to the amiga's serial port?
>    If so, what has your experience been with it?
> 
> 2) Do you know of any useful programs (databases, spreadsheets, etc) that 
>    use only the cli window?
> 
> I would greatly appreciate any information on the above topics, and if there
> is any interest on the net, I would be happy to post a summary of what I learn.
> 
> 
> Norm Gee                ...!hplabs!hpfcdq!norm

I was interested in what AUX: could do, so I had a friend come down with
his 2000 (from Boston, no less) so that we could play computer for a weekend.
I had a convenient setup for my test: I had two phone lines in my apartment
and we each had a modem, so I could actually dial up his machine.

We mounted and NEWCLI'ed AUX: on his machine with preferences set for 1200 baud
on both our serial ports, then connected up the modems, mine on Originate,
his on Answer.

I then preceded to call him. It was interesting. I used both Kermit and
AmigaTerm as my terminal emulator. I had no problems. I ran into the
same conclusion as you did: you could only use anything that ran on the
cli console. I didn't have any real software to test, but I did come out
with a couple of things.

1) Edlin works on AUX: (of course, who uses that??).
2) The user on the host (the 2000 in my case) could send messages to the
   external user via
   "copy <filename> > AUX:", where filename contains your message.
3) Once you were connected, you had to hit the return key once or twice to
   get the CLI prompt. If the answer modem has it's own messages enabled 
   (e.g. CONNECT, VOICE, etc.) the CLI may see it and try to work on it
   when you hit return.

This sort of thing gets your mind working....what interesting things
can be done with this sort of capability? Hmmm.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark K. Darby
AT&T Bell Laboratories                       AT&T: (201)957-2706
200 Laurel Ave.                              uucp:..!att!mtunh!mkd
Middletown, NJ 07748