bdale@winfree.UUCP (Bdale Garbee) (09/02/87)
Announcing an update to the KA9Q TCP/IP software package release of 870526.0,
bringing the current release date up to 870829.0. This update adds fixes bugs,
and adds some minor functionality. A new release will occur in a couple of
weeks with support for 4bsd and sysV unix machines, this version still supports
only the PC and PC clone class of machines.
The changes:
- Improved KISS bits for the TNC1 from Gerard, PA0GRI.
- the ASCII text at the top of one of the TNC2 hex files is gone now.
- Minor tweaks to BM from Gerard, PA0GRI, Phil KA9Q, and yours truly.
Biggest noticeable differences are that BM no longer looks at the
hosts.net file at all, but instead passes symbolic hostnames to
the smtp client in net... and we once again changed the text entry
code. It's more like bsd Mail now. Default is a silly text entry
routine, a "~e" gets you into your favorite editor, and a "~p"
shows what you've typed so far.
- NET.EXE understanding of symbolic hostnames ala the hosts.net file
has been extended. You now need to wrap numeric IP addresses in
square brackets, as in "[44.32.0.16]", as you can use symbolic names
anywhere you need to use an IP address (including in the autoexec.net
file!)
- Since BM no longer deals with IP addresses, a "gateway" command has
been added to NET.EXE, so that it knows where to send mail that
fails the lookup in hosts.net.
- Internal changes and a fix to the ftp server so that it now handles
NLST command properly, all from Phil, KA9Q. Bugs that were in the
870526.5 interim release that was only distributed in a limited
fashion apparently disappeared with the latest tweaks...
- documentation has (as usual) been updated somewhat.
- some other random tweaks I'm sure I've forgotten...
What to do once you have software, aka "getting an IP address":
Users of this software package become part of the "global IP
internet", and as such need to obtain unique IP address assignments
for each host they plan to put on the air, or "on the wire". Major
metropolitan areas in the US, and countries with active TCP-using
groups probably already have blocks of addresses in amateur radio
44.X.X.X block assigned to them. Ask around locally before you go
any further.
If there is no local address block in your area, and/or noone is
coordinating address assignments for your local net, contact Wally
Linstruth WA6JPR. Wally is the global top-level address administrator
for the ham radio 44.X.X.X subnet. Wally may be reached by email at
wally%net1.ucsd.edu@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu
or wally@net1.ucsd.edu
or ...!sdcsvax!net1!wally
or via the new forwarding mechanism I have set up for those sites who
know how to reply via mail to this message, but can't reach Wally's
machine directly:
winfree!wally -or- wally@winfree.uucp
or wally%winfree.uucp@flash.bellcore.com
How to obtain the KA9Q Internet software:
- Via uucp, the files are on winfree in tar archives as:
/usr/spool/uucppublic/pub/ka9q_all.tar.Z 16 bit Compress 4.0
/usr/spool/uucppublic/pub/ka9q_all.t12.Z 12 bit Compress 4.0
For Anonymous UUCP login, use phone number 303/593-0696, at 2400
baud (it will do 1200 if you send a return to rotate it down),
"standard Unix login sequence", username of "Uanon", password of
"notFTP". An example L.sys entry ala winfree's uucp would be:
winfree Any ACU 2400 13035930696 ogin: Uanon word: notFTP
I've never run an anonymous login for uucp before, so let me know
if I got it wrong!
A reasonable command to issue to pick up the 12-bit distribution
would be
uucp winfree!~/pub/ka9q_all.t12.Z /usr/spool/uucppublic
- ***** My BBS is currently down with a dead hard drive. If anyone
***** has a spare drive they would be willing to donate to the cause,
***** *please* get in touch with me ASAP! Cashflow around here is
***** a joke... :-( Normally,
Via Opus, log in to my BBS and download from the appropriate files
area. There are several .ARC files for the full distribution, one
for each of the directories. SeaDog file requests are ok.
I have configured my BBS to allow first time users ample resources to
download the full distribtuion at 1200 baud. The phone number is
303/593-0766.
If you have any trouble downloading from the BBS, please let me know.
Speeds that are supported include 300, 1200, and 2400.
- Via US Snail, Andy Freeborn N0CCZ has agreed to make floppy copies.
To get a copy from him, send $5 AND a completed return address mailing
label (orders without a mailing label will be considered
contributions to the BBS hard drive fund, see above... :-) to:
Andy Freeborn, N0CCZ
5222 Borrego Drive
Colorado Springs, CO 80918
USA
What you get for the $5: 5 floppies, including two of RFC's and IEN's
that relate to the code, two that include the actual release, and one
that is intended to be a sort of "plug and play" disk for getting on
the air immediately...
For those who just want the RFC/IEN disks, Andy will send you just
those two disks for $2 and a mailing label. If you want any particular
RFC or IEN, contact Andy to find out what archive it is in (we have
them all packed up, one ARC per 360k pc disk), and he will send you
that RFC or IEN, along with many others, on a floppy for $1/disk. You
can't mix and match, you get the block of documents that are in a
given archive.
DO NOT SEND floppies, mailers, postage, etc... but DO send the mailing
label!
Andy is also reachable as
winfree!andy or andy%winfree.uucp@bellcore.com
if you need more information (?). Andy is within an on-air FTP of
me, so we should be able to keep his bits up to date!
- on the ARPAnet, or attached portions of the Internet, look on
louie.udel.edu
via anonymous FTP for the files in the directory
pub/ka9q
- Within a day or two of a new release, the code should also be available
from the following additional secondary distribution points:
from Doug KD4NC in Atlanta, GA
uucp: winfree!kd4nc!dug
from Bob Hoffman N3CVL in Pittsburgh, PA
arpa: rbh@cadre.dsl.pittsburgh.edu
uucp: pitt!hoffman
from Wally Linstrugh WA6JPR in Santa Barbara, CA
arpa: wally@net1.ucsd.edu
from Brian Kantor at UCSD. (via anonymous FTP?)
arpa: tcp-group-request@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu
uucp: sdcsvax!tcp-group-request
Unreleased (read: under development) versions are often available
on louie.udel.edu, generally alongside official releases...
caveat emptor...
If anyone has any trouble getting hold of a copy of the code, please let me
know!
How to contact me:
Bdale Garbee, N3EUA
1433 Territory Trail
Colorado Springs, CO 80919
303/590-2868w, 303/593-9828h
*** go easy on the phone calls please, I'm not getting much sleep! ***
uucp: {bellcore,crash,hp-lsd,ncc,pitt,vixie}!winfree!bdale
arpa: bdale%winfree.uucp@flash.bellcore.com
bdale@net1.ucsd.edu
fido: Bdale Garbee at 128/19, 303/593-0766, 300/1200/2400 baud, 24hrs (*DOWN*)
packet: n3eua @ k0hoa
--
Bdale Garbee, N3EUA phone: 303/593-9828 h, 303/590-2868 w
uucp: {bellcore,crash,hp-lsd,ncc,pitt,usafa,vixie}!winfree!bdale
arpa: bdale%winfree.uucp@bellcore.com
fido: sysop of 128/19 packet: n3eua @ k0hoa, Colorado Springs