SY.FDC@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU.UUCP (09/19/87)
Info-Kermit Digest Fri, 18 Sep 1987 Volume 6 : Number 21
Departments:
ANNOUNCEMENTS -
Announcing NIH TSO Kermit Version 1.1A
Announcing C-Kermit for Convergent Technologies CTOS
Announcing Kermit v2.8a for Apollo
Info-Kermit Digest BITNET Delivery in Danger
News about Kermit Programs for VAX/VMS
Kermit User Guide and Protocol Manual Available in Portuguese
C-KERMIT -
C-Kermit 4E(067) on VAX/VMS Bug Report
C-Kermit 4E(066) Support for Amdahl UTS Half Duplex Systems
C-Kermit 4E(066) on Apollo, IBM RT, Microvax II Bug Report
Patches to C-Kermit for Phone Directory
MS-DOS KERMIT -
SCANCHEK Program for IBM-PCs
MS-Kermit 2.29C on 3COM LAN
Problem with TurboBASIC and MSBPCT.BAS
MAC KERMIT -
Mac Kermit Can't Receive Files Whose Names Start With X?
Decoding KERMSRV's .HQX Files?
MISCELLANY -
Re: Kermit Protocol Curiosity
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: "Roger Fajman" <RAF@NIHCU>
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 87 18:44:10 EDT
Subject: Announcing NIH TSO Kermit Version 1.1A
Keywords: TSO Kermit, MVS/TSO Kermit, IBM 370, NIH
Version 1.1A of NIH TSO Kermit is now available. It contains fixes for a
number of bugs, but no new functions. The following four files were
updated: TSNKER.TXT, TSNKER.BWR, TSNKER.OBH, and TSNKER.ALP. The new
version is available from Columbia in the usual ways and directly from NIH
(at no charge) by sending a letter and a tape to
Joseph D. Naughton
Chief, Computer Center
National Institutes of Health
Building 12, Room 2244
Bethesda, MD 20892
A new version is under development that does contain new functions such as
(1) long packets, (2) 7171 protocol converter support (being developed
elsewhere), (3) multiple commands on a line, (4) multiple file names in a
SEND or GET command, (5) better handling of data set name collisions, and
(6) other things I can't remember at the moment. No release date has been
established for this version.
[Ed. - Thanks, Roger! The four new files are available in KER: on CU20B for
anonymous FTP (Internet), from KERMSRV on CUVMA (BITNET), and on Kermit
distribution tape B.]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 11 Sep 87 08:45:32 edt
From: ecsvax.uucp!joeld@mcnc.org (Joel Dunn)
Subject: Announcing C-Kermit for Convergent Technologies CTOS
Keywords: Convergent Technologies, CTOS, NGEN, Burroughs B20, BTOS, C-Kermit
Keywords: VT100 Emulation
Over the last year, I have been gradually porting C-Kermit 4.2(030) march 85
to CTOS, a multi-tasking proprietary operating system that runs on Convergent
Technologies NGEN micro computers. I re-wrote the comm line I/O, disk I/O,
and video I/O, and added a rudimentary VT100 emulation option. The protocol
code is pretty much as I got it, as is the command parser and things like that.
I use it fairly regularly, both as a terminal emulator and for text and binary
file transfers to my local Unix machine running C-Kermit.
My port is not perfect, but I would like to offer it up to the "Kermit Gods"
if you are at all interested. I know it is based on "old" source, but that
is what I was able to easily get at the time I started this project, back in
the summer of '86. I only worked on it as time permitted, so that's why it
took me a year to get it where I thought it worked.
Joel Dunn
UNC-Chapel Hill
Administrative Data Processing
440 W. Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
RJD@UNC.BITNET
{backbone}!mcnc!unc!dunn.UUCP
{backbone}!mcnc!ecsvax!joeld.UUCP
[Ed. - Many thanks, Joel! There have been many requests for CTOS Kermit over
the years, and also for BTOS (for Burroughs B20, etc, which is supposed to be
compatible). It would be much appreciated if anyone can report on whether this
version also works on BTOS. CTOS Kermit has been put in KER:CT*.* on CU20B,
CT* * on CUVMA, and on Tape C of the Kermit distribution. Since you've gone to
the trouble to develop most of the system-dependent C-Kermit code for CTOS, I
hope that someone will take the next step and adapt it to the current version
of C-Kermit, so we don't have to carry a redundant set of files.]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 18 Sep 87 14:12:18 +0200 (Central European Sommer Time)
From: XBR4D715@DDATHD21.BITNET (KLaus D. Schmitt THD Inst. f. EEV FB17)
Subject: Announcing Kermit v2.8a for Apollo
Keywords: Apollo, Pascal
Some time ago I got Kermit for Apollo from Netlib. We installed this version,
but had some trouble with SEND command (nothing could be send from Apollo !).
We examined the sources from Netlib and corrected them with the result, that
all works quite well on our DN 3000 communicating with some PC's and VAXen.
Please note, that the source includes kermitio.pas in the file kermit.pas.
existf.c is no longer needed !
Greetings from Europe
Klaus D. Schmitt
Inst. for El. Power Supply
Technical University Darmstadt
F R G
[Ed. - Gruess aus Nord-Amerika, und vielen Dank, Klaus! Kermit 2.28a replaces
APOLLO.PAS in Kermit Distribution. Meanwhile, if anybody knows the difference
between APOLLO.* and APLKER.* (both Pascal Kermits for the Apollo, apparently
cousins descended from version 2.6?), let us know! If they can be reconciled
into a single version, we could free some space and alleviate some confusion.]
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 87 13:03:34 PDT
From: Frank da Cruz <SY.FDC@CU20B>
Subject: Info-Kermit Digest BITNET Delivery in Danger
Keywords: Info-Kermit Digest, BITNET, LISTSERV
As of December 1, 1987, the WISCVM Internet/BITNET mail gateway will go out of
service because of the heavy load this function has placed on their system.
There are currently about 150 entries in the Info-Kermit distribution list that
go through the WISCVM gateway. Although Columbia has its own BITNET mail host,
CUVMA, experience has shown that routing through CUVMA to BITNET does not work
for most addresses. This is because the To: list does not appear as part of
the message (and nobody would want it to, since it's about 600 lines long!),
and the protocol for a mailer to send the recipient list to the receiving mail
agent varies among BITNET sites. Anyone who receives the Info-Kermit Digest
through WISCVM is urged to advise us of an alternate address, or to register
with a LISTSERVer near you. For instance, you could subscribe through Tulane
University by typing the following command (from a VM/CMS system):
TELL LISTSERV AT TCSVM SUB I-KERMIT your-name
where your-name is your actual name, which may contain spaces, etc. After
you have done this, make sure you get delivery of at least one Info-Kermit
digest from UGA, and then you can send a message to Info-Kermit-Request@CU20B
telling us to drop you from our own distribution list.
Other LISTSERV sites that can redistribute Info-Kermit include Brown University
(BROWNVM), the University of Georgia (UGA), and the University of Guelph
(CANADA01). Eventually, Columbia University (CUVMA) will join them. Other
BITNET and NETNORTH sites with LISTSERVers, particularly in mid- and far west
North America, as well as EARN sites in Europe, are also encouraged to
volunteer to distribute Info-Kermit mail. There will be more news about this
in future digest, I hope.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 87 13:03:34 PDT
From: Frank da Cruz <SY.FDC@CU20B>
Subject: News about Kermit Programs for VAX/VMS
Keywords: C-Kermit, VAX/VMS Kermit, VAX/VMS C-Kermit
Keywords: VAX/VMS Fortran/Pascal Kermit
Cross-Ref: VMS, See also VAX/VMS
If you attended the Nashville DECUS Kermit session, you may have heard Bob
McQueen announce that continued development of VAX/VMS Kermit-32
(KER:VMS*.*) at Stevens Institute of Technology is probably a lost cause.
VMS Kermit was developed by Bob McQueen and Nick Bush at Stevens from 1982
until the most recent (and probably final) release, 3.3.111, in April 1987.
Nick left Stevens some years ago, and Bob and his staff are too tied up in
other projects to continue their Kermit work. Many, many thanks to Bob,
Nick, and SIT for one of the most ambitious and popular Kermit
implementations, and for many contributions to the Kermit protocol itself.
Kermit-32 is written in the Bliss language, DEC's "corporate implementation
language" (originally developed at CMU). Bliss never gained popularity among
DEC's customers; few sites have Bliss compilers. If there are any VMS Bliss
sites out there who are willing to take over maintenance and development of
Kermit-32, please come forward!
Not entirely parenthetically, it should be noted at this point that there is
also a VMS Kermit written in a combination of Pascal and Fortran, last released
by Bruce Pinn and Philip Murton at the University of Toronto in 1984
(incidentally, this is based on Toronto's OMSI Pascal Kermit for RT11, the
first high-level language Kermit program). To my knowledge, no further
development is planned on this program either. Some sites that are
uncomfortable running Kermit-32 because they don't have Bliss compilers use
this version instead (it's in KER:VX*.*).
It now appears that all further work on VMS Kermit will concentrate on the C
version, of which release 4E(067) was announced in the previous Kermit
digest (KER:XK*.*). Development of VAX/VMS support for C-Kermit has been
taken over by:
Jamie Hanrahan
(uucp: {akgua | hplabs!hp-sdd | sdcsvax | nosc}!crash!pnet01!jeh)
(arpa: crash!pnet01!jeh@nosc.mil)
(internet: jeh@pnet01.CTS.COM)
(US Mail: c/o Simpact Assoc., 9210 Sky Park Ct., San Diego CA 92123)
Jamie is working from the latest stuff. If you're a VMS VAX-11 C and/or RMS
expert (preferably on the net) and would like to help out, please contact
Jamie. Similarly, if you have any suggestions, bug reports, fixes, etc, for
C-Kermit on VMS, send them to Jamie, cc to Info-Kermit@CU20B. Among the
improvements we hope to see are better performance during CONNECT and more
detailed knowledge of the VMS file system. Thanks to Jamie for taking this on!
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 16 Sep 87 13:03:34 PDT
From: Frank da Cruz <SY.FDC@CU20B>
Subject: Kermit User Guide and Protocol Manual Available in Portuguese
Keywords: Kermit Documentation, Portuguese
Ricardo B. Ghirlanda of Telecomunicacoes Brasileiras S.A., Brasilia, Brazil
(pardon the missing diacritical marks) has translated the Kermit User Guide and
Protocol Manual (5th Editions, somewhat behind the times) into Portuguese.
These manuals have been placed into KER:POR*.* on CU20B (POR* * on CUVMA):
PORTUG is the Portuguese User Guide (Fifth Edition).
PORTPM is the Portuguese Protocol Manual (Fifth Edition).
PORTTT is a manual describing a Kermit-based file transfer service
The original files were in 8-bit IBM PC WordStar (.WSD) format, which can't be
included in Kermit distribution. The files of type .HEX are "hexified"
versions of the WordStar files, which can be dehexified back into the original
8-bit WordStar format by a simple program that puts each pair of hex digits
back together (a sample program is listed in PORTAA.HLP). The files of type
.TXT are 7-bit ASCII files produced from the WordStar files by stripping the
high-order bit of each 8-bit byte. These are pretty much readable on a
terminal or printer; diacritics are mostly done with backspace-overstrike, etc.
Thanks to Mr. Ari Lopes Cunha of Brasilia for submitting this material.
If you have Kermit documentation translated into any new languages, please send
them in. This is especially appropriate now that we have a special place to
keep them (Tape E). I've seen (or heard of) Kermit manuals in German, Italian,
Hungarian, and Japanese, but have never received machine-readable versions.
------------------------------
Date: 17 SEP 1987 15:57 EDT
From: Steve Roseman <LUSGR@LEHICDC1.BITNET>
Subject: C-Kermit 4E(067) on VAX/VMS Bug Report
Keywords: C-Kermit, VAX/VMS C-Kermit
Running C-Kermit 4E(067) under VMS V4.5 seems to work so far, with 3 problems.
1. The user needs a BYTLM quota of at least 5000 to execute a "! xxx" command,
"DIR", or "SPACE". Otherwise the job just hangs up.
[Ed. - This doesn't happen to me under VMS 4.3, unless somebody raised my
BYTLIM (whatever that is!) without my knowing it.]
2. With a sufficient BYTLM, the above work, but if any are done, C-Kermit
leaves behind a subprocess when it exits. Re-entering C-Kermit and
executing any of the above starts up (and then leaves behind again)
another subprocess. Repeat until your job hangs up.
3. A "! LOGOUT" command kills the subprocess in which it executes; another
"! xxx" command just hangs, since C-Kermit doesn't seem to know it's
gone.
Fairly minor problems, but file transfers run well with 1000 char packets.
Steve Roseman
Lehigh Univ.
PS: in Vol 6, number 20, you mention a new MSTIBM.BOO. One thing that
has been fixed is flow-control after ^S and no ^Q (e.g. ^X^S^X^Z save and exit
EMACS).
[Ed. - Thanks for the bug reports, Steve. They've been passed along to Jamie.]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 87 19:12+0600
From: Darren R Besler <dbesler@cc.uofm.CDN>
Subject: C-Kermit 4E(066) Support for Amdahl UTS Half Duplex Systems
Keywords: C-Kermit, Amhdahl, UTS, Half Duplex, IBM 370
This is in regard to the experimental version of C-Kermit, version 4E(066).
The installation here at the University of Manitoba is the following:
Processor: Amdahl 5870
Oper Sys: UTS/V running under VM
Comm Ctlr: Amdahl 4705
Due to the above machine configuration we are running UTS in half duplex mode.
C-Kermit is written to work in full duplex mode. I have made appropriate
changes to allow running in half duplex mode. These changes have been embedded
amongst #ifdef HALFDUPLEX or #ifdef FULLDUPLEX constructs. Could these changes
be incorporated into the next version of C-Kermit?
The files modified are the following:
ckucmd.c
ckuker.mak
ckutio.c
Here is the cdiff for ckucmd.c
Darren R Besler
Dept. of Computer Services
University of Manitoba
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
[Ed. - Diffs omitted, added to KER:XKUKER.BWR, but the diff for ckutio.c is
missing. Building C-Kermit for half or full duplex operation according to
a compile-time option may not be the best method, however. What if there
are both full- and half-duplex connections to the same system? E.g. an IBM
or Amdahl mainframe with 3705 half-duplex ASCII TTY lines, and full-duplex
7171 protocol converters...]
------------------------------
Date: FRI, 18 SEP 87 13:05:17 MESZ
From: R02KER@DHHDESY3.BITNET
Subject: C-Kermit 4E(066) on Apollo, IBM RT, Microvax II Bug Report
Keywords: C-Kermit, Apollo, IBM RT PC, MicroVAX II, Ultrix
C-KERMIT 4E(006) 4 AUG 87 REPORT:
APOLLO Domain/IX DN3000, SR 9.5.1 SYS5, C-Kermit 4E(066) 4 Aug 87
Generated with 'make sys5'
When using '.kermrc' or using the 'take' command
the 'C-Kermit>' prompt is not present and then
any invalid command brings the message
'Fatal: Kermit command error in background execution',
after which C-Kermit terminates.
IBM PC RT 6150, AIX 2.1, C-Kermit 4E(066), AT&T System III/System V
Generated with 'make sys5'
Cracks up with 'Bad system call - core dumped' when using '.kermrc'
or using the 'take' command
Pervious version worked ok
For this version do not use 'take', set line and speed at kermit
command level
[Ed. - The above two problems are caused by the check for background
operation in conint(), module ckutio.c. If someone can figure out what
the code should be to determine whether Kermit is running in the foreground
or the background on these systems, please send it in! Meanwhile, the
workaround is to always have conint() set the variable backgrd to 0. Of
course, then you can't really run it in the background...]
MICRO VAX II, Ultrix 1.2A, C-Kermit 4E(066) 4 Aug 87, 4.2 BSD
Generated with 'make bsd'
Runs O. K., except the tty line hangs after use.
Extended packet works.
[Ed. - I tried it in remote mode on a MicroVAX II with Ultrix 2.0, and
it didn't hang the line after use. Are you talking about remote or local
mode?]
Regards, Ray Koluvek
------------------------------
From: ames!pluto!warren@phri (Warren Burstein)
Date: 13 Sep 87 17:22:26 GMT
Subject: Patches to C-Kermit for Phone Directory
Organization: Industrial Automation Systems - New York, NY
Keywords: C-Kermit, Phone Directory, Dial Command
These patches add to ckermit a "set phone" command. Aliases are recognized in
the "dial" command. My .kermrc is now full of "set phone" commands.
The new command looks like
set phone pacx 280-8050
After this command, I can say
dial pacx
I don't know how to make a "patch" file so here is a shar of all the diffs.
I didn't use any fancy methods to store phone numbers, it didn't seem worth the
effort.
[Ed. - Pretty neat. Thanks, Warren. For now, the code will be kept in
XKUKER.BWR.]
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 87 16:57:57 EDT
From: Phil Benchoff <BENCHOFF@VTVM1>
Subject: SCANCHEK Program for IBM-PCs
Keywords: IBM PC Key Codes, MS-DOS Kermit
Enclosed is SCANCHEK.C and SCANCHEK.BOO for IBM-PCs. This program displays
BIOS scancodes and MS-Kermit 2.29C key idents. It is useful to determine key
idents while defining MS-Kermit keyboard definitions.
The source will compile with Computer Innovations C-86 or Borland Turbo-C.
Special thanks to JRD for providing details of MS-Kermit keyboard handling and
modifications to the code. Please add it to the distribution if you think it
will be useful.
[Ed. - Thanks! The files have been renamed MSUCHK.C and MSUCHK.BOO to fit the
Kermit file naming scheme.]
------------------------------
To: "Joe Doupnik" <JRD@USU>
From: "Roger Fajman" <RAF@NIHCU>
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 87 18:32:03 EDT
Subject: MS-Kermit 2.29C on 3COM LAN
Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit, 3COM Ethernet, Netbios
One of our people here tried a quick PC-PC test with MS Kermit 2.29C running
over a 3COM Ethernet with 3Plus software. He found two things:
(1) Kermit would not work with version 1.0 of the 3COM Netbios.
The 1.2 version seemed to work, but he did not try a lot of
things. Apparently 1.0 is a less than complete implementation
of Netbios.
(2) The SET PORT NET command appears not to upcase its argument.
The value he used had letters in it that had to be entered
in upper case in order to work.
Roger
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 87 10:52:05 CDT
From: moore@ncsc.ARPA (Moore)
Subject: Problem with TurboBASIC and MSBPCT.BAS
Keywords: BOO File Programs, BASIC, TurboBASIC, MS-DOS Kermit
Has anyone commented on TurboBASIC not working properly with MSBPCT.BAS? I
recently downloaded both the .BAS and .BOO files to create an executable;
GW-BASIC and QuickBASIC 3.0 executely nicely, but TurboBASIC chokes on line
300; in fact, as nearly as I can tell, the program just stops executing
completely.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 87 11:43:43 PDT
From: kevin@ACC-SB-UNIX.ARPA (Kevin 0'Gorman)
Subject: Mac Kermit Can't Receive Files Whose Names Start With X?
Keywords: Mac Kermit
I found this in ckmker.bwr in the 4E(066) distribution. I ran into a very
similar problem I thought I would pass along.
> Occasionally, files transferred to the Mac with apparent success will be
> empty. This happens very rarely and cannot be reproduced. It has only been
> reported twice, once on a Hyperdrive system, and once on a Mac with a Tecmar
> disk after the screen had been dumped to the printer. (this problem may be
> rectified in edit (33), which now terminates on failure to close, attempting
> to report an appropriate error.) One user claimed to be able to reproduce
> the problem by using Mac Kermit to GET any file whose name starts with X from
> the Unix Kermit server (yet others can't reproduce it this way).
I was reading the Kermit distribution from a VAX running 4D kermit, and 4.3 BSD
with a Mac Plus running 0.8 Kermit. The VAX was running as server, and I
requested x*. I would get the first file okay, but all others would pass
by VERY fast, with the notation "Discarded" and "K bytes: 0" on the Mac.
When I renamed that first file, that had arrived okay, so that it was no longer
selected by x*, I got the new first file okay, but all others were passed over.
This repeated ad infinitum. I renamed all files on the VAX so that none began
with "x", and they came across just fine.
Another thing I noticed, that may bear on this, is that the renaming of the
files did not agree with the documentation. Some of my files had more than
one period in the name (I originally was trying to get compressed files named
like ckusr.c.Z), and I found that the mac reported the filename being recieved
as CKUSR.CXZ. I gathered that it was changing things so that there were never
more than 1 "." in a filename. I can't tell which system did this.
Since "x" is special in this way, the special code may be munging incorrectly
on subsequent files of a set. I dunno. I just thought I would pass along
instructions on how to repeat this.
[Ed. - There appears to be something very wrong with Mac Kermit's filename
collision avoidance algorithm...]
------------------------------
Date: 2 SEP 1987 18:31:20 EDT
From: "Richard E. Lynch" <VM10CA@WVNVM>
Subject: Decoding KERMSRV's .HQX Files?
Keywords: Mac Kermit, BinHex
Hello, This is Rich Lynch at WVNET. I just downloaded some of your KERMSRV
files and one of them is a .HQX file which has a comment at the top. The
comment says the file must be converted with the BINHEX Ver 4.0 program.
Is this program available from KERMSRV and if not where might I get a
copy ? Thanks in advance.
...Rich
[Ed. - BinHex is a "shareware" program for which (to my knowledge) source is
not available. There is no way for us to distribute binaries on KERMSRV or on
magnetic tape (the explanation is tedious). BinHex is, however, on our Mac
Kermit distribution diskette, which you can order by mail.]
------------------------------
From: "Roger Fajman" <RAF@NIHCU>
Date: Thu, 17 Sep 87 16:43:11 EDT
Subject: Re: Kermit Protocol Curiosity
Keywords: 8th-bit Prefixing, Parity
Have you tried setting the parity in Kermit to SPACE? The 7-bit ASCII
characters will look the same on the line as with parity NONE (8th bit zero),
but Kermit will know that the 8th bit is not available for data and should
request 8th bit prefixing.
[Ed. - Obvious answer, should have thought of it... Thanks also to Bruce
Cowan of SFU for responding similarly.]
------------------------------
End of Info-Kermit Digest
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