SY.CHRISTINE@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU (Christine M Gianone) (07/28/87)
Info-Kermit Digest Tue, 28 Jul 1987 Volume 6 : Number 15
Today's Topics:
Reorganization of Files on Kermit Tapes
Announcing Kermit68K, a Portable 68000 Kermit Program
A New MSTRMX.* Available
MacKermit 0.8(34) on the Macintosh II (4 messages)
7171 MSKERMIT.INI for MS-DOS 2.29C Kermit
Problem with C-Kermit on SUN
Binary File Transfers
Time Loop for Prompts in Script Files
MSKERMIT for the DEC Rainbow
Bootstrap version of Kermit-CMS 3.1
Portable Kermit for IBM 370's
VMS Kermit Buffering Problem
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Date: Mon 27 Jul 87 12:52:37-EDT
From: Frank da Cruz <SY.FDC@CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU>
Subject: Reorganization of Files on Kermit Tapes
Keywords: Kermit Tapes
Due to the recent influx of new Kermit versions, Kermit Distribution has grown
from 3 to 5 tapes. Tape A still contains the more popular microcomputer (PC,
workstation) Kermit implementations; Tape B still contains the more popular
mini and mainframe Kermit implementations (IBM mainframes, C-Kermit, DEC OS's,
etc); Tape C contains additional micro versions (overflow from Tape A); Tape D
contains additional mini and mainframe versions (overflow from Tape B); and
Tape E contains machine readable copies and text formatter source for the
Kermit User Guide, Protocol Manual, and Byte Article and other large documents,
including old mail archives. Apologies for any inconvenience this might cause
to tape customers. Those who access Kermit files by network should notice no
difference.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 18 Jul 87 12:26 N
From: <BAGNARA@IBOINFN.BITNET> (Roberto Bagnara)
Subject: Announcing Kermit68K, a Portable 68000 Kermit Program
Keywords: 68000, Motorola 68000, OS-9
I'm very pleased to announce that, after 1 year of work, the OS9/68000 version
of Kermit68K pre-release 1.0.00 is ready to be distributed.
Kermit68K/OS9 is an implementation of Kermit68K for microcomputer systems
running the OS-9/68000 operating system from Microware. Kermit68K is patterned
after UNIX C-Kermit, however it is written completely in Motorola 68000
assembly language to allow easy portability to 68000 based systems without C
compilers. The OS-9 system specific modifications were performed by Steve
Williams of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the
University of Texas at Austin.
Kermit68K has been designed and written to be (among other things) portable.
This means that it can be implemented on any 68000 based machine with any
operating system (really also on machines without an operating system).
Furthermore (being highly modular, ROMable etc.) it is suitable for
nonstandard, specific applications (e.g. automatic data transmission from a
remote acquisition station to a database host computer).
I hope, by pre-releasing Kermit68K at this time, to involve experts of other
operating systems/machines. People willing to try other implementations of
Kermit68K (for example under UniFLEX, PDOS, VERSADOS, CPM/68K etc.) shouldn't
hesitate to contact me at any time. The type and amount of work necessary is
deducible by reading the distribution file K6GSYS.ASM (the only system
dependent module).
Finally I want to remind the potential users of Kermit68K/OS9 that we, I and
Steve, need a strong feedback; there are many things to test and correct.
Furthermore I'm continuously upgrading the program and I should take many
decisions, so users suggestions will be very useful to me. Please, feel free
to contact me at any time. Cordially,
Roberto Bagnara
Ordinary Mail: Roberto Bagnara
Physics Department
Bologna University
via Irnerio, 46
40126 BOLOGNA
Italy
Bitnet: Bagnara@Iboinfn
DECnet: 39937::BAGNARA
Arpanet, Usenet: bagnara%iboinfn.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu
[Ed. - Many thanks Roberto! The files are in KER:K6*.* avaialable via ARPAnet
by FTPing to CU20B, user ANONYMOUS (any password) or through BITNET using
KERMSRV.]
------------------------------
Date: Monday July 27, 1987 12:57 PM PDT.
From:<JAFW801%CALSTATE.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: A New MSTRMX.* Available
Keywords: MS-DOS RMX Kermit
This is to announce the test release of version 2.29C of Kermit for both the
RMX86 and RMX286 Operating Systems. Relevant files are MSTRMX.BOO, for RMX86,
and MSTRX2.BOO, for RMX286, MSTRMX.DOC, and MSERMX.P86.
[Ed. - Thanks to jafw801%calstate.bitnet@wiscvm.wisc.edu for sending these
.BOO files. The are in KER:MSTRMX.BOO and MSTRX2.BOO. Please try them out
and send reports to Info-Kermit@CU20B.]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 87 16:53 EDT
From: MLM@PITTVMS
Subject: MacKermit on the Macintosh II
Keywords: MacKermit
Is there a Kermit for the Macintosh II? We have tried Macintosh Kermit
version .8(34) with the system crashing.
Mark Medice, Academic Computing, Univ. of Pittsburgh.
[Ed. - See messages below...]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 87 13:22 EDT
From: <LUIS@YULIBRA.BITNET>
Subject: MAC II Kermit Problems.
Keywords: MacKermit
Does anyone have a version of Mac Kermit for the Mac II? It seems that
the current version 0.8(34A) Oct/85 starts to load but then the standard
restart error message appears.
Also, is there a version of the program to define the new keyboard for the
Mac II?
Thanks in advance to anyone that posts an answer.
Luis Strauch
York University
Toronto, Canada
BITNET: LUIS@YULIBRA
[Ed. - See messages below...]
------------------------------
Date: 15 Jul 87 01:37:24 GMT
From: jww@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu (Joel West)
Subject: Kermit & Mac II (V6 #14)
Keywords: MacKermit
The only thing that obviously affects one Mac II and not the other is the
Monitors setting. Some programs that get fancy blit directly to bitmaps but
I doubt MacKermit 0.8 does this.
0.8 (34) crashes nicely (with 2-bit monochrome pixmaps) about 10 subroutine
calls deep on the stack frame.
Megamax C has a problem with System 4.1, incidentally, although a new
release may fix this. However, I hope that the released version will be
compatible with either MPW C or LightspeedC, as these seem to be the two
most popular implementations nowadays. I would say MPW is probably the
preferred compiler for large jobs but you're more likely to find volunteer
workers who have Lightspeed.
MPW provides Megamax-style C string conversions if you want it, while
LightspeedC has 16-bit ints like Megamax. Converting either one shouldn't
be too bad, although the Lightspeed code generation won't be
68020-compatible until the next release (due Real Soon Now).
Joel West, Palomar Software, Inc. (c/o UCSD)
{ucbvax,ihnp4}!sdcsvax!jww or jww@sdcsvax.ucsd.edu
[Ed. - The new release will indeed be Megamax, but volunteers to convert
to MPW or Lightspeed will be gratefully accepted!]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 87 14:09:03 EDT
From: Charlie C. Kim <cck@cunixc.columbia.edu>
Subject: Mac Kermit and Mac II
Keywords: MacKermit
MacKermit works on a Mac II; however, the Sumacc C compiler runtime
library does not. Unfortunately, the current version of MacKermit is
built with the Sumacc C compiler. The problem is the traps and calls
to various in-rom/ram packages on the Macintosh are built in-line, on
the stack as I remember, by the Sumacc C compiler runtime libraries.
This doesn't work too well on a 68020 based system like the Mac II
because the 68020 has an instruction cache.
If you are willing to live with a (moderate) performance degradation,
simply turn off the instruction cache with following MPW asm program:
Machine MC68020
nocache main
clr.l d0
movec d0,cacr
rts
ENDP
end
Simply "restart" your machine to turn the cache back on.
Charlie C. Kim
User Services
Columbia University
Here's the corresponding compiled program in binhex 4.0 format:
---------------- CUT HERE ----------------
(This file must be converted with BinHex 4.0)
:#@j[)'PMB@0SC3""8&"-2j!%!*!)!@qqk!#3"!%!N!-",!#3!b`!N!0$!4JQEJ!
@)'hkZL*Z!!J`%8'm(rrP3#K`!!!H&!*(!2m#H#i!!J#3!d&38%`rN!3!N!S*R`#
3"N&38%`rN!3!N"LG*p!U!*!'!@m"DN(ZrIBI%$mm!2p1V3&53qlqpR"!)YK63'l
k3QG"l[lf,`J[,J!12bi!$%KZrrj1Z[ib%"pR%MmZrri[,J!),bi!%NkY!(*J$%*
R,bi!##m,6Ud!FNcI')"1AL"Ih[`!%Nl3d&*23d968dm!N!3,SJ9J!!j19[cq)'i
!#%2Zr`#3""J!N!-S!!!#!*!%#!#3!b!!!$mm!!'Tm!#3!``!N!-"F!"1H`!#6R8
!!!%!N!-",!#3!b`!N!0$!!,Sk!AL!*!$(!!q!!"$6d4&!!%!#J!!rrmJ!*!)!3!
!&!!!(!!#k'`%6@&TE[M5!:
[Ed. - Thanks Charlie! This message has also been added to the CKMKER.BWR
file.]
------------------------------
Date: Thu 16 Jul 1987 11:12:40 CDT
From: Mark S. Zinzow <Markz@Uiucvmd>
Subject: 7171 MSKERMIT.INI for MS-DOS 2.29C Kermit
Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit, Protocol Converters, .INI Files
I have finished translating the MSKERMIT.INI file to 2.29C and
got the typos out.
[Ed. - Thanks, Mark! For now, the file is in KER:MSI71C.INI. We'll have to
find some better naming scheme... This file should go a long way towards
helping the many people who are confused by the new key redefinition syntax.]
------------------------------
Date: 8-JUL-1987 10:05:25
From: V Paramananda (PS) <ananda@uk.ac.ucl.cs>
Via: SYSKERMIT%vax1.central.lancaster.ac.uk@Cs.Ucl.AC.UK
Subject: Problem with C-Kermit on SUN
Keywords: C-Kermit
We are having trouble with a version of C Kermit installed on a Sun 3/160
workstation within the Department of Photogrammetry and Surveying at UCL. It
appears impossible to get the system set up as a virtual terminal so that
that it can initiate transfers from other Kermits, in this case a VAX within
UCL. We can set up the line /dev/ttyb on this Sun without any apparent
problems. However, when the line is connected there is no response from
remote hosts at the other end of the line. It is unlikely that the hardware
is a fault, as the UNIX utility function 'tip' is able to establish
connections without problems.
Mark O'Neill,
Dept of Photogrammetry and Surveying
UCL,
Gower Street,
Londow WC1E 6BT UK.
Tel: 01-387-7050X2743
[Ed. - Many people are using C-Kermit on SUNs to communicate with VAXes.
We'd need more information before we could diagnose the problem -- exactly
which version of C-Kermit are you running? Exactly how are you connected
- direct line, modem, local net, ...? Are there any error messages?
Meanwhile, could someone who is successfully using C-Kermit on a SUN please
pass along any hints?]
------------------------------
Date: 15 Jul 87 16:35:52 GMT
From: tjh+@andrew.cmu.edu (Tom Holodnik)
Subject: Binary File Transfers
Keywords: Binary Files
In Frank da Cruz' Kermit reference, he states that the command "set
file type binary" issued at both ends will enable encoding of binary data
streams into ascii characters.
In all the versions of Kermit I have seen (Kermit 2.29, C-Kermit 4D(061)), this
option is unavailable. The reference states that this facility may not be
available on every version, but I was wondering what versions of Kermit it was
available for, and whether there were any plans to incorporate it into future
versions for the PC, or for Unix systems.
I'm sure that it may be simple to implement this into the CMU version of
Kermit, but it makes sense to have some standardization, eh?
Thanks,
Tom Holodnik
Carnegie-Mellon University
[Ed. - You're confusing a couple issues. SET FILE TYPE BINARY means that
no representation-level data conversion will be done -- no ASCII/EBCDIC
translation, no conversion of line terminators from one system to another,
etc. In other words, the bytes of a file are sent as is. The default is
mode for file transmission is TEXT, in which files are represented as
streams of ASCII characters, with lines (records) delimited by CRLFs. Now,
after these conversions are done, Kermit encodes data for transmission.
First, all nonprintable characters are converted to prefixed printables.
For instance, Control-M becomes #M. Second, if parity is in use on the
communication line, a second printable prefix (normally &) is inserted before
any byte whose high order data bit is 1, so &#M would be the encoding for
binary 10001101 (Ctrl-M with its 8th bit on). All Kermits do the control
prefixing, whereas 8th bit prefixing is an optional and negotiated feature.]
------------------------------
Date: 20 Jul 87 20:47 EST
From: chang%england.tcpip@ge-crd.arpa
Subject: Time Loop for Prompts in Script Files
Keywords: Script Files
I'm a summer intern at GE's Corporate Research and Development in Schenectady,
New York. I've been working on a script file to automatically upload a file
from the pc to the mainframe.
I'm a little frustrated with the time loop requirement for the anticipated
prompts. Is there some way that the next command in the script file be
executed upon seeing the anticipated prompt? Right now, I've something like
"INPUT 15 Enter Access Code"; and depending upon the time specified, the
waiting period will vary up to the specified time even though the anticipated
might have appeared before 15 seconds or the specified time has elapsed.
Thanks,
Ben
[Ed. - There must be something wrong. If MS-Kermit encounters the input
string, it proceeds to the next command right away. Therefore, it must not
be matching the string. Maybe parity is the culprit?]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 87 14:43:05 EDT
From: "James J. Steiner" (CCL) <steiner@ARDEC.ARPA>
Subject: MSKERMIT for the DEC Rainbow.
Keywords: DEC Rainbow Kermit
Does anyone have experience with the enhanced MSKERMIT for the DEC Rainbow
100 written by David Knoell. I down loaded a copy two months ago and found
that it doesn't work as described in its documentation. Particularly the
'print controller' escape sequence doesn't work. also the information in
the help screens status doesn't agree with the information shown when you
use the status command. This is a very fine program otherwise but I often
use screen bypass printing provided by the 'print controller' sequence in
the Rainbows native vt100 mode.
Thanks,
Jim Steiner
steiner@ardec.arpa
(201) 724-6066
------------------------------
Date: 1987 Jul 22 13:21 EDT
From: (John F. Chandler) PEPMNT@CFAAMP.BITNET
Subject: Bootstrap version of Kermit-CMS 3.1
Keywords: CMS Kermit, TSO Kermit, Portable IBM Kermit
With the release of Kermit-CMS 3.1 it became possible to choose a bootstrap
form of the program that loads Kermit into free storage and permits
execution of any and all user programs underneath Kermit. However, I know
of one user who consistently found the bootstrap program to halt with a
message claiming a lack of storage. I have finally traced the problem to
the length of his GLOBAL list of TXTLIB's, but before I do anything else
about it, I would like to know:
1. Has anybody besides me and this one other user tried out the bootstrap
form of Kermit-CMS? The module is only about 400 bytes long and is
accompanied by a TEXT file. The difference in operation is that the
bootstrap version will execute user-area CMS commands (e.g., COPYFILE)
while the traditional form will not.
2. Has anybody who tried out the bootstrap version encountered problems
like the one I described (error message DMSLIO109S VIRTUAL STORAGE
CAPACITY EXCEEDED, followed by return code 108)? Any other problems,
for that matter?
John
------------------------------
Date: 1987 Jul 23 20:15 EDT
From: (John F. Chandler) PEPMNT@CFAAMP.BITNET
Subject: Portable Kermit for IBM 370's
Keywords: CMS Kermit, TSO Kermit, IBM 370 Kermit, Portable IBM Kermit
There is a new development in Kermit for the IBM 370 architecture,
namely, a generic Kermit. The new Kermit is descended from the original
Kermit-CMS 1.0, but it differs from its cousins in that the system-
specific functions (such as disk I/O, system interaction, and terminal
I/O) are segregated into a separate section of code.
The initial implementation (the CMS version) has been completed and
tested, and a preliminary TSO version has been written. When the latter
has been debugged, it can replace all of the existing TSO Kermits (by
virtue of supporting both line-mode and Series/1-type terminals, as well
as offering most capabilities supported by Kermit-CMS 3.1, plus many
more.) The hitch is that debugging the TSO version requires someone
with access to a TSO environment. Anyone wishing to help bring the new
TSO Kermit to completion (and thereby acquiring it soon) should send me
a note, either by E-mail or post. For that matter, anyone wanting to
port Kermit-370 to any other operating system should do so as well.
BITNET: PEPMNT@CFAAMP
Internet: PEPMNT%CFAAMP.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Post: John F. Chandler
Center for Astrophysics M/S 63
60 Garden St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
[Ed. - Volunteers, please! Our disks are becoming choked with alternate
TSO Kermit versions -- this one for 3705s, that one for Series/1, another
for 3708, etc etc.]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 23 Jul 87 12:10 EST
From: JOHNSON <@cis.upenn.edu:JOHNSON@nbc.upenn.edu>
Subject: Kermit Buffering Problem
Keywords: VAX/VMS Kermit
I am a Kermit user and would like to ask you for help with a specific
problem. Can anyone help with a buffering problem we are having when using
Kermit to connect to an out going line from a VAX 11/750 to a University-
wide network at the University of Pennsylvania.
Kermit (version 3.2.076) is installed on our system. The University of
Pennsylvania has installed a fiber optic network throughout the University
with a T-1 phone link from the network to New Bolton Center where we are
located. ( The campus at New Bolton Center (NBC) is located about 40 miles
from Philadelphia and serves as the center for large animal teaching and
research for the Vet School of the University.) The NBC campus has been
provided with fiber optic links to the main buildings on the NBC campus.
Currently, three systems are connected to the network, the VAX 750 is one of
them. Because it is not possible to provide direct network access to all
users at NBC, I would like to give our VAX users access to the network
through the VAX.
Connecting to the network through Kermit has been no problem; however,
buffer overruns prevent the connection from being useful. File transfers
seem to work OK, but, when using Kermit in connect mode, receiving large
amounts of data at the originating terminal always results in lost
characters. It seems that the terminal sends an XOFF, but the host sending
the data continues to send, and data is lost at the receiving terminal.
I have tried changing terminal buffer sizes with no success. I have spoken
with the network administrator about XOFF settings on the network lines. He
assures me that the network is set correctly. Also, we have enabled the
alt_typeahead setting for the terminal lines. We have had no success with
any of these remedies.
The following diagram may help to explain the connections.
Originating terminal--> VAX--> Network--> Remote Host *** seems to work OK
Remote Host--> Network--> VAX--> Originating Terminal *** lost characters
I would greatly appreciate any help you could give me with the problem.
Thanks,
Kaye Johnson
NBC
University of Pennsylvania
[Ed. - We have heard similar reports about VMS Kermit losing characters when
during CONNECT. Reportedly, the CONNECT code could be done in better ways.
Unfortunately, the authors of VMS Kermit aren't going to be able to spend much
more time on it. We hope that the VMS support in C-Kermit will be souped up to
the extent that it can start being used in place of Kermit-32. Meanwhile, your
setup may be a "worst case" in that it could take a long time for XOFFs to
propogate back through the network, depending on how flow control works in
your network.]
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End of Info-Kermit Digest
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