Internet Info 1994 March/Internet Info CD-ROM (Walnut Creek) (March 1994).iso/networking/terms/kermit/e/v12.6

Text File | 1990-11-28 | 25.8 KB | 573 lines

Info-Kermit Digest         Wed, 10 Oct 1990        Volume 12 : Number 6

Today's Topics:

               New Honeywell DPS-6 Superkermit
             Announcing Kermit for the Tandy 100
               CMS Kermit 4.2.1 erratum
               OS/2 PM Kermit Feedback
               OS/2 PM Kermit Feedback
              Easy Exit from Terminal Emulation
          Running MS-DOS Kermit 3.0x under DESQview
           USING MS-DOS Kermit 3.0 with MNP Modems
              MS-Kermit 4010 GIN mode by Mouse?
              Suppresing Kermit's Error Checking
              MacKermit Settings Trouble
             Larger Font for Mac Kermit 0.98(63)?
              Prime Kermit Version 8.12
              Kermit REMOTE SET Command

Digest submissions may be sent to [e-mail],
requests for addition to or deletion from the Info-Kermit subscriber list to
[e-mail] or to [e-mail].

Kermit files may be obtained over networks and by mail order.  On the
Internetwork, use FTP to log in to host WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU, a SUN-4/280
running UNIX (SUNOS 4.1), IP host number 128.59.39.2.  Login as user anonymous
(note, lower case), any password, and GET or MGET (MULTIPLE GET) the desired
files.  The Kermit files are in directories kermit/a, kermit/b, kermit/c,
kermit/d, and kermit/e.  Test versions are in kermit/test.  Binaries are in
kermit/bin (use ftp in binary mode).  You can also get Kermit files over the
BITNET/EARN network; to get started send a message with text HELP to KERMSRV,
the Kermit file server, at host CUVMA.  For detailed instructions, read the
file kermit/a/aanetw.hlp (AANETW.HLP on KERMSRV).  To order by mail, request a
complete list of Kermit versions and an order form from Kermit Distribution,
Columbia University Center for Computing Activities, 612 West 115th Street,
New York, NY 10025 USA.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Tue, 2 Oct 90 11:42:02 PDT
From: [e-mail] (Frank Dreano)
Subject: New Honeywell DPS-6 Superkermit
Keywords: DPS-6 Kermit, Honeywell Kermit

I am sending you a new version of the Honeywell DPS-6 Superkermit.  This
version basically 'blows out' the server mode to provide much more
functionality, (After Joe R. Doupnik's excellent effort to support the
Honeywell DPS-6 in MS-DOS Kermit 3.02 dev. 28, I felt like I had to respond
in kind):

1) Superkermit server 'gets' and 'sends' now support wildcard filespecs.

2) MS-DOS Kermit 'remote cwd' commands are now supported.

3) MS-DOS Kermit 'remote set file type { text, binary }' commands are now
   supported.

4) A new Superkermit file type, called 'foreign', supports MSDOS *.EXE,
   *.COM, *.WKS, *.ZIP, etc. file transfers WITHOUT converting to ASCII.
   MS-DOS Kermit 'remote kermit foreign' sets Superkermit for these
   transfers.  UNIX executables, etc, are likewise supported by this new
   file type.  The 'foreign' type also works with the VIP-3 terminal
   emulator.

5) MS-DOS Kermit 'remote type [filename]' commands are now supported.

6) MS-DOS Kermit 'remote host [host command]' commands are now supported.

7) MS-DOS Kermit 'remote dir [filespec]' commands are now supported.

8) MS-DOS Kermit 'remote delete [filespec]' commands are now supported.

9) MS-DOS Kermit 'remote mesage [text]' commands are now supported.

10) MS-DOS Kermit 'remote who' commands are now supported.

NOTE:  There ARE some warnings about using these commands...  See the
       HD6KER.BWR 'beware' file for details.

I received a request to allow the Superkermit server to select either
8th-bit or image mode binary transfers.  If I didn't implement this ability
the default would always be 8th-bit (not satisfactory in all cases).  So I
have implemented two additional commands:

                'remote kermit image'
                'remote kermit prefix'

   Performed a much-needed clean up of code placing all compiler pre-
   processor code along with global/external variables and function
   prototypes in a separate file.  In addition, I have adopted your
   naming conventions for the source files:

            HD6KER.DOC -  Version 2.00 documentation.
            HD6KER.H   -  New include file described above.
            HD6KER.C   -  Kermit state switchers and heuristics.
            HD6PRI.C   -  Kermit protocol primitives.
            HD6COMP.EC -  New Kermit batch compilation JCL.

I believe the above improvements have resulted in a much more useful
Superkermit 'server' mode as well as more manageable source code.  My thanks
to Tim Ewing of Honeywell Federal Systems Incorporated (HFSI) in McLean,
Virginia for suggesting and testing some of the above changes.  I feel that
the code reorganization and additional server functionality have made this a
major release and I am calling it Version 2.00.

Frank Dreano Jr.

[Ed. - Many thanks, Frank!  The new files have been installed in the "D"
area of Kermit distribution under the names you sent them with
(kermit/d/hd6*.* on watsun).  Special thanks for adjusting the filenames.]

------------------------------

Date: Tue Oct  9 21:29:27 1990
From: Christine M Gianone <[e-mail]>
Subject: Announcing Kermit for the Tandy 100
Keywords: Tandy 100

Apparently floating around since 1984, discovered recently and sent in by
Jay Rouman: a Kermit program, written in BASIC by Dave Straayer, for the
Tandy 100.  No documentation.  In kermit/c/ta100.bas on watsun, TA100 BAS
on CUVMA.  Thanks, Jay!

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 1990 Sep 17   20:04 EDT
From: "John F. Chandler"   <[e-mail]>
Subject: CMS Kermit 4.2.1 erratum
Keywords: Kermit-370, CMS Kermit, IBM Mainframe

The announcement mentioned restrictions on VTAM logmodes for successful file
transfer through the IBM 3174, but the example cited was one that does *not*
work.  The logmode that is known to work is M2SDLCQ.

[Ed. - A corrected copy of IKCKER.ANN (the announcement text for CMS Kermit
4.2.1) has been installed.]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 18 Sep 90 11:20:12 -0700
From: [e-mail] (Alan Bishop)
Subject: OS/2 PM Kermit Feedback
Keywords: OS/2 Kermit, Modems

In article <[e-mail]> Wim Bonner writes:
>
> I am running OS/2 1.2, and was not able to get the lights on my modem to
> blink when I typed characters after Connecting.  That is normally a good
> indication something is wrong.  All of the other communication programs
> that I've tried work fine.
>
You need to play with the octs & so forth settings.  Look under the
communcations setup bit & toggle all the settings on the line that has OCTS
listed.  It works fine for me.

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 18 Sep 90 14:23:25 EDT
From: "Robert E. Zaret" <[e-mail]>
Subject: OS/2 PM Kermit Feedback
Keywords: OS/2 Kermit

I did get the Presentation Manager version of Kermit working, but haven't
spent much time with it.  I already have the full screen OS/2 Kermit and my
monitor is strict VGA, so I have no urge for a PM version.  Thus, I wasn't
going to comment.  However, the digest I received today asked for comments,
so:

My major dissappointment is lack of VT100 support.  I assume its absence is
temporary.  I've seen enough mangled emulators to believe VT100 emulation is
not trivial, so I'ld support a decision to leave it out until other parts
are settled.  However, I have little use for a program without it.

I was able to communicate with my internal modem; the modem responded to a
query (ATS1?) and to dial commands.

I found no way to save settings.
The speed setting is labelled baud, rather than bps.
I would prefer one pull down menu for all communications settings
    (com port, bps, parity, etc.)
I didn't find a documentation file, and the program itself mentioned
    no way to get out of communication mode except by exiting the
    program completely.  I tried ctl-[, and it worked.  This sequence
    seems inconsistent with the DOS version, but I'm not sure
    consistency matters, or is even possible.
I, too, found the program insisting on using a full screen.  The
    behavior of the maximimize box (upper right corner) seems odd,
    but I'm not sure what it should do given the other problem.
I believe PM programs can find and use the user's preferences for colors,
    as set in the control box.  Definitely not a high priority.

Technical note: I'm using IBM OS/2 EE 1.2 on an IBM Model 80/311 with
an IBM 8513 monitor and an internal BusinessLand modem (not quite
all blue :-).

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 18 Apr 90 11:49:40 -0700
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Easy Exit from Terminal Emulation
Keywords: Terminal Emulation, MS-DOS Kermit, Macros

Here is an easy way to leave terminal emulation, hangup the phone, and drop
to DOS (I put it on alt-Z):

        def terminalr hangup,exit
        set key \2348 \kterminalr

(Thanks to Joe D. for pointing this out.)

Here is why I couldn't display IBM graphic characters even though I had my
display set for 8-bit and terminal character set transparent.

Ted.

[From jrd - Alas, VT100's are really 7-bit devices and this time I have
enforced the rule, to make character set stuff behave as DEC intended. Try
SET TERMINAL VT320.]

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 16 Sep 90 16:19 MDT
From: Joe Doupnik <[e-mail]>
Subject: Running MS-DOS Kermit 3.0x under DESQview
Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit, DESQview

Assistance in creating a DESQview .DVP configuration file (DVSETUP.TXT)
for MS-DOS Kermit.

My copy of DESQview is version 2.26 running on a 386 machine with 2MB, with
no expanded memory, but with QEMM/386. The display adapter is a Video-7
"VGA".  The tables below are similar to the DESQview screens.

Please, when configuring QEMM to load-high drivers etc always exclude video
memory.

I have been able to run two copies of MS-DOS Kermit v3.02 together, to
different destinations with different communications ports. In addition,
full graphics capability was retained.
                                                Joe D.
 ============================================================================
                        Change a Program
 Program Name............: MS-DOS Kermit v3.02
 Keys to Use on Open Menu: KE                   Memory Size (in K): 200
                                                (say 150 minimum)
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Program...: Kermit.exe
 Parameters:            (Kermit command line items, if any, go here.)
 Directory.: C:\yourdir
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Options:
                Writes text directly to screen.......: [N]      *
                Displays graphics information........: [N]      **
                Virtualize text/graphics (Y,N,T).....: [T]      ***
                Uses serial ports (Y,N,1,2)..........: [Y]
                Requires floppy diskette.............: [N]

   *   Not true, but MS-DOS Kermit is DESQview-aware and covers up nicely.
   **  Not true, naturally, but causes DESQview to put Kermit into full
       screen mode while graphics are executed and then to return to windowed
       mode after switching to text terminal emulation.
   *** Can be [Y] with the same effect as above.
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Change a Program Advanced Options

 System Memory (in K).....:     0  Maximum Program Memory Size (in K)..:
 Script Buffer Size.......:     0  Maximum Expanded Memory Size (in K) :
 Text Pages: 1  Graphics pages: 0  Initial Mode:  3    Interrupts: 00 to FF

 Window Position:
        Maximum Height:  25     Starting Height:  20    Starting Row...:  5
        Maximum Width.:  80     Starting Width.:  40    Starting Column:  5
  (Choose your own window sizes, naturally. 132 column mode causes DESQview
   to switch to full screen.)
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                Shared Program
 Pathname..:
 Data......:
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Close on exit (Y,N,blank)......: [ ]   Uses its own colors..............: [N]
 Allow Close Window command.....: [Y]   Runs in background (Y,N,blank)...: [Y]
 Uses math coprocessor..........: [N]   Keyboard conflict (0-F)..........: [0]
 Share CPU when foreground......: [Y]   Share EGA when foreground/zoomed.: [Y]
 Can be swapped out (Y,N,blank).: [ ]   Protection level (0-3)...........: [3]
 ============================================================================

------------------------------

Date: 9 Sep 90 06:27:49 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Timo Salmi LASK)
Subject: Using MS-DOS Kermit 3.0 with MNP Modems
Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit, Scripts, MNP Modems

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail]
(Andrew Rossmann) writes:

> I just bought a 2400 baud MNP5 modem (ATI 2400etc/e.) I have quickly
> found out that some modems do not like the attempt to set up an MNP
> protocol. I am currently using Procomm Plus. The problem is that there is
> no way for me to have a particular entry in the dialer set the modem's MNP
> on or off (a linked script file is only called AFTER connection.) Are there
> any other communications programs out there that let you send special
> initializations to the modem BEFORE dialing?  Is there a sneaky way to do
> this in Procomm Plus??
>
Yes, I've thought about the same problem, and MS-DOS Kermit has this
feature.  With proper script programming you can have MS-DOS Kermit do
whatever initializations do wish before dialing, and then on top of that
doing the dialing from a multi-entry dialing directory.  This MS-DOS Kermit
dialing directory facility is available in the /pc/ts/tskerm24.arc MS-DOS
Kermit utilities collection downloadable by anonymous ftp from
chyde.uwasa.fi, Vaasa, Finland.  The flexibility and potential of MS-DOS
Kermit as a fully fledged communication program rather than just an
excellent terminal emulator are often underrated and little known.

....................................................................
Prof. Timo Salmi        (Moderating at anon. ftp site 128.214.12.3)
School of Business Studies, University of Vaasa, SF-65101, Finland
Internet: [e-mail] Funet: gado::salmi Bitnet: salmi@finfun

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 20 Sep 90 17:41 MDT
From: Pete Klammer 303/556-3915 <[e-mail]>
Subject: MS-Kermit 4010 GIN mode by Mouse?
Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit, Terminal Emulation, GIN mode, Graphics, Mouse

We find that the 4010 emulation in MS-KERMIT supports GIN mode, that is,
graphical cursor position input, which is great!  For instance, the ZOOM
command in ANSYS puts up a crosshair target on our screen, which we can
position with the cursor keys.  Pretty neat.

Is it possible to get our PC mouse connected to this cursor?  The GIN mode
steps with the cursor keys are pretty small, hence slow.  It would be even
neater than the already neat that it is, if MS-KERMIT Tektronix emulation
would support a PC mouse for GIN mode.  Thanks!

/** --poko ________________________________* "cut on dashes for mailing label"
Pete Klammer [phone] FAX[phone]|[e-mail]
CU-Denver Computing Services Campus Box 169|bitnet: PKLAMMER@CUDENVER
1200 Larimer St NC2506 Denver CO 80217-3364|uucp:...!boulder!pikes!pklammer **/

[Ed. - MS-DOS Kermit does indeed support mouse movement of the graphics
cursor.  Make sure you have given the necessary DOS commands to turn the
mouse on, such as MOUSE ON and/or DEFAULT.]

------------------------------

Date: Mon, 24 Sep 90 12:01:37 CDT
From: [e-mail] (David J. Camp)
Subject: Suppresing Kermit's Error Checking
Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit, Error Checking, Kermit Protocol, Performance
Keywords: MNP Modems

I just read the December inquiry about suppressing Kermit's error checking
to save time when using an MNP reliable connection.  You could do a raw
download.  For instance, if you are on a host that will let you simply
'type', 'cat', or 'fstype' a file, you can tell Ms-Kermit to capture the
screen and let it flow.  The MS-Kermit command is 'log session filename'.
Make sure that you have 'set flow on' and that the host will recognize the
flow control to gate the transfer.  This will not work for binary files.

I do not recommend this.  The reliability of the link goes beyond the
mode-to-modem portion of the communication.  There are several things you
can do to improve the speed of Kermit transfers.  The first is to increase
your packet size.  Recent versions of Kermit allow packets near 1000 bytes
in length.

[Ed. - Kermit's theoretical maximum packet size is 9024.  MS-DOS Kermit 3.0
supports packets up to 2000 bytes.  IBM mainframe Kermit supports packets up
to about 1700.  The forthcoming release of C-Kermit 5A (watch Info-Kermit for
an announcement) can be configured to support the full 9K.]

I usually limit myself to 500, because MNP modems doing baud rate
translation fail with larger packets in non-MNP mode.  The speed of transfer
with 500-byte packets is very nearly that with 1000-byte packets.

I did some benchmarks to compare the speed in MNP stream mode vs. MNP block
mode.  My conclusion is that the difference is small, and you are better off
using stream mode to make interaction less jumpy.  A much bigger payoff is
gained by using long packets.

Next, use sliding windows if they are available.  I have done some
benchmarks to determine the optimum number of windows, and it is 2.

[Ed. - Actually, the optimum window size varies according to the round-trip
delay of the connection and its noise characteristics.  See Kermit News #4.
For a clean and relatively direct connection with MNP modems, 2 appears to
be a good size.  Also bear in mind that, in general, the large the window
size, the smaller the maximum packet size, because most Kermit programs have
a finite total packet buffer size.]

The last thing I can recommend is to use 8-bit communications if possible.
It may be necessary to do more than just 'set parity none', but I am not
sure of this.  If you are downloading from an IBM mainframe, this will
probably not work.  -David-

[Ed. - SET PARITY NONE is usually the default, but only works if the
connection is truly 8 bits wide.  Most IBM mainframes do not give you an
8-bit path.  Neither to telnet connections, nor most public data network
connections.]

[e-mail]                 ^        Mr. David J. Camp
[e-mail]        < * >      [phone]
...!uunet!wugate!wubios!david          v        "Be kind to sinners."
"Concentration impedes Inspiration."  ---  "Depend on God, who has dominion."

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 19 Jul 90 10:34:05 MST
From: Tom Aurand <[e-mail]>
Subject: MacKermit Settings Trouble
Keywords: MacKermit 0.98

I'm having trouble getting XON/XOFF flow control to stick in the settings
file when using MacKermit 0.98 on different SE's.  Can I patch it?  Thanks
for your help.

[From Paul Placeway - Get a copy of 0.98(63) -- the difference between edit
62 and 63 was a fix for that and saving of parity.  BTW: DON'T USE MACBINARY
MODE -- sending a file in MacBinary mode will delete the file on the Mac (yes,
that's a bug).  I suggest you disable the MacBinary button with ResEdit.]

[Ed. - 0.98(63) is available in kermit/test/ckmker.hqx.]

------------------------------

Date:  Mon, 23 Jul 90 10:36:59 -0500
From: [e-mail] (Robert T. Harms)
Subject: Larger Font for Mac Kermit 0.98(63)?
Keywords: MacKermit 0.98(63), Fonts

I would like to use a larger font with my Mac Kermit on a Mac IIci - related
to general eye problems of mine.  I have used ResEdit to replace the VT100
built in font with a Courier 12 font.  BUT this obviously isn't enough.  (1)
The WIND resource seems to permit increasing the width of the window, but
somewhere the dimensions of the window need to be coded as well, and (2) the
cursor position is erratic with respect to character width.

Is there some way I can customize the font size using ResEdit?  Or would
you advise me to leave well enough alone?

Bob Harms       [e-mail]

[From Paul Placeway - Unfortnatly, MacKermit 0.98 has the font size
parameters hard coded into it, so you can't change the font even if you find
all the right places to patch.

This will be fixed in the next release (I have that part of the code now
working, but other parts don't yet).  (I'm getting older and blinder too...
I like to run with a 10pt font (usually Courier 10)).]

------------------------------

Date: 04 Sep 90 18:02:39 O
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Prime Kermit Version 8.12

Yesterday I transferred a copy of PRIME Kermit Version 8.12, and new
fresh copies of Kermit Version 3.0.1 for IBM PCs. Both sources compiled
and run flawless except:

1. Generic commands issued from PC to PRIME Kermit in server mode usually
respond with unimplemented command (e.g. remote who, remote dir, remote
delete, etc.) But they are implemented in Prime KERMIT!  There seems to be a
definition problem of generic commands either on the sender (PC) or upon
reception (PRIME Kermit).

[Ed. - This is because vanilla 3.01 sends improperly formed generic
commands.  The patch file MSR301.PCH fixes this problem and, of course, it
will be fixed in 3.02.]

2. The only generic command which led to an action was remote type file
(file being a text file).  However, PRIME Kermit sends garbage between every
character from the text file !

[Ed. - Hmmm...     Could this be because PRIME uses "negative ascii"?]

3. We run PRIMOS 22.1.2 on a PRIME CPU.  At Rev 22 major changes affected
AMLC I/O (more assignable lines then ever, especially lines over Ethernet
cables, with line numbers larger than 128! Same applies to user numbers, we
have numbers up to 996 users! That means that several old interfaces to
PRIMOS, e.g. calls to DUPLX$, ASNLN$ etc have new replacements, which MUST
be used to change communication properties when either a user number or a
line number is larger than 256!  This seems to be a serious problem to all
users of PRIME Kermit 8.12 using Rev 22 and up, on larger machines, since
some of the new interfaces did not officially exist on older Prime
Revisions, and I expect that they are users which are forced to use either a
newer revision (e.g.  all TCP/IP users) or an older revision (for example
older hardware, running into performance problems when changing to rev 22).
Coding of those routines must be revision dependent, to give all Prime users
a perfect program.

Marcus C. Wagner
Department of Statistics and Computer Science
Universitaetsstrasse 5/9
A-1010 Vienna, Austria, Europe
University of Vienna

Email: since our TCP/IP connection is in experimental operation (since
two months, with some severe TCP/IP implementation errors of PRIME),
it will happen that my email address via Internet fails (host seems to be
down for the outer world) Alternatively, I am reachable via EARN/BITNET.
[e-mail] (IP)
A4421DAC@AWIUNI11  (EARN/BITNET)

Thanks to all programmers, who invested so much time to redesign the
old version of Prime Kermit, which we implemented five years ago, several
known bugs of that old version during normal file transfers vanished in
the new program, not to mention the performance gain.

[Ed. - Thanks for the comments.  They have been sent to the PRIME Kermit
developers.]

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 28 Sep 90 20:00:00 PDT
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Kermit REMOTE SET Command
Keywords: Kermit Protocol, Remote Set, Character Sets

I'd like to suggest a small extension to the Kermit remote set command.  As
you have it defined, the REMOTE SET TRANSFER CHARACTER-SET allows setting any
transfer alphabet that has a designator.  However, there is also the option
called TRANSPARENT or NONE, i.e. suppress translation completely.  Since that
option does not have a designator, one cannot set it.  I would like to have
some kind of extension to allow setting TRANSPARENT.  Perhaps we could invent
a designator, say, 0 (zero), or perhaps some other method to guarantee that
the TRANSPARENT setting does not conflict with any possible future designator.
We could perhaps invent a new registration, kermit (K), and have TRANSPARENT
be K0.

I came up with this problem while implementing translation in my kermit, but
for time reasons the remote set isn't going to make it into my next release,
so I'm not in a gigantic rush for this, but I'd like to resolve it.

[Ed. - This is actually a tricky situation.  The idea was that TRANSPARENT
should be the default, for compatibility with the hundreds of Kermit
programs that do not support the character-set extension.  Adding a new
designator to denote TRANSPARENT might confuse Kermits that don't understand
it, including Kermits that do support the character-set extension, if that
designator were to arrive in an Attribute packet.  Incoming files bearing
the new designator might be rejected because of "unknown character set" --
clearly undesirable behavior, avoidable perhaps by having the user SET
UNKNOWN CHARACTER-SET KEEP, but how to explain this to mere mortals?  So
far, it has been an implementation decision about whether character-set
changes based on incoming attribute packets are "sticky".  If they are, this
presents the problem that there is no way for a client to tell a server to
switch from translation to transparent.  So it would appear that a decent
compromise would be to invent a new designator, say K0, for TRANSPARENT, and
to support it in REMOTE SET TRANSFER CHARACTER-SET commands, but, at least
for a time, not use it in Attribute packets.  Opinions?]

By the way, the last info I have on remote set is dated 11 Dec 89.  Was there
anything later?

[Ed. - Three additional parameters were added in Vol 11 #4: REMOTE SET FILE
{ BLOCKSIZE, RECORD-LENGTH, RECORD-FORMAT }.  The details for RECORD-FORMAT
have not yet been worked out.]

The 11 Dec info has a minor problem in that file collision discard and ask
are both 4; I presume ask should be 5, to fit the pattern.

[Ed. - Right, ASK should be 5.  Thanks.]

Bruce Cowan
KEA Systems Ltd.

------------------------------

End of Info-Kermit Digest
*************************