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 Info-Kermit@WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU, requests for addition to or deletion from the Info-Kermit subscriber list to Info-Kermit-Request@WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU or to KERMIT@CUVMA.BITNET. 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: dreano@trout.nosc.mil (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 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" 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: agb@cs.washington.edu (Alan Bishop) Subject: OS/2 PM Kermit Feedback Keywords: OS/2 Kermit, Modems In article 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" 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: Tshapin@orion.oac.uci.edu 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 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: ts@uwasa.fi (Timo Salmi LASK) Subject: Using MS-DOS Kermit 3.0 with MNP Modems Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit, Scripts, MNP Modems In article <1990Sep09.012634.22430@ddsw1.MCS.COM> andyross@ddsw1.MCS.COM (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: ts@chyde.uwasa.fi Funet: gado::salmi Bitnet: salmi@finfun ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 20 Sep 90 17:41 MDT From: Pete Klammer 303/556-3915 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 (303)556-3915 FAX(303)556-4822|pklammer@cudnvr.Denver.Colorado.EDU 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: david@wubios.wustl.edu (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.] david@wubios.wustl.edu ^ Mr. David J. Camp david%wubios@wugate.wustl.edu < * > +1 314 382 0584 ...!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 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: harms@emx.utexas.edu (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 harms@emx.utexas.edu [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: WAGNER@atlas.smc.univie.ac.at 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. wagner@atlas.smc.univie.ac.at (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: Bruce_A._Cowan@cc.sfu.ca 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 *************************