Date: 19 Sep 1986 2127-EDT
From: "Bernie AT&T:617-467-5664 LDP Workstations" <EIBEN@MARLBORO.DEC.COM>
Subject: VMS file attributes and KERMIT

With a 'little bit' of trickery it's possible to send any file from VMS to
any other system and back to VMS.

Single files :
Use LZCOMP/LZDECOMP {base language C - an implementation of Lempel-Ziv-
        Welch compression} in {non-portable} VMS-specific mode.
        In this mode RMS-attributes are carried and reestablished
        at decompression. Use KERMIT to move the file.

Collection of files :
Use VMS BACKUP to generate a single 'Backup' save-set and then

        a. LZCOMP/LZDECOMP {see above}

or      b. VMSBAK.BAS {source language BASIC} to 'restructure' the blocking
           of the save-set to KERMIT's 512 bytes fixed records. Then
           use KERMIT to move and VMSBAK again to de-block back to original
           blocking {restriction - original blocking has to be multiple of
           512!!.

.. last {but not least}
single and multiple files

        Use Stevens Institute's VMSHEX and VMSDEH {source language MACRO} -
        and transmit the resultant 'hexified' files via KERMIT. This method
        (although the oldest) will generate the largest files for trans-
        mission via KERMIT and could therefore be the slowest one.

BTW 'standard' VMS executables can also be 'moved' by telling the
'receiving' KERMIT 'SET FILE TYPE FIXED'. However the above three 'choices'
will work in all cases - since LZCOMPRESS, BACKUP and VMSHEX all include RMS
file descriptors in the encoded file and reconstitute same.

[Ed. - Thanks, Bernie!  The VMSBAK.BAS program was already in the Kermit
distribution, and now the LZW-compression programs have also been added, as
KER:VMSLZ*.*; the file KER:VMSLZ.HLP explains the organization and contents
of the files.  The programs are written in C, and may be compiled under
VAX/VMS with VAX-11 C, on PDP-11s with DECUS C, or under Unix.  Thanks to
Martin Minow of DEC for adapting 'compress' to the DEC operating systems.]