7-Nov-89 0:24:39-GMT,26407;000000000001 Return-Path: Received: from cunixc.cc.columbia.edu by watsun.cc.columbia.edu (5.59/FCB) id AA06601; Mon, 6 Nov 89 19:24:36 EST Received: from watsun.cc.columbia.edu by cunixc.cc.columbia.edu (5.59/FCB) id AA09219; Mon, 6 Nov 89 19:21:56 EST Received: by watsun.cc.columbia.edu (5.59/FCB) id AA06546; Mon, 6 Nov 89 19:20:10 EST Sender: Frank da Cruz Date: Mon, 6 Nov 89 19:20:09 EST From: Christine M Gianone To: Info-Kermit@watsun.cc.columbia.edu Subject: Info-Kermit Digest V10 #4 Reply-To: Info-Kermit@watsun.cc.columbia.edu Queries-To: Info-Kermit-Request@WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU Message-Id: Info-Kermit Digest Mon, 6 Nov 1989 Volume 10 : Number 4 Departments: ANNOUNCEMENTS - Announcing IBM Mainframe MVS/TSO Kermit-370 Version 4.1.005 Announcing Apple II Kermit Version 3.86 Announcing Kermit-12 Version 10f Minor Release of Commodore Kermit KERMIT PROTOCOL - Proposed Modification to "Set Warning" MOS-DOS KERMIT - MS-DOS Printer Drivers Needed MS-DOS Kermit Losing Characters at 19200 bps MS-DOS Kermit Losing Characters with KEYB Drivers MISCELLANY - Kermit over Ethernet Kermit File Transfers on DECstation 3100 Problems with Kermit for the DECsystem-10 DECsystem-10 Kermit Macro Source Problem Kermit Bootstrapping 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, WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU, a SUN-4/280 running UNIX (SUNOS 4.0), IP host number 128.59,39.2. 128.59.40.130. Login as user anonymous (note, lower case), any password, and GET or MGET the desired files. The Kermit files are in directories kermit/a, kermit/b, kermit/c, kermit/d, and kermit/e. You can also get Kermit files over BITNET/EARN; 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: Wed, 1989 Oct 11 20:44 EDT From: "John F. Chandler" Subject: Announcing IBM Mainframe MVS/TSO Kermit-370 Version 4.1.005 Keywords: IBM 370 Kermit, MVS/TSO Kermit, TSO Kermit This is to announce the release of Kermit-370 version 4.1.005 for TSO. This version is comparable to the recently released 4.1.005 for CMS. Version 4.1.005 has several improvements over 4.1.004. 1. The common storage has been rearranged slightly to remain within the 4K addressibility limit. 2. A new, separate error condition is recognized when Kermit-TSO receives a "packet" containing no start-of-packet character. The old response was the somewhat misleading "Bad packet count or checksum." 3. There is now provision for an accounting exit routine to be called after completion of each batch of SEND or RECEIVE. A sample routine is available as IKCACT ASM (for CMS) and may be adapted to specific needs. Since the exit routine is optional, you must explicitly load it with Kermit in the linkage editor. The appropriate JCL has been added to (but commented out) the installation job in IKTKER.INS. 4. The installation batch job has also been updated to include the REUS option on the LKED step, so that TTY-mode timeouts will work on MVS/XA systems. Also, conditional execution is now specified on the assembly and link-editing steps to minimize the repercussions of any errors in setting up the job. 5. Perhaps most interestingly, Kermit-TSO now recognizes a syntax for sending partial files by line numbers. The syntax is SEND filespec where "filespec" is any valid file specification, "n" is the first line to send, and "m" is the last. There must be no blank between the file name and the "<". Either "n" or "m" may be omitted (the default is the start or end of the file, respectively), and the hyphen may be left off as well if "m" is omitted. The same syntax may be used in a GET request (or, in many cases, a REMOTE TYPE request) through a micro Kermit talking to a Kermit-TSO server. Many thanks to the beta-testers, who put the new version through its paces and helped in identifying weaknesses in the implementation. There are two updates that were not included in this release because of inconclusive test results. The first was designed to correct the problem of Kermit failing to executed a migrated KERMINI file, and the second to enable Kermit to recognize dataset modification dates maintained by the ASM2 package. Anyone interested in testing these should send a note to John Chandler . [Ed. - And many thanks to you, John! The new files are installed in the Kermit Distribution "B" area, kermit/b/ikt* on watsun for anonymous ftp access, and on KERMSRV@CUVMA as IKT* * for BITNET access.] ------------------------------ Date: Tue Oct 31 19:04:55 1989 From: Christine M Gianone Subject: Announcing Apple II Kermit Version 3.86 Keywords: Apple II Kermit 3.86, ProDOS This is to announce Apple II Kermit Version 3.86 for Apple II DOS and ProDOS, which replaces version 3.85 of January 1989, from Ted Medin, MEDIN-T@SHARK.NOSC.MIL. The major changes include: 1. ProDos QUIT is fixed 2. VT-100 emulation bug fixes 3. The program now works on the Apple//c+ now works 4. Blinking cursor when connected 5. Connect escape menu now has MODEM and QUIT added 6. Better handling of illegal characters in received filenames 7. Wildcard file transfer SEND no longer misses files 8. New installation procedure 9. New Apple Cat serial card driver 10. New file management commands LOCK, UNLOCK, and RENAME added 11. GET & SEND commands now allow two filespecs so one can change the name 12. Revised documentation, available in both ASCII and Postcript form The changes are listed in more detail in the file APPAAA.NEW, along with credits to those who supplied new code, reported bugs, and so forth, including Ralph Carpenter, Les Ferch, Steve Kunz, Klaus Schnathmeier, and Dick Wotiz. The new files are in app*.* in the various Kermit Distribution "A" areas, and can be ordered on Kermit Tape A. Many thanks to Ted for his continued efforts in developing and supporting this program. ------------------------------ Date: 05-October-1989 From: lasner@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner) Subject: Announcing Kermit-12 Version 10f Keywords: PDP-8, PDP-12, VT-78, VT-278, DECmate, OS/8 Xref: DEC PDP, See PDP This is to announce the release and availability of a highly revamped KERMIT program for the complete family of Digital Equipment Corporation 12-bit computers, known as KERMIT-12 (or K12MIT), Ver. 10f. Unlike its predecessors (K08MIT and K278, upon which it is partially based, as well as prior versions of KERMIT-12), KERMIT-12, as now distributed, will run on any PDP-8 model (8, Linc-8, 8/i, 8/l, 8/e, 8/f, 8/m, 8/a), PDP-12, VT-78, or DECmate (VT-278, aka DECmate I, DECmate II, DECmate III, DECmate III-plus) under any OS/8 family member operating system. Proper operation is accomplished automatically. Companion utilities are provided to deal with "ASCII-fied" binary files in ENCODE format (a mechanism designed by Charles Lasner and Frank da Cruz as a proposed successor to BOO format); ENCODE format has been employed to distribute the binary portion of this release of KERMIT-12. Due to the myriad port requirements of the various models, conditional parameters have been provided in the source (as well as a separate patching file) for models prior to DECmate I. The program auto-configures for all models of DECmate; parameters are available to select the DECmate ports (DP278, communications, printer, etc.) where applicable. Many improvements have been provided to get this KERMIT "up to speed" relative to other KERMITs. KERMIT-12 has been tested successfully with many KERMIT implementations and will run at the maximum baud rate (and sometimes beyond the DEC-stated limit!) of the relevant interface. Any console terminal configuration acceptable to OS/8, etc. can be used at any baud rate as long as local flow-control protocol is obeyed; remote flow control can be disabled at console speeds higher than the remote line rate. Connect mode I/O is fully ring-buffered in all directions with local flow control always enabled for all console terminal operations. (This should satisfy all console terminal requirements ranging from 110-baud teletypes to built-in 350-Kbaud VT-220 emulators, since any of the gamut of these ASCII terminals could be the system console terminal for any of the KERMIT-12 supported computer configurations!). KERMIT-12 will run anywhere OS/8 does, so it runs on any perfect look-alike suitably configured. Some known compatibles are: - TPA made in Hungary, this machine is an 8/l except for the silkscreened letters which are Magyar, not English. - Fabritek MP-12 - Intersil Intercept - Pacific CyberMetrix PCM-12 - Digital Computer Controls DCC-112 and DCC-112H - Computer Extensions CPU-8 (a drop-in replacement for the 8/e or 8/a cpu for a PDP-8/A-400 or -600 hex-wide box) - Computer Extensions SBC-8 (a single-board computer -8 compatible based on the 6120 like a DECmate, but compatible with -8 peripherals, not DECmate peripherals; it also supports up to 16 comm ports) Various emulators are available for PDP-10, 15 and the IBM-PC which will also support KERMIT-12 if suitably configured. Distribution files are available from CUCCA. Testing is under way for some of the more obscure configurations (e.g., DECmate III with comm port); volunteers are welcome for this task. The author can provide copies to interested parties on virtually all of the popular PDP-8 media on a time-available basis. [Ed. - Many thanks, Charles! The files are in Kermit Distribution area D with prefix K12, and the previous PDP-8 versions having prefixes K08 and K278 have been retired. Internet users may ftp the files as kermit/d/k12*, and BITNET users can get them from KERMSRV at CUVMA as K12* *.] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 10 Aug 89 17:47:01 EST From: ray@maxwell.physics.purdue.edu (Ray Moody) Subject: Minor Release of Commodore Kermit Keywords: Commodore 64 Kermit Commodore Kermit has been upgraded from version 2.2(70) to 2.2(73). We have decided to only increment the minor revision number because we have only changed three bytes! One byte fixes a bug in the parser that caused it to claim that a valid command was unrecognizable when ESC was pushed. Another byte fixes a timing problem where some C64s would not be able to operate with some 1200 baud modems. (And, of course, this bug never happens on a C128 running in C64 compatibility mode, which I used to test things. Sigh). The third byte changes the minor revision number to 73. If you have Commodore Kermit 2.2(70), you can upgrade without downloading anything as follows: 1. Turn on/reset machine (into C-64 mode if on a C-128). 2. Type: LOAD "KERMIT",8 3. Type: POKE 3393,32 POKE 19930,51 POKE 26539,29 4. Type: SAVE "@0:KERMIT",8 Ray [Ed. - Thanks Ray. The updated source and hex files have now replaced the old ones in the Kermit Distribution "A" areas on watsun and CUVMA. Commodore 64/128 Kermit files are prefixed as C64*.*.] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Oct 89 16:07:38 -0500 From: Gregg Wonderly Subject: Proposed Modification to "Set Warning" Keywords: Kermit Protocol, WARNING I would like to propose that the "set warning" command be phased out in favor of a new set of commands, namely the commands: set file exists replace set file exists rename set file exists skip set file exists ask These commands would be added to kermit implementations wishing to have all of these features. The first two eliminate the need for "set file warning" (which is not really a warning). The behavior of the first two are equivalent to "set file warning off" and "set file warning on" respectively. The second two would extend KERMIT in the following way. When "set file exists skip" is in effect, the KERMIT requesting a file via a GET or RECEIVE would answer the "F" packet with an "X" packet when the file specified in the "F" packet already exists on the requesting machine. It would then move to a state which would ignore subsequent "D" packets thus throwing away the file if the sending KERMIT did not understand "file cancel" (the worse case which would only happen in very limited KERMITS). This would allow a GET command involving wild cards to be restarted at the point that it failed due to transmission failures. When "set file exists ask" is in effect, the above behavior is controlled by the answer to a prompt that is issued to the user. A positive acknowledgement (perhaps just pressing the y key or y and return) would cause the file to be transfered, and negative acknowledgement from the user would cause the file to be "skipped". Of course the prompt could ask the question in such a way as to reverse this logic. I have implemented this in C-Kermit with no real problems. It comes in very handy for the case that I described above with wild cards. Comments? gregg.g.wonderly@att.com (AT&T Bell Laboratories, or ihlpb!gregg) [Ed. - Good ideas, Gregg. We've actually been considering adding them, in some form, to the protocol for some time. In fact, you may have noticed something called SET FILE SUPERSEDE in the Kermit book. But better to combine all this behavior within a single SET FILE command as you suggest. Look for a proposal in the next Info-Kermit.] ------------------------------ Date: Mon Nov 6 16:12:36 1989 From: Christine M Gianone Subject: MS-DOS Printer Drivers Needed Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit Printer Support For inclusion with MS-DOS Kermit 3.0, to be announced for beta testing within about a month, we need public domain (or copyright but freely sharable, like Kermit itself) printer drivers: - A serial printer driver that does Xon/Xoff flow control with the printer. - Graphics printer drivers that will reproduce Kermit's Tektronix graphics screens on various kinds of printers (we currently have one of these, for the EGA/Epson combination). - Text printer drivers that convert between IBM PC special characters in various code pages (particularly the European accented vowels, etc) and the character sets of various printers (like Epson, etc). If you have any programs like this and can contribute them in source-code form, please contact me directly. Thank you. ------------------------------ Date: Friday, 17 February 1989 04:33-MST From: enea!kullmar!pkmab!ske@uunet.uu.net (Kristoffer Eriksson) Subject: MS-DOS Kermit Losing Characters at 19200 bps Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit Performance In article <943@starfish.Convergent.COM>, cdold@starfish.Convergent.COM (Clarence Dold) writes: > From article <667@pkmab.se>, by ske@pkmab.se (Kristoffer Eriksson): >> When I use MS-kermit (ver 2.3*) at 19200 bps on an ALR 386/220 or at >> 9600 bps on a Compaq Deskpro 286, and type anything at the same time >> as I receive something, kermit beeps at me and loses received characters. > > If you are running UNIX, make sure that stty -a returns ixon ixoff -ixany. > The default on our systems is -ixoff ixany, the result being that > when Kermit gives an XOFF, your next keystroke is seen as IXANY, and turns > the flow back on. My principal use of MS-Kermit is indeed for connecting to UNIX systems. And indeed I usually use ixon -ixoff ixany. But I've tried your advice now, and it didn't help at all. I made some more extensive tests, and found that Kermit starts beeping and losing characters almost immediately when I type anything while output is going on to the screen, but starts emitting xoff's much later. (I do have flow control set to xon/xoff in Kermit.) I even lose characters when there are less-than-one-line bursts of output with pauses in between (and I type heavily), in which case Kermit couldn't possibly need flow control. The problem occurs when I use 19200baud on a 24 * 80 screen. It also occurs when I use kermit at 9600 on a 24 * 132 screen. In Tektronix mode, no UART overruns occur, indicating that Kermit can handle these high speeds with flow control. My diagnosis was more or less confirmed when I tried to use Procomm 2.4.2. Same problem there. Casper H.S. Dik University of Amsterdam | dik@uva.uucp The Netherlands | ...!uunet!mcvax!uva!dik [From jrd - The real problem is the keyboard code in the Bios (plus any interceptors) which is turning off interrupts far too long on each keystroke. Look for electronic keyclickers and shut them off completely. My early model DELL 310 has such and loses characters. The beep is my indication that one or more characters have arrived at the serial port with none being removed, an overrun condition; beep replaces the lost character(s). With key clicking off there is no problem operating at very high speeds (> 38400 baud).] ------------------------------ Date: Tuesday, 21 February 1989 14:57-MST From: mcvax!kth!enea!kullmar!pkmab!ske@uunet.uu.net (Kristoffer Eriksson) Subject: MS-DOS Kermit Losing Characters with KEYB Drivers Keywords: MS-DOS KEYB Drivers I have discovered that this character-loss problem occurs when I use a KEYB to remap the keyboard layout for our national requirements. When I use plain US keyboard layout, Kermit doesn't beep, and doesn't lose characters. I usually use the Swedish layout (obviously because I live in Sweden, and have Swedish key-caps). The command is KEYB SV (except for directory names), and I use MSDOS 3.30. I've also tried the UK layout. It had the same problem. The US layout on the other hand, works fine, and it doesn't matter how I get to it. I can switch to it by hitting CTRL-ALT-F1, or load it with the command KEYB US, och just not load the Swedish layout. Does anyone know why KEYB has this undesirable effect? I still think that not even all users that do use KEYB have this problem. Why? Are they just fortunate enough to have a 16550 on their serial port? (That is not likely, I think.) Kristoffer Eriksson, Peridot Konsult AB, Hagagatan 6, S-703 40 Oerebro, Sweden Phone: +46 19-13 03 60 ! e-mail: ske@pkmab.se Fax: +46 19-11 51 03 ! or ...{uunet,mcvax}!enea!kullmar!pkmab!ske [From jrd - Yes, the keyboard helpers of DOS have code which turns off interrupts for very long intervals, for each keystroke. The effect has been noted in a number of countries. Reports from the UK indicate that some vendors are providing improved helpers which eliminate the problem. There is no clear reason why that code needs to turn off interrupts at all, and the same code has probably been used in all the CodePage keyboard routines.] [Ed. - There must be something different between the USA and Sweden. If we give the DOS command KEYB SV,850 on US-model PC/ATs or PS/2s running DOS 3.30, Kermit 2.32/A works perfectly. So perhaps Swedish DOS is not the same as USA DOS???] ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 6 Oct 89 11:33 EDT From: "Vivek Khindria HSC-2D2 x2676 C.S.U." Subject: Kermit over Ethernet Keywords: Ethernet, MS-DOS Kermit Network Support We use a package from Beame and Whiteside (Canadian) that allows serial communication to be redirected across Ethernet via TCP/IP. One version works with any serial communication package. But you need to put a loopback plug on the serial port. The other version of this software works the communication packages that use INT14. The workstation need not even have a serial port. The program will respond to all HAYES commands...ATH...ATZ etc.. We are very happy with this package. If you need more info send me an email note. Vivek Khindria@HSCvax.McMaster.CA Faculty of Health Sciences McMaster University Hamilton, Ontario Canada ------------------------------ Date: 1 Sep 89 18:39:14 GMT From: rr@csuna.cs.uh.edu (Ravindran Ramachandran) Subject: Kermit File Transfers on DECstation 3100 Keywords: C-Kermit for DECstation 3100, DECstation Has anyone got C-Kermit running on a DecStation 3100, and been able to send very large files from a PC connected to a DecServer port? Or even a Mac on the DecServer line? I've been struggling with it for a while now. I'm able to send to my VMS machine without any trouble, but the RISC/ULTRIX combination keeps getting timed out. I used the Kermit from Columbia, and did a 'make bsd' to get my executables. I am able to send files from my DecStations to the PC, but not the reverse. Could this be because the RISC machines are much faster? Is there any way to control this? The message that I get when it times out is, Unable to receive an acknowledgment from the host -- Ravi. [Ed. - The problem is most likely in your DECserver. You may have to configure it so that its input and output buffers are BOTH big enough to hold the largest Kermit packets you are trying to send. 100 would be a good number, use a bigger number if you are using long packets. You should also try to vary the flow control settings (Xon/Xoff -- turn it off if it is on, or vice versa). Most people have reported success with C-Kermit on the new DECstations, but that has been with the new, as-yet-unreleased version that you can find in ~kermit/test on watsun.] ------------------------------ Date: 09/26 23:57:35 From: Mike Freeman Subject: Problems with Kermit for the DECsystem-10 Keywords: DECsystem-10 Kermit PROBLEM: .SET WATCH FILES .R KERMIT [FL21: DSKD0:KERMIT.INI[5,34]] [FL21: DSKE0:KERMIT.INI[10,50]] ? ?Illegal UUO at user PC 434262 . DIAGNOSIS: The fix in K10MIT.BWR for the problem encountered when TAKEing files after INI:KERMIT.INI has been read but no KERMIT.INI exists in the user's PPN caused Kermit to become confused when a KERMIT.INI *did* exist in the user's PPN after INI:KERMIT.INI had been read. CURE: (see K10MIT.BWR) PROBLEM: When Parity is set to None and the Block-check-type is set to 3-Character-CRC-CCITT, binary file transfers between Kermit-10 and Kermit running on microcomputers either fail or are incorrect. DIAGNOSIS: In the module K10MSG.BLI, in the routine CALC_BLOCK_CHECK which calculates the block-check for a character-string, in the code for THE case in which the 3-Character-CRC-CCITT is used, there is an IF-clause which specifies the circumstances in which only seven bits of each eight-bit character are to be used in the Block-check calculation. As distributed, high-order bits of characters are to be ignored when Parity None is in effect. This is incorrect. The high-order bit of each character should be ignored when Parity is set to anything but None. CURE: In the module K10MSG.BLI, in the routine CALC_BLOCK_CHECK, in the 3-Character case, change the EQL in the IF-clause to a NEQ. (see K10MIT.BWR) Please return mail to me via with the subject "dec10%bpa". Mike Freeman, Bonneville Power Administration Vancouver WA, Telephone (206)690-2307 [Ed. - Thanks, Mike. The full text of your message, and the FILCOMs (diffs) have been added to the file K10MIT.BWR in the Kermit Distribution "B" areas.] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 12 Oct 89 09:58:59 EDT From: "C. BACON" Subject: DECsystem-10 Kermit Macro Source Problem Keywords: DECsystem-10 Kermit At some point, K10MIT.MAC apparently went through a filter someplace which wrapped lines to about 80 characters, apparently always at a "grammatically acceptable" character position, like a space or punctuation. The result was a field day for MACRO-10's error reporter. A very few of these wraps were of strings which didn't raise an error, including at least one "(-1)" which was at the end of a macro invocation. I can easily find all those which raised assembler errors, but I don't know about some which might not. The funny part is that I have discovered some lines > 80 characters long; I wonder if they were added after the wrap disaster. If so, that would suggest modifications to the code were made without the result being completely recompiled!! Of course I thank everyone concerned, yourself, Dan Norstedt, and the Kermit project at CUCCA, for helping us keep the DECsystem-10 people happy. More later... If I can get K10 built, should I send K10MIT.MAC and any others which appear to have been similarly wrapped? Of course I'll send them by Unix mail, not Bitnet! Chuck Bacon, aka CRB@NIHCUDEC or crtb@alw.nih.gov [Ed. - Chuck, by all means try to put together a working version. Also, note the message immediately above.] ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 11 Oct 89 17:44:47 GMT From: kodak!ektools!kadsma!fuller@cs.rochester.edu (Bill Fuller) Subject: Kermit Bootstrapping I have been told that there is a small program that you can type in on a system that will allow you to asynch over a full version of Kermit. Has anyone heard of this micro-kermit code? If so, does anyone know where I could get it? Thanks in advance, Bill Fuller [Ed. - The Kermit book, pp.186-188, lists a "baby Kermit" program in BASIC for the IBM PC, which you can type in. For raw capture without protocol, you can use methods that are listed or described in many places, depending upon what kind of computer you have. For example, the procedure for CP/M is given in detail in the CP/M Kermit User Guide.] ------------------------------ End of Info-Kermit Digest *************************