CURRENT STATE OF MACINTOSH KERMIT

As of: Mon Dec 27 13:41:30 1993

The last formal release of Mac Kermit was 0.9(40) in 1988.  Unfortunately,
it does not work very well on newer Macintoshes or Systems.  However, newer
versions are reportedly too big for 512K Macs or below, so you'll have to
run 0.9(40) on these old models.

A great deal of work has been done on the program since 1988, but the result
(so far) is still not of release quality, though it is quite suitable for many
purposes.

The current pre-pre-release of Mac Kermit (still far from a final release) is
0.99(189), based on C-Kermit 5A(189).  It is available via anonymous FTP from
watsun.cc.columbia.edu [128.59.39.2], directory kermit/b.  A comprehensive
user manual will be published when the final release is complete.  Sorry, I
can't give any reasonable estimate about when that will be.  Watch Info-Kermit
(or comp.protocols.kermit, same thing) for further announcements.  You can
subscribe to the Info-Kermit Digest by sending email to LISTSERV@CUVMA.BITNET
(or LISTSERV@CUVMA.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU) containing the text:

  SUBSCRIBE I$KERMIT your-personal-name-here

Mac Kermit files, ftp in text mode:

  ckmker.hqx -- current prerelease of Mac Kermit in BinHex 4.0 format
  ckm0940.hqx - version 0.9(40) in BinHex 4.0 format
  ckmker.doc -- user documetation for 0.9(40), the previous release (1988)
  ckmker.ps  -- PostScript version of user documentation for 0.9(40)
  ckmker.bwr -- Notes about current prerelease
  ckmker.fon -- Notes about the new Mac Kermit terminal emulation font

and in the kermit/charsets directory:

  maclatin.* -- The new Mac Kermit font itself

You might also find an even newer development copy of Mac Kermit in the
kermit/test directory, also called ckmker.hqx (as of this writing, edit
190 is under development, and has several important fixes for Mac users).

The new release is being worked on, in fits and starts, by a widely scattered
group of volunteer programmers.  Progress is slow.

The most common complaints about 0.99(189) are:

 1. The print menu is dimmed (see below).
 2. Port selection is not saved in a Settings file.
 3. Problems with filenames during file transfer (hopefully fixed in edit 190).
 4. Poor (or broken) default mappings for some keys.
 5. Conflicts with INITs -- especially those concerned with fonts.
 6. You can't run two copies of Mac Kermit at the same time.
 7. Crashes reported on certain Mac models (PB100, SE30, LCIII)
    when certain features are used.

Read the ckmker.bwr ("beware file") for details.  Because Mac Kermit is
based on C-Kermit 5A, much of the material in "Using C-Kermit" applies,
especially to the command window (DIAL command, script programming language,
etc), even though the book does not discuss Mac Kermit explicitly.

  Frank da Cruz and Christine M. Gianone, "Using C-Kermit", Digital Press,
  Burlington, MA, 1993, 514 pages.

    Order Number: EY-J896E-DP
    Digital Press ISBN: 1-55558-108-0
    Prentice Hall ISBN: 0-13-037490-3

  US single-copy price: $34.95; quantity discounts available.  Available in
  computer bookstores or directly Columbia University:

    Kermit Development and Distribution
    Columbia University Academic Information Systems
    612 West 115th Street
    New York, NY  10025  USA
    Telephone: (USA) 212 854-3703

  Domestic and overseas orders accepted.  Price: $34.95 (US, Canada, and
  Mexico), $45 elsewhere.  Orders may be paid by MasterCard or Visa, or
  prepaid by check in US dollars.  Add $35 bank fee for checks not drawn on
  a US bank.  Price includes shipping.  Do not include sales tax.

Here is how printing currently works in Mac Kermit.  Everybody knows there is
a Print item in the File menu, but it is dimmed so you can't use it.  These
items become active when Mac Kermit's terminal emulator receives certain
escape sequences:

  ESC [ 5 i  (or)   ESC [ ? 5 i   --  Start capturing text for printer
  ESC [ 4 i  (or)   ESC [ ? 4 i   --  Stop capturing text for printer

After receiving the "printer off" sequence, the print items can be used.

These sequences are typically generated by a "PCPRINT" program.  Examples of
PCPRINT programs are available via anonymous from kermit.columbia.edu,
directory kermit/a:

  mspupc.sh   (A UNIX shell script)
  msvupc.com  (A VMS DCL command file)

There is also a TPRINT program for IBM mainframes running VM/CMS.

NOTE: As of edit 190, the Print menus have changed somewhat, but the operation
is substantially the same.  When transparent print material arrives, a box
appears on the screen saying "Capturing text to be printed", and when the
transparent print operation is complete, the "Print captured text" menu item
is activated.  There is a new "Print..." item which is undimmed at all times,
but apparently does not do anything.
