8bitfiles.net/archives/archives.tar/archives/compuserve-file-archive/12 C64 Telecom/MUTTRM.TXT

Text File | 2019-04-13 | 6.8 KB | 224 lines

This file is for each of you who bought
a Commodore 1660 modem (also known as
the MODEM/300) with the intention of
downloading programs from Compuserve.
Included with that modem is a nice
terminal program called Higgyterm.
When I first got my modem, I sat down
and tried to download some programs.
What I didn't know is that that version
of Higgyterm (there are others) is not
capable of downloading.

Fortunately, thanks to CHRISDOS, the
head honcho of the CB Special Interest
Group, it is possible for you to use a
simple BASIC program to download
"CBTERM", a first class full featured
terminal program with downloading
capabilities.

Now to drop the other shoe.  Because
the 1660 modem operates differently
from most modems, the program outlined
in BXD.TXT won't work for you as
written.  This file will tell you how
to modify AUTODIAL VICTERM (a program
on the disk included with the 1660) to
download "CBTERM", by adding a modified
version of BXD.BAS to it.

Be sure you also get CBTP1.DOC and
CBTP2.DOC, the instructions for using
CBTERM.  You can do this with Higgyterm
by opening the buffer, (R)eading the
file into it, and then saving the file
to disk.  Don't try to get both files
in the buffer at the same time.  This
documentation printed out at 17 pages
for me, and CBTERM has so many features
that you will need these files to take
advantage of it.

While I'm at it, I'll give you some
information that it took me a while to
figure out when I first got on
COMPUSERVE. eThe files you will be
looking at will usually be followed by
a period and a three letter code.  The
most common are .BIN, .IMG, .TXT, and
.DOC.

.BIN and IMG. files are programs, and
require an XMODEM or other terminal
program to download.  They are slightly
different, but if you use CBTERM you
don't have to worry about that.

.TXT and .DOC files are TEXT and
DOCUMENT files.  These are simply files
of written information, and the easiest
way to get them is to open your buffer
and (R)ead them at the prompt.

You'll find that files often come in
pairs, with PRGRM.DOC being the
instructions for using PRGRM.BIN or
PRGRM.IMG

But now back to the subject at hand.

In order to download CBTERM, first LOAD
VICTERM AUTODIAL from disk, but don't
RUN it.  Enter the following lines (and
you, too will be a programmer):


1190 OH=56577:HI=32:LO=255-32
2000 REM 1660 BOOTSTRAP DOWNLOADER
2010 PRINT"BOOTSTRAP XMODEM DOWNLOADER"
2011 PRINT"(C) 1985 BY CHRISDOS"
2020 DIM I%(132)
2030 ACK$=CHR$(6):NAK$=CHR$(21):EOT$=CHR$(4)
2040 OPEN8,8,8,"CBTERM,W,P"
2050 FORX=1TO25:GET#5,A$:NEXTX:PRINT#5,NAK$;
2060 GOSUB2100
2070 IFCK%<>I%(132)THENPRINT"CHECK SUM BAD":GOTO2050
2080 FORX=4TO131:PRINT#8,CHR$(I%(X));:NEXTX:GET#5,A$
2090 B=B+1:PRINT"BLOCK OK":PRINT#5,ACK$;:GOTO2060
2100 N=FRE(0):FORX=1TO132
2110 IFPEEK(667)=PEEK(668)GOTO2110
2120 GET#5,A$:I%(X)=ASC(A$+CHR$(0)):PRINT".";
2130 IFX=1ANDA$=EOT$THENCLOSE8:PRINT"DONE":PRINT#5,ACK$:STOP
2140 NEXTX:PRINT"HAVE BLOCK "B
2150 CK%=0:FORX=1TO131
2160 CK%=(CK%+I%(X))AND255:NEXTX:RETURN


Check your work carefully, and SAVE
this to disk with the name MUTTERM.
Actually you can call it anything you
want, but MUTTERM describes this
mongreliZed program nicely.  If you
decide to run the program to test it,
it will create a program title called
"CBTERM" on your disk.  Don't be
fooled.  There is no program there.
It's just a title.  Make sure you
scratch this program title before you
actually try to download the CBTERM
program (or the download won't work).

When the magic moment comes to get
CBTERM, LOAD and RUN "MUTTERM".  Put a
disk in your drive that does not have
"CBTERM" listed in its directory, and
has at least 49 blocks free.  Follow
the instructions in the 1660 User's
Manual for VICTERM READ to get onto
COMPUSERVE.  Having done that, follow
the menu prompts to CBIG and then to
Data Library 2 (DL2 - CB Technology).
Maneuver to CBT45.BIN and tell
COMPUSERVE you want to DOWnload that
program.  At the following prompt,
choose the XMODEM protocol.

You will next see the following prompt:

Starting XMODEM download.
Enter a carriage return when transfer
is complete.

When you see this, hit RUN/STOP
(unshifted!).  Then enter GOTO 2000 and
hit RETURN.  This will begin a
conversation between your computer and
COMPUSERVE's that will result in
"CBTERM" being SAVEd directly on your
disk.  You should immediately see a
series of dots appearing across your
screen, indicating that data is being
transferred.  If you don't see anything
for a minute, enter GOTO 2050 <RETURN>.
 Wait a minute and then repeat this
cycle a few times in hopes that you get
some results.  If you don't, well, bad
luck.  You don't have the terminal
program but you are no worse off than
you were before.

If things are going OK you will get
progress reports from your computer as
the download continues.  About every
20-30 seconds you should see "HAVE
BLOCK" followed by the number of blocks
of information that your computer has
received.  The screen will then display
either "BLOCK OK" OR "CHECK SUM BAD",
depending on whether the block was
accurately received.  If it was not
recieved properly, the computer will
try to get that block again.  Again, if
the program seems to stop running for
one minute, hit RUN/STOP and enter GOTO
2050 to try to get things going again.


The whole process of downloading CBTERM
involves transferring 95 blocks of
information and will take 15 to 20
minutes if you have no problems.  If
the download is succesful, the
following prompt will appear:

DONE.
BREAK IN 2130

Enter GOTO 200 to resume using AUTODIAL
VICTERM and then enter the <RETURN>
that COMPUSERVE asked you for at the
beginning of the download.  You can
then continue your visit to CBIG and
COMPUSERVE, or you can log off and
begin taking advantage of your new
terminal program.

Just in case you are like me, and you
can't wait to try out a new program,
here are some things you should know
about CBTERM and the 1660.  Load the
program with LOAD "CBTERM",8, and then
RUN it.  When the prompt "BAUD" comes
up, enter 3 (for 300).  When the first
screen comes up, hit the COMMODORE key
and the 5 key at the same time.  This
will set you up for Negative Dialing.
Next, hit the COMMODORE key and H (for
help) at the same time to see a list of
most of the commands to CBTERM.  If you
are adventurous, you will then have
enough information to use CBTERM to get
back online and grab some other
programs.  If you are less impetuous,
check out the documentation files
first.

Just some further information.  After
using CBTERM for a while, I downloaded
some other terminal programs from the
CBM programming SIG.  Some of them may
be excellent for other applications,
but I haven't found any program that is
better suited to working with
COMPUSERVE than CBTERM, and you can get
it here for free, courtesy of CHRISDOS.

BXD.BAS is (c) Chris Dunn, AKA
CHRISDOS, and is quoted here by
permission.


             Geoff Sjostrom
               72207,2026