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EXPLORER KERMIT USER GUIDE
Brian Carb
Unisys Corporation
and
Steve Ford
Texas Instruments Incorporated
January 21, 1987
Copyright (c) 1987 Unisys Corporation
Copyright (c) 1987 Texas Instruments Incorporated
AN ADDENDUM TO
KERMIT USER GUIDE
Sixth Edition, Revision 2
Frank da Cruz, editor
Columbia University Center for Computing Activities
New York, New York 10027
May 26, 1986
Copyright (C) 1981,1986
Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York
Permission is granted to any individual or institution to use, copy,
or redistribute this document so long as it is not sold for profit, and
provided this copyright notice is retained.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-i
Table of Contents
Introduction A-1
1. The Explorer File System A-2
1.1. Text Files and Binary Files A-3
2. Program Operation A-4
3. Remote Operation A-7
4. Interference A-7
5. Explorer Kermit Commands A-7
5.1. Get File(s) A-8
5.2. Receive File(s) A-10
5.3. Send File(s) A-11
5.4. Bye A-13
5.5. Finish A-13
5.6. Set Parameters A-13
5.6.1. Image Mode A-14
5.6.2. Debug Mode A-14
5.6.3. More Processing A-14
5.6.4. Maximum tries A-14
5.6.5. Maximum packet size A-14
5.6.6. Timeout seconds A-15
5.6.7. Number of pad characters A-15
5.6.8. Padding character A-15
5.6.9. EOL character A-15
5.6.10. Quote character A-15
5.6.11. Filename conversion A-16
5.6.12. Save partial files A-16
5.6.13. Reset parameters A-16
5.7. Begin Logging A-16
5.8. End Logging A-17
5.9. Server Mode A-17
5.10. Remote Commands A-17
5.10.1. Remote Copy A-17
5.10.2. Remote CWD A-18
5.10.3. Remote Delete A-19
5.10.4. Remote Directory A-19
5.10.5. Remote Help A-20
5.10.6. Remote Host A-20
5.10.7. Remote Kermit A-21
5.10.8. Remote Rename A-21
5.10.9. Remote Set A-22
5.10.10. Remote Show A-22
5.10.11. Remote Space A-23
5.10.12. Remote Type A-23
6. Installation of Explorer Kermit A-24
7. Known Deficiencies A-24
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-1
Introduction
Explorer Kermit is a program that implements the Kermit file transfer protocol
for the Explorer system available from Texas Instruments Incorporated and Unisys
Corporation. This implementation was developed as a joint effort between the two
companies. It is written in Common Lisp and runs on Explorers running TI
Software Release 2.0 or 2.1, or Unisys Software Release 2.0.1 or 2.1.1. This
implementation has been successfully tested in conjunction with Kermit
implementations for Unisys OS 1100, DEC Vax, DEC 2060, and Unisys 5000/50
Systems, and Unisys and IBM PCs (KERMIT-MS).
This document describes the things you should know about the Explorer file system
in order to make effective use of Kermit, and the special features of the
Explorer Kermit program. Installation instructions are included at the end.
The following list indicates which Kermit capabilities are available with
Explorer Kermit.
Local operation: Yes
Remote operation: Yes
Transfers text files: Yes
Transfers binary files: Yes
Wildcard send: Yes
File transfer interruption: Yes
Filename collision avoidance: Yes
Timeouts: Yes
8th-bit prefixing: Yes
Repeat character compression: Yes
Alternate block check types: Yes
Communication settings: Yes
Transmit BREAK: Yes
IBM mainframe communication: Yes
Terminal emulation: Yes (VT100)
Support for dialout modems: Yes
Transaction logging: Yes
Session logging: Yes
Debug logging: Yes
Raw transmit: Yes
Login scripts: Yes
Act as server: Yes
Talk to server: Yes
Advanced commands for servers: Most
Local file management: Yes
Command/init files: Yes
Handle file attributes: No
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-2
1. The Explorer File System
The features of the Explorer file system of greatest interest to Kermit users
are the form of the file specifications, and the distinctions between text and
binary files.
Explorer file specifications are of the form: HOST:DIRECTORY;NAME.TYPE#VERSION
HOST, if omitted, defaults to the local machine, DIRECTORY defaults to the
logged-on user's directory, and VERSION defaults to > (latest). NAME.TYPE should
normally be provided, since the defaults may be difficult to predict.
The host, directory, name, and type fields may contain any ASCII character,
except control characters (like the carriage return). The fields of the file
specification are set off from one another by the punctuation indicated above.
Explorer Kermit transmits the pathname as specified by the user to the target
system, including host, device, and directory components. If the target system
cannot handle all full pathnames, the user should only specify what can be
handled. Explorer Kermit attempts to parse full pathnames sent to it, but they
must be in legal Explorer format.
The name is the primary identifier for the file. The type is an indicator
which, by convention, tells what kind of file we have. For instance FOO.LISP is
the source of a Lisp program named FOO; FOO.XFASL might be the object file
produced by compiling FOO.LISP; FOO.TEXT might be a text file documenting FOO.
The Explorer allows a group of files to be specified in a single file
specification by including the special "wildcard" character, "*". A "*" matches
any string of characters, including no characters at all. Here are some
examples:
*.LISP All files of type LISP in the default directory.
FOO.* Files of all types with name FOO.
F*.* All files whose names start with F.
F*X*.* All files whose names start with F and contain at least one X.
Wildcard notation is used on many computer systems in similar ways, and it is
the mechanism most commonly used to instruct Kermit to send a group of files.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-3
1.1. Text Files and Binary Files
The Explorer, like most computers, has a file system with its own peculiari-
ties. Like many other systems, the Explorer makes a distinction between text
files and binary files. Text files are generally those composed only of
printing characters (letters, digits, and punctuation) and "carriage control"
characters (carriage return, line feed, form feed, tab). Text files are
designed to be read by people. Binary files are designed to be read by a
computer program, and may contain any contents at all. If you view a text file
in the Explorer's ZMACS editor, the result will be intelligible. If you view a
binary file, you will probably see gibberish. You can not always tell a text
file from a binary file by its name or directory information, although, in
general, files with types like .TEXT, .DOC, .HELP are textual (as are "source
files" for computer programs like text formatters and programming language
compilers), and files with types like .XFASL, .QFASL, and
.XLD are binary.
The Explorer has a 32-bit word size. It stores text in 8-bit bytes. It uses a
modified ASCII character set that is extended by use of the 8th bit and has most
control characters in non-standard positions. When transferring textual
information via Kermit, the non-standard characters are converted to standard
ASCII. When transferring binary files (8-bit or 16-bit), Image Mode is provided
to override the ASCII translations.
The minimum unit of disk allocation on the Explorer is a page: 256 32-bit words,
or 512 16-bit bytes, or 1024 8-bit bytes. Any file that contains at least one
bit of information occupies at least a full page on the disk. The directory
information for a file includes the number of pages occupied on the disk, the
number of bytes in the file and the size of those bytes, the date and time the
file was created, and the author. This information can be seen by using the
Explorer DIRED command. For instance:
(dired "D:KERMIT;*.*")
D: KERMIT; *.*#*
Free=16551, Reserved=47, Used=13402 (172 pages used in KERMIT;)
171 blocks in files listed
-READ-ME-.TXT #7 5 4531(8) ! 09/24/86 10:48:01 KERMIT
DEFSYSTEM.LISP #13 1 507(8) ! 08/21/86 12:10:52 KERMIT
KERMIT.LISP #276 92 93681(8) ! 07/19/86 19:06:58 KERMIT
KERMIT.XFASL #276 42 21099(16) ! 07/19/86 19:18:43 KERMIT
MAKE-KERMIT.LISP #2 1 122(8) ! 07/19/86 18:25:00 KERMIT
SERIAL-TELNET.LISP #48 16 15902(8) ! 09/25/86 12:11:03 KERMIT
SERIAL-TELNET.XFASL #48 14 7037(16) ! 09/25/86 12:11:24 KERMIT
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-4
In this example, MAKE-KERMIT.LISP#2 occupies 1 page, and is composed of 122
8-bit bytes. This file is textual (a LISP source file), and 122 characters
long. Although this file occupies an entire 1024-byte page of storage, any
Explorer program which accesses this file, including Explorer Kermit, only deals
with the first 122 characters.
2. Program Operation
There are two ways to invoke Explorer Kermit; interactively, via the VT100
Terminal Emulator, or programmatically, via the KERMIT:KERMIT Lisp Function.
To invoke Explorer Kermit interactively:
Instantiate a new VT100 Emulator with a <SYSTEM> <CTRL>-V key sequence.
After the prompt "VT100. Connect to host:", type PORT <RETURN>.
Configure the Explorer's serial port by selecting the proper parameters from the
menu. Select DO IT with the mouse.
Either select AUTODIAL with the mouse from the menu beneath the VT100 window,
and fill in your autodial modem's prefix and the destination host's phone
number, or dial-up your host manually.
Once a carrier is established, a <RETURN> generally gets the attention of the
host. Login to the host as you normally would.
Once you have established a session with the host, the easiest way to use
Explorer Kermit is to put the other host in Kermit server mode, and control all
file transfer from the Explorer end by selecting Kermit from the menu below the
VT100 window. When you do, a menu pops up containing the various Kermit
commands. Each entry is documented at the bottom of the screen when the mouse is
over it. Select the appropriate one with the mouse and supply the additional
information requested.
A status window is displayed over the VT100 window so that the progress of your
request can be monitored. The rate of transfer in characters per second is
displayed in two forms; the first counts all packeted characters sent, including
packet headers and trailers required by the protocol, and the second counts the
data characters from the file processed by Kermit. Although the latter is
generally slower than the former, it could be faster if prefix encoding for
repeated characters is used. The operation being executed, the original and new
file names, the total number of packets processed, and the number of packet
resends required for this operation are also displayed. As always on the
Explorer, the progress of file transfers can be monitored at the character count
and percentage levels in the status line at the extreme lower right corner of the
screen. ABORT or ABORT-SAVE with the mouse will abort your request. When your
request is complete, a message so indicating is displayed in the window. To
return to terminal emulation, press any key. Then take the destination host out
of server mode by selecting BYE or FINISH from the Kermit menu.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-5
To invoke Explorer Kermit from Lisp:
Type (KERMIT:KERMIT <operation> :ARG1 <arg1>
:ARG2 <arg2>
:STREAM <stream>
:VERBOSEP <verbosep>), where
<operation> is one of the following:
:GET Transfer file(s) from a remote Kermit in server mode.
:RECEIVE Wait for the arrival of file(s) transferred by a remote
Kermit executing a Send command.
:SEND Transfer file(s) to a remote Kermit in server mode or
executing a Receive command.
:BYE Shut down and logout a remote Kermit server.
:FINISH Shut down a remote Kermit server without logging out the
remote job.
:SET Modify the local Kermit operating parameters.
:LOG-BEGIN Begin logging local Kermit actions to a file.
:LOG-END End logging local Kermit actions to a file.
:SERVER Place local Kermit in server mode.
:REMOTE-COPY Copy the specified file to another location on a remote
Kermit server.
:REMOTE-CWD Change the working directory of a remote Kermit server.
:REMOTE-DELETE Delete a file on a remote Kermit server.
:REMOTE-DIRECTORY Display names of files in a directory on remote Kermit
server.
:REMOTE-HELP Display a list of remote Kermit server help commands.
:REMOTE-HOST Pass the given command to the remote Kermit server host for
processing (the command must be in the remote Kermit
host's own command level syntax).
:REMOTE-KERMIT Pass the given command to the remote Kermit server for
execution (the command must be in the remote Kermit's own
interactive mode syntax).
:REMOTE-RENAME Rename the specified file on a remote Kermit server.
:REMOTE-SET Set a parameter to a given value on a remote Kermit server.
:REMOTE-SHOW Obtain the value of a parameter on a remote Kermit serve.
:REMOTE-SPACE Display information about disk usage for a directory on
remote Kermit server.
:REMOTE-TYPE Display the specified filename from a remote Kermit server.
<arg1> is a filename, directory, command or parameter, depending on <operation>.
<arg2> is a new filename, destination name or parameter, depending on <operation>
<stream> is the serial stream to use (created with the function
SI:MAKE-SERIAL-STREAM).
<verbosep> is either T or NIL, depending on whether or not you want status
messages printed.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-6
If you are running Explorer Kermit programmatically, the Lisp function
TELNET:RUN-SCRIPT might also be helpful in simulating an interactive user
session with a remote host.
To invoke TELNET:RUN-SCRIPT from Lisp:
Type (TELNET:RUN-SCRIPT <script> :STREAM <stream> :DEBUG-STREAM <stream>), where
<script> is a list of the form ((<send> <receive> <action>)...).
<send> is a list of a format control string and its arguments that specify the
output to be sent to <stream>.
<receive> is a list of a format control string and its arguments that specify
the input expected from <stream>.
<action> specifies what to do if the data received doesn't contain the string
specified by <receive>.
It can be :L (loop forever), :Q (quit,the default), a number indicating the
number of times to loop and before quitting, or a list of a format control
string and its arguments that specify an alternative output to be sent to
<stream>.
For each element of <script>, first <send> is sent to <stream>, then <stream>
is checked for input that matches <receive>. If it is found, the next form is
processed. Otherwise, the <action> is processed, and <stream> is again checked
for input that matches <receive>.
<stream> can be any I/O stream. With Kermit, you would probably want to create
<stream> with SI:MAKE-SERIAL-STREAM. It defaults to the value of *TERMINAL-IO*.
<debug-stream> should be an I/O stream where debug info is to be sent, like a
window or a file. It defaults to the value of *DEBUG-IO*.
RUN-SCRIPT returns :SUCCESSFUL if the last <receive> in <script> was successful,
:UNSUCCESSFUL otherwise.
For example:
(WITH-OPEN-STREAM (MY-STREAM (SI:MAKE-SERIAL-STREAM :PARITY :NONE
:BAUD 1200.
:NUMBER-OF-STOP-BITS 2))
(WHEN (EQ (TELNET:RUN-SCRIPT
'((("ATDT18005551212") ("CONNECT") :Q) ;dial phone
(("~%") ("SYSTEM ID") :Q) ;wait for port selector
(("60~%") ("GO") :Q) ;select host
(("~%") ("@") :Q) ;wait for user prompt
(("FORD~%") ("PASSWORD") :Q) ;user id
(("FUBAR~%") ("@") :Q) ;password
(("KERMIT~%") ("KERMIT-20>") :Q) ;start Kermit
(("SERVER~%") ("then reconnect.") :Q)) ;go into Server Mode
:STREAM MY-STREAM)
:SUCCESSFUL)
(KERMIT:KERMIT :SEND :ARG1 "LM:KERMIT;-READ-ME-.TXT" ;send file
:ARG2 "KERMIT.DOC"
:STREAM MY-STREAM)
(KERMIT:KERMIT :BYE :STREAM MY-STREAM))) ;logout remote machine
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-7
The example would open a serial stream, dial up a remote machine, establish an
interactive session on it, start Kermit on the remote host, put it in server
mode, transfer the local file "LM:KERMIT;-READ-ME-.TXT" to the remote host,
store it as KERMIT.DOC in the connected directory there, logout from the
remote machine, and close the stream.
3. Remote Operation
Explorer Kermit normally runs in local mode, with the user sitting at the
Explorer transferring files to or from some other host in server mode, but
Explorer Kermit can also be a server. To operate Explorer Kermit remotely, go
into the VT100 emulator, configure the serial port, and put Kermit in Server
Mode. If an auto-answer modem is connected to the serial port, a user should be
able to dial up the Explorer and execute Kermit commands.
4. Interference
Kermit is a hearty protocol, and can recover from the occasionally lost or
corrupted character, but there are some sources of interference which are beyond
help. A heavily flakey line may corrupt data to such a degree that transfer
virtually stops, or packet header information may be so corrupted that Kermit
gives up and ABORTs. Also, the user should make sure that there is no other
source of signals on the line. An example on my phone is the call-waiting beep.
This signal is interpreted by my modem as a disconnect, with disastrous results.
Interference of this type bothers the VT100 emulator to a much greater degree
than Kermit. If characters are randomly showing up on your screen, redial.
5. Explorer Kermit Commands
Explorer Kermit provides most of the commands defined for an "ideal" Kermit
program, as described in the main part of the Kermit User Guide. The following
sections describe the Explorer Kermit commands -- in detail where they differ
from the "ideal" Kermit, briefly where they coincide. Since most users access
Kermit interactively, the commands are described as they are accessed from the
KERMIT OPERATIONS menu obtained by selecting the Kermit item from the VT100
Emulator's command menu. The use of the programmatic interface is described in
Section 2, above.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-8
-----------------
|KERMIT OPERATIONS|
|-----------------|
| Get File(s) |
| Receive File(s) |
| Send File(s) |
| |
| Bye |
| Finish |
| |
| Set Parameters |
| |
| Begin Logging |
| End Logging |
| |
| Server Mode |
| |
| Remote Copy |
| Remote CWD |
| Remote Delete |
| Remote Directory|
| Remote Help |
| Remote Host |
| Remote Kermit |
| Remote Rename |
| Remote Set |
| Remote Show |
| Remote Space |
| Remote Type |
-----------------
5.1. Get File(s)
The Get File(s) command requests that a remote Kermit in Server Mode transfer a
file or a group of files to the local machine or a machine connected via Ethernet
to the local machine. If the remote Kermit does not support Server Mode, a file
can be transferred to the local machine by issuing a SEND command on the remote
Kermit and a Receive File(s) command on the local Explorer. These commands are
described later in this document.
Selecting Get File(s) from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up menu
to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Get Files(s) |
|----------------------------------------|
| Remote File Name: |
| New Local File Name: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-9
The user selects the empty field to the right of "Remote File Name:" with the
mouse and enters the name of the file that is to be transferred from the remote
host. Filename entry is terminated by typing a <RETURN> character. The filename
can be any filename understood by the remote Kermit; it is not parsed or
validated locally. However, Kermit implementations are only required to be able
to handle filenames in name.type format. The Explorer Kermit server, described
elsewhere, understands full pathnames. Multiple files can be transferred by
using the wildcard mechanism supported by the remote Kermit, if any.
Each file will be received as ASCII text with the necessary ASCII-to-LISP
conversion taking place on input, unless the SET PARAMETERS command, described
later, is used to turn on IMAGE MODE, which is necessary to transfer Explorer
binary files. If communication line parity is being used (EVEN or ODD was
selected for PARITY when configuring the serial port), Explorer Kermit will
request that the remote Kermit generate a special kind of prefix notation for
binary files. This is an advanced feature, and not all Kermits have it; if the
other Kermit does not agree to use this feature, binary files cannot be sent
correctly. Explorer Kermit also asks the other Kermit whether it can generate a
special prefix encoding for repeated characters. If it can, then files with long
strings of repeated characters will be transmitted very efficiently. Columnar
data, highly indented text, and binary files are the major beneficiaries of this
technique. See Section 1 for a more detailed description of the Explorer file
system.
The user then selects the empty field to the right of "New Local File Name:" with
the mouse and enters the name that the file received should be given locally.
Unlike most Kermit implementations, which only permit the name and type to be
entered in name.type format, Explorer Kermit permits any Ethernet-configured
host, device and directory to be specified using the pathname syntax appropriate
to the host. If not in this field or the remote Kermit, the host, device and
directory default to the user's login host, device and directory (the value of
(FS:USER-HOMEDIR)), and the version defaults to the latest. Type and name
default to the name and type of the file received, which is always provided by
the remote Kermit. The receipt of multiple files works the same way. Each
received file will individually go through the defaulting mechanism described
above. The user may use the wildcard character, *, in place of a pathname
component, but it is treated the same as an omitted component.
The user then selects Do It with the mouse, the VT100 screen is replaced by the
Kermit status screen, and the command is executed. When the transfer is
complete, a message indicating the completion of the transfer is displayed, and
the user is instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen. The user
can ask the remote host to kill the transfer by selecting ABORT or ABORT-SAVE
with the mouse, but some Kermit's don't understand the request and may not
respond to it. ABORT-SAVE saves the partially transferred file, ABORT doesn't.
If the remote Kermit is not in Server Mode, the user will probably get an error
message back from it like "Illegal packet type".
For example, the following would request that the remote Kermit transfer the file
QWERTY.CHARS from its current Working Directory to the local machine and that
it be stored on host B in directory FOO as version 5 of ARF.TEXT.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-10
----------------------------------------
| Get Files(s) |
|----------------------------------------|
| Remote File Name: QWERTY.CHARS |
| New Local File Name: B:FOO;ARF.TEXT#5 |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
5.2. Receive File(s)
The Receive File(s) command instructs Explorer Kermit to wait for the arrival of
file(s) transferred by a remote Kermit executing a Send command. When connected
to a remote Kermit that supports Server Mode, the Get File(s) command, described
elsewhere, provides an easier-to-use mechanism to receive files, and, since
Explorer Kermit provides a Server Mode itself, remote users need not initiate a
Receive File(s) command on the Explorer in order to use their Send command.
Selecting Receive File(s) from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up
menu to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Receive Files(s) |
|----------------------------------------|
| New Local File Name: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user selects the empty field to the right of "New Local File Name:" with the
mouse and enters the name that the next file received should be given locally.
Filename entry should be terminated by typing a <RETURN> character. Unlike most
Kermit implementations, which only permit the name and type to be entered in
name.type format, Explorer Kermit permits any Ethernet-configured host, device
and directory to be specified using the pathname syntax appropriate to the host.
If not specified locally or by the remote Kermit, the host, device and directory
default to the user's login host, device and directory (the value of
(FS:USER-HOMEDIR)), and the version defaults to the latest. Type and name
default to the name and type of the file received, which is always provided by
the remote Kermit. The receipt of multiple files works the same way. Each
received file will individually go through the defaulting mechanism described
above. The user may use the wildcard character, *, in place of a pathname
component, but it will be treated the same as an omitted component.
Files will be received as ASCII text with the necessary ASCII-to-LISP character
conversion taking place on input, unless the SET PARAMETERS command, described
later, is used to turn on IMAGE MODE, which is necessary to receive Explorer
binary files. If communication line parity is being used (EVEN or ODD was
selected for PARITY when configuring the serial port), Explorer Kermit requests
that the other Kermit generate a special kind of prefix notation for binary
files. This is an advanced feature, and not all Kermits have it; if the other
Kermit does not agree to use this feature, binary files cannot be received.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-11
Explorer Kermit also asks the other Kermit whether it can generate a special
prefix encoding for repeated characters. If it can, then files with long strings
of repeated characters will be transferred very efficiently. Columnar data,
highly indented text, and binary files are the major beneficiaries of this
technique. See Section 1 for a more detailed description of the Explorer file
system.
The user then selects Do It with the mouse, the VT100 screen is replaced by the
Kermit status screen, and the command is executed. When the transfer is
complete, a message indicating the completion of the transfer is displayed, and
the user is instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen. The user
can ask the remote host to kill the transfer by selecting ABORT or ABORT-SAVE
with the mouse, but some Kermit's don't understand the request and may not
respond to it. ABORT-SAVE saves the partially transferred file, ABORT doesn't.
For example, the following would cause a file sent by a remote Kermit to be
stored on host B in directory FOO as version 5 of ARF.TEXT, regardless of the
name of the file as sent by the remote machine.
----------------------------------------
| Receive Files(s) |
|----------------------------------------|
| New Local File Name: B:FOO;ARF.TEXT#5 |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
5.3. Send File(s)
The Send File(s) command is used to transfer file(s) to a remote Kermit in Server
Mode or executing a Receive command.
Selecting Send File(s) from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up menu
to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Send Files(s) |
|----------------------------------------|
| Local File Name: |
| New Remote File Name: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user selects the empty field to the right of "Local File Name:" with the
mouse and enters the name of the file that is to be transferred to the remote
host. Filename entry should be terminated by typing a <RETURN> character. Files
located on other machines configured on the local Ethernet can be transferred by
simply including the host component and using the appropriate filename syntax for
that host. Multiple files can be transferred by replacing the directory, name,
type or version components of the filename with the wildcard character: *.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-12
Each file will be sent as ASCII text with the necessary LISP-to-ASCII conversion
taking place on output, unless the SET PARAMETERS command, described later, is
used to turn on IMAGE MODE, which is necessary to transfer Explorer binary files.
If communication line parity is being used (EVEN or ODD was selected for PARITY
when configuring the serial port), Explorer Kermit will request that the other
Kermit accept a special kind of prefix notation for binary files. This is an
advanced feature, and not all Kermits have it; if the other Kermit does not agree
to use this feature, binary files cannot be sent correctly. Explorer Kermit will
also ask the other Kermit whether it can handle a special prefix encoding for
repeated characters. If it can, then files with long strings of repeated
characters will be transmitted very efficiently. Columnar data, highly indented
text, and binary files are the major beneficiaries of this technique.
The user then selects the empty field to the right of "New Remote File Name:"
with the mouse and enters the name that the transferred file should be given on
the remote host. Normally only the name and type are entered in name.type
format. The file will be stored in the default working directory on the remote
host. If the user wants to store the file in a different directory, the REMOTE
CWD (Change Working Directory) command, described later in this document, should
be used before executing the SEND command. Explorer Kermit, however, does have
an option to allow full filenames to be sent to the remote machine if the remote
machine can understand full pathnames, which the Explorer Kermit Server can. To
activate this feature use the SET PARAMETERS command, described later, to change
the value of Filename Conversion to No. No change has to be made on the server
side. If the user is transferring multiple files by using wildcards, the
wildcarded components of the local filename will be replaced by the appropriate
component of the remote filename given. In any case, if the remote name is not
provided, the local filename will be sent. Some remote Kermit servers can
perform necessary conversions when they receive illegal filenames, but not all.
When the user selects Do It with the mouse, the VT100 screen is replaced by the
Kermit status screen, and the command is executed. When the transfer is
complete, a message is displayed, and the user is instructed to press any key to
restore the VT100 screen. If the user wants to kill the transfer, ABORT can be
selected with the mouse. The partially transferred file will be flushed by the
remote host. When sending files, ABORT-SAVE does NOT currently cause the remote
host to save the partially transferred file, as it does when used during the
Receive File(s) and Get File(s) commands, but the user can set a parameter on
many remote Kermit servers to force this action.
For example, the following causes the latest version of the file ARF.TXT in the
BAR directory on host FOO to be transferred to the remote host and stored in the
Current Working Directory as ARF.TEXT. If a file named ARF.TEXT already exists
on the remote host, the file is stored in an implementation-dependent manner. On
an Explorer server, it would be stored as the latest version.
----------------------------------------
| Send Files(s) |
|----------------------------------------|
| Local File Name: FOO:BAR;ARF.TXT#> |
| New Remote File Name: ARF.TEXT |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-13
5.4. Bye
The Bye command requests that the remote Kermit server exit Kermit and logout the
remote job.
The Bye command can be selected from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu. The status
screen replaces the VT100 screen until the operation is complete, at which
time a message indicating the completion of the command is displayed, and the
user is instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen.
5.5. Finish
The Finish command requests that the remote Kermit server exit Kermit WITHOUT
logging out the remote job.
The Finish command can be selected from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu. The status
screen replaces the VT100 screen until the operation is complete, at which
time a message indicating the completion of the command is displayed, and the
user is instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen.
5.6. Set Parameters
The Set Parameters command permits the user to modify the local Kermit's
operating parameters. The default settings should be adequate for most
situations.
Selecting Set Parameters from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes the VT100 screen
to be replaced with a status screen, and a pop-up menu to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
|Change Parameters |
|----------------------------------------|
|Image Mode : yes NO |
|Debug Mode : yes NO |
|More Processing : yes NO |
| |
|Maximum tries : 10 |
|Maximum packet size : 94 |
|Timeout seconds : 10 |
|Number of pad characters : 0 |
|Padding character : 0 |
|EOL character : 13 |
|Quote character : 35 |
| |
|Filename conversion : YES no |
|Save partial files : yes NO |
| |
|Reset parameters : yes NO |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-14
[In the diagram above, the defaults appear in UPPER CASE and the alternative in
lower case. In reality, the defaults are displayed in a BOLD font.]
The user selects a value to change with the mouse, and types in a new value from
the keyboard, ending with a <RETURN> character. In the case of a yes-or-no
choice, the new value is simply selected with the mouse.
The user then selects Do It with the mouse, the change is made and the VT100
screen is reexposed.
A brief description of each parameter follows.
5.6.1. Image Mode
Select Yes to transfer files without translating the characters between the Lisp
and ASCII character sets. Select No to translate characters as required. Image
Mode must be used to transfer binary files (XFASL, or screen dumps), and should
not be used when transferring text or source files.
5.6.2. Debug Mode
Select Yes to print debugging information to the Kermit status screen, and No to
not print it. If Logging is on, debugging information is also written to the log
file. The debugging information consists of formatted packet contents, function
calls and state transitions.
5.6.3. More Processing
Select Yes to enable More Processing in Kermit's status screen, and No to disable
it. When More Processing is on, a page of information is displayed and **MORE**
appears at the bottom. Pressing the space bar displays the next page. The
Kermit user might want to turn on this feature when in Debug Mode, or when
executing Remote commands that return textual information.
5.6.4. Maximum tries
Enter the maximum number of times the local Kermit should attempt to resend
a packet which has not been acknowledged by the remote Kermit before aborting
the operation.
5.6.5. Maximum packet size
Enter the maximum size, in bytes, of a packet that the local Kermit should either
generate or receive. Explorer Kermit is currently limited to a maximum of 94 for
this value. This value will be arbitrated with the remote Kermit, and the
smaller number will be used. It is sometimes useful to specify a smaller packet
size if a particularly noisy line is being used (indicated by a high number of
retries), as the window of vulnerability for an individual packet is narrowed.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-15
There is an increase in the percentage of packet overhead, however, for smaller
packets, and a corresponding decrease in raw performance.
5.6.6. Timeout seconds
Enter the number of seconds the local Kermit should wait for an acknowledgement
to a transmitted packet before resending the packet. A heavily loaded remote
host might require a little more time to respond than normal, and such a
situation might cause the local Kermit to resend excessively.
5.6.7. Number of pad characters
Enter the number of padding characters that should be sent to the local Kermit by
the remote Kermit before sending an actual packet. To date, the Explorer has not
required any padding characters, and this value defaults to zero. The remote
Kermit communicates the number of padding characters it requires to the local
Kermit at synchronization time in its send-init parameters.
5.6.8. Padding character
Enter the ASCII character code for the padding character that should be sent to
the local Kermit by the remote Kermit before sending an actual packet. To date,
the Explorer has not required any padding characters, and this value defaults to
zero. The remote Kermit communicates the padding character it requires to the
local Kermit at synchronization time in its send-init parameters.
5.6.9. EOL character
Enter the ASCII character code for the character that should be sent to the local
Kermit by the remote Kermit to indicate the end of a line of text. This defaults
to the ASCII carriage return character (13). The remote Kermit communicates the
EOL character it prefers to receive at synchronization time in its send-init
parameters. If the remote Kermit expresses no preference, the local Kermit's EOL
is sent.
5.6.10. Quote character
Enter the ASCII character code for the character that should be sent to the local
Kermit by the remote Kermit to quote a control character in a situation where
that character is really data, and its control function is not desired. This
character is used when transferring binary files, using repeat character
compression, or transferring text containing the quote character. This defaults
to the ASCII quote character (35). The remote Kermit communicates the quote
character it prefers to receive at synchronization time in its send-init
parameters. If the remote Kermit expresses no preference, the local Kermit's
Quote is sent.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-16
5.6.11. Filename conversion
Select Yes to convert all filenames to be sent to a remote Kermit by the Send
File(s) command to NAME.TYPE format, stripping off any HOST, DEVICE, DIRECTORY,
and VERSION components entered by the user. Select No to send the entire
pathname, as entered, to the remote Kermit.
5.6.12. Save partial files
Select Yes to ALWAYS save a partially received file when a Receive File(s) or
Get File(s) command is interrupted by any means. Select No to delete partially
transmitted files unless interrupted by an ABORT-SAVE.
5.6.13. Reset parameters
Select Yes to reset all the parameters that can be set in this menu to their
original values. Selecting No does nothing.
5.7. Begin Logging
The Begin Logging command allows the user to record all information normally
displayed in Kermit's status screen in a text file.
Selecting Begin Logging from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up
menu to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Begin Logging to File |
|----------------------------------------|
| Log File Pathname: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user selects the empty field to the right of "Log File Pathname:" with the
mouse and enters the name for a file that will receive a copy of all information
normally displayed in Kermit's status screen. This includes the normal status
messages associated with a file transfer, the results of any Remote commands
executed, and debugging information, if Debug Mode has been turned on with the
Set Parameters command. Terminate filename entry by typing a <RETURN> character.
The log file may be written to other machines configured on the local Ethernet by
simply including the host component and using the appropriate filename syntax for
that host. See Section 1 for a more detailed description of the Explorer file
system.
The user then selects Do It with the mouse, the VT100 screen is replaced with the
Kermit status screen, and the command is executed. When the operation is
complete, a message indicating so is displayed, and the user is instructed to
press any key to restore the VT100 screen. Logging can be terminated with the
End Logging command described next.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-17
5.8. End Logging
The End Logging command closes and saves the currently active logging file opened
previously by the Begin Logging command.
The End Logging command can be selected from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu. The
status screen replaces the VT100 screen until the operation is complete, at which
time a message indicating the completion of the command is displayed, and the
user is instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen.
5.9. Server Mode
The Server Mode command puts a local Explorer Kermit in Server Mode, so that it
can receive commands in packet form from a remote Kermit. The Explorer Kermit
server can currently handle the following remote server commands: GET, SEND,
FINISH, REMOTE COPY, REMOTE DIRECTORY, REMOTE HOST, REMOTE KERMIT, REMOTE SPACE,
REMOTE DELETE, REMOTE RENAME, REMOTE STATUS, REMOTE TYPE, REMOTE WHO.
Selecting Server Mode from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes the Kermit status
screen to replace the VT100 screen. The local Kermit remains in Server Mode
until the remote Kermit issues a Bye command, or ABORT or ABORT-SAVE are selected
with the mouse on the local machine.
Any nonstandard parameters should be set with the SET PARAMETERS command before
putting Explorer Kermit into server mode. For instance, Explorer Kermit must be
put into Image Mode before transferring binary files.
5.10. Remote Commands
Explorer Kermit allows you to issue a wide range of commands to a remote Kermit
in Server Mode, with no guarantee the that the remote server can process them,
since they are all optional features of the protocol. If the remote Kermit
server does not support a requested command, it replies with a message like
"Unknown Kermit server command". If it does understand, it sends the results
back, and they are displayed on the screen. The Remote commands for servers that
can be issued by Explorer Kermit include the Get File(s), Send File(s), Bye and
Finish commands previously described, and the following commands, generally
related to manipulation of the environment on the remote host from within Kermit.
5.10.1. Remote Copy
The Remote Copy command copies the specified file on a remote machine in
Server Mode to another location on the remote KERMIT server.
Selecting Remote Copy from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up menu
to be displayed:
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-18
----------------------------------------
| Remote Copy |
|----------------------------------------|
| File Name: |
| File Copy Name: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the name of the file on the remote KERMIT server that is to be
copied in the field labeled "File Name", and the new filename for the copy in the
field labeled "File Copy Name". All pathnames should conform to the remote
machine's pathname syntax.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, the Kermit status screen replaces the
VT100 screen, and the command is executed. When the operation is complete, a
message indicating so is displayed, and the user is instructed to press any key
to restore the VT100 screen.
5.10.2. Remote CWD
The Remote CWD command changes the working, or default, directory used by the
remote machine in Kermit Server Mode to the specified directory.
Selecting Remote CWD from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes the VT100 screen
to be replaced with a status screen, and a small pop-up menu to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote Change Working Directory |
|----------------------------------------|
| New Remote Directory: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the name of the directory on the remote KERMIT server that will
be the source of all files requested by the Get File(s) command, the destination
of all files sent by the Send File(s) command, and the subject of all other
remote file-system-related Kermit commands, provided the user has sufficient
privileges to read and write to that directory. It is not necessary to use this
command if the remote Kermit understands full pathnames, and if the local Kermit
has Filename Conversion turned off via the Set Parameters command. Explorer
Kermit servers understand full pathnames. All pathnames should conform to the
remote machine's pathname syntax.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, the Kermit status screen replaces the
VT100 screen, and the command is executed. When the operation is complete, a
message indicating so is displayed, and the user is instructed to press any key
to restore the VT100 screen.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-19
5.10.3. Remote Delete
The Remote Delete command deletes a file from a remote Kermit server.
Selecting Remote Delete from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes the VT100 screen
to be replaced with a status screen, and a small pop-up menu to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote Delete File |
|----------------------------------------|
| Remote File Name: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the name of the file on the remote KERMIT server that is to be
deleted, and the remote Kermit deletes it, if the user has sufficient priveleges.
Since the pathname is sent as entered to the remote Kermit, the remote machine's
pathname syntax should be used; if it accepts wildcards, they may be used.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, the Kermit status screen replaces the
VT100 screen, and the command is executed. When the operation is complete, a
message indicating so is displayed, and the user is instructed to press any key
to restore the VT100 screen.
5.10.4. Remote Directory
The Remote Directory command lists the names of files and other pertinent
information about the files in the remote Kermit server's working directory.
Selecting Remote Directory from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up
menu to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote Directory |
|----------------------------------------|
| Remote Directory: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the filename in the remote Kermit's working directory for which
directory information is desired. If no entry is made, the entire directory will
be listed by most servers. Since the pathname is sent as entered to the remote
Kermit, the remote machine's pathname syntax should be used. If it accepts
wildcards, they may be used; if it accepts full pathnames, other directories may
be listed.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, the Kermit status screen replaces the
VT100 screen, and the command is executed. When the operation is complete, a
message indicating so is displayed, and the user is instructed to press any key
to restore the VT100 screen.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-20
5.10.5. Remote Help
The Remote Help command lists the names of files and other pertinent
information about the files in the remote Kermit server's working directory.
Selecting Remote Help from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up menu
to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote Help |
|----------------------------------------|
| Help Topic: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the topic on which the remote Kermit server should provide help,
and that documentary text is returned. If no entry is made, a list of topics for
which the remote Kermit server can provide Help is returned.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, and the command is executed. When the
operation is complete, a message indicating so is displayed, and the user is
instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen.
5.10.6. Remote Host
The Remote Host command passes a command to the remote Kermit server host's
command processor for processing.
Selecting Remote Host from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up menu
to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote Host |
|----------------------------------------|
| Host Command: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the command in the remote Kermit server host's own command-level
syntax, and the results of the execution of the command on the remote machine
are displayed locally.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, and the command is executed. When the
operation is complete, a message indicating so is displayed, and the user is
instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-21
5.10.7. Remote Kermit
The Remote Kermit command passes a Kermit command to the remote Kermit server for
processing.
Selecting Remote Kermit from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up
menu to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote Kermit |
|----------------------------------------|
| Kermit Command: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters a Kermit command in the remote Kermit server's own interactive
mode syntax, and the results of the execution of the command on the remote
machine are displayed locally.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, and the command is executed. When the
operation is complete, a message indicating so is displayed, and the user is
instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen.
5.10.8. Remote Rename
The Remote Rename command changes the filename of the specified file on the
remote Kermit server.
Selecting Remote Rename from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up
menu to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote Rename File |
|----------------------------------------|
| File Name: |
| New File Name: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the name of the file on the remote KERMIT server that is to be
renamed in the field labeled "File Name", and its new filename in the field
labeled "New File Name". All pathnames should conform to the remote machine's
pathname syntax. Many machines restrict renames to the same directory, but the
Explorer permits renames anywhere in the same file system.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, the Kermit status screen replaces the
VT100 screen, and the command is executed. When the operation is complete, a
message indicating so is displayed, and the user is instructed to press any key
to restore the VT100 screen.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-22
5.10.9. Remote Set
The Remote Set command changes the value of an operating parameter of the remote
Kermit server.
Selecting Remote Set from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up menu
to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote Set Parameter |
|----------------------------------------|
| Parameter: |
| Value: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the name of the operating parameter on the remote Kermit server
that is to be changed and the new value, using the remote Kermit server's own
syntax.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, and the command is executed. When the
operation is complete, a message indicating so is displayed, and the user is
instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen.
5.10.10. Remote Show
The Remote Show command displays the value of an operating parameter of the
remote Kermit server.
Selecting Remote Show from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up menu
to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote Show Parameter |
|----------------------------------------|
| Parameter: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the name of the operating parameter on the remote Kermit server
that is of interest, using the remote Kermit server's own syntax, and its value
is displayed locally. If a parameter name is not provided, the Kermit server
displays all settable operating parameters, and their values.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, and the command is executed. When the
operation is complete, a message indicating so is displayed, and the user is
instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-23
5.10.11. Remote Space
The Remote Space command displays information about disk usage for a directory on
the remote Kermit server.
Selecting Remote Space from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up menu
to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote Disk Space |
|----------------------------------------|
| Remote Directory: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the pathname of the directory on the remote Kermit server for
which disk usage information, such as quota, current storage, and available
space, is desired, using the remote Kermit server's own pathname syntax. If a
pathname is not provided, disk usage information will be displayed for the remote
Kermit server's working directory.
The user selects Do It with the mouse, and the command is executed. When the
operation is complete, a message indicating so is displayed, and the user is
instructed to press any key to restore the VT100 screen.
5.10.12. Remote Type
The Remote Type command displays the contents of a remote Kermit server file on
the local machine.
Selecting Remote Type from the KERMIT OPERATIONS menu causes a small pop-up menu
to be displayed:
----------------------------------------
| Remote File Type |
|----------------------------------------|
| File Name: |
|----------------------------------------|
| Do It [] Quit [] |
----------------------------------------
The user enters the pathname of the file on the remote Kermit server to be
displayed, using the remote Kermit server's own pathname syntax. An Explorer
Kermit server accepts full pathnames, but not all servers do.
EXPLORER KERMIT Page A-24
6. Installation of Explorer Kermit
Using the Explorer's Backup System, reachable via a <SYSTEM> B key sequence,
restore the Kermit files from tape by:
1) selecting Prepare Tape from the Backup Command Menu with the mouse,
2) selecting 1/4 Streaming from the Choose Format pop-up menu with the mouse,
3) selecting Restore Directory from the Backup Command Menu with the mouse,
4) entering LM:KERMIT;*.*#* in the Destination Pathname field of the Restore
Directory pop-up menu, and
5) selecting Exit from the Backup Command Menu with the mouse.
Build Kermit by typing (LOAD "LM:KERMIT;MAKE-KERMIT.LISP") in the Lisp Listener,
reachable via a <SYSTEM> L key sequence.
After every cold boot, the above LOAD has to be re-executed, unless a DISK-SAVE
is performed. See the Explorer Programming Concepts and Tools manual for more
information about the DISK-SAVE function.
7. Known Deficiencies.
With Unisys Release 2.0.1 or TI Release 2.0, Baud rates in excess of 1200,
input and output buffer sizes in excess of 180 characters and XON-XOFF
flow control are unstable. There are no known problems of this type with
the current software.
The RUN-SCRIPT function will evolve into a more full-featured facility in
subsequent releases.
Support for some of the advanced commands for servers is not yet complete.
If you are losing characters in VT100 emulator, as evidenced by things like
[23;01H showing up on the screen, you probably have a flakey line. Simply
logout from the remote host and redial.
There is an Explorer software bug in Texas Instruments Release 2.1 and Unisys
Release 2.1.1 which affects Suggestions Mode for Choose Variable Values menus
and causes menus of that type in Kermit to be unresponsive. Either turning
Suggestions Mode off for Choose Variable Values, or loading
PATCH.SUGGESTIONS;PATCH-2-23.XFASL, available from either TI or Unisys, resolves
the problem.
Release 1.0 of Explorer Kermit will probably not run on Release 3.0 of Explorer
software, currently scheduled for release in the summer of 1987. A new release
of Explorer Kermit will be available at that time.
