Columbia Kermit/kermit.zip/b/krt363.ann

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Date: Fri, 17 Oct 1997 12:00:00
Newsgroups: alt.sys.pdp11,comp.sys.dec,comp.sys.dec.micro,comp.protocols.kermit.misc,vmsnet.pdp-11
Subject: Announcing Kermit (KRT) V3.63 for RT-11 and TSX-Plus
From: [e-mail]

I'm pleased to announce an update to the KRT Kermit for the PDP-11
RT-11 and TSX-Plus operating systems is ready for production service.
Version 3.63 adds several new features and performance enhancements
which are detailed below, as well as fixing all known bugs, and is
available now by anonymous ftp from <kermit.columbia.edu>.  All
sources are on-line but just a few files are required to install
and use the distributed executable program images -

  kermit/b/krt.doc        Installation instructions, index of all files
  kermit/b/krt.ini        Sample init file
  kermit/b/krthlp.hlp     HELP text file
  kermit/bin/krt.sav      Executable for RT-11FB/SB/SJ or TSX+
  kermit/bin/krttsx.sav   Executable for RT-11XB/XM/ZB/ZM or TSX+

This edition represents a significant step forward in both speed and
convenience.  I strongly urge all users of RT-11/TSX-Plus to upgrade
as soon as possible.

My sincere thanks to all who've made suggestions and above all helped
test this work - one of its key points is it's been thoroughly tested
over quite some time and has been found to be extremely stable.  There
is yet more to come, work is also being done by John Santos for RSTS/E
and KRT remains a fully supported Kermit - if you have any problem with
it please contact me directly.  And to be sure, KRT is fully Year-2000
compliant when used with operating system versions that are as well.

KRT's new features and fixes include -

o SET/SHOW CONTROL-CHARACTER as in C-Kermit were added.  This speeds up
  transfers of binary data as it reduces the need for control character
  quoting which requires two bytes to transmit each one.  See HELP SET
  CONTROL-CHAR for an in-depth discussion regarding how to use it.

o KRT's file name conversion code now accomodates various previously
  troublesome Unix file names such as .x. or .x: or ..x. which were
  being erronously considered as implicitly wildcarded or a device or
  path name.  All previously undefined characters possible in such file
  names are now processed correctly.

o In support of the above SET FILE WILDCARDS is now available within KRT.
  The default is IMPLICIT, as it always has been in K11 and KRT.  EXPLICIT
  requires the user to actually enter wildcard characters.  This does not
  modify the RT-11 or TSX-Plus setting and allows renaming Unix files with
  a leading dot in the same command used to get them.

o User specified file sizes, as in FILENAME[size], are now supported and
  sizes are now displayed when sending or receiving files.  Note that for
  text files from foreign systems KRT adds 25% to the received size to
  accomodate differing line termination schemes, and this increased size
  is what will be displayed even though the file will most likely be
  closed later at some smaller number of blocks.  If this increase exceeds
  the currently available free space even though the file would fit its
  exact size may now be passed to KRT in the GET command.

o The contents of SEND FILE ACK and RECEIVE FILE ACK packets, such
  as a file name returned by the remote Kermit, and the file type
  (ASCII, Binary) are now displayed during file transfers.

o An error packet is now sent to the other Kermit when appropriate
  (as when a write to a local file fails) so the transfer is properly
  aborted.

o A warning message is now displayed when receiving an empty file so
  the user will know why no data were transfered.

o Under TSX-Plus EMT 114 is now used for output when using TT as the
  link device.  This is a very noticable difference.  As the TSX docs
  say ttyout loops are not handled very efficiently..

o Transmitted and received file attributes may now be individually
  disabled.  These additions are documented in HELP SET ATTRIBUTES
  and are useful when another Kermit has trouble with some but not
  all of them.

o A dummy file name is now included when opening LP as the log file
  for more recent versions of RT-11 that expect to see something there.
  Receiving a file to LP is also now possible.  As in the past LP must
  either be spooled or extremely fast to serve as the log device.

o The test for a Line Time Clock was modified to accomodate QED's fast
  machines, per a suggestion from Alan Sieving of QED.  It now completes
  as fast as possible regardless of machine type.  Previously the QED
  CPUs finished the delay loop in less than one clock tick.

o The use of a quoted string to place a blank at end of prompt string,
  as in SET PROMPT "Kermit-11> ", is now supported.

o The command line input buffer has been increased to 132 bytes in
  the EIS assembly only.  This accomodates long lines in take files
  and of course also works for keyboard input.  This invloved fixing
  all possible sign extension problems and it's now possible to make
  LN$MAX <= 255.  As distributed KRTTSX is built with EIS instructions
  and KRT is not.

o A T3000X.42 modem definition for XOFF restraint with this modem was
  added.  Note that S48 must be set to 0 or the modem will NOT do XOFF
  restraint, regardless of what the modem docs say, at least in the
  command mode and sometimes when on-line to another modem as well.
  This is a bug in the modem itself and is the reason hardware flow
  control was added to the KM handler.

o REMOTE commands now display the reasons for retries as each occurs.
  An error packet is now sent when giving up to stop any possible
  lingering activity at the other end.

o Repeated char encoding is now done on REMOTE command arguments.  This
  makes a big difference for a command like REMOTE DELETE *~ sent to a
  Unix system, which without repeat encoding becomes 'rm *' after going
  though C-Kermit and thus hoses everything.  Eight-bit quoting is also
  now done here when parity is in use.

o CD/CWD and REMOTE CD/CWD will now operate without an argument.  RT-11
  and TSX assigns are now tested for illegal string lengths as well.

o REMOTE WHO now passes arguments to the remote host.  Some hosts
  support this, such as VMS where it's really handy on a busy system.

o DAYTIME and SHOW DAYTIME commands were added.

o The first data packet is now actually rebuilt when resizing due
  to its failing so the next retry is actually done with the smaller
  sized packet.  In the past the reduction wasn't done until the next
  packet was sent, which is of course too late..  A rewind routine was
  restored in KRTRMS.MAC for use when resizing packets ala the above,
  which is more efficient then closing and reopening the file.

o An error in testing for terminal emulator command characters after
  having SET CONSOLE 8-BIT is now fixed.

o The packet data processing routine (BUFFIL) was moved back to the
  root for speed after cleaning up made space available for it once
  again.  This means less calling of overlays and helps quite a bit
  when running on a floppies-only system.

o A problem with the SET PHONE XMODE value specified in a SET CL PORTS
  string being overwritten by the default value in a modem definition
  was fixed.  Now if a value is explicitly supplied it will prevail.

o A problem with garbage sometimes being appended to a log file name
  was fixed.

o An unpopped stack error on an error exit from BUFEMP (used to receive
  files) was fixed.  This bug was introduced in V3.62 but there was no
  error checking at all before that..

o Any possibly lingering data from a modem is now flushed before again
  beginning dialing or redialing.

o All source files have been thoroughly cleaned up and fully commented
  and the HELP text and .DOC files are completely caught up.  All program
  data have been moved to the tops of their source modules to make foreign
  language translation as easy as possible.

Billy Youdelman
[e-mail]
16-Oct-1997