Internet Info 1994 March/Internet Info CD-ROM (Walnut Creek) (March 1994).iso/networking/terms/kermit/e/v16.1

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Date: Thu, 6 Aug 92 11:28:49 EDT
From: Christine M Gianone <[e-mail]>
To: Info-Kermit
Subject: Info-Kermit Digest V16 #1
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Info-Kermit Digest         Thu, 6 Aug 1992        Volume 16 : Number 1

Today's Topics:
    News
    Announcing IBM Mainframe Kermit-370 Versions 4.2.3 and 4.2.4
    Announcing IBM Mainframe VM/CMS Kermit-370 Version 4.2.3
    Announcing IBM Mainframe MUSIC Kermit-370 Version 4.2.3
    Announcing IBM Mainframe MVS/TSO Kermit-370 Version 4.2.4
    Announcing IBM Mainframe CICS Kermit-370 Version 4.2.4
    The new FULLSCREEN transfer mode
    A Few More Release Files for Kermit-12

Digest submissions may be sent to [e-mail] or
[e-mail].  Requests for addition to or deletion from the
Info-Kermit subscriber list should be sent to [e-mail] or
[e-mail].  These messages must be of the form:

  SUBSCRIBE I$KERMIT <your-personal-name>    (To start a subscription)
  UNSUBSCRIBE I$KERMIT                       (To cancel a subscription)
  REGISTER I$KERMIT <your-personal-name>     (To correct your name)

Kermit files may be obtained over networks and by mail order.  On the
Internetwork, use FTP to log in to host WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU, a SUN-4/280
running UNIX (SUNOS 4.1), IP host number 128.59.39.2.  Login as user anonymous
(note, lower case), any password, and GET or MGET (MULTIPLE GET) the desired
files.  The Kermit files are in directories kermit/a, kermit/b, kermit/c,
kermit/d, and kermit/e.  Test versions are in kermit/test.  All files in these
directories should be transferred in text (ASCII) mode.  Binaries are in
kermit/bin (use ftp in binary mode).  All files on watsun have lowercase
names, and case is significant.

You can also get Kermit files over the BITNET/EARN network; 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: Tue, May 26, 1992 11:14 EDT
From: Christine M Gianone <[e-mail]>
Subject: News
Keywords: LISTSERV, I-KERMIT

Our IBM mainframe host computer, CUVMB, was recently upgraded from VM/HPO to
VM/ESA.  It seems that VM/ESA has a new feature: it does not allow dashes
(hyphens) in user names.  So the I-KERMIT and IBM-KERMIT names have been
changed to I$KERMIT and IBM$KERMIT, respectively.  Please use the new names
when sending mail to CUVMA.  This change does not affect KERMSRV, only
LISTSERV.  Let's hope that the next big VM release continues to allow dollar
signs...

To those who have been asking when the next issue of Kermit News, our
printed journal, will appear: Sorry, publication has been delayed due to
circumstances beyond our control.  We expect it to be ready in the Fall.
But this also gives us more time to collect articles.  If you would like to
submit an article for publication, let me know.

Sorry for the long delay since the last Info-Kermit issue.  The following
announcements of the new release of IBM mainframe Kermit were delayed pending
release of accompanying test versions of MS-DOS Kermit and C-Kermit, but
rather than hold them up any longer, here they are.  The new version is in
the test area (kermit/test/ik*.* on watsun, and the T: area of KERMSRV at
CUVMA on BITNET).  They will be moved the regular B area if no serious
problems are reported.

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1992 May 13  11:14 EDT
From: "John F. Chandler"  <[e-mail]>
Subject: Announcing IBM Mainframe Kermit-370 Versions 4.2.3 and 4.2.4
Keywords: IBM 370 Kermit
Xref: IBM Mainframe, Also see IBM 370

Kermit-370 version 4.2.3 has now finished the testing stage and is
available in the usual places (KERMSRV, watsun, LISTSERV@HEARN, etc.).
The new release appears in the form of expanded update files for all the
variants of Kermit-370 (CICS, CMS, MUSIC, TSO, and even ROSCOE) and, in
addition, a new source component.  Because of the latter (and only
because of the latter), all the installation guides have been updated,
but the new source component is, in fact, optional (see below).

Numerous fixes, extensions, and improvements have been included in the
new release, mostly generic, but some system-specific as well.  See the
accompanying system-specific announcements for further details:
IKCKER.ANN (CMS), IKMKER.ANN (MUSIC), IKTKER.ANN (TSO), and IKXKER.ANN
(CICS).  Anyone interested in helping to port Kermit-370 to still other
operating systems should contact John Chandler <[e-mail]> or
<[e-mail]>.

Many thanks to the beta testers who have helped work out the bugs in the
new release; also to Joe Doupnik and Frank da Cruz, who have created the
corresponding facilities in MS-DOS Kermit and C-kermit; finally, to Hirofumi
Fujii, who supplied most of the information for translation of Kanji
characters.

Below is a list of the generic changes in version 4.2.3.

Kermit-370 ...

- Has a new FULLSCREEN controller type.  The new mode allows Kermit file
  transfers in a generic way on nearly all protocol converters, but it
  carries some special limitations -- packets cannot be longer than 77
  bytes, and the other end must be MS-DOS Kermit 3.12 or higher or C-Kermit
  5A(180) or higher.  Part of the implementation is a special checksum
  type called BLANK-FREE-2 intended to avoid the possibility of repeated
  blanks in Kermit packets.

- Supports the new locking shift protocol (helps to compress certain
  files with many 8-bit bytes).  This protocol is used only in talking
  to another Kermit that supports it, e.g., MS-DOS Kermit 3.12 or C-Kermit
  5A(180).

- Now supports file transfers using Japanese Kanji with translation
  between IBM, Hitachi, or Fujitsu codes and the newly added transfer
  character set JAPAN-EUC.  This support requires the new source
  component ik0kan.asm, which contains the necessary translation tables.
  Translation works automatically when Kermit-370 is talking to another
  Kermit that requests or supports the JAPAN-EUC character set.

- Now recognizes CP1047 as a synonym for EBCDIC.  (1047 is IBM's new
  code page that follows the de facto standard.)

- Has a new-and-improved means of detecting the termanal controller type
  with less need for the old optional update SC89058 (now replaced by
  the more flexible SC9131X).

- Now suggests parameter changes only upon the new HINTS subcommand, not
  at startup time.  More parameter settings are now scrutinized.

- Now avoids looping when a solid terminal I/O error sets in or upon any
  error at the very end of a transfer (no reply expected).

- Has changed the calling sequence of the KERMAIL, KERMPRT, and KERMSUB
  commands used in support of local mail, print, and job submission.
  Instead of passing no filespec at all on the first invocation, Kermit
  passes a dummy filespec consisting of a single period.  Implementers
  of such commands, take note!  For best results, the revised commands
  should be able to handle both the old and the new syntax.

- No longer requires hitting ENTER an extra time to get out of server
  mode after typing STOP.

- Now uses the built-in default A-to-E translation table for reading
  Kermit commands in server mode when the transfer character set is
  TRANSPARENT.

- No longer halts a transfer upon seeing a data packet with no data.

- No longer gives a spurious reason for a cancellation issued by user
  intervention on the micro or the STOP command.

- Now avoids certain lock-ups on the Hydra II at the start of protocol
  mode and others on the the IBM 3174 AEA at the end of a download.

- Now allows the STOP command on PCI and certain other protocol
  converters that did not previously support it.

- Now tolerates (at the source code level) alternate EBCDIC versions
  which do not have all the Roman letters at the standard code points.
  Also, the use of one-letter abbreviations of SET options for program
  logic flow has been generalized.  This simplifies the task of
  translating the user interface into languages other than English.

- Now has a SIMULATE subcommand, which plays back a file giving one or
  both sides of a file transfer to supply the packets (instead of the
  communication line).  This is mainly for debugging.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1992 May 13  11:14 EDT
From: "John F. Chandler"  <[e-mail]>
Subject: Announcing IBM Mainframe VM/CMS Kermit-370 Version 4.2.3
Keywords: IBM 370 Kermit, VM/CMS Kermit
Xref: CMS Kermit, See VM/CMS Kermit, IBM 370 Kermit

This is to announce the release of Kermit-370 version 4.2.3 for CMS.  As
usual, the new version comes in VM/SP, VM/XA, and VM/ESA flavors.  The
CMS-related Kermit files that have been changed or added are as follows.

IKCAUX CMD   sample EXEC's (new)
IKCKER ANN   this message
IKCKER BWR   bugs, warnings, and restrictions
IKCKER INS   installation instructions
IKCKER UPD   post-4.2.0 updates
IKCXA UPD    updates for VM/XA and VM/ESA
IK0AAA HLP   Kermit-370 release notes
IK0KAN ASM   optional Kanji tables
IK0KER ANN   the accompanying message on Kermit-370
IK0KER UPD   the cumulative list of updates in all variants
IK0423 HLP   notes on the new features in 4.2.3

Many thanks to the beta testers who have helped work out the bugs in the
new release.

There are several changes specific to CMS:

- Now comes with a file of sample auxilliary EXEC's for use with Kermit
  (IKCAUX CMD).  These include KERMAIL, KERMPRT, and PC.  The latter is
  designed for "one-touch" mainframe-initiated file transfers to or from
  an appropriately configured micro Kermit.  The syntax is PC PRINT name
  or PC + any valid Kermit command, such as GET, SEND, or REMOTE.  Any
  reply is written to KER REPLY.  The sample KERMAIL and KERMPRT are
  compatible both with version 4.2.3 and with earlier versions.

- No longer considers it a file name collision if the new file being
  received is to have the same name as a file on a read-only extension
  of the destination disk.

- Once more transparently supports the old form of non-library help file
  in addition to the new PDS form (version 4.2.3 did not).

- Can now reject a file that is too large to fit in the destination SFS
  directory.  Enabling SFS support in general is now done by selecting
  the appropriate CNTRL file when applying the updates.  Available:
  KERMIT (CMS 1-5), KERMCMS6 (CMS 6), KERMXA (CMS 5.5), KERMXA21 (CMS
  5.6), and KERMESA (CMS 7-8).

- Now explicitly releases its SCBLOCK when it exits.  (Before CMS 5,
  that is necessary.)

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1992 May 13  11:14 EDT
From: "John F. Chandler"  <[e-mail]>
Subject: Announcing IBM Mainframe MUSIC Kermit-370 Version 4.2.3
Keywords: IBM 370 Kermit, MUSIC Kermit
Xref: MUSIC Kermit, IBM 370 Kermit

This is to announce the release of Kermit-370 version 4.2.3 for MUSIC.
The MUSIC-related Kermit files that have been changed or added are as
follows.

IKMKER.ANN   this message
IKMKER.BWR   bugs, warnings, and restrictions
IKMKER.INS   installation instructions
IKMKER.UPD   post-4.2.0 updates
IK0AAA.HLP   Kermit-370 release notes
IK0KAN.ASM   optional Kanji tables
IK0KER.ANN   the accompanying message on Kermit-370
IK0KER.UPD   the cumulative list of updates in all variants
IK0423.HLP   notes on the new features in 4.2.3

Many thanks to the beta testers who have helped work out the bugs in the
new release.  Note: versions 4.2.1 and 4.2.2 were never released, except
for testing.  Version 4.2.3 represents an accumulation of two years of
improvements.

Most of the advances in the new release are simply duplications of the
simultaneous generic changes in the other variants of Kermit-370, but
some of the changes included system-specific code that required porting
to MUSIC.  Two notable changes, however, involved porting of features
that had already been available in other variants.

- Kermit-MUSIC now tries to automatically detect the terminal controller
  type.  Previously, it could not because MUSIC did not allow the needed
  I/O operations.

- Kermit-MUSIC now gives the date and time of each file in response to
  the Kermit DIR subcommand, and the attribute packet for a download now
  carries the correct time stamp.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1992 June 10  15:09 EDT
From: "John F. Chandler"  <[e-mail]>
Subject: Announcing IBM Mainframe MVS/TSO Kermit-370 Version 4.2.4
Keywords: IBM 370 Kermit, MVS/TSO Kermit
Xref: TSO Kermit, See MVS/TSO Kermit, IBM 370 Kermit

This is to announce the release of Kermit-370 version 4.2.4 for TSO.  The
TSO-related Kermit files that have been changed or added are as follows.

IKTAUX.CMD   sample CLIST's (new)
IKTGUP.ASM   TSO-specific portion of GUPI
IKTKER.ANN   this message
IKTKER.BWR   bugs, warnings, and restrictions
IKTKER.INS   installation instructions
IKTKER.UPD   post-4.2.0 updates
IK0AAA.HLP   Kermit-370 release notes
IK0KAN.ASM   optional Kanji tables
IK0KER.ANN   the accompanying message on Kermit-370
IK0KER.UPD   the cumulative list of updates in all variants
IK0423.HLP   notes on the new features in 4.2.3 and 4.2.4

Many thanks to the beta testers who have helped work out the bugs in the
new release.  Note that version 4.2.3 has been available in the Kermit
test area for several weeks.  4.2.4 differs in only two respects: the
inclusion of a new update supporting relative GDG numbers, and an extra
message has been added to the usual protocol-mode greetings.  The added
message is "KERMIT READY TO SEND..." (or RECEIVE or SERVE).

These are the changes specific to TSO:

- Now comes with a file of sample auxilliary CLIST's for use with Kermit
  (IKTAUX.CMD).  These include KERMAIL, KERMPRT, and PC.  The latter is
  designed for "one-touch" mainframe-initiated file transfers to or from
  an appropriately configured micro Kermit.  The syntax is
     PC CMD('PRINT name')
  or
     PC CMD('any Kermit subcommand')
  where the Kermit subcommand would typically be GET, SEND, or REMOTE.
  Any reply is written to KER REPLY.  The sample KERMAIL and KERMPRT
  have not been completely filled out, but are included for pedagogy.

- No longer generates a KER.LOG entry marked "e" for normal full-screen
  I/O operations.

- Now recovers cleanly if the user specifies an erroneous CWD string.

- The TSO GUPI source has been changed, but only in two trivial ways:
  (a) missing sequence numbers have been supplied on 4 lines, and
  (b) comments have been added to show the list of TSO macros invoked.

- Now supports relative generation numbers for GDG's for both sending
  and receiving files.  The number for a received file can be supplied
  either in the RECEIVE subcommand or in the file header packet.  When
  this notation is used for sending, neither the relative nor the
  absolute number is included in the outgoing file header.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1992 June 10  15:09 EDT
From: "John F. Chandler"  <[e-mail]>
Subject: Announcing IBM Mainframe CICS Kermit-370 Version 4.2.4
Keywords: IBM 370 Kermit, CICS Kermit
Xref: CICS Kermit, IBM 370 Kermit

This is to announce the release of Kermit-370 version 4.2.4 for CICS.
The CICS-related Kermit files that have been changed or added are as
follows.

IKXKER.ANN   this message
IKXKER.BWR   bugs, warnings, and restrictions
IKXKER.HLP   Help files
IKXKER.INS   installation instructions
IKXKER.UPD   post-4.2.0 updates
IKXTRN.ASM   VSE installation utility
IK0AAA.HLP   Kermit-370 release notes
IK0KAN.ASM   optional Kanji tables
IK0KER.ANN   the accompanying message on Kermit-370
IK0KER.UPD   the cumulative list of updates in all variants
IK0423.HLP   notes on the new features in 4.2.3 and 4.2.4

Many thanks to the beta testers who have helped work out the bugs in the
new release.  Note that version 4.2.3 has been available in the Kermit
test area for several weeks.  4.2.4 differs in only two respects:

(1) the KSDS used for storing the Help and TAKE files has a new, longer
    key size and will require re-installation for sites that have the
    old Help files installed.  See IKXKER.INS for the details.  The
    reason for the change is the expansion of the "userid" field in
    Kermit from four to eight bytes.

(2) an extra message has been added to the usual protocol-mode
    greetings.  The added message is "KERMIT READY TO SEND..." (or
    RECEIVE or SERVE).

There are several other changes specific to CICS:

- Now prevents clashing simultaneous access to a TDQ by two Kermit
  sessions.

- Now distinguishes between readable and writable data objects when
  determining file name collision and searching for files to download.

- Now has the correct code for CICS 1.6 access to extra-partition TDQs
  under MVS.

- Now pads the interactive mode prompt with XON (or whatever is the
  current HANDSHAKE character).

- Now drives the 3174 AEA properly in transparent mode through VTAM.

- No longer produces unpredictable results when copying to or from
  Kermit directory members.

- No longer mistakes the date in March-December of even-numbered years.

- No longer produces spurious error messages at installation time under
  VSE/ESA.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Wed, 1992 May 13  11:14 EDT
From: "John F. Chandler"  <[e-mail]>
Subject: The new FULLSCREEN transfer mode
Keywords: IBM 370 Kermit
Xref: IBM Mainframe, Also see IBM 370

In the past, Kermit was not usable with certain communications front
ends, such as SIM3278/VTAM, the IBM 3708 in full-screen mode, and the
MICOM 7400, all of which lack a working transparent mode suitable for
Kermit protocol.  However, the new FULLSCREEN mode for Kermit-370 allows
file transfers without control characters and, therefore, without a
transparent mode.  The new mode entails one protocol change to allow
printable characters to synchronize packets and another to avoid strings
of repeated blanks; thus, only a suitably upgraded micro Kermit can be
used (currently, only MS-DOS Kermit 3.12).  C-Kermit has the necessary
changes, but they are not yet complete, nor have they been ported to the
C-based micro Kermits.  In principle, FULLSCREEN mode could be used with
almost any protocol converter, but the printable packet characters and
other restrictions on this mode make it less robust and slower than a
transparent mode would be, so FULLSCREEN mode is recommended primarily
as a last resort.

The basic setup consists of the following Kermit subcommands:

     -----Mainframe-----             ----------PC--------
     SET CONTROLLER FULL             SET SEND START 62
     SET RECEIVE START 62            SET RECEIVE START 62
     SET SEND START 62               SET BLOCK B
     SET BLOCK B                     SET HANDSHAKE NONE
     SET HANDSHAKE 0

Possible variations:

- The choice of 62 (Greater-than sign) for the start-of-packet character
  is arbitrary, and it can be changed, as long as you change all four of
  them.  For best results, choose a character that seldom appears in the
  files you will be transferring.

- Packet sizes are automatically restricted by Kermit-370 in this mode,
  so they need not be set explicitly unless conditions require packets
  shorter than the default (77).

- Flow control is probably immaterial for locally connected terminals,
  but some protocol converters may require it to keep up with the data
  rate on uploads.

- The parity settings in the mainframe Kermit are ignored in this mode,
  and those in MS-DOS Kermit should be the usual.

- Setting the block check to "B" (yes, "B") is important on certain
  protocol converters because it avoids problems with "optimization" of
  outbound strings of repeated blanks.  However, it is not generally
  necessary, and a setting of "1" will normally suffice and will avoid
  certain other problems that can occur when an inbound initialization
  packet has a blank checksum.

Warnings:

- If the protocol converter has a buffer significantly shorter than 80
  bytes, it will be necessary to shorten inbound packets accordingly (by
  issuing a SET REC PACK to K-370).  The symptoms of a short buffer are
  fairly obvious -- the log of packets on the mainframe side will show an
  inbound packet that has been truncated and concatenated with a second
  copy of the same packet; the micro log will show a truncated echo of
  the inbound packet and then a timeout.

- It may be possible to avoid shortening the packets if the protocol
  converter can do flow control.  Just turn on flow control in the micro
  Kermit as well as the controller.

- If the mainframe packet log shows inbound packets losing the leading,
  rather than trailing, characters, and the micro shows the same problem
  with echoed packets, the trouble may be a "dead" time in the protocol
  converter between send and receive states -- the solution may be to set
  a pause in the micro Kermit before sending each packet.

- See the Kermit distribution file ik0aaa.hlp for details about specific
  protocol converters.

------------------------------

Date: Sat, 11 Jul 92 15:00:00 EDT
From: Charles Lasner <[e-mail]>
Subject: A Few More Release Files for Kermit-12

    Now available are two new versions of K12DEC and K12ENC, which
have a new feature for image transfer of an entire device optionally
split into two parts.  This comes at the request of a user, and was
quite easy to add.  As before, the sources document how to use the
programs, etc.

    The new files have been installed in the regular places:

BITNET/EARN       Internet
KERMSRV@CUVMA     watsun.cc.columbia.edu     Description

 K12MIT   ANN      kermit/d/k12mit.ann        Announcement of KERMIT-12
 K12MIT   UPD      kermit/d/k12mit.upd        Release update (this) file
 K12ENB   PAL      kermit/d/k12enb.pal        .BOO-format encoding program
 K12DEB   PAL      kermit/d/k12deb.pal        .BOO-format decoding program
 K12MIT   NOT      kermit/d/k12mit.not        Release notes file
 K12MIT   DSK      kermit/d/k12mit.dsk        Description of RX02 diskettes

------------------------------

End of Info-Kermit Digest
*************************