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Internet Message Format
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1991-10-18
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7KB
Date: Mon, 16 Sep 1991 14:00:00 EDT
>From: Christine M Gianone <cmg@watsun.cc.columbia.edu>
Subject: MS-DOS Kermit 3.11 is Released!
Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit 3.11, TCP/IP, MCGA, Dialing Directory, Windows 3.0
This is to announce the final release of MS-DOS Kermit 3.11 from Professor
Joe R. Doupnik of Utah State University, and a new Second Edition of the
documentation, "Using MS-DOS Kermit" (see message below).
The major new feature of version 3.11 is its built-in support for
TCP/IP networking, adapted from parts of the Waterloo TCP package from Erick
Engelke of Waterloo University in Ontario.
Also included are script language improvements that allow for a much
improved DIAL command that can use a plain text file as a dialing directory,
and VT220 emulation to fill the gap between VT102 and VT320. And finally, a
last-minute, down-to-the-wire improvement: support for high-resolution
Tektronix graphics on the PS/2 Model 25 and 30 MCGA video adapter. Give the
command SET TERMINAL GRAPHICS VGA to use it (otherwise Kermit thinks the
MCGA is a CGA, and uses low-resolution graphics).
TCP/IP NETWORKING
Why add TCP/IP to Kermit? Many people use both network and serial
connections, and until now had to switch between a Telnet program (which
doesn't support serial connections) and Kermit (which didn't support Telnet
connections). For file transfer, the TCP/IP FTP protocol, while fast, does
not support many of Kermit's advanced features. Kermit offers you features
not found in Telnet and FTP: a script programming language, flexible key
mapping, macros, international character set translation, and VT320
and Tektronix 401x terminal emulation. Perhaps most important of all, now
you have a single application program and a common user interface for both
serial and network communication.
Kermit's TCP/IP and TELNET implementation takes up only about 30K of
additional program space. It runs only over Ethernet-style packet drivers
(see Joe's article below) available from your network board vendor, or via
anonymous FTP from Clarkson University, host sun.soe.clarkson.edu
[128.153.12.3], cd pub/ka9q, use "type binary", get the appropriate zip, arc,
zoo, etc, files, use PKUNZIP, PKXARC, or ZOO on your PC to unpack them, read
the files READ.ME, MANIFEST.DOC, and INSTALL.DOC, and take it from there.
Copies are also available on watsun.cc.columbia.edu in kermit/packet-drivers
(source and documentation) and kermit/packet-drivers-bin (PC binaries).
Kermit supports downloading of its network parameters from BOOTP and RARP
servers, making it possible for all users of a corporate or campus network to
have the same initialization file -- a big plus for network managers. Keep
your network information in a central database, rather than spread around on
scattered PC hard disks and diskettes!
Kermit's TELNET implementation automatically negotiates TELNET protocol
parameters such as local echoing, so connecting to a linemode TELNET server
(such as found on an IBM mainframe) works automatically. However, Kermit
does not include built-in 3270 terminal emulation, so it is not (yet) a
replacement for tn3270. But, it can be used with reverse telnet terminal
servers connected to IBM 7171 or other 3270 protocol converters.
Contrary to expectations, Kermit *can* make TCP/IP connections from within a
Microsoft Windows 3.0 Enhanced Mode window. Kermit does not support multiple
simultaneous TCP/IP sessions, and the fact that you can run it under Windows
is not, unfortunately, an escape clause to this rule. The packet driver only
allows one one application per protocol; this also means, for example, you
can't use Kermit and (say) NCSA telnet at the same time for TCP/IP
connections. However, you can still have multiple copies of Kermit running,
as long as each one is using a different communication method, or a different
serial port.
Read the new help and beware files for more information about TCP/IP.
DIALING DIRECTORY AND MODEM SUPPORT
Kermit's new dialing directory is an ordinary plain-text file that Kermit's
DIAL macro searches using Kermit's new OPEN, READ, and CLOSE commands. To
take advantage of this new feature, make sure you get a copy of the new
sample initialization file, MSKERMIT.INI, as well as the Hayes modem dialing
script program, MSIHAY.SCR (which you must rename to HAYES.SCR). A sample
dialing directory is available as MSIDIA.TXT (which you must rename to
DIALUPS.TXT).
Kermit can also manage other types of modems besides Hayes. Two steps are
necessary: (1) change the definition of the "_modem" variable in
MSKERMIT.INI, and (2) write a dialing script program for your modem, to
substitute for HAYES.SCR. An example is provided for the IBM/Siemens/Rolm
CBX data phone (ROLMphone) in the file MSIROLM.SCR (which you should rename
to ROLM.SCR). Readers are encouraged to develop scripts for other kinds of
modems and dialing methods, following the conventions used in HAYES.SCR and
ROLM.SCR, and send them in to us for distribution.
NEW FILES:
Internet anonymous ftp EARN/BITNET
watsun.cc.columbia.edu KERMSRV@CUVMA Description
GENERAL FILES
kermit/a/mskerm.hlp MSKERM HLP Help file (plain text)
kermit/a/mskerm.bwr MSKERM BWR "Beware File" (bugs & limitations)
kermit/a/mskermit.ini MSKERMIT INI Sample initialization file
kermit/a/mskermit.pch MSKERMIT PCH Sample patch file
kermit/a/msidia.txt MSIDIA TXT Sample dialing directory file
kermit/a/msihay.scr MSIHAY SCR Hayes modem dialing script
kermit/a/msirolm.scr MSIROLM SCR ROLMphone dialing script
EXECUTABLES
kermit/bin/msvibm.exe (none) Executable Kermit program for IBM PC
kermit/bin/msvibm.pif (none) Microsoft Windows 3.0 PIF file
kermit/a/msvibm.boo MSVIBM BOO BOO-encoded .EXE file for IBM PC
kermit/bin/msvgen.exe (none) Generic MS-DOS exectable
kermit/a/msvgen.boo MSVGEN BOO BOO-encoded .EXE for generic DOS
SOURCE FILES
kermit/a/ms*.asm, ms*.h MS* ASM, MS* H Microsoft assembler source files
kermit/a/msn*.* MSN* * C-language network source files
kermit/a/msv*.lnk MSV* LNK Linker command files
kermit/a/msv*.mak MSV* MAK Makefiles for "make"
All MS-DOS 3.11 IBM PC Kermit files have been removed from the test
directories, kermit/test/ms*.* on watsun and T:MS* * on KERMSRV.
The ".boo" files for each version are .EXE files encoded in a printable
ASCII format, suitable for BITNET, e-mail, and other nontransparent modes of
transmission. You can decode the boo-files back into .EXE files using any
of the MSBPCT.* programs available in kermit/a/msbpct.* or MSBPCT * from
KERMSRV. See msbaaa.hlp for details.
For a detailed description of the MS-DOS Kermit file naming conventions, see
the file msaaaa.hlp (MSAAAA HLP). The MS-DOS Kermit implementations for
non-IBM compatibles (except the generic DOS version) have not yet been
upgraded to 3.11 level -- volunteers?
Once again, thanks to Joe for his skill, generosity, patience, dedication,
perserverence, and endurance (we're running out of adjectives for Joe!) in
putting this new MS-DOS Kermit version together and sharing it with us. And
thanks to the beta testers who sent in such prompt and detailed reports of
problems so Joe could fix most of them so quickly!
------------------------------