Columbia Kermit/kermit.zip/newsgroups/misc.19950329-19950528/[e-mail]_Wed May 24 23:32:36 1995.msg

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From: [e-mail] (Frank da Cruz)
Newsgroups: comp.protocols.kermit.misc
Subject: Patches for MS-DOS Kermit 3.14
Date: 24 May 1995 23:32:36 GMT
Organization: Columbia University
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Keywords: MS-DOS Kermit, Patches
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Some minor corrections have been made to MS-DOS Kermit 3.14 in the
form of patches, new executables, and documentation.  Thanks, as always,
to Professor Joe Doupnik for this work.  Please note that there is nothing
earth-shaking here.  Most of the problems corrected were reported by only
one or two people, so they all qualify as obscure.  The new files are
available via anonymous ftp to kermit.columbia.edu, directory kermit/msdos.
The binary files are:

  kermit.exe   - New full-featured Kermit program with ARP correction.
  kermit_p.exe - Ditto, but with Portuguese file-transfer screen legends.

The text files are:

  READ.ME      - Reproduced below, so you don't have to ftp it.
  ms*.pch      - The various patch files.

These corrections will be folded into the base product after a period of
public testing.  So please test and send results to [e-mail].
Thanks!

Here is the READ.ME file:

MS-DOS KERMIT 3.14 UPDATES

  Wed May 24 19:22:09 1995

These files are updates to the release product MS-DOS Kermit v3.14, dated
18 Jan 1995. There are two classes of changes in these files. The first is
an updated patch file for each program of the MS-DOS Kermit suite, and the
second is a modified executable for the regular (KERMIT.EXE) and the
Portuguese (KERMIT_P.EXE) full products.  The executables are modified to
correct a TCP/IP networking problem in ensuring ARP response packets have
the local hardware address included, causing some hosts (not very many of
them) to reject the reply.  Due to the structure of the code, the problem
could not be patched and required issuing a new executable (one each for
the English and Portuguese versions).  If you had problems making TCP/IP
connections from Kermit, you should pick up the new executable.  It still
bears the version number 3.14, but is dated 21 May 95.

PATCHES

Patches apply to both the 18 January and the 21 May executables:

 Patch file     For executable

  MSR314.PCH     KERMIT.EXE      Full version
  MSRM314.PCH    KERMITE.EXE     Medium version
  MSRL314.PCH    KERLITE.EXE     Lite version
  MSRP314.PCH    KERMIT_P.EXE    Full version, Portuguese legends

The patches are as follows:

 1. Optional Orchid Designer Professional VGA board video-mode patch.
    Allows patching in the appropriate video mode, since different models
    use different modes, but identify themselves the same way to Kermit.

 2. Fix for file names given on the command line in the -F option
    (alternate initialization file) not always being parsed correctly.

 3. VT220/320 terminal emulator patch for correctly recognizing OSC and
    PM sequences.  Without this patch, such sequences (which are rarely
    used) could cause Kermit to hang until reset.

 4. Patch to prevent MS-DOS Kermit from improperly encoding its response
    to the A packet.  The most notable symptom was failure to properly
    receive RESENDs.

 5. Patch to the READ command to prevent it from improperly treating "-"
    at the end of a line as a continuation character.

 6. Patch for TES networking: preserve TES LAT ID around restarts.

 7. Optional patch for Hebrew-model VT100 terminal emulation.  Described
    below.

 8. Patch to make the MAIL command once again work properly when sending
    multiple files.  Without this patch, the MAIL command only works for
    one file; e.g. "mail foo.*" would send all foo.* files, but only the
    first one would be mailed; the rest would disappear.

THE HEBREW PATCH

Certain applications are hardcoded for the DEC Hebrew-model VT100
terminal, and can't use Kermit's VT420-level Hebrew features.
Reportedly, MS-DOS Kermit 3.14's interpretation of the Hebrew VT100 was
incorrect.  Diagnosis: ESC ) 1 selects the "Alternate ROM" character set.
When this is Hebrew, it also has the side effect of switching writing
direction to right-to-left, but Kermit didn't do this.  ESC ) B switches
back to ASCII, and resets screen writing to left-to-right.  Cure: Enable
Patch 7 but uncommenting it (i.e. remove the semicolon from the front of
each line).  Do NOT enable patch 7 if you do not require VT100-level
Hebrew, because other Alternate ROMs do not have this same side effect.
In the next release, we will add a SET COMMAND to control the Alternate
ROM side effects.

Patch 7 is available only for KERMIT.EXE because it is a difficult patch
to create. If there is a strong need then a patch can be created for
Portuguese and Medium versions.

PROBLEM RECEIVING RESENDS

If MS-DOS Kermit has its FILE COLLISION set to UPDATE, it won't be able to
receive RESENDs as advertised.  Instead, it will refuse the RESEND with
"Refused: Date".  This problem is too complex to be patched, and so a
workaround must be used, one of the following:

 . MS-DOS Kermit's FILE COLLISION should be set to OVERWRITE when
   receiving RESENDs.  Or:

 . Tell MS-DOS Kermit or the other Kermit to SET ATTRIBUTE DATE OFF when
   RESENDing.

For example, here is a macro that can be used in place of RESEND in
C-Kermit or MS-DOS Kermit to get around this problem:

  define XRESEND set attr date off, -
    resend \%1 \%2, -
    assign \%9 \v(status), -
    set attr date on, -
    end \%9

A fix will appear in the next release.

(End)