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1995-06-12
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PPPPPP CCCC OOOO MM MM MM MM
P P C O O M M M M M M M M
PPPPPP C O O M M M M M M
P C O O M M M M
P CCCC OOOO M M M M
Pcomm Reference Manual
version 1.2
written by
Emmet P. Gray
...!uunet!uiucuxc!fthood!egray
fthood!egray@uxc.cso.uiuc.edu
Pcomm is a public domain telecommunication program for Unix that
is designed to operate similar to the MSDOS program, ProComm.
ProComm (TM) is copyrighted by Datastorm Technologies, Inc. This
is a completely new program and contains no ProComm source code.
This is not a Datastorm product.
Table of Contents
1 INTRODUCTION ...............1 6 FILE FUNCTIONS .............23
1.1 Abbreviations ..........1 6.1 External protocols .....23
1.2 Requirements ...........1 6.2 Send files .............23
1.3 Support files ..........2 6.3 Receive files ..........25
6.4 Pass thru mode .........25
2 RUNNING PCOMM ..............3 6.5 Directory ..............26
2.1 Hot key ................3 6.6 Screen dump ............27
2.2 Status line ............3 6.7 Start data logging .....27
2.3 Help screen ............4 6.8 Toggle logging .........27
2.4 Exit Pcomm .............4
7 DIALING WINDOW .............29
3 SETUP SCREENS ..............5
3.1 Prompting ..............5 8 AUTO-LOGIN SCRIPTS .........31
3.2 TTY setup ..............5 8.1 Waitfor command ........31
3.3 Modem setup ............6 8.2 Matches command ........32
3.4 Terminal setup .........8 8.3 Modem_break ............32
3.5 General setup ..........9 8.4 Examples ...............32
3.6 ASCII xfer setup .......11
3.7 External protocol ......12 Appendix A - Typical Modem
Configuration ...........35
4 MAJOR FUNCTIONS ............15
4.1 Dialing directory ......15 Appendix B - AT&T Unix PC
4.2 Redial .................17 7300/3b1 Dial Codes .....37
4.3 Keyboard macros ........18
4.4 Line settings ..........19 Appendix C - Using Telebit
4.5 Exit Pcomm .............20 Modems ..................39
4.6 Unix gateway ...........20
5 UTILITY FUNCTIONS ..........21
5.1 Program info ...........21
5.2 Setup screen ...........21
5.3 Change directory .......21
5.4 Clear screen ...........21
5.5 Toggle duplex ..........21
5.6 Hang up the phone ......22
5.7 Printer logging ........22
5.8 Toggle CR - CR/LF ......22
5.9 Break ..................22
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 1
1. INTRODUCTION
Pcomm is a public domain, menu driven, telecommunication program
designed to provide the same "ease of use" as similar programs
available in MSDOS. Some of its features are:
o Large dialing directory
o Auto-login shell scripts
o Automatic redial feature
o Supports popular file transfer protocols
o External file transfer program support
o Data logging (log of the terminal session)
o Printer logging
o Screen dump
o Shell escapes
o Help screen
o Keyboard macros
o User customization
o Administrative logging of phone calls
o Administrative limits on long distance access
Pcomm does not emulate any particular terminal. Whatever
terminal you're on, is what the remote system "sees".
1.1. Abbreviations
Pcomm uses the notation "^A-X" to mean control-A followed by the
letter X. The dash (-) in the notation is just for clarity; it is
not included in the actual command sequence. Also, there is no
distinction between upper and lower case letters.
The following abbreviations appear in Pcomm:
<CR> carriage return key (sometimes labeled Enter)
<ESC> escape key
<SPACE> space bar
<DEL> del key
<up> up arrow key
<down> down arrow key
LF line feed character (control-J)
CR carriage return character (control-M)
1.2. Requirements
Pcomm will not run on terminals with a screen size of less than
80 columns by 24 lines or on terminals that lack cursor movement
capabilities. For terminals without arrow keys, use the letter
"U" in place of "up arrow" and the letter "N" in place of "down
Page 2 Pcomm Reference Manual
arrow" (the letter "D" would have been a more obvious choice,
but, unfortunately, it is used elsewhere).
1.3. Support files
Pcomm uses four support files, namely:
pcomm.dial_dir the dialing directory
pcomm.extrnl the external file transfer programs
pcomm.modem the modem/TTY database
pcomm.param the start-up default parameters
There is a default directory (typically "/usr/local/lib/pcomm")
where the "standard" support files live. Since the average user
won't have write permission on these files, it's assumed that
they will copy one or more of these standard files to their own
directories and edit them to suit their needs.
Pcomm can use the environmental variable "PCOMM" to search for
these "private" support files. If used, the variable must
contain the path to the directory containing the files. You can
"mix and match" the use of standard and private support files.
For example, the pcomm.modem file is rarely changed by the user
so there would be no need to copy that file to the private
directory.
Pcomm also uses normal Unix shell scripts to perform the "chat"
sequences necessary to automatically log a user onto a system.
The following directories are searched to find the support files
and the auto-login shell scripts:
1) directory given with the "-d" option
2) directory in the PCOMM environmental variable
3) the current working directory
4) the default directory (compiled into Pcomm)
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 3
2. RUNNING PCOMM
Pcomm has the following command line syntax.
pcomm [-d directory] [-f system name]
The "-d" option allows you to specify an additional path to be
used when searching for the Pcomm support files. This option is
often useful for "borrowing" someone else's dialing directory.
The "-f" option is used to specify automatic dialing of an entry
in the dialing directory. The name field in the dialing
directory (described later) is checked against the string given
on the command line. If a match is found, that entry is
automatically dialed. The match does not consider upper and
lower case differences.
2.1. Hot key
Pcomm uses a "hot key" to precede each command. (The value of
the hot key is a user tunable parameter, but for the purpose of
this document we'll assume the hot key is defined as control-A).
The hot key is used to put Pcomm in the command mode. For
example, to get the help screen, you type control-A (to get to
the command mode) then the number 0 (to display the help screen).
When a command is completed, Pcomm returns to the terminal mode.
NOTE: While in the command mode, the communication with the
remote system is temporarily suspended.
2.2. Status line
Whenever Pcomm is in the command mode (or is not currently
connected to a remote) a status line is displayed at the bottom
of the screen. A typical status line might look like this:
+-----------+---------+------+-----------+----------+----------+------+------+
| ^A-0 HELP | No TTY | FDX | 1200 E71 | LOG OFF | PTR OFF | CR | CR |
+-----------+---------+------+-----------+----------+----------+------+------+
The eight fields of the status line are:
o help screen command (or a temporary message)
o name of the TTY device in use
o duplex mode (FDX = full duplex, HDX = half duplex)
o current line settings
o status of data logging option
o status of printer logging option
o incoming CR translation
o outgoing CR translation
Page 4 Pcomm Reference Manual
2.3. Help screen
The help screen gives a brief review of all the available
commands. To access the help screen type ^A and "0" (zero). The
typical help screen will look like this:
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| P C O M M H E L P |
| |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| Major Functions Utility Functions File Functions |
| |
| Dialing Directory. ^A-D Program Info .... ^A-I Send Files .... ^A-<up> |
| Auto Redial ...... ^A-R Setup Screen .... ^A-S Receive Files . ^A-<down>|
| Keyboard Macros .. ^A-M Change Directory. ^A-B Pass Thru Mode. ^A-T |
| Line Settings .... ^A-P Clear Screen .... ^A-C Directory ..... ^A-F |
| Exit Pcomm ....... ^A-X Toggle Duplex ... ^A-E Screen Dump ... ^A-G |
| Unix Gateway ..... ^A-4 Hang Up Phone ... ^A-H Start Data Log. ^A-1 |
| Printer On/Off .. ^A-L Toggle Log .... ^A-2 |
| Toggle CR-CR/LF . ^A-3 |
| Break Key ....... ^A-7 |
| |
+-------------------------- Press any key to continue -------------------------+
2.4. Exit Pcomm
To exit Pcomm, you type ^A and "x" to access the exit window.
+--- Exit ----------------------+
| |
| Exit to Unix? (y/n): _ |
| |
+-------------------------------+
To exit, you press the letter "y" (carriage return not required).
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 5
3. SETUP SCREENS
Pcomm allows you to change many of the default parameters. The
setup screen is accessed by typing ^A and "s". The following
screen shows the sub-menu choices:
------------------------- Setup Menu ----------------------------
1) TTY Setup
2) Modem Setup
3) Terminal Setup
4) General Setup
5) ASCII Transfer Setup
6) External Protocol Setup
S) Save setup to disk
-----------------------------------------------------------------
OPTION ==> _ Press <ESC> to exit
To select one of the sub-menu choices, you type the number (or
letter) at the "OPTION ==>" prompt. To exit from a sub-menu and
return to this setup menu screen, you press the escape key.
Changes made affect the current Pcomm session only. To make the
changes become the default, you select the "s" option.
3.1. Prompting
There are several different types of prompts used in the setup
screens. The prompts use the bottom two lines on the display for
user input and to give more information on what is being asked.
Pcomm will beep at any illegal input. The escape key <ESC> will
abort any prompt. The prompt types are:
o Character prompt. Asks you to input a single character.
o String prompt. Asks you to input a word or group of
characters.
o Numeric prompt. Asks you for a number.
o Menu prompt. Shows a selection and allows you to choose
the current selection by pressing the carriage return or
change the selection by pressing the space bar.
3.2. TTY setup
The TTY setup allows you to assign the serial ports that Pcomm is
allowed to use, and what is attached to each port. A typical TTY
setup screen might look like this:
Page 6 Pcomm Reference Manual
-------------------------- TTY Setup ----------------------------
TTY name Modem name Init speed
1) tty10 HAYES 0
2) tty11 HAYES 0
3) tty12 DIRECT 0
4) tty13 TELEBIT 19200
5) tty13 FAST_TELEBIT 19200
6) 0
7) 0
8) 0
9) 0
10) 0
A) Add a TTY entry
D) Delete a TTY entry
-----------------------------------------------------------------
OPTION ==> _ Press <ESC> to return
You may edit an entry by typing the entry number at the prompt.
To add an entry, you type "A" at the prompt, etc.
The TTY setup fields are:
1) TTY name. This is the name of the serial port that Pcomm
will be allowed to use. Notice that the path component of
the name, "/dev/" is not used.
2) Modem name. This a key word that is used later to link
the modem database with the TTY database. The name could be
any combination of letters or numbers (both upper and lower
case).
NOTE: All hard-wired ports (ports without modems attached)
must use the word "DIRECT" for the modem name.
3) Init speed. Normally Pcomm will initialize the modem at
the baud rate in the dialing directory. If the init speed
is non-zero, the initialization string is always sent at the
specified baud rate. The baud rate is selected from a "menu
prompt". See Appendix C for more information about the use
of this feature.
NOTE: It is often best to put the fastest modem/TTYs at the
end of the TTY database.
3.3. Modem setup
The modem setup contains the commands to make the modem dial,
hang up the phone, etc. A typical modem setup screen might look
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 7
like this:
-------------------------- Modem Setup --------------------------
1) Modem name (1 of 4) ... HAYES
2) Modem init string ..... ATS7=45S11=70E0Q0V1X4&D2!
3) Dialing command ....... ATDT
4) Dialing cmd suffix .... !
5) Hang up string ........ ~~+++~~ATH0!
6) Auto baud detect ...... Y
7) 300 baud connect ...... CONNECT!
8) 1200 baud connect ..... CONNECT 1200
9) 2400 baud connect ..... CONNECT 2400
10) 4800 baud connect .....
11) 9600 baud connect .....
12) 19200 baud connect ....
13) No connect string 1 ... BUSY
14) No connect string 2 ... VOICE
15) No connect string 3 ... NO CARRIER
16) No connect string 4 ...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
OPTION ==> _ Press <ESC> to return
The fields of the modem setup are:
1) Modem name. This is the key word that links the modem
database with the TTY database. A menu prompt is used to
select the modem name (and the remaining parameters that go
with it). The "(1 of 4)" field indicates there are
additional modems in the database.
2) Modem initialization string. This is sent to the modem
whenever the port is selected. Consult your modem manual
for the codes to be used. Notice the use of the "!"
character. This is the "character synonym" for the carriage
return.
NOTE: See section 3.5 for the complete list of character
synonyms. To remove the special meaning of a character
synonym, you must prepend a "\" to the character.
3) Dialing command. The first part of the command to make
the modem dial. It is assumed that the phone number will
immediately follow.
4) Dialing command suffix. The last part of the command to
make the modem dial. Typically this will be the carriage
return "character synonym".
5) Hang up string. The command to make the modem hang up
the phone. The character synonym for a 1 second pause is
Page 8 Pcomm Reference Manual
the tilde "~" character.
6) Auto baud detect. Should Pcomm attempt to change the
baud rate of the TTY to the baud rate matching the connect
string? This feature requires the connect strings to be
unique.
7-12) Connect strings. The return messages when the modem
has connected to the remote. If different messages are
returned for each baud rate at which the modem answers, then
they should be specified.
NOTE: Pcomm uses the connect strings to determine which
baud rates the modem is capable of supporting. For example,
if the 4800 baud connect string is empty, Pcomm assumes the
modem can not support 4800 baud.
NOTE: If two connect strings are very similar, (for
example, "CONNECT" is entirely contained in "CONNECT 1200"),
it is possible that the return code from the modem will
match the incorrect string. To prevent this from happening,
use the command synonym for the carriage return to terminate
the shorter string (for example, use "CONNECT!" instead of
"CONNECT").
13-16) No connect strings. The messages returned by the
modem when no connection is made.
3.4. Terminal setup
The terminal setup allows you to define the hot key and the
mapping of the end-of-line characters. A typical terminal setup
menu will look like this:
---------------------- Terminal Setup ---------------------------
1) Hot key (decimal) ...... 1
2) ASCII version of hot ... ^A
3) Duplex ................. FULL
4) Flow control ........... XON/XOFF
5) CR translation (in) .... CR
6) CR translation (out) ... CR
-----------------------------------------------------------------
OPTION ==> _ Press <ESC> to return
The fields in the terminal setup are:
1) Hot key. This is the decimal code for the user definable
hot key. Consult an ASCII/decimal conversion chart for the
decimal values of other characters.
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 9
2) ASCII version of hot key. This is the printable version
of the hot key used by Pcomm in the help screen and status
line.
3) Duplex. A menu prompt is shown to select between FULL
duplex and HALF duplex. In the half duplex mode, characters
sent to the remote system are also sent to the screen. (The
duplex mode can also be changed "on the fly" by the ^A-E
command.)
4) Flow control. A menu prompt is shown to select between
XON/XOFF flow control and NONE. Pcomm often temporarily
disables flow control during file transfers.
NOTE: If your terminal gets "stuck" due to a flow control
problem, any ^A (hot key) sequence will resume the flow.
5-6) CR translations. The end-of-line characters for both
incoming and outgoing carriage returns can be altered to
suit the remote system's needs. A menu prompt provides the
following choices:
o CR (no translation)
o CR/LF translate CR to CR/LF
The incoming CR translation can also be changed "on the fly"
with the ^A-3 command.
3.5. General setup
The general setup allows you to define the character synonyms and
the default files used by the screen dump and other features. A
typical general setup screen might look like this:
Page 10 Pcomm Reference Manual
------------------------- General Setup -------------------------
1) Default log file ....... pcomm.log
2) Screen dump file ....... pcomm.dump
3) Strip high bit ........ YES
4) Pause character ........ ~
5) CR character ........... !
6) CTRL character ......... ^
7) ESC character .......... |
8) Break character ........ %
9) Aborted downloads ...... KEEP
10) Connect delay (sec) .... 35
11) Redial delay (sec) ..... 5
-----------------------------------------------------------------
OPTION ==> _ Press <ESC> to return
The general setup fields are:
1) Default log file. The file name to be used as the
default when the data logging is activated (^A-1). The log
file name can be changed "on the fly" by the ^A-1 command.
2) Screen dump file. The file name to be used for the
screen dump command (^A-G).
3) Strip high bit. Should Pcomm strip the eighth bit on
incoming and outgoing characters? A menu prompt allows you
to select YES or NO. This feature is not used during file
transfers.
4-8) Character synonyms. These are symbols that Pcomm uses
to represent special characters (or perform special
functions) when sending commands to the modem. Synonyms are
useful for entering and displaying special characters in a
human readable form. The synonyms are:
o Pause for 1 second
o The carriage return character (control-M)
o Convert the next character to control-xx
o The escape character (control-[)
o Send a modem break
NOTE: To prevent the special meaning of one of these
characters prepend a "\" to it.
9) Aborted downloads. When a download aborts (fails),
should the partially completed file be kept? The menu
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 11
prompt allows "KEEP" or "DELETE".
10) Connect delay. The number of seconds Pcomm will wait
for the modem to return a status code.
11) Redial delay. The number of seconds to wait before
Pcomm tries to call the number again.
3.6. ASCII transfer setup
This setup screen allows you to select options to be used for
ASCII uploads and downloads. A typical ASCII transfer setup will
look like this:
---------------------- ASCII Transfer Setup ---------------------
ASCII UPLOAD
1) Echo locally ........... NO
2) Expand blank lines ..... NO
3) CR delay (ms) .......... 0
4) Pace the output ........ NO
5) CR translation ......... NONE
6) LF translation ......... ADD CR
ASCII DOWNLOAD
7) Transfer timeout (sec) . 5
8) CR translation ......... STRIP
9) LF translation ......... NONE
-----------------------------------------------------------------
OPTION ==> _ Press <ESC> to return
The fields are:
1) Echo locally. This is similar to the duplex option in
that it copies outgoing characters to the screen. The
options are YES and NO.
2) Expand blank lines. Should a blank line (LF alone) be
expanded to a space and LF? Some BBS systems use a blank
line to signal the end of an ASCII upload. The options are
YES and NO.
3) CR delay. The delay in milliseconds to be used when
sending a CR. The menu prompt limits the choice to 0, 100,
or 150.
4) Pace output. Should each character sent be delayed?
Very old BBS systems may require this. The choice is YES or
NO.
Page 12 Pcomm Reference Manual
5) CR translation. The menu prompt provides the following
choices for upload translations:
o NONE (no translation)
o ADD LF translate CR to CR/LF
o STRIP remove the CR character
6) LF translation. Same as above except the choices are:
o NONE (no translation)
o ADD CR translate LF to CR/LF
o STRIP remove the LF character
7) Transfer timeout. The number of seconds to be used to
determine the end of an ASCII download. You can halt the
transfer before the timer goes off by hitting the <ESC> key.
8-9) Same as 5) and 6) above, except the translations apply
to ASCII downloading.
3.7. External protocol setup
This setup screen allows you to embed the name of external file
transfer programs into the list of available protocols. When
transferring files, the external program name will appear on the
list of options along with the built-in protocols.
-------------------- External Protocol Setup --------------------
UPLOAD
Name Command Line Requires file list?
1) zmodem sz Y
2) N
3) N
DOWNLOAD
Name Command Line Requires file list?
4) zmodem rz N
5) N
6) N
-----------------------------------------------------------------
OPTION ==> _ Press <ESC> to return
To change a line (or add a new one), enter the line number at the
prompt. You will be prompted for the Name, the Command Line, and
the "Requires file list?" flag. To remove an entry, enter a
single space character at the Name prompt.
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 13
The Command Line is the Unix command that you would normally type
in to invoke the program (minus the names of the files to be
transferred). The last field in the setup is used to indicate
whether or not Pcomm should prompt for a list of file names to be
added to the command.
NOTE: Pcomm adds a single space character and the file names (if
any) to the end of the command.
NOTE: The program itself isn't "embedded" into Pcomm (it still
gets called like any other external program), only the name and
invocation information is actually incorporated into Pcomm.
Page 14 Pcomm Reference Manual
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 15
4. MAJOR FUNCTIONS
When Pcomm is invoked without the "-f" command line option,
you're placed in the terminal mode with a blank screen and a
status line. However, since Pcomm hasn't yet selected a serial
port to use, characters typed at the blank screen are ignored.
Normally the first command you'll use is ^A-D to bring up the
dialing directory menu.
4.1. Dialing directory
To dial another system, you type ^A-D to access the dialing
directory menu, then enter the entry number at the prompt.
The entry number could be preceded by a special long distance
dialing code such as "#5" in lieu of "5" alone. Long distance
codes could contain access numbers such as those that MCI and
Sprint require.
A typical dialing directory will look like this:
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| D I A L I N G D I R E C T O R Y |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| Name Number Baud P D S Dpx Script/TTY |
| 1- Abbey Road 1 (512) 590-6036 2400-N-8-1 F |
| 2- Tel-Med-Com 555-8686 9600-E-7-1 F |
| 3- C Board 1 (619) 722-8724 2400-N-8-1 F |
| 4- Crest 1 (213) 471-2518 2400-N-8-1 F Sample |
| 5- Last Chance 1 (219) 762-8411 2400-E-7-1 F |
| 6- Killer 1 (214) 827-1994 1200-E-7-1 F |
| 7- System A (direct) 19200-N-8-1 F tty12 |
| 8- 1200-E-7-1 F |
| 9- 1200-E-7-1 F |
| 10- 1200-E-7-1 F |
| |
| ==> _ R Revise M Manual Dialing Entry to Dial |
| P LD Codes D Delete Entry <CR> Scroll Down |
| <up>/<down> Page L Print Entries <ESC> Exit |
| |
| LD Codes Active: @ # |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
The fields of the dialing directory are:
Page 16 Pcomm Reference Manual
Name) The name of the remote system.
Number) The telephone number to the remote system.
NOTE: The "(", ")", "-", and space characters are just for
looks, and don't get sent to the modem. To prevent the
stripping of one of these characters, prepend a "\" to it.
Line settings) The communications settings to be used when
dialing that entry. The range of values are:
Baud Parity Data bits Stop bits
________________________________________
300 N - none 7 1
1200 E - even 8 2
2400 O - odd
4800
9600
19200
Duplex) The duplex mode. Either "F" for full or "H" for
half.
Script/TTY) The name of the shell script to be used as a
auto-login "chat" sequence. This field is also used to
specify a particular TTY for the entry.
NOTE: On all hard-wired ports, the script field is used to
contain the name of the port. For example, if tty12 is a
hard-wired port to "System A", then the dialing directory
entry for "System A" will have "tty12" in the script field.
The commands at the dialing directory prompt are:
R) Revise (or add) a dialing directory entry or long
distance dialing code. Prompts you to save the changes to
disk. A typical revise screen would look like this:
+----------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| Entry to revise? _ (Entry Number, +,-,@,#) |
| |
+----------------------------------------------------------+
If a dialing directory entry is selected, each field of the
entry is shown with its current settings. You can enter a
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 17
new value, press a carriage return to skip past a field, or
enter a single space character to erase a field. An <ESC>
at any field will abort the command.
P) Print (display) the long distance dialing codes.
<up>/<down>) Scroll the dialing directory up or down 10
lines. Use the up and down arrow keys to access this
feature.
M) Manual dial. Prompts you for a phone number rather than
using a number already in the dialing directory.
D) Delete an entry or a range of entries. Prompts you to
save the changes to disk.
L) Print. Send the dialing directory to the printer or a
file of your choice.
1-100) Entry number. Dial the phone for that entry number.
If the script field contains the name of a valid Unix shell
script, that script is "played" after the connection is made
to perform the auto-login "chat" sequences. See section 8
of this manual for more details on the format and use of
auto-login shell scripts.
NOTE: To access the port directly without dialing (perhaps
to send the dial codes yourself), select an empty entry or
enter a single space character at the phone number prompt of
the manual dial option.
<CR> Carriage return. Scroll the dialing directory down one
line.
4.2. Redial
The redial feature is a misnomer; it really is a queuing system
that allows Pcomm to dial several numbers in a cycle until one of
them answers.
When you invoke the redial command with ^A-R, you're prompted for
a list of dialing directory numbers. (You may also prepend a
long distance code to the entry number).
Page 18 Pcomm Reference Manual
+--- Redial Queue ----------------------------------------------+
| |
| Directory Entry Number(s): _ |
| |
| (<CR> for previous numbers) |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
To redial the previous number, press a carriage return alone at
the prompt. An <ESC> aborts this command.
4.3. Keyboard macros
Keyboard macros are used as a shortcut to send commonly used
strings to the remote system with only a few keystrokes. The
characters used to identify the macros are the shifted number
keys. For example, if the string "ls -alRF | more!" was assigned
to the "!" key (the shifted number 1 key), then when you press
^A-!, the string "ls -alRF | more" is sent to the remote
(followed by a <CR> because of the "!" character synonym).
To review or edit the keyboard macros, you type ^A-M. The
following screen will appear:
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Keyboard Macros |
| |
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| ^A-! ls -alRF | more! |
| ^A-@ |
| ^A-# |
| ^A-$ |
| ^A-% |
| ^A-^ |
| ^A-& |
| ^A-* |
| ^A-( |
| ^A-) |
| |
| Macro key to revise: _ |
| |
+--------------- Press <ESC> to continue ---------------+
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 19
To edit a macro, you type the macro key character (without the
leading hot key). After typing the new string information, you
will be prompted to save the changes to disk. To erase an entry
enter a single space character.
NOTE: All of the character synonyms described in section 3.5 are
available for use with the keyboard macros.
4.4. Line settings
The line settings menu is invoked by ^A-P. A typical line
settings menu will look like this:
+------------------------------------------------+
| Line Settings |
+------------------------------------------------+
| |
| Current Settings: 1200,E,7,1 |
| |
| 1) 300,E,7,1 7) 300,N,8,1 |
| 2) 1200,E,7,1 8) 1200,N,8,1 |
| 3) 2400,E,7,1 9) 2400,N,8,1 |
| 4) 4800,E,7,1 10) 4800,N,8,1 |
| 5) 9600,E,7,1 11) 9600,N,8,1 |
| 6) 19200,E,7,1 12) 19200,N,8,1 |
| |
| Parity Data Bits Stop Bits |
| 13) Odd 14) 7 bits 16) 1 bit |
| 15) 8 bits 17) 2 bits |
| |
| 18) Save Changes YOUR CHOICE: _ |
| |
+------------- Press <ESC> to return ------------+
While dialing a remote, the line settings in the dialing
directory entry are automatically used. Therefore the line
settings menu is used to fine tune the values during a terminal
session or to select the parameters for manual dialing. You can
make the current setting the default by selecting the "Save
Changes" option.
The current line settings are also displayed in the status line.
NOTE: During file transfers, certain parameters (namely the data
bits and parity) will be temporarily changed. The status line
will not reflect these temporary promotions.
Page 20 Pcomm Reference Manual
4.5. Exit Pcomm
To exit Pcomm, you type ^A-X. The phone is hung up (if a call
was in progress), the print and data logging features are closed,
and the TTY resources are released.
NOTE: Pcomm drops the DTR (Data Terminal Ready) on the port
before exiting to Unix.
4.6. Unix gateway
To temporarily suspend Pcomm and spawn a Unix shell, you type
^A-4. To return to Pcomm, you exit the shell normally, typically
with ^D or "exit".
NOTE: The SHELL environmental variable is used to determine
which program to invoke.
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 21
5. UTILITY FUNCTIONS
The following commands perform secondary functions.
5.1. Program information
To display the opening information screen, you type ^A-I. Press
any key to return to the terminal mode.
5.2. Setup screen
The setup screens are described in detail in section 3 of this
manual.
5.3. Change directory
To change the current working directory while still inside Pcomm,
you type ^A-B. A screen similar to the following will appear:
+--- Change directory ------------------------------------------+
| |
| Current directory: /usr/egray |
| New directory: _ |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Abbreviations known to the shell are acceptable; for example, the
"~" character will be translated to the home directory in the csh
or ksh shell.
5.4. Clear screen
To clear the local screen and home the cursor, you type ^A-C.
NOTE: The remote system may not "know" the screen has been
cleared, and may make assumptions about the screen that are
incorrect.
5.5. Toggle duplex
The ^A-E command changes the duplex mode from FULL to HALF, or
from HALF to FULL. The status line shows the current duplex
mode. Use the Terminal Setup to make permanent changes to the
duplex mode.
Page 22 Pcomm Reference Manual
5.6. Hang up the phone
To hang up the phone, you type ^A-H. The word "disconnecting"
will briefly show in the status line.
NOTE: Pcomm does not drop the DTR (Data Terminal Ready) during
the hang up.
5.7. Printer logging
The ^A-L command toggles the printer logging on or off. The
current printer status is displayed in the status line.
NOTE: Since all printing goes to the normal Unix print spool
program, the characters will not print on the printer as they
appear on the screen. The printing will actually begin when the
printer logging is turned off and the complete print job is sent
to the spool.
NOTE: Due to a technical limitation of Pcomm, characters typed
while in the half duplex mode will not appear in the print log.
5.8. Toggle CR - CR/LF
The ^A-3 command toggles the incoming line termination characters
between CR and CR/LF. The status line shows the current settings
(in the next to the last field).
5.9. Break
The ^A-7 command sends a modem break to the remote system. The
word "break" is (very) briefly displayed on the status line.
NOTE: This not the same as the break key on the keyboard (we
don't want to send a break to the local system, we want to send
it to the remote).
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 23
6. FILE FUNCTIONS
One of the most important features of a telecommunication program
is the ability to transfer files. The following file transfer
protocols are implemented:
Protocol Packet Error Multiple
name size detection files?
_______________________________________________
xmodem 128 checksum/CRC no
xmodem-1k 128/1024 checksum/CRC no
modem7 128 checksum yes 1
ymodem 128/1024 CRC yes 2
ymodem-g 128/1024 none 3 yes
ASCII none none no
zmodem 4 128/1024 CRC yes
(external) ? ? ?
Notes: 1 CP/M style file name
2 MSDOS style file name and file size
3 Not needed!
4 zmodem is implemented as an external program
NOTE: The built-in protocols that send file name information,
convert the Unix style file name to fit the MSDOS name
restrictions.
6.1. External protocols
The external "protocol" is really a method of running an external
program from Pcomm to accomplish a file transfer. The most
common use of this feature would be to run Kermit or some
proprietary program.
Frequently used external file transfer programs (such as zmodem)
can have their names embedded into the list of available
protocols by using the External Protocol Setup in section 3.7.
To abort an external file transfer, you hit the <ESC> key. All
other characters typed at the keyboard are ignored.
NOTE: The external protocol feature can also be used (misused?)
to pipe the output of a Unix command to the remote.
6.2. Send files
To send a file to the remote, you'll first have to instruct the
remote system to receive the file, then type ^A-"up arrow". The
Page 24 Pcomm Reference Manual
following screen will appear:
+----- upload ----+
| |
| 1) xmodem |
| 2) xmodem-1k |
| 3) modem7 |
| 4) ymodem |
| 5) ymodem-g |
| 6) ASCII |
| 7) zmodem |
| E) (external) |
| |
| <ESC> to Abort |
| |
| Protocol: _ |
| |
+-----------------+
You then select the type of protocol at the prompt, and another
window similar to this will appear:
+--- Send xmodem -----------------------------------------------+
| |
| Enter filename: _ |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Now you type in the file name or names you'd like to send.
Wildcards known to the shell are acceptable.
Now the file transfer actually begins. A screen similar to the
following is displayed during the transfer:
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 25
+-------------- uploading -------------+
| |
| Protocol: xmodem |
| File name: main.c |
| File size: 4420 |
| Error check method: CRC |
| Est transfer time: 0:00:50 |
| Block count: 5 |
| Percent complete: 11.2% |
| Bytes transferred: 640 |
| Errors this block: 0 |
| Total error count: 0 |
| Last message: NONE |
| |
+-------- Press <ESC> to abort --------+
As the transfer progresses, the "block count", "percent
complete", and "bytes transferred" fields will be continuously
updated. If errors occur the "errors this block" and "total
error count" fields will be updated and the "last message" field
will contain a message about the error.
At the end of the transfer, Pcomm will beep and return to the
terminal mode. If an error occurred and the transfer was
aborted, you will be prompted to acknowledge the error by
pressing a key before returning to the terminal mode.
6.3. Receive files
To receive a file (or group of files) from a remote system,
you'll have to first instruct the remote system, then type ^A-
"down arrow". Receiving a file is basically the same as sending
a file.
NOTE: Some systems do not pad the end of the file with control-
Z's and therefore files might grow in length when received.
NOTE: Due to a technical limitation of Pcomm, characters
received during an ASCII download will not reappear on the screen
when you return to the terminal mode.
6.4. Pass thru mode
The pass through mode is used when you have two or more machines
in a communications daisy chain. The following diagram shows an
example of this type of arrangement:
+---------+ +----------+ +----------+
| IBM PC | | Unix | | IBM PC |
| running | <---- | running | <---- | running |
| ProComm | ----> | Pcomm | ----> | RBBS |
+---------+ +----------+ +----------+
Page 26 Pcomm Reference Manual
If a file is to be transferred from the last machine to the first
machine, the middle machine must appear completely transparent.
The middle machine must "forward the data" without altering it in
any way. The pass through mode "expires" after a designated
period of inactivity, after which the user is returned to the
terminal mode.
To access the pass through mode, you type ^A-T. The following
screen will appear:
+--- Pass Thru Mode --------------------------------------------+
| |
| Enter the expiration time (5-60 sec) : _ |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
NOTE: While in the pass through mode, no Pcomm command to the
middle machine will be honored. Therefore, the only way to exit
this mode is to not type anything on the keyboard until the
expiration period has elapsed.
NOTE: The baud rates to and from the middle machine need not be
the same, however the slowest speed determines the overall speed
of the transfer (the weakest link in the chain).
6.5. Directory
To obtain a listing of a directory on the local system while
still running Pcomm, you type ^A-F. The following screen will
appear:
+--- List Directory --------------------------------------------+
| |
| Current directory: /usr/egray |
| File spec (wildcards allowed): _ |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Abbreviations known to the shell are valid. Output is sent
through a "more" like program.
NOTE: Since we're really doing a popen() to the "ls" command,
additional command line options are also valid.
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 27
6.6. Screen dump
To dump the contents of the current screen (minus any windows
showing) you type ^A-G. The contents of the screen are written
to the file specified in the general setup for this purpose. If
the file already exists, the screen contents are appended to the
file. The message "screen dump" will briefly appear in the
status line.
NOTE: The screen contents are subject to the available VCS
(video command sequence) emulation, so an exact representation is
not guaranteed.
6.7. Start data logging
To start the data logging, or change the file used for data
logging, you type ^A-1. The following screen will appear:
+--- Start Data Logging ----------------------------------------+
| |
| Default log file: pcomm.log |
| New log file: _ |
| |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
To keep the default file, just press a carriage return at the
prompt, otherwise, enter a new file name. If the file already
exits, the new data is appended to the file.
The status of the logging is shown in the status line.
NOTE: Due to a technical limitation of Pcomm, characters typed
while in the half duplex mode will not appear in the log file.
6.8. Toggle logging
To temporarily suspend data logging or to start it again without
being prompted for the file name, you type ^A-2.
Page 28 Pcomm Reference Manual
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 29
7. DIALING WINDOW
While Pcomm is dialing another system, a screen similar to the
following is shown:
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| D I A L I N G W I N D O W |
| |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| |
| System name: C Board |
| Pass number: 1 |
| Elapse time this try: 4 |
| Time at start of dial: 14:53:36 |
| Time at start of this try: 14:53:37 |
| Connect delay time: 35 |
| Redial delay time: 5 |
| Script/TTY: |
| Result of last try: |
| |
| <SPACE>: Recycle <DEL>: Remove from queue E: Change delays |
| |
+----------------------- Press <ESC> to abort -----------------------+
The options available during the dialing window are:
SPACE) Press the space bar to stop the dialing of the
current entry and go on to the next entry in the queue. If
there is only one entry in the queue, that number is
redialed.
DEL) Press the DEL key to remove the current number from the
queue.
E) Press the letter "E" to change the connect delay time, or
the redial delay time (the pause between dialing attempts).
You will be prompted to save the changes to disk.
NOTE: While the DEL and E options are being processed, the
dialing is temporarily suspended.
Page 30 Pcomm Reference Manual
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 31
8. AUTO-LOGIN SCRIPTS
Pcomm doesn't have a built-in script language, instead it uses
Unix shell scripts (Bourne shell, C shell, or Korn shell) to
perform the necessary "chat" sequences to log a user on to a
remote system.
Since shell scripts are run "outside" of Pcomm, they cannot
contain Pcomm commands. For example, an auto-login script cannot
dial a phone number or turn on the data logging feature. The
auto-login scripts are run after the connection to the remote
system has been made.
You may hit the <ESC> key at any time to abort an auto-login
script before it has completed. All other characters typed at
the keyboard are ignored.
WARNING: Any file that has a "clear text" (un-encrypted) version
of your password is a significant security threat. You should
remove the read permission to all others.
In order to assist in the creation of auto-login scripts, the
following external programs have been provided.
8.1. Waitfor command
The waitfor command has the following syntax:
waitfor -n string
where "n" is the number of seconds to wait and "string" is the
string to wait for.
Waitfor returns a 0 if the string was found, a 1 if it didn't
find the string within the allotted time, and a -1 if there was
an error. Waitfor returns immediately if the string is found.
The waitfor command would typically be used in a script to
indicate that the desired prompt has appeared. For example:
waitfor -5 "ogin:"
if [ "$?" -eq 0 ]
then
echo "egray"
fi
would wait up to 5 seconds for the string "ogin:". If the return
code is 0 (the strings did appear), send the string "egray" (my
user ID).
Page 32 Pcomm Reference Manual
NOTE: Upper and lower case letters are considered different. If
you are not sure if the prompt is "Login:" or "login:", then skip
the first letter in the string and use "ogin:".
8.2. Matches command
The matches command has the following syntax:
matches string1 string2
Matches returns a 0 if string2 is contained in string1, and
returns a 1 if it does not. Unlike waitfor, the matches command
does not read the TTY port.
The matches command could be used to test string values such as:
read junk
matches $junk "login failed"
if [ "$?" -eq 0 ]
then
exit
fi
8.3. Modem_break command
The modem_break command performs a modem break on the TTY. It
would often be used to tell the remote system to switch to
another baud rate.
The modem_break program has no command line arguments.
8.4. Examples
It is not my intention to teach the reader the fundamentals of
Unix shell programming. There are several good books on the
subject available in stores.
Remember to add execute permission to the file and remove the
read permission to all others.
The simplest auto-login script may contain the following:
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 33
# send a <CR>
echo ""
# wait 5 seconds for the login prompt
waitfor -5 ogin:
# send my user ID
echo "egray"
# wait 5 seconds for the password prompt
waitfor -5 assword:
# send my password
echo "abcdefg"
# return to Pcomm
exit 0
A more complex script is required if the user must send a modem
break to synchronize the baud rate of the remote. For example:
Page 34 Pcomm Reference Manual
echo ""
try=0
# loop until done
while true
do
# wait 5 seconds for the login prompt
waitfor -5 ogin:
# test the exit code of the waitfor command
if [ "$?" -eq 0 ]
then
# send my user ID and exit the loop
echo "egray"
break
fi
# increment the number of attempts
try=`expr $try + 1`
# test to see if we should give up
if [ "$try" -eq 5 ]
then
exit 1
fi
# send a modem break and loop again
modem_break
echo ""
done
# wait 5 seconds for the password prompt
waitfor -5 assword:
# test the return code from waitfor
if [ "$?" -eq 0 ]
then
# send my password
echo "abcdefg"
else
exit 1
fi
# return to Pcomm
exit 0
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 35
Appendix A - Typical Modem Configuration
I can't begin to describe how to configure every modem to work
with Pcomm. There are, however, several guidelines that will
apply to virtually any modem.
1) Pcomm doesn't care about the DCD (Data Carrier Detect)
settings of the modem.
2) It would be nice (but not essential) if the loss of the
DTR (Data Terminal Ready) caused the modem to hang up.
3) Pcomm doesn't care if commands are echoed back by the
modem (it might save a few milliseconds if echoing was
turned off).
4) Some sort of result codes are required. Numeric result
codes are ok... but since they are displayed on the screen,
word result codes will make more sense.
5) If the modem can return different result codes for each
baud rate at which it answers, then by all means, use them.
6) Anything that is returned by the modem, but not listed in
the modem setup, is ignored.
7) Systems running uugetty (the bi-directional version of
getty that comes with HDB uucp) should include extra
commands in the initialization string to assure that uugetty
switches to its dial out mode. Normally, "AT!~AT!~" causes
enough dialogue to force uugetty to release the line.
For example, a 2400 baud Hayes compatible modem might be
configured with the following command:
AT S7=45 S11=70 E0 Q0 V1 X4 &D2
AT Hayes attention command
S7=45 Wait 45 seconds for an answer
S11=70 70 ms touch tone dialing
E0 Don't echo commands (not essential)
Q0 Turn result codes on
V1 Return word result codes
X4 Use as many result codes as you've got
&D2 Hang up when DTR is lost (nice to have)
Page 36 Pcomm Reference Manual
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 37
Appendix B - AT&T Unix PC 7300/3b1 Dial Codes
The dialing codes used by the OBM (On Board Modem) are not
straight-forward. The modem setup, as distributed, looks like
this:
-------------------------- Modem Setup --------------------------
1) Modem name (1 of 2) ... OBM
2) Modem init string .....
3) Dialing command ....... %
4) Dialing cmd suffix .... @
5) Hang up string ........
6) Auto baud detect ...... N
7) 300 baud connect ...... CONNECT
8) 1200 baud connect ..... CONNECT
9) 2400 baud connect .....
10) 4800 baud connect .....
11) 9600 baud connect .....
12) 19200 baud connect ....
13) No connect string 1 ...
14) No connect string 2 ...
15) No connect string 3 ...
16) No connect string 4 ...
-----------------------------------------------------------------
OPTION ==> _ Press <ESC> to return
The relevant fields of the modem setup are:
1) Modem name. This must be "OBM".
NOTE: Pcomm uses the modem name as a flag to determine
which dialing method to use. The string "OBM" is a
"reserved word" that Pcomm uses to switch to the AT&T Unix
PC 7300/3b1 dialing method.
3) Dialing command. This should be "%" for touch tone
dialing or "^" for pulse dialing.
4) Dialing cmd suffix. This must be the "@" character.
6) Auto baud detect. The OBM cannot use the auto baud
detect feature.
7-8) Connect strings. Although the OBM doesn't actually
return any result codes, these fake fields are required.
Additional OBM dialing codes from the phone(7) manual:
Page 38 Pcomm Reference Manual
"~" wait for next dial tone
"," pause 2 seconds
":" pause 10 seconds
"&" perform a hookflash
"%" begin tone dialing
"^" begin pulse dialing
These codes can be inserted into the phone number string, for
example:
555-1234~56 dial 555-1234, wait for tone, dial 56
9,555-1234 dial 9, wait 2 seconds, dial 555-1234
%555^1234 dial 555 using tone, 1234 using pulse
NOTE: The dialing codes for the OBM are not subject to character
synonym translations, therefore the "%", "^", and "~" characters
do NOT have to be preceded by the "\" character to remove their
special meaning.
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 39
Appendix C - Using Telebit Modems
Telebit modems are probably representative of the newer high
speed intelligent modems available today and therefore warrant a
more detailed discussion.
1) Locked interface speed
Telebit modems have the ability to maintain a locked
interface speed with the computer without regard to the
connected baud rate. For example, most people find it
necessary to lock the interface speed at 19200 baud (or
9600) for normal operations.
The "init speed" field of the TTY database was created to
solve this problem. If this value is non-zero, Pcomm will
only use this baud rate when talking to the modem. The true
connected baud rate will continue to be displayed in the
status line.
2) Multiple setups
Users of Telebit modems may require a different "init
string" or "dial string" depending on the target baud rate.
For example, the init strings for 9600 and 19200 baud may
contain the command "S50=255" (wait for the Telebit PEP
tones) whereas the slower init strings would contain "S50=0"
(automatic speed search).
This problem is solved by creating an additional modem entry
in the modem database. For example, you could have an entry
called "TELEBIT" for baud rates in the range of 300-4800 and
another entry called "FAST_TELEBIT" for baud rates in the
range of 9600-19200.
Pcomm uses the connect strings to determine if the modem can
handle the requested baud rate. So, if the "TELEBIT" entry
had connect strings for 300, 1200, 2400, and 4800 baud it
would be selected only if the requested baud rate was in
that range. Likewise, the FAST_TELEBIT would have connect
strings only for 9600 and 19200 baud.
3) Telebit register settings
The following configuration is what I personally use for my
Telebit T2500's on bi-directional lines (ones with uugetty).
Page 40 Pcomm Reference Manual
~&F1 restores enhanced command mode settings
Q2 turns on result codes only when dialing out
S0=1 answer on first ring
S7=60 wait at least 60 seconds for a carrier
S51=5 set interface speed to 19200 baud
S52=1 hangup on loss of DTR
S54=3 pass modem breaks through
S58=2 full duplex RTS/CTS flow control
S66=1 lock the interface speed
S131=1 data carrier detect follows the carrier
&W0 save in NVM A
&W1 save in NVM B
4) Sample TTY database
The following is the contents of the sample TTY database:
TTY name Modem name Init speed
1) tty10 HAYES 0
2) tty11 HAYES 0
3) tty12 DIRECT 0
4) tty13 TELEBIT 19200
5) tty13 FAST_TELEBIT 19200
Notice that entries 4 and 5 share the same TTY.
5) Sample modem database entry for TELEBIT
The third entry in the sample modem database is for the
Telebit modem designated for use at slow speeds.
Pcomm Reference Manual Page 41
1) Modem name (3 of 4) .... TELEBIT
2) Modem init string ...... ATZ!~~
3) Dialing command ........ ATDT
4) Dialing cmd suffix ..... !
5) Hang up string ......... ~~+++~~ATH0!
6) Auto baud detect ....... Y
7) 300 baud connect ....... CONNECT 300
8) 1200 baud connect ...... CONNECT 1200
9) 2400 baud connect ...... CONNECT 2400
10) 4800 baud connect ...... CONNECT 4800
11) 9600 baud connect ......
12) 19200 baud connect .....
13) No connect string 1 .... BUSY
14) No connect string 2 .... ERROR
15) No connect string 3 .... NO CARRIER
16) No connect string 4 .... NO DIALTONE
6) Sample modem database entry for FAST_TELEBIT
The 4th entry is for the Telebit modem designated for use at
higher speeds.
1) Modem name (4 of 4) .... FAST_TELEBIT
2) Modem init string ...... ATZ!~~ATS50=255!
3) Dialing command ........ ATDT
4) Dialing cmd suffix ..... !
5) Hang up string ......... ~~+++~~ATH0!
6) Auto baud detect ....... Y
7) 300 baud connect .......
8) 1200 baud connect ......
9) 2400 baud connect ......
10) 4800 baud connect .....
11) 9600 baud connect ..... CONNECT 9600
12) 19200 baud connect .... CONNECT FAST
13) No connect string 1 ... BUSY
14) No connect string 2 ... ERROR
15) No connect string 3 ... NO CARRIER
16) No connect string 4 ... NO DIALTONE
