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Date:         Fri, 1 Jan 1993 01:54:00 CST
From:         Lance Tagliapietra <96720919@UCS.UWPLATT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: Kermit on Amiga?

>Date: Thu, 31 Dec 1992 18:29:21 -0500
>From: JVENTOLA@RCNVMS.RCN.MASS.EDU
>Subject: RE: Kermit on Amiga?
>
>Lance,
> Thanks for your reply about Kermit, but now I am confused.  I gather
>that I would see some improvement if I were to switch to this new kermit.
>Is that correct?

Possibly.  It is hard to say without knowing more about the flavor of
Kermit on the other side.  If the other kermit is is capable, they can
use extensions that have been added to the protocol such as long packets
and sliding windows.

>
>If so, would I need to compile it myself?  Or did you mention the source
>code by the way?  I have no C experience or compiler---except for Dice
>somewhere.

The binary is available via ftp from watsun.cc.columbia.edu.  The Kermit
announcement I just posted to this group has all the "where to get" info.

>
>If I get the binary, how do I use it?  Do I log on using VLT and then
>invoke this new Kermit somehow?  I do not understand what is meant by
>"server mode."  Could you explain that?  I was also confused about the
>relationship between your Amiga and tandy model 4.  Are they connected
>via a null modem?

Here comes the long explanation...brace yourself.  :)

We have basically been talking about two Kermits here.  There is the
file transfer protocol known as kermit which has been implemented in
various terminal programs.  There is also the program called Kermit,
which of course implements the file transfer protocol of that name,
but also a scripting language (very powerful, in fact), character
set translation, network interfaces, and a bunch of other goodies,
online help, for example.

Kermit the program, as implemented for the Amiga, does not (and
probably never will according to the person doing the port) have
any terminal emulation (such as vt100, Adm3a, ect).  So what you
could do is use VT100 as your terminal emulator for the editors
and applications you use on the system you are connecting with.
When you are ready to transfer files, exit out of VT100 and
run Kermit.  Tell the kermit on the remote system to send the
files, and tell your local kermit to receive them.

Server mode is a benifit of having kermit the program on each end
of the link.  You place the remote kermit in server mode, and you
place your local kermit in command mode.  Then to transfer files
you issue commands such as "get" and "send" and the remote system
will get the file, or receive the file from your system.  The
advantage is that you are only typing a command on one machine,
you are not first telling the remote system to send the file,
and then your local system to receive the file like you do with
xmodem or sometimes zmodem for instance.

On my system, I place the C-Kermit on the Amiga in server mode.
Then on my Trs-80 model 4 (now the local system) I can transfer
files to and from the hard drive on the Amiga, without first
having to tell the Amiga to send or receive a particular file,
the Kermit server protocol is doing that for me.  I just sit at
my Model 4 and am using the Amiga like a remote system in this
case.

Besides the file transfer commands, I can change directories,
run programs, list directories, ect.  The kermit protocol is
used for these exchanges between systems.  Sometimes when the
lines are excessively noisy, I run kermit on the remote system
just to have the program eliminate the line noise.  No, I haven't
gotten this to work for editing sessions.  But for operations
that do not need any interaction from the user (like arcing files
for transfer) this is a nice facility.

The docs for C-Kermit should come with the distribution.  Their
location is described in the Announcement posting I made.  The
docs are available in both ascii and postscript form.  There are
also docs available which describe the protocol in detail.

>
>Sorry to be so dense.  Maybe 1993 will see some clarity.
>Happy New Year
>Jim Ventola
>
>jventola@ecn.mass.edu
>English Department  *   Massasoit CC  *   Brockton, MA 02402

No problem.  Yours is really a pretty common set of questions.
I just hope I did not tell you more than you really wanted to
know...

-Lance
 ---------------- Amiga - The Wild Side of Power Computing -----------------
 Lance Tagliapietra                       Internet: 96720919@ucs.uwplatt.edu
 P.O. Box 26                                BitNet: 96720919@uwplatt
 Platteville, WI 53818
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