@Comment(-*-SCRIBE-*-) @Comment(SCRIBE Text Formatter Input for the Kermit User Guide) @Make @Comment(Use /draft:F on command line to produce .LPT file w/cc in column 1) @Style(Date="March 1952") @case(device,postscript="@LibraryFile") @String @Style @Use @Modify @Comment(Set desired spacing around various environments) @Modify @Modify @Modify @Modify @Modify @Modify @Define @Define @Define @Define @Define @define @define @Comment(Printing Device Dependencies) @Case @Comment(Set spacing and paging requirements for chapter & section headings) @Modify(Hdx,Above 2,Below 1,Need 8) @Modify(Hd0,Above 2,Below 1,Need 8) @Modify(Hd2,Above 2,Below 1,Need 8) @Modify(Hd3,Above 2,Below 1,Need 8) @Modify(Hd4,Above 2,Below 1,Need 8) @Modify @Modify @Pageheading<> @Begin(TitlePage,Initialize "@BlankSpace(2.4inches)",sink 0) @MajorHeading(KERMIT USER GUIDE) @i Christine Gianone, Editor Columbia University Center for Computing Activities New York, New York 10027 May 26, 1988 Copyright (C) 1981,1988 Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York @i @case[device, x9700 "@blankpage(1)"]@Comment{Duplex Kludge} @case[device, x2700 "@blankpage(1)"]@Comment{Duplex Kludge} @case[device, imprint10 "@blankpage(1)"]@Comment{Duplex Kludge} @end @PageHeading(Odd,Immediate, Left="@xx<@Value[SectionNumber]. @Value[SectionTitle]>", Right="@yy", Line="@bar()@blankspace(2)") @PageHeading(Even, Left="@yy", Right="@xx", Line="@bar()@blankspace(2)") @set(page=1) @PrefaceSection @i is the name of a protocol for transferring files from one computer to another over ordinary asynchronous terminal connections. Kermit programs have been written for many different computers, and in general any two computers that have Kermit programs can exchange sequential files correctly and completely. This manual gives a brief and general overview of what Kermit is and how to use it, but consists mostly of detailed instructions for use and installation of specific Kermit programs. For a more detailed introduction to Kermit, complete with illustrations, diagrams, and tutorials, consult the book @i, by Frank @w, Digital Press, Bedford MA (1987), ISBN @w<0-932376-88-6>, DEC order number @w (phone 1-800-343-8321). The Kermit book describes Kermit in detail, from the points of view of the beginner, the user, the computer professional who must install Kermit programs or support their use, and the programmer who wishes to write new Kermit implementations. Also included are general introductions to computers, data communications, and file organization, plus a detailed troubleshooting guide, bootstrapping hints, and various appendices and tables. The latter half of the book is taken up by a complete description of the Kermit file transfer protocol, with programming examples in the C language, plus some analysis and comparisons of Kermit with other popular protocols such as Xmodem. The seventh edition of the @i (May 1988) includes chapters on new releases of most major Kermit programs, including MS-DOS Kermit 2.30, VAX/VMS Kermit 3.3, Portable IBM Mainframe Kermit 4.0, Unix Kermit 4E, Macintosh Kermit, CP/M-80 Kermit 4.09, plus a new chapter on PDP-11 Kermit. @Heading The Kermit file transfer protocol was designed at the Columbia University Center for Computing Activities (CUCCA) in 1981-82 by Bill Catchings and Frank @w. Bill wrote the first two programs, one for the DECSYSTEM-20 and one for a CP/M-80 microcomputer. The initial objective was to allow users of our DEC-20 and IBM 370 timesharing systems to archive their files on microcomputer floppy disks. The design owes much to the ANSI and ISO/OSI models, and some ideas were borrowed from similar projects at Stanford University and the University of Utah. The protocol was designed to accommodate the "sensitive" communications front end of the full-@|duplex DEC-20 system as well as the peculiarities of half-@|duplex IBM mainframe linemode communications. The protocol was soon implemented successfully on our IBM mainframe systems under VM/CMS by Daphne Tzoar of CUCCA. Meanwhile it was becoming apparent that Kermit was useful for more than just file archiving; IBM PCs were beginning to appear in the offices and departments, and there arose a general need for file transfer among all our systems, as well as a need to use the IBM PCs as terminals. Daphne soon had prepared an IBM PC implementation. After our initial success with Kermit, we presented it at conferences of user groups like DECUS and SHARE, and began to get requests for it from other sites. Since we had written down a description of the protocol, some sites wrote their own implementations for new computers, or adapted one of our implementations to run on additional systems, and sent back these new versions to us so that we could share them with others. In this way, Kermit has grown to support nearly 300 different machines and operating systems; it has been sent on magnetic tape or diskette from Columbia University to nearly ten thousand sites all over the world, and has reached many thousands more through various user groups and networks. Thanks to the hundreds of individuals and institutions who have contributed to the Kermit storehouse over the years. The Kermit protocol was named after Kermit the Frog, star of the television series @i; the name Kermit is used by permission of Henson Associates, Inc., New York. @Heading Neither Columbia University, nor the editor, nor the authors of the individual chapters, nor any individual or institution contributing Kermit programs or documentation to the Columbia University Kermit Distribution, acknowledge any liability for any claims arising from use or misuse of Kermit programs or for inaccuracies in the documentation or bugs in the programs. Kermit programs are produced on a voluntary basis and contributed freely for public use in the hope that they will be useful, but without any kind of warranty or guarantee, or any commitment to address or fix problems. In practice, Kermit programs and documentation are contributed in good faith, and will be supported on a best-@|effort basis, time and other commitments permitting. @Heading Although the @i was produced at Columbia University, all attempts have been made to keep it free of site-@|specific information. However, due to the large number of Kermit implementations, descriptions of each one would make the manual prohibitively thick. Therefore, the manual is sent from Columbia with specific documentation about a selection of systems. Some of these descriptions may not be of interest at your site, while others that are may be lacking. Each site, upon receiving a Kermit tape, may decide which versions of Kermit are important to it, and include the appropriate documentation in this manual. This is most conveniently done if your site has the Scribe text formatting system (from UNILOGIC Ltd in Pittsburgh PA, USA), with which this manual was produced. Scribe runs on a wide variety of systems. There are also Scribe subsets, such as Perfect Writer and Final Word, that run on various microcomputers. Many have asked why Scribe is used for Kermit manuals instead of TeX. The answer is simply that TeX can only produce output for typesetters, not plain-text ASCII files, which are necessary for online documentation. The system-specific parts of the Kermit User Guide are included with "@q<@@INCLUDE>" statements at the end of the Scribe source file for this manual, whose filename is @q. You may add or delete @q<@@INCLUDE> statements to suit your needs, and run the result through the text formatter to produce a customized manual. If you do this, you should include an indication on the title page that the manual has been customized for your site. Not all system-specific documentation is provided in @q<.MSS> (Scribe input) format, since some Kermit contributors do not have Scribe at their sites. In that case, you will either have to add Scribe formatting commands, or else enclose the whole subfile in @q<@@BEGIN(VERBATIM)...@@END(VERBATIM)> brackets (and replace all atsigns (@q<@@>) in the text with double atsigns (@q<@@@@>)). If you do not have SCRIBE, you may still use an editor to delete or add sections to the finished documentation file, though the results will not be as satisfactory -- the table of contents, index, cross references, and page numbers will not be automatically adjusted. If you are running a version of Kermit for which adequate documentation has not been provided (after all, this is a distributed, volunteer effort!), please feel free to write some, preferably in Scribe input format, and send it back to Columbia so that others may benefit from it. Likewise if you produce a new implementation of Kermit. If you don't know Scribe, you can use one of the existing chapters as a model. @Unnumbered The Kermit software is free and available to all, source code and documentation included, from a variety of sources. For example, most universities are connected to academic computer networks from which the Kermit files at Columbia University can be reached. The Kermit files are also available from many user groups, dialup information or bulletin board services, diskette reproduction services, and private volunteers. Kermit software is not in the public domain. The Kermit manuals and most Kermit programs bear copyright notices to protect Columbia University and the various contributors from having their work taken by others and sold as a product, for profit. This is not to say that the Kermit file transfer protocol can never be included as a feature of a commercial product; the conditions under which this may be done are spelled out in a flyer @i. Columbia University distributes Kermit programs by mail order on various magnetic media (primarily 9-track reel-to-reel tape and certain kinds of diskettes), charging a distribution fee to defray costs for media, printing, postage, materials, labor, and computing resources. This is not a software license fee; no license is required. To receive a current list of Kermit implementations, the statement on commercial policy, and a Kermit order form, write to: @begin Kermit Distribution Columbia University Center for Computing Activities 612 West 115th Street New York, NY 10025 @end Everyone is free to copy and redistribute Kermit programs and documentation, and is encouraged to do so, with the following stipulations: Kermit programs should not be sold for commercial gain; credit should be given where it is due; and new material should be sent back to Columbia University at the address above so that we can maintain a definitive and comprehensive set of Kermit implementations for further distribution. Since new Kermit programs are added -- and old ones improved -- so frequently, sites that use Kermit heavily are encouraged to contact Columbia for updates two or three times a year for news. @blankspace(4) @Center(-- PLEASE USE KERMIT ONLY FOR PEACEFUL AND HUMANE PURPOSES --) @Unnumbered Chapter @ref<-using>, @i, describes the basics of text file transfer, and shows some specific examples. If you follow the examples but you can't make a terminal connection or you can't transfer files successfully, consult Chapter @ref<-wrong>, @i. If you expect to be a heavy user of Kermit, you should read Section @ref<-commands>, @i, which describes most of Kermit's features and commands. You may find that familiarity with the material in this section will help you get past difficulties that can crop up when you are making new kinds of connections or transferring unusual kinds of files. You will also find descriptions of some advanced file management features that have been omitted from the earlier sections. The subsequent chapters describe selected popular Kermit programs in detail. You should read the appropriate section for each system you expect to use; each section describes the file naming conventions and other system features that are important to Kermit users, and lists the Kermit commands for that system mainly in terms of their differences from the "ideal" Kermit described in section @ref<-commands>. @Chapter There is an ever-increasing need to move information from one computer to another. Information can be exchanged using magnetic media -- tapes or disks -- or over networks. Networks are expensive, and when your computer is not connected to one (or to the right one), you must find other means to transfer information. In the early days of computing, magnetic media formats were relatively standardized, but with the arrival of microcomputers things have changed: most microcomputer users have no access to tapes, and disk formats are incompatible between most microcomputer makes and models. Even when disk formats agree, the disk must be physically moved from one system to the other in order for information to be exchanged -- the effort and delay can be significant if the systems are widely separated. The telecommunication line provides a cheap and widely available alternative to networks and magnetic media. Asynchronous telecommunication is the method used by most terminals to connect to most computers. When dedicated "hardwired" connections, such as those found between a timesharing computer and its local terminals, are not available, computer users can create their own dialup connections with a telephone and a modem. Most computers come equipped with asynchronous telecommunications interfaces, or "serial ports", which allow them to act as, or communicate with, terminals. The question is how to use the serial port to exchange data. Fortunately, the standards for connecting terminals to computers are almost universally followed: connector configuration (DB-25 or DB-9), transmission signals (EIA RS-232), a commonly accepted set of transmission speeds (baud rates), and a convention for encoding characters in storage and during transmission (ASCII). These standards provide the physical medium and the data format, but they do not specify a process for exchanging data. @Section When data is transmitted from one computer to another; the receiving computer has to be instructed to take in the data and put it somewhere, and it also needs a way of ensuring that the data has been received correctly and completely in spite of several factors that will tend to interfere with this process: @begin @i -- @Index It is rarely safe to assume that there will be no electrical interference on a line; any long or switched data communication line will have occasional interference, or noise, which typically results in garbled or extra characters. Noise corrupts data, perhaps in subtle ways that might not be noticed until it's too late. @i -- Data must not come in faster than the receiving machine can handle it. Although line speeds at the two ends of the connection must match before communication can take place, the receiving machine might not be able to process a steady stream of input at that speed. Its central processor may be too slow or too heavily loaded, its buffers too full or too small, or its disk too slow. The typical symptom of a timing problem is lost data; most operating systems will simply discard incoming data they are not prepared to receive. @End(Enumerate) To prevent corruption of data and to synchronize communication, cooperating computers can send special messages to one another along with the data. Intermingling of control information with data together requires a set of rules for distinguishing messages from data, and specifying what the messages are and the actions associated with each message. Such a set of rules is called a @i(protocol). @Index[Kermit Protocol] Kermit is a file transfer protocol. It is specifically designed for transfer of sequential files over ordinary telecommunication lines. Kermit is not necessarily better than other terminal-@|oriented file transfer protocols but it is free, it is well documented, and it has been implemented compatibly on a wide variety of microcomputers, PCs, workstations, minicomputers, mainframes, and supercomputers. @section Kermit transfers data by encapsulating it in @index @i(packets) of control information. This information includes a synchronization marker, a packet sequence number to allow detection of lost packets, a length indicator, and a "block check" to allow verification of the data, as shown in Figure @ref<-pktfig>. @begin(figure) @bar() @begin +------+------+------+------+--------- - - - -+-------+ | MARK | LEN | SEQ | TYPE | DATA | CHECK | +------+------+------+------+--------- - - - -+-------+ @End(Example) @caption(A Kermit Packet) @tag<-pktfig> @bar() @end(figure) The MARK (usually an ASCII Control-A character) appears at the beginning of the packet. The next character is a length field (LEN), specifying how long the rest of the packet is. The sequence number (SEQ) is used to detect lost or duplicated packets; retransmission is requested for lost packets and duplicate packets are discarded. The TYPE field specifies whether the packet contains data or control information. The CHECK field contains a quantity obtained by combining all the other characters in the packet together in one of several ways; the sender computes this value and sends it. The packet receiver also computes the value and checks it against the value sent; if they agree, the packet is accepted; if they disagree, then the packet has been corrupted and retransmission is requested. The DATA field contains up to 90 characters of data. All fields except the mark are encoded as printable ASCII characters, to prevent host or network interference. Figure @ref<-protofig> shows how a typical file transfer proceeds. @begin(figure) @bar() @begin(example,leftmargin +2) @u(Sender) @u(Receiver) Send-Init -------------> @i(Sender and Receiver exchange greetings) <-------------------- ACK File-Header -----------> @i(Sender sends first file name to Receiver) <-------------------- ACK @i(Receiver acknowledges) File-Data -------------> @i(Sender sends first file data packet) <-------------------- ACK File-Data -------------> @i(Sender sends second file data packet) <-------------------- ACK File-Data --xx~~~p'''--> @i(Third data packet is corrupted by noise) <-------------------- NAK @i( and Receiver negatively acknowledges it) File-Data -------------> @i(Sender retransmits third packet) <-------------------- ACK @i(File-Data packets are sent and acknowledged until the whole file is sent) End-Of-File -----------> @i(Sender indicates first file is complete) <-------------------- ACK File-Header -----------> @i(Name second of file ) <-------------------- ACK File-Data -------------> @i(First data packet for second file) <-------------------- ACK @i(File-Data packets are sent and ack'd until the whole file is sent) End-Of-File -----------> @i(Sender indicates second file is complete) <-------------------- ACK End-Of-Transaction ----> @i(Sender indicates no more files to come) <------------------- ACK @end(example) @caption(Kermit File Transfer) @tag<-protofig> @bar() @end(figure) Figure @ref<-protofig> does not show how Kermit recovers from errors. Very briefly, here's how it works: @Begin(Itemize) If a packet is corrupted in transit by noise or loss of characters, the block check will be wrong. A file receiver will NAK ("negatively acknowledge") a corrupted packet, which causes the sender to retransmit the same packet (or, alternatively, it will ACK the last correctly received packet again). A file sender only receives ACKs and NAKs from the receiver; a corrupted ACK, or a NAK, from the receiver causes the sender to retransmit its most recent packet. If the file sender does not receive an ACK within the prescribed timeout interval, it retransmits the same packet. If the file receiver does not receive an expected packet within the timeout interval, it sends a NAK for the expected packet (or another ACK for the most recently correct packet). @End(Itemize) Many encoding, compression, block check, timeout, and packet length options are provided. These options are automatically negotiated by the two Kermit programs when they initially make contact, and the greatest common set of features is used. For this reason, any two Kermit programs should be able to communicate successfully, from the oldest, most bare-bones version, to the newest, most feature-laden version. The protocol is described in detail in the Kermit book. @Chapter @label<-using> Kermit embodies a set of rules for transferring files reliably between two computers. In general, one computer is a large system (a @i, for instance a timesharing system with many terminals), and the other is a personal computer (PC). The host believes that the PC is an ordinary terminal. In order for the Kermit protocol to occur, a Kermit @i must be running on each end of the communication line -- one on the host, one on the PC. Your task is just to get the two Kermits started. You have to use a single keyboard and screen to talk to two different computers, two different programs. Let's talk about a common case: you are sitting at a personal computer (PC), which has a serial communication port. The serial port is connected to a host computer using, say, a dialup modem. Normally, when you use your PC, you are "talking" directly to it; your commands are interpreted directly by the PC's operating system (CP/M, MS-DOS, UNIX, etc), or by some program that runs on the PC (an editor, a text formatter, space invaders...). The version of Kermit on your PC is a program like any other, but it has a special ability to either interpret your commands directly, like other programs, or to pass everything you type through to the other, remote computer. When you tell Kermit to @indexCONNECT, it sends every character you type out the serial port, and it puts every character that comes in the serial port onto the screen. This is called "terminal emulation" -- one computer acts as if it were a terminal to the other. You are now "talking" to the remote computer, and the PC is (mostly) ignoring you. Kermit, like most interactive programs, has a @i@index. The prompt is a string of characters it types on the left margin to indicate that it is ready for you to type a command. Kermit's prompt is normally "@q@i@q(>)". The @i identifies the implementation of Kermit; the Kermit that runs on MS-DOS systems is called "Kermit-MS" and its prompt is "@q(Kermit-MS>)"; the Kermit that runs on Z80 and 8080-@|based microcomputers is called "Kermit-80" and its prompt is "@q(Kermit-80>)", and so forth. If you become confused about which Kermit you are talking to, the prompt should provide a clue. In addition, most Kermits print an informative message like @example<[Connecting to remote host, type CTRL-]C to return]> when you CONNECT, and type another message like @example<[Connection closed, back at PC]> when you return. Having "connected" to the host, there must be a way for you to "get back" to the PC. This is accomplished by an @i@index. As Kermit passes your characters through to the host, it checks each one to see if it's a special predefined @i. When the PC sees this character, it stops ignoring you -- you are once again "talking" to the PC, not to the host. The escape character is normally chosen to be one that you will not need to type while talking to the host, and one that is hard to type by accident -- it's usually a @i@index, such as Control-@q<]>, which is entered by holding down the key marked CTRL or CONTROL and typing the indicated character (in this case, a right bracket "@q<]>"). The CTRL key works just like a SHIFT key. Control characters are written either as Ctrl-A or @q<^A>, where A is the character to be typed while holding down the Ctrl key. @section From system command level on your PC, first run the Kermit program. Then tell Kermit to CONNECT you to the host. Now you're talking to the remote host -- at this point you must log in, and then run Kermit on the host. Now you have a Kermit program on each end of the connection. The next step is to tell @i Kermit what to do. Suppose you want to transfer a file from the host to the PC; you would first tell the host Kermit to SEND the file, then "escape" back to the PC Kermit and tell it to RECEIVE the file. The transfer begins -- you can sit back and watch, or go make yourself a sandwich. The PC Kermit will produce a running display on your screen as the transfer proceeds, and will notify you when it is complete. The desired file should now be on your PC's disk. The Kermit protocol has ensured that the file arrived correctly and completely. Now you must clean up after yourself: CONNECT back to the host, exit from Kermit on the host, log out from the host, "escape" back to PC Kermit and exit from it. Now you can do whatever you had planned for your file -- edit it, print it on your PC printer, etc. Transferring a file in the other direction works the same way, but with the SEND and RECEIVE commands exchanged. The Kermit protocol, and most Kermit programs, allow you to send text files reliably from the host to the PC, from the PC to the host, from host to host, or PC to PC, usually without any special regard for the nature of the particular machines involved. Most implementations also allow files to be sent in groups, with a single command, such as "@q" The scenario for each of these is the same as above -- only the details of how to establish the actual connection differ. Kermit works best with "printable" files -- files composed only of letters, digits, punctuation marks, carriage returns, tabs, and so forth -- since these can be represented on almost any kind of computer. Kermit is also able to transfer "binary" files -- files such as executable programs -- composed of arbitrary bit patterns, but binary files normally are meaningful only to the kind of computer on which they are generated. Nevertheless, Kermit can usually move such files from system A to system B (where they are not much use) and back to system A in their original condition, although in most cases special measures must be taken to accomplish this. Let's look at some more concrete examples. First you need to know what the basic Kermit commands are. @section @Index[Kermit Commands] These are generic descriptions of the most basic Kermit commands. Detailed descriptions will come later. In these descriptions, @i@index refers to the system that you are using directly, @i@index refers to the system to which you are CONNECTed via Kermit. Commands may take one or more operands on the same line, and are terminated by a carriage return. @begin @Index[SEND] SEND @i(filespec)@\Send the file or file group specified by @i(filespec) from this Kermit to the other. The name of each file is passed to the other Kermit in a special control packet, so it can be stored there with the same name. A file group is usually specified by including "wildcard"@index characters like "@q<*>" in the file specification. Examples: @begin(Example) send foo.txt send *.for @end(Example) Some implementations of Kermit may not support transfer of file groups; these versions would require a separate SEND command for each file to be transferred. @Index[RECEIVE] RECEIVE@\Receive a file or file group from the other Kermit. If an incoming file name is not legal, then attempt to transform it to a similar legal name. Options are be provided for handling filename collisions. @Index[CONNECT]@Index[Virtual Terminal] CONNECT@\Make a terminal connection to the remote system. To "escape" from the terminal connection, type Kermit's @Index[Escape Character] @i (e.g.@ @q, control-@|rightbracket), followed by the letter "C" for "Close Connection". @Index[SET] SET@\Establish various nonstandard settings, such as CONNECT escape character, file characteristics, communication line number, speed (baud rate), parity, or flow control. All of these are explained later. SHOW@\@Index[SHOW](or STATUS) Display the values of SET options. HELP@\Type a summary of Kermit commands and what they do. EXIT@\Exit from Kermit back to the host operating system. @q(?)@\Typed almost anywhere within a Kermit command: List the commands, options, or operands that are possible at this point. This command may or may not require a carriage return, depending on the host operating system. @end @section Kermit can be used in several ways: from a PC that is connected to a larger host computer; from a host computer which is connected to another host; from one PC to another. @SubSection In this example, the user is sitting at an IBM Personal Computer (PC), which is connected through its serial port to a DEC VAX/VMS host computer. The IBM PC is @i, the VAX is @i. This example will also apply almost literally to any other microcomputer implementation of Kermit. You have started up your PC and have the Kermit program on your disk. Begin by running Kermit on the PC. Use Kermit's CONNECT command to become a terminal to the VAX. In fact, the PC emulates the popular DEC VT-102 (VT-100), so so it is desirable to tell the host that your terminal is of this type. Login on the VAX and run Kermit there. Here is an example of this procedure with commands you type underlined; the material lined up on the right is commentary, not system typeout or part of a command: @Begin @tabclear@tabDivide(3) A>@u[Kermit]@\@i(Run Kermit on the PC.) Kermit-MS V2.30 IBM-PC Kermit-MS: V2.30 8 Jan 88 Type ? for help Kermit-MS>@\@i(This is the Kermit prompt for the PC.) Kermit-MS>@u[connect]@\@i(Connect to the VAX.) [Connecting to host, type Control-] to return to PC] @\@i(You are now connected to the VAX.) Welcome to CUMIN, MicroVMS V4.6@ @ @ @ i(The system prints its herald.) Username: @ux@\@i(Type your user ID.) Password: @ux@\@i(Type your password.) @i<(Various greeting or notice messages are displayed.)> $ @\@i(This is the VMS system prompt.) $ @u[Kermit]@\@i(Run Kermit on the VAX.) VMS Kermit-32 version 3.3.111 Default terminal for transfers is: _TXA0: Kermit-32>@\@i(This is VMS Kermit's prompt.) @End You are now ready to transfer files between the two machines. The following example illustrates how to send files from the VAX to the PC. Note the use of the "*" @i@index character to denote a @i. @Begin @tabclear@tabDivide(3) Kermit-32>@ux[send *.for]@\@i(Send all my FORTRAN files.) @ux<^]c>@\@i(Now return back to the PC by) @\@i(typing the escape sequence, in this case) @\@q(^]C) @i((Control-@q(]) followed by "C")) [Back at PC.] Kermit-MS>@u[receive]@\@i(Tell the PC that files are coming.) @End If you take more than about 5 seconds to get back to Kermit-MS and issue the @Index[RECEIVE] @c command, the first packets from Kermit-32 may arrive prematurely and appear on your screen, but no harm will be done because the packet will be retransmitted by the VAX until the PC acknowledges it. Once the connection is established, the PC will show you what is happening -- it first clears the screen and waits for incoming packets; as packets arrive, the current file name and packet number will be continuously displayed on the screen. When the PC's @q("Kermit-MS>") prompt returns to your screen (with an accompanying beep to catch your attention) the transfer is done. Notice the screen display; the status should be indicated as "complete". If not, an error has occurred and an appropriate message should be displayed to tell you why. After you're finished transferring files, you must CONNECT back to the VAX host, EXIT from Kermit there, logout, and "escape back" to the PC as you did previously: @Begin @tabclear@tabDivide(3) Kermit-MS>@ux[connect]@\@i(Get back to the VAX.) [Connecting to host. Type CTRL-]C to return to PC.] Kermit-32>@\@i(Here we are.) Kermit-32>@u[exit]@\@i(Get out of VMS Kermit.) $ @ux@\@i(Logout from the VAX.) MY-ID logged out at 25-JAN-1988 15:12:27.85 @ux<^]c>@\@i(Now "escape" back to the PC,) [Back at PC.] Kermit-MS>@ux@\@i(and exit from the PC's Kermit.) A>@\@i(Now you see the DOS prompt again.) @End The files you transferred should now be on your PC disk. To send files from the PC to the VAX, follow a similar procedure. First follow the instructions in the previous section to log in to the VAX through the PC. Then in response to the host Kermit's "@q(Kermit-32>)" prompt you type @Index[RECEIVE] RECEIVE rather than SEND. Now escape back to the PC and use the @Index[SEND] SEND command to send the local PC files to VAX. The PC will show you the progress of the transmission on its screen. When the "@q(Kermit-MS>)" prompt indicates that the transmission is complete you should follow the procedure shown above to logout from the VAX host, except that you may first wish to confirm that the files have been stored correctly in your directory on the VAX. @SubSection A "host" is considered to be a large or multi-user system, whose distinguishing characteristic is that it has multiple terminals. Use of Kermit for host-@|to-@|host file transfers differs from the PC-@|to-@|host case in that the line your terminal is connected to is not the same as the line over which the data is being transferred, and that some special SET commands may have to be issued to allow one Kermit to conform to unusual requirements of the other host. In this example, you are already logged in to a Unix system, and you use an @index@i to connect to an IBM 370-@|series system running VM/CMS@index through Unix device @q. @Begin @tabclear@tabDivide(3) % @ux[kermit] C-Kermit, 4E(070) 24 Jan 88, 4.2 BSD Type ? for help C-Kermit>@ux[set modem hayes] C-Kermit>@ux[set line /dev/tty12] C-Kermit>@ux[set speed 1200] C-Kermit>@ux[dial 7654321] Connected! @End Other methods exist for connecting two hosts with a serial line. For instance, dedicated hookups can be made by running an RS-232 "null modem" cable between TTY ports on the two systems (null modem cables, RS-232 signals, modems, and other data communication apparati are described in detail in the Kermit book). The following procedure would be the same in any case, once a connection is made. The four "set" commands below are necessary when connecting to IBM mainframes in "linemode" (as opposed to full-screen 3270 mode; if you don't use IBM mainframes, you can ignore them for now). @Begin @tabclear@tabset(3inch) C-Kermit>@ux[set duplex half]@\@i(The IBM mainframe is half duplex.) C-Kermit>@ux[set flow none]@\@i(No full duplex XON/XOFF.) C-Kermit>@ux[set handshake xon]@\@i(Use XON for line turnaround handshake.) C-Kermit>@ux[set parity mark]@\@i(Our IBM system uses mark parity.) C-Kermit>@ux[connect]@\@i(Connect to the mainframe.) Connecting thru /dev/tty31, speed 1200. The escape character is CTRL-\ (28). Type the escape character followed by C to get back, or followed by ? to see other options. @\@i<(Type carriage return here.)> VM/370 ONLINE@\@i(The IBM system prints its herald.) .@ux[login myuserid mypassword]@\@i(Login to IBM system.) LOGON AT 15:33:02 EST MONDAY 02/08/88 CUVMA CMS 3.1 8409 01/25/85 . .@ux[Kermit] Kermit-CMS Version 4.0 (87/12/17) Enter ? for a list of valid commands Kermit-CMS>.@ux[send profile exec] @ux<^\c>@\@i(C-Kermit's escape sequence typed here.) [Back at Local System] C-Kermit>@ux[receive]@\@i(Tell Unix Kermit to RECEIVE.) @End The transfer takes place now; Unix Kermit will print the names of incoming files, followed by dots or percents to indicate the packet traffic (a dot for every 4 packets successfully transferred, a percent for every timeout or retransmission). The transfer is complete when when you see "@q<[OK]>", a beep is sounded, and the C-Kermit prompt next appears. At that point we connect back to the remote IBM system, exit from the remote Kermit and log out. @Begin @tabclear@tabDivide(3) . profile.exec ..%%.[OK] C-Kermit>@ux[connect]@\@i(Get back to mainframe and clean up.) Kermit-CMS>. Kermit-CMS>.@u[exit] R; . SP/CMS .logout CONNECT= 00:03:01 VIRTCPU= 000:00.12 TOTCPU= 000:00.60 LOGOFF AT 15:40:13 EST MONDAY 02/08/88 @ux[^\c]@\@i(Type C-Kermit's escape sequence) [Back at Local System] C-Kermit>@u[exit]@\@i(All done with Kermit.) @End That's the whole procedure. The file is in your Unix directory, completely readable, as @q -- note that Kermit-CMS translated from the IBM EBCDIC character encoding into standard ASCII, and converted the space between the file name and file type to a dot. To send a file from the local host to the remote host, we would merely have reversed the SEND and RECEIVE commands in the example above. @subsection Kermit also works between personal computers (microcomputers, workstations). The difference here is that commands are typed on @i keyboards, rather than a single one. This is because a personal computer normally only accepts commands from its own keyboard. If one PC Kermit CONNECTs to another, there will normally be no program on the other side to listen. You can make the physical connection between two micros in two ways: direct or dialup. If the two units are in close proximity (say, 50 feet or less), you can connect their serial ports with a null modem@index cable@index. Connections at longer distances can be made via dialup, providing the required modems are available (one side needs @indexautoanswer capability), or using any kind of dedicated or switched circuit that may be available -- CBX, port contention unit, almost anything you can plug an EIA connector into. In this example, a DEC VT180 "Robin" CP/M-80 microcomputer is connected to a Intertec "SuperBrain" CP/M-80 micro, using a female-@|to-@|male null modem cable (these systems have nostalgia value, being among the first for which Kermit programs were written). The connection can be tested by running Kermit and issuing the CONNECT command on both ends: typein from each micro should appear on the screen of the other. Suppose you want to send a file @q from the Robin to the SuperBrain. Proceed as follows: @begin Run Kermit on the SuperBrain, and give the RECEIVE command: @begin[example] A>@u(Kermit) Intertec SuperBrain Kermit-80 - V4.09 Kermit-80>@u @end[example] Run Kermit on the Robin, and give the SEND command for @q. @begin[example] A>@u(Kermit) DEC VT18X Kermit-80 - V4.09 Kermit-80>@ux(send foo.hex) @end[example] Watch the packets fly. When you get the next @q(Kermit-80>) prompt, the transfer is done, and you can EXIT from both Kermits. @end The key point is to start the @i end first -- some microcomputer Kermits do not include a timeout facility, and if the receiver is not ready to receive when the sender first sends, there will be a protocol deadlock. @section So far, we have been describing the bare-@|bones version of the Kermit protocol. An optional extension to the protocol includes the concept of a @i@index@index. A Kermit server is a Kermit program that does not interact directly with the user, but only with another Kermit program. You do not type commands to a Kermit server, you merely start it at one end of the connection, and then type all further commands at the other end. Not all implementations of Kermit can be servers, and not all know how to talk to servers -- but most of the major ones can and do. The server is run on the remote computer, which would normally be a timesharing system, such as an IBM mainframe, a Unix system, or VAX/VMS, but may be a minicomputer or even a PC. It depends on whether the particular Kermit program has a "server" command. You must still connect to the remote host to log in and start the server, but you no longer have to tell one side to SEND and the other to RECEIVE, nor must you connect back to the remote side to clean up and log out when you're done. Using the server, you can do as many send and receive operations as you like without ever having to connect back to the remote host. Some servers also provide additional services, such as directory listings, file deletion, or disk usage inquiries. A Kermit server is just a Kermit program running in a special way. It acts much like ordinary Kermit does after you give it a RECEIVE command -- it waits for a message from the other Kermit, but in this case the message is a command saying what to do, normally to send or to receive a file or group of files. After escaping back to the local system, you can give as many SEND and GET commands as you like, and when you're finished transferring files, you can give the @indexBYE command, which sends a message to the remote Kermit server to log itself out. You don't have to connect back to the remote host and clean up. However, if you @i to connect back to the host, you can use the FINISH@index command instead of BYE, to shut down the Kermit server on the remote host without logging it off, allowing you to CONNECT back to your job there. Here's an example of the use of a Kermit server. The user is sitting at an IBM PC and a DECSYSTEM-20 is the remote host. @Begin @tabclear@tabDivide(3) A>@u[Kermit]@\@i(Run Kermit on the micro.) Kermit-MS V2.30 IBM-PC Kermit-MS: V2.30 8 Jan 88 Type ? for help Kermit-MS>@\@i(This is the Kermit prompt for the PC.) Kermit-MS>@u[connect]@\@i(Connect to the VAX.) CU20B@\@i(The DEC-20 prints its herald.) @@@ux[login my-id password]@\@i(Log in normally.) @end @i<(The DEC-20 prints various login messages here.)> @Begin @tabclear@tabDivide(3) @@@u[Kermit]@\@i(Run Kermit-20 normally) Kermit-20>@u[server]@\@i(Tell it to be a server.) Kermit Server running on DEC-20 host. Please type your escape sequence to return to your local machine. Shut down the server by typing the Kermit BYE command on your local machine. @u<^]c>@\@i(Now escape back to the PC.) Kermit-MS>@ux[get *.pas]@\@i(Get all my DEC-20 Pascal programs.) Kermit-MS>@ux[send foo.*]@\@i(Send all the "foo" files from my PC.) Kermit-MS>@ux[exit]@\@i(Exit from Kermit back to DOS.) A> @end @i<(Here you can do some work on the micro, edit files, whatever you like.)> @Begin @tabclear@tabDivide(3) A>@u@\@i(Run Kermit-80 some more.) Kermit-MS>@ux[send file.pas]@\@i(Send another file.) Kermit-MS>@ux[bye]@\@i(That's all. Shut down the Kermit server.) A>@\@i(Back at DOS automatically.) @End This is @i simpler. Note that once you've started the Kermit Server on the remote end, you can run Kermit as often as you like on the micro without having to go back and forth any more; just make sure to shut the server down when you're done by typing the BYE command. If it's so much simpler, why not do it this way all the time? You can, provided your remote Kermit has a "server" command. But server operation, plus the special commands the local Kermit needs to communicate with the server (GET, REMOTE, BYE, FINISH) are optional Kermit features, so some Kermit programs might not have them. All Kermit programs, however, should provide the basic SEND/RECEIVE mode of operation. Here are the basic commands available for talking to servers: @begin @Index[SEND] SEND @i(filespec)@\Sends a file or file group from the local host to the remote host in the normal way. @Index[GET] GET @i(filespec)@\Ask the remote host to send a file or file group. Example: @example[get *.c] This command is exactly equivalent to typing "@w[send @q<*.c>]" at the remote host followed by "receive" on the local host. Note that the local Kermit does not attempt to validate the filespec. If the server cannot access the specified file(s), it will send back an appropriate error message. Please note that GET and RECEIVE are not the same! RECEIVE tells Kermit to passively wait for a file. GET actively sends a request to a Kermit server to send the named file. @index REMOTE @i(command) [@i(argument)]@\Ask the server to perform the specified command, and send the results to your screen. Not all servers are capable of performing REMOTE commands; those that can most commonly provide REMOTE DIRECTORY, REMOTE DELETE, REMOTE SPACE, and similar file management services. @index BYE@\Shut down the remote server and exit from Kermit. This will cause the job at the remote end to log itself out. You need not connect back and clean up unless you get an error message in response to this command. @index FINISH@\Shut down the server without having it log itself out, and don't exit from Kermit. A subsequent CONNECT command will put you back at your job on the remote host, at system command level. @end @index Server operation is not limited to mainframes. Some PC Kermit implementations can also act as servers, notably MS-DOS and Unix. For instance, an IBM PC at the office with an autoanswer modem can be left in server mode at the end of the day, and then dialed up from home in the evening for file transfer. @Chapter @label<-wrong> @Index[Error Recovery] Connecting two computers can be a tricky business, and many things can go wrong. Before you can transfer files at all, you must first establish terminal communication. But successful terminal connection does not necessarily mean that file transfer will also work. And even when file transfer seems to be working, things can happen to ruin it. The following sections treat a few basic problems. See the troubleshooting section of the Kermit book for greater detail. @Section If you have a version of Kermit on your microcomputer, but the CONNECT command doesn't seem to work at all, please: @begin Make sure all the required physical connections have been made and have not wiggled loose. If you are using a modem, make sure the carrier light is on. If you have more than one connector on your micro, make sure you are using the right one. Make sure that the port is set to the right communication speed, or @i. Some versions of Kermit have a built-@|in SET BAUD or SET SPEED command, others require that you set the baud rate using a system command or setup mode before you start the Kermit program. Some versions of Kermit have SHOW or STATUS commands that will tell you what the current baud rate is. Make sure that the other communication line parameters, like parity, bits per character, handshake, and flow control are set correctly. @end You may have to consult the appropriate manuals for the systems and equipment in question. @index If all settings and connections appear to be correct, and communication still does not take place, the fault may be in your modem. Internal modems (i.e. those that plug in to a slot inside the microcomputer chassis) are @i recommended for use with Kermit unless they totally mimic the asynchronous serial port hardware they purport to replace, or unless the Kermit program claims to support the particular internal modem. Many microcomputer Kermit programs are written to control the communication hardware explicitly; internal modems can interfere with that control. Even external modems can cause trouble -- the "smarter" they are, the more potential danger of disagreement between the modem and the microcomputer about settings of baud rate, character framing, echo, and so forth. Make sure your modem is set up correctly (consult your modem manual). @Section Once you've made a terminal connection to the remote system, you will generally also be able to transfer files. But not always. If Kermit's terminal emulation seems to work correctly, but a file transfer will not start at all, then something in the communication path is probably interfering with the packet data: @Begin(Description,leftmargin +4, indent -4) PARITY:@\ A device can impose @i upon the communication line. This means that the 8th bit of each character is used by the equipment to check for correct transmission. Use of parity will: @Begin(Itemize) Cause packet checksums to appear incorrect to the receiver and foil any attempt at file transfer. In most cases, not even the first packet will get through. @Index Prevent the use of the 8th bit for binary file data. @End(Itemize) If terminal connection works but file transfer does not, parity is the most likely culprit. To overcome this impediment, you should find out what parity is being used, and inform the Kermits one side or both (using the SET PARITY command) so that they can: @Begin(Itemize) Compose and interpret the checksums correctly. Employ a special encoding to allow 8-bit data to pass through the 7-bit communication channel. @End(Itemize) Many packet-switched networks, such as GTE TELENET, require parity to be set, as do IBM mainframes and their front end processors. @index ECHOING:@\Some communication processors, typically front ends, echo their input. When this happens, every Kermit packet that is sent to it will bounce right back, causing no end of confusion. Some Kermit programs have been designed to ignore echoed packets, but others have not. If you encounter this problem, there are several possible solutions: @Begin(Itemize) Disable the front end echoing by typing some special command, if such a command is provided by the system. Some front ends respond to certain escape or control sequences as commands to turn off echoing, either from that point onward, or else on a per-@|line basis. In this case, the appropriate control sequence can be inserted between packets by Kermit programs instructed to do so, for instance using the SET PAD command. If the echoing cannot be disabled, then the two Kermit programs should be instructed to use differing packet start markers, using the SET START-OF-PACKET command -- for instance, one Kermit uses Control-A as usual, and the other uses Control-B. This can only be done if both Kermits have this SET command. @end(Itemize) @End(Description) @Section There is one problem that can prevent a file transfer from starting at all, or may crop up after the file transfer is underway. For instance, during a file transfer operation you might find your smart modem suddenly hanging up your current connection and placing a call to Tasmania. Or you might find that packets containing a certain character like "@q<@@>" cannot be transmitted successfully. This is the problem of "special characters". Some device in the communication path -- a front end, a port switcher, a multiplexer, a "smart" modem -- interprets certain characters in the data stream as commands rather than as data to be passed them along to the other side. Usually such equipment interferes only with the transmission of ASCII control characters; so long as Control-A and Carriage Return -- Kermit's normal packet start and end delimiters -- are not molested, then Kermit can operate. However, equipment may exist which swallows even printable characters. Since Kermit assumes that ALL printable ASCII characters (ASCII 40 through 176, octal) can be transmitted without interference or modification, such equipment will prevent Kermit file transfer unless its printable-@|character-@|swallowing features can be disabled. @Section Once a Kermit file transfer has begun, there are certain conditions under which it can become stuck. Since many hosts are capable of generating timeout interrupts when input doesn't appear within a reasonable interval, they can resend unacknowledged packets or request that missing packets be retransmitted. But since not all Kermit programs are capable of timing out, a means for manual intervention is provided in the local Kermit -- you can type a carriage return on the keyboard of most micros to wake up and continue the transfer. The following sections discuss various reasons why a transfer in progress could become stuck. Before examining these, first make sure that you really have a Kermit on the other end of the line, and you have issued the appropriate command: SEND, RECEIVE, or SERVER. If the remote side is not a server, remember that you must connect back between each transfer and issue a new SEND or RECEIVE command. @subSection Check the connection. Make sure no connectors have wiggled loose from their sockets. If you're using a modem, make sure you still have a carrier signal. Reestablish your connection if you have to. If upon reconnection you get no response, maybe the remote host or the remote Kermit program @Index[Crash] crashed. Get back to command level on the local Kermit (on microcomputer implementations, you may be able to do this by typing about five RETURNs, or one or more Control-C's). Issue the CONNECT command so that you can see what happened. If the remote system has crashed then you will have to wait for it to come back, and restart whatever file that was being transferred at the time. @subSection @Index[Diskette] If your local floppy disk or remote directory fills up, the Kermit on the machine where this occurs will inform you and then terminate the transfer. You can continue the transfer by repeating the whole procedure either with a fresh floppy or after cleaning up your directory. Some Kermits also have a feature that allows you to keep incompletely received files; this would allow you go back to the sending system, extract the unsent portion of the file, and send it, and then append the two received portions together using an editor or other system utility. Kermit does not provide the ability to switch disks during a file transfer. @SubSection Packet transmission can be delayed by various agents: congested timesharing systems or networks, earth satellites, etc. When transmission delay exceeds the per-packet timeout interval for a significant length of time, the transfer could fail. Most Kermit programs provide commands that allow you to adjust the timeout interval or the packet transmission retry threshhold in order to accommodate to severe transmission delays. @SubSection If your connection is extremely noisy, packets will become corrupted -- and require retransmission -- more often. The probability that successive retransmissions will fail because of corruption rises with the noise level until it exceeds the retry threshhold, at which point the file transfer fails. There are several recourses. First, try to establish a new connection. If that is impractical, then use SET commands (when available) to reduce the packet length and increase the retry threshhold. Shorter packets reduce the probability that a particular packet will be corrupted and the retransmission overhead when corruption does occur, but they also increase the overall protocol overhead. In a noisy environment, you should also request a higher level of error checking (SET BLOCK 2 or 3). @subSection Various error conditions can occur on the remote host that could effect file transmission. Whenever any such error occurs, the remote Kermit normally attempts to send an informative error message to the local one, and then breaks transmission, putting you back at Kermit command level on the local system. @Section There are certain conditions under which Kermit can believe it transferred a file correctly when in fact, it did not. The most likely cause has to do with the tricky business of @i, such as text vs binary, 7-bit vs 8-bit, blocked vs stream, and so forth. Each system has its own peculiarities, and each Kermit has special commands to allow you to specify how a file should be sent or stored. However, these difficulties usually crop up only when sending binary files. Textual files should normally present no problem between any two Kermit programs. @Chapter @label<-commands> An "ideal" Kermit program will be described here, which has most of the features specified in the Kermit book. Few Kermit programs will have all these commands or support all these options. The exact form of some of the commands may differ from version to version. Some Kermit programs may support system-@|dependent options not described here. The intention of this description is to provide a base from which specific Kermit programs can be described in terms of their differences from the "ideal." @Section @index[Remote]@index[Local] In any connection between two Kermit programs, one Kermit is @i and the other is @i. The remote Kermit is usually running on a mainframe, which you have CONNECTed to through a PC or other computer. When Kermit runs remotely, all file transfer is done over the job's controlling terminal line -- the same line over which you logged in, and to which you would type interactive commands. What the system thinks is your terminal is really another computer, usually a microcomputer, running its own copy of Kermit. When Kermit is in "local mode", file transfer is done over an external device, such as a microcomputer's serial communication port, or an assigned terminal line on a mainframe. The local Kermit is connected in some way (like a dialout mechanism) to another computer, again running its own copy of Kermit. A local Kermit is in control of the screen, a remote Kermit has no direct access to it. Microcomputer Kermits are run in local mode unless instructed otherwise; mainframe Kermits run remotely unless some special command places them in local mode. Some commands make sense only for remote Kermits, others only for local, still others can be used with either. Local and remote operation of Kermit is shown schematically here: @Begin(Figure) @bar() @i @begin Communication Line (Packets) +---------------/ /-----------------+ Other terminals | | | | | | | | | | PC | LOCAL Mainframe | | | | REMOTE +----------+----------+ +------------+--+--+--+--------+ | Serial Port | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | +---------------+ | | Your job's | | | Packets: 724 | | | terminal line | | | Retries: 7 | | | | | | File: FOO.BAR | | | | | +---------------+ | | | | Screen | | | | | | | +---------------+-----+ +------------------------------+ | | (Commands) | +------------+---------+ \ Keyboard \ +----------------------+ You @end(example) @caption(Local and Remote Kermits) @tag(-localfig) @bar() @end
The Kermit program on the PC is a @i Kermit. It can control the screen, the keyboard, and the port separately, thus it can update the screen with status information, watch for interrupt signals from the keyboard, and transfer packets on the communications port, all at the same time. The Kermit program running on the mainframe is a @i Kermit. The user logs in to the mainframe through a terminal port. The host computer cannot tell that the user is really coming in through a microcomputer. The keyboard, screen, and port functions are all combined in user's mainframe terminal line. Therefore a remote Kermit is cut off from your screen and keyboard during file transfer. @section @index Most Kermit programs communicate with you through interactive keyword-@|style command dialog (a prominent exception is Macintosh Kermit, which uses pulldown menus that overlay the terminal emulation screen). The program issues a @i, indicating that it is waiting for you to type a command. The prompt is usually of the form @example[@q(Kermit-)@i@q(>)] where @i indicates the version of Kermit -- @q(Kermit-MS>) for MS-DOS Kermit, @q(Kermit-86>) for CP/M-86 Kermit, etc. In response to the program's prompt you may type a keyword, such as SEND, RECEIVE, or EXIT, possibly followed by additional keywords or operands, each of which is called a @i. You can abbreviate keywords (but not file names) to any length that makes them distinguishable from any other keyword valid for that field. You can type a question mark at any time to get information about what's expected or valid at that point. The ESC and "?" features work best on full duplex systems, where the program can "wake up" immediately and perform the required function. On half duplex or record-@|oriented systems, the ESC feature is not available, and the "?" requires a carriage return to follow. In this example, the user types "set" and then a question mark to find out what the SET options are. The user then continues the command at the point where the question mark was typed, adding a "d" and another question mark to see what set options start with "d". The user then adds a "u" to select "duplex" (the only SET option that starts with "du") followed by an ESC (shown here by a dollar sign) to complete the current field, then another question mark to see what the possibilities are for the next field, and so forth. The command is finally terminated by a carriage return. Before carriage return is typed, however, the command can be edited or erased using RUBOUT or other command editing keys. Finally, the same command is entered again with a minimum of keystrokes, with each field abbreviated to its shortest unique length. In the example, the parts the user types are underlined; all the rest is system typeout: @begin Kermit-20>@ux one of the following: debugging delay duplex escape file handshake IBM line parity receive send Kermit-20>set @u one of the following: debugging delay duplex Kermit-20>set d@uplex (to) @u one of the following: full half Kermit-20>set duplex (to) @ualf Kermit-20>@ux @end @section In the command descriptions, the following notation is used: @begin @i@\A parameter - the symbol in italics is replaced by an argument of the specified type (number, filename, etc). [@i]@\A field enclosed in square brackets is optional. If omitted, the field defaults to an appropriate value. You don't type the brackets. {x,y,z}@\A list of alternatives is enclosed in curly braces; you type one of the alternatives. @i@\A whole number, entered in prevailing notation of the system. @i@\A single character, entered literally, or as a number (perhaps octal or hexadecimal) representing the ASCII value of the character. @i@\A "real" number, possibly containing a decimal point and a fractional part. @i@\A file specification, i.e. the name of a file, possibly including a search path, device or directory name, or other qualifying information, and possibly containing "wildcard" or pattern-@|matching characters to denote a group of files. @q<^X>@\A control character may be written using "uparrow" or "caret" notation, since many systems display control characters this way. Control characters are produced by holding down the key marked CTRL or Control and typing the appropriate character, e.g. X. Control characters may also be written Ctrl-X, CTRL-X, CTRL/X, etc. @end Commands are shown in upper case, but can be entered in any combination of upper and lower case. @newpage() @Section Here is a brief list of Kermit commands as they are to be found in most Kermit programs. The following sections will describe these commands in detail. @begin @i@\ SEND, RECEIVE, GET @i@\ CONNECT, SET LINE, SET PARITY, SET DUPLEX, SET HANDSHAKE, SET ESCAPE, @w, SET SPEED (or BAUD) @i@\SERVER @i@\BYE, FINISH, GET, SEND, REMOTE @i@\ SET BLOCK-CHECK, SET DEBUG, SET DELAY, SET FILE, SET INCOMPLETE, SET PARITY, SET RETRY;@* SET SEND (or RECEIVE) END-OF-LINE, START-OF-PACKET, PACKET-LENGTH, PAUSE, TIMEOUT, PADDING @i@\ DEFINE, DO @i@\ Control-X, Control-Z, Control-C, Control-E @i@\ HELP, STATISTICS, SHOW @i@\ TAKE @i@\ LOG TRANSACTIONS @i@\ LOG SESSION, TRANSMIT, INPUT, OUTPUT, PAUSE, CLEAR, SCRIPT @i@\ CLOSE @i@\ EXIT, QUIT @End(Description) If you have a file called @q in your default or home disk, Kermit will execute an automatic TAKE command on it upon initial startup. @q may contain any Kermit commands, for instance SET commands, or DEFINEs for macros to configure Kermit to various systems or communications media. @i Your particular implementation of Kermit may use a different name for this file, like @q for MS-DOS Kermit, or @q for VAX/VMS Kermit. @newpage() @Section @Index[Initial Filespec]@Index[SEND] Syntax: Sending a single file: @display(@q) Sending multiple files: @display(@q) The SEND command causes a file or file group to be sent to the other system. There are two forms of the command, depending on whether @i{filespec1} contains "wildcard" characters. Use of wildcard characters is the most common method of indicating a group of files in a single file specification. For instance if @q is a single file, a FORTRAN program named FOO, then @q<*.FOR> might be a group of FORTRAN programs. @SubH If @i{filespec1} contains wildcard characters then all matching files will be sent, in directory-@|listing order by name. If a file can't be opened for read access, it will be skipped. @SubH If @i{filespec1} does not contain any wildcard characters, then the single file specified by @i{filespec1} will be sent. Optionally, @i{filespec2} may be used to specify the name under which the file will arrive at the target system; @i{filespec2} is not parsed or validated locally in any way. If @i{filespec2} is not specified, the file will be sent with its own name. @SubH Files will be sent with their filename and filetype (for instance @q, no device or directory field, no generation number or attributes). @Index@Index@Index If communication line parity is being used (see SET PARITY), the sending Kermit will request that the other Kermit accept a special kind of prefix notation for binary files. This is an advanced feature, and not all Kermits have it; if the other Kermit does not agree to use this feature, binary files cannot be sent correctly. @Index The sending Kermit will also ask the other Kermit whether it can handle a special prefix encoding for repeated characters. If it can, then files with long strings of repeated characters will be transmitted very efficiently. Columnar data, highly indented text, and binary files are the major beneficiaries of this technique. @SubH If you are running Kermit remotely (for instance, from a microcomputer), you should "escape back" to your local Kermit within a reasonable amount of time and give the RECEIVE command. Don't take more than a minute or two to complete the switch, or Kermit may "time out" and give up (in that case, you'll have to CONNECT back to the remote system and reissue the SEND command). @SubH If you're running Kermit locally, for instance on a microcomputer, you should have already run Kermit on the remote system and issued either a RECEIVE or a SERVER command. Once you give Kermit the SEND command, the name of each file will be printed on your screen as the transfer begins, and information will be displayed to indicate the packet traffic. When the specified operation is complete, the program will sound a beep, and the status of the operation will be indicated by a message like OK, Complete, Interrupted, or Failed. If you see many packet retry indications, you are probably suffering from a noisy connection. You may be able to cut down on the retransmissions by using SET SEND PACKET-LENGTH to decrease the packet length; this will reduce the probability that a given packet will be corrupted by noise, and reduce the time required to retransmit a corrupted packet. @index@index@Index If you notice a file being sent which you do not really want to send, you may cancel the operation immediately by typing either Control-X or Control-Z. If your are sending a file group, Control-X will cause the current file to be skipped, and Kermit will go on to the next file, whereas Control-Z will cancel sending the entire group and return you to Kermit-20 command level. @Section @Index[RECEIVE] Syntax: @q The RECEIVE command tells Kermit to wait for the arrival a file or file group sent by a SEND command from the other system. If only one file is being received, you may include the optional @i{filespec} as the name to store the incoming file under; otherwise, the name is taken from the incoming file header. If the name in the header is not a legal file name on the local system, Kermit will attempt to transform it to a legal name. If an incoming file has the same name as an existing file, Kermit will either overwrite the old file or else try to create a new unique name, depending on the setting of FILE WARNING. @Index@Index@Index If you have SET PARITY, then 8th-bit prefixing will be requested. If the other side cannot do this, binary files cannot be transferred correctly. The sending Kermit may also request that repeated characters be compressed. If an incoming file does not arrive in its entirety, Kermit will normally discard it; it will not appear in your directory. You may change this behavior @Index by using the command SET INCOMPLETE KEEP, which will cause as much of the file as arrived to be saved in your directory. @SubH If your are running Kermit remotely, you should escape back to your local Kermit and give the SEND command. You should do this within about two minutes, or the protocol may time out and give up; if this happens, you can CONNECT back to the remote system and reissue the RECEIVE command. @SubH If you are running Kermit locally, you should already have issued a SEND command to the remote Kermit, and then escaped back to DEC-20 Kermit (you can not issue a RECEIVE command to a Kermit server, you must use the GET command for that). As files arrive, their names will be shown on your screen, along with a continuous display the packet traffic. @Index@Index@Index If a file begins to arrives that you don't really want, you can attempt to cancel it by typing Control-X; this sends a cancellation request to the remote Kermit. If the remote Kermit understands this request (not all implementations of Kermit support this feature), it will comply; otherwise it will continue to send. If a file group is being sent, you can request the entire group be cancelled by typing Control-Z. @Section @index Syntax: @q The GET command requests a Kermit @i to send the file or file group specified by @i. Note the distinction between the RECEIVE and GET commands: RECEIVE instructs the program to wait passively, whereas GET actively sends a request to a server. The remote filespec is any character sequence that can be a legal file specification for the remote system; it is not parsed or validated locally. As files arrive, their names will be displayed on your screen, along with a continuous indication of the packet traffic. As in the RECEIVE command, you may type Control-X to request that the current incoming file be cancelled, Control-Z to request that the entire incoming batch be cancelled. @i If you are requesting a single file, you may type the GET command without a filespec. In that case, Kermit programs that implement the optional GET syntax will prompt you for the remote filespec on the subsequent line, and the name to store it under when it arrives on the line after that: @begin(example) Kermit-MS>@ux(get) Remote Source File: @ux Local Destination File: @ux @end(example) @Section @Index Syntax: @q The SERVER command instructs Kermit to cease taking commands from the keyboard and to receive all further instructions in the form of Kermit packets from another system. The other Kermit must have commands for communicating with remote servers; these include GET, SEND, FINISH, and BYE. After issuing this command, return to the "client" system and issue SEND, GET, BYE, FINISH, or other server-@|directed commands from there. If your local Kermit does not have a BYE command, then it does not have the full ability to communicate with a Kermit server and you should not put the remote Kermit into SERVER mode. If your local Kermit does have a BYE command, use it to shut down and log out the Kermit server when you are done with it. Any nonstandard parameters should be selected with SET commands before putting Kermit in server mode. @Section @index Syntax: @q When running talking to a Kermit server, use the BYE command to shut down the server and, if the server is on a timesharing system, also log out the job. This will also close any open log files and exit from the local Kermit. @Section @index Syntax: @q When running as a local Kermit talking to a remote Kermit server use the FINISH command to shut down the server without logging out the remote job, so that you can CONNECT back to it. @Section @index Syntax: @q @i When talking to a remote Kermit server, use the REMOTE command to request special functions of the remote server. If the server does not understand the command or offer the requested service (all of these commands and services are optional features of the Kermit protocol), it will reply with a message like "Unknown Kermit server command". If it does understand, it will send the results back, and they will be displayed on the screen. The REMOTE commands include: @begin REMOTE CWD [@i]@\Change Working Directory. If no directory name is provided, the server will change to the default directory. Otherwise, you will be prompted for a password, and the server will attempt to change to the specified directory. If access is not granted, the server will provide a message to that effect. If the remote system does not require a password for changing directories (UNIX is an example), then you can simply type a carriage return in response to the password prompt. REMOTE DELETE @i@\Delete the specified file or files. The names of the files that are deleted should be displayed on your screen. REMOTE DIRECTORY [@i]@\The names of the files that match the given file specification will be displayed on your screen, possibly along with additional information about file sizes and dates. If no file specification is given, all files from the current directory will be listed. REMOTE SPACE [@i]@\Information about disk usage in the current remote directory -- quota, current storage, or amount of remaining free space -- is displayed on your screen. REMOTE HELP@\A list of available server functions is displayed. REMOTE HOST [@i]@\The given command is passed to the server's host command processor, and the resulting output is displayed on your screen. REMOTE KERMIT [@i]@\The given command, which is expressed in the server Kermit's own interactive-@|mode command syntax, is passed to the server for execution. This is useful for changing settings, logging, and other functions. REMOTE TYPE @i@\The contents of the specified file is displayed on your screen. REMOTE WHO [@i]@\List users, or a specified user, logged in on the server's system. @end @Section @index Syntax: @q<[LOCAL] @i{command}> Execute the specified command on the local system -- on the system where Kermit to which your are typing this command is running. These commands provide some local file management capability without having to leave the Kermit program, which is particularly useful on microcomputers. On most systems, the LOCAL prefix for these commands can be omitted. @begin CWD [@i]@\"Change Working Directory" to the specified directory. @index DELETE @i@\Delete the specified file or files. @index(DELETE Command) DIRECTORY [@i]@\Provide a directory listing of the specified files. @index(DIRECTORY Command) SPACE@\Display local disk usage and/or free space. @index(SPACE Command) RUN @i [@i]@\Run the indicated program with the supplied command-@|line operands. @index(RUN Command) PUSH@ @ Invoke the local system command interpreter in such a way that it can return (or "pop" or "exit") back to Kermit. @index(PUSH Command) @end Some Kermit programs may provide commands for these or other functions in the syntax of their own system, when this would cause no confusion. For instance, CP/M Kermit may use ERA in place of LOCAL DELETE. @Section @index @i -- Syntax: @q Establish a terminal connection to the system at the other end of the communication line. On a microcomputer, this is normally the serial port. On a mainframe, you will have to specify a terminal line number or other identifier, either in the CONNECT command itself, or in a SET LINE command. Get back to the local Kermit by typing the escape character followed by a single character "command". Several single-@|character commands are possible: @Begin(Description,leftmargin +6,indent -4, spread 0, group) @q@\Close the connection and return to the local Kermit. @q@\Show status of the connection. @q@\Send a BREAK signal. @q<0>@\(zero) Send a NUL (0) character. @q@\Copy the current screen into a disk file. @q@\Drop the line, hangup the modem. @q

@\Push to the local system command processor without breaking the connection. @q@\Quit logging session transcript. @q@\Resume logging session transcript. @q@\List all the possible single-@|character arguments. @q<^]> (or whatever you have set the escape character to be)@\Typing the escape character twice sends one copy of it to the connected host. @End(Description) You can use the SET ESCAPE command to define a different escape character, and SET PARITY, SET DUPLEX, SET FLOW-CONTROL, SET HANDSHAKE to establish or change those parameters. @Section Syntax: @q Typing HELP alone prints a brief summary of Kermit and its commands, and possibly instructions for obtaining more detailed help on particular topics. Most Kermit implementations also allow the use of "?" within a command to produce a short help message. @Section Syntax: @q Execute Kermit commands from the specified file. The file may contain contain any valid Kermit commands, including other TAKE commands. @Section @Index Exit from Kermit. @Index@q is a synonym for EXIT. @Section @index Syntax: @q Establish or modify various parameters for file transfer or terminal connection. When a file transfer operation begins, the two Kermits automatically exchange special initialization messages, in which each program provides the other with certain information about itself. This information includes the maximum packet size it wants to receive, the timeout interval it wants the other Kermit to use, the number and type of padding characters it needs, the end-@|of-@|line character it needs to terminate each packet (if any), the block check type, the desired prefixes for control characters, characters with the "high bit" set, and repeated characters. Each Kermit program has its own preset "default" values for these parameters, and you normally need not concern yourself with them. You can examine their values with the SHOW command; the SET command is provided to allow you to change them in order to adapt to unusual conditions. The following parameters may be SET: @Begin(Format,spread 0,above 1) @tabclear()@tabset(1.25inches) @>BAUD@\ Set the speed of the current communications port @>BLOCK-CHECK@\ Packet transmission error detection method @>DEBUG@\ Mode or log file @>DELAY@\ How long to wait before starting to send @>DUPLEX@\ For terminal connection, full (remote echo) or half (local echo) @>END@\ Packet termination character (normally CR) @>ESCAPE@\ Character for terminal connection @>FILE@\ For setting file parameters like name conversion and byte size @>FLOW-CONTROL@\ Selecting flow control method, like XON/XOFF @>HANDSHAKE@\ For turning around half duplex communication line @>IBM@\ Set parameters for IBM mainframe linemode connection @>INCOMPLETE@\ What to do with an incomplete file @>KEY@\ Establish a key redefinition or keyboard macro @>LOCAL-ECHO@\ Specify who echoes during terminal connection @>LINE@\ Terminal line to use for terminal connection or file transfer @>MODEM@\ Modem type or characteristics @>PARITY@\ Character parity to use @>PORT@\ For switching communication ports @>PROMPT@\ For changing the program's command prompt @>RECEIVE@\ Various parameters for receiving files @>RETRY@\ How many times to retry a packet before giving up @>SEND@\ Various parameters for sending files @>SPEED@\ Synomym for BAUD. @>TERMINAL@\ Parameters for terminal emulation @>TIMER@\ Enable/disable timeouts @>WARNING@\ Filename collision protection @End(Format) The DEFINE command may be used to compose "macros" by combining SET and possibly other commands. The SET commands are now described in detail. @Subheading @Index Set or change the baud rate (approximate translation: transmission speed in bits per second) on the currently selected communications device. Ten bits per second is usually equivalent to one character per second; 300 baud = 30 cps. The way of specifying the baud rate varies from system to system; in most cases, the actual number (such as 1200 or 9600) is typed. Systems that do not provide this command generally expect that the speed of the line has already been set appropriately outside of Kermit. Common values are 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200. @Subheading @Index Kermit normally uses a 1-character block check, or "checksum", on each packet. The sender of the packet computes the block check based on the other characters in the packet, and the receiver recomputes it the same way. If these quantities agree, the packet is accepted and transmission proceeds. If they disagree, the packet is rejected and retransmission is requsted. However, the block check is not a foolproof method of error detection. The normal single-@|character Kermit block check is only a 6-bit quantity (the low order 8 bits of the arithmetic sum folded upon itself). With only six bits of accuracy, the chances are one in 2@+<6> -- that is, 1/64 -- that an error can occur which will not be detected in the checksum, assuming that all errors are equally likely (they aren't). You can decrease the probability that an error can slip through, at the expense of transmission efficiency, by using the SET BLOCK-CHECK command to select more rigorous block check methods. Note that all three methods will detect any single-@|bit error, or any error in an odd number of bits. The options are: @Begin(Description,leftmargin +4,indent -4) 1-CHARACTER-CHECKSUM:@\The normal single-character 6-bit checksum. 2-CHARACTER-CHECKSUM:@\A 2-character, 12-bit checksum. Reduces the probability of an error going undetected to 1/4096, but adds an extra character to each packet. 3-CHARACTER-CRC:@\A 3-character, 16-bit Cyclic Redundancy Check, CCITT format. In addition to errors in any odd number of bits, this method detects double bit errors, all error bursts of length 16 or less, and more than 99.99% of all possible longer bursts. Adds two extra characters to each packet. @End(Description) The single character checksum has proven to be quite adequate in practice, much more effective than straightforward analysis would indicate, since all errors are @i equally likely, and a simple checksum is well suited to catching the kinds of errors that are typical of telecommunication lines. The other methods should be requested only when the connection is @i noisy and/or when sending binary files, or when using "long packets" (see SET RECEIVE PACKET-LENGTH). Note that the 2- and 3-character block checks are not available in all versions of Kermit; if the other Kermit is not capable of performing the higher-@|precision block checks, the transfer will automatically use the standard single-@|character method. @Subheading @Index Syntax: @q Record debugging information, either on your terminal or in a file. Options are: @Begin(Description,leftmargin +6,indent -4) ON@\Turn on debugging. OFF@\Don't display debugging information (this is the default). If debugging was in effect, turn it off and close any log file. @End(Description) or possibly others, like STATES, PACKETS, SESSION, etc., to select logging of different phenomena. Some Kermit programs may control debugging by use of the LOG DEBUG command. @Subheading @Index Syntax: @q Specify how many seconds to wait before sending the first packet after a SEND command. Use when remote and SENDing files back to your local Kermit. This gives you time to "escape" back and issue a RECEIVE command. The normal delay is 5 seconds. In local mode or server mode, Kermit does not delay before sending the first packet. @Subheading @Index@Index Syntax: @q For use when CONNECTed to a remote system. The keyword choices are FULL and HALF. FULL means the remote system echoes the characters you type, HALF means the local system echoes them. FULL is the default, and is used by most hosts. HALF is necessary when connecting to IBM mainframes. Half duplex is also called "local echo"; in some Kermits, use SET LOCAL-ECHO ON instead of SET DUPLEX HALF. @Subheading @Index Syntax: @q Specify or change the character you want to use to "escape" from remote connections back to Kermit. This would normally be a character you don't expect to be using on the remote system, perhaps a control character like @q<^\>, @q<^]>, @q<^^>, or @q<^_>. Most versions of Kermit use one of these by default. After you type the escape character, you must follow it by a single-character "argument", such as "C" for Close Connection. The arguments are listed above, under the description of the CONNECT command. @Subheading Syntax: @q Establish file-related parameters. Depending on the characteristics of the system, it may be necessary to tell Kermit how to fetch an outbound file from the disk, or how to store an incoming file. The actual parameters you can specify in this command will vary from system to system, and you should consult the documentation for your particular version of Kermit. Some examples would be file type (text or binary), byte size (PDP-10 architecture), record length or block size (record oriented systems), end-@|of-@|file detection method (on microcomputers), file naming conversion option. This can be a very important command if you intend to transfer binary files, but is normally unecessary for transmitting textual files. @Subheading @Index Syntax: @q @index For communicating with full duplex systems. System-@|level flow control is not necessary to the Kermit protocol, but it can help to use it if the same method is available on both systems. The most common type of flow control on full duplex systems is XON/XOFF. When a system's input buffer comes close to being full, it will send an XOFF character (Control-S) to request the other system to stop sending. When it has emptied sufficient characters from its input buffer, it signals the other system to resume sending by transmitting an XON character (Control-Q). This process operates in both directions simultaneously. The options for the Kermit SET FLOW command are usually restricted to XON/XOFF and NONE, which is used to disable this feature. @Subheading @Index Syntax: @q For communicating with half duplex systems. This lets you specify the line turnaround character sent by the half duplex host to indicate it has ended its transmission and is granting you permission to transmit. When a handshake is set, Kermit will not send a packet until the half duplex host has sent the specified character (or a timeout has occurred). The options may include: @Begin(Description,leftmargin +12,indent -8,spread 0) NONE@\No handshake; undo the effect of any previous SET HANDSHAKE. XOFF@\Control-S. XON@\Control-Q. BELL@\Control-G. CR@\Carriage Return, Control-M. LF@\Linefeed, Control-J. ESC@\Escape, Control-@q([). @End(Description) Some Kermit programs may require the option to be specified by typing the character literally or entering its numeric ASCII value. If you use this command to enable handshaking, you should also SET FLOW OFF. @Subheading @Index Syntax: @q Specify what to do when a file transfer fails before it is completed. The options are DISCARD (the default) and KEEP. If you choose KEEP, then if a transfer fails to complete successfully, you will be able to keep the incomplete part that was received. @Subheading Syntax: @q Specify the terminal line to use for file transfer or CONNECT. This command is found on mainframe Kermits, which normally run in "remote mode" using their own controlling terminal for file transfer. Specifying a separate line puts the program in "local mode." If no line is specified, revert to the job's controlling terminal, i.e. go back to "remote mode." @subheading Syntax: @q Specify the communications port for file transfer or CONNECT. This command is found on microcomputer Kermits that run in "local" mode. SET PORT does not change the remote/@|local status but simply selects a different port for local operation. @Subheading @Index Syntax: @q Parity is a technique used by communications equipment for detecting errors on a per-@|character basis; the "8th bit" of each character acts as a check bit for the other seven bits. Kermit uses block checks to detect errors on a per-@|packet basis, and it does not use character parity. However, some systems that Kermit runs on, or equipment through which these systems communicate, may be using character parity. If Kermit does not know about this, arriving data will have been modified and the block check will appear to be wrong, and packets will be rejected. @Index If parity is being used on the communication line, you must inform both Kermits, so the desired parity can be added to outgoing characters, and stripped from incoming ones. SET PARITY should be used for communicating with hosts that require character parity (IBM mainframes are typical examples) or through devices or networks (like GTE TELENET) that add parity to characters that pass through them. Both Kermits should be set to the same parity. The specified parity is used both for terminal connection (CONNECT) and file transfer (SEND, RECEIVE, GET). The choices for SET PARITY are: @begin NONE@\(the default) eight data bits and no parity bit. MARK@\seven data bits with the parity bit set to one. SPACE@\seven data bits with the parity bit set to zero. EVEN@\seven data bits with the parity bit set to make the overall parity even. ODD@\seven data bits with the parity bit set to make the overall parity odd. @end NONE means no parity processing is done, and the 8th bit of each character can be used for data when transmitting binary files. @Index@Index If you have set parity to ODD, EVEN, MARK, or SPACE, then most versions of Kermit will request that binary files be transferred using 8th-bit-prefixing. If the Kermit on the other side knows how to do 8th-bit-prefixing (this is an optional feature of the Kermit protocol, and not all implementations of Kermit have it), then binary files can be transmitted successfully. If NONE is specified, 8th-bit-@|prefixing will not be requested. @Subheading Syntax: @q @index This allows you to change the program's prompt. This is particularly useful if you are using Kermit to transfer files between two systems of the same kind, in which case you can change the prompts of the Kermit programs involved to include appropriate distinguishing information. @Subheading @q> Establish parameters for outgoing packets. This command is generally used to override negotiated values, or to establish before negotiation takes place. @Begin(Description,leftmargin +8,indent -8) @Index END-OF-LINE @i@\The ASCII character to be used as a line terminator for outbound packets, if one is required by the other system, carriage return by default. You will only have to use this command for systems that require a line terminator other than carriage return. @Index PACKET-LENGTH @i{number}@\ Maximum packet length to send between 10 and 94 (decimal). Shortening the packets might allow more of them to get through through without error on noisy communication lines. Lengthening the packets increases the throughput on clean lines. This command can be used to specify a shorter length than the one requested by the other Kermit, but not a longer one. @Index TIMEOUT @i@\ How many seconds to wait for a packet before trying again. A value of zero means don't time out -- wait forever. @Index PAUSE @i@\ How many seconds to pause before sending each data packet. Setting this to a nonzero value may allow a slow system enough time to consolidate itself before the next packet arrives. Normally, no per-packet pausing is done. @Index PADDING @i, PADCHAR @i@\ How much padding to send before a packet, if the other side needs padding, and what character to use for padding. Defaults are no padding, and NUL (0) for the padding character. This command is also handy for inserting special characters that may be required by communications equipment. QUOTE @i@\ What printable character to use for quoting of control characters, "#" (43) by default. There should be no reason to change this. @Index START-OF-PACKET @i@\ The start-of-packet character is the only control character used "bare" by the Kermit protocol. It is Control-A by default. If a bare Control-A causes problems for your communication hardware or software, you can use this command to select a different control character to mark the start of a packet. You must also issue the reciprocal command (SET RECEIVE START-OF-PACKET) to the Kermit on the other system (providing it has such a command). @End(Description) @Subheading Syntax: @q> Parameters to request or expect for incoming packets, as follows: @Begin(Description,leftmargin +8,indent -8) @Index END-OF-LINE @i@\ Carriage return (15) by default. @Index PACKET-LENGTH @i@\ Maximum length packet for the other side to send, decimal number, between 10 and 94, decimal. Some Kermit programs also support a "long packet" protocol extension for improved file transfer efficiency. If you specify a value greater than 94 (and normally less than 1000 or 2000), then the two Kermits will attempt to negotiate the use of long packets in the receiver's direction. If the negotiation is unsuccessful (e.g. because the sending Kermit does not support long packets), then ordinary packets will be used automatically. @Index TIMEOUT @i@\How many seconds the other Kermit should wait for a packet before asking for retransmission. @Index PAUSE @i@\How many seconds to pause before acknowledging a packet. Setting this to a nonzero value will slow down the rate at which data packets arrive, which may be necessary for systems that have "sensitive" front ends and cannot accept input at a high rate. @Index PADDING @i, PADCHAR @i@\How many padding characters to request before each incoming packet, and what the padding character should be. No Kermits are known to need padding, and if one did, it would request it without your having to tell it to do so. This command would only be necessary, therefore, under very unusual circumstances. QUOTE @i@\What printable character to use for quoting of control characters, "#" (43) by default. There should be no reason to change this. @Index START-OF-PACKET @i@\The control character to mark the beginning of incoming packets. Normally SOH (Control-A, ASCII 1) (see SET SEND START-OF-PACKET, above). @End(Description) @Index @Subheading @q> Set the maximum number of retries allowed for: @Begin(Description,leftmargin +8,indent -8) INITIAL-CONNECTION@\How many times to try establishing the initial protocol connection before giving up, normally something like 15. PACKETS@\How many times to try sending a particular packet before giving up, normally 5. If a line is very noisy, you might want to increase this number. @End(Description) @Index@index @Subheading @q Tell Kermit whether to let incoming files overwrite existing files of the same name. If WARNING is ON, then Kermit will warn you of filename collisions and will attempt to construct a new, unique name for the arriving file, and inform you what the new name is. When OFF, Kermit silently overwrites existing files when there's a name collision. This command may also be called SET FILE WARNING. @Section @Index@index @q @i [@i [, @i [, ...] ] ] Define a "macro" to allow convenient association of one or more Kermit commands with a mnemonic keyword of your choice. The definition consists of a list a list of one or more Kermit commands, separated by commas. If you use Kermit to communicate with several different kinds of systems, you may set up a macro for each, for instance: @Begin(Example,leftmargin +1) DEFINE IBM SET PARITY MARK, SET DUPLEX HALF, SET HANDSHAKE XON DEFINE UNIX SET PARITY NONE, SET DUPLEX FULL, SET HANDSHAKE NONE @Index DEFINE TELENET SET PARITY MARK, SET RECEIVE TIMEOUT 20 @End(Example) You may then type DO IBM, DO UNIX, and so forth to set all the desired parameters with a single command. It is convenient to include these definitions in your Kermit initialization file. Another other handy use for macros would be for rapid adaptation to different conditions of line noise: @Begin(Example,leftmargin +1) DEFINE CLEAN SET BLOCK-CHECK 1, SET REC PACKET-LEN 94, SET RETRY 5 DEFINE NOISY SET BLOCK 2, SET SEND PACKET 60, SET RETRY 10 DEFINE VERY-NOISY SET BLOCK 3, SET SEND PACKET 40, SET RETRY 20 @End(Example) You may redefine an existing macro in the same manner as you defined it. You can undefine an existing macro by typing an empty DEFINE command for it, for instance: @Begin(Example,leftmargin +1) DEFINE IBM @End(Example) You can list all your macros and their definitions with the SHOW MACROS command. Syntax of SET and DO commands may vary among Kermit programs. @Section @Index Syntax: @q [@i