KERMIT.DOC T2.18 for RT11 V4.0 INTRODUCTION: Kermit is an intelligent program used to communicate between computers of different types, such as a DEC VAX to an IBM PC, so ASCII and binary files may be transferred. There are many uses for Kermit, and there are many types of machines that Kermit can be used on, such as MacKermit (for Apple's Macintosh), MS-Kermit (for MS-DOS systems), and Kermit-20 (for DEC PDP-11s and DEC Rainbow systems). Common Terms: host: Another word for computer. It usually means a computer that is doing work (as opposed to one that acts like a telephone receiver and just relays commands to another computer). The host can be local (the one you're working on) or remote (the one on the other end of the line). local: When two machines are connected, the local machine is the one you interact with directly, the one in control of the second terminal. A local Kermit always communicates over an external device (assigned to TTY1:, for example). remote: The remote machine is the one on the other side of the connection, the one you are talking to or controlling from the local terminal. A remote Kermit usually communicates over its own console, controlling terminal, or standard input/output device. server: A remote Kermit terminal that can accept commands in packet form from a local Kermit program instead of directly by keyboard from the user. Type server is usually a terminal that controls other terminals using a program that tells it how to do so. TTY: Commonly used for a device connected to a computer over an RS-232 serial telecommunications line. This device is most commonly an ASCII terminal, but it may be a microcomputer or even a large multiuser computer emulating an ASCII terminal. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Using the Modem: To manually originate and answer a call (voice mode) and switch to data mode, make sure all modem buttons are out. Once you have ended your conversation and are ready to send/receive data, the answerer should press the ANS button. When the caller hears a dial tone, he should press ORG. To verify that the two modems are communicating, make sure the CD (carrier detect) LED light is on. To call a modem set to autoanswer, make sure the receiving terminal has the AA (autoanswer) button depressed. When the modem receives your call, it will ring once and then send a dial tone. Press the ORG button. The receiver modem will connect to your modem and begin sending/receiving data. To verify that the two modems are communicating, make sure the CD (carrier detect) LED light is on. ===================================================================== KERMIT COMMANDS: CONNECT Make a virtual terminal connection to the remote system, causing the local host to act as if it were the remote system. To escape from a virtual terminal connection, type Kermit's escape character (for V03/V04, \ and then C; for ZX100, ] and then C). DIR device Display the directory of a device. Wild cards are allowed. DIR DK:*.txt DIR C:\sam*.txt EXIT Exit from Kermit and return to the host operating system. GET file Ask the remote host to send a file or file group to the local host. Wild cards are acceptable. GET *.txt RECEIVE Receive a file or file group from the other Kermit. If an incoming file name is not legal (too long or name already exists, for example), Kermit will then try to transform it to a similar legal name. SEND file Sends the file or a group of files from the local host to the remote host. The file is stored on the other system under the same name. Wild cards (*) are acceptable. SEND foo.txt SEND *.txt SET parameter value Establish various nonstandard settings, such as the escape character for connect, file characteristics, communications line number, speed, parity, and flow control. These are the Set command parameters used in the Calay system (other parameters exist, but they are not used in the Calay system): SET BAUD rate SET DEFAULT device SET DELAY seconds SET LINE line SET PORT port SET SPEED rate The Set Baud and Set Speed commands set the data transfer rate for the modems. Use Set Baud for ZX100 and Set Speed for V03/V04. Both workstations run at 2400 baud. Other devices might run at 1200 or 9600 baud. The Set Default command sets the device (usually a drive) the modem will send/receive files to/from. V03/V04 devices include DK: (hard disk) and DY: (floppy disk), while ZX100 devices include C: (hard disk) and A: (floppy disk). Files are sent to and received from the current directory (usually C:\MSKERMIT). The Set Delay command sets the waiting time in seconds before files are sent. The Set Line and Set Port commands select the line to send the data over. Use Set Line for V03/V04 and Set Port for ZX100. Here are the addresses for each line: line address vector device 0 777560 60 console TTY: 1 776620 170 DLV11-E 2 776500 300 line printer 3 776510 310 paper punch 4 776520 320 digitizer (#1) Use 2 as the port number for ZX100 (port 1 is reserved for the mouse). SHOW parameter Display the values of Set parameters (V03/V04). Use Show All to show all parameters. STATUS Display the values of all Set parameters (ZX100). --------------------------------------------------------------------- On-Line Help: Kermit has a set of help files that briefly describe all available commands. V03/V04: At the Kermit prompt, you may get a list of commands by typing HELP . You can get help on parameters and legal values for commands by typing HELP, a space, the command, and . Wild cards are allowed. Examples: HELP displays available commands HELP SE* displays available commands beginning with "se" HELP SET displays help on and available parameters for Set HELP SET SPEED displays help on and available values for Set Speed HELP CONNECT displays help on Connect ZX100: At the Kermit prompt, you may get a list of commands by typing ?. You can get help on parameters and legal values for commands by typing the command, a space, and ?. Do not press after typing the ?, because the program will display help as soon as it sees the ?. Wild cards are not allowed. Examples: ? displays available commands SET ? displays available parameters for Set SET BAUD ? displays available values for Set Baud --------------------------------------------------------------------- Setting Up Command Files: You can put into a command file the commands you use each time. The name of this command file must be KERMIT.INI for V03/V04 workstations and MSKERMIT.INI for ZX100 workstations. The .INI command files contain the commands as if you were typing them to the screen. Use an editor such as K52 or MultiEdit to create and edit the file. A must end each line, so each command is on its own line. The best use of the .INI command files is for modem setup commands such as SET. The example .INI file below would work on a ZX100 station (note that Set Baud follows Set Port): SET PORT 2 SET BAUD 2400 SET PARITY NONE SET DELAY 5 SET DEFAULT A: DIR A: The following .INI file would accomplish the same for a V03/V04 station (note that Set Speed follows Set Line): SET LINE 1 SET SPEED 2400 SET PARITY NONE SET DELAY 5 SET DEFAULT DY: DIR DY: ===================================================================== USING KERMIT BETWEEN V03/V04 AND ZX100: You can wire a V03/V04 workstation to a ZX100 workstation without phone lines by directly connecting the two stations' modems. The V03/V04 should have a DLV11-E board installed. The DLV11-E cable should be connected to the ZX100's COM2: port with a female-to-female gender changer. You can also connect the workstations by having the modems use the phone lines as the link. Direct Transfer between V03/V04 and ZX100: On the V03/V04 side, type the following commands. (Commands you type are in uppercase letters, while what Kermit responds with is in lowercase.) R KERMIT kermit-11 t2.18 kermit-11? SET LINE 1 link device set to 1 kermit-11? SET SPEED 2400 NOTE: If your system reads "Kermit-11>" instead of "Kermit- 11?" you have the wrong version of Kermit and should return it to get get the correct version (ver. 2.18). On the ZX100 side, type: CD \MSKERMIT MSKERMIT ibm-pc kermit-ms v2.27 type ? for help kermit-ms> SET BAUD 2400 kermit-ms> SERVER The system will respond by clearing the screen and displaying: entering server mode Transferring from V03/V04 to ZX100: All commands are entered at the V03/V04 station. The command to transfer files to the ZX100 station is: kermit-11? SEND dev:filena.ext Examples: kermit-11? SEND DK:V03/V04.TXT kermit-11? SEND DK:LAYTST.GPH The files will be sent to whatever device is specified as the default (with the Set Default command) on the ZX100. To leave Kermit: kermit-11? EXIT Transferring from ZX100 to V03/V04: All commands are entered at the V03/V04 station. The command to transfer files from the ZX100 station is: kermit-11? GET dev:filename.ext Examples: kermit-11? GET C:V03/V04.TXT kermit-11? GET A:LAYTST.GPH kermit-11? GET C:NEWLAY.GPH NOTE: Files transferred from/to drive C will be received from/placed in the \MSKERMIT directory. To return to system level from the V03/V04 station: kermit-11? BYE kermit-11? EXIT To return to system level from the ZX100 station: ] C kermit-ms> EXIT c:\mskermit> CD \ --------------------------------------------------------------------- Modem Transfer between V03/V04 and ZX100: On the V03/V04 side, type the following commands. (Commands you type in are in typewriter font, while what Kermit responds with is in printout type.) R KERMIT kermit-11 t2.18 kermit-11? SET LINE 1 link device set to 1 kermit-11? SET SPEED 2400 NOTE: If your system reads "Kermit-11>" instead of "Kermit- 11?" you have the wrong version of Kermit and should return it to get get the correct version (ver. 2.18). On the ZX100 side, type: CD \MSKERMIT MSKERMIT ibm-pc kermit-ms v2.27 yype ? for help kermit-ms> SET BAUD 2400 In the following examples, the ZX100 station will be the server. At the server station, type: kermit-ms> SERVER The system will respond by clearing the screen and displaying: entering server mode From the phone the originating (local) station is connected to, dial the number the receiving (server) station is connected to. When the server station operator answers, he will press the ANS button on his (the server station's) modem. When you hear the dial tone, press the ORG button on your (the local station's) modem. The following should appear on the server station's screen: kermit server running on pdp-11 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. The escape sequence mentioned in the message is \ C for V03/V04 and ] C for ZX100. Use the Send and Get commands as appropriate to transfer files. Send will send files from the local station to the server station, while Get will send files from the server station to the local station. In both cases, the commands are issued from the local station. Examples: kermit-11? SEND DK:V03/V04.TXT kermit-11? GET A:LAYTST.GPH kermit-11? GET C:\DATA\NEWLAY.GPH kermit-11? SEND DK:LAYTST.GPH kermit-11? GET C:V03/V04.TXT NOTE: Files transferred to drive C of a ZX100 station will be placed in the station's \MSKERMIT subdirectory. When you are done transferring files, you must release the server station. From the local station: kermit-ms> BYE kermit-ms> EXIT c:\mskermit> CD \ From the server station: \ C kermit-11? EXIT NOTE: If the server station is a ZX100, type ] C instead of \ C.