AANETW.HLP                                                          1 Mar 93

                Accessing Kermit Files Via Computer Network


This file describes how to get Kermit files over computer networks, including
BITNET, the Internet (Arpanet and the networks connected to it), plus various
dialup accesses including UUCP.  You should also read AAFILES.HLP if you need
more complete descriptions of the Kermit files themselves.


* BITNET from the Columbia University CUVMA System:

BITNET is a network of computers, mostly at universities, connected with leased
phone lines, using IBM mainframe RSCS protocols (VAX VMS and Unix systems and
other systems that can imitate these protocols are also on BITNET).  BITNET
covers North America, Europe (where it is called EARN), and has recently spread
to the Far East.  Information about joining BITNET may be obtained from EDUCOM
Networking Activities, P.O. Box 364, Princeton, NJ (USA) 08540, Phone
609-734-1878.

KERMSRV at CUVMA is a file server for the BITNET user community which
accepts commands via messages or spool files, and sends the requested KERMIT
files over the network.  Most spool file formats are accepted including
those used by SENDFILE, NOTE, PUNCH, PRINT, CARD DUMP, or DISK DUMP
commands.

To learn how obtain Kermit files from the Columbia IBM mainframes via BITNET,
type the following command to your BITNET host:

  VM/CMS:    TELL KERMSRV AT CUVMA HELP (or SMSG RSCS MSG CUVMA KERMSRV HELP)
  MVS/TSO/E: TELL KERMSRV AT CUVMA HELP (syntax may be site dependent)
  VMS JNET:  SEN/REM CUVMA KERMSRV HELP
  UNIX UREP: netexec cuvma msg cuvma kermsrv help

If you are not directly on a BITNET host and do not have these commands
available, you can send electronic mail KERMSRV@CUVMA (through whatever BITNET
gateway is available to you), with the message body consisting of only the
word HELP.

The Kermit files available from BITNET may be some days or weeks behind the
announcements that appear in Info-Kermit (see below).

Here is a brief summary of KERMSRV operation; see the HELP message for
greater detail:

The following file request commands are accepted: SEND, MAIL, PUNCH, PRINT,
DISK, and CARD.  These commands expect a file name or "DIR" or "?" as an
operand.  The DIR operand accepts an optional file name also.  File names may
contain * or % wildcard characters, but the filename portion may not consist of
those characters only.

Note that KERMSRV will always respond with some message; if you get a
response please do not resubmit your request.  If your request was received
as a spool file, error messages are sent in a spool file, also.

The NEWS command returns news about latest features and changes in KERMSRV.

* BITNET from the University of Toledo VAX/VMS system UOFT02:

The Kermit file server KERMSRV is not the same one as the one running at
Columbia -- this is a VAX, and CUVMA is an IBM mainframe.  The collection
is maintained by Brian Nelson, author of PDP-11 Kermit, mail to BRIAN@UOFT02
on BITNET, and due to lack of disk space, only the more popular Kermit
versions are kept there.

Examples of access from VM/CMS:
    CP SMSG RSCS MSG UOFT02 KERMSRV DIR
    CP SMSG RSCS MSG UOFT02 KERMSRV SEND K11*.*
    or TELL KERMSRV AT UOFT02 DIR, etc.)

from VMS Jnet:
    $ SEN/REM UOFT02 KERMSRV SEND K11*.*

Attempts to see if Kermsrv is 'logged in', e.g. SEN/COM UOFT02 CPQ U KERMSRV or
SM RSCS MSG UOFT02 KERMSRV CPQ U KERMSRV will ALWAYS fail.  This is a VMS node
running JNET and JNET treats server processes in a manner unlike VM does.

For all practical purposes, KERMSRV is always running.  If a message is sent
to it, and for some reason it's not there, JNET will tell you.

Secondly, KERMSRV can ONLY respond to interactive messages, it can not process
mail.

* BITNET/EARN LISTSERV ACCESS FROM EUROPE

The complete KERMIT database is available on the EARN node HEARN in The
Netherlands (Catholic University of Nijmegen).  All files from the Kermit
server in the USA (KERMSRV@CUVMA) are available on the Dutch node and every
Sunday night the Dutch server is updated.

All files are available via LISTSERV@HEARN and are listed in KERMIT FILELIST.
This file can be requested by:

  VM/CMS:  TELL LISTSERV AT HEARN GET KERMIT FILELIST
  VAX/VMS: SEND LISTSERV@HEARN GET KERMIT FILELIST

A specific file is requested by:

  VM/CMS:  TELL LISTSERV AT HEARN GET fn ft KERMIT
  VAX/VMS: SEND LISTSERV@HEARN GET fn ft KERMIT

The use of the word KERMIT at the end of the command prevents LISTSERV from
searching in other databases.

This service is maintained by Marc de Lyon and Frans-Jozef Sprengers,
INFOatHEARN (EARN Info Service in The Netherlands).
Acknowledge-To: <INFO@HNYKUN11>

* NETWORK ACCESS IN JAPAN

A set of Kermit files is maintained at the Science University of Tokyo,
JPNSUT30.BITNET, accessible via LISTSERV.  There is also a LISTSERV-based
discussion list for Kermit, KERMIT-L@JPNSUT30.BITNET, conducted in the
Japanese language.  This service is maintained by Masamichi Ute, UTE@JPNSUT30.

Kermit software is also available from computer centers at major Japanese
universities:  University of Tokyo, University of Tohoku, etc, as well as from
DECUS Japan, BBS's such as Nifty-serve, Nikkei-MIX, etc, and via anonymous
FTP from onlnews.kek.ac.jp [130.87.97.1] in the ~/pub/kermit/kek directory.

* INTERNET FROM THE COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY WATSUN SYSTEM:

Effective April 1988, the Kermit files are available on host
WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU, a SUN-4/280 running SUNOS 4.0.  The IP host number
is 128.59.39.2.  You may get files from it with anonymous FTP.  The Kermit
files are in directories kermit/a, kermit/b, kermit/c, kermit/d, and kermit/e.
You can also send mail to Info-Kermit and Info-Kermit-Request at this address.

The process is roughly like this: FTP to WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU, login
anonymous (lowercase only), any password (we prefer that you use "user@host"
for the password, specifying your userid and hostname, for our statistics),
and then CWD (or CD) to kermit, which contains a file read.me, which you
should read.  Then CWD (or CD) to a, b, c, d, or e and GET or MULTIPLE GET (or
MGET) the files you want.  Note that file names are lowercase, and you must
refer to them that way on WATSUN, even though all the Kermit documentation
lists the filenames in uppercase!

* USING KERMIT WITH AN INTERNET TERMINAL ACCESS CONTROLLER (TAC).

(Thanks to Edward Haines <haines@BBNCCI.ARPA> for these hints)

There are some conditions that must be met to successfully use Kermit on a
personal computer through a TAC.

Flow Control

The buffer size for a terminal port on a TAC is typically about 64 bytes.  (The
size is a configuration parameter.)  Since the default packet size in Kermit is
usually 80-96 bytes it is quite likely that buffer overflow will occur.

Some possible solutions:

1.  Enable flow control in Kermit on the PC and on the TAC.  Many PC versions
of Kermit implement XON/XOFF flow control, including the MS-DOS version for the
IBM PC.  To enable flow control on the TAC issue the TAC commands

  @Flow Input Start
  @Flow Output Start

These are usually abbreviated @f i s and @f o s.  Note that flow control
is not compatible with binary mode (except see note below).

2.  Make the packet size on the PC Kermit small enough to not overflow the
TAC buffer, e.g. 60 bytes.  The normal command is "set receive packet-length
60", which you give to the Kermit that is about to receive files.

3.  Increase the buffer size in the TAC.  This is not usually practical
and won't be considered further.


TAC Intercept Character.

The default TAC intercept character is the AT-sign.  The AT-sign is also
required by the Kermit Protocol, so unless you take one of the measures
listed below, Kermit packets won't get through the TAC.

Solutions

1.  Have the PC Kermit automatically double AT-signs on output.  This is
probably the best solution in general.  This feature is available on some
PC implementations of Kermit.  In MS-DOS Kermit, use SET SEND DOUBLE-CHAR 64.
In CP/M Kermit, use SET TAC-TRAP ON.

2. Change the TAC Intercept character with the command

  @Intercept <decimal ASCII value>

For instance, "@I 6" sets the intercept character to Ctrl-F.

3.  Put the TAC into Binary mode.  This has the side effect of disabling
the Intercept character.  It also will allow you to transfer binary files
without special encoding.  The TAC can be put into Binary mode with the
commands

  @Binary Input Start    (@b i s)
  @Binary Output Start   (@b o s)

Some host systems allow you to engage the binary mode from the host.
DEC-20 Kermit has a command for this.

There are several problems with binary mode:
   Some host systems don't support it.
   You lose the ability to control the TAC from the PC.
   You lose the ability to do XON/XOFF flow control.

Binary Files

It is sometimes desirable to be able to transmit an 8-bit binary file
between a host and a PC.  The TAC (which implements the DDN Telnet
Protocol) normally provides just a 7-bit ASCII path.

Solutions

1. Enable binary mode (if possible) as described above.

2. Enable 8th bit prefixing (if available) in both Kermits.  (This is
usually done by enabling parity via Kermit's SET PARITY command.)

Notes

1.  You will probably get the best throughput for ASCII files by keeping
the packet size as large as possible and using flow control.

2.  There is not much advantage in increasing the baud rate between the PC
and the TAC beyond 1200 baud because of the relatively long turnaround
time for the acknowledgement packet.

3.  You may have problems when going through satellite hops or multiple
gateways due to the occasional very long delays.  This may result in Kermit
giving up.  The problem can be circumvented to by increasing the timeout
interval; many Kermits have commands to allow this: SET SEND/RECEIVE TIMEOUT.

4.  Only the first letter of a TAC command is required.

5.  It is possible to set binary mode in only one direction.  For example
you can set Inbound binary and retain input flow control (XON/XOFF flow is
in the opposite direction).  You probably don't need outbound (input to
the PC) flow control when using the Kermit protocol.


* United Kingdom (Information from Alan Phillips, Lancaster University):

Though there is a central registry of UK site names known as NRS, it is not
automatic and many people have no access to it, so include the actual DTE
addresses if you can.  Details for mail:

   JANET network :     SYSKERMIT @ UK.AC.LANCS.VAX1
                       (actual address is 000010404000.FTP.MAIL)

   PSS   network :     SYSKERMIT @ 234252400101.000010404000.FTP.MAIL
                   or  to the JANET address via the Rutherford gateway

   BITNET        :     SYSKERMIT%LANCS.VAX1 @ UK.AC

   ARPA          :     SYSKERMIT%LANCS.VAX1 @ CS.UCL.AC.UK

We do not support file transfer to BITNET/ARPA - users have to log in as a
terminal and use KERMIT.  Over PSS and JANET we support ftp using Blue Book
protocol:  For details pull file 00INFO.TXT from user KERMIT, quoting password
KERMIT. FTP address is

   JANET         :  000010404000.FTP

   PSS           :  234252400101.000010404000.FTP"

Or people can just mail me and I'll send details. Afraid we have no equivalent
of the BITNET KERMSRV server or Arpa anonymous ftp over here.  Dial-up ports
are available; I'll send details to anyone wanting them.

While we're very happy for anyone to ftp from us or log in to us from anywhere,
and we'll put anyone on the mailing list, we can't handle letters and phone
calls from outside the UK and Eire.  Nor can we send files to people who can't
ftp them.


* Mail:

There is a network mailing list for Kermit information; it is available to
users of BITNET and the Internet and most networks that are connected to them,
including CSnet, Usenet, Mailnet, CCnet, and others.  To get on the mailing
list, send mail:

 - From -           - To -
  BITNET             KERMIT@CUVMA
  Arpa Internet      Info-Kermit-Request@WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU
  CSNET              Info-Kermit-Request%WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU@CSNET-RELAY
  Usenet             ...!uunet!columbia!watsun!info-kermit-request
  DEC Easynet        DECWRL::"Info-Kermit-Request@WATSUN.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU"
  UK JANET           SYSKERMIT@UK.AC.LANCS.VAX1

If your system won't let you use long names or names with dashes in mail
addresses, then just substitute "KERMIT" for "Info-Kermit-Request".

Also, as of December 1988, the Kermit mailing list is available via BITNET
LISTSERV.  This is a facility that lets you subscribe and unsubscribe yourself.
To subscribe via LISTSERV, send an electronic mail message to LISTSERV@CUVMA.
The body of the message should contain the line:

SUBSCRIBE I-KERMIT your personal name

For instance:

SUBSCRIBE I-KERMIT Fred C. Dobbs

To remove yourself from the list, send the following message:

UNSUBSCRIBE I-KERMIT

To learn more about LISTSERV, send it a message "HELP" or "INFO ?".

[End of AANETW.HLP]

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