Xref: utzoo comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d:5156 comp.sys.ibm.pc:38035
Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!tank!eecae!cps3xx!usenet
From: usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d,comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: Kermit file transfers made easy
Keywords: kermit, scripts
Message-ID: <5351@cps3xx.UUCP>
Date: 12 Nov 89 04:29:40 GMT
References: <1039@chyde.uwasa.fi>
Reply-To: hendrick@frith.UUCP (Kenneth J. Hendrickson)
Organization: Michigan State University
Lines: 19

Kermit uses only 7-bit ascii characters for its file tranfer protocol.
If you send files with 8-bit characters (binary files like .EXE, .ARC,
.ZOO, .ZIP, etc.), Kermit uses quoting, where a special character is
used to flag a byte with the eighth bit set.  If you send binary files
this way, it effectively doubles the size of the file.
 
In order to go faster, I recommend using arc -i on your Unix system,
then uuencoding the file.  Uuencode makes the file about 33% larger, but
arc can achieve compression ratios of 50%+.  Transfer the file, and then
perform the reverse process on your pc.  The -i option for arc does the
\n MSDOS <-> Unix translation.  PKXARC can be made compatible with arc
by using the -oct switch.
 
This helps on text files a little bit, and on binary files a whole
bunch!

In the rare case that original ideas   Kenneth J. Hendrickson    N8DGN
are found here, I am responsible.      Owen W328, E. Lansing, MI 48825
Internet: hendrick@frith.egr.msu.edu   UUCP: ...!uunet!frith!hendrick