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From: daveh@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Dave Huang)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Subject: Re: Request for Comment on Kermit...
Message-ID: <47327@ut-emx.uucp>
Date: 17 Apr 91 14:43:51 GMT
References: <10611@hub.ucsb.edu>
Sender: news@ut-emx.uucp
Reply-To: daveh@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu (Dave Huang)
Distribution: comp
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin
Lines: 42

In article <10611@hub.ucsb.edu> 6500erik@ucsbuxa.ucsb.edu (Erik Adams) writes:
>I have never used Kermit on my ][+, but I have used Kermit
>and Xmodem and Ymodem extensively on my Mac, and I have
>found that Kermit is slower, gives less control to the user,
>and is in general an inferior transfer protocol.

Yes, Kermit is definitely slower than YModem, and even XModem.
However, it gives _more_ control to the user (should you want it). You
can adjust the packet length to something big (much better than the
83(?) than Kermit defaults to). Supposedly, you can get 2K packets,
but IBM MS-Kermit only goes up to 2000 bytes, Mac Kermit goes up to
1000something, and Apple Kermit goes up to 250 :-( You can also set
various packet parameters, such as the start-of-packet character,
timeouts, and other useful (or useless, depending you what you need to
do :-) parameters.

>Ymodem, on the other hand, is quick, sends file information
>with the transfer, so that well written software on the
>receiving end can tell you how long a coffee break you have
>:-).  Now, maybe Kermit can do this too, but I have yet
>to find a program (for the Mac) that inplements this.

Normally, YModem is faster, but sometimes it doesn't work... I usually
use YModem for downloading, but only for ShrinkIt archives, since the
file length gets bumped up to an even block size (a multiple of 1024
bytes in this case). Also, I haven't gotten a YModem upload to work
successfully. Kermit is more tolerant of 7-bit data lines, terminal
servers, and any other stuff you might between your computer and the
other end. Over here at UT, you have to go through two terminal
servers (one Micom and one Cisco) to get to the workstations...

>I dislike Kermit, and wish ymodem was supported on my
>current host.

I dislike Kermit too, but it always works!

>Erik
-- 
David Huang                              |
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