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From: ABN.ISCAMS@usc-isid@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.micro
Subject: Re: What are KERMIT and UMODEM anyway?
Message-ID: <12076@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 26-Sep-83 21:36:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.12076
Posted: Mon Sep 26 21:36:00 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 2-Oct-83 00:29:39 EDT
Lines: 42

Morris, et al in Netland...

KERMIT -- ah, yes.  I just so happen to have gotten good old Kermit running
on my Decision I (Z80, 4 MHz, Freedom 100 Terminal) pushing out over a Racal-
Vadic VA212LC modem at 1200 baud over a home telephone line, through military
phone lines, through my local host, etc., etc, into the ARPAnet.

Kermit works great -- it's talking to you right now in its "dumb terminal" mode,
passing control characters, escapes, etc., with no problem.  Will try down-
loading text files, .COM files, even 32-bit DEC word files in a bit.

Took much hacking since I started with CPMGENERI.ASM (from FTPing from
COLUMBIA-20's <KERMIT> directory.  Keyed in the entire 100+ pages of
assembly language (yeah, dumb), proofread, debugged, found typos.

Learned how to set my Multi I/O Board up as terminal instead of modem for P
port 3, learned how to make my own RS232 cables and ALL about RS232 (since
I had never interfaced with a modem before), wrote reader/punch drivers in
Kermit itself (since my CBIOS doesn't have them, nor does it implement
IOBYTE, so the GENERIC KERMIT wouldn't work).  In other words, a fine, fine
time was had by all -- but KERMIT WORKS on a Decision I!  And I, a bloody
novice and hacker extraordinairre, did it!  

Works just fine; will try with Unix, etc.  The key is -- you can ALWAYS
find a KERMIT out there running in his own Unix, IBM, whatever, environment,
and the Kermit's can talk to each other for file transfers, etc.  I haven't
heard much traffic on what different Kermit's are talking, or how well the
dumb terminal program works in other nets.  However, it's completely trans-
parent on the ARPAnet and my local host; and I can always drop out of the
ARPAnet, play on the micro a while, and come right back up (provided my
host didn't time me out and AUTOLOG me off!)

Message me more if interested.  My patches to GENERIC KERMIT will be sent
to COLUMBIA-20 and KERMIT there, rather than clog up the net any more.

Sorry, guys, for the VERY large message -- but I'm really kind of excited
at my success (I couldn't even spel asemblur last April!).

Regards from Toad Hall
David Kirschbaum
SGM, USA
HQ XVIII Abn Corps