Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!ATHENA.MIT.EDU!dcw
From: dcw@ATHENA.MIT.EDU ("Dave Whitney Third year undergraduate student in Computer Science at MIT")
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: To The Stainless Steel Rat.
Message-ID: <8901090003.AA03137@M11-111-1.MIT.EDU>
Date: 9 Jan 89 00:03:34 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 59

Sorry to do this, but I just can't get thru to rat@madnix...

-------
To answer some of your questions:

>Just one question: What's ZLINK?
>As far as I know, its a terminal program.

Indeed, a good guess.

> I've been looking for a
>good terminal program, but nothing works the way I want.  I want features
>like terminal emulation (INCLUDING vt100),
vt102 and h19 currently supported. Other ones which work like h19 are easily
worked in by the user (I'll make it even easier in the future.)

> scroll-back buffer,
nope. Coming later, though

>direct modem access (for Hayes compatibles),
Yes.

>up/downloads (all kinds: XMODEM, 1K XMODEM, Binary II, YMODEM, ZMODEM...),
Xmodem/Checksum, Xmodem/CRC, Xmodem/ASCII Express, 1K Xmodem, Ymodem (batch)
currently supported. Binary II (hopefully) by the end of January. Zmodem
eventually, but don't hold your breath (it's awfully complex).

>ability to change baud rates or other operating parameters on the fly (to
>allow changes from modem to null modem),
You may change *any* of the communication paramters on the fly (baud, data
width, #stop bits, parity, serial card slot).

>ability to dial numbers in rotation (to hunt for a non-busy BBS),
Not yet. Sounds like a good idea. I'll see what can be done.

>macros,
In a manner of speaking. You can set up a keyboard remapping such that any key
you type can do something else entirely. It's rather neat.

>unattended remote,
Nope.

>ability to handle 9600 or FASTER (for null modem),
Not fully tested, but it ought to work at top speed. I'm gonna change the
interface to the serial port on the //GS soon, which would guarantee operation
at 19,200 (because the firmware ref promises it will).

>capture buffer,
limited only by available RAM. Actually, it uses a file on your RAM disk. When
the RAM disk fills up, the buffer is full.

>ability to SEND from capture buffer (using any Protocol).
Not directly supported, but possible. You would upload the RAMdisk file.

If you subscribe to comp.binaries.apple2 (or are on the apple2-l
listserv), then a new Z-Link will be floating by pretty soon. Try it
out and tell me what you think.

	Dave