Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!sharkey!oxtrap!mudos!mju
From: mju@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us (Marc Unangst)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d
Subject: Re: Telix and file transfers
Message-ID: <294.2453DF72@mudos.ann-arbor.mi.us>
Date: 25 Apr 89 02:13:01 GMT
Organization: A neat desk is a sign of a crazy person.
Lines: 63

In article <6292@sdcsvax.UCSD.Edu>, hartung@amos.ling.ucsd.edu (Jeff Hartung) writes:

 >Because I didn't have X, Y or Z modem available here, I FTP'd the
 >source for X/Y/Zmodem from uunet.uu.net and compiled it.  (The problem
 >*might* be with sz, rz, etc. and not Telix.)  Anyhow, the first thing I
 >tried was downloading a small file from the VAX.  The download failed
 >with the Zmodem protocol, but worked fine with Xmodem and Ymodem (sx &
 >sb) just fine.  Kermit also failed to download.  I then tried to upload
 >a file, and found that Zmodem and Kermit would work, but Ymodem and
 >Xmodem didn't work.
...
 >Is this:
 >        (a) A problem with Telix?
 >        (b) A problem with the X/Y/ZModem source code from UUNET?
 >        (c) A problem with the protocols themselves (i.e. this frequently
 >            happens with Z-modem transfers...)?
 >        (d) A combination of the above?
 >        (e) None of the above (e.g. I'm doing something wrong, some other
 >            factor is the source of my problems, etc.)

My guess would be either (d) or (b).  Since you didn't mention a version
number, I can't be sure if you have the latest version (v3.11), which fixes
a bug in the Zmodem protocol.  If you don't have v3.11, you can probably
get it from most any IBM BBS, or, failing that, Compuserve or GEnie.
grape.ecs.clarkson.edu might have it, but it probably doesn't.

You mention that you have to use 7 data bits in order to connect.  Because
any binary protocol (other than when you use 8th bit quoting with Kermit)
needs an 8 bit data path, Zmodem will try to change the line parameters
before starting the transfer.  If the actual physical pathway is only
7 bits wide, then it won't be able to do this.  Since you say that you've
used Ymodem successfully, then I'd guess that it IS possible to switch
the connection to N-8-1.

I really don't know what more to say.  I've successfully used Telix's
Zmodem to transfer files to and from an Altos System III system (with
specially-modified versions of s[xyz] and r[xyz]), and to and from
most IBM BBSs.  One thing you might try is getting the DSZ package,
from Chuck Forsberg.  It is a standalone file transfer program that
supports Xmodem, Xmodem-1k, Ymodem, Zmodem, plus Ymodem-G and some other
stuff if you register it.  It's usually used by shelling out to DOS
from Telix (via Alt-J), and then invoking it from the command line
("DSZ sz c:/dir1/dir2/file", for example).  It installs its own 
communications drivers, does the transfer(s), and then replaces the
existing ones.  It's meant especially for use on already-established
connections.  If DSZ works and Telix doesn't, then the problem fairly
obviously lies with Telix's implimentation of Zmodem.  If neither of
the two work, then I'd start questioning the VAX sz/rz, or the
actual connection itself.  

Tell me, does (1) The file download okay, but end up as gibberish when you 
try to read it; or (2) Does the download totally fail to complete?  If it's
(1), I'd start looking into subtle bugs in the VAX sz/rz, or into the
connection itself; if it's (2), then I'd bet that you either have a corrupted
copy of Telix (unlikely; the archive would have shown the damage when you
tried to unarc it), or a buggy version of sz/rz (more likely).  Check
them both.
--  
Marc Unangst
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