Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!emory!cambridge.apple.com!apple!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!dsinc!cdin-1!fred From: fred@cdin-1.UUCP (Fred Rump) Newsgroups: comp.unix.xenix Subject: Re: communicating with DOS boxes Keywords: cu uucp term Message-ID: <878@cdin-1.UUCP> Date: 2 Mar 90 18:59:46 GMT References: <876@cdin-1.UUCP> <1597@fallst.UUCP>n Reply-To: fred@cdin-1.UUCP (Fred Rump) Organization: CompuData, Incorporated, Philadelphia, PA Lines: 63 Distribution: In article <1597@fallst.UUCP> tkevans@fallst.UUCP (Tim Evans) writes: >In article <876@cdin-1.UUCP>, fred@cdin-1.UUCP (Fred Rump) writes: >> >> How can we do the same from Xenix boxes without purchasing TERM or some other >> commercial package? This has to be cheap. >> >Get Emmet Grey's Pro-comm lookalike 'pcomm' from your local comp.sources.unix >archive. Thankyou all for the many responses in mail and here. But ... I think it may not have been clear. We have no control over what software sits on various DOS machines. They belong to a variety of companies that publish weekly bulletins. They typically 'give' a computer to their customers were all they do is type the bulletin data into the system and use a menu option to send it along. In the process neither party seems to know anything about communications. But once they have it working - somehow, they tend not to want to rock the boat and mess with it. It so happens that we have customers who use Xenix/Unix boxes to run our software. These people do not want another computer (even if it is free) to simply transmit their bulletin data to the printing house. They know they use communications with us daily for e-mail and news and wonder why they can't simply do the same with their supplier of bulletins. We try to tell them that we need to know a little about the 'other' box or software. Some of those people are reluctant to even talk to us because they think they have a hold on the communications market for bulletins and don't want any secrets out. Yes, this is the real world. We have some of those folks using mci mail as a collection point. There we have no problem for our customers. We simply provided a menu option that uses a script to call mci and send a file. It works fine. Then we've tried VP/ix for some of the vendor supplied DOS communications software. Most of this stuff came form in-house development and is not very well behaved. But some programs do work. The thing is we want to use Xenix and make things as easy as anything we do. But we can't simply say 'here use this kermit program'. These people have their own customer base and kermit would be an unknown to them and other callers. I just think there has to be a way to get around all these different programs doing their thing just to receive files. Is my problem a little clearer now? PS These boxes are all over the country in many to many scenarios. Fred -- Fred Rump | UUCP: {uunet bpa dsinc}!cdin-1!fred CompuData, Inc. | or ...{allegra killer gatech!uflorida decvax!ucf-cs} 10501 Drummond Rd. | !ki4pv!cdis-1!cdin-1!fred Philadelphia, Pa. 19154| Internet: fred@cdin-1.uu.net (215-824-3000)