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1 | Following is the announcement of CP/M-80 Kermit version 4.09, the first |
2 | new release of CP/M Kermit since 4.05 since February 1985. | |
3 | ||
4 | Kermit files may be obtained over networks and by mail order. On the | |
5 | Internetwork, use FTP to log in to host CU20B, CU20B.COLUMBIA.EDU, or | |
6 | CU20B.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU (a DECSYSTEM-20), as user ANONYMOUS, using any password, | |
7 | and GET (or MULTIPLE GET, or MGET) the desired files from logical device KER:, | |
8 | e.g. MGET KER:CP*.* for the new CP/M files. You can also get Kermit files over | |
9 | BITNET/EARN; to get started send a message with text HELP to KERMSRV, the | |
10 | Kermit file server, at host CUVMA. For detailed instructions, read the file | |
11 | KER:AANETW.HLP (AANETW HLP on KERMSRV). To order by mail, request a complete | |
12 | list of Kermit versions and an order form from Kermit Distribution, Columbia | |
13 | University Center for Computing Activities, 612 West 115th Street, New York, NY | |
14 | 10025 USA. | |
15 | ||
16 | Date: 8 Jan 88 0:00:00 | |
17 | From: Bertil Schou, Loughborough University, UK | |
18 | Via: SYSKERMIT%vax1.central.lancaster.ac.uk@NSS.Cs.Ucl.AC.UK | |
19 | Subject: Announcing Version 4.09 of Kermit-80 for CP/M-80 | |
20 | Keywords: CP/M-80 Kermit 4.09 | |
21 | ||
22 | After an incredibly long gestation period, here is hopefully an updated | |
23 | version of Kermit-80 V4.05. Kermit-80 V4.08 is issued for testing purposes | |
24 | only. Version 4.09 is the release issue of version 4.08. I still, however, | |
25 | want any feedback about problems generated in this revision, or others | |
26 | desperately want fixing. | |
27 | ||
28 | Superficially, there is little real change in operation of Kermit-80, version | |
29 | 4.05, but there have been some major jobs tackled like trapping BDOS calls and | |
30 | multiple FCB buffering... | |
31 | ||
32 | New bits for this version include: | |
33 | SET {SEND/RECEIVE} START-OF-PACKET character | |
34 | SET DIRECTORY-FILE-SIZE (Shows or hides file sizes on | |
35 | DIRectory displays) | |
36 | SET TERMINAL to OFF, VT52, DUMB, EXTERNAL, QUIET, REGULAR. | |
37 | SET USER to set other user spaces | |
38 | RECEIVE to collect a file from a remote SENDer | |
39 | GET to collect a file from a remote SERVER | |
40 | SEND {local filename} {remote filename} | |
41 | TAKE to take command files from disk (including other take files!) | |
42 | FCOPY Copy CP/M files from within Kermit (no wildcard) | |
43 | TYPE Type a file to the console from within Kermit | |
44 | PRINT Print a file to the printer from within Kermit | |
45 | - Updated TRANSMIT command that waits for a string of characters | |
46 | from the host (default is CR). | |
47 | - Command line commands, eg: | |
48 | KERMIT ;SET FILE BINARY;SEND FOO.BAR | |
49 | - Automatic TAKE KERMIT.INI on default disk on | |
50 | loading KERMIT-80 (useful for SET BAUD etc.) | |
51 | - Much improved speed on DIRECTORY | |
52 | - Automatic CLOSE-ing of a terminal connection if the line is | |
53 | DROP-ped (currently only for an Apple, and Torch has a dummy | |
54 | test for cntrl-] D in connect state) | |
55 | - Improved printer handling. | |
56 | ||
57 | On the negative side, only LASM and Microsoft M80 assemblers can be used to | |
58 | assemble the source files. I personally see no point in being able to support | |
59 | several assemblers if LASM can do the job, but then again, I have not used the | |
60 | MAC80 cross assembler... Comments on assembler compatabilities, please! | |
61 | ||
62 | All source files have been renamed, and there are a few additions. All source | |
63 | files are named in the form CPaxxx.ASM, where: | |
64 | ||
65 | a=A for general information | |
66 | a=S for system independent source files and hex file | |
67 | a=X for system dependent source files | |
68 | a=V for system-dependent hex files | |
69 | ||
70 | The system dependent code has changed a litle too, hopefully bringing the | |
71 | CPXSYS.ASM (formerly CP4SYS.ASM) file a bit more toward a manageable size. | |
72 | There is now the possibility for FAMILIES of systems, like APPLE and NorthStar | |
73 | (also Comart), which contains code for computers of a single type. I have | |
74 | immediately gone against all this by creating a family with the code for | |
75 | Torches, Cifers, Ithacas and Superbrains (this because we have these systems | |
76 | here at Loughborough.) | |
77 | ||
78 | Bertil Schou. | |
79 | ||
80 | [Ed. - Many thanks, Bertil! And also to Alan Phillips and Steve Jenkins at | |
81 | Lancaster University for sending this new version to us via transoceanic | |
82 | magnetic tape, and to the many others in the UK who contributed to this new | |
83 | release. This version supports all the systems supported by version 4.05, | |
84 | with the exception of the HP-125, and with the addition of many more, for a | |
85 | total of something like 52 systems. The new files have been installed in | |
86 | KER:CP*.*, and the old ones moved (on CU20B, anyway) to KO:CP*.*. CP/M | |
87 | users, please get this new version and try it out, so we can make sure it's | |
88 | safe to distribute. And this is also the time to plead ONCE AGAIN for | |
89 | volunteers to distribute CP/M Kermit on 5.25-inch diskette for different | |
90 | kinds of systems, and also in "universal" 8-inch diskette format. Please | |
91 | come forward if you can do it, or know of a user group that can!] | |
92 | ||
93 | ||
94 | CPKERM.MSG 08 Jan 1988 | |
95 | ********** | |
96 | ||
97 | After an incredibly long gestation peroid, here is hopefully an | |
98 | updated version of Kermit-80 V4.05. Kermit-80 V4.08 is issued for | |
99 | testing purposes only. Version 4.09 is the release issue of | |
100 | version 4.08. I still, however, want any feedback about problems | |
101 | generated in this revision, or others desperately want fixing. | |
102 | ||
103 | Superficially, there is little real change in operation of | |
104 | Kermit-80, version 4.05, but there have been some major jobs | |
105 | tackled like trapping BDOS calls and multiple FCB buffering... | |
106 | ||
107 | New bits for this version include: | |
108 | SET {SEND/RECEIVE} START-OF-PACKET character | |
109 | SET DIRECTORY-FILE-SIZE (Shows or hides file sizes on | |
110 | DIRectory displays) | |
111 | SET TERMINAL to OFF, VT52, DUMB, EXTERNAL, QUIET, | |
112 | REGULAR. External is for those wanting to write | |
113 | their own drivers, DUMB passes only printing | |
114 | characters and sone control characters (eg CR/LF). | |
115 | QUIET/REGULAR permits brief/verbose screen | |
116 | displays during transfers. | |
117 | SET USER to set other user spaces | |
118 | RECEIVE to collect a file from a remote SENDer | |
119 | GET to collect a file from a remote SERVER | |
120 | SEND {local filename} {remote filename} | |
121 | TAKE to take command files from disk (including other | |
122 | takes files!) | |
123 | FCOPY Copy CP/M files from within Kermit (no wildcard) | |
124 | TYPE Type a file to the console from within Kermit | |
125 | PRINT Print a file to the printer from within Kermit | |
126 | - updated TRANSMIT command that waits for a string | |
127 | of characters from the host (default is CR) | |
128 | - Command line commands, eg: | |
129 | KERMIT ;SET FILE BINARY;SEND FOO.BAR | |
130 | - automatic TAKE KERMIT.INI on default disk on | |
131 | loading KERMIT-80 (useful for SET BAUD etc.) | |
132 | - much improved speed on DIRECTORY | |
133 | - automatic CLOSE-ing of a terminal connection if | |
134 | the line is DROP-ped (currently only for an Apple, | |
135 | and Torch has a dummy test for cntrl-] D in | |
136 | connect state) | |
137 | - improved printer handling. (Kermit-80 sends an | |
138 | XOFF to the host if the characters are comming in | |
139 | faster than they are printed. This does not work | |
140 | in this version, as another option, SET FLOW- | |
141 | CONTROL has not been fully implemented - also, I | |
142 | did not have a printer to test this out on a | |
143 | Torch...) | |
144 | ||
145 | On the negative side, only LASM and Microsoft M80 assemblers can | |
146 | be used to assemble the source files. I personally see no pont in | |
147 | being able to support several assemblers if LASM can do the job, | |
148 | but then again, I have not used the MAC80 cross assembler... | |
149 | Comments on assembler compatabilities, please! | |
150 | ||
151 | All source files have been renamed, and there are a few | |
152 | additions. All source files are named in the form: | |
153 | ||
154 | ||
155 | ||
156 | ||
157 | ||
158 | ||
159 | ||
160 | CPaxxx.ASM | |
161 | ||
162 | where: | |
163 | ||
164 | a=A for general information | |
165 | a=S for system independent source files and hex file | |
166 | a=X for system dependent source files | |
167 | a=V for system-dependent hex files | |
168 | ||
169 | The system dependent code has changed a litle too, hopefully | |
170 | bringing the CPXSYS.ASM (formerly CP4SYS.ASM) file a bit more | |
171 | toward a manageable size. There is now the possibility for | |
172 | FAMILIES of systems, like APPLE and NorthStar (also Comart), | |
173 | which contains code for computers of a single type. I have | |
174 | immediately gone against all this by creating a family with the | |
175 | code for Torches, Cifers, Ithacas and Superbrains. (This because | |
176 | we have these systems here at Loughborough) | |
177 | ||
178 | CPXSYS.ASM is the "left over" systems not having a family to go | |
179 | to (poor things), but is very much smaller than the original | |
180 | CP4SYS.ASM. | |
181 | ||
182 | All VDU and terminal information is now held in CPXVDU.ASM. This | |
183 | is really the last section in the older CP4SYS.ASM file. | |
184 | ||
185 | A quick "schematic" of what happens at assembly time... (assuming | |
186 | LASM is being used) | |
187 | ||
188 | LASM CPXTYP... this then assembles the following: | |
189 | ||
190 | CPXTYP | |
191 | | | |
192 | v | |
193 | CPSDEF | |
194 | | | |
195 | v | |
196 | CPXLNK | |
197 | | | |
198 | v | |
199 | CPXCOM (Common code for most systems) | |
200 | | | |
201 | v | |
202 | CPXSWT-------+----------+-----------+-----------+---- File selector | |
203 | | | | | | | |
204 | v v v v CPXTOR CPXAPP CPXNOR CPX??? one of | |
205 | | | | | | several | |
206 | | | | | | Families | |
207 | +<----------+----------+-----------+-----------+---- | |
208 | | | |
209 | v | |
210 | CPXVDU (if a terminal is required) | |
211 | | | |
212 | | | |
213 | v | |
214 | <END of assembly> | |
215 | ||
216 | ||
217 | ||
218 | Users should be aware of the change both to the linking | |
219 | ||
220 | ||
221 | ||
222 | ||
223 | ||
224 | ||
225 | information and start of the overlay address. Since Version 4.05, | |
226 | four new entries have been added to the overlay table. First of | |
227 | all, family (offset +6), which is a two byte poiter to a text | |
228 | string in the family file. The remainder are two byte pointers | |
229 | (in the usual JMP 0 format) to a print status routne, (lptstat | |
230 | offset 20h), an optional VDU driver, and a reverse entry back to | |
231 | the system independent BDOS routines (which does a lot more than | |
232 | simply pass on the BDOS request to BDOS) | |
233 | ||
234 | There have also been some bugs fixed in some of the system | |
235 | dependent code, so you would be wise pulling all the source files | |
236 | across. | |
237 | ||
238 | The overlay address is now 6000h, and will probably change before | |
239 | this revision is complete. The speeding up of multiple file | |
240 | handling takes its toll on memory, as there are now 64-ish FCBs | |
241 | buffered. This speeds up the DIRECTORY command no end. | |
242 | ||
243 | With the overlay address at 6000h there is still a lot of space | |
244 | free for more things to be added, so unless there is a big hash | |
245 | made to Kermit, this will not change. | |
246 | ||
247 | Most of the Version 4.05 documentation still holds for this | |
248 | version of kermit-80. Note however the changes in the number of | |
249 | system dependent files used, and the use of FAMILY files. | |
250 | ||
251 | The new commands are (hopefully) self-explanatory. The TAKE | |
252 | command requires files TAKE-n to be pure ASCII text, with a | |
253 | control-z as the end of file marker. Most editors will probably | |
254 | do this for you. | |
255 | ||
256 | LASM and Microsoft M80 assembles are the only ones supported. I | |
257 | suggest LASM be used by default for all further development work, | |
258 | though I DO know that there are others requestin M80 | |
259 | comaptability. | |
260 | ||
261 | How to get V4.09 onto your system. | |
262 | ********************************** | |
263 | If you alread have a Kermit running on your system, you should be | |
264 | able to pull the CPSKER.HEX and suitable system file to yopur | |
265 | system, then MLOAD the two together. If you dont have kermit, | |
266 | see if you cannot get a copy from somewhere - it saves a lot of | |
267 | frustrating work. Failing that, refer to the REAL manuals! | |
268 | ||
269 | If you want to assemble the sources from scratch, pull all | |
270 | CPS*.ASM files, and CPX(TYP LNK COM SWT).ASM files, and | |
271 | CPXVDU.ASM if you use a terminal. You will have to pluck | |
272 | either CPXSYS./ASM or another family file. You will also need | |
273 | loads of disk space. If you run short, but have a handy IBM PC | |
274 | or clone with a Mbyte or two free, use the public domain Z80 | |
275 | emulator Z80MU to develop the .HEX files required. Also aquire a | |
276 | copy of LASM. Use LASM it to assemble CPSKER and CPXTYP after | |
277 | editing CPXTYP and selecting a suitable system. This generates | |
278 | CPSKER.HEX and CPXTYP.HEX. | |
279 | ||
280 | MLOAD the two .HEX files together, eg: | |
281 | ||
282 | MLOAD NEWKER=CPSKER,CPXTYP | |
283 | ||
284 | After this, you will hopefully have a runnable copy of KERMIT-80 | |
285 | ||
286 | ||
287 | ||
288 | ||
289 | ||
290 | ||
291 | Version 4.09 on your system. | |
292 | ||
293 | Disclaimer: No responsibilty can be assumed by anyone as to the | |
294 | suitabilty etc.etc. In otherwords, you are the one responsible | |
295 | for your implentation of Kermit-80, any version. I will give help | |
296 | where I can, but no guaranttes will be given. Note that not all | |
297 | systems and facilities have been tested (thats why you are | |
298 | getting involved!) so make sure you have a copy of 4.05 Kermit | |
299 | before trying this one! | |
300 | ||
301 | Things yet to be done - lots! | |
302 | ||
303 | There have been moves trying to add other independent modules for | |
304 | other terminal emulators other than the VT52. Demands for SERVER, | |
305 | REMOTE HOST..., file compression, better TRANSMIT, % of file sent | |
306 | and/or Kbytes sent/received as part of the display diring | |
307 | transfers, a lot of cosmetic tidying up as well as even more | |
308 | systems to be added. CP/M-80 is a slowly dying DOS, and I feel | |
309 | inclined to leave some bits out, like SERVER (how many use really | |
310 | large Winchesters in CP/M-80 systems, and want true servers?). | |
311 | Does anyone have a burning desire for these facilities? And if | |
312 | so, will YOU be willing to take on the job of implementing them? | |
313 | ||
314 | If you have any comments, please E-mail them to OBSchou (me) at | |
315 | Loughborough. If you really must, try (0509) 222313, but I share | |
316 | a phone, so use the phone only if you cannot mail me. | |
317 | ||
318 | Best of luck, | |
319 | ||
320 | Bertil Schou. | |
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