KRTUPD.DOC What's New in KRT and KRTTSX V03.63 27-Sep-1997 ---------- ------ --- -- --- --- ------ ------ ----------- This revision includes the following changes and updates since the last formal (given to Columbia University) release - 1. Added SET/SHOW CONTROL-CHARACTER ala C-Kermit. If you can do it there, you can do it here too, with the exact same command syntax. This is useful for speeding up transfers, particularly binary data, as it turns off control-char quoting, which uses two bytes to transmit one non-printing char. See HELP SET CONTROL-CHAR for details and usage. Other Kermits that support this include MS-Kermit, its W95 successor and C-Kermit. 2. TSX EMT 114 is now used for output when TT is the link device under TSX. This makes Kermit _much_ zippier.. As the TSX docs say ttyout loops are not handled very efficiently. 3. Transmitted and received file attributes were made individually settable and showable, ala C-Kermit. These additions are documented in HELP SET ATTRIBUTES and are useful when another Kermit has trouble with some but not all of them. 4. The file name conversion code was patched to accomodate various previously troublesome Unix file names, such as .x. or .x: or ..x. which were being erronously taken as implicitly wildcarded names. Also all previously undefined chars in those possible in file names were added, again for Unix compatibility. 5. Added SET FILE WILDCARDS - this doesn't modify RT-11 or TSX but allows getting Unix files with a leading dot in the name while using an output file to rename same (SET FILE WILD EXPLICIT to do this). The default is IMPLICIT, as it always has been in K11/KRT. 6. Added a warning message when receiving an empty file so one will know why no data were transfered. 7. Added a file name when opening LP as the log file so later versions of RT-11 are happy. As in the past LP must either be spooled or extremely fast to serve as the log device. 8. GETs to LP are now possible, although there's currently no wildcard support when renaming files (whether to LP or a disk). 9. CSISPC file size specifications, as in FILENAME[size], are now supported and file sizes are now displayed when sending or receiving. Note that for text files from foreign systems KRT adds 25% + 1 block to the received size to accomodate differing line termination schemes, and this increased size is what will be displayed, even though the file will most likely be closed later at some smaller number of blocks. If this bump up exceeds the currently available free space even though the file 'should' fit a size which does may now be tried. 10. Modifed the test for a Line Time Clock (KRTOSI) to accomodate QED's fast machines, per a suggestion from Alan Sieving of QED. It now completes as fast as possible regardless of machine type, while previously the QED CPUs finised the delay loop in less than one clock tick. 11. Added DAYTIME and SHOW DAYTIME commands. 12. Use of a quoted string to place a blank at end of prompt string, as in SET PROMPT "Kermit-11> ", is now supported. 13. Increased the command line input buffer to 132. bytes, in the EIS assembly only. This accomodates long command lines in take files and of course also works for keyboard input. Also fixed all possible sign extension problems now that LN$MAX > 127. As distributed KRTTSX.SAV is built with EIS instructions and KRT.SAV is not. 14. Added a T3000X.42 modem definition for XOFF restraint with this modem. Note that S48 must be set to 0 here or the modem will NOT do XOFF restraint, regardless of what the modem docs say, at least in the modem's ready to accept a command mode and sometimes when on-line to another modem and exchanging data that need restraint. This is a bug in the modem itself and is the reason RTS/CTS flow control was added to KM. As long as Kermit is doing XOFF flow control (the only choice possible other than with the KM handler) it will also be forced to quote both XOFF/XON and their 8-bit counterparts, thus this won't impact file transfers. 15. An error packet is now sent to the other Kermit when appropriate (as when a write to a local file fails) so the transfer gets properly aborted. 16. The file type (ASCII, binary, etc) is now displayed in the create messages (to be sure you know what's going on) when transfering files. 17. The contents of SEND FILE ACK and RECEIVE FILE ACK packets, such as a file name returned by the remote Kermit, are now repeated char decoded, 8-bit unquoted and then displayed during file transfers. 18. The REMOTE command code now displays the reasons for retries as each occurs. Error packets are now sent when giving up, to attempt to stop any possible lingering activity at the other end. The BYE and FINISH commands were moved into the REMOTE command processor so these two now also use the above error handling enhancements. Repeated char encoding is now done on REMOTE command arguments. This makes a big difference for a command like REMOTE DELETE *~ sent to a Unix system, which without repeat encoding becomes 'rm *' after going though C-Kermit and thus hoses everything. 8-bit quoting (for ASCII chars > 177) is also now done (automatic when parity is in use) here. 19. CD/CWD and REMOTE CD/CWD will now operate without an argument. RT-11/TSX assigns are now tested for illegal string lengths as well. 20. REMOTE WHO now passes arguments to the remote host. Some hosts support this, such as VMS where it's really handy on a busy system. 21. The first data packet is now actually rebuilt when resizing due to its failing so the next retry is actually done with the smaller sized packet. In the past the reduction wasn't done until the next packet was sent, which is of course too late.. 22. A rewind routine was added to KRTRMS.MAC for use when resizing packets ala the above, instead of closing and reopening the file. 23. An error in testing for terminal emulator command chars after having SET CONSOLE 8-BIT is now fixed. 24. The packet data processing routine (BUFFIL) was moved back to the root for speed, as cleaning up made space available for it once again. This means less calling of overlays and helps quite a bit when running on a floppies-only system. 25. Added SPFUNs to the KM (Kermit Modem) comm handler to support xmodem ala how it could be done with CL. See KRTKM.MAC for details. 26. Made "_" = "-" when parsing commands. This is _only_ for KRT's commands, any arguments and everything else remain untouched. 27. Moved the HELP text index to a separate file (KRTIDX.MAC) and added KRTIDX.BAS to create same, dumping KRTHLP.PRE and KRTHLP.BAS. KRTHLP.MAC is now a permanent file. KRTHLP had finally overflowed 4096. words, now there's plenty of room available. 28. Modified the command definition macro (KRTCDF.MAC) to accept the location of an optional prompt string instead of the string itself. This allows sharing strings which reduced the overall program size by 2 blocks. 29. Moved SHOW VERSION to KRTCMD and modified it so REMOTE HELP can call and use it, thus displaying the exact same string one sees when KRT is started. 30. Fixed a problem with the SET PHONE XMODE value specified in a SET CL PORTS string from being overwritten by the default value in the modem definition. Now if a value is explicitly supplied it will prevail. 31. Moved all the pre-defined modem data to a separate module (KRTMDM.MAC) to make room for more defintions there and to allow for future expansion of the dialer module KRTDIA. Moved SET$DTR and SET$MODEM back to the dialer as there is now plenty of room and this reduces the size of the unmapped (KRT.SAV) image. 32. Fixed a problem with garbage being appended to a log file name. 33. Fixed an unpopped stack on error exit from BUFEMP (receiving a file). This bug was introduced in V3.62 (but there was no error checking at all before that), sorry! 34. Any possibly lingering data from a modem is now flushed before beginning dialing or redialing. 35. All source files have been thoroughly cleaned up and fully commented and the HELP text and doc files are completely caught up. All program data have been moved to the tops of their source modules to make foreign language translation as easy as possible. The narrative edit history has been split out into its own file (KRTHIS.DOC) so KRT.DOC is no longer the monster it was.. Billy Youdelman billy@MIX.COM 27-Sep-1997 -eof-