I got DOS Kermit (3.16) ODI network support working with the BBS. Looks good. The ODI support uses Kermit's internal TCP/IP stack. But Kermit also supports some external TCP/IP stacks.

Novell LAN Workplace TELAPI is one.

It's useful because it works in multiple Desqview windows. Novell solved the DOS TCP/IP multiplexing problem. Telnet in one window, FTP in another. You can't do that with Kermit's internal stack.

Configuring Novell's TELAPI was bewildering at first but I got it working well enough to post this message via Telnet.

Kermit downloads fail though. They start but quickly hang. I have TELAPI configured for Telnet BINARY and SGA, which I thought would work. But something is not quite right, and IDK what it is.

Ideas welcome.

Re: Kermit
By: Jcurtis to All on Sat May 24 2025 02:32 pm

I got DOS Kermit (3.16) ODI network support working with the BBS. Looks good. The ODI support uses Kermit's internal TCP/IP stack. But Kermit also supports some external TCP/IP stacks.

Novell LAN Workplace TELAPI is one.

It's useful because it works in multiple Desqview windows. Novell solved the DOS TCP/IP multiplexing problem. Telnet in one window, FTP in another. You can't do that with Kermit's internal stack.

Configuring Novell's TELAPI was bewildering at first but I got it working well enough to post this message via Telnet.

Kermit downloads fail though. They start but quickly hang. I have TELAPI configured for Telnet BINARY and SGA, which I thought would work. But something is not quite right, and IDK what it is.

Ideas welcome.

Try a raw TCP connection to the server (BBS) rather than Telnet?
--
digital man (rob)

Breaking Bad quote #25:
Now if I could only learn how to lick myself. - Hank Schrader
Norco, CA WX: 73.5°F, 53.0% humidity, 10 mph WNW wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs

Re: Kermit
By: Digital Man to Jcurtis on Sat May 24 2025 02:49 pm

Try a raw TCP connection to the server (BBS) rather than Telnet?

AFAIK the Novell TELAPI has no support for raw. Telnet BINARY and SGA are as close as it gets. Maybe it's just buggy and there is no solution. IDK. Not a big issue, just a puzzle to solve.

I found Kermit has a TELNET ascii/binary option which was set to ascii and I thought that might be a problem, as it was mismatched with the TELAPI setting. But changing it to binary did not help.

Re: Kermit
By: Jcurtis to Digital Man on Sat May 24 2025 03:09 pm

AFAIK the Novell TELAPI has no support for raw. Telnet BINARY and SGA are as close as it gets. Maybe it's just buggy and there is no solution.

I tried C-Kermit on a linux box and it worked. Just "send /binary big.dat" on the C-Kermit side and it auto started on the DOS side. The two copies compare binary identical, no corruption during the transfer. Large test file, 40 MB.

I don't think my firewall is the problem since it does work with the Kermit TCP stack to the BBS. But IDK much about Kermit protocol, I'm guessing.

I learned what I wanted to know, is TELAPI usable. In some scenaarios, yes.

Re: Kermit
By: Jcurtis to Digital Man on Sun May 25 2025 03:52 am

Re: Kermit
By: Jcurtis to Digital Man on Sat May 24 2025 03:09 pm

AFAIK the Novell TELAPI has no support for raw. Telnet BINARY and SGA are as close as it gets. Maybe it's just buggy and there is no solution.

I tried C-Kermit on a linux box and it worked. Just "send /binary big.dat" on the C-Kermit side and it auto started on the DOS side. The two copies compare binary identical, no corruption during the transfer. Large test file, 40 MB.

Did you test with both Vertrauen servers that support Kermit: cvs.synchro.net (Linux/G-Kermit) and bbs.synchro.net (DOS Kermit) or just one of them?
--
digital man (rob)

Sling Blade quote #24:
Karl: Kaiser blade. I hit my mother upside the head with it. Mmm... Killed her. Norco, CA WX: 68.9°F, 61.0% humidity, 3 mph WNW wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs

Did you test with both Vertrauen servers that support Kermit: cvs.synchro.net (Linux/G-Kermit) and bbs.synchro.net (DOS Kermit) or just one of them?

No, I didn't know they were different. I will try cvs and see what
happens.


* SLMR 2.1a *

Re: Kermit
By: Jcurtis to DIGITAL MAN on Sun May 25 2025 12:51 pm

Did you test with both Vertrauen servers that support Kermit: cvs.synchro.net (Linux/G-Kermit) and bbs.synchro.net (DOS Kermit) or just one of them?

No, I didn't know they were different. I will try cvs and see what
happens.

Works on CVS. Good to know. Makes it easy for me.

Curious about your DOS Kermit though.

Re: Kermit
By: Jcurtis to Digital Man on Sun May 25 2025 01:39 pm

Works on CVS. Good to know. Makes it easy for me.

Curious about your DOS Kermit though.

I don't think it gets used much, but it's configured as documented here: https://synchro.net/docs/kermit.txt
--
digital man (rob)

This Is Spinal Tap quote #12:
Nigel Tufnel: Well, I don't know - wh-wh-... what're the hours?
Norco, CA WX: 74.4°F, 50.0% humidity, 11 mph WNW wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs

Re: Kermit
By: Digital Man to Jcurtis on Sun May 25 2025 02:20 pm

Curious about your DOS Kermit though.

I don't think it gets used much

No doubt. DOS is mostly forgotten.

but it's configured as documented here:
https://synchro.net/docs/kermit.txt

Thanks, I'll take a look.

Re: Kermit
By: Jcurtis to Digital Man on Sun May 25 2025 02:38 pm

Re: Kermit
By: Digital Man to Jcurtis on Sun May 25 2025 02:20 pm

Curious about your DOS Kermit though.

I don't think it gets used much

No doubt. DOS is mostly forgotten.

Well, that's not really a factor since the *client* side can (in theory) be any Kermit implementation - it shouldn't have to be a DOS system. When I said I don't think *it* gets used much, I was referring to the Kermit file transfer support.
--
digital man (rob)

Breaking Bad quote #20:
So who's your chief, little injun? - Hank Schrader
Norco, CA WX: 74.6°F, 50.0% humidity, 7 mph SW wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs

Re: Kermit
By: Digital Man to Jcurtis on Sun May 25 2025 02:20 pm

I don't think it gets used much, but it's configured as documented here: https://synchro.net/docs/kermit.txt

It says you use DOS Kermit 3.16, same as me.

My Kermit.ini file may be misaligned with yours. Seeing it might help.

Re: Kermit
By: Jcurtis to Digital Man on Sun May 25 2025 04:27 pm

My Kermit.ini file may be misaligned with yours. Seeing it might help.

Found it. The control prefix settings look like a good place to start. Text file transfers do work, it's only .ZIP (binary) files that fail.

I'll see what I can do ...

Re: Kermit
By: Jcurtis to Digital Man on Sun May 25 2025 04:27 pm

Re: Kermit
By: Digital Man to Jcurtis on Sun May 25 2025 02:20 pm

I don't think it gets used much, but it's configured as documented here: https://synchro.net/docs/kermit.txt

It says you use DOS Kermit 3.16, same as me.

My Kermit.ini file may be misaligned with yours. Seeing it might help.

My settings are here: https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/blob/master/exec/kermit.ini
(unchanged in over 20 years)
--
digital man (rob)

Synchronet/BBS Terminology Definition #68:
SBBS = Synchronet Bulletin Board System
Norco, CA WX: 70.4°F, 61.0% humidity, 13 mph WSW wind, 0.00 inches rain/24hrs

Re: Kermit
By: Digital Man to Jcurtis on Sun May 25 2025 06:06 pm

My settings are here: https://gitlab.synchro.net/main/sbbs/-/blob/master/exec/kermit.ini (unchanged in over 20 years)

Even after copying your settings TELAPI still fails with binary ZIP files. Probably some bug in Novell's TCP / TELAPI.

Whatever the bug is, weird that G-Kermit does not trigger it.

That's all folks.

Re: Kermit
By: Digital Man to Jcurtis on Sat May 24 2025 02:49 pm

Try a raw TCP connection to the server (BBS)

More things to try ... what's the port number for raw, I don't see it ...

Re: RAW
By: Jcurtis to Digital Man on Tue May 27 2025 07:25 am

what's the port number for raw

Never mind, I see in the wiki port 23 reverts to raw if no telnet options seen during initial negotation. I wondered what those weird looking characters were.