MSAAAA.HLP MS-DOS KERMIT January 1989 The current version of MS-DOS Kermit is 2.32, released December 1988. This is largely a maintenence release, correcting several serious bugs in 2.31. The MS-DOS Kermit User Guide has not yet been updated to reflect the few substantive changes, but a complete explanation of the differences between versions 2.31 and 2.32 may be found in the file MSR232.UPD. One of the major new additions to 2.32 is the support of Hebrew (and Arabic and other right-to-left languages). While this is described in the new manual, a discussion in more depth can be found in the file MSKHEB.TXT in the form of correspondence between the two contributors of this feature. This file explains the organization and naming conventions used for the MS-DOS Kermit files. MS-DOS Kermit file names are all in the following form: MScxxx.typ The file name is no longer than six characters, the file type is 3 or less. MS is the common prefix for all the file names. "c" is a single-letter code that categorizes the file: A - General information, "read me" files, etc. (like this file) B - Files related to Bootstrapping, .BOO file creation and decoding G - Source code for Graphics terminal emulation I - Initialization, command, or script files to be read by Kermit K - General program documentation (Kermit User Guide chapter, etc) O - Like V, but for an Old version R - Release notes S - System-independent Source code (.ASM, .H) T - Like V, but for a Test version U - System-dependent keyboard handling code V - Binaries, .BOO files, documentation, etc, for a particular Version X - System-dependent source code & related documentation Y - System-dependent terminal emulation code Z - More system-dependent terminal emulation code (if MSYxxx too big) "xxx" is a 3 letter code to designate which system an MSG, MSU, MSV, MSX, MSY, or MSZ file applies to: AP3 - NEC APC-3 APC - NEC APC APR - ACT Apricot DM2 - DECmate II or III with MS-DOS Option GEN - "Generic" MS-DOS (DOS calls only) GRI - Grid Compass II HP1 - HP-150 HPX - HP-110 and HP Portable Plus IBM - IBM PC and PS/2 families MBC - Sanyo MBC-550 P98 - NEC PC 9801 (Japanese Kana/Kanji version) RB1 - DEC Rainbow-100 series RB2 - DEC Rainbow-100 series (special VT220 emulating version) RMX - Intel 300 Series with iRMX-86 SEE - Seequa Chameleon TIP - Texas Instruments Professional V90 - Victor 9000 (Sirius 1) V9T - Victor 9000 (Sirius 1) with Tektronix emulation WNG - Wang PC Z10 - Heath/Zenith 100 (Others may be added as time goes on.) "typ" is the file type, e.g. ASM - Assembler source (for Microsoft or IBM Assembler) H - An assembler header file (included at assembly time) C - A C language source file (e.g. Lattice C) BAS - A Basic language source (e.g. Microsoft Basic) BOO - An .EXE file encoded into printable characters for bootstrapping BWR - A "beware" file - list of known bugs or limitations HLP - A help file DOC - A longer documentation file PS - Documentation in Postscript format, for laser printer MSS - Scribe text formatter source for a HLP or DOC file INI - An initialization or command file to be read by Kermit SCR - An MS-Kermit script command file BAT - An MS-DOS Batch file (e.g. for building MS-Kermit from source) MAK - A "makefile" for Microsoft MAKE LNK - An MS-DOS Linker command file UPD - A program update history file TRM - A UNIX termcap entry to match the program's terminal emulator PIF - MS-Windows PIF-file construction instructions DSK - A listing of the files on a particular MS-Kermit distribution disk Documentation: MS-DOS Kermit is described in MSKERM.DOC, which in turn is produced from the Scribe text formatter source file MSKERM.MSS (Scribe is a commercial product of Unilogic, Ltd., Pittsburgh, PA). The file MSKHDR.MSS establishes all the definitions, and then "includes" MSKERM.MSS, so you should get these two files together into the same directory and then run Scribe on MSKHDR.MSS, specifying the desired printing device or file type. MSKERM.PS is a Postscript-format version, suitable for printing on Apple Laserwriters and other Postscript printers. Bootstrapping: Getting MS-DOS Kermit onto an MS-DOS system initially when you don't have a diskette to read it from, but you do have it on line on another computer... is called "bootstrapping." The method used with MS-DOS Kermit is to download (somehow) a version of the appropriate .EXE (executable binary) file that has been encoded in all printable characters by the MSBMKB program into a ".BOO file" (short for bootstrap). The BOO file is then decoded on the PC using a short Basic (or C, or Pascal, or other) program. MSBAAA.HLP A brief explanation of the bootstrapping files and procedures MSBMKB.C The "BOO File Maker" (runs on MS-DOS Systems with Lattice C) MSBMKB.BOO BOO file based on MSBMKB.EXE generated from MSBMKB.C MSBMKB.* There are also versions of MSBMKB in assembler, Fortran, etc. MSBPCT.BAS Like MSBPCB.BAS, but assumes the BOO file is already downloaded MSBPCT.C Like MSBPCT.BAS, but written in C for speed MSBPCT.BOO BOO file formed from MSBPCT.EXE based on MSBPCT.C MSBPCT.* There are also versions of MSBPCT in assembler, Fortran, etc. MSBRB1.BAS Like MSBPCB.BAS, but runs under Rainbow CP/M-86 Basic MSBRCV.BAS A short Microsoft BASIC Kermit program, receive-only MSV*.BOO The BOO files for each version of MS-DOS Kermit, e.g. MSVIBM.BOO MST*.BOO The BOO files for a Test (prerelease) version of MS-DOS Kermit MSO*.BOO The BOO files from the Old release of MS-DOS Kermit The bootstrapping procedure is described in detail in the MS-DOS chapter of the Kermit User Guide. Source Files: the system-independent source file names all start with MSS -- MSSCMD.ASM Command parser MSSCOM.ASM Communications (system-independent) MSSDEF.H Symbol definitions for all modules MSSFIL.ASM File i/o MSSFIN.ASM Dummy module to specify end of data segment MSSKER.ASM Main program MSSRCV.ASM Receive module MSSSCP.ASM Script module MSSSEN.ASM Send module MSSSER.ASM Server module MSSSET.ASM Set command module MSSTER.ASM Terminal emulation (system-independent) The program also needs an MSU and an MSX module for the desired system, plus an MSY module for the same system (if the system has terminal emulation code), and possibly an MSZ module too, if the MSY module gets too large (as it has for the IBM PC family), and finally an MSG module if graphics terminal emulation is also included. Assembling and linking procedures are described in MSSAAA.HLP. The MSX, MSY, and other system-dependent files may come with associated HLP or BWR files. User Documentation: MSKERM.DOC MS-DOS Kermit chapter from the Kermit User Guide (plain text) MSKERM.PS Ditto, in Postscript format MSKERM.MSS Scribe text formatter source for MSKERM.DOC MSKHDR.MSS Scribe definitions, cover page for standalone MS-Kermit manual MSKERM.HLP Help file -- summary of MS-Kermit commands. MSKERM.BWR List of restrictions and known bugs. MSRxxx.UPD Release notes for Version xxx, e.g. MSR232.UPD. Initialization or Command Files: MS-DOS Kermit always reads the file MSKERMIT.INI upon startup and executes the Kermit commands that are in it. There is also a TAKE command that allows the user to explicitly direct Kermit to execute commands from a specified file. Several sample files are provided (there may also be others, see any MS*.INI file): MSKERM.INI - Sample MSKERMIT.INI file (should be renamed to MSKERMIT.INI). MSIIBM.INI - Samples for use with the IBM PC MSIRB1.INI - Puts some of the DEC Rainbow's keys in more normal positions. Utility Programs: MSIXSE.* = "XSEND", a program that constructs a command file to send an entire directory tree from one DOS system to another, using Kermit to create directories on the fly, etc. MSUCHK.* = "SCANCHEK", a program to tell you the scan codes of the IBM PC. MSGEPS.* = "EPSON", a public-domain utility for printing EGA graphics screens on Epson FX-series printers. Equivalent to IBM's GRAPHICS.COM, which only works for CGA graphics. [End of MSAAAA.HLP]