  MS-DOS KERMIT for the IBM PC family, compatibles, and other MS-DOS Systems

                            Version 2.30, 1 Jan 1988

                                PROGRAM SUMMARY
                      See MSKERM.DOC for complete details

Kermit-MS can be run interactively, from a batch file, or as an "external" DOS
command.  Upon initial startup, the program executes any commands found in the
file MSKERMIT.INI in the current path (DOS PATH and APPEND commands), or the
file specified by "-f filename" on the Kermit command line.

* Interactive Operation:

To run Kermit-MS interactively, invoke the program from DOS command level by
typing its name, usually "kermit".  When you see the command's prompt,
"Kermit-MS>", you may type Kermit commands repeatedly until you are ready to
exit the program. The commands Exit or Quit return you to DOS.

While typing commands, use BACKSPACE to erase the character most recently
typed, Ctrl-W to delete the most recent field, or Ctrl-U to delete the entire
command, and enter the command by typing RETURN (Carriage Return, Enter), or
Ctrl-L.  While typing commands, you may use the help ("?") and keyword
completion (ESC) features freely.

* Command Line Invocation:

Kermit-MS may be invoked with command line arguments from DOS command level,
for instance:

    A>kermit set port 1, set baud 9600, connect

In this case, help and completion are not available and Kermit-MS will exit
back to DOS after completing the specified commands unless you include the
"stay" command.  Several commands may be given on the command line, separated
by commas.

* Batch Operation:

Like other MS-DOS programs, Kermit-MS may be operated under batch with command
line arguments.  If you invoke it without command line arguments, it will run
interactively, reading commands from the keyboard and not the batch file.  When
it exits, batch processing will continue to the end of the batch file. An
ERRLEVEL number is returned by Kermit to assist batch file controls.

* Remote Operation:

The MS-DOS CTTY command allows an MS-DOS system to be used from a terminal
connected to its communication port, e.g. "CTTY COM1".  You can then use DOS,
and Kermit, from a terminal or computer connected to the PC's COM1 device.

* Top-Level Kermit-MS Commands:

-F <filespec>   (From DOS command line only)
  Use <filespec> instead of MSKERMIT.INI as initialization file
BYE
  Shut down remote server
CLEAR
  Clear serial port input buffer
CLOSE
  Close log file and stop logging session and/or packets
COMMENT <string>
  Add comments to TAKE command file
CONNECT
  Make a terminal connection to the remote system
CWD <path>
  Change local working directory
DEFINE <macro-name> [<definition>]
  Group Kermit-MS commands together into a named macro command
DELETE <filespec>
  Delete local files
DIRECTORY [<filespec>]
  List names, sizes, and dates of local files
DO <macro-name>
  Perform the commands in a macro
EXIT
  Exit from Kermit-MS
FINISH
  Shut down remote server
GET <remote-filespec>
  Get remote files from server
HANGUP
  Instruct modem to hangup the phone (drop DTR, RTS) or the network connection
HELP
  Display brief help message about Kermit-MS
INPUT [timeout] text
  Input the specified text from the remote system within 'timeout' seconds
LOG PACKETS <filespec>
  Record file transfer packets in specified file or device
LOG SESSION <filespec>
  Record remote terminal session in specified file or device
LOGOUT
  Logout remote server, but don't exit from Kermit-MS
OUTPUT text
  Output the specified text to the remote system
PAUSE [seconds]
  Sleep for specified number of seconds
PUSH
  Invoke inferior MS-DOS command processor, type EXIT to DOS to return
QUIT
  Exit from Kermit-MS
RECEIVE <alternate-name>
  Wait for files from remote Kermit
REMOTE <command>
  Prefix for commands to remote Kermit server (see below)
RUN <program> [<arguments>]
  Invoke an MS-DOS command or program, optionally with command-line arguments
SEND <filename> [<alternate-name>]
  Send files to remote Kermit receiver or server
SERVER
  Act as a Kermit server
SET <parameter> <value>
  Set various parameters (see below)
SHOW
  Key or macro definitions, modem status, statistics, or translations
SPACE
  Show disk space
STATUS
  Show values of SET parameters
STAY (From DOS command line only)
  Stay within Kermit after other commands have executed
TAKE <filespec>
  Execute Kermit-MS commands from specified file
TRANSMIT filespec [prompt]
  Raw file upload
TYPE <filespec>
  Display a local file on the screen
VERSION
  Display Kermit-MS program version number

* File specifications:

In all commands, file specifications may include fully qualified DOS paths,
including device specifications.  Allowable wildcard characters are "*"
(match from here to end of field) and "?" (single character), as in DOS,
except "#" must be used instead of "?" to match the first character of a
filename.

* Interruption commands while a file transfer in progress:

^X Stop sending the current file and go on to the next one, if any.
^Z Stop sending this file, and don't send any further files.
^E Send Error packet to the remote Kermit.
^C Return to Kermit-MS command level immediately (without notifying the host).
CR Simulate a timeout: resend the current packet, or NAK the expected one.

* Remote Commands:

REMOTE CWD [directory]
  Change remote Working Directory
REMOTE DELETE filespec
  Delete remote file(s)
REMOTE DIRECTORY [filespec]
  List remote file(s)
REMOTE HELP
  Ask the server to list the services it provides
REMOTE HOST [command]
  Command for remote host in its own command language
REMOTE KERMIT [command]
  Send a command to remote Kermit server in its own command language
REMOTE SEND text
  Send a one-line message to the remote Kermit server
REMOTE SPACE [directory]
  Show disk space on remote host
REMOTE TYPE filespec
  Display remote file(s)
REMOTE WHO
  Display users logged on remote system
* MS-DOS Kermit server honors the following requests:

SEND        REMOTE CWD        REMOTE SEND
GET         REMOTE DELETE     REMOTE SPACE
FINISH      REMOTE DIRECTORY  REMOTE TYPE
BYE,LOGOUT  REMOTE HOST       REMOTE WHO

* SET commands:

BAUD <number>
  Communications port line speed (synonym for SPEED)
BELL {ON,OFF}
  Whether to beep at the end of a transaction
BLOCK-CHECK-TYPE {1,2,3}
  Level of error checking for file transfer
DEBUG {ON,OFF,PACKETS,SESSION}
  Display packets during file transfer, ctrl chars during terminal session
DEFAULT-DISK <disk-name>
  Default disk drive for file i/o
DESTINATION {DISK,PRINTER,SCREEN}
  Default destination device for incoming files
DISPLAY {QUIET,REGULAR,SERIAL,7-BIT,8-BIT}
  For selecting the type of file transfer display and terminal screen displays
DUMP <filespec>
  Screen dump file (or device) name
END-OF-LINE <ASCII-value>
  Packet termination character, normally CR (\13)
EOF {CTRL-Z,NOCTRL-Z}
  Method for determining or marking end of file
ESCAPE <character>
  Escape character for CONNECT, normally Control-right square bracket (\29)
FLOW-CONTROL {XON/XOFF,NONE}
  Select full-duplex flow control method
HANDSHAKE CODE <ASCII-value>
  Half-duplex line turnaround character
INCOMPLETE {DISCARD,KEEP}
  What to do with an incompletely received file
INPUT <parameter> <value>
  Various parameters for INPUT script command
KEY <keycode> <definition>
  Specify key redefinitions, or "keystroke macros"
LOCAL-ECHO {ON,OFF}
  Specify which computer does the echoing during CONNECT
MODE-LINE {ON,OFF}
  Whether to display a mode line during terminal emulation
PARITY {EVEN,ODD,MARK,SPACE,NONE}
  Character parity to use during communication
PORT {1,2}
  Select a communications port, including NET <host-node> on LANs
PROMPT <string>
  Change the "Kermit-MS>" prompt to <string>
RECEIVE <parameter> <value>
  Request remote Kermit to use specified parameters (see below)
REMOTE {ON,OFF}
  For running Kermit-MS interactively from back port
RETRY <number>
  Packet retransmission threshold
SEND <parameter> <value>
  Use the specified parameters during file transfer (see below)
SPEED <number>
  Communications port line speed (synonym for BAUD)
TAKE-ECHO {ON,OFF}
  Control echoing of commands from TAKE files
TERMINAL <parameter> <value>
  Emulation and parameters (see below)
TIMER {ON,OFF}
  Enable/disable timeouts during file transfer
TRANSLATION INPUT <port-char> <screen-char>
  Translate arriving port character to specified screen character
WARNING {ON,OFF}
  Specify how to handle filename collisions

* SET SEND/RECEIVE parameters:

DELAY <number>
  Wait that many seconds before sending the first packet of a file
PACKET-LENGTH <number>
  Maximum packet length
  SET REC PACK 97 or greater enables long packets
  SET SEND PACK xx overrides negotiated length, but only if xx is shorter
PADCHAR <ASCII-value>
  Pre-packet padding character
PADDING <number>
  Number of padding characters per packet
PAUSE <number>
  Inter-packet pause, milliseconds, only for sending
QUOTE <ASCII-value>
  Control prefix
START-OF-PACKET <ASCII-value>
  Packet-start character
TIMEOUT <number>
  Timeout interval

* SET KEY

  Generally terminate this command with a carriage return to force Kermit to
  prompt for a key to be pushed and then for a new definition.
  A null definition (just a carriage return) removes an existing definition,
  and Control-C exits with the current definition intact. A question mark
  response will show kinds of definitions available, including "verbs".
  SET KEY CLEAR removes all definitions and restores the built-in set.
  SET KEY OFF means use DOS rather than the Bios (if applicable) to obtain
  keystrokes; ON means use the system Bios.

* SET TERMINAL parameters:

NONE, VT52, HEATH, VT102, TEK4010 (type of terminal to emulate)
CHARACTER-SET {UK, US}
COLOR number [, number [, number]]
  0   For no snow on IBM Color Graphics Adaptor (CGA)
  1   High intensity
  10  For fast screen update on IBM EGA
  3x  Foreground color
  4x  Background color
      x = Sum of any of: 1 (Red), 2 (Green), 4 (Blue)
CURSOR-STYLE {BLOCK, UNDERLINE}
KEYCLICK {ON, OFF}
MARGIN-BELL {ON, OFF}
NEWLINE-MODE {ON, OFF}
ROLL {ON, OFF}
SCREEN-BACKROUND {NORMAL, REVERSE}
TAB {AT n, CLEAR AT n, CLEAR ALL}
WRAP {ON, OFF}

* CONNECT escape-level commands:

  ?   Help -- prints the available single-character commands
  0   (the digit zero) Transmit a NUL (ASCII 0)
  B   Transmit a BREAK signal
  C   Close the connection and return to Kermit-MS prompt level
  F   File the current screen in the screen dump file
  H   Hangup the phone (or network connection)
  L   Transmit a Long Break (1.8 seconds)
  M   Toggle the mode line, i.e. turn it off if it is on & vice versa
  P   Push to DOS; get back to CONNECT by typing EXIT
  Q   Temporarily quit logging the remote session
  R   Resume logging the remote session
  S   Show the status of the connection
  ^]  (or whatever you have set the escape character to be)
      Typing  the  escape character twice sends one copy of it to the connected
      host

Escape character is normally Ctrl-].  Use SET ESCAPE to change it.

* SHOW commands

KEY
  Displays the definition of a selected key or all defined keys
MACROS
  Displays the names and contents of command macros
MODEM
  Displays the current status of the Carrier Detect (CD), Data Set Ready (DSR
  meaning the modem), and Clear to Send (CTS) modem signals. Particularly
  useful with internal modems.
STATISTICS
  Displays statistical information on the most recent file transfer and values
  accumulated since stating Kermit, including estimated throughput.
TRANSLATION
  Lists codes for received bytes and their new values, plus whether the
  translation mechanism is ON or OFF (default is off)

[End of MSKERM.HLP]
