To: wermit-l@wkuvx1.wku.edu
Subject: C-Kermit 6.0.193 Alpha.03

Here's Alpha.03 of C-Kermit 6.0.193.  I'm addressing this only to the same
short list as last week (with a couple additions).  Note to newcomers:
This is a closed ALPHA test -- we're not ready for a public Beta yet.
Details about the new version are given in the files mentioned at the end
of this message.

General changes since Alpha.02:

Added an optional switch, /RAW-SOCKET, to end of SET HOST.  It can be given
only if a TCP port number or name is given, e.g.:

  set host xyzcorp.com 2000 /raw

This disables all manner of Telnet option negotiation, escaping, and CRLF
mapping.

New BACK command = "CD to my previous current directory".  Very simple, not
a stack -- so successive BACK commands just switch between two directories.

SEND command now accepts some more new switches: /BEFORE:date-time,
/AFTER:date-time, /LARGER-THAN:number, /SMALLER-THAN:number, /EXCEPT:pattern.

New variables:
  \v(test) shows current C-Kermit test level, e.g. "Alpha.03".
  \v(xfermsg) is the reason the most recent transfer failed (if it did).
  \v(xferstatus) is the completion status of the most recent file transfer:
     -1 = no transfer yet, 0 = success, 1 = failure.

New functions:
  \fn2hex() and \fn2oct() to convert numbers to hex and octal
  (\fhexify() converts *strings* to hex, which is quite different).

Changed maximum packet buffer size to 290K if BIGBUFOK and DYNAMIC both
defined, so no more futzing with "set buffers" to get big packet-length /
window-size combinations.

Fixed various bugs involving RESEND after SEND and vice-versa, plus various
other cleanups regarding closing of files that were not open, etc.

Made error messages regarding reason for failure to create output file
more informative, e.g. "Can't create backup file".

UNIX:

An incoming file now automatically inherits the permissions of the file (if
any) that it replaces (i.e. a file of the same name in the same directory).
But this can be overridden by permissions in the incoming Attribute packet if
the sender is also on UNIX.

Built successfully and tested to various degrees on 4.4BSD, Digital UNIX 3.2
and 4.0, HPUX 8.00, 9.05, and 10.20, AIX 4.1, NeXTSTEP 3.1, Linux 1.2.13,
UNIXware 2.1.2, IRIX 5.3, SINIX 5.42, Solaris 2.4 (with and without SunLink
X.25), Solaris 2.5.1, SunOS 4.1.3, and Ultrix 4.3A.

In one such test, I was ftp'ing the compressed source-file tar archive to
Japan to build on one of these systems and it was taking FOREVER.  So I
logged in a second time to the Japanese system (with C-Kermit of course),
made a copy of the piece that had been transferred so far, and then used
C-Kermit RESEND to append to the the copy, while FTP kept working on the
original, and then let FTP and Kermit race to the finish.  Kermit's file
transfer display showed the round trip time sometimes went as high as 12
*minutes*!  C-Kermit won by half an hour -- I had the stuff uncompressed,
untar'd, and compiled 20 minutes before FTP finished :-)  I can't really
explain why Kermit can sometimes punch through connections like this faster
than FTP, but there you are -- probably just lucky with the routers...

VMS

Mistake in which files were always received in LABELED mode fixed.

C-Kermit no longer crashes when invoked with invalid command line arguments.

I did NOT find the reason why the NO CARRIER message disappears in this
version when the remote hangs up, but it did not disappear in 5A(190).  Still
looking...

But I did build this one on lots of different VMS systems (see below), with
and without network support, and cleared up all the compile-time problems I
encountered with various combinations of VAXC vs DECC / VAX vs Alpha, etc.

WHERE TO FIND IT

C-Kermit 6.0.193 Alpha.03 is in the usual places for C-Kermit test versions,
along with early drafts of all the update documentation, etc.  Binaries for
VMS only -- UNIXers can build their own easily enough:

  ftp://kermit.columbia.edu/kermit/test/bin
    ckvaker-vms71-nonet.exe:  For Alpha CPU, VMS 7.1,   no TCP/IP
    ckvaker-vms71-tgv40b.exe: For Alpha CPU, VMS 7.1,   MultiNet 4.0B
    ckvvker-vms55-nonet.exe:  For VAX CPU,   VMS 5.5-1, no TCP/IP
    ckvvker-vms55-ucx22.exe:  For VAX CPU,   VMS 5.5-1, UCX 2.2
    ckvvker-vms61-nonet.exe:  For VAX CPU,   VMS 6.1,   no TCP/IP
    ckvvker-vms61-tgv40a.exe: For VAX CPU,   VMS 6.1,   MultiNet 4.0AX
    ckvvker-vms71-nonet.exe:  For VAX CPU,   VMS 7.1,   no TCP/IP
    ckvvker-vms71-tgv40b.exe: For VAX CPU,   VMS 7.1,   MultiNet 4.0B

  ftp://kermit.columbia.edu/kermit/test/tar
    cku193src.tar.Z   Source code (UNIX and VMS), tar, UNIX compress
    cku193src.tar.gz  Source code (UNIX and VMS), tar, gzipped
    cku193txt.tar.Z   Other text files, tar, UNIX compress
    cku193txt.tar.gz  Other text files, tar, gzipped

  ftp://kermit.columbia.edu/kermit/test/text
    Source and text files separately.

Among the interesting text files:
  ckermit2.upd -- Docs for new features since 6.0.192.
  ckc193.upd   -- Program edit history since 6.0.192.
  ckuins.doc   -- UNIX installation instructions (revised & updated).

Please send any bug reports straight to me.

Thanks to all of you for your help with & comments on this version so far!


- Frank