CORRECTING MS-DOS KERMIT 3.00 PROBLEMS IN THE FIELD

MS-DOS Kermit version 3.00 for the IBM PC and PS/2 families, issued on 16
January 1990, has a number of errors which can be corrected without having to
obtain a new copy of the the program itself.  Instead, a text file named
MSKERMIT.PCH can stored in the current working directory or elsewhere within a
directory appearing in the PATH= string.  When the simple instructions below
are followed Kermit will read the file MSKERMIT.PCH and make changes to the
copy of itself which is currently running in memory.  The executable Kermit
program file on your disk is not modified.

A word of caution to all users.  These patches should be applied only to the
executable version of 3.00 that was obtained from Columbia or from the first
edition of "Using MS-DOS Kermit" (KERMIT.EXE on disk in the book, or
MSVIBM.EXE over networks from Columbia Kermit Distribution, or translated from
the Columbia MSVIBM.BOO file), and NOT to a version you built yourself from
the source using a possibly different assembler and linker!

INSTRUCTIONS

 1. Make sure you have the version of Kermit for which these patches are
    intended.  Run Kermit and type the VERSION command.  It should say
    IBM-PC MS-Kermit: 3.00 16 Jan 1990.  If it says anything else, these
    patches are not for you.

 2. Obtain a copy of the file MSVIBM.PCH from Kermit Distribution at
    Columbia University.  Don't trust copies of this file that came from
    anywhere else!  Those who are connected to Columbia through the academic
    computer networks can transfer this file in text mode to a local computer
    host, and then use Kermit in text mode to transfer it to their PCs.

 3. If you got your copy of MSVIBM.PCH on paper from Columbia University, you
    must type the file in to your PC using a text editor or word processor.
    Two words of caution here:  First, use the "ASCII" or "TEXT-ONLY" option
    of your word processor.  Second, be very careful not to make any
    typographical errors.  Double check your typing.
        
 4. Copy the MSVIBM.PCH file to the same disk and directory where you keep
    your MSKERMIT.INI file, and name it MSKERMIT.PCH, for example:

      C>copy msvibm.pch \kermit\mskermit.pch

 5. Edit your MSKERMIT.INI file.  Insert the command PATCH as the first
    and second commands in the file.  For example, the MSKERMIT.INI file which
    is distributed with version 3.0 starts like this:

; FILE MSKERMIT.INI
;
; Sample initialization file for MS-DOS Kermit 3.00.
; Christine M. Gianone, January 1990

echo MS-DOS Kermit 3.0 initialization file...

    Insert the two PATCH commands just before the ECHO command:  

; FILE MSKERMIT.INI
;
; Sample initialization file for MS-DOS Kermit 3.00.
; Christine M. Gianone, January 1990

patch
patch
echo MS-DOS Kermit 3.0 initialization file (Patch Level 25)...

    Note the addition of the patch level in the greeting given by the
    ECHO command, to remind you that you are running a patched version.
    The patch level number is the number of the last patch (see below).

 6. Now CD to your normal working directory, type "kermit" to start the
    Kermit program, and check to see that new initialization file greeting
    is displayed.

That's it!  If the patching process succeeds then no messages are issued.
However, if the file is not typed correctly Kermit may issue a strong warning
and terminate, or if subtle typographical errors are present then Kermit may
behave very strangely.  If either of these situations occurs recheck the file
MSKERMIT.PCH, and/or contact Columbia University for subsequent advice.  Don't
use a suspect patch file!

For a numbered list of patches with a description of each one, see the
brief comments in the MSKERMIT.PCH file, or the more length comments in the
MSKERM.BWR file.

End of MSKPATCH.HLP
