MS-DOS KERMIT FOR THE IBM PC FAMILY, COMPATIBLES, AND OTHER MS-DOS COMPUTERS Version 3.0, January 1990 This file contains a brief summary of the commands and features of MS-DOS Kermit 3.0. For detailed information, tutorials, installation and cabling hints, troubleshooting procedures, examples, diagrams, and advanced features of this Kermit program, consult "Using MS-DOS Kermit", by Christine M. Gianone, published by Digital Press, Bedford, MA, 1990, order number EY-C204E-DP. The book includes a 5.25-inch MS-DOS Kermit 3.0 diskette. To order, call 1-800-343-8321 (USA, toll free). It is also available from Kermit Distribution at Columbia University and wherever computer books are sold. A technical reference by Professor Joe R. Doupnik is in preparation. Kermit programs for other computers, as well as documentation and other information, can be obtained from: Kermit Distribution Columbia University Center for Computing Activities 612 West 115th Street New York, NY 10025 (USA) MS-DOS KERMIT PROGRAM INVOCATION MS-DOS Kermit can be run interactively, from a batch file, as an "external" DOS command, or with redirected or piped standard input and output. Upon initial startup, the program executes any commands found in the file MSKERMIT.INI in the current disk or DOS path, or the file specified by "-f filename" on the Kermit command line. * Interactive Operation: To run MS-DOS Kermit interactively, invoke the program from DOS command level by typing its name, usually "kermit". When you see the command's prompt, "MS-Kermit>", 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 the Backspace key 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 pressing the Enter key or Ctrl-L. A question marked typed at any point in a command (except in a filename or character string) will give you a brief hint about what's expected at that point. Pushing the Esc key will complete the command current field, if possible, and position the cursor at the next field. If completion is not possible, Kermit will beep. You can cancel any command during its execution by typing Ctrl-C. Use question mark (?) to "feel" your way through commands and find out what the options are. * Command Line Invocation: MS-DOS Kermit may be invoked with command line arguments from DOS command level, for instance: A>kermit set port 1, set speed 9600, connect In this case, help and completion are not available and MS-DOS Kermit 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, MS-DOS Kermit may be operated under batch with command line arguments. If your batch program invokes 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. SUMMARY OF MS-DOS KERMIT COMMANDS * Notation: - Replace this with an actual number, or filename, etc. - Replace with an actual decimal number - A file specification, which may include disk & directory - Time of day in 24-hour notation, less than 12 hours from now [] - An optional field, which may be omitted {A,B,C} - Choose one of the items listed [{A,B,C}] - Optionally choose one of the items listed * Program Management Commands: EXIT or QUIT Exit from MS-DOS Kermit. TAKE Execute commands from the specified file instead of the keyboard. PUSH Go to DOS prompt. Return to Kermit prompt by typing the DOS EXIT command. TYPE , DELETE , DIRECTORY , CD These DOS commands are also built in to Kermit and work the same way. RUN Run any DOS program or execute any DOS command, e.g. RUN EDLIN AUTOEXEC.BAT. * Commands for Getting Information: HELP Display a brief help message about MS-DOS Kermit. SHOW Display current settings, definitions, statistics selectively (type SHOW ? for a list of categories that can be shown). STATUS Show values of all SET parameters. * Commands for Setting Communication Parameters and Connecting to a Remote Host SET PORT {COM1, COM2, etc} Select communication device (SET PORT ? for list of available devices) SET SPEED Communications port line speed: 1200, 2400, 9600, etc. SET PARITY {EVEN, ODD, MARK, SPACE, NONE} Character parity to use during communication SET DUPLEX {FULL, HALF} Select full or half duplex communication SET HANDSHAKE {XON, CR, LF, CODE } Half-duplex line turnaround character SET FLOW-CONTROL {XON/XOFF, NONE} Select full-duplex flow control method SET TERMINAL {VT320, VT102, VT52, HEATH-19, TEK4010} Select type of terminal to emulate (VT320 by default) SET TERMINAL Set various termal emulation parameters (SET TERMINAL ? for list) CONNECT Make a terminal connection to another computer on the currently selected port using the current communication settings. Use Alt-X to return ("escape back") to the MS-Kermit> prompt (hold down the Alt key and press x). HANGUP Hang up a dialed modem connection. * CONNECT-Mode Escape-Level Commands: During terminal emulation, you may type Ctrl-] (hold down Ctrl and press the rightbracket key) followed by any of the following characters: ? Help -- prints the available single-character commands 0 (the digit zero) Transmit a NUL (ASCII 0) B Transmit a BREAK signal (also Alt-B) C Close the connection and return to Kermit prompt level (also Alt-X) F File the current screen in the screen dump file (also Ctrl-End) 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 at the DOS prompt 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 host You may use SET ESCAPE to change the escape character from Ctrl-Rightbracket to some other character, or you can use the Alt-key equivalents noted above on the IBM keyboard, or you can use SET KEY to assign \Kexit or other "Kermit verbs" to the keys of your choice. \Kexit is also assigned to Alt-X on IBM keyboards. * Commands for Transferring Files: SEND [] Send files to remote Kermit receiver or server RECEIVE Wait for a file to arrive from the other Kermit program, which must be given a SEND command. GET Ask a Kermit server to send the specified file(s). SHOW STATISTICS Display efficiency and other statistics about file transfers. * Interruption Commands While a File Transfer Is in Progress: X or Ctrl-X: Stop sending the current file and go on to the next one, if any. Z or Ctrl-Z: Stop sending this file, and don't send any further files. E or Ctrl-E: Send Error packet to the remote Kermit. C or Ctrl-C: Return to Kermit command level immediately. Enter key: Try to wake up a stuck file transfer. * Commands for Acting as a Server: DISABLE Disable various capabilities of the server (DISABLE ? for list) ENABLE Enable various capabilities of the server (ENABLE ? for list) SET SERVER Set various server-related options (SET SERVER ? for list) SHOW SERVER Examine server-related parameters SERVER [{, }] Act as a Kermit server, optionally for or until the given time * Commands for Talking to a Server: BYE Shut down a remote Kermit server and log out its job FINISH Shut down a remote Kermit server, put it back at command level GET Ask a Kermit server to send the specified file(s) SEND [] Send files to remote Kermit receiver or server REMOTE Send file management & other commands to a remote server (REMOTE ? for list) * Setting Nonstandard File Transfer Parameters: SET BLOCK-CHECK, SET DEBUG, SET DELAY, SET FILE, SET INCOMPLETE, SET RETRY; SET SEND (or RECEIVE) END-OF-LINE, START-OF-PACKET, PACKET-LENGTH, PAUSE, TIMEOUT, PADDING; SET TRANSFER CHARACTER-SET, SET FILE CHARACTER-SET, SET FILE TYPE, SET FILE WARNING, SET WINDOW. Use SET ?, SET BLOCK ?, etc, for further information. Use SHOW FILE, SHOW PROTOCOL to examine current file transfer settings. * Commands for Recording: LOG TRANSACTION [] Log file transfer names, times, etc, in given file (default TRANSACT.LOG). LOG SESSION [] Record terminal session in given file (default SESSION.LOG). LOG PACKETS [] Record file transfer packets in given file (default (PACKET.LOG). WRITE {PACKET, SESSION, TRANSACTION} {DATE, PATH, TEXT, etc} Write the given quantity to the specified log file. CLOSE {PACKET, SESSION, TRANSACTION, ALL} Close the specified log file and stop logging. SHOW LOG Display names and status of logs. FILE TRANSFER EXAMPLE USING HAYES MODEM All commands are terminated by pressing the Enter key, except Alt-X, which is produced by holding down the Alt key and pressing the x key. C> DOS prompt C>kermit Run MS-DOS Kermit MS-Kermit> This is MS-DOS Kermit's prompt MS-Kermit>set speed 2400 Set the desired transmission speed MS-Kermit>connect Begin terminal emulation ATDT5551234 Type Hayes dialing command CONNECT 2400 Hayes responds when call is completed Welcome to ... Press Enter, see remote computer's greeting Username: xxx Log in to remote computer Password: yyy Type your password (probably won't echo) $ Remote computer's prompt $ kermit Run Kermit on remote computer C-Kermit> Remote Kermit's prompt C-Kermit>server Put remote Kermit in server mode Alt-X Escape back to MS-DOS Kermit MS-Kermit>send oofa.txt Send a file to the remote computer MS-Kermit>get foo.bar Get a file from the remote computer MS-Kermit>bye All done, terminate your session C> Back at DOS prompt See "Using MS-DOS Kermit" for other examples.