From: Frank da Cruz Date: Mon, 28 Dec 98 15:08:30 EST To: C-Kermit Developers and Testers Subject: C-Kermit 7.0 Beta This is a pre-announcement of C-Kermit 7.0 Beta. Various unannounced Alphas and an ever-changing Beta.01 have been floating around for some months; this is Beta.02, and is expected to provide a stationary target for some days or weeks. Version 6.1, under Beta testing earlier this year and last announced as Beta.05 in May, has been upgraded to 7.0 due to the large number of changes since then, including: Internet: . Internet Kermit Service Daemon (this is main item, see below) . Expanded and reworked Telnet negotiations . Telnet negotiations now handled during file transfer . Server-side Telnet protocol General: . Command-line personalities (e.g. acts like telnet if called telnet). . SET COMMAND AUTODOWNLOAD { ON, OFF } (autodownload at command prompt) . Local and server COPY commands now intrinsic (in UNIX) . Local and server DIRECTORY commands now intrinsic (in UNIX and VMS) . New built-in DIRECTORY command has numerous options. . New SET OPTIONS command to customize directory-listing preferences. . TYPE /PAGE ("more") added. . New MANUAL command to access online man page, help topic, or manual. . "kermit -- " now accepted ("--" as synonym for "="). . Service directory & other updates to standard initialization file. Kermit protocol: . FAST Kermit protocol settings are now the default. . Streaming now controlled by local Kermit and negotiated automatically. . Added SET FILE PATTERNS AUTO (= ON but only if A-packets negotiated). . Added CLEAR BINARY-PATTERNS and TEXT-PATTERNS . Various Kermit protocol problems fixed ("Receive window full", etc) . Loopholes in file permission-setting code plugged . Bugs with file date/time vs timezone (mostly) fixed in {Free,Open,Net}BSD. . Fixed: SEND /BIN was erroneously forcing FILENAMES to CONVERTED. . Better handling of overlong path segments in incoming filespecs (UNIX). Client/server: . New keepalive during long-running REMOTE HOST commands prevents timeouts. . Server CD messages a`la FTP, local too. . Fixed nonworking GET-option combinations like /DELETE /RECURSIVE /RECOVER . Additional GET options added: /EXCEPT: . VMS RESEND / REGET fixes . REMOTE EXIT . R-command shortcuts for REMOTE commands (e.g. RCD for REMOTE CD). Script language: . TAKE command now can pass arguments to command files, as DO can to macros. . With \&_[] array it is now possible to pass more than 9 arguments . New SHIFT command to shift macro/command-file arguments . New built-in sorting and display of arrays. . New functions to load arrays with file or directory lists. . Easier access by scripts to command-line arguments (as \%0..9, \v(argc)) . Added CLEAR ALARM + fixes for alarms that span midnight . Date conversion functions (Julian dates, etc) Logs: . New syslogging option for UNIX . New connection log . New FTPD-like transaction-log format option . Time-critical debugging with millisecond timestamps. Serial communications: . New support for 8 data bits + parity on serial connections. . New ability to select number of stop bits on serial connections. . SET CLOSE-ON-DISCONNECT { ON, OFF } for serial connections. . New SET DIAL MACRO for last-minute phone number manipulations. . Improved support for high serial speeds on many platforms. . New modem types: Atlas/Newcom 33600ifxC . Major improvements in UNIX UUCP lockfile handling for Linux, SCO, ... . SET DIAL PBX-EXCHANGE now supports multi-exchange PBXs. Character sets: . New character sets: - ISO 8859-15 Latin Alphabet 9 (includes Euro and OE) - Bulgaria-PC (code page) - Mazovia (Polish PC code page) - CP855 (Cyrillic) - CP858 (PC code page, includes Euro) - CP1250, 1251, 1252 (Windows code pages, include Euro) . Automatic file-character-set switching upon file reception. New platforms: . Unixware 7 . Solaris 7 . IRIX 6.5 . AIX 4.2 and 4.3 . Red Hat Linux 5.1 and 5.2 . Slackware Linux 3.5 Note: The list above does not include the changes from 6.0.192 to 6.1.193 Beta.05 (see ftp://kermit.columbia.edu/kermit/test/bin/READ.ME). And in case you were going to ask, the following major tasks were deferred (but with no commitment) to a future release: . Unicode . pty control for local scripting . Generalized file handling: - OPEN multiple files - OPEN for read/write access (e.g. for COM port) - Reading/Writing binary file data . Associative arrays . Key mapping on workstations (F keys, Alt-key combos, arrow keys, etc) . Dealing with timezones in cross-timezone file tranfser. . Additional GET selectors . Telnet protocol diagnostics & error codes . Idle limits, session limits, server limits... . Integrated XYZMODEM, FTP, and other protocols. THE INTERNET KERMIT SERVICE DAEMON In UNIX only, C-Kermit 7.0 can be set up as an Internet daemon under inetd, similar to an FTP server, using a TCP port and Telnet options assigned for this purpose by the Internet Assigned Number Authority (IANA) and described in Internet Drafts currently under review: http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/standards.html The Internet Kermit Service Daemon (IKSD) can be accessed in client/server mode from any Kermit client (similar to how FTP works), but can also be accessed directly at its prompt, which opens up a whole new world of automation possibilities. Other advantages over FTP include: . Character-set translation . Flexible file selection mechanisms (date, size, exception lists, etc) . Preservation of timestamps and permissions . Automatic per-file text/binary mode switching . Directory-tree transfer . Filename collisions options (e.g. backup, update). . Atomic file movement (delete or move source file iff transfer successful) . Recovery of interrupted binary-mode transfers (*) . File transfer through firewalls, proxies, or network address translators . File transfer through a combination of transports (e.g. terminal servers) . Configurability as a secure server with Kerberos or SRP. . Experimental support for SSLeay SSL/TLS privacy. (*) Some FTP servers also support this. Note that timestamps, permissions, text/binary mode switching, and directory tree transfer are not restricted to UNIX-to-UNIX connections, but also work with Kermit clients on other platforms including Windows 95/98/NT, OS/2, and VMS (as appropriate -- e.g. permissions don't apply to Windows). A prototype IKSD is available for public access at: kermit.columbia.edu, port 1649 Anonymous logins are welcome: give a user ID of "anonymous" or "ftp", and supply your email address as the password. You may log in interactively on a Telnet connection: telnet kermit.columbia.edu 1649 Username: anonymous Password: abc@xyz.com Or you can make a client/server connection as follows: set host kermit.columbia.edu 1649 remote login anonymous abc@xyz.com When you use C-Kermit 7.0 itself as the client, you will have a new "tight coupling" between client and server, in which each partner tracks the "mode" of the other (prompt, connect, server, etc). When you make an anonymous connection to this server, you will find yourself in the /pub/ftp tree, and can access any directories or files you could access with anonymous FTP to same server. SECURITY C-Kermit 7.0 can be built to incorporate support for Kerberos IV, Kerberos V, or Secure Remote Password (SRP)(TM) security. The files needed for this are not included with the standard distribution due to USA export law. If you are in the USA or Canada and wish to build a secure version of C-Kermit, please contact us directly at kermit-support@columbia.edu. REMEMBER THIS IS A TEST VERSION This is the first announced test of this version of C-Kermit and of the IKSD, so there are bound to be some rough edges. Be sure to report any problems to: kermit-support@columbia.edu. After a period of closed testing, hopefully we can go forward with a public announcement on the newsgroups and website, and then final release as soon as possible of both C-Kermit 7.0, and K95 1.1.18, which will be based on it. KERMIT 95 USERS Test builds of Kermit 95 incorporating IKS client support will be made available to registered users upon request. Send requests: To: kermit-support@columbia.edu Subject: K95 IKS Beta Request Include your serial number and K95 version number. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To list everybody who helped with this new release with information, testing, code, suggestions, or hosting build/test sites would make this announcement WAY too long (plus it's not clear who would or would not prefer to remain anonymous). To mention just a few: Joe Doupnik: For design/testing + Unixware, VMS, and Solaris 7 hosting. Peter Eichhorn: For building/testing on every conceivable HPUX platform. Nick Kisseberth: For AIX hosting and info. Ted Ts'o, Gert Doering, and Patrick Volkerding: Linux info & help. Max Evarts: For Red Hat setup. Certain companies: For donations of software and manuals. WHERE TO FIND IT C-Kermit 7.0.195 Beta.02 is in the kermit/test tree at the Kermit ftp site, along with drafts of all the update documentation, etc: ftp://kermit.columbia.edu/kermit/test/tar/ cku195src.tar.Z Source code (UNIX and VMS), tar, UNIX compress cku195src.tar.gz Source code (UNIX and VMS), tar, gzipped cku195txt.tar.Z Other text files, tar, UNIX compress cku195txt.tar.gz Other text files, tar, gzipped cku195.tar.Z All sources and text files, tar, UNIX compress cku195.tar.gz All sources and text files, tar, gzipped cku195.zip All sources and text files, zipped (Info-ZIP) ftp://kermit.columbia.edu/kermit/test/text/ Common and individual source and text files for UNIX, VMS, OS-9, AOS/VS, Stratus VOS, etc etc. Among the interesting text files: ckermit2.txt -- User documentation of new features since 6.0. iksd.txt -- Internet Kermit Service Daemon documentation. security.txt -- Documentation of Kerberos and SRP features. ckaaaa.txt -- Overview of files, file naming conventions, etc. ckc195.txt -- Program edit history since 6.0. ckuins.txt -- UNIX installation instructions. ckvins.txt -- VMS installation instructions. ckcbwr.txt -- General C-Kermit "beware file" (hints and tips). ckubwr.txt -- UNIX C-Kermit beware file. ckvbwr.txt -- VMS C-Kermit beware file. ckcplm.txt -- Program logic manual, API definition, etc. ckccfg.txt -- Program configuration options. Note that all .upd, .doc, .hlp, and .bwr files have had their filetypes changed to .txt, for the benefit of Windows based Web browsers that that associate the earlier file types (.doc, .hlp, etc) with Windows applications. LINUX INFO The various Linux distributions are no longer necessarily binary compatible. So although (let's hope!) the same "linux" makefile entry can be used to build C-Kermit on any Linux system, the resulting binaries are not necessarily transportable, due to library issues. For example, the Red Hat and Slackware binaries included below are not interchangeable. INSTALL PACKAGES Install packages are not built. We would not have the wherewithall to build more than one or two of them here, and in any case C-Kermit is not the kind of software package that necessarily should have a one-step installation, if only because the installer should make certain well-informed choices first, especially regarding (in UNIX) setuid and/or setgid installation versus opening up the UUCP lockfile directory and appropriate serial devices, and the implications of each choice. Nevertheless, install packages have been donated in previous releases for Red Hat, Debian, Slackware, Solaris, AIX, etc, and hopefully will be again once C-Kermit 7.0 is released for real. INDIVIDUAL BETA.02 BINARIES The binaries marked with (+) are C-Kermit 7.0 Beta.02, transferred using itself to the Kermit ftp site. The others are from the 6.1/7.0 development cycle, built at sites that can't be reached any more or that have since been upgraded to newer OS versions, or built on systems that don't work any more, or that were sent in by others. These are all plain, flat uncompressed binary files, to be downloaded in binary mode and renamed appropriately (to "kermit", "KERMIT.EXE", etc). The ones whose names start with ck*195, but without a + sign are not 7.0 Beta.02, but were built within the past couple weeks. Those that don't start with ck*195 are anywhere between one month and two years old. ftp://kermit.columbia.edu/kermit/test/bin/ + ckd195-aosvsii-2.20.73.pr DG MV 2500 AOS/VS-II 2.20.73 ckiker.exe Commodore Amiga ckpker.plan9-68020 Plan 9 from Bell Labs on 680x0 ckpker.plan9-i386 Plan 9 from Bell Labs on PC ckpker.plan9-mips Plan 9 from Bell Labs on MIPS ckpker.plan9-sparc Plan 9 from Bell Labs on Sparc + cku195.aix41 IBM RS/6000 AIX 4.1 + cku195.aix42-4.2.1 IBM RS/6000 AIX 4.2.1 + cku195.aix43-4.3.1 IBM RS/6000 AIX 4.3.1 + cku195.aix41-4.3.2 IBM RS/6000 AIX 4.3.2 ckuker.att351gm AT&T 7300 UNIX PC, UNIX 3.51 ckuker.bsd44-hp9000_300 HP-9000/300, 4.4BSD ckuker.bsdi2-2.1 PC, BSDI 2.1 ckuker.bsdi2-3.0 PC, BSDI 3.0 + cku195.bsdi3-3.1 PC, BSDI 3.1 + cku195.du32 DEC Alpha Digital UNIX 3.2 + cku195.du40 DEC Alpha Digital UNIX 4.0B + cku195.freebsd2-i386-2.2.7 PC, FreeBSD 2.2.7 cku195.hpux500wintcp HP-9000/550 HP-UX 5.21 with TWG-TCP/IP 1.2 ckuker.hpux65oc-hp9000_350 HP-9000/350 HP-UX 6.50 ckuker.hpux70olfnc-hp9000_350 HP-9000/300 HP-UX 7.00 + ckuker.hpux80-s300-8.00 HP-9000/385 HP-UX 8.00 (no curses, no opt.) + cku195.hpux80c-s300-8.00 HP-9000/385 HP-UX 8.00 (not optimized) + ckuker.hpux90-s700-9.05 HP-9000/712 HP-UX 9.05 (not optimized) + ckuker.hpux90o700-s700-9.05 HP-9000/712 HP-UX 9.05 (optimized for mod 700) + cku195.hpux100-s700-10.20 HP-9000/715/33 HP-UX 10.20 (not optimized) + cku195.hpux100o-s700-10.20 HP-9000/715/33 HP-UX 10.20 (optimized) ckuker.hpux1100 HP-9000/871/D370, HP-UX 11.00 (not optimized) ckuker.hpux1100o+ HP-9000/871/D370, HP-UX 11.00 (optimized) ckuker.irix53 SGI IRIX 5.3 + cku195.irix62 SGI IRIX 6.2 ckuker.irix63 SGI IRIX 6.3 + cku195.irix65-indy-6.5.1 SGI Indy R4600 PC, IRIX 6.5.1 + cku195.irix65-o200-6.5.1 SGI Indy Origin 200, IRIX 6.5.1 ckuker.is5r3jc PC, Sunsoft Interactive UNIX 4.1 ckuker.linux-1.2.13-i386 PC, Red Hat Linux 3.03, kernel 1.2.13 ckuker.linux-2.0.33-mc68000 Motorola 680x0, Linux 2.0.33 ckuker.linux-2.0.35-i386-suse-5.1 PC, Linux 2.0.35, Suse 5.1 cku195.linux-i386-rh5.2 PC, Red Hat Linux 5.2, kernel 2.1.125 cku195.linux-i386-sw3.5.0 PC, Slackware Linux 3.5.0, kernel 2.0.36 + cku195.next-3.1-mc68k NeXT 68040 NeXTSTEP 3.1 ckuker.next33-mc68040 NeXT 68040 NeXTSTEP 3.3 ckuker.ps2aix3-1.2.1 IBM PS/2 AIX 1.2.1 ckuker.pydcosx Pyramid ckuker.pyramid Pyramid ckuker.pyrdcosx Pyramid + cku195.qnx16 QNX 4.24 16-bit + cku195.qnx32 QNX 4.24 32-bit ckuker.rs6aix32c IBM RS/6000 AIX 3.2 ckuker.sco32v4netnd PC, SCO UNIX 3.2v4 ckuker.sco32v4netnd-odt2 PC, SCO ODT 2.0 ckuker.sco32v504 PC, SCO OpenServer 5.0.4 (no net) ckuker.sco32v504net PC, SCO OpenServer 5.0.4 (TCP/IP) + cku195.sco32v505net PC, SCO OpenServer 5.0.5 (TCP/IP) + cku195.sinix542-mips-5.42 SNI SINIX-N 5.4.2 MIPS (RM200) + cku195.solaris24-sparc-2.4 Sun Sparc, Solaris 2.4 ckuker.solaris24g-sparc Sun Sparc, Solaris 2.4 (made with gcc) + cku195.solaris24x25-sparc Sun Sparc, Solaris 2.4 with SunLink X.25 + cku195.solaris25-sparc-2.5.1 Sun Sparc, Solaris 2.5.1 + cku195.solaris25g-sparc-2.5.1 Sun Sparc, Solaris 2.5.1 (made with gcc) + cku195.solaris26-i386 PC, Solaris 2.6 + cku195.solaris26-sparc Sun Sparc, Solaris 2.6 + cku195.solaris7g-i386 PC, Solaris 7 (made with gcc) cku195.solaris7g-sparc Sun Sparc, Solaris 7 (made with gcc) + cku195.sunos41c-4.1.3 Sun Sparc, SunOS 4.1.3_U1 (full) + ckuker.sv68r3v6 Motorola MVME 147 68K, System V/68 R3V6 + ckuker.sv88r40-4.3 Motorola MVME 197 88K, System V R4 V4.3 + ckuker.sv88r40-4.4 Motorola MVME 187 88K, System V R4 V4.4 + cku195.ultrix43-mips DECstation 5000, Ultrix 4.3 ckuker.unixware2-2.1.1 PC, Unixware 2.1.1 ckuker.unixware2-2.1.2 PC, Unixware 2.1.2 + cku195.unixware2-2.1.3 PC, Unixware 2.1.3 + cku195.unixware7-7.0.1 PC, Unixware 7.0.1 ckvaker-vms62-nonet.exe Alpha CPU, VMS 6.2, no TCP/IP ckvaker-vms62-tgv40a.exe Alpha CPU, VMS 6.2, MultiNet 4.0A + ckva195-vms71-nonet.exe Alpha CPU, VMS 7.1, no TCP/IP + ckva195-vms71-tgv40a.exe Alpha CPU, VMS 7.1, MultiNet 4.0A ckvaker-vms71-tgv40b.exe Alpha CPU, VMS 7.1, MultiNet 4.0B + ckva195-vms71-tgv41b.exe Alpha CPU, VMS 7.1, MultiNet 4.1B ckvvker-vms45-nonet.exe VAX CPU, VMS 4.5, no TCP/IP + ckvv195-vms55-nonet.exe VAX CPU, VMS 5.5-2, no TCP/IP + ckvv195-vms55-ucx20.exe VAX CPU, VMS 5.5-2, UCX 2.0 + ckvv195-vms61-nonet.exe VAX CPU, VMS 6.1, no TCP/IP + ckvv195-vms61-tgv40a.exe VAX CPU, VMS 6.1, MultiNet 4.0AX + ckvv195-vms71-nonet.exe VAX CPU, VMS 7.1, no TCP/IP + ckvv195-vms71-tgv40b.exe VAX CPU, VMS 7.1, MultiNet 4.0B If you have access to a development platform not listed above with a "+" where you can try building C-Kermit 7.0, please contact us with the results (or for help if needed). Or just upload successfully-built binaries to: ftp://kermit.columbia.edu/kermit/incoming/ using the naming conventions that should be obvious from the list above :-) and send a note saying what it is and who it is from (list details of machine make & model, OS & version). Thanks! Frank da Cruz and Jeffrey Altman The Kermit Project, Columbia University New York City kermit-support@columbia.edu 30-Dec-98 2:17:05-GMT,2288;000000000001 Return-Path: Received: (from fdc@localhost) by watsun.cc.columbia.edu (8.8.5/8.8.5) id VAA27853; Tue, 29 Dec 1998 21:12:54 -0500 (EST) From: Frank da Cruz Sender: Frank da Cruz Date: Tue, 29 Dec 98 21:12:54 EST To: C-Kermit Developers and Testers Reply-to: kermit@columbia.edu Subject: C-Kermit 7.0 Beta.02 Reports Message-ID: Thanks for all the reports and contributed binaries. So far C-Kermit 7.0 Beta.02 appears pretty solid. The main complaint has been that Telnet negotiations, especially at the beginning of a connection, are slower than before, and sometimes take MUCH longer than they should. This is partly unavoidable since some of the newly implemented Telnet option negotiations -- by definition -- demand replies before proceeding, but also partly correctable. Beta.03 should be faster in most situations, dramatically so in some. A few people have tried out the Internet Kermit Service Daemon at kermit.columbia.edu port 1649. Connections to this service are affected in varying degrees by the aforementioned problems, especially on links with long round-trip times. Beta.03 should bring relief. (Some minor adjustments will be made to the Internet Drafts specifying the Kermit option negotiations.) Meanwhile, it should work OK with pre-IKSD-aware Telnet clients like C-Kermit 6.1 or earlier, MS-DOS Kermit, or K95. Try it out! telnet://kermit.columbia.edu:1649 Of course there are the expected minor source-level syntactic glitches that show up every time a new release is compiled all over the place, and these too -- at least all the ones I hear about -- should be cleared up in Beta.03. Meanwhile, a C-Kermit 7.0 Beta web page is up but not linked to from anywhere. It can be accessed directly at: http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ck70.html It contains links to all the new binaries, tar archives, zip files, etc (but some debugging might be needed). There is also a new web page providing preliminary user-level instructions for accessing and using the IKSD: http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/cuiksd.html Comments and suggestions welcome. - Frank P.S. Anybody who wants off this mailing list, just say so.