Date   : Fri, 16 Aug 1985 11:35:28 EDT
From   : David Towson (SECAD) <towson@AMSAA.ARPA>
Subject: Problems with "get20", UNIX auto-ftp script:

Dan - In a recent posting, you mentioned that "get20" didn't always work
correctly on your machine.  You also wondered why you didn't have to strip
ITS headers from binary files.

     ITS headers are no longer being used on binary files in the SIMTEL20
archives.  This has been the case for many months.  Therefore, the "behead"
utility used with "get20" is now superfluous, and it can be deleted.  If you
do delete it, I suggest you also edit out all references to "behead" in the
"get20" script to avoid "file not found" complaints.

     For those who don't already know, "get20" was written by Ferd Brundick of
the US Army Ballistic Research Laboratory.  It is a Bourne shell script that
takes arguments from the cammand line and forms commands which it sends to the
"ftp" file transfer program to automatically transfer files from the archives
on SIMTEL20.  I have modified "get20" to take a more complex command line, but
it now works with ANY TOPS-20 target machine.  Thus, it can be used with CU20B
for Kermit files, with USC-ISIB for IBM-PC files, with SRI-NIC for the list of
interest groups (PS:<NETINFO>INTEREST-GROUPS.TXT), or whatever.  The new
version of "get20" will be sent to the archives when I have finished testing
it.  As of now, it seems to be working fine.  However, I am very interested in
hearing specifics from anyone having trouble with "get20" in its present form.

     So Dan (and anyone else), if you will send me a thorough description of
the environment in which you are using "get20" with less than satisfactory
results, perhaps the program can be improved to eliminate the problems you are
having.  GET20 can be found on SIMTEL20 in PS:<UNIX.CPM>GET20.  The file
PS:<UNIX.CPM>AUTOFTP.DOC tells how to use it.


Dave
towson@amsaa.arpa