Date   : Thu, 01 Jan 1987 10:22:13 EST
From   : Manasseh Katz <MKATZ@umd2.umd.edu>
Subject: Kermit

I finally have Kermit working correctly on an Altos 586 running MPM-86.
It's not perfect, but its almost done and file transfers work fine.
I got it to work  by using the XIOS functions 4 and 5 which correspond
to CPM-86 BIOS functions 6 and 7 - punch output and reader input.  The
MPM-86 manual says that these functions are needed in the XIOS for
compatibility with CPM-86, but that they should do nothing and return (which
is what the normal Altos 586 XIOS does).  I think it would have made
more sense for DRI to have either implemented the punch/reader to be
used by communications programs or trapped the calls in the BDOS since the
BDOS has to translate them (from  6 & 7 to 4 & 5) for direct BIOS  calls
anyway.  I got the program to work by making the punch output go to
the second printer (which is actually printer 1 since they start at 0).
I made reader input do one of two things - return the status of the port
or return  a character from the port, depending on the value of CX as
passed through the BIOS descriptor.  All of these functions set the port
to the second printer port and then call conin, conout, or const to
do the real work, since all the ports are the same on an Altos (the XIOS
already used conout for list output).  In order to get mutual exclusion,
I didn't have to use any fancy queues, just have the program attach
to printer 1 and MPM handles  the rest.
If anyone  is interested in this program, please let me know and
I can send you the machine specific kermit file (most of the kermit
I used is the same for all CPM-86 machines) and the portion of the XIOS
that I wrote.
Now that I have this working, does anyone have any suggestions for a
file transfer program that includes XMODEM ?  The only limitations are
that it be written in ASM86 or Turbo Pascal for CPM-86.  I know there
are a few in the SIG/M library, but I don't know which is the "best"
one to get.
                                    Manasseh Katz
                                    MKATZ@UMD2.ARPA
                                    KATZM@UMDD.BITNET