On Fri, 20 Feb 1998, Thomas J. Malloy wrote: > On Fri, 20 Feb 1998, David Wright wrote: > > > The kermit protocol is built into minicom (along with *modem). > > The kermit protocol on most communications programs should not be > confused with the true kermit program from columbia university. True > kermit is a very fast communication protocol/program with many advanced > features.
I don't know what you mean by "true kermit". There is a kermit protocol and the kermit programs use it. Kermit programs also have terminal emulations, user interfaces, scripting languages, and communications drivers where necessary. You can use these parts of kermit programs in the same way as, for example, minicom and never touch the kermit protocol if you wish, including error-uncorrected file transfer. The kermit protocol is open and anyone, or any program, can use it. (Yes, I've even used it myself, typing raw kermit packets into a vax for testing.) Various parts of the protocol are optional, and the protocol defines how to negotiate with another machine which capabilities are recognised and supported by both parties. > By contrast the kermit transfer protocol in most programs is > very slow because they only allow a maximum packet size of 93, and no > sliding windows. That usually means that those programs are old, or that the author couldn't be bothered to support more capabilities, or wouldn't fork out for a book describing the protocol. Of course, kermit suffers from its own good design: because the dumbest implementation can interoperate with the most modern, the former is never forced to upgrade in order to accomodate the latter (unlike most software). You may need to upgrade for other reasons of course, e.g. not supporting modern line speeds. So perhaps by "true kermit" you just mean one with, say, long or extra long packets and sliding windows. Cheers, -- David Wright, Open University, Earth Science Department, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA U.K. email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] tel: +44 1908 653 739 fax: +44 1908 655 151 -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] .
