Date: Tue, 2 Feb 1995  16:05  EST
From: "John F. Chandler" <JCHBN@CUVMB.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU>
Subject: Announcing IBM Mainframe Kermit-370 Version 4.3.1

After a lengthy period of testing, version 4.3.1 of Kermit-370 is now released for general use on all the supported platforms. The new version is available in the form of updates relative to the base source files for 4.3.0, which remain part of the package. These updates include both generic and system-specific changes. They are summarized below and are described in somewhat more detail in the respective BWR files ik*.bwr in the distribution. The updates themselves are in ik*.upd. The generic changes (common to all variants) are as follows:

Kermit-370...

• Honors the new level-1 restart/recovery mode, like the recently released versions of C-Kermit and MS-DOS Kermit. When a similarly equipped Kermit is at the other end, an interrupted binary transfer can be resumed where it left off by issuing a RESEND instead of a SEND (same syntax). Attributes must be enabled.
• Honors a new protocol feature known as "WHATAMI". When Kermit-370 is in server mode, the user can issue a SET FILE TYPE to the local Kermit and have it take effect in the server as well. Setting the file type in both Kermits is still a good idea before doing transfers.
• Supports the UPDATE option of FILE COLLISION. With that option, an incoming file is rejected (on grounds of "date") if the transmitted time stamp is no later than that of an existing file of the same name.
• Sends an explicit NAK packet when it receives a bad data packet, instead of resending the previous ACK (which is nominally the same thing in Kermit protocol).
• gives more accurate transfer statistics after uploads in server mode (via REMOTE KERMIT STAT).

SPECIAL NOTE for sites that plan to use one of the alternate-language versions of Kermit-370: all the language-specific files were replaced last November in anticipation of release 4.3.1. The old ones are not compatible with 4.3.1, so be sure to get the current ik0v*.pkt file.

The following changes have been made to the CMS variant:

Kermit-CMS...

• Uses the date/time stamp, if any, received along with a file (instead of the date/time of reception).
• Has improved code for detecting the terminal controller type.

The MUSIC variant has undergone major changes. Not least of these is a new, automated procedure for installing Kermit. The procedure, called IKMINS, is included in IKMKER.INS in the distribution. Additionally:

Kermit-MUSIC...

• Supports file directories (which appeared in MUSIC 2.3) and userids longer than four bytes (which appeared in MUSIC 2.4). Sites running MUSIC 2.3 must include an additional update for compatibility (tagged SC94263 and supplied in IKMKER.BWR).
• Starts up in the current directory and leaves the user in whatever directory it is looking at when it quits.
• Emulates the MUSIC CD command.
• Passes any non-emulated MUSIC commands to the system for execution. Such commands are executed in a sub-task, and any non-zero completion code is reported.
• Attempts to prevent losing exclusive control over the screen during transfers by setting MESSAGE OFF (and restoring the old setting afterwards). If control is lost anyway, Kermit attempts to recover.
• Correctly executes the GIVE CONTROL subcommand (for saving the current values of the CONTROL-CHAR table of prefixed and unprefixed control characters).

There are no TSO-specific changes, just the generic ones listed above.

There are two CICS-specific changes:

Kermit-CICS...

• Uses the date/time stamp, if any, received along with a file (in preference for the date/time of reception). This is similar to the corresponding change for CMS, but applies only to files in the Kermit-maintained directories (HELP/TAKE files).
• Offers compatibility with CICS 3.3. This has not been fully tested.

Other projects are pending for Kermit-CICS, awaiting volunteers to help implement the necessary code. In particular, the external drivers for spool files and arbitrary MVS data sets still need work. Anyone interested in helping should contact John Chandler <JCHBN@CUVMB.BITNET> or <JCHBN@CUVMB.CC.COLUMBIA.EDU>.

Many thanks to the beta testers who have helped work out the bugs in the new release. Above all, thanks to Christian Robert and Paul Parker for all their help in upgrading Kermit-MUSIC, and to Bert Morton for contributing the CICS 3.3 compatibility code.

The new features are applied to the 4.3.0 source code using the appropriate update program. The new files are available via anonymous ftp from kermit.columbia.edu, directory kermit/b, text mode, and also from KERMSRV@CUVMA on BITNET (EARN (CREN) ):

 System      Updates       Documentation
  VM/CMS      ikcker.upd    ikcker.bwr
  MVS/TSO     iktker.upd    iktker.bwr
  CICS        ikxker.upd    ikxker.bwr
  MUSIC       ikmker.upd    ikmker.bwr

Please send requests for additional information by e-mail to kermit@columbia.edu.