00README.TXT                                                (5 January 1984)


                 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY KERMIT DISTRIBUTION TAPE


This tape includes all the versions of Kermit which were in our possession as
of the time this distribution tape was made, plus some miscellanous files.
The files on the tape have names of the form

	NAME.TYPE

Where NAME is the name of file, and TYPE is its type (program source,
documentation, executable core image, etc).  No NAME is more than 9 characters
long (the maximum accepted by VAX/VMS), and every NAME is unique in the first
6 characters (the maximum under TOPS-10).  On TOPS-10 BACKUP/Interchange
tapes, names longer than 6 will be truncated to 6.  No type is longer than 3
characters.  NAME and TYPE are separated by a period.


* Prefixed Files:

The file names for files associated with each implementation of KERMIT are
prefixed by a few characters denoting the implementation.  The following are
presently used:

      Prefix    Machine(s)             Operating System      Language

	20	DECSYSTEM-20           TOPS-20               MACRO-20
	K10	DECsystem-10           TOPS-10               MACRO-10
	CMS	IBM 370 Series         VM/CMS                IBM Assembler
	MTS	IBM 370 Series         MTS                   Assember, Pascal
        VMS     VAX                    VMS                   Bliss-32
        VX      VAX                    VMS                   C
        VF      VAX                    VMS                   Pascal and Fortran
	UX	VAX, SUN, PDP-11, etc  UNIX                  C
        UC      Terak                  UCSD p-System         Pascal, Macro-11
        HP9     HP-98xx                UCSD p-System         HP Pascal
	RT	PDP-11                 RT-11                 OMSI Pascal
	CPM	8080, 8085, or Z80     CP/M-80               ASM
       	PC	IBM PC or Zenith Z100  PC DOS, MS DOS        PC Macro assembler
        APP     Apple II 6502          Apple DOS             DEC-10 CROSS
        86      Rainbow-100, NEC APC   CP/M-86               ASM86
        VIC     Sirius 1/Victor 9000   MS DOS, CP/M-86       MASM, ASM86
        170     Cyber 170              NOS                   Fortran-77
        MU      Honewyell              MULTICS               PL/I
        UN      Univac-100             EXEC                  Assembler

(The VAX/VMS C version is based on an old version of UNIX Kermit; the VMS
support has yet to be merged with the current UNIX Kermit)

(The Victor versions are based on an old version of IBM PC Kermit; the Victor
support has yet to be merged with the current IBM PC (MS/PC DOS) and DEC
Rainbow (CP/M-86) versions.) 

In some cases, binaries (.REL, .EXE, .COM, etc) are not supplied.  For
instance, no binaries come with the UNIX sources, since these can be compiled
to run on many different machines, under different versions of UNIX.  No
binaries come with the VAX/VMS source, since the VMS file attributes cannot be
saved on the DEC-20 tape.  Binaries are provided when it makes sense, however:
DEC-10 and DEC-20 .EXE files are provided on DEC-10 and -20 distribution
tapes, MODULE files for CMS KERMIT on the IBM VM/CMS tape.  In any event, all
necessary files for building each version of Kermit from program source are
included on all tapes.

When working with one of these implementations, you would normally copy them
to a separate area and strip the prefix from the file names, and install the
programs on the appropriate systems without the prefix.  For instance, on the
DEC-20 you would copy 20KERMIT.MAC to KERMIT.MAC, then assemble it, and store
the result as KERMIT.EXE in SYS:.  The VAX/VMS and TOPS-10 versions are
exceptions; in these cases REPLACE the "VMS" or "K10" prefixes with "KER".

The following HEX files for specific CP/M implementations are included:

 CPMBASE.M80      The current, working source file for CP/M KERMIT.
 CPMBASE.DOC      A list of recent changes to CP/M KERMIT (not in manual yet).
 CPMKERMIT.DOC    An explanation of why there are three source files...

 CPMAPPLE.HEX     Apple II with Z80 Softcard & DC Hayes Micromodem
 CPMAPPLE.SSC     Notes for using above with Super Serial Card
 CPMBRAIN.HEX     Intertec SuperBrain
 CPMDMII.HEX      DECmate II with CP/M
 CPMGENERI.HEX    "Generic" CP/M Kermit.
 CPMHEATH.HEX     Heath/Zenith 89
 CPMKAYPRO.HEX    Kaypro-II
 CPMKERMIT.ASM    Source file for all Kermit-80s but Generic Kermit
 CPMOSBORN.HEX    Osborne 1
 CPMOSI.HEX       Ohio Scientific
 CPMPLUS.HEX      For any system running CP/M-Plus (3.0)
 CPMRAINBO.HEX    DEC Rainbow-100
 CPMROBIN.HEX     DEC VT180 "Robin"
 CPMTELCON.HEX    Telcon Zorba
 CPMTRS80.HEX     TRS-80 II with Lifeboat CP/M 2.25
 CPMVECTOR.HEX    Vector Graphics
 CPMZ100.HEX      Heath/Zenith Z100 with CP/M-85

"Generic Kermit" can be used on micros not specifically supported, if the CP/M
IOBYTE facility is implemented, and the fields of the IOBYTE point to the
right devices.  The CP/M-Plus version can run "generically" on any CP/M 3.0
system.  See the User Guide for details.

The Kermit Users Guide contains instructions for installing or bootstrapping
the various versions of Kermit.

* Manuals:

There are two Kermit manuals: USER and PROTO, a user's guide and a protocol
manual, respectively.  Four versions of these files are provided:

	.MSS	Scribe (UNILOGIC Ltd text formatter) source.
	.LPT	Line Printer format (overstriking, underscore, etc).
	.DOC	No special effects, suitable for reading on line.
	.FOR    Like .LPT, but with Fortran-style carriage control.

If you have Scribe and the appropriate Scribe device drivers, you can run the
.MSS files through it to produce output suitable for printing on any device
supported at your site, including the Xerox-9700, Imagen Imprint-10, or other
multifont laser printers or photocomposers.  As of this writing, Scribe is not
entirely bug-free; you may notice some problems with the footnotes in the .DOC
and .LPT files.  Note that some parts of the user manual rely on underlining
to clarify examples; the underlines are missing from the .DOC files, but will
be found in the .LPT and .FOR files.

The user's guide is intended for users of Kermit (including those who want to
install it), the protocol manual is for those who would like to write a new
implementation (i.e. a Kermit program for a new machine or operating system).

ASCII.MSS is the ASCII/EBCDIC character table, which is included as an
appendix in both manuals.

MANUAL.HYP is a hyphenation dictionary for building the manual with Scribe.


* Other Files:

00README.TXT is this file, which should appear at the top of any alphabetical
directory listing, and is the first file on the tape.

FLYER.DOC is a short KERMIT "brochure", explaining the distribution policy.

MAIL.TXT is the archive of the CCNET/BITNET/ARPANET KERMIT discussion group.

The files MAC80.*, M80UNV, etc, are an 8080/8085 cross assembler for the DEC-10
or DEC-20; MAC80.DOC is a brief description.  TORTUR.M80 is a "torture test"
for MAC80, which illustrates its features.  MAC80 is used to assemble CP/M
KERMIT, and is mostly compatible with the standard CP/M 8080 assembler.

There is also a new, "beta test" version of MAC80.  This version assembles Z80
code as well as 8080 code, and it has a real manual.  These files are stored as
ZAC80, Z80UNV, etc (the same names as the MAC80 files, but starting with a Z
instead of an M).

HEXIFY.* is a program for converting a CP/M .COM file resident on the DEC-10
or DEC-20 to a CP/M .HEX file.  This is handy when binary file transfers are
failing to work for some reason.  The .HEX file can be LOADed on the CP/M
system in the normal way to reconstruct the original .COM file.  HEXCOM.* is
the inverse of HEXIFY, and provides .HEX-to-.COM file conversion.

The files CROSS.* are a general purpose cross assembler for the DEC-10 and
DEC-20; CROSS.DOC is the manual.  CROSS is used to assemble Apple DOS KERMIT.

TTLINK.* is a terminal linking program for the DEC-20, allowing you to log in
to another system over a TTY line (e.g. using an autodialer).  KERMIT-20 runs
TTLINK to execute the CONNECT command.  (NTTLINK is a new, experimental version
that can send a BREAK).

EZFIX.* is a utility for converting EasyWriter files sent to the DEC-20 from
the IBM PC into ordinary text form.  Strip is a program for stripping away
the 8th bit.

KERMIT.WHO is a list of all the sites Columbia has sent KERMIT tapes to.

VERSIONS.DOC is a list of all known versions of KERMIT, even those that aren't
being distributed yet, showing their status, who's working on them, etc.


* Finally...

If you make any modifications to Kermit, fix any bugs, or write any new
implementations or documentation, please send them back to us on magnetic tape
so we can distribute them to other Kermit users:

	KERMIT Distribution
	Columbia University
	Center for Computing Activities
	612 West 115th Street
	7th Floor
	New York NY 10025

or via network mail notify

	CC.FDC@COLUMBIA-20.ARPA
	SY.FDC@CU20B.BITNET (or .CCNET)

We'll return your tape to you with the latest Kermit distribution.

[End of 00README.TXT]
