X-Git-Url: http://gitweb.hachti.de/?a=blobdiff_plain;f=sw%2Fkermit%2Fk12%2Fk12mit.ann;fp=sw%2Fkermit%2Fk12%2Fk12mit.ann;h=de97633b229511856401988f211617f77996abd0;hb=81e70d488b71bf995c459ca3a02c025993460ffa;hp=0000000000000000000000000000000000000000;hpb=07ec0278333ed187ac242dedcff13c56cf1b0b91;p=pdp8.git diff --git a/sw/kermit/k12/k12mit.ann b/sw/kermit/k12/k12mit.ann new file mode 100644 index 0000000..de97633 --- /dev/null +++ b/sw/kermit/k12/k12mit.ann @@ -0,0 +1,442 @@ +Date: Sat, 11 Jul 92 15:00:00 EDT +From: Charles Lasner +Subject: A few more release files for Kermit-12 + + Now available are two new versions of K12DEC and K12ENC, which +have a new feature for image transfer of an entire device optionally +split into two parts. This comes at the request of a user, and was +quite easy to add. As before, the sources document how to use the +programs, etc. + + The new files have been installed in the regular places: + +BITNET/EARN Internet +KERMSRV@CUVMA watsun.cc.columbia.edu Description + + K12MIT ANN kermit/d/k12mit.ann Announcement of KERMIT-12 + K12MIT UPD kermit/d/k12mit.upd Release update (this) file + K12ENB PAL kermit/d/k12enb.pal .BOO-format encoding program + K12DEB PAL kermit/d/k12deb.pal .BOO-format decoding program + K12MIT NOT kermit/d/k12mit.not Release notes file + K12MIT DSK kermit/d/k12mit.dsk Description of RX02 diskettes + +------------------------------ +Date: Wed, 11 Mar 92 15:52:25 EST +From: Charles Lasner +Subject: A few more release files for Kermit-12 + + Now available are two new versions of K12DEC and K12ENC, which +have a new feature for image transfer of an entire device. This +comes at the request of several users, and was quite easy to add. As +before, the sources document how to use the programs, etc. + + I am working on an upgrade (specifically a handler) for OS/278 to +allow complete transfer of RX50 diskettes as an encoded ASCII-fied +file. This utility merely handles records available to the normal +file structure, but in the OS/278 RX50 case (from DEC) this is not +the entire disk structure. In part this is a safety feature, so you +can't access the "slushware" tracks; you can't transfer an entire +image of an RX50 currently. When the system is upgraded with a +suitable handler, the encoder and decoder gain access to the entire +device; all other system utilities can utilize the entire RX50 as an +effectively larger device. + + If the handler project takes too long (it is actually quite +involved surprisingly enough) I will possibly resort (by popular +demand) to releasing an interim program that does its own RX50 I/O as +a special case of encode and decode. That would be withdrawn later +when the handler is available. (DECmates are becoming available to +various people around the world, but they don't have the support +software to get it running; this method would allow them to get their +machines up after they had merely an OS/278 bootable disk (available +from DECUS) and the Kermit-12 files :-).) + + The two new utilities are currently useful for other devices. +For example, an entire OS/8 RX01 or RX02 can be encoded as a file. +With the WPS-oriented handlers installed (commonly available), images +of an RX01 WPS document disk can be encoded/decoded directly. (This +even includes bootable WPS RX01 systems diskettes, or even RT-11 RX01 +disks!) The existant WPS/COS-style handlers allow transfer of any +RX01 as long as track zero can be ignored. This is generally the +case on RX01/02, but NOT RX50, thus the above problem. + + The new files have been installed in the regular places: + +BITNET/EARN Internet +KERMSRV@CUVMA watsun.cc.columbia.edu Description + + K12MIT ANN kermit/d/k12mit.ann Announcement of KERMIT-12 + K12MIT UPD kermit/d/k12mit.upd Release update (this) file + K12ENB PAL kermit/d/k12enb.pal .BOO-format encoding program + K12DEB PAL kermit/d/k12deb.pal .BOO-format decoding program + +------------------------------ +Date: Mon Oct 21 1991 12:00:00 EDT +From: Charles Lasner +Subject: Release of Additional Kermit-12 Utilities +Keywords: .BOO, PDP-8, PDP-12, VT-78, DECmate, OS/8 +Xref: DEC PDP, See PDP + + This is a release of companion utilities to KERMIT-12 for the +purpose of enhancing file distribution. Two areas are addressed: 1) +Initial program acquisition, 2) Binary file encoding. + +1) Utilities are provided to create and load copies of KERMIT-12 "on +the fly" from a server such as a remote time-sharing system or a +local PC on the other end of a "clean" connection to the PDP-8. + + Unfortunately, most PDP-8 family systems lack a communications +predecessor to KERMIT-12. Most communications applications were +limited to terminal emulation only, so it is rare that any PDP-8 +system has an existing utility sufficient to acquire KERMIT-12. (Of +course some sites have prior versions of KERMIT-12 already.) + + Assuming an error-free serial connection to the other system, it +is possible to down-load KERMIT-12 directly into the PDP-8 memory +without a protocol. This is similar to the process used for years by +DEC field service to load paper-tape copies of diagnostics. Loading +is limited to a single PDP-8 field at a time. Performing several +load operations yields intermediary image files which can be combined +into K12MIT.SV identical to the release version (except for +irrelevant loading artifacts which is a consequence of the operating +system itself). + + The format chosen for Initial Program Load (.IPL) is an encoding +that yields ASCII files that should pass through any system with +ease. The scenario of loading is assumed to be either direct +system-to-system, or between a remote system and one of its +terminals. All control characters (such as CR and LF) are ignored, +thus the encoded files contain frequent line breaks to make the +encoded file pallatable to the serving system. Strictly lower-case +letter messages are added at the beginning and end of the file to +serve as leader trailer fields as well as file documentation. Please +note that while spaces are insignificent, the rest of the ASCII +character set is used for loading information, so editing of .IPL +files must scrupulously avoid changes to the "body" of the file. + + A simple program (K12IPL.PAL) is provided for .IPL loading of a +single field. The user must customize it for local requirements, and +then enter two variant forms of the loader. (Future releases could +require additional variants to be created. The current release +occupies two fields.) This process is similar to customizing the +communications requirements of KERMIT-12 itself. The program is +sufficiently small to allow manual entry into the system debugger +(ODT) directly. Examples of such an entry session are provided as +K12IP0.ODT and K12IP1.ODT. The source program may also be retyped by +any available means (TECO, EDIT, etc.) if desired. Only standard +PDP-8 peripherals are supported such as KL8E, KL8-JA, etc., as +opposed to KERMIT-12 itself which supports various DECmate +communications hardware as well. It was felt that the greatly +increased complexity of supporting the DECmate communications ports +would make this process too unwieldy. However, it is possible to +load the data through the DECmate's printer port. The VT-78 and all +prior PDP-8 models are fully supported. + + Distribution files include K12FL0.IPL and K12FL1.IPL which are +the encoded copies of field zero and field one respectively. +K12IPL.DOC is a discussion of the .IPL encoding format itself. +K12IPG.PAL is the utility used to create K12FL0.IPL and K12FL1.IPL +from the standard release file K12MIT.SV. (K12MIT.SV is itself +distributed in encoded form as K12MIT.ENC and now also K12MIT.BOO +(see below). K12IPG can be used with other programs for similar +purposes if required.) + +2) Utilities are provided for encoding and decoding arbitrary OS/8 +files using the popular .BOO format encoding scheme. .BOO format +should be compatible across dis-similar systems thus avoiding +intermediary "hazards." + + While quite popular in the MS-DOS world for file distribution +purposes, .BOO format as originally designed has an inherent weakness +that makes reliable use on OS/8 family systems impossible. I have +designed an extension to the format to make .BOO format sufficiently +reliable to allow implementation of an encoder and decoder for OS/8 +systems. Note that ENCODE format is still the format of choice for +file distribution because of its more robust nature, but the shorter +files created by a .BOO encoder may be desirable in certain +circumstances. .BOO format files cannot pass through WPFLOP "paths" +to distribute files on DECmates or VT-78, so ENCODE format is +mandatory on systems used this way. + + The relevant problem with .BOO format has to do with file length +anomalies that are a consequence of the format itself. .BOO files +either end on a repeat compression field or a complete three-byte +data field expressed as four characters, each only six bits +significant. Should a file end with only one or two eight-bit data +bytes, two or one additional null bytes will be appended to pad out +the last data field. This leads to files that are one or two bytes +longer than intended. At least this is the behavior on systems like +MS-DOS which maintain a file byte count. Since OS/8 files are +multiples of whole records, each of which can be viewed as a +collection of 384 bytes, any change in a file's length of even a +single extra null byte will cause the creation of an extraneous whole +record. Besides wasting space, it is conceivable that an OS/8 file +corrupted in this manner could actually be dangerous to use! Note +also that this problem can be cumulative in that repeated +transmission between systems where the file is stored locally in some +decoded form, and then encoded locally before transmission to another +site, can cause the problem to worsen indefinitely. Clearly, .BOO +format must be firmed up to prevent this form of file corruption +before it can be used safely on PDP-8 systems. (It has also been +noted that widely distributed .BOO encoding programs exist on certain +systems which exhibit defects such as erroneous appendage of +additional null bytes onto the end of the file not indicated by the +file's contents. This is clearly a program bug and not an inherent +problem with .BOO format design.) + + The method chosen to correct the existing .BOO anomaly is to +append a correction field to the end of every file requiring it. The +basic correction unit is ~0 which means literally a repeat +compression field with a count of zero. This construct is ignored by +most .BOO decoders because it contributes nothing to the file. (At +the bare minimum, .BOO decoders should implement the robustness of +ignoring this type of data. It is conceivable that due to design +error, a decoding program could "blow up" when encountering this +data. Imagine a file lengthened by 2^32 null bytes! The exact +amount of extraneously generated null bytes would likely be 2^{how +many bits wide are integers on the machine} or one less than that.) + + .BOO-encoded files may now contain either ~0 or ~0~0 at the end +to indicate whether one or two bytes are to be "taken back" +respectively. Tests on MSBPCT.BAS and MSBPCT.C as currently +distributed by CUCCA indicate that these corrections are perfectly +ignored, thus decoded files are erroneously inflated by one or two +bytes. This is the expected behavior of these older decoders. When +used with PDP-8 DEBOO.SV (distributed in source form as K12DEB.PAL), +the correct file length is maintained. PDP-8 ENBOO.SV (distributed +in source form as K12ENB.PAL) is the first encoding program that +creates the correction field as necessary. It is hoped that this +"pioneering" effort will cause other systems' encoders and decoders +to be similarly updated. + + Overall program operation for the encoder and decoder is +identical to the equivalent programs for ENCODE format. +Documentation is contained in the source files. As in the ENCODE +format decoding program, the target file name can be taken from the +original file name imbedded within the file, or optionally the user +can specify a target file name as well as a target device. When +encoding, the imbedded file name will always be the original name of +the file supplied as input to the encoder. The user can specify any +valid combination of output file name and device for the resultant +encoded file. + + OS/8 files passed through ENBOO/DEBOO are packed/unpacked +according to the standard OS/8 "3 for 2" scheme to ensure byte +accuracy where relevant. This allows files which are ASCII, but too +"delicate" for ordinary transfer to be sent between unlike systems +with total accuracy. This includes any file where the precise +placement of CR and LF may be critical, or contains unusual +characters in the file such as BEL or ESC. A perfect example of this +is the interchange of TECO macros between PDP-8s (used with OS/8 +TECO.SV) and IBM-PCs (used with MS-DOS TECO.EXE) with a unix system +as an intermediary storage site. Both end systems use like line +termination schemes incompatible with the intermediary system. Since +both systems support .BOO format, the files can still be sent without +loss. + + Most of the existing K12MIT-related files are unchanged. +K12MIT.DSK is updated to reflect all new files pertaining to .IPL or +.BOO utilities. K12MIT.ANN and K12MIT.UPD are updated per this +announcement. All files distributed in ENCODE format are replicated +in .BOO format. + + The new files have been installed in the regular places: + +BITNET/EARN Internet +KERMSRV@CUVMA watsun.cc.columbia.edu Description + + K12MIT ANN kermit/d/k12mit.ann Announcement of KERMIT-12 + K12MIT UPD kermit/d/k12mit.upd Release update (this) file + K12MIT DSK kermit/d/k12mit.dsk Description of RX02 diskettes + K12MIT NOT kermit/d/k12mit.not Release notes file + K12IPL PAL kermit/d/k12ipl.pal .IPL loading program + K12IP0 ODT kermit/d/k12ip0.odt ODT session creating IPL0.SV + K12IP1 ODT kermit/d/k12ip1.odt ODT session creating IPL1.SV + K12FL0 IPL kermit/d/k12fl0.ipl .IPL encoding of K12mit (FL0) + K12FL1 IPL kermit/d/k12fl1.ipl .IPL encoding of K12mit (FL1) + K12IPG PAL kermit/d/k12ipg.pal .IPL-format encoding program + K12IPL DOC kermit/d/k12ipl.doc Description of .IPL format + K12ENB PAL kermit/d/k12enb.pal .BOO-format encoding program + K12DEB PAL kermit/d/k12deb.pal .BOO-format decoding program + K12MIT BOO kermit/d/k12mit.boo .BOO encoding of KERMIT-12 + K12PL8 BOO kermit/d/k12pl8.boo .BOO encoding of PAL8 Ver B0 + K12CRF BOO kermit/d/k12crf.boo .BOO encoding of CREF Ver B0 + K12GLB BOO kermit/d/k12glb.boo .BOO encoded TECO file macro + +[Ed. - Thanks, Charles! Additional information can be found in the new +file, k12mit.not (K12MIT NOT), a message from Charles to the "PDP-8 lovers" +mailing list.] + +------------------------------ +Date: Thu Sep 6 1990 11:00:00 EDT +From: Charles Lasner +Subject: Announcing KERMIT-12 Version 10g +Keywords: PDP-8, PDP-12, VT-78, DECmate, OS/8 +Xref: DEC PDP, See PDP + + This is a maintenance release of KERMIT-12. A minor problem +relating to incorrect CPU identification messages has been fixed. +The problem only appeared when the CPU was a KK-8A single-board CPU; +this configuration was previously untested. Thanks to Johnny +Billquist of Sweden for his assistance in pinning down the problem. + + KERMIT-12 operation was not affected in any other way, as only +the DECmate-specific identification is crucial; earlier PDP-8 family +members are treated in a generic fashion except for the "frill" of +model identification (all PDP-8, PDP-12, VT-78 models use +software-compatible port hardware; all DECmates are incompatible and +must be handled individually). We are still looking for volunteers +to test the various DECmate III and DECmate III+ configurations. + + The rest of the release concerns the encoding of files into the +"ASCII-fied" format. The format has been modified to be more robust, +since the original method has proven itself to be problematic in +certain practical circumstances (as reported in K12MIT.BWR). + + The new ENCODing format is based on five-bit encoding with repeat +compression. As much as 256 repeated 12-bit words will be expressed +in a five character field. Any repeated 12-bit value can be +compressed, as opposed to simple zero compression, as in other common +encoding schemes. (PDP-8 files often have repeated strings of the +value 7402 octal, which is the HLT instruction.) + + The only printing characters required to pass through any +distribution "path" are 0-9, A-V, X, and Z. The alphabetic characters +can also be lower-case. All command lines are framed by ( and ); +all data lines are framed by < and >. These characters can be +changed if required, as they are not part of the data; they could be +replaced by W (w) and Y (y) if necessary. (Changing the framing +characters requires slight modification of the ENCODing and DECODing +programs.) + + The new format supports a 60-bit file checksum to ensure proper +decoding at the other end. The former 12-bit checksum could be +compromised on long files. + + The new ENCODing programs creates internal (REMARK commands +stating the ENCODed file's creation date, and the original file's +creation date. This will aid in distribution of PDP-8 files where +the user wishes to maintain proper file dates. The date algoritm +used is the one proscribed by the OS/8 DIRECT program. (OS/8 systems +only OPTIONALLY support file dates, and there is an eight-year +"anomaly" associated with identifying the year; the user must +determine the credibility of the year portion of the date. The value +provided by the ENCODE program for the original file creation date is +always today's year or the previous seven years as necessary; this +field will not be provided if the system doesn't support the required +AIW feature.) + + Overall file size is theoretically as much as 6/5 of the original +encoding format (as the earlier format was based on six-bit +encoding), but actual size varies downward due to slightly less file +overhead (wider lines mean less CR LF; there is now less +automatically generated verbiage), and the random improvement +afforded by simple repeat compression. + + Virtually all K12MIT-related files are re-released at this time. +There are several new files. Due to the "fragile" nature of TECO +macro files, the file K12GLB.TEC is no longer being distributed +directly; the file K12GLB.ENC is the same file in the new ENCODE +format. + + The new files have been installed in the regular places: + +BITNET/EARN Internet +KERMSRV@CUVMA watsun.cc.columbia.edu Description + + K12MIT ENC kermit/d/k12mit.enc Encoded binary of KERMIT-12 + K12MIT DOC kermit/d/k12mit.doc Documentation file + K12MIT BWR kermit/d/k12mit.bwr Updated "beware" file + K12MIT DSK kermit/d/k12mit.dsk Description of RX02 diskettes + K12MIT ANN kermit/d/k12mit.ann Announcement of KERMIT-12 + K12MIT UPD kermit/d/k12mit.upd Release update file + K12DEC PAL kermit/d/k12dec.pal Decoding program + K12ENC PAL kermit/d/k12enc.pal Encoding program + K12PL8 ENC kermit/d/k12pl8.enc Encoded binary of PAL8 Ver B0 + K12CRF ENC kermit/d/k12crf.enc Encoded binary of CREF Ver B0 + K12MIT PAL kermit/d/k12mit.pal Main source file of KERMIT-12 + K12PCH PAL kermit/d/k12pch.pal KERMIT-12 source patch file + K12CLR PAL kermit/d/k12clr.pal Memory clearing file + K12MIT LST kermit/d/k12mit.lst Symbols-only listing file + K12PRM PAL kermit/d/k12prm.pal Sample VT-78 config file + K12GLB ENC kermit/d/k12glb.enc Encoded TECO file macro + K12ENC DOC kermit/d/k12enc.doc Encoding format description + +[Ed. - Many thanks, Charles. Believe it or not, there are still quite a +few PDP-8 based systems out there, and even some PDP-12s. You won't find +very many other new software packages that support them!] + +------------------------------ +Date: 05-October-1989 +From: lasner@cunixc.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner) +Subject: Announcing KERMIT-12 Version 10f +Keywords: PDP-8, PDP-12, VT-78, VT-278, DECmate, OS/8 +Xref: DEC PDP, See PDP + + This is to announce the release and availability of a highly +revamped KERMIT program for the complete family of Digital Equipment +Corporation 12-bit computers, known as KERMIT-12 (or K12MIT), Ver. +10f. Unlike its predecessors (K08MIT and K278, upon which it is +partially based, as well as prior versions of KERMIT-12), KERMIT-12, +as now distributed, will run on any PDP-8 model (8, LINC-8, 8/i, 8/l, +8/e, 8/f, 8/m, 8/a), PDP-12, VT-78, or DECmate (VT-278, aka DECmate +I, DECmate II, DECmate III, DECmate III-plus) under any OS/8 family +member operating system. Proper operation is accomplished +automatically. Companion utilities are provided to deal with +"ASCII-fied" binary files in ENCODE format (a mechanism designed by +Charles Lasner and Frank da Cruz as a proposed successor to BOO +format); ENCODE format has been employed to distribute the binary +portion of this release of KERMIT-12. + + Due to the myriad port requirements of the various models, +conditional parameters have been provided in the source (as well as a +separate patching file) for models prior to DECmate I. The program +auto-configures for all models of DECmate; parameters are available +to select the DECmate ports (DP278, communications, printer, etc.) +where applicable. + + Many improvements have been provided to get this KERMIT "up to +speed" relative to other KERMITs. KERMIT-12 has been tested +successfully with many KERMIT implementations and will run at the +maximum baud rate (and sometimes beyond the DEC-stated limit!) of the +relevant interface. Any console terminal configuration acceptable to +OS/8, etc. can be used at any baud rate as long as local flow-control +protocol is obeyed; remote flow control can be disabled at console +speeds higher than the remote line rate. Connect mode I/O is fully +ring-buffered in all directions with local flow control always +enabled for all console terminal operations. (This should satisfy +all console terminal requirements ranging from 110-baud teletypes to +built-in 350-Kbaud VT-220 emulators, since any of the gamut of these +ASCII terminals could be the system console terminal for any of the +KERMIT-12 supported computer configurations!). + + KERMIT-12 will run anywhere OS/8 does, so it runs on any perfect +look-alike suitably configured. Some known compatibles are: + + - TPA made in Hungary, this machine is an 8/l except for the silkscreened + letters which are Magyar, not English. + - Fabritek MP-12 + - Intersil Intercept + - Pacific CyberMetrix PCM-12 + - Digital Computer Controls DCC-112 and DCC-112H + - Computer Extensions CPU-8 (a drop-in replacement for the 8/e or 8/a cpu + for a PDP-8/A-400 or -600 hex-wide box) + - Computer Extensions SBC-8 (a single-board computer -8 compatible based + on the 6120 like a DECmate, but compatible with -8 peripherals, not + DECmate peripherals; it also supports up to 16 comm ports) + + Various emulators are available for PDP-10, 15 and the IBM-PC +which will also support KERMIT-12 if suitably configured. + + Distribution files are available from CUCCA. Testing is under +way for some of the more obscure configurations (e.g., DECmate III +with comm port); volunteers are welcome for this task. The author +can provide copies to interested parties on virtually all of the +popular PDP-8 media on a time-available basis. + +[Ed. - Many thanks, Charles! The files are in Kermit Distribution area D +with prefix K12, and the previous PDP-8 versions having prefixes K08 and +K278 have been retired. Internet users may ftp the files as kermit/d/k12*, +and BITNET users can get them from KERMSRV at CUVMA as K12* *.] + +------------------------------