Running Kermit 3.16 via copSSH on Windows XP or older Windowsconnected serial devices

Hello,

I can not seem to remember how I used to do this. The machines with some
version of MS Windows, most have Windows XP. I use kermit to talk with
their store registers. The machines have a purchased copy of MS Kermit
3.16.

My mskermit.ini file on these machines has
set port 1
set baud 9600
PAUSE 2
REMOTE LOGIN RAIS
PAUSE 2
GET datafile
PAUSE 2
GET datafile1
....
EXIT

till I have all the files.


I thought I could use kermit via ssh to talk to the machines and directly
transfer the files. Did not work. I then setup cygwin and copSSH. I am
able to ssh to the machines and then I use scp to copy a mskermit.ini with
the commands I need it to run. I then am able to

ssh 192.168.0.200
cd /directory/files
../kermit
....

and all the files are downloaded to the machine and I am able to scp them
to the remote box or use scp on the remote box to get the files after
kermit has run. But I am not able to get my scripts to remotely run
kermit to download and then scp the files.

When I try to run ssh -luser 192.168.0.200 c:/kermit/backoffice/kermit

user@192.168.5.200's password:
IBM-PC MS-DOS Kermit: 3.16 4 May 1999
Copyright (C) Trustees of Columbia University 1982, 1999.

Type ? or HELP for help

MS-Kermit>^A^A^A
?Text exceeded available buffer capacity
MS-Kermit>

And I am back at the prompt on the remote box and it has not run the
mskermit.ini file.

There has to be a way with either kermit-kermit-serial port transfer files
or via ssh and run the kermit on the MS Windows machines and then scp the
files. The only step I have been uable to get working is to run kermit
remotely and get the files to the MS machine. Any ideas. I know I have
done this in the past but I can not seem to remember how and all my
googleing has not brought up a solutions. Any ideas?

Thanks,

--
Boyd Gerber <gerberb@zenez.com>
ZENEZ 1042 East Fort Union #135, Midvale Utah 84047

Hi Boyd.

On 2006-10-17, Boyd Lynn Gerber <gerberb@zenez.com> wrote:
: Hello,
:
: I can not seem to remember how I used to do this. The machines with some
: version of MS Windows, most have Windows XP. I use kermit to talk with
: their store registers. The machines have a purchased copy of MS Kermit
: 3.16.
:
For the record: MS-DOS Kermit is just plain not supported on Windows XP. It
was never intended for that platform. Kermit 95 is the supported Kermit
software for Windows 95 and later.

Whoever is selling software package for Windows 95 or later that includes
MS-DOS Kermit instead of Kermit 95, purchased or not, is selling a
misconfigured and mostly likely nonfunctional package.

But if the serial-port access works OK (which can happen only on certain
hardware configurations), fine.

: I thought I could use kermit via ssh to talk to the machines and directly
: transfer the files. Did not work. I then setup cygwin and copSSH. I am
: able to ssh to the machines and then I use scp to copy a mskermit.ini with
: the commands I need it to run. I then am able to
:
: ssh 192.168.0.200
: cd /directory/files
: ./kermit
: ...
:
: and all the files are downloaded to the machine and I am able to scp them
: to the remote box or use scp on the remote box to get the files after
: kermit has run. But I am not able to get my scripts to remotely run
: kermit to download and then scp the files.
:
: When I try to run ssh -luser 192.168.0.200 c:/kermit/backoffice/kermit
:
: user@192.168.5.200's password:
: IBM-PC MS-DOS Kermit: 3.16 4 May 1999
: Copyright (C) Trustees of Columbia University 1982, 1999.
:
: Type ? or HELP for help
:
: MS-Kermit>^A^A^A
: ?Text exceeded available buffer capacity
: MS-Kermit>
:
Why don't you use Kermit as your ssh client. Then you can script it
to make the connection to the Windows ssh server, start MS-DOS Kermit
and interact with it, and then use Kermit protocol to transfer files
back to where you want them. It's a two-step process but it can all be
done in a single script.

[url]http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ssh.html[/url]

- Frank

Frank da Cruz wrote:[color=blue]
> On 2006-10-17, Boyd Lynn Gerber <gerberb@zenez.com> wrote:[/color]
..> : I can not seem to remember how I used to do this. The machines
with some[color=blue]
> : version of MS Windows, most have Windows XP. I use kermit to talk with
> : their store registers. The machines have a purchased copy of MS Kermit
> : 3.16.
> :
> For the record: MS-DOS Kermit is just plain not supported on Windows XP. It
> was never intended for that platform. Kermit 95 is the supported Kermit
> software for Windows 95 and later.[/color]

They were purchased around the year 2000. +/- a year or two.
[color=blue]
> But if the serial-port access works OK (which can happen only on certain
> hardware configurations), fine.[/color]

They have been using this setup to talk to their registers since
1992/4. They have used many different version of kermit.
[color=blue]
> : ssh 192.168.0.200
> : cd /directory/files
> : ./kermit
> : ...
> :
> : and all the files are downloaded to the machine and I am able to scp them
> : to the remote box or use scp on the remote box to get the files after
> : kermit has run. But I am not able to get my scripts to remotely run
> : kermit to download and then scp the files.
> :[/color]

I know kermit can use ssh, So I get the same thing. But to eliminate
scripting errors..

On linux I type kermit

linux-aostester:/zenez/work # kermit
C-Kermit 8.0.211, 10 Apr 2004, for Linux
Copyright (C) 1985, 2004,
Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.
Type ? or HELP for help.
(/zenez/work/) C-Kermit>

ssh boyd@192.168.5.200
Closing connection
Connecting via command "ssh -e none boyd@192.168.5.200"
Escape character: Ctrl-\ (ASCII 28, FS): enabled
Type the escape character followed by C to get back,
or followed by ? to see other options.
----------------------------------------------------
boyd@192.168.5.200's password:
Last login: Tue Oct 17 12:10:02 2006 from 192.168.5.125

boyd@pos1 ~
$ cd c:/kermit/hbboys/backoffice

boyd@pos1 /cygdrive/c/kermit/hbboys/backoffice
$ ./kermit
IBM-PC MS-DOS Kermit: 3.16 4 May 1999
Copyright (C) Trustees of Columbia University 1982, 1999.

Type ? or HELP for help

MS-DOS Kermit: 3.16 4 May 1999 patch level 0

File name:
File type:
Current path:
KBytes transferred:




Number of packets:
Packet length:
Number of retries: 0
Last error:
Last message:
Receiving: In progress 113 2
12 113 2DATA01.SDFTEXT, Transparent to CP43794
30 451 6789102
.....

till all the files are done. The same happens with ssh to the machine.

$ exit
logout
Connection to 192.168.5.200 closed.

Communications disconnect (Back at linux-aostester.aos)
----------------------------------------------------
(/zenez/work/) C-Kermit>ssh boyd@192.168.5.200
c:/kermit/hbboys/backoffice/kermit
Closing connection
Connecting via command "ssh -e none boyd@192.168.5.200
c:/kermit/hbboys/backoffice/kermit"
Escape character: Ctrl-\ (ASCII 28, FS): enabled
Type the escape character followed by C to get back,
or followed by ? to see other options.
----------------------------------------------------
boyd@192.168.5.200's password:
IBM-PC MS-DOS Kermit: 3.16 4 May 1999
Copyright (C) Trustees of Columbia University 1982, 1999.

Type ? or HELP for help

MS-Kermit>^A^A^A
?Text exceeded available buffer capacity
MS-Kermit>
Communications disconnect (Back at linux-aostester.aos)
----------------------------------------------------
(/zenez/work/) C-Kermit>

So I really did not gain anything. It does not matter whether I use
ssh or kermit to talk to the machine I always get the same ...
[color=blue]
> :When I try to run ssh -luser 192.168.0.200 c:/kermit/backoffice/kermit
> :
> : user@192.168.5.200's password:
> : IBM-PC MS-DOS Kermit: 3.16 4 May 1999
> : Copyright (C) Trustees of Columbia University 1982, 1999.
> :
> : Type ? or HELP for help
> :
> : MS-Kermit>^A^A^A
> : ?Text exceeded available buffer capacity
> : MS-Kermit>
> :
> Why don't you use Kermit as your ssh client. Then you can script it
> to make the connection to the Windows ssh server, start MS-DOS Kermit
> and interact with it, and then use Kermit protocol to transfer files
> back to where you want them. It's a two-step process but it can all be
> done in a single script.[/color]

I tried and I still have the same problem. That is why I thought I
should eliminate kermit ssh to kermit. Some of these machine are still
running DOS with ancient ssh 1 server. I am trying to get them to
replace upgrade all the machines. They will not give up MS OS's on
these machines. I have almost convinced them to buy new machines and
Kermit 95, but they insiston my proving to them over a 90 day test
trial that updated Kermit will work. I see that I can only get a 21
day test trial. Unfortunately on the machine I have available I
demo-ed kermit 95 a year ago and I can not get a new installation to
work. I removed Kermit 95 7 days before the trial was over but I guess
something stays on the machine so I am unable to try it to see if just
replacing the MS Kermit with Kermit 95 will work. They also have the
90 demo mandated. All have the exact same problem trying to automate
them. My original intention was to use kermit for everything. I have
to talk to about 30 different locations all connected via CISCO VPN's
[color=blue]
> [url]http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/ssh.html[/url][/color]

Thanks,

Boyd Gerber
[email]gerberb@zenez.com[/email]

[email]gerberb@zenez.com[/email] wrote:[color=blue]
> Frank da Cruz wrote:[color=green]
> > On 2006-10-17, Boyd Lynn Gerber <gerberb@zenez.com> wrote:[/color]
> .> : I can not seem to remember how I used to do this. The machines
> with some[color=green]
> > : version of MS Windows, most have Windows XP. I use kermit to talk with
> > : their store registers. The machines have a purchased copy of MS Kermit
> > : 3.16.
> > :
> > For the record: MS-DOS Kermit is just plain not supported on Windows XP. It
> > was never intended for that platform. Kermit 95 is the supported Kermit
> > software for Windows 95 and later.[/color]
>
> They were purchased around the year 2000. +/- a year or two.
>[color=green]
> > But if the serial-port access works OK (which can happen only on certain
> > hardware configurations), fine.[/color][/color]

k95 errors and dies every time.

On the REMOTE LOGIN RAIS

k95 wants to send an error report to Microsoft. I am unable to
establish a remote connection.

On the sysetm

I enter k95
I always have to enter try.

I am unable to even run it from kermit on linux. Given what I am
seeing I would avoid Kermit 95 like the plague.

[email]gerberb@zenez.com[/email] wrote:[color=blue]
> [email]gerberb@zenez.com[/email] wrote:[color=green]
>> Frank da Cruz wrote:[color=darkred]
>>> On 2006-10-17, Boyd Lynn Gerber <gerberb@zenez.com> wrote:[/color]
>> .> : I can not seem to remember how I used to do this. The machines
>> with some[color=darkred]
>>> : version of MS Windows, most have Windows XP. I use kermit to talk with
>>> : their store registers. The machines have a purchased copy of MS Kermit
>>> : 3.16.
>>> :
>>> For the record: MS-DOS Kermit is just plain not supported on Windows XP. It
>>> was never intended for that platform. Kermit 95 is the supported Kermit
>>> software for Windows 95 and later.[/color]
>> They were purchased around the year 2000. +/- a year or two.
>>[color=darkred]
>>> But if the serial-port access works OK (which can happen only on certain
>>> hardware configurations), fine.[/color][/color]
>
> k95 errors and dies every time.
>
> On the REMOTE LOGIN RAIS
>
> k95 wants to send an error report to Microsoft. I am unable to
> establish a remote connection.
>
> On the sysetm
>
> I enter k95
> I always have to enter try.
>
> I am unable to even run it from kermit on linux. Given what I am
> seeing I would avoid Kermit 95 like the plague.[/color]

I doubt that you can do what you want with Kermit 95. You are
trying to run an ssh server on Windows and execute Kermit 95 as a
subprocess of the ssh server and use it as if it were a remote kermit
file transfer engine. That is not what Kermit 95 is designed to do.
Kermit 95 assumes it has control over a GUI window or a Console window.
Under the ssh server it has neither. I'm not surprised it crashes.
I wouldn't waste my time with it either under this scenario.

If you are using the cygwin ssh server even more so because the cygwin
environment is a bit special. You really need to run programs compiled
with the cygwin runtime under the cygwin ssh server.

If I were you I would compile gkermit under cygwin and use that under
the ssh kermit.

Kermit 95 is a perfectly good ssh client but it should not be used
on the server side.

Jeffrey Altman

On 2006-10-18, Jeffrey Altman <jaltman2@nyc.rr.com> wrote:
: I doubt that you can do what you want with Kermit 95. You are
: trying to run an ssh server on Windows and execute Kermit 95 as a
: subprocess of the ssh server and use it as if it were a remote kermit
: file transfer engine. That is not what Kermit 95 is designed to do.
: Kermit 95 assumes it has control over a GUI window or a Console window.
: Under the ssh server it has neither. I'm not surprised it crashes.
: I wouldn't waste my time with it either under this scenario.
:
: If you are using the cygwin ssh server even more so because the cygwin
: environment is a bit special. You really need to run programs compiled
: with the cygwin runtime under the cygwin ssh server.
:
: If I were you I would compile gkermit under cygwin and use that under
: the ssh kermit.
:
: Kermit 95 is a perfectly good ssh client but it should not be used
: on the server side.
:
Another idea: Do you have to use SSH? If you could use Telnet instead,
then you could have Kermit 95 on the remote end in its Internet Kermit
Service guise:

[url]http://www.columbia.edu/kermit/wiksd.html[/url]

- Frank