  MS-DOS KERMIT for the IBM PC family, compatibles, and other MS-DOS Systems

                            Version 2.29, May 1986

                                PROGRAM SUMMARY
                      See MSKERM.DOC for complete details


Kermit-MS can be run interactively, from a batch file, or as an "external" DOS
command.  Upon initial startup, the program executes any commands found in the
file MSKERMIT.INI in the current path.

* Interactive Operation:

To run Kermit-MS interactively, invoke the program from DOS command level by
typing its name, usually "kermit".  When you see the command's prompt,
"Kermit-MS>", you may type Kermit commands repeatedly until you are ready to
exit the program.

While typing commands, use BACKSPACE to erase the character most recently
typed, Ctrl-W to delete the most recent field, or Ctrl-U to delete the entire
command, and enter the command by typing RETURN (Carriage Return, Enter), or
Ctrl-L.  While typing commands, you may use the help ("?") and keyword
completion (ESC) features freely.

* Command Line Invocation:

Kermit-MS may be invoked with command line arguments from DOS command level,
for instance:

    A>kermit set port 1, set baud 9600, connect

In this case, help and completion are not available and Kermit-MS will exit
back to DOS after completing the specified commands.  Several commands may be
given on the command line, separated by commas.

* Batch Operation:

Like other MS-DOS programs, Kermit-MS may be operated under batch with command
line arguments.  If you invoke it without command line arguments, it will run
interactively, reading commands from the keyboard and not the batch file.  When
it exits, batch processing will continue to the end of the batch file.

* Remote Operation:

The MS-DOS CTTY command allows an MS-DOS system to be used from a terminal
connected to its communication port.  Use the SET DISPLAY QUIET command for
this purpose.

* Top-Level Kermit-MS Commands:

BYE
  Shut down remote server.
CLEAR
  Remove key redefinitions.
CLOSE
  Close log file and stop logging remote session.
COMMENT <string>
  Add comments to TAKE command file.  
CONNECT
  Make a terminal connection to the remote system.
CWD <path>
  Change local working directory.
DEFINE <macro-name> [<definition>]
  Group Kermit-MS commands together into a macro command.
DELETE <filespec>
  Delete local files.
DIRECTORY [<filespec>]
  List names, sizes, and dates of local files.
DO <macro-name>
  Perform the commands in a macro.
EXIT
  Exit from Kermit-MS.
FINISH
  Shut down remote server.
GET <remote-filespec>
  Get remote files from server.
HANGUP
  Instruct modem to hangup the phone (drop DTR, RTS).
HELP
  Display brief help message about Kermit-MS.
LOCAL <command>
  Prefix for local file management commands.
LOG <filespec>
  Record remote terminal session in specified file or device.
LOGOUT
  Logout remote server, don't exit from Kermit-MS.
PUSH
  Invoke inferior MS-DOS command processor, EXIT DOS to return.
QUIT
  Exit from Kermit-MS.
RECEIVE <alternate-name>
  Wait for files from remote Kermit.
REMOTE <command>
  Prefix for commands to remote Kermit server (see below).
RUN <program> [<arguments>]
  Invoke an MS-DOS program, optionally with command-line arguments
SEND <filename> [<alternate-name>]
  Send files to remote Kermit receiver or server.
SERVER
  Act as a Kermit server.
SET <parameter> <value>
  Set various parameters (see below).
SHOW
  Macros or keys
SPACE
  Show disk space
STATUS
  Show values of SET parameters
TAKE <filespec>
  Execute Kermit-MS commands from specified file.
TYPE <filespec>
  Display a local file on the screen.
VERSION
  Display Kermit-MS program version number.

* File specifications:

In all commands, file specifications may include fully qualified DOS paths,
including device specifications.  Allowable wildcard characters are "*"
(match from here to end of field) and "?" (single character), as in DOS,
except "#" must be used instead of "?" to match the first character of a
filename.

* Interruption commands while a file transfer in progress:

^X Stop sending the current file and go on to the next one, if any.
^Z Stop sending this file, and don't send any further files.
^C Return to Kermit-MS command level immediately.
^E Send Error packet to the remote Kermit.
CR Simulate a timeout: resend the current packet, or NAK the expected one.

* Remote Commands:

REMOTE CWD [directory]
  Change remote Working Directory
REMOTE DELETE filespec
  Delete remote file(s)
REMOTE DIRECTORY [filespec]
  List remote file(s)
REMOTE HELP
  Ask the server to list the services it provides.
REMOTE HOST [command]
  Command for remote host in its own command language.
REMOTE SPACE [directory]
  Show disk space on remote host.
REMOTE TYPE filespec
  Display remote file(s)

* MS-DOS Kermit server honors the following requests:

SEND      REMOTE DELETE       REMOTE CWD
GET       REMOTE DIRECTORY    REMOTE HOST
FINISH    REMOTE SPACE
BYE       REMOTE TYPE

* SET commands:

BAUD <number>
  Communications port line speed (synonym for SPEED)
BELL {ON,OFF}
  Whether to beep at the end of a transaction
BLOCK-CHECK-TYPE {1,2,3}
  Level of error checking for file transfer
DEBUG {ON,OFF}
  Display packet contents during file transfer
DEFAULT-DISK <disk-name>
  Default disk drive for file i/o
DESTINATION {DISK,PRINTER,SCREEN}
  Default destination device for incoming files
DISPLAY {QUIET,REGULAR,SERIAL}
  For selecting the type of file transfer display
DUMP <filespec>
  Screen dump file (or device) name
END-OF-LINE <ASCII-value>
  Packet termination character
EOF {CTRL-Z,NOCTRL-Z}
  Method for determining or marking end of file
ESCAPE <character>
  Escape character for CONNECT
FLOW-CONTROL {XON/XOFF,NONE}
  Select full-duplex flow control method.
HANDSHAKE CODE <ASCII-value>
  Half-duplex line turnaround character.
INCOMPLETE {DISCARD,KEEP}
  What to do with an incompletely received file.
KEY {Fn,SCAN n}
  Specify key redefinitions, or "keystroke macros"
LOCAL-ECHO {ON,OFF}
  Specify which computer does the echoing during CONNECT
MODE-LINE {ON,OFF}
  Whether to display a mode line during terminal emulation
PARITY {EVEN,ODD,MARK,SPACE,NONE}
  Character parity to use during communication
PORT {1,2}
  Select a communications port
PROMPT <string>
  Change the "Kermit-MS>" prompt to <string>
RECEIVE <parameter> <value>
  Request remote Kermit to use specified parameters (see below)
REMOTE {ON,OFF}
  For running Kermit-MS interactively from back port
RETRY <number>
  Packet retransmission threshold
SEND <parameter> <value>
  Use the specified parameters during file transfer (see below)
SPEED <number>
  Communications port line speed (synonym for BAUD)
TAKE-ECHO {ON,OFF}
  Control echoing of commands from TAKE files
TERMINAL <parameter> <value>
  Emulation and parameters (see below)
TIMER {ON,OFF}
  Enable/disable timeouts during file transfer
WARNING {ON,OFF}
  Specify how to handle filename collisions

* SET SEND/RECEIVE parameters:

PACKET-LENGTH <number>
  Maximum packet length
PADCHAR <ASCII-value>
  Pre-packet padding character
PADDING <number>
  Number of padding characters per packet
PAUSE <number>
  Intercharacter pause, milliseconds
QUOTE <ASCII-value>
  Control prefix
START-OF-PACKET <ASCII-value>
  Packet-start character
TIMEOUT <number>
  Timeout interval

* SET TERMINAL parameters:

NONE, VT52, HEATH, VT102 (type of terminal to emulate)
CHARACTER-SET {UK, US}
COLOR number [, number [, number]]
  0   For no snow on IBM Color Graphics Adaptor (CGA)
  1   High intensity
  10  For fast screen update on IBM EGA
  3x  Foreground color
  4x  Background color
      x = Sum of any of: 1 (Red), 2 (Green), 4 (Blue)
CURSOR-STYLE {BLOCK, UNDERLINE}
KEYCLICK {ON, OFF}
MARGIN-BELL {ON, OFF}
NEWLINE-MODE {ON, OFF}
SCREEN-BACKROUND {NORMAL, REVERSE}
TAB {AT n, CLEAR AT n, CLEAR ALL}
WRAP {ON, OFF}

* CONNECT escape-level commands:

  ?   Help -- prints the available single-character commands.
  0   (the digit zero) Transmit a NUL (ASCII 0).
  B   Transmit a BREAK signal.
  C   Close the connection and return to Kermit-MS prompt level.
  F   File the current screen in the screen dump file.
  M   Toggle the mode line, i.e. turn it off if it is on & vice versa.
  P   Push to DOS; get back to CONNECT by typing EXIT.
  Q   Temporarily quit logging the remote session.
  R   Resume logging the remote session.
  S   Show the status of the connection.
  ^]  (or whatever you have set the escape character to be)
      Typing  the  escape character twice sends one copy of it to the connected
      host.

Escape character is normally Ctrl-].  Use SET ESCAPE to change it.

[End of MSKERM.HLP]
