kermit(1) CLIX kermit(1)
NAME
kermit - Runs the Kermit file transfer program
SYNOPSIS
kermit [flag ... ] [file ... ]
FLAGS
The following notation is used in flag descriptions:
fn A CLIX file specification, possibly containing either of the
wildcard characters * or ?. (* matches all character strings; ?
matches any single character.)
fn1 A CLIX file specification that may not contain * or ?.
rfn A remote file specification in the remote system's syntax, which
may denote a single file or a group of files.
rfn1 A remote file specification should denote only a single file.
n A decimal number between 0 and 94.
c A decimal number between 0 and 127 representing the value of an
ASCII character.
cc A decimal number between 0 and 31, or else exactly 127,
representing the value of an ASCII control character.
[] Any field in square braces is optional.
{x,y,z} Alternatives are listed in braces.
The following are valid flags for the kermit command.
-i Specifies files be sent or received exactly ``as is'' with no
conversions. This flag is necessary for transmitting binary files.
It is used also to slightly boost efficiency in CLIX-to-CLIX text
file transfers by eliminating CRLF/newline conversion.
-w Write-Protect - Avoids filename collisions for incoming files.
-q Quiet - Suppresses screen update during file transfer. (For
instance, to allow a file transfer to proceed in the background.)
-d Debug - Records debugging information in the file debug.log in the
current directory. Use this flag if the program is not working
properly.
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kermit(1) CLIX kermit(1)
-h Help - Displays a brief synopsis of the command line options.
Action Flags
Action flags specify either protocol transactions or terminal connection.
-s fn Sends the specified file or files. If fn contains wildcard
(meta) characters, the shell expands it to a list. If fn is a
dash (-), kermit sends from stdin, which must come from a file,
as follows:
kermit -s - <input_file
or from a parallel process, as follows:
ls -l | kermit -s -
This mechanism cannot be used to send from the terminal keyboard.
To send a file whose name is -, precede it with a pathname, as in
the following:
kermit -s ./-
-r Receives a file or files. Waits passively for files to arrive.
-k Receives (passively) a file or files, sending them to stdout.
This flag can be used in several ways.
⊕ To display the incoming files on the screen (to be used only
in local mode):
kermit -k
⊕ To send the incoming file or files to the named file, fn1:
kermit -k > fn1
If more than one file arrives, all are concatenated together
into the single file fn1.
⊕ To pipe the incoming data (single or multiple files) to the
indicated command:
kermit -k | command
-a fn1 Specifies an alternate name for a single file if a file transfer
option is specified. If more than one file arrives or is sent,
only the first file is affected by the -a flag.
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kermit(1) CLIX kermit(1)
-x Begins server operation. May be used in either local or remote
mode.
Settings Flags
Settings flags set kermit's mode.
-l dev Line - Specifies a terminal line to use for file transfer and
terminal connection, as in
kermit -l /dev/tty00
When an external line is used, some additional flags may be used
for successful communication with the remote system:
-b n Baud - Specifies the baud rate for the line given in the -l flag,
as in
kermit -l /dev/tty00 -b 9600
This flag should always be included with the -l flag, since the
speed of an external line is not always as expected.
-p x Parity - e (even), o(odd), m (mark), s (space), n (none). If
parity is other than none, the eighth-bit prefixing mechanism is
used for transferring eight-bit binary data if the opposite
kermit agrees. The default parity is none.
-t Specifies half-duplex line turnaround with XON as the handshake
character.
The following flags are used only with a local kermit.
-g rfn Actively requests a remote server to send the named file or
files; rfn is a file specification in the remote host's syntax.
If rfn contains any special shell characters like ``*'' they must
be quoted, as in the following example:
kermit -g "x*.?"
-f Sends a finish command to a remote server.
-c Establishs a terminal connection over the specified or default
communication line before any protocol transaction occurs.
Return to the local system by entering the escape character
(usually the <Ctrl-E> sequence) followed by the letter c.
-n Resembles -c, but after a protocol transaction occurs; -c and -n
can both be used in the same command.
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kermit(1) CLIX kermit(1)
DESCRIPTION
The kermit command runs a file transfer program that allows files to be
moved among machines of different operating systems and architectures.
This manual page describes version 4C of the program.
Arguments are optional. If kermit is run without arguments, it enters
command mode. Otherwise, kermit reads the arguments from the command line
and interprets them.
The kermit command line flags can specify either actions or settings. If
kermit is invoked with a command line that specifies no actions, it issues
a prompt and begins interactive dialog. Action flags specify either
protocol transactions or terminal connection.
Interactive Operation
The kermit command is in local mode if it is running on a PC directly, or
on a multiuser system and transferring files over an external
communication line-not the job's controlling terminal or console.
The kermit command is in remote mode it is running on a multiuser system
and transferring files over its own controlling terminal's communication
line connected to a PC.
If kermit is running on a PC, it is in local mode by default, with the
``back port'' designated for file transfer and terminal connection. If
kermit is running on a multiuser (timesharing) system, it is in remote
mode unless explicitly pointed at an external line for file transfer or
terminal connection.
The interactive command prompt for kermit is C-Kermit>. Any valid command
can be entered at this prompt. The kermit command executes the specified
command and prompts for another command. The process continues until you
instructs the program to terminate.
Commands begin with a keyword, normally an English verb, such as send.
Trailing characters may be omitted from any keyword so long as sufficient
characters are specified to distinguish it from any other keyword valid in
that field. Certain commonly-used keywords (such as send, receive, and
connect) have special nonunique abbreviations (s for send, r for receive,
and c for connect).
Certain characters have special functions in interactive commands:
? A question mark entered at any point in a command, produces a
message explaining the possible or expected action at that
point. Depending on the context, the message can be a brief
phrase, a menu of keywords, or a list of files.
<Esc> (escape or altmode key) Requests completion of the current
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kermit(1) CLIX kermit(1)
keyword or filename, or insertion of a default value. The
result is a beep if the requested operation fails.
<Delete> (delete or rubout key) Deletes the previous character from the
command. Pressing <Back Space> or <Ctrl-H> also performs this
function.
<Ctrl-W> Erases the right-most word from the command line.
<Ctrl-U> Erases the entire command.
<Ctrl-R> Redisplays the current command.
space bar Delimits fields (keywords, filenames, numbers) within a
command. <Tab> (horizontal tab) may also be used for this
purpose.
<Return> Enters the command for execution. <Line Feed> can also be used
for this purpose.
\ Allows you to enter any of the above characters in the command,
literally. To enter a backslash, enter two backslashes (\\).
A single backslash immediately preceding a carriage return
allows the continuation of the command on the next line.
The editing characters <Delete> and <Ctrl-W> can be entered repeatedly to
delete to the prompt. No action is performed until the command is entered
by entering a carriage return, linefeed, or formfeed. If mistakes are
made and an error message and a new prompt are displayed, try the help
command for more information.
Interactive kermit accepts commands from files and the command line. When
interactive mode is entered, kermit looks for the file .kermrc first in
the home directory and then in the current directory and executes any
commands it finds. These commands must be in interactive format, not CLIX
command line format. A take command can also be used at any time during
an interactive session. Command files can be nested to any reasonable
depth.
Following is a brief list of kermit interactive commands:
! Executes a CLIX shell command.
bye Terminates and log out from a remote kermit server.
close Closes a log file.
connect Establishes a terminal connection to a remote system.
cwd Changes working directory.
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kermit(1) CLIX kermit(1)
dial Dials a telephone number.
directory Displays a directory listing.
echo Displays arguments literally.
exit Exits from the program, closing any open logs.
finish Instructs a remote kermit server to exit, but not log out.
get Gets files from a remote kermit server.
help Displays a help message for a given command.
log Opens a log file - debugging, packet, session, transaction.
quit Same as exit.
receive Passively waits for files to arrive.
remote Issues file management commands to a remote kermit server.
script Executes a login script with a remote system.
send Sends files.
server Begins server operation.
set Sets various parameters. Valid set parameters include the
following:
block-check
Specifies level of packet error detection.
delay Specifies time delay before sending first packet.
duplex Specifies which side echoes during connect.
escape-character
Specifies character to prefix escape commands during
connect.
file Sets various file parameters.
flow-control
Specifies communication line full-duplex flow control.
handshake
Specifies communication line half-duplex turnaround
character.
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kermit(1) CLIX kermit(1)
line Specifies communication line device name.
modem-dialer
Specifies type of modem-dialer on communication line.
parity Specifies communication line character parity.
prompt Sets the kermit program's prompt.
receive
Sets various parameters for inbound packets.
send Sets various parameters for outbound packets.
speed Specifies communication line speed.
show Displays values of set parameters.
space Displays current disk space usage.
statistics Displays statistics about most recent transaction.
take Executes commands from a file.
The remote commands are as follows:
cwd Changes remote working directory.
delete Deletes remote files.
directory Displays a listing of remote filenames.
help Requests help from a remote server.
host Issues a command to the remote host in its own command
language.
space Displays the current disk space usage on remote system.
type Displays a remote file on the screen.
who Displays who's logged in or information about a user.
On a timesharing system, the -l and -b flags must also be included with
the -r, -k, or -s flags if the other kermit is on a remote system.
If kermit is in local mode, the screen (stdout) is continuously updated to
show the progress of the file transfer. A dot is displayed for every four
data packets. Other packets are shown by type (that is, S for Send-Init),
T is displayed when a timeout occurs, and a percent sign (%) is displayed
for each retransmission. In addition, certain ``interrupt'' commands can
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kermit(1) CLIX kermit(1)
be entered (at stdin) during file transfer:
<Ctrl-F> Interrupt the current file and proceed to the next (if any).
<Ctrl-B> Interrupt the entire batch of files and terminate the
transaction.
<Ctrl-R> Resend the current packet.
<Ctrl-A> Display a status report for the current transaction.
These interrupt characters differ from the ones used in other kermit
implementations to avoid conflict with CLIX shell interrupt characters.
With System III and System V implementations of UNIX, interrupt commands
must be preceded by the escape character, usually the <Ctrl-E> sequence.
The command line may contain no more than one protocol action option.
EXAMPLES
1. To sends the file foo, telling the receiver that its name is bar,
enter:
kermit -s foo -a bar
2. To store the first incoming file as baz, enter:
kermit -ra baz
3. To pipe the incoming data through a sort and redirect the output into
the sorted.stuff file, enter:
kermit -k | sort > sorted.stuff
FILES
$HOME/.kermrc kermit initialization commands
./.kermrc More kermit initialization commands
NOTES
See recent issues of the Info-Kermit digest (on ARPANET or Usenet) for a
list of bugs.
DIAGNOSTICS
The diagnostic messages returned by kermit are self-explanatory.
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kermit(1) CLIX kermit(1)
RELATED INFORMATION
Commands: cu(1), uucp(1)
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