Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    I'm having problems also. I'm using XMODEM on Ultrix. I can send
    files to Ultrix no problem, but when I try in the other direction
    it keeps timing out. I think I figured out that it was something
    to do with the LAT port I was dialing in on. I was up late one
    night trying everything imaginable and I got it to send me a file.
    I got so excited I turned off my computer, went to bed and forgot
    how I did it. Well now I'm so frustrated with trying to remember
    what I did, I decided to ask what I need to set on the LAT and on
    Ultrix to get it to send me a file ?
    
                              Thanks,
    
                                -- Mike
    

    When you are uploading or downloading files:
    
    	1) ALWAYS set your Amiga paramaters to be the same as those
    of the host program.  If you are transfering an exacutable file
    or some sort of compressed file (arc, etc) use the binary mode.
    i.e. for xmodem use "xmodem -sb" or for kermit "set file type binary."
    For text files (files that you can look at with the type, more,
    or cat commands) use text commands.  i.e. "xmodem -st" or "set file
    type ascii."
    
    	2) Make sure your terminal driver is not altering your input
    or output in any weird manner.  Kermit will take care of most of
    these annoyances for you.
    
    	3) How did you log in to your machine?  Do you have the same
    communications paramaters as the host?  Do you have a word length
    of 8 or seven?  Are you using parity?
    
    	4) Did you log in though some device with 7 bit error checking?
    Some of the Modems that they use here to talk to our 8700's do error
    checking and will not pass 8 bit characters.  The modems always
    respond when you first log in, "TSU EQUIPPED."
    
    	5) Talk to your system gurus.
    
    Hope this helps.
    
    --Mike

        I know this topic has been beaten to death recently, but I'm at my
        wits end.  I can't consistently DL with XMODEM.

        Here's the problem: Suppose I DL'ing a file that  takes  up  50
        blocks  on  VMS.   I'm using VT100_26, XMODEM.  Often, I end up
        getting a  file  with  50  blocks  transferred  (in  the  status
        window).  The problem is that 50 blocks on VMS should take more
        than 50 blocks on the Amiga.  When  I  run  XMODEM,  I  type
        "s foo.arc".  The version I have doesn't have sb as an option. 
        
	I've tried  every  possible permutation of CVTARC on the arc file with
        no luck. The transfer doesn't hang, so I don't think that it is
        the setup on the terminal.

        HELP!
        Mike

.2 has it right in that KERMIT automatically takes some of the headaches out
of file transfer. I can upload and download all day with KERMIT and never
have a problem where I have never ( I repeat NEVER!! ) had a successful
download with XMODEM. Some versions of ARC seriously choke on the padding that
XMODEM does to the end of the file.

I run the following command file on the VAX

$	set term/nobroad/eight/past
$	run kermit
$	set term/noeight/nopast/broadcast

and I have changed the default in VT100.INIT on the Amiga to always use IMAGE
mode. 

Don't worry how somebody got the files to the VAX as you can KERMIT XMODEMed
files with no problem however ARC and SHAR may still complain about padding
that took place somewhere along the line. Most usually the complaints don't
affect the files as I always seem to be able to run them anyway. Some people
have started putting garbage files at the end of their archives to assure that 
ARC will get you the important files from the front before ARC goes belly up.

Dick

    I have had downloading problems from the vax since I purchased my
    amiga.  It was very frustrating.  You find something out there which
    your mouth waters for and when you finally try and download it,
    something fails.  I usually got bad headers when I attempted to
    dearc on my AMIGA.  My personal solution was to subscribe to GENIE
    which costs 5 dollars an hour.  They have everything your heart
    desires and 95% of all downloads work like a charm.  There are several
    thousand files to chose.  The initial cost is $18.00 which includes
    the GENIE manual.  From then on its just 5 dollars an hour.  NO
    MONTHLY CHARGE if you do not use GENIE!
    
    IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CHECK IT OUT call 800-638-9636 

RE: last few....
    
    Common Guys, we are all smarter than thes @$#&* computers! (Arn't we ;-)
                                                              
    Re: .0 if you are having trouble even entering commands to the
    operating systems, then maybe its noise on the line, or some other
    comm problem...I agree with mike...seek local help from the system
    gurus.
    
    re: XMODEM
    Check out daves version which has the -b option...it works great
    for me, and is supposed to work in an ultrix environment.
    
    But the main reason for replying is to congradulate all the people
    willing to share their help.  Glad to see, and welcome new
    contributors.   Just remember to be carefull in downloading.
    
    1. decide if kermit or xmode is for you...this is like editors and
    religion...a personal preference.
    
    2. Make sure you set vax to passall and 8 bit.
    
    3. check file type...xmodem likes stream_lf files, kermit likes
    them in var 510 byte format.  (for binaries like ARC files)
    Use cvtarc to convert if necessary...
    
    4. check the vt100/200 program to insure in image (binary) mode...
    
    5. go to it....
    
    I have used both xmodem, and kermit, and would be happy to talk
    further (phone or e-mail) on this....
    
    Scott (MPGS::) BAEDER
    273-2961 (DTN)
    

    RE .1
    
    This may be obvious to most of you, but I'm new to DEC and perhaps
    there are others who would benefit.  I tried downloading some stuff
    from Wecker's directory and kept getting timeout errors (using XMODEM).
    I finally realized that the problem was the time routing between
    the two nodes.  I copied the file(s) needed to my local node then
    downloaded them, and didn't get the timeouts anymore.
    
    Of course...
    
    <*sigh*> I know I've seen this problem on the notes file before,
    but I don't remember anyone ever answering, so I'll ask again. 
    I use XMODEM to download (w/CRC) and the download goes just fine.
    I try and de-arc the program, and get an error message about CRC
    check being wrong and get a file which is garbage.  When I list
    the archive, it says there is a header error.  Anyone know why or
    how to fix it?  Please don't say "just use KERMIT".  I use the
    Handshake terminal program which is far and away the best terminal
    program I've seen, it's only drawback being that it does not support
    Kermit protocol. (yet?)  Anyway, if anyone has yet discovered an
    answer to this ongoing problem, please answer.
    
    Thanks,
       Andy Humphrey

    And again, <*SCREEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAM*>!
    
    In the half hour since my last note (.-1), much has happened.
    
    First, I tried using XMODEM w/o CRC and got the same result.
    
    Next, I actually do have a VT100 emulator which does support Kermit
    (which I downloaded from PLINK w/ XMODEM w/ no problem just as I
    have never had problems downloading from anywhere but here.), but
    I was reluctant to abandon my pretty one.  Finally, desperate, I
    started it up.  I downloaded a file (taking 5 TIMES AS LONG AS XMODEM!)
    and tried to de-arc it.
    
    To say my computer had crashed would be understating it...
    
    To say the poor machine went down in flames, screaming, would not
    describe the event...
    
    I didn't get any friendly guru message or requestor.  Instead, my
    screen blanked, then filled with bars of color (red and green, I
    believe - I am still rather in shock, you understand).  Terrible
    groans of pain came from the monitor speaker.  Worst of all, BOTH
    drives started to rattle!  I don't mean just start running, I mean
    both started shaking as though they were about to come apart (or
    were enjoying crunching on the plastic casings of the disks?). 
    Frantically, I popped the disks out and powered down!
    
    Alway a glutton for punishment, I decided I had better try again...
    I downloaded a different file, de-arced it, and got a nice, safe
    little "Task Hel", then the guru (Line F Emulation, if that helps),
    but IT STILL CRASHED!
    
    I am sure the problem is not at this end, because, as I said before,
    I have downloaded and de-arced files from PLINK, AMIC, Amiga-Oz,
    and a local BBS without even a hint of trouble.  Most of you, I
    gather, have no problem downloading.  So why do a few of us have
    so much trouble?
    
    I'll check with our system expert tomorrow, but surely in this
    conference of great minds (yes, I mean you!), someone has some ideas?
    I will be watching this space with great anticipation.  And I expect
    something brilliant! (or at least something that works...)

    Try CVTARC, available in DBW's filespace. To download with XMODEM,
    you have to do 
    
    	$ CVTARC u <filename>
    
    To download with Kermit you have to do something else (CVTARC with
    one argument will give you a help blurb - CVTARC with no arguments
    will give you a traceback. Can you say "User Hostile"? I knew you
    could! :-). 

    RE: Ugly Crash...
    
    	I have had many of the ugly crashes that you have described.
    Yes, they are quite disturbing.  Ussually a crash like that is caused
    by fowled numbers sent to the custom chips.
    	I do not get those types of crashes anymore though; I have not
    seen one since I have had to replace my internal disk drive with
    a new (Panasonic) one.  It seemed that my original (NEC) disk drive
    caused my system to crash once in a while.  It always seemed software
    related (as in your case), but I think that was just a coincedence.
    
    Does your Amiga have NEC drives?
    
    	--Mike

    You know, we keep writing the same solutions over and over because
    no one knows where to find the answers. Maybe we should put this
    in the documentation for vt200? Better yet, maybe VT200 should come
    with a default vt200.init that loads a file that explains how to
    download :-)
    
    Seriously, maybe in the next version of this notesfile we can organize
    somehow and have a topic on downloading or something? I'd be willing
    to put some effort in to consolidate some of the information if
    there was some way to make it VERY obvious to new people.
    
    dov

    Actually, I just thought of another solution that's even better.
    Why don't you just CVTARC it yourself when you make something
    available? You can make it a batch job so it won't take any of your
    time. Just think how much time you'll save by avoiding the issue
    entirely ;-)
    
    dov

    RE .10
    
    Yes, actually, I do have NEC drives.  Never heard of this before.
    Rather...annoying.
    
    RE .9
    
    OK, so I downloaded CVTARC.EXE to this account and tried to run
    it and got the following:
    
    	%DCL-W-ACTIMAGE, error activating image LIBRTL
    	-CLI-E-IMGNAME, image file DUA0:[SYS0.][SYSLIB]LIBRTL.EXE
    	-SYSTEM-F-SHRIDMISMAT, ident mismatch with shareable image
    
    My understanding is that this is because it was not linked on this
    cluster (and of course we have no linkers available on this cluster.)
    Of course when I downloaded XMODEM from Wecker's directory it executed
    just fine.  Now what?
    
    Andy Humphrey

    re: .13--
    
    The message means that you are running an older version of VMS
    than the system on which CVTARC was linked.  Which version of
    VMS are you running?
    
    All VMS systems are shipped with a linker in SYS$SYSTEM:.  Unless
    somebody deleted it from your machine you should be able to
    re-link CVTARC, given the .OBJ file.  If your VMS system is
    very old you won't have the C run-time library on it--in that
    case neither the .OBJ nor the source will help you.  (That's why
    I asked which version of VMS you are running.)
    
    Could someone make the source of CVTARC available, just in case
    it will solve this problem?
        John Sauter

    RE: .14
    
    This VMS is version 4.2.  And yes, you were right, there was LINK
    hiding in SYS$SYSTEM.  (OK, I'm slightly embarrassed).  So, if someone
    can post the .OBJ for CVTARC somewhere, I'm on my way.
    
    Thanks for the help,
    	Andy Humphrey

    look in dbw's account, or in mine, or in a lot of places....the
    cvtarc.c file is trivial....changes the record formats...
    
    if you can't find it, give me a call   237-2961...always glad to
    try to help out....
    
    		mpgs::user3:[baeder.wecker.tools] (i think)
    
    
    ***FLAME ON***
    
    I know we have covered this a bunch of times, and I'll also be willing
    to help write up some docs, so we don't have to have this 2-3 times
    a month...
    
    the only good thing is this means that they are finally selling
    some amigas!
    
    ***flame off***
    
    scott
    

    /FLAME ON
    
    Look, folks, I would not have wasted your time with this question
    if I had not done a little research first.  There are over 4000
    notes on this conference, and I have read them ALL in the past two
    weeks.  I agree this subject is discussed much too often, and I
    have tried everything suggested in past notes.  Obviously none of
    it worked.  I do not remember coming across a reference to CVTARC
    before.  It is possible I did (and I will be properly embarassed
    if someone points to the note where it was mentioned), but I spent
    hours researching before posting my question.
    
    Secondly, as to "look in dbw's account, or in mine, or in lots of
    places", again I always research before bothering people.  After
    the mention of CVTARC, I looked in every account I have ever heard
    of or seen mentioned in this conference.  Everyone has the executable,
    none of them work.  I need the relocatable file which I can link
    on this cluster so it will work for me.  The source code does me
    no good, because the compilers on this system have been deleted.
    Realize, I have had to hear all the discussion on this subject during
    the last 2+ years in less than two weeks, so I am much more sick
    of it than the rest of you.  Please find me an .OBJ file, or an
    .EXE that was linked on VMS 4.2, and everyone will be happy.  I
    realize that most of this stuff can be found on PLINK or any other
    BBS, but I am pushing primarily because if the Fish disks really
    are going to be uploaded, then I want them all and this is a great
    (i.e. cheap) way to get them.
    
    Now if you will excuse me, I must wipe the froth from my lips and
    find a replacement for my melted keyboard.
    
    /FLAME OFF

    A VMS version 4.2 system with the compilers removed (or never
    installed) might be a problem.  I don't remember when VAX C was
    last updated, but if it was after 4.2 (and it may have been, 4.2
    was a long time ago!) then an object file may not do you any good,
    since a recent compiler may be generating calls to C RTL routines
    which are not on your system.
    
    Would it be possible for you to switch to a system that has not
    been neglected?  There is really no excuse for running VMS 4.2
    when 4.5 has been shipping and 4.6 is starting to ship!  If you
    can run on a reasonable system you can use .EXE files that other
    people create.
    
    I just checked ACE::SYS$SHARE for the C RTL.  There is one present,
    but it is about two years older than the one on my system.  It is
    possible that you can use a new .OLB file, but not likely.  Any
    chance you can get your system updated?  Updating it will be a lot
    of work (it's been neglected for a long time) but it will be worth
    the effort in the long run.
        John Sauter

    Update?  HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
    
    Check my entry on 800.??.  I'm just a visitor here.  I asked about
    an update, and received only a pained expression.  No updates...
    
    I suspect I'm rather out in the cold on this.  Pity.  I downloaded
    Kahnankas from PLINK last night.  GREAT demo!, but it took over
    an hour and cost me FIVE WHOLE ENTIRE DOLLARS!  If I had gotten
    it from here, I could have bought 3.7 disks with the money I saved
    (of course, that .7 disk would have been a little tough to use...)
    
    Thanks for trying, though,
    	Andy Humphrey

    Perhaps you should find a better system to visit.  Or, if you want
    a permanent task, volunteer to update it yourself.
        John Sauter