Chapter 9

FILE TRANSFERS USING KERMIT PROTOCOL

Kermit is a very popular dialup communication program developed by University of Columbia. In large part it is used as a file transfer protocol and is ported on just about any platform.

In your case, you can use it for uploading a file from your PC to VSNL and vice versa. In datacom terminology, when you are sending a file to VSNL you are uploading. In this case, the VSNL server or host computer is receiving the file. When you are receiving a file from VSNL, you are downloading, and VSNL's server is sending the file to your PC.

9.1 SENDING FILES TO VSNL

If you want to transfer files to VSNL, either text or binary files, you could use C-KERMIT to accomplish that. From the First Menu select option "5" and you will have the C-Kermit> prompt. At this prompt, type "receive". Then return back to your PC, and activate sending the file by using the kermit command. In case of Telix and Procomm Plus you can use <PgUp> key and select Kermit as the protocol to upload the file. The communication software will then ask for the name of the file to be sent. Give the full path and filename and press <Enter> and the transfer process will commence.

When the transfer is over, the software will inform you.

Now the file you uploaded is in your account at VSNL and you can use it for either reading into Pine if it is a text file or attaching to an Email message in Pine, if it is binary.

9.2 RECEVING FILES FROM VSNL

Suppose you want to receive a file from VSNL which you have downloaded by FTP or by Lynx to your account. Enter C-Kermit, and at the prompt, issue the command:

send filename

At this point return to your computer. If you have made connection via Telix or Procomm Plus, press the <PgDn> key and select Kermit to be the file transfer protocol. As soon as you select Kermit the file transfer process will commence and you will have the file on your computer in the download directory, which by default usually is the Telix or Procomm Plus directory.

9.3 SERVER MODE OF FILE TRANSFER TO AND FROM VSNL

In some ways it is preferable to issue the commands to send and receive the files from your computer software, and then to issue the commands at the server as you have done in the above two examples. This can be done by putting C-Kermit in the server mode. To do this, issue the command:

C-Kermit> server

at the C-Kermit prompt. Then, in case of Procomm Plus, you can press Alt-K and get into the Kermit server command mode. This has four options:

1) get 3) finish

2) send 4) logout

If you choose the "get" command, it will ask you for the filename to get from the server, which may be sitting in your account. After you give the filename it will start the transfer process and bring the file to your computer.

If you choose "send", then it will ask for the filename to send. Give the full path of the file, and the Kermit server will transfer the file from your computer to your VSNL account.

After you finish this process choose 3 to finish and get back to C-Kermit prompt. In case of VSNL the option 4 does not work as you cannot logout from C-Kermit prompt directly. You have to logout via option 10 of the First Menu, instead.

NOTE.

Kermit file transfers are slow and should be used only if no other option is available.

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