• New software

    From fridtjof.martin.weigel@gmail.com@21:1/5 to All on Sun Jul 4 11:25:54 2021
    I released am9511 for testing a week ago. Working on the testing,
    and waiting for other test results...

    So, Happy July 4 my American Friends! I have uploaded a
    small update to my la36 terminal emulator.

    https://github.com/ratboy666/la36

    Not a big update -- just display the compiled-in resolution and
    add a -7 strip high bit option (noticed with Microsoft MBASIC --
    the FILES command sets the high bit of the last character of
    each extension).

    Added a very simple hayes modem emulator. This uses
    telnet and ssh (and possibly nc) to actually make the connection,
    so it is very simple and flexible.

    https://github.com/ratboy666/hayes

    Fred Weigel

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  • From dott.Piergiorgio@21:1/5 to fridtjof.ma...@gmail.com on Mon Jul 5 13:30:11 2021
    On 04/07/21 20:25, fridtjof.ma...@gmail.com wrote:

    Added a very simple hayes modem emulator. This uses
    telnet and ssh (and possibly nc) to actually make the connection,
    so it is very simple and flexible.

    https://github.com/ratboy666/hayes

    Seems interesting, esp. if you can extend it to handle ftp, esp. from
    localhost (easing the transfer of files between disk image formats (not
    only from CP/M; I have already my headaches in porting .txts & sources
    between various 8 and 16 bit machine emulators...)

    (back in 1980s, serial cable transfer was a sound alternative to the 8"
    SSSD "minimum common denominator", and the only viable option between
    many machines (CBM 8 bits, for example; serial cable is the only way for preserving those GCR-format disks)

    I'll look on its source and do some testing... but no forking, perhaps
    I'll send you suggestions.

    Best regards from Italy,
    dott. Piergiorgio.

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  • From fridtjof.martin.weigel@gmail.com@21:1/5 to dott.Piergiorgio on Mon Jul 5 06:52:55 2021
    On Monday, July 5, 2021 at 7:30:12 AM UTC-4, dott.Piergiorgio wrote:
    On 04/07/21 20:25, fridtjof.ma...@gmail.com wrote:

    Added a very simple hayes modem emulator. This uses
    telnet and ssh (and possibly nc) to actually make the connection,
    so it is very simple and flexible.

    https://github.com/ratboy666/hayes
    Seems interesting, esp. if you can extend it to handle ftp, esp. from localhost (easing the transfer of files between disk image formats (not
    only from CP/M; I have already my headaches in porting .txts & sources between various 8 and 16 bit machine emulators...)

    (back in 1980s, serial cable transfer was a sound alternative to the 8"
    SSSD "minimum common denominator", and the only viable option between
    many machines (CBM 8 bits, for example; serial cable is the only way for preserving those GCR-format disks)

    I'll look on its source and do some testing... but no forking, perhaps
    I'll send you suggestions.

    Best regards from Italy,
    dott. Piergiorgio.
    dott. Piergiorgio

    Fixed a bug with +++ handling, so just updated.

    But... What you want is more of a "reverse ftp". On Linux, simply capturing a file is reliable,
    and dumping to a serial port is easy. ftp does NOT give flow control; ftp relies on the underlying
    tcp/ip transport. I would use the "la36" program in my github. That has tape capture/play.
    Use "unload" to convert file to hex, type it, while capturing. Use la36 with "characters per second"
    set to 10, 15 (pick what works) to feed the file to another system. Use serial (I use USB serial
    adaptors).

    That is what I wrote la36 for. https://github.com/ratboy666/la36

    la36 is an emulation of a printing terminal, with manual or automatic paper tape handling.
    It does cool overstrike emulation (overstrike with '_' does underlining, with self does bolding, etc.)
    And it does audio as it is "printing". But, the tape handling is what you would be looking for.

    hayes just connects a linux terminal to stdin/stdout of a program, with hayes commands and in-band
    signaling. If connected to telnet, does telnet, ssh, does ssh, gwsocket, does websockets.

    The idea is that hayes can be connected to a serial port, that is connected to an Altair-Duino (etc).
    The Altair-Duino can then use hayes modem commands to communicate with other systems!

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    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From fridtjof.martin.weigel@gmail.com@21:1/5 to dott.Piergiorgio on Mon Jul 5 15:18:31 2021
    On Monday, July 5, 2021 at 7:30:12 AM UTC-4, dott.Piergiorgio wrote:
    On 04/07/21 20:25, fridtjof.ma...@gmail.com wrote:

    Added a very simple hayes modem emulator. This uses
    telnet and ssh (and possibly nc) to actually make the connection,
    so it is very simple and flexible.

    https://github.com/ratboy666/hayes
    Seems interesting, esp. if you can extend it to handle ftp, esp. from localhost (easing the transfer of files between disk image formats (not
    only from CP/M; I have already my headaches in porting .txts & sources between various 8 and 16 bit machine emulators...)

    (back in 1980s, serial cable transfer was a sound alternative to the 8"
    SSSD "minimum common denominator", and the only viable option between
    many machines (CBM 8 bits, for example; serial cable is the only way for preserving those GCR-format disks)

    I'll look on its source and do some testing... but no forking, perhaps
    I'll send you suggestions.

    Best regards from Italy,
    dott. Piergiorgio.

    Not you desired ftp -- but, because "hayes" interfaces to arbitrary programs -- try this:

    Plug in the serial port of the Altair to a serial port on a linux machine.

    On the linux box:

    # Make sure that we have echo, editing etc.
    stty -F /dev/ttyUSB1 sane
    hayes -t /dev/ttyUSB1

    -- Now, on the Altair (we use MDM740 for example reasons):

    MDM7

    MDM740 modem pgm (type M for Menu)
    Copyright (c) 1984 - Irvin M. Hoff
    ALTAIR SIO

    COMMAND: T

    AT
    OK
    ATDT sqlite3
    CONNECT
    SQLite version 3.34.1 2021-01-20 14:10:07
    Enter ".help" for usage hints.
    Connected to a transient in-memory database.
    Use ".open FILENAME" to reopen on a persistent database.
    sqlite>

    And now, sqlite3 SQL database is available -- TO THE ALTAIR! Now, the communication channel I
    am using is currently 9600 baud, but this is limited to whatever can be achieved (I would not go much higher).
    Now, the complete connection, exchange and finally exit can be automated FROM THE ALTAIR

    sqlite>.exit
    NO CARRIER
    OK

    As we can see, hayes is useful for more than just telnet or ssh.

    ATDTbash

    will bring up a bash shell. If your application has "lost control", send the <delay 0.5>+++<delay 0.5> in-band sequence, then ATH<return> That should hang up and return you to modem command mode ATZ<return> to reset, and ATDT next... to
    continue on.

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    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From fridtjof.martin.weigel@gmail.com@21:1/5 to fridtjof.ma...@gmail.com on Wed Jul 7 20:24:30 2021
    On Monday, July 5, 2021 at 6:18:32 PM UTC-4, fridtjof.ma...@gmail.com wrote:
    On Monday, July 5, 2021 at 7:30:12 AM UTC-4, dott.Piergiorgio wrote:
    On 04/07/21 20:25, fridtjof.ma...@gmail.com wrote:

    Added a very simple hayes modem emulator. This uses
    telnet and ssh (and possibly nc) to actually make the connection,
    so it is very simple and flexible.

    https://github.com/ratboy666/hayes
    Seems interesting, esp. if you can extend it to handle ftp, esp. from localhost (easing the transfer of files between disk image formats (not only from CP/M; I have already my headaches in porting .txts & sources between various 8 and 16 bit machine emulators...)

    (back in 1980s, serial cable transfer was a sound alternative to the 8" SSSD "minimum common denominator", and the only viable option between
    many machines (CBM 8 bits, for example; serial cable is the only way for preserving those GCR-format disks)

    I'll look on its source and do some testing... but no forking, perhaps I'll send you suggestions.

    Best regards from Italy,
    dott. Piergiorgio.
    Not you desired ftp -- but, because "hayes" interfaces to arbitrary programs -- try this:

    Plug in the serial port of the Altair to a serial port on a linux machine.

    On the linux box:

    # Make sure that we have echo, editing etc.
    stty -F /dev/ttyUSB1 sane
    hayes -t /dev/ttyUSB1

    -- Now, on the Altair (we use MDM740 for example reasons):

    MDM7

    MDM740 modem pgm (type M for Menu)
    Copyright (c) 1984 - Irvin M. Hoff
    ALTAIR SIO

    COMMAND: T

    AT
    OK
    ATDT sqlite3
    CONNECT
    SQLite version 3.34.1 2021-01-20 14:10:07
    Enter ".help" for usage hints.
    Connected to a transient in-memory database.
    Use ".open FILENAME" to reopen on a persistent database.
    sqlite>

    And now, sqlite3 SQL database is available -- TO THE ALTAIR! Now, the communication channel I
    am using is currently 9600 baud, but this is limited to whatever can be achieved (I would not go much higher).
    Now, the complete connection, exchange and finally exit can be automated FROM THE ALTAIR

    sqlite>.exit
    NO CARRIER
    OK

    As we can see, hayes is useful for more than just telnet or ssh.

    ATDTbash

    will bring up a bash shell. If your application has "lost control", send the <delay 0.5>+++<delay 0.5> in-band sequence, then ATH<return> That should hang up and return you to modem command mode ATZ<return> to reset, and ATDT next... to
    continue on.
    Updated hayes:

    https://github.com/ratboy666/hayes

    1 - now works with MDM740.COM (included the overlay I use - m7sio.asm: which supports Altair SIO at 0/1, and Hayes smartmodem). MDM740 eats all characters until the line is quiet for 100ms (or so). hayes was MUCH faster... Now, there is a 1 second delay
    before sending CONNECT.

    2 - support (ignore) ATM -- volume has no meaning here

    3 - support MDM740.COM dialing directory number 1-111-111-0001 calls script 11111110001 which sleeps
    for 2 seconds, then calls ssh. A bit of a race, but it works very well. MDM740.COM does not need any further
    patching (numeric codes translated to scripts which actually do the work is fine).

    The delays can be tightened up -- the 1 second before CONNECT could be reduced to 200ms, and then the
    2 second sleep in 11111110001 could be reduced to 1 second.... I will only do this if someone needs it.
    Could also implement ATDP to connect with NO delay...I would want some "real world experience" and
    testing first.

    Comments, suggestions, change requests welcome.

    Fred Weigel

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