Tips for getting Kermit on a Windows PC for file transfers to IMSAI 8080esp working?

[Mark Lawler]

Hello.  I recently completed my High Nibble IMSAI 8080 replica and have been wrestling getting some files transferred over to it given the USB's 115200 default baud rate.  Whereas I can change this on my Altair 8800 replica from a configuration menu, I haven't found anything in the instructions or online to indicate I can do similar on the IMSAI 8080 replica. On the Altair I can knock the baud down to 9600 and use ExtraPutty's XMODEM to transfer files to/from the replica and my Windows PC.  So, I did some research and found a lot of helpful instructions in this group about using Kermit for the IMSAI 8080 instead.  However, trying to get a working ckermit connection between the PC and IMSAI has still proven elusive for me...  

Here is what I've done thus far and where I'm stuck:

I'm on a Windows 10 PC and tried following the instructions I found at https://grantmestrength.github.io/RetroComputerInstructionManual/imsai_kermit.htm. l successfully installed the Windows Subsystem for Linux and then Ubuntu 20.04.  My first issue was ckermit doesn't appear to be in any 20.04 packages yet.  At the step sudo apt install ckermit from within Ubuntu I was getting the error "E: Unable to locate package ckermit".  To get around this I was able to find and install an older version of Ubuntu 18.04 and it's multiverse communications package.  In that version I was able to locate and install ckermit.

On the PC, in Ubuntu 18.04's console I was able to launch ckermit.  I've tried both the "set host * 8080" and "SERVER" commands from the instructions in the above page.  They both say "Waiting to Accept a TCP/IP connetion on port 8080 ..."

On the IMSAI I then launched Kermit from the TTY: window (I've tried from both Putty as well as the IMSAI "desktop" interface).  I issued the commands "set port uc1" and "connect" with no issue.  My issue is when I try to "dial" kermit running on my PC.  I've tried "ATD172.29.176.1:8080" (the IP address for my Ethernet adapter vEthernet (WSL)) as well as "ATD192.168.0.175:8080" the IP address for my Windows PC.  In both cases Kermit on the IMSAI responds with the error "NO ANSWER".  I've turned off my anti-virus.  Same issue.

Any pointers?  Seems like a lot of folks have gotten this to work so I must not be holding my jaw correctly... (saying my old man used to say when working on cars and things didn't go as planned as he fiddled with a bolt he couldn't put his eyes on and went by feel instead).

Thanks!  Appreciate the pointers.

Best,

-Mark

[TheHighNibble]

Couple of things:

First: the kermit command I use on the PC side is "set host /server * 8080" which does it all in one command.

Second: the networking problem is with how WSL has its own network within the Windows 10 host. You'll see the two IP addresses you have there are very different. I'd assume your home network and the one the IMSAI8080esp is on is the 192.168.1.nnn network. So the IMSAI can only see things on that network and can't see the WSL network which is 172.29.176.nnn

If this were some other VM environment I'd suggest running the guest OS in network bridge mode which puts it on the same network as the host OS.

A quick Google didn't give a solid answer that this can be done with WSL (2), you'll have to do some more research.

[John Kennedy]

As part of my day job, I work with the WSL folks. If you have a specific question you would like to pass on, I can do that.

[Tom Lake]

It's great that we no longer need an external X-server to run GUI apps in WSL2! How about asking them if we're ever going to get support for serial ports?

[Mark Lawler]

Thanks guys!  Appreciate the pointers and the offer to answer questions.  As pointed out, there was still much configuration work to do on the WSL/Ubunto side of the house on my Windows PC before any device would be able to see Kermit server running on the PC within WSL.  3 great YouTube videos by David Bombal, starting with "WSL 2 Networking" over at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCK3easuYm4 held my hand every step of the way (this video lead me to 2 more of his videos mid stream, but following the rabbit hole was worth it).  In short I was able to set up my Ubunto 18.04 within WSL to be accessible from another device on my network.  His video has you setting up and testing this using Remote Desktop Connection from another laptop on your network to the Ubunto/WSL virtual device to ensure everything is indeed set up correctly.  He also included the required netsh commands to ensure the appropriate port forwarding from the PC to the Ubunto/WSL instance...  

So, long story short, I think I have the PC/WSL/Ubunto side of things figured out and configured properly (I think).  Now I have to try Kermit again after I punch through the rest of my wife's honey-do list first. 

Best,

-mark

[Bill O'Neill]

I might be in lala land here, but why not run Kermit directly in Windows?  Why add the extra layers of WSL and Ubuntu?

[Richard Deane]

You can use k95 public one version; after k95 ceased release and went open source some features disappeared due to licensing restrictions.  Guy in New Zealand reworked to get the rest working. Fine if you want retro serial, but I think dialling and encryption are missing. 

Richard 

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