Moving files to NT

[Greg Seeger]

I have a client who is migrating from Xenix to NT. He needs to transfer a
number of large files from the Xenix machine to the NT server.

Does anyone know of a way to do this, other than by using floppies? Is
there any "lap-link" type software that could accomplish this?

I am open to most any ideas, so all would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Greg

[Brian K. White]

use a linux boot floppy that has PLIP, and sysv fs, and vfat fs support
in the kernel, make a PLIP cable from the directions in the PLIP-how-to
(buy a cheap $6 25 pin male-male straight through cable, the cheaper
ones have plastic housings on the ends that can be popped open,
re-wired, and snapped back shut)
linux can read/write both xenix and vfat file systems. ntfs I'm not sure
on at the moment, but NT can certainly read a msdos or vfat filesystem,
and linux can copy it to that.

boot both machines to copies of the same floppy, connect the parrallel
ports with the PLIP cable
(PLIP even uses *standard* lp ports, not EPP), run ifconfig on each
machine to get them talking to each other and away you go, or, skip the
PLIP, install the xenix drive in the NT machine, and boot it to the
linux floppy, and copy directly, no networking needed.

For a small fee, I will even offer to make up the linux floppies and the
plip cable, and ship them
with startup scripts on the floppies that should have the two machines
talking to each other for you.
:)

you'd have to execute mount commands on both machines to get the hard
drives recognized, unless you can tell me in enough details of each
machines adapter hardware / partition arrangements, for me to set the
floppy up
to already know how to talk to the drives. Then you'd use ftp (or
midnight commander if I can fit it on the floppy) to transfer the files
at approximately 20kbytes/sec much faster than serial, slower than
ethernet

actually, I think NT might have "direct Cable Connection" support using
parallel ports that is compatible with PLIP. so you might be able to
just run linux on the xenix box, and NT on the nt box, and use NT's gui
tools to do the file transfer instead of ftp in linux. but then you'd
have to know how to get NT's plip working and assign the addresses
etc... I don't, but I do for linux.

or, kermit is available, free download, for xenix. right up to and
including the very latest beta release.
I have downloaded and run it myself. then you can do it through serial
port. *blech*

I would think that just installing a $13 ethernet card in the xenix
machine just for linux to do the transfer with would not be too crazy,
but then too, why not just move the drive to the NT box temporarily in
that case.

If it's a case where the xenix box cannot be shut down and incapacitated
while running on a linux floppy for several hours, then kermit is
probably the best way, but *slow* ... at least try setting the port to
be used to "EXTB" speed which should be 38400 baud, and use a full null
modem cable so you can use rts/cts and turn off xon/xoff for some more
speed.

if the xenix box happens to have a digiboard installed, there is a good
chance you can also set an option called 'fastbaud' with a program
called 'ditty' for any of the digi ports, and then if you set that port
to 50 or 110 baud via /etc/ttys and /etc/gettydefs it will really run at
56,700 or 115,200 . the digiboard can handle the speed if the option is
available, and the NT machine should have 16550 uarts plus more than
adequate CPU, so it should too.

sample config on Xenix side for high speed serial, assuming you have a
digiboard:

first, have a null modem serial cable that really transmits & receives
the rts & cts lines, not one that just jumpers them together.

on the xenix box:
in /etc/ttys :
assuming you are using the first digi port (you have to use one of the
digi ports for the high speed thing)

find the line with 1mttyi1a or 1mttya01 (these are two ways i've seen
the digiboard driver name it's ports)
the m might be some other letter or number, and the first 1 might be a
zero. for the a there will be both a capitalized and a lower case
version of the line, make sure the capitolized version's first character
is 0 not 1, and make the lower case version start with 1. replace the m
with a for 57,600 or c for 115,200 baud.

result looks like

1cttyi1a
0mttyi1A
or
1cttya01
0mttyA01

for other ports on the board either count up the alphabet for this
naming convention:
ttyi1a ttyi1b ttyi1c the 1 means board number 1, and the letter is the
port number on that board
or
count up the number for this naming convention:
ttya01 ttya02 ttya03 the a is the board number, the number is the port
number on it.

it depends on the model of digiboard and version of the driver which way
is used.

then, in /etc/rc.d/8/userdef
add:
echo "Setting Digiboard tty and Digiprint options..."
ditty forcedcd fastcook fastbaud rtspace ctspace ttyi1a

then reboot the xenix box and test the reliability of the port at the
new high speed however you please.
set the port settings on the NT box to match of course,
software/xon/xoff off hardware/rts/cts on, etc...

might have to back down to 57,600 might also try running the comm
program on the NT box booted to dos.
I have problems with high speed serial in windows 95, but it's fine in
dos on the same machine.

--
Brian~