Need some pointers on how to use KERMIT with a SC126 (Also authoring LBR archives on modern platforms)

[Mx Argent]

Howdy! So, my kitbuild of a SC126 has gone well. I'm at a point where I want to transfer files faster than doing things one file at a time with FAT. Using what documentation exists I've got KERMIT 4.11 built in both CP/M 2.2 with IOBYTE (CPSKER,CPVGEN) and CP/M 3 (CPSKER,CPVCP3) varieties, but I'm running into some issues with both.

Using the 2.2 build, I can get the SC126 and my main machine talking via connect using UC1 under CP/M 3.0 and 2.2, but all my file transfers seem to fail for reasons neither machine has much to say about. Currently running at 115200 (can't lower the speed) with no parity, no flow control, and i'm in binary mode - about the same as I've used with other CP/M machines in the past, the higher baud rate aside.

Using the 3.0 build, I actually can't seem to select a port. 

Anyone have a quick clue to get me looking in the right direction? Also, as an aside, anyone able to point me to a utility for modern platforms I could use to create .lbr files just in case the "single file" approach works best? Thank you!

[Steve Clarke]

Hi,

I have an SC130 running CP/M 3.0 from ROMWBW 3.5.1. Send files via Kermit from my Linux desktop is my primary transfer method. The second serial port on the SC130 has no flow control, therefore 115200 seemingly isn't possible for my configuration. I'm assuming the SC126 has the same limitation? Anyway....

So, on the SC130 my session looks like this -

A> mode com1 38400

   COM1:  38400,N,8,1

A> device aux:=com1

Physical Devices

I=Input, O=Output, S=Serial, X=Xon-Xoff

COM0    NONE    IOS     COM1    NONE    IOS 

Current Assignments:

CONIN:    = COM0

CONOUT:   = COM0

AUXIN:    = COM1

AUXOUT:   = COM1

LST:        = Null Device

A> kercpm3

Kermit-80 v4.11 configured for Generic CP/M-80 v3 with VT100

For Help, type ? at any point in a command

Kermit-80   0A >set flow off

Kermit-80   0A> receive

On my Linux Desktop

[s*****@*******te ~]$ ckermit
C-Kermit 9.0.302 OPEN SOURCE:, 20 Aug 2011, for Linux (64-bit)
 Copyright (C) 1985, 2011,
  Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York.
Type ? or HELP for help.

(/home/s*****/) C-Kermit>set line /dev/ttyUSB0

(/home/s*****/) C-Kermit>set modem none

(/home/s*****/) C-Kermit>set speed 38400

(/home/s*****/) C-Kermit>set carrier-watch off

(/home/s*****/) C-Kermit>binary

(/home/s*****/) C-Kermit>send testfile.bin

I hope any of this is helpful.

S.

[Richard Deane]

Some comments about Kermit from cpm to pc

1. On romwbw you can easily tweak and rebuild such that the console swaps ports A & B so that the comm port has hardware handshake and the console doesn't. This makes the console go to the other port.

2. You cannot use kermit across the active console stream.

3. You may need to force binary protocol for the file transfers.

4. I have SC126 and have used it with Kermit.

5. The  Kermit  on Linux doesn't do terminal emulations, but the new beta version of the Windows Kermit will do useful terminal emulations for those occasions when xterm/vt100 from a cpp  app is not available.

6. Drop the baud rate down to 38400 using mode command.

for LBR  try github/ogdenpm/mlbr and  github/ogdenpm/mklbr

cheers

Richard

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[Mx Argent]

Oh, so there's a MS-DOS MODE workalike included in RomWBW! I was trying to go through set port as usual with the CP/M 3 build and was wondering why I was just getting (not implemented). Should the "device" program be included with the RomWBW build of CP/M 3? Looks like it's not on the ROMdisk.

[Wayne Warthen]

On Thursday, December 25, 2025 at 8:13:50 AM UTC-10 Mx Argent wrote:

Oh, so there's a MS-DOS MODE workalike included in RomWBW! I was trying to go through set port as usual with the CP/M 3 build and was wondering why I was just getting (not implemented).

Yes, the RomWBW MODE command is the RomWBW-specific way to manage serial ports.  It is loosely based on MS-DOS, but not as versatile.  Mostly just allows changing baud rates on the fly.  The CP/M 3 DEVICE command does not allow changing baud rates in the RomWBW port because it does not support modern (higher) baud rates.  Someday, I intend to modify the CP/M 3 DEVICE command to work well with RomWBW, but it is a low priority since the MODE command works fine and supports all of the RomWBW OSes.

 

Should the "device" program be included with the RomWBW build of CP/M 3? Looks like it's not on the ROMdisk.

The ROM disk is based on CP/M 2 and ZSDOS.  So, the CP/M 3 components are not included there.  The ROM disk is tailored to CP/M 3 (and ZSDOS) due to size constraints.  Using the other OSes is intended to be done via disk boot.  So, I don't include the CP/M 3-specific DEVICE command on the ROM disk.  Of course, the MODE command is included on the ROM disk.

Thanks, Wayne 

[Mx Argent]

I see! I misunderstood how things worked to here; Ended up grabbing DEVICE from the RomWBW source and getting confused when it told me I wasn't running CP/M 3. All these years and I thought ZSDOS was a CP/M 3.0 derivative! I'm gonna have to try 3.0 on the 126 at some point.

Anyhow, knowing MODE was a thing was all I needed - I've been piping files over just fine from here. Thank you!