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Date:      Tue, 12 Dec 1995 04:33:04 -0800 (PST)
From:      Donald Burr <d_burr@ix.netcom.com>
To:        FreeBSD Ports <freebsd-ports@freebsd.org>
Cc:        FreeBSD Questions <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
Subject:   Good text-based telcom program?  Working MINICOM?
Message-ID:  <Pine.BSF.3.91.951212042450.13096A-100000@ncc-1701-d>

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I can't believe I'm finding myself pining (no pun intended... see my 
X-Mailer: header if you haven't a clue) for the days of Linux, but it is 
true.  Having only 8 MB of memory and a meagre student's income (WITH 
debts outstanding to boot) isn't very easy, and makes running X a pain in 
the you-know-where.  And when I found that the only comms package in the 
ports directory was "Seyon" -- an X-based one -- I wasn't very happy 
about it.

So I'm finding myself in the need of a good text-based comm program.  
Kermit works, after a fashion, but I really want something with a little 
more "zip" to it (and ease of use, maybe).

In my Linux days, I had trusty old Minicom.  Loved that program.  The 
interface was decent, the dialing directory was cool, and I loved 
auto-start Zmodem downloads.  On a whim, I grabbed the minicom-1.71 
sources from sunsite, and found to my delight that the documentation 
stated that it compiles under FreeBSD.  But I was disappointed to find 
that the program compiled allright, but DID NOT RUN -- it didn't crash or 
anything, but the program just wouldn't communicate with my modem.  In 
that respect, the documentation lies like a rug.

I wasn't easily discouraged, however.  I somehow hacked'n'slashed things 
until I get a working minicom -- the thing dials, I can talk to remote 
BBS's and other systems, I can even upload and download files... but once 
I hang up from said remote system, the program will not send or receive 
data from the modem.  Basically, I can call only ONE system per 
invocation of minicom -- I have to exit and re-run the program to call 
multiple systems.

This is undoubtedly some termios thing, but I simply lack the knowledge 
to correct it.  If anyone's willing to give it a try, I'd be happy to 
send you copies of my current sources (hey, it's even sort-of integrated 
as a "port" -- shouldn't be that difficult to add it to the ports 
collection once it's done)

I've given up (for now) on toying with ECU.  It may be that I'm dense or 
something, but it's just not working for me. [Picture the "this is your 
brain on drugs" commercial, and you'll see what happened to my head as a 
result of this messing-around.]

Donald Burr [d_burr@ix.netcom.com], PO Box 91212, Santa Barbara CA 93190-1212
TEL (805)564-1871 / FAX 564-2315 / WWW http://www.geopages.com/WallStreet/2072
PGP Public Key available by request (send e-mail) or on Public Key Servers.
** Uphold your right to privacy - Use PGP. **




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