Help request on a UnixPC 7300

[Ben Scott]

Howdy, all.  I'm a proud new owner of a 40meg UnixPC 7300 who is having some
problems getting up and running.  I have been talking to the guy who sold it
to me but he is not able to help on all questions, and also he is not able
to answer mail right away so it's taking a while to get things straightened
out.  First note that I do not yet get any of the "unix-pc" groups, just
comp.sys.att - I could ask for the unix-pc groups but the reorganization is
so close I figure it'd be simpler to wait.  So Email or comp.sys.att posts
would be best.  Also, I do not YET have all the manuals for the machine, so
"RTFM" replies are understandable but not really helpful...

First question:  I need a good book, not quite at the introductory level
necessarily (I do have SOME experience with Unix; I can manipulate files and
understand a few simple commands), but I would like a good comprehensive
Unix tutorial which is relevant to SVR2.  I have found many books in the
bookstores but all are more recent, i.e. SVR3 and up.  I can special-order
just about anything, but I need some titles to look for.  

Second, I'm having serious problems connecting to the outside world in any
way, or at least I did until recently.  An ordinary null-modem cable which
has worked between two Amigas does not seem to work between an Amiga and a
UnixPC.  Nor can I get a login: prompt on an ADM-3a hooked up to the serial
port.  I'm as sure as I can be that inittab is set up properly and that
there are gettys running, and that the baud rates and everything match.  I
got some weird (to me) results when running certain tests on the devices,
but apparently nothing indicative of serious trouble after all.  Last night,
I had the machine hooked up to the phone line to run the dialer test and got
a call, which I found out later the UnixPC answered.  I had the person call
back at 1200 baud and she reported that it sent a Login: prompt, so
apparently at least the modem works.  My questions here:  Do I need a
special nullmodem cable to get a connection going?  And does anyone have 
any ideas on how to fool the modem into thinking I'm calling in locally, or
is there some way to get it to pick up the line without a ring?  How do I
turn off the autoanswer function so I can leave it hooked up to the phone
line?   Is there some kind of Unix terminal program-equivalent I could use?
Geez, I feel ignorant...  

I need SOME way to transfer files over, at any speed.  I have FTP'd a lot of
stuff from the OSU site, plus other things such as Zmodem, but they're no
good to me on Amiga disks.  Once I get hooked up I can figure out the rest. 

My main reasons for getting this machine were to learn about Unix at home,
and to run a UUCP node.  I used to run a node with AmigaUUCP, but it died
for no apparent reason shortly after I got my domain name registered.
Anyway, I'll obviously be needing some book or help on setting up a Usenet
feed (I'll be feeding another site if possible) - I DO have "rn" and a
source for news and mail.

.                            <<<<Infinite K>>>>
-- 
|Ben Scott, professional goof-off and consultant at The Raster Image, Denver|
|FIDO point address 1:104/421.2, bscott at isis.cs.du.edu, or BBS (303)424-9831| 
|"Spent 4 hours burying the cat!"  "Four || The Raster Image IS responsible |
| hours?!?"  "It wouldn't keep still..." || for everything I say! | *Amiga* |