Tech quest A-H (Hope to get AHA !).. Challenges

[Gerard van Draanen]

Hello All,
Please excuse for the somewhat lengthy posting, but I think the items I'm 
about to cover will prove to be somewhat inter-related. That's why I've opted
to set out a list of things (A..H) instead of a single-topic article

We at Stork are experiencing a couple of problems in the SCO arena,
and would very much appriciate any further help on one of the items
from a broad spectrum of users.
With only small amount of staff, and them basically working at our
applications, we hope to find some help with our problems.
(Courses tell us we actually should be preferrably talking about CHALLENGES)

Surely... ther'se somebody out there who has tackled (some of) the
problems and is willing to help the needy. (or is that needing/needie)


General information....

We're running SCO Xenix 2.3.3  (2.3.2 + UFJ maint disk) on a couple of machines
Development computer is a 33 MHz, 8MB, 320 MB 386 Computer with ISA bus
connected to this we have a number of PC's (through Specialix Multi I/O)

'Field' develompment is done on Toshiba 5200/100 (25? MHz, 4MB, 100 MB 386)

'Customer site'      is (usually) a 25 MHz, 4MB, 100 MB 386 ISA computer
connected to this are the terminals and machine PLCs (through Computone SI16)

Modems used for the connections between sites are
 2400 bd 'Tornado' (Hayes compatible) for nlnet, and 'slow' home workers
19200 bd 'HST Courier' (actually 14k4, but 19k2 is connect speed) for some
         faster home workers, and the 'Field' development Toshiba
38400 bd 'Ven-Tel 9600 Plus II' V32,V42bis,MNP5/LAPM for connection to
         our 'Field' machines.

We're develloping Technical Automation applications for our field installed
Bottling and Packaging machinery. Thus enabling 'Remote Support' and a
Maintenance and Operator Information System.
We're controlling the work from our central site, and distributing new versions
of sofware from there. Also we're performing field tests on our machinery
through the Development computer (this connects us to the field systems
via dial-up lines.)

The challenges we face are in the following areas:

A) Serial lines.. COM3/COM4 ??
==============================
On the Toshiba's we use one of the slots for a builtin 2400bd modem, accessed
through COM1 (with corresponding irq etc).
The Toshiba also has 2 serial ports already built in, and though its system
configurations allows you to let COM1/COM3 (with irq 5) to be swithced around.

?????????
Is there ANY way to be using COM3/COM4 on SCO ??
(This would also be very 'handy' in smaller applications where a Multi I/O
board is not really needed).
I'm even willing to exchange the possibility of a 2nd Paralell card
(its Interrupt handling etc) for sake of getting COM3/COM4.
As of now.. no succes yet.

B) Modem flow control
=====================
I've had a lot of communication about XON/XOFF and RTS/CTS flow control, and
have been testing a lot, but possibly not the right combination.
The problem is that because of MNP5/V42bis we now can get as many as
8k/sec coming in at the COM port. This is too much for the 33 MHz system
to keep up with so we do need (preferrably hardware) flow control.
CTSFLOW in SCO ensures a way for the modem to yell 'stop it' when the
        computer sends too much to it.... this works.
RTSFLOW however.. in SCO ... as far as I can see is used as the conventional
        'I would like to send you something.. are you ready for it' from the
        computer to the modem (like it's been in use for synchronous lines).
        There is however no real possibility as far as I can see to use the
        RTS line as a kind of 'throttle' for asynchonous lines.
        The equivalent of
        'You are still allowed to send.. My buffers are not nearly full yet'
        also from computer to modem
IXON/IXOFF will allow some flow control
        IXON... computer reacts on received stop character
        IXOFF.. computer will send STOP when buffer full
termio(M) says that RTSFLOW/CTSFLOW and IXON/IXOFF should be used together
        but then the release notes on 2.3.2 say that this is incorrect...
        further confusing things by also stating that the c_cflag, not the
        c_iflag should be used, and talking about CTRSFLOW (yes CTRSFLOW)

computone tech support tells me it's the other way around.. mutually exclusive
        use of either RTSFLOW/CTSFLOW or IXON/IXOFF.... but I don't believe them

also... what are the standard settings when a port is opened

I have the HST modems running using a combination of
        -IXON IXOFF CTSFLOW as initial setting in /etc/gettydefs
        IXON IXOFF  CTSFLOW as final   setting in /etc/gettydefs
        have (amongs other settings) &H1&I5&K1&M4&N0&R2&S0 in the HST modem
This works fine for cu and ct sessions.. allowing the modem's ARQ to correct
any transmission errors on the way.
However... uucp (as a command) will not work properly....
           nor will a uucp transmission to nluug be properly handled.

I could only use IXON/IXOFF (for the moment) on my Ven-Tel modems too, but again
I'm experiencing problems when uucp'ing files.
Note however that a cu sessions works just fine... no problems.

So... for all my fancy equipment... I'm still stuck with
- Only partial functionality on high speed inter-unix connections
- An nluug that doesn't have V32 but 'Trailblazer'.... thus only 2400 bd connect
- Indecisive feelings about 'the way it should be'.
- IXON/IXOFF disturbing me when I want to transmit 8bit ASCII text
  (have to uuencode/uudecode always ??)

?????????
Can anyone help me out with the proper settings for computer + modem
(plus possibly cabling).

C) uucico/cu differences
========================
Note the above... There seems to be a difference in uucp calling out
(not using settings in gettydefs) as compared to somebody calling in.
The HDB uucp in SCO has no longer any need for ungetty, but I'm not too
sure I like IT's way of opening the port.
Probably I'll need to set different port setting though a DialHST executable
instead of being able to use the much nicer possibility of the Chat in
Dialers.
Also.. I noted that the settings from gettydefs only come into effect
just AFTER  .....login:  's input.
i.e. when init goes to getty?
The effect of this is that you end up with a 'dead' (non responding) system
just AFTER you gave an answer to the login prompt.
(assuming "incorrect" entry in gettydefs)

?????????
Does anyone already have a DialHST or DialVTel... are there alternatives...
how come cu/ct works but uucico/uucp does not....or in the case of HST starts
out fine but after a couple of k's we get transmission window errors->alarm1..10

Is there some further documentation on de debug info from uucico ?

D) International characters
===========================
Because of our Applications running in multiple countries we are ofter faced
with the need to type country-specific characters into a text.
Under MS-DOS there's the possibility to use the Alt key, and then type in the
(IBM Codepage 437 or 850) extended ascii code number.
Is there an equivalent for this under SCO or are we restricted to learning
the keyboard mapping by hart (or map keyboard according to some other country's
layout and hoping the same scan-codes will appear)

?????????
Anyways..Is there an easy way to know what keypress will do Alt-1-7-9 etc. ?

E) Reading (nlnet) distribution tapes
=====================================
Our tape backup medium is a maynstream 60 (60 MB) tape drive
BUT it uses the kind of tapes that looks a lot like the audio tape...
NOT the QIC tapes with the metal back.
It will 'understand' all the Xenix tape commands perfectly though, and
uses the same media we use for the PC backups (Interpreter TapeXchange)
which is one of the reasons we opted for it.

We also have the QIC tapes, but THEY are sitting on a HP3000... and IT will
TEAR APART MY DISTRIBUTION TAPE ON FIRST TRY.
This I'm told is due to the media incompatibility of HP.. it expects
pre-formatted HP tapes (possibly also needing index or start of tape hole)

We also have the 9" tapes, but THEY are sitting on an IBM AS/400....and IT will
not know what do do with, or how to read my tape (tar cB 1600).
Even if it could (using some form of RAW tape i/o) how do I properly transport
it from the IBM memory or disk to my SCO environment

?????????
Am I best of with buying another...
Are there possibilities to read the tape under HP3000 HP/UX
How to read the tapes on an AS/400 (spare me some time)

F) Possible connections to HP3000 and IBM's AS/400
Just a question here.. No frustrations gathered yet.
When I would like to do
-Unix (possibly TCP/IP) connection to HP3000
-Terminal support to AS/400
 Up/Download with AS/400      (a la PC Support 36)

?????????
What are the packages and hardware that 'the community' would like to propose?

G) DOS4.0 (but <32 Mb) partion reachable from SCO
=================================================
The Toshiba machines come (as a standard) with MS-DOS 4.01
Possibly some specials are in here to support
the hardware switch on the side (Par port used as LPT: A: or B: with ext. drive)
VGA plasma screen... Mode command
anyways...

It was clear from the beginning that the machines would be
primarily running SCO Xenix, but would need a dos partition for 'Other work'.
Thus I partitioned the hard disk to give 30 MB to Dos (4.01) and the rest is
(now) used to run SCO Xenix.

I would hesitate to put DOS 3.3. on the Dos partition as I would forsee
lots of problems with the software already residing now on the DOS partition.

SCO Xenix 2.3.3 will NOT recocnize the DOS partition (DOS fdisk WILL know XENIX)
              , will not allow it to boot with 'dos'
and VP/ix 1.2   will NOT be able to use data on the DOS partition.

For the BOOT problem I've recently seen and implemented a solution
(recent article in ....xenix.sco newsgroup). This works fine now.
HOWEVER I'm still confined to tranfer via floppy / uploading to other Xenix
system when I would actually try to transfer some of the information to
the Xenix environment on the same Toshiba 5200.

?????????
Has anyone got a better solution for me
Are updates available...where...how

H) nroff, troff supporting LaserJet
===================================
Currently the troff (as far as I know) only supports the Imagen
(nobody knows what this is..where to buy one..how costly it is)
no support for the (seemingly at least) equally capable HP LaserJet.

?????????
Does anyone know how to support the possibilities in printing using
a HP (or HP Emulation... it seems to be the most common in low end laser print)


Anyways...
This has come up as quite a list of challenges.
I would very much appriciate to get some help in finding solutions for these.
Instead of posting them one by one, I've opted for making a list of it and
posting just once (mabye to a couple of newsgroups).
Since no long-running experience is available here on the
respons of the newsgroup system I'm very anxious to see what the
results of my quest of answers will be.

Thanks in advance,
Gerard.

Possible answers can be posted to the comp.unix.xenix.sco newsgroup,
or directed to me directly using the following directions :
gerard%stout.uucp at hp4nl.nluug.nl

Hope to hear from you guys (and girls of course)