Does UMODEM work on local connections?

[Craig Johnson]

In message <1991Apr8.221615.1195 at cbnewsj.att.com> kevin.lyons writes:
	[...]
> I frequently use my 3b1 to download files from commercial
> services, and UMODEM works just fine with XMODEM.  In these
> cases I use the vt100 terminal emulator and call umodem with
> the shift-Cmd keys.
> 
> Now I'd like to use umodem to move binary files between the
> 3b1 and another computer I own.  They're connected via a
> null-modem cable, the serial port on the 3b1 is optioned for
> Terminal, and I can log in from the other computer just fine.
> I start umodem on the 3b1, then I start xmodem on the other
> computer ... then I wait.  Eventually they time out and
> blame each other.
> 
> Has anyone been able to get umodem/xmodem to operate over the
> serial port connection?  If so, how?  (Honest, I DID read the
> manual.)

I struggled with a similar problem for a while a couple of years ago
and finally beat it.  The umodem on the Unix PC wants to communicate
over standard in and standard out.  Status and error messages are sent
to standard error.  In my case I wanted to run umodem while logged into
a remote Unix machine using cu.  Well cu couldn't cut it, but I finally
wrote my own cu clone with a ~$ escape to fire up a process with
standard in and out connected to the port while standard error was
allowed to come to the console.

I suspect your problem is related.  When you log into the Unix PC from
another machine and run umodem, I suspect the status messages coming to
standard error are getting in the way.  Try directing umodem's standard
error to a file or /dev/null.

P.S.
Please excuse me if I accidentally get this wrong.  It been a long time
since I fooled with it, and I'm too lazy to go check it just now.

	Craig V. Johnson			...!fluke!vince
	John Fluke Mfg. Co.				or
	Everett, WA				vince!tc.fluke.com