Accounts
July 2023.
For apartment-dwelling retirees: track your income versus your rent year by
year; see which one is going up faster. Illustrates how to embed tabular
data in the script itself rather than reading it from an external file; how
to break a table row up into its elements; the use of multiple associative
arrays at the same time; how to address associative array elements
symbolically; and the use of S-expressions when floating-point results are
needed (percentages in this case).
ckubuildlog
June 2023. Creates an entry for the
C-Kermit 10.0 builds-table, to be used
after building a Beta test version, or for that matter, the real 10.0 release
when it's ready. Unix-family OS's only for now.
findmissinghtml March 2023.
For websites: finds missing pages that have Emacs backup files, so if you
can't find the real page anywhere at least you can restore from the latest
backup.
k95relay April 2022.
Kermit 95 script
for logging into a host whose SSH server doesn't support any of the ciphers
that K95's SSH client does by using a Linux host or subsystem as a relay.
No longer needed now that C-Kermit 10.0 for
Windows is available.
Fixfilelists
May 2021.
Convert Kermit archive page to still display
file lists after converting links from ftp: to http: because of "deprecation"
of FTP by major web browsers in March-April 2021. Basically, this
script makes the filenames in a directory listing clickable so you can
see or download them.
Photogallery
2013-2023 (active project).
A production script for creating, modifying, and updating
image galleries on the Web.
html
May 2017.
Converts plain-text files to html. This is also the first Kermit script
that can be used in Unix pipelines.
Remind
2016.
A simple reminder program that can be invoked from your login profile.
Getkermitscript 2014.
Automated download and installation of scripts from the Kermit script library.
Updated in 2022 to "comply" with the "deprecation" of ftp protocol for
downloading.
Replacetextblock
2014. An automated way to replace a block of text (such as
a multiline copyright notice) in all the files that contain it.
Jpginfo
2013. Produces a directory listing of JPG image files that shows
date taken, width, height, and whether it's portrait or landscape.
Renamejpgs
2013. A script to rename JPG files (e.g. from cameras, scanners,
or cell phones) according to "time taken" or "time
created". A bunch of images from different devices can be renamed
in date-time order.
PREFACE
As I write this, fewer and fewer people know what Kermit is; if that
applies to you, you can
click here for an overview. Kermit's
heyday was in the 1980s and 90s when almost everybody who used computers to
communicate with other computers used Kermit as a terminal emulator and for
file transfer. C-Kermit for Unix and VMS
and MS-DOS Kermit for DOS were developed in
tandem. As we started to add automation capabilities, the scripting
language was common to both programs. When Kermit 95
for Windows came out, it had the same scripting language, since it is built
upon C-Kermit.
At first the script language was targeted at communications and
file-transfer tasks, but over time is has developed into a general-purpose
programming language on a scale somewhere between shell scripts and Perl,
with bits of Unix shell scripting,
C,
Bliss,
Lisp,
Snobol,
Algol,
and
PL/I
mixed in, with loops, variables, arrays, functions, artithmetic, associative
arrays, recursion, boolean logic, string manipulation, file i/o and
management, pattern matching, list processing, and so on.
Today you can write Kermit script programs to do almost anything, no matter
whether it involves communication or not (and if it does involve
communication, it can be over serial connections, clear-text network
connections, or secure network connections). Kermit's main uses now are
system and website administration and website development, and you can see a
lot of examples of production scripts in these areas below.
Speaking for myself, having programmed since the mid-1960s, I have been
fluent in a lot of programming languages, and I wish that all of them except
C had not died out (PL/I, Snobol, and Mainsail are sorely missed; they were
powerful, stable, consistent, and well documented). Today's choices (C,
shell scripts, etc) are moving targets; programs written in these language
do not stay written; they decay over time as the languages and
associated libraries and utilities are constantly redefined. That's why now
I write all my programs (except C-Kermit itself
of course) in Kermit language... Because the language itself does not
change in backwards-incompatible ways so that "old" scripts never need
to be "upgraded", they just keep working, even as new versions of Kermit
itself are released. And also because whenever there is a bug in the
language I can fix it myself, and when there is something I need to do that
is not in the language, I can add it myself. Always in a
backwards-compatible way.
As yet there is no coherent manual for the Kermit language. Everything is
documented somewhere, but it's scattered over books (which are
now online) and a series
of web pages. In July 2019, I put together a
comprehensive guide to all the information. It's like a Table of
Contents;
HERE IT IS.
Meanwhile this page (the one you are reading)
is a pretty good place to start: Find a script that does
something similar to what you want to do and use it as guide. And when you
see a command or function you don't understand, use C-Kermit's built-in HELP
command to find out about it:
help ?
Shows the help topics
help command
Gives information about the given command
help set command
Gives information about the given SET command
help function name
Gives information about the given built-in function.
Kermit software first appeared in 1981 for CP/M microcomputers and
DECSYSTEM-20 and IBM mainframes. And shortly afterwards for IBM (and other)
PCs with MS-DOS, and afterwards
for more and more
distinct computing platforms,
notably Unix and
Microsoft Windows. The
command language, syntax, and (in most cases) command editing and assistance
were adapted from the TOPS-20 EXEC, that is, the user interface (or "shell"
in modern parlance) of the DECSYSTEM-20, which was
the primary
platform for academic computing at Columbia from 1977 to 1988. Notable
features include per-field help upon '?', keyword and filename completion
upon Tab or Esc, and built-in help. Programming capabilities were added to
the command language beginning with C-Kermit 5A(190) for Unix, VMS, AOS/VS, Plan 9 (etc), and
MS-DOS Kermit, and have been improved and expanded since then. A unique
feature of Kermit scripting is that it is portable not only among different
computing platforms (such as Unix and Windows) but also different
communication methods (Telnet, FTP, secure Telnet, secure FTP, SSH, SSL,
Kerberos IV/V, more than 100 different kinds of modems, and direct
serial-port).
This page offers a brief introduction to Kermit scripting, and a library of
sample Kermit scripts, listed below. Those marked with
(*) are "kerbang" scripts which, in UNIX, can be used exactly like shell
scripts if you give them execute permission:
chmod +x scriptname
Command-line arguments are accepted in the expected manner, e.g.:
autotelnet xyz.com myuserid
This makes the command-line arguments available to the script in the
variables \%0 (script name), \%1 (first argument),
\%2 (second argument), etc.
The first line of each kerbang script looks like:
#!/usr/local/bin/wermit +
(but without the indentation). This indicates the pathname of the C-Kermit
executable that is to execute the script; change this line as needed. The
trailing plus sign is required if command-line arguments are to be passed to
the script (and doesn't hurt if they are not). The "kerbang" feature
requires C-Kermit 7.0 or later. For more about
kerbang scripts, see the C-Kermit 7.0
Supplement Section on this topic.
WARNING: On Unix-based operating systems,
the script file must be in Unix text format for the
Kerbang mechanism to work. That is, lines must be terminated and separated
only by linefeed, not carriage return and linefeed (as would happen, for
example, if you uploaded the file from Windows in binary mode rather than
text mode). If the Kerbang line ends with CR and LF, the Unix shell will
think the CR is part of the filename if no '+' is included, and will fail to
find "a valid interpreter" (i.e. Kermit) for the script. If a + sign is
included, the CR might prevent Kermit from recognizing it. These are
characteristics of the Unix shell, and apply to shell scripts, Perl scripts,
and any other kind of script that uses the "shebang" convention for invoking
the appropriate interpreter. To strip carriage returns use the following
Unix shell commands:
On non-UNIX platforms, these scripts are executed by:
Giving a TAKE filename command to Kermit. In C-Kermit 7.0 and
later, the filename can be followed by arguments, which are assigned
to the variables \%1, \%2, ..., \%9.
Including the script filename as the first
command-line argument to the Kermit program, followed by a plus sign, followed
by the arguments. In VMS and Windows, the plus sign seems to cause trouble
with the shell, so in that case you can substitute an equal sign, but put it
after the script file name instead of before it:
In Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/etc, by filetype association (when the
script filename has the suffix ".ksc"), but in this case Windows
does not provide a mechanism to pass arguments to the script.
Outside of UNIX, the "kerbang" line has no effect, since it is a comment to
Kermit. In VMS, any references to "environment variables" can be satisfied
by logical names or DCL symbols.
The scripts in this page are for illustrative purposes only and carry no
warranty, express or implied.
As of January 2014 a new script is available that simplifies the downloading
of scripts from the Kermit Script Library and their installation on your own
computer. It is called getkermitscript, CLICK HERE to see it (and
download it). You can use this script on a Unix-based computer that has
C-Kermit 8.0 or later installed to download and install Kermit scripts from
here in one simple command such as
”getkermitscript photogallery.ksc”. Some things to bear in
mind:
All script file names in the Kermit library are all lowercase. The
getkermitscript script knows this and lowercases any argument you might have
capitalized.
Scripts in the script library are stored without any extension, even
though you might see them referred to as name.ksc.
The Kermit scripting language is a programming language similar to Perl, but
with different syntax (because the Kermit language predates Perl and many
other scripting languages). The Kermit language is portable across UNIX
(Linux, AIX, HP-UX, Solaris, FreeBSD, IRIX, SINIX, QNX, SCO, Tru64,
and every other known UNIX variation), VMS, Stratus
VOS, Data General AOS/VS, Windows
95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP/7/8/10, OS/2, Plan 9,
OS-9/68000, the Commodore Amiga, and other platforms, and works uniformly on
serial connections (direct or dialed) and network connections (clear text or
secure). Thus learning the language is a good investment of your time since
it can be applied to almost any communications problem. The Kermit script
language is documented in the book Using
C-Kermit, but of course many improvements have been made since
the book was published, which are explained in the updates
for Version 7.0,
Version 8.0,
and Version 9.0, and illustrated by sample
scripts listed below.
The Kermit scripting language is easy to learn if you already use
Kermit, since it is the same as Kermit's command language. A
Kermit script program is simply a series of Kermit commands collected into a
file or a macro. To execute the script, you tell Kermit to TAKE the file or
DO the macro. Or in UNIX you can also execute it as if it was a shell script,
as described at the top of this page. In either case you
can pass parameters to the script in the command that invokes it.
When using Kermit "manually", i.e. interacting with the host
directly, you typically make a connection (SSH, TELNET, DIAL, etc), and then
interact with the other computer directly, switching back and forth between
the Kermit command screen and the terminal screen. The command to switch
from the command screen to the terminal screen is CONNECT (C is a sufficient
abbreviation). Returning from the terminal screen to the command screen
requires a special "escape sequence" such as Ctrl-\C,
Ctrl-]C, or Alt-x (Alt-x is used in Kermit 95 and MS-DOS Kermit).
Note that Kermit's TELNET command is a shortcut for SET HOST followed by
CONNECT; that is, TELNET includes an implied CONNECT command.
When automating a session, you do not switch back and forth
between "screens"; you do not CONNECT or escape back. In a script,
everything is done in command mode. There is no terminal screen in a script.
Instead of CONNECT (or TELNET, or RLOGIN, or SSH), use the following
commands, which tell Kermit to do what you would do "by hand":
SET HOST[ switches ] hostname-or-address [ switches ]
Open a network connection but remain in command mode, i.e. without
entering the Terminal screen or CONNECT mode. Use this instead of TELNET,
CONNECT, SSH, or other command that would enter the terminal screen. Synonym:
OPEN HOST (which might be more evocative of the action performed).
For serial or modem connections, use:
SET MODEM TYPE[ name-of-modem or NONE]
SET LINEdevice-name
SET SPEEDinterface-speed
[DIALphone-number ]
Open a direct or dialed serial connection but remain in command mode.
Note that when the DIAL command is executed from a command file or macro,
it does not automatically enter CONNECT mode.
Kermit's DIAL command places the call by sending the appropriate commands to
the modem, normally AT commands, and reading the responses. The SET MODEM
TYPE command, which must be given prior to the DIAL command, tells Kermit
which kind of modem it is so it knows the specific command set to use. In
C-Kermit and Kermit 95, it is normally not necessary to script the
dialog with the modem; all that is already built into Kermit. For more
information, see the manual or type HELP DIAL, HELP SET DIAL, and HELP SET
MODEM.
If, however, you have a need to script such a dialog – e.g. to send
alphanumeric pages or SMS messages – you can do so. The trick is that
before executing the first INPUT or OUTPUT command (explained below), you
must tell Kermit to SET CARRIER-WATCH OFF. Example:
SET MODEM TYPE NONE
SET LINE /dev/ttyS0
IF FAIL EXIT 1 "Device not available"
SET SPEED 57600
SET FLOW-CONTROL RTS/CTS
SET CARRIER-WATCH OFF
OUTPUT AT\13
INPUT 3 OK
Type HELP SET CARRIER-WATCH for a brief explanation.
Once the connection is open, use the following commands to simulate what
you would do interactively:
INPUTtimeout string
Wait up to timeout seconds for the given string to arrive
from the other computer. If it arrives, this command succeeds; otherwise the
command fails. Example: INPUT 10 login: The INPUT command can
accept not only simple strings but also
patterns. An alternative form,
MINPUT, accepts a list of match strings and/or patterns.
SET INPUT ECHO ON
Normally you don't see scripted dialogs on your screen. Use this command
to let you see the what Kermit and the host are saying to each other. This
doesn't affect the operation of the script, only what you can see.
IF FAILUREcommand
If the preceding command (SET HOST, INPUT, or any other command) failed,
execute the given command. Example: IF FAIL EXIT 1 "No login
prompt". The command can be a list of commands enclosed in
braces, and the IF statement can also have an ELSE part, which can also be
a single command or a list of commands.
IF SUCCESScommand
If the preceding command succeeded, execute
the given command.
STOP[ number [ string ] ]
Stop the script and return to the Kermit prompt. The number is a
success code: 0 for success, nonzero for failure; the command that invoked
the current command file (TAKE) or macro (DO or "implied DO") can be tested
with IF SUCCESS or IF FAILURE based on this code. If a string is included, it
is printed.
END[ number [ string ] ]
Like STOP, but pops the command stack just one level instead of all
the way back to the top. Use this for returning early from a macro or
command file to its caller. Synonym: POP.
EXIT[ number [ string ] ]
Stops the script and exits from Kermit. The number is Kermit's exit
status code, normally 0 for success, nonzero for failure. If a message is
given, it is printed.
OUTPUTstring
Send the given string to the other computer. Control characters
may be included in the string using \ddd notation (where
the d's are digits, and ddd represents the
numeric code for the control
character. Example: OUTPUT olga\13
LINEOUTstring
(C-Kermit 7.0 and later; Kermit 95 1.1.20 and later) Since it is so common
to output a line with a carriage return on the end, this command does it for
you, so you don't have to remember to include \13 on the end.
lineoutfoo is equivalent to outputfoo\13.
INPUT takes the place of your eyes,
OUTPUT takes the place of your fingers,
and IF takes the place of your brain.
The rest is regular programming: FOR, WHILE, SWITCH, GOTO, variables, arrays,
functions, block structure, nesting, scoping, and the rest,
listed HERE and documented in the
manual (just as any other programming language
is documented in its own manual).
Here is a very simple example of making a Telnet connection to UNIX and
logging in:
set host foo.bar.baz.com ; Make the connection
if fail stop 1 Connection failed ; Check that it was made
input 20 login: ; Wait 20 seconds for login: prompt
if fail stop 1 No login prompt ; Check that it came
output myuserid\13 ; or "lineout myuserid"
input 5 Password: ; Wait 5 seconds for Password: prompt
if fail stop 1 No Password prompt ; Check that it came
output mypassword\13 ; or "lineout mypassword"
This illustrates how your actions in the terminal screen are simulated by
INPUT (eyes), OUTPUT (fingers), and IF (brain). It can be elaborated to
any desired degree: to use variables instead of constants for host, username,
or password; to prompt for the password so you don't have to store it in a
file; to attempt some sort of recovery action if a command fails instead of
just stopping, and so on. And of course you can add more steps -- have it
transfer a file, send email, whatever you want.
The syntax of the Kermit programming language should be familiar to anyone who
uses other scripting languages such as the UNIX shell. It is a
string substitution language, therefore an "escape character"
(backslash) is used to indicate string substitution. Since many kinds of
items can be substituted, the backslash is followed by a second character to
indicate which kind of substitution is to be made: a scalar variable, an array
element, a function result, a special character, and so forth. Examples:
\%a A scalar user-defined variable, evaluated recursively \m(name) A scalar user-defined variable, evaluated one level deep \v(name) A built-in variable (such as \v(time), "show var" for a list) \&a[1] An array element, evaluated recursively \fname(args) A function invocation
("show func" for a list, "help func xxx" for details of function xxx) \x0F A character whose code is the given hexadecimal number (00-ff) \123 A character whose code is the given decimal number (0-255) \\
A literal backslash. (CLICK HERE for a
more detailed explanation of this notation.)
This should give you an idea how to read the scripts in the library, and how
to write a simple script or adapt one of them to your needs.
For a brief description of a particular Kermit command or function, use
Kermit's HELP command. For a description of a built-in function, type
"help function xxx" at the prompt, where xxx is the function name.
For a thorough treatment, please consult the
manual.
Finally, remember:
Do not put a CONNECT command in a script unless you really want to suspend
execution of the script and turn manual control over to the user. And
remember that the CONNECT command can work only if the job has a controlling
terminal; it can't work in a batch or cron job where there is no terminal.
You can't put text for the host "in-line". Kermit reads commands from
the script, not text for the host. To send text to the host, use the OUTPUT
or TRANSMIT command.
TELNET host is a shortcut for SET HOST host, IF SUCCESS
CONNECT. Since TELNET includes an implied CONNECT command, don't put a TELNET
command in your script unless you really want to suspend execution of the
script and turn manual control over to the user. Similarly for SSH and
RLOGIN. In a script, use SET HOST instead, with the appropriate switches
(if necessary) to indicate the connection type. HELP SET HOST for details.
Photogallery
August 2013, with subsequent updates. A production script for creating,
modifying, and updating image galleries for the
Web. C-Kermit 9.0 or later required. This
replaces the earlier photoalbum
script, that was only a demo, not suitable for production.
html
A program that converts a plain-text file into a Web page. Unlike all
the other scripts presented here, this one can be used in a Unix pipeline.
Remind
A simple reminder program that can be invoked from your login profile,
or directly, or any other way you want. Illustrates some of C-Kermit's
date-handling function (format conversion, comparison, sorting).
Help text is HERE.
Replacetextblock
February 2014. An automated way to replace a block of text (such as
a multiline copyright notice) in all the files that contain it.
C-Kermit 9.0 or later.
Getkermitscript January
2014. A Kermit script for downloading Kermit scripts from the Kermit Script
Library and installing them on your computer without requiring you to edit
them or give any other commands (previously would would always have to edit
the "kerbang line" and change the permissions). Unix only for now.
Requires C-Kermit 8.0 or later. Updated in 2022 to work around the
disappearance of FTP protocol from the Intenet.
Jpginfo
September 2013. Produces a directory listing of JPG image files that includes
(for each file) date taken, width, height, and whether it's portrait or
landscape.
Renamejpgs
April 2013. A script to rename JPG files according to "time taken" or "time
created". This allows images from multiple sources, or whose filenames have
"wrapped around" to appear in chronological order by filename. C-Kermit 9.0.304 required.
ilosetup
2009-2011.
A production script for configuring HP Blade servers through their Integrated
Lights Out (iLO) interface.
CBX
A suite of scripts for getting reports out of a Rolm CBX. C-Kermit 8.0
or later or Kermit 95 2.1 or later.
Ksitemap
Kermit builds a sitemap for a website based on a simple control file that
you create, telling what files and images you want included. Google Image
Sitemap Extensions are supported. If your control file contains text
encoded in ISO 8859-1 or other commonly used character sets, Kermit converts
it to UTF-8, which is required in sitemaps. Documented HERE. Requires C-Kermit 9.0.
Weblog
Reads a Tab-Separated Record (TSV) web log for a bilingual Spanish-English
website, extracts the Google searches, normalizes character set and
capitalization of the search strings as far as possible, and prints the top
20 searches, along with their counts. Documented HERE. Requires C-Kermit 9.0.
[As of October 2011 this script is largely academic because Google no
longer includes search text in its URL parameters.]
ifdef
A simple script for checking the #if/#ifdef/#ifndef..#endif structure in
a C source code file.
ifdef2
Like ifdef but also shows #define and #undef.
cmp
Macro to compare two numbers of any length, integer or floating-point,
signed or unsigned, even if they are
longer than the underlying machine's word size.
Requires C-Kermit 8.0 or later or
K95 2.0 or later.
twoscomplementv3
Macros to convert signed decimal number strings to hexadecimal two's
complement format and vice versa. Does its own string arithmetic so is not
limited by machine word size or memory model. As written can handle
integers of up to 128 bits. Obviously, this one runs slower than
twoscomplementv1,
which uses machine arithmetic. Requires C-Kermit
8.0 or later or K95 2.0 or later.
(The twoscomplementv2
script converted only in one direction, this version includes both directions.)
twoscomplementv1
A script to convert signed decimal number strings to two's complement format
and display them in hexadecimal. Uses machine arithmetic so the results are
limited by the underlying word size and memory model (e.g. 32 bits).
Requires C-Kermit 8.0 or later or K95 2.0 or later.
survey
CGI script for processing a Web form (in this case a
survey).
webindex
Creates a Web index from the Kermit FTP site, thousands of files turned into
clickable links.
Requires C-Kermit 9.0 or later.
pop.ksc
A fully elaborated production script for fetching one's mail from a POP3
server over a connection secured by SSL. For explanation and
documentation, CLICK HERE.
Requires C-Kermit 9.0 or later.
I used this (and the next script, mailcheck)
myself to fetch my email all day every day until Columbia
switched from traditional Unix mail to Gmail.
mailcheck
A wrapper for the
pop.ksc script,
which collects your password one time, and then checks for new mail every 5
minutes (or other selected interval) and fetches it if there is any.
FTP Scripts:
As of 2022, these are no longer useful in most cases, as FTP protocol and
servers have been purged from the Internet.
Introduction to FTP Scripting
How to automate FTP sessions with C-Kermit 8.0
and Kermit 95 2.0 or later. FTP itself has gone
out of style, which is a shame, but some places still have FTP
servers that you can access from a text-mode FTP client (but not
from a Web browser like Chrome or Firefox).
ftprename
Multiple Rename: Shows how to rename a list of files on an FTP server.
Requires
Kermit 95 2.0 (or later) or
C-Kermit 8.0 (or later).
ftpdirectory(*)
How to get a directory listing from an FTP server that shows the full
timestamp for every file.
Requires
Kermit 95 2.0 or
C-Kermit 8.0 (or later).
usend
Shows how to send a file to an FTP server with a guaranteed unique name,
even if the server does not support STOU. Requires
Kermit 95 2.0 (or later) or
C-Kermit 8.0 (or later).
ftpsyncdown
Uses FTP to synchronize a local directory with a remote server directory.
Downloads new files and files that have changed, skips files that didn't
change, deletes local files that don't have counterparts on the server. Works
across platforms (Windows or Unix client; Unix, VMS, Windows, or most any
other server); text-binary mode switching handled automatically.
Kermit 95 2.0 (or later) or
C-Kermit 8.0 (or later).
ftpsyncup
Uses FTP to synchronize a remote server directory tree with a local directory
tree. Local directory tree is duplicated on the server. Uploads new files
and files that have changed, skips files that didn't change. Works across
platforms via automatic text-binary mode switching. Kermit
95 2.0 (or later) or C-Kermit 8.0 (or later).
Other Internet Scripts:
kwhois
A simple one-step WHOIS, a front end to the regular whois utility to look up
any domain in one step rather than two.
remoteaccess
How to present a command-oriented interface to users accessing Kermit directly
from outside: dialup (ANSWER), Internet (SET HOST *), or even with Kermit
running as a service under inetd. In these situations there is no terminal
driver, so Kermit must handle echoing and editing itself, as well as parsing
commands and executing them. This example implements a simple "BBS"
where the user can get file listings and download files. Works with any
recent version of C-Kermit or Kermit 95.
skermit(*)
Client for a C-Kermit file transfer and management SSH Subsystem: a more
powerful, friendlier, scriptable alternative to SFTP.
CLICK HERE for
documentation.
C-Kermit 8.0.201 or K95
2.0 (or later) required.
autotelnet(*)
Makes an automated Telnet connection.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
or later required. Telnet has virtually disappeared from the face of the
earth, even though it's far superior to SSH. Secure versions of Telnet
were created, but nobody uses them and now they have disappeared too.
"The bad drives out the good".
autotelnet6(*)
Makes an automated Telnet connection. Same as "autotelnet" but does not use
any new features of C-Kermit 7.0. C-Kermit 6.0 or K95 1.1.13 or later
required.
portlog(Intrusion Detection)
Harmlessly absorbs and logs attacks on TCP Port 80, such as Code Red and Nimda.
Resets itself every hour, at which time it
also (a) uploads the hour's log to a selected FTP site; (b) e-mails a summary
to a selected address. It can listen on TCP Port 80 or any other desired
TCP port. Works nicely on Port 80 with Code Red, Code Red II, and Nimda.
Requires: C-Kermit 8.0.
iksget(*)
Gets a file or files from an Internet Kermit Server.
C-Kermit 7.0 required. No scripts needed in
C-Kermit 8.0 or K95 2.x, which support kermit:// URLs on the
command line (FTP, HTTP, and Telnet URLs too).
iksdpy(*)
The Internet Kermit Service Daemon realtime display monitor.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95
2.0 or later required.
linksys(*)
Used with a Linksys Ethernet Cable/DSL Router
to retrieve the IP address for use with Kerberos 5 authentication
when Network Address Translation (NAT) is enabled.
C-Kermit 8.0 required.
Logging Scripts:
logport
Logs data coming into a serial port. Handy for logging PBX call records,
messages on control ports of routers, etc.
Requires C-Kermit 8.0.211 or later.
daily-session-log
Logs incoming data on any kind of connection (assumes a connection is open).
An elaboration of the logport script that automatically rotates the log file
every day at midnight. Should work with any recent version of K95 or C-Kermit.
Modem Scripts:
autodial
This is the basic automatic dialing and logging in script. Sets up modem and
communication parameters, dials, optionally negotiates through a terminal
server, and then logs in to a Unix host. Should work with any version of
C-Kermit or Kermit 95.
getline(*)
Given a list of serial devices usable for dialing out, finds and assigns the
first free one.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
or later required.
mpservers
Given a list of TCP/IP modem-pool servers, gathers a census of in-use and free
ports by sending "finger" commands to them and accumulating the results,
both per-server and per-phone-number, as well as cumulative. Runs in UNIX.
C-Kermit 8.0 required.
callstats
Given a list of modem pool phone numbers, makes repeated calls to each one and
logs the results of each call (BUSY, CONNECT 48000, etc) by date and time
in a format suitable for statistical analysis. Runs in UNIX,
Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP, or VMS.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
or later required.
modemtest2(*)
Given a list of modem pool phone numbers, makes repeated calls to each one;
logs into a specified host, transfers files back and forth,
and keeps a logfile of connection and performance statistics. Runs in UNIX,
Windows 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP, or VMS.
C-Kermit 8.0 or
Kermit 95 2.0
or later required.
CLICK
HERE for an earlier version that works with C-Kermit 7.0 and K95 1.1.19.
dialout(*)
Puts up a form for the user to fill out to select modem type, port, speed,
and phone number, and then dials upon user command.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
or later required.
Note: This is also a screen-formatting script.
callbycall
A dialing script that selects the most appropriate long-distance provider
by time of day, and that also cycles through providers upon busy signals (in
case the provider itself is busy, rather than the destination number).
For use with SET DIAL MACRO. By Peter Eichhorn,
Assyst GmbH, München.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
required.
malphapage(*)
The TAP/IXO alphanumeric paging script modified by R.M. Almeria to send a
series of pages, rather than just one.
C-Kermit 8.0 or K95 2.0
or later required.
Also see the dialout script, which uses
screen-drawing techniques.
Screen-Scraping Scripts:
scrape
In Kermit 95, scripts can interact with the terminal emulator to retrieve
strings from specified locations on the terminal screen, similar to HLLAPI.
In this script, screen forms are parsed to select and retrieve images from
a database on the host computer. By Max Evarts.
K95 1.1.17 or later required.
File-Transfer Scripts:
vmscapture
Capture a text file from a VMS host without Kermit file transfer protocol.
deliver(*)
A script that delivers the specified file or files to their destination, even
if the connection is broken in mid-transfer.
C-Kermit 6.0 or K95 1.1.8
or later required.
synchronize(*)
A script that synchronizes directory trees on two Internet hosts over a
Telnet connection. Only the files that are newer on the source than at the
destination are transferred. Directories are created automatically as needed
at the destination. Files that disappeared from the source are deleted at the
destination. Any mixture of text and binary files can be handled. The two
hosts need not have the same operating system or file system.
The destination host is contacted and logged in to
automatically (so this is also an Internet script); thus
the entire operation can run unattended.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
required.
File-Management Scripts:
concatenate
Concatenates all the files in the current directory into one big file.
Useful (e.g.) after downloading a bunch of EDI transaction files that need
to be combined so the computer can process them all at once.
rgrep(*)
Answers the frequently asked question: "Where is recursive grep?" Searches
through files in a directory tree whose names match the given pattern and
prints all lines in all files that match the given pattern.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
required. Note: In C-Kermit 8.0, a script is no longer
needed since GREP (including a recursive option) is a built-in command.
rename(*)
A one-line analog to the UNIX shell "foriin*;doblah;done" loop.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
required. This functionality is built in to C-Kermit as of version 8.0.211;
CLICK HERE for documentation of the much-expanded
RENAME command.
changetype(*)
Elaboration of rename to general-purpose file-type changing script;
old and new filetypes and file list are given as command-line arguments, e.g.
"changetypehlptxt*" renames
*.hlp
files to *.txt.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
required. This functionality, too, is built in to C-Kermit as of version
8.0.211; CLICK HERE for details.
delete(*)
Answers the Frequently Asked Question "How do I delete files more than
n days old?".
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
required.
review(*) Review files interactively. Everything you ever wanted in a text-mode
file browser.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
required.
cleandups(*) A rather complex file-management application (used, in fact, to manage
the update and installation of C-Kermit 7.0 Beta-test binaries on our
ftp server).
C-Kermit 7.0 required.
install(*) Moves new C-Kermit Beta-test binaries from a staging area to the ftp
site, deleting corresponding binaries from previous Beta tests as it goes,
so as not to fill up the ftp server disk.
C-Kermit 7.0 required.
merge(*)
Merges any number of presorted files together into a single output file.
Illustrates C-Kermit's file i/o package operating on multiple
files at once. C-Kermit 7.0 required.
ftplog(*)
Analyzes a file-transfer log in wu-ftpd format, which is also created by
C-Kermit's SET TRANSACTION-LOG FTP format. Lists the five most popular
files and also prints a histogram of file count per number of accesses.
Illustrates associative arrays.
C-Kermit 7.0 required.
Number-Crunching Scripts:
statistics(*)
Given a file in which each line contains a pair of numbers, X and Y,
computes and prints the maximum, minimum, mean, variance, and standard
deviation of the X's and Y's, and the correlation coefficient of X and Y.
The numbers in the file may (but need not) have decimal points and fractional
parts. Illustrates the floating-point arithmetic functions introduced in
C-Kermit 7.0.
easter(*)
Calculates the date of Easter for any year between 1900 and 2099 using
S-Expressions. Requires C-Kermit 7.0 or later or K95 1.1.20 or later.
easter2(*)
Same as the previous one except this uses a new feature in C-Kermit 8.0.212 that forces integer arithmetic,
which is required in this type of calculation.
calendar(*)
Like Unix 'cal' - prints a calendar for any month in any year between 1859
and 9999. Requires C-Kermit 8.0 or later or K95 2.0 or later.
deleteold
How to delete files that are older than a given age, in the client/server
setting.
C-Kermit Initialization Files
kermrc
The once-standard C-Kermit initialization file. Includes definitions
for the services directory with automatic login macros for various platforms
and communication methods. It's more of a demonstration of the scripting
language than of practical use.
rmsg
Macro implementation of the (missing) REMOTE MESSAGE command for C-Kermit
8.0 and Kermit 95 2.0 or later.
Key Maps:
koikeys
Sets up a "by-sound" keyboard for Cyrillic letters to be used with Russian
Keyboard Mode in Kermit 95. This allows "touch typing"
of Cyrillic by people who have QWERTY keyboards (Cyrillic letters are matched
with Roman letters that have the "same sound", more or less). The normal
Russian Keyboard Mode uses the standard Cyrillic keyboard layout, which is
unfamiliar to QWERTY typists. Any version of Kermit 95 back to about 1.1.8
can use this key map. To see a version of this script file that also shows
the Cyrillic version of each character, click here,
but you may have to tell your browser that the text encoding is utf-8 (even
though that is supposed be the default and preferred encoding for text on
on the Web). And CLICK HERE for an HTML version
with the correct Cyrillic characters that you can print on one page.
ar-medicare Kermit 95 key map required for access to the Arkansas
state Medicare claims facility.
HTML Scripts
html
Converts a plain-text file to HTML. Completely rewritten for production use
in 2017.
Object-Oriented Programming:
(And other creative programming techniques.) This section by
Dat Thuc Nguyen.
simulation
Simulation of an Ice Cream Store:
Customer arrivals, customer orders, customer departures, all programmed as
objects. Requires the class macro defined
HERE
and C-Kermit 8.0 or
Kermit 95 2.0 or later.
hanoi
Towers of Hanoi. Illustrates S-Expressions, recursion.
C-Kermit 8.0 required.
hanoi2
A faster version of Towers of Hanoi. Illustrates how to speed up recursive
functions. C-Kermit 8.0 required.
class
Hosts object-oriented programming in C-Kermit 8.0, it uses some
S-Expression features.
C-Kermit 8.0 required.
account
An application demo that uses the same example
that most Smalltalk dialects use as an introduction to object oriented
programming. To run this demo:
shortcircuit Short-circuit execution of macros in series (a) while all of them
succeed, (b) until one of them succeeds.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
required.
lispops This small package defines a series of LISP-like arithmetic operators for
C-Kermit and Kermit 95. C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
required (obsoleted by the built-in LISP syntax of
C-Kermit 8.0).
matrix The matrix is an essential element in many computing areas.
C-Kermit and Kermit 95 can do matrix operations easily.
This script creates two matrices, A and B,
then computes their sum: matrix C.
oop Object-oriented programming in C-Kermit and Kermit 95. Fun with dogs
and cats.
complex
Complex numbers are not a built-in type of many programming
languages. Here OOP comes to rescue with the user-defined type.
This script defines a complex number class in C-Kermit, offering the
familiar C++ interface. C-Kermit 7.0 required.
wordcount(*)
Word frequency counting is the Excel of scripting languages such as awk and
Perl. With OOP, C-Kermit also handles the task comfortably. This
script defines and uses the class Words to count the occurrences of unique
words of a plain-text text file. The class Words shields implementation
details and promotes reuse, the flagship of OOP. C-Kermit 7.0
required.
inheritance No object-oriented programming language leaves home without inheritance.
This script displays inheritance in C-Kermit and Kermit 95.
multiple Multiple inheritance enriches software design.
Not all OOP languages have it: C++ does; Java and Smalltalk don't.
This script implements multiple inheritance in C-Kermit.
The famous animal class found in many C++ and Smalltalk references
is used to present the subject.
bag
The container is a key concept in object-oriented programming.
Smalltalk, C++, etc. have standard libraries of containers.
This script defines the class 'bag' in C-Kermit/Kermit 95.
Bag offers a rich usage interface.
string A rudimentary string class based on the Smalltalk model.
semaphore We use semaphores to coordinate computing tasks,
share resources, etc. This script defines semaphore classes in both the
Smalltalk and C++ styles. C-Kermit 6.0 / K95 1.1.17 required.
singleton
In the patterns community, the singleton is a class that can have only one
instance. All objects instantiated from that class refer to the one and only
singleton! The singleton is very useful where there is only one resource
available and various user-defined functions access that resource under
different references. The singleton class ensures that one and only one
object can be instantiated from it, though under different names.
state
The finite state machine is a useful concept in many applications.
This script suggests a framework for a state machine.
Script-Language Torture Tests:
demo(*) An interactive "torture test" for C-Kermit's script language.
C-Kermit 7.0 or K95 1.1.19
required.
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