From: brlewis@MIT.EDU
Date: Mon, 1 Aug 94 15:21:09 -0400
To: is-minutes@MIT.EDU
Cc: brlewis@MIT.EDU, jweiss@MIT.EDU, mhbraun@MIT.EDU, othomas@MIT.EDU,
        tytso@MIT.EDU
Reply-To: brlewis@MIT.EDU, jweiss@MIT.EDU, mhbraun@MIT.EDU, othomas@MIT.EDU,
        tytso@MIT.EDU
Subject: kermit on Athena

Present: brlewis, jweiss, mhbraun, tytso (DCNS), othomas (CSS)

BACKGROUND

Athena supports and recommends kermit for file transfers, but many users
prefer zmodem ("rz" in the sipb locker) because it's faster than default
kermit.  Before Kerberized telnetd was installed on the dialups, zmodem
uploads sometimes failed.  Now they always fail, unless the "rlogin
athena" workaround is used from the CPT's.

Kermit can be as fast as zmodem if the block size is set large enough
and windowing is used.  We want to support and document such techniques
in order to serve dialup users who do file uploads and downloads.

DECISION

It is not worth our resources to investigate exactly why consistent
failures are happening with zmodem uploads, since supported software
(kermit) does the job and can be made faster.

ACTION ITEMS

tytso will doublecheck that windowing kermit does indeed work with
Athena dialups.

jweiss will make sure the contents of the modem locker are sane, and
will work with tytso to check on changes made to Unix kermit (available
via ftp to watson.cc.columbia.edu) since the time kermit was installed
in the modem locker (1992).

othomas and others in CSS will take care of documentation (stock
answers), support and distribution (probably via net-dist - tytso can
install it)