Introduction to paKet version 5 Installation ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º ±±Ü ±±±Ü º º ±±Û ±±Ûß ±±Ü ºÛÛ º ±±±±±±Ü ±±±±±Ü ±±Û±±Ûß ±±±±±Ü ±±±±±±Ü ºÛÛ º ±±Ûßßß±±Ü ßßß±±Ü ±±±±Ûß ±±Ûßß±±Ü ß±±Ûßß ºÛÛ º ±±Û ±±Û ±±±±±±Ûß ±±Û±±Ü ±±±±±±Ûß ±±Û ºÛÛ º ±±Û ±±Û ±Û ±±Û ±±Û ±±Ü ±±Ûßßßß ±±Û ºÛÛ º ±±±±±±±Ûß ±±±±±Ü±±Ü ±±Û ±±±Ü ±±±±±Ü ±±±Ü ºÛÛ º ±±Ûßßßßß ßßßßß ßß ßß ßßß ßßßßß ßßß ºÛÛ º ±±Û ºÛÛ º ±±±±Û Version 5 ºÛÛ º ßßßß ºÛÛ ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼÛÛ ÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛÛ Congratulations! You now have a copy of paKet Version 5, "The best Packet Radio software in the world". (Scroll through this document and press Esc when finished) The system is distributed as several Compressed files, compressed by the excellent Public Domain utility, LHA. Although the paKet files are self expanding, a full copy of LHA is included. Please note this LHA system includes the following copyright notice: Copyright (c) Haruyasu Yoshizaki, 1988-91 Backup the paKet diskette(s) Before starting, you should backup your original paKet diskette(s). There is no form of copy protection nor hidden files nor any such inconveniences with paKet. And there is no cut down version of the system for non registered users - you should have the full system whether you have registered or not. I am relying on your honesty to pay the $25 licence fee. You can use DISKCOPY to make a copy of the original diskettes or if you have a high capacity diskette drive you could copy all the files to a high capacity diskette and install from that. Copy the files to Hard Disk if you like. Put the original diskette(s) away in a safe place and use the copy for the installation. The installation process will not write to the Input drive anyway so for added protection you should ensure the copy of the original diskette is write protected. The Install Program - Disk requirements Up to 850KB disk space will be required for the installed paKet system. The Install Program works on any system with two or more drives (let's call them the Input and the Output drives). If you have only a single diskette drive and no Hard Disk, refer to the instructions given below under the heading, "Single Drive systems". If you are Installing to a Hard Disk or high capacity diskette: It should all fit on the one volume (if space is available!). If you are Installing to 720K diskette: You will need 1 or 2 blank diskettes, depending on the options chosen; If you are Installing to 360K diskette: You will need to have 3 or 4 blank diskettes available, depending on the options chosen; The Install program is fully automated and will advise you of progress as it performs the installation of paKet 5. If necessary, you will be prompted to change diskettes, but otherwise just sit back and watch. When first started, the Install program will ask you for the preferred video display settings. If you have a monochrome display (whether you are running a colour card or not), especially if you have an LCD display, you should select the first of the two options. Then the Install program will use a set of Black and White "colours" instead of the usual multi-coloured screen. The default paKet configuration file will also be set up with Black and White "colours" in this case. The Install Program - Creating the Configuration File When the files have been expanded, the Install program will create a Configuration File, PAKET.CFG. If you are upgrading from an earlier version of PAKET the Install Program will update your old PAKET.CFG file to the new format. So please ensure there is a copy of your old PAKET.CFG file available in the directory, or the diskette, where paKet 5 is being installed. If you are installing paKet for the first time, a new PAKET.CFG file will be created with a set of default values which should be adequate to get you started. At the first opportunity after running the program you should activate the Online Configuration facility (Press ) and check all the parameters to ensure the system is set up to your liking. The Manual explains the procedures for changing the Configuration parameters. The Install Program - Serial Port parameters paKet needs to know what settings to use for the computer's Serial Port so it can send (and receive) information to the TNC when the program first starts up. The Install Program will ask you for some essential information for the Serial Port settings. It needs to know: COM Port Which of the Computer's Serial Ports you will use Baud rate > Parity > These should be set to Word Length > match the settings currently Stop Bits > used by your TNC. If you are already running some other program to communicate with your TNC, just make a note of the settings you are using now. If this is your first attempt at using your TNC, the TNC Manual should tell you what its initial settings are. The Install Program - Completion When the Installation is complete you should remove the Input diskette(s) and keep them as your backup of the original paKet system. The Install Program may be run again if you wish but unless you have some problems with your computer system, the original diskette(s) should not be needed again. If you give a copy of the system to someone else, please give them a full copy of the original diskette(s) as distributed; not a copy of your installed system. The following files are included with the full paKet 5 system on the original distribution diskette(s) - those files with '@' at the end of the file name are self-expanding Compressed files: Compressed expands Files: size into: size PAKET5@.EXE 103,003 PAKET.EXE 256,192 the paKet program MANUAL1@.EXE 71,165 MANUAL1.DOC 218,849 the paKet Manual (part 1) MANUAL2@.EXE 73,997 MANUAL2.DOC 224,119 the paKet Manual (part 2) MISC@.EXE 4,657 REMOTE.HLP 2,461 sample help and info REMOTE.INF 2,334 files for REMOTE mode KAM@.EXE 46,237 KAM.DOC 152,391 the TNC Help File for the Kantronics range of TNCs MFJ1278@.EXE 34,714 MFJ1278.DOC 110,591 the TNC Help File for the MFJ-1278 Multi Mode TNC PK-232@.EXE 36,201 PK-232.HLP 112,357 the TNC Help File for the AEA PK-232 Multi Mode TNC TNC1@.EXE 7,891 TNC1.HLP 17,562 the TNC Help File for the original TNC-1 TNC2@.EXE 24,648 TNC2.HLP 73,190 the TNC Help File for the Standard TAPR-compatible TNCs including the TINY-2, TNC-200, TNC-220, PK-88, etc All the Compressed files should be dated February 29th, 1992. If your copy does not include all these Compressed files, or if the file sizes shown above are different or if the file date is different, you do NOT have a valid copy of paKet version 5. Other files included with this system are: COMINIT@.EXE a utility program, including documentation, to help if you are using COM3 and/or COM4. (courtesy of Dr. Paul Webster, VK2BZC) GO.BAT a simple aid to get you started INSTALL.DOC this document. INSTALL.EXE the Install program (not compressed) LHA.EXE a copy of the LHA program (used by the Install program) LHA210@.EXE the full LHA File Compression system LIST.COM the popular Public Domain File Lister PAKET.CFG a sample Configuration file PAKPRT.EXE a print utility to help with printing the documentation The COMINIT program is a utility for those who have installed COM3 or COM4 in one of the older systems which (like the original IBM PC) does not automatically detect those ports. So, if paKet does not appear to know about your additional ports, run COMINIT and try again. If this fixes the problem, I suggest you add COMINIT to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The paKet Manual is included on two files, MANUAL1.DOC and MANUAL2.DOC. When combined, this Manual occupies over 440KB (it is almost 200 pages). I have divided it into two files for convenience in handling and to allow a single installation procedure for all users including those with 360K diskette drives. If you have a Hard Disk or a high capacity diskette drive these files may be combined into a single file. (If there is space available, the Install program will do this for you automatically, creating a single file PAKET.DOC). To combine these files manually, use the DOS COPY command: COPY MANUAL1.DOC + MANUAL2.DOC PAKET.DOC Whether you have it in one file or two, you should read through it all, scanning any parts you don't understand just yet - they will become clearer next time around. I have tried to make paKet easy to use but there is a lot in it so please try to become familiar with the Manual so you can look up any information you need. There is an Online Manual feature in this version, so you can call up the Manual and view any part of it in a pop up window while using paKet. I expect this feature would be best used with a Hard Disk (or RAM disk) because, with the size of the Manual, you might find it too slow loading from diskette. The Manual contains only ASCII text although I have used some of the IBM PC Graphic characters (sometimes referred to as Extended ASCII) such as those shown in the "paKet" logo at the beginning of this file. There are no formatting characters other than a Form Feed which appears every 60 lines. All lines are less than 78 characters wide, most less than 75 characters. I have included a PAKPRT program which you could use to print the Manual. The main advantage of using this program is that it will ask you if your printer can handle the Extended ASCII graphic characters. If it does NOT handle those characters, the PAKPRT program will convert those data characters to something more acceptable to your printer. Even blanks would be better than some of the confusion created on some printers when these Extended ASCII codes are "printed". To use this program type PAKPRT followed by the document name, eg: PAKPRT PAKET.DOC I recommend you print the Manual at the first opportunity. Single Drive Systems If you have a Hard Disk or more than one diskette drive you can skip this section and go down to "Conclusion". If you have only a single diskette drive and no Hard Disk, you will have to do some of the installation work manually. It is a little fiddly and I thought it best to explain what is required and let you take control rather than try to be "clever" and attempt to automate what is going to be largely a manual operation with lots of diskette changing. There are a few options for you to consider: 1. If you have memory available, make a RAM drive and install paKet to that RAM drive. Use the Install Program and the instructions given above as if you had a Hard Disk. When the system is installed, copy the installed files to diskette. Ensure PAKET.EXE and PAKET.CFG are on the same diskette. or 2. Take your paKet diskette(s) to someone who has more than one drive and install paKet on their system. If that system has only one diskette drive and a Hard Disk, install to Hard Disk then copy the installed files to your diskette(s). or 3. Buy another drive! (You knew I was going to say that, didn't you?) or 4. The Manual Install Operation. If all else fails, you will have to do it manually. I will try to explain as I go, but if you are new to computers, it might be a good idea to ask someone with some computer experience to help. As explained above, paKet is distributed as several Self-Expanding Compressed files. So to expand each one of these in your single drive system, you will need space on a diskette to hold both the original compressed file and room for its equivalent in its expanded form. Basically it is a three step process for each of the required files: a. Copy an original Compressed file to a blank diskette; b. Expand the Compressed file on the "blank" diskette; c. Delete the Compressed file from that diskette (after creating the expanded version). You may need to have a few blank diskettes available, especially if you have a low capacity drive. Using the normal COPY command, copy the PAKET5@.EXE file from the original diskette to a blank diskette. Eg: COPY A:PAKET5@.EXE B: The DOS Operating System knows you have only one drive and will ask you to change diskettes as necessary to make the copy onto your blank diskette. Let's call this "blank" diskette, the Working Diskette. Now, with the Working Diskette in the drive, run the "program": PAKET5@ This is a Self Expanding file so you will see the LHA program displaying some information as it expands into the full program file, PAKET.EXE. If you have a look at the directory of this Working Diskette now, you will see both the PAKET5@.EXE and the larger PAKET.EXE files on the diskette. You can now delete the smaller one because it is no longer required on the Working Diskette: DEL PAKET5@.EXE Right. You have just installed the paKet program! Not too hard, huh? But we're not finished yet. You should do the same with the two Documentation files, MANUAL1@.EXE and MANUAL2@.EXE. If you have a high capacity drive, you can copy them to the Working Diskette using a COPY command like the one we used a moment ago. If you have a lower capacity drive, copy the files MANUAL1@.EXE and MANUAL2@.EXE to separate blank diskettes and expand them separately; then run each of the "programs" before deleting the Compressed files. In other words, follow the same process we used for the paKet program. This step will give you the full paKet documentation, in two files MANUAL1.DOC and MANUAL2.DOC. There are also some TNC Help Files supplied with paKet. It may be you will not be using these on your single drive system, so you could skip this next step if you like. But if you decide to extract a Help File, choose the one that seems best suited to your TNC, and if in doubt take the TNC2@.EXE file as it covers most general purpose Packet TNCs. The procedure here is the same as that used previously for the paKet program: COPY the selected TNC Help file to a blank diskette, or to the Working Diskette if there is room; run the "program" to expand the file, then delete the Compressed file. One final step is required before you can run paKet. We need a Configuration File. Normally this will be created by the Install Program but as we are doing it manually you should copy the sample PAKET.CFG file supplied on the original paKet diskette. This file must be copied on to the same Working Diskette where the PAKET.EXE program now resides. Note that because you will be using the SAMPLE Configuration File, it is quite possible the supplied Communications Parameters for the Serial Port will not be correct for your system. In this case, paKet will display an error message when it first starts up, telling you it cannot talk to the TNC! Just "Ignore" that error message and allow the system to start. Then type to get the Online Configuration window and change the Serial Port Parameters to their correct values. Whew! It might have been easier to buy that other drive! Conclusion. So, there you go. This document plus the facilities provided by the Install program will hopefully enable you to get paKet up and running quickly and easily. You could print this document if you wish, with the following command: PAKPRT INSTALL.DOC After the installation, you should: 1. Read through the Manual. It IS worth the effort to print it. Yes I know it is almost 200 pages, but that's all the more reason to have it available when you need to know something. Believe me, you will read it in a lot less time than it took me to write it! 2. Start the paKet program and select the Online Configuration by pressing the key. This will bring up the Configuration Windows where all the variable parameters may be set or changed. With the Manual open at the Configuration Windows section, starting with the Overview on page 19, go through every one of the Configuration Windows and see that all parameters are set to your liking. This exercise will help you discover some of the features of the paKet system too. If you have a Monochrome display, especially an LCD display, you might need to change the "colours" to give maximum contrast on your display. Experiment with different colours as most monochrome displays will produce a shaded effect when different colours are used. You can change the Configuration parameters again at any time, in fact I would be surprised if there is ANYONE who just sets it up once and leaves it like that! Experiment with different settings, even different colours. It's easy and it's fun. Really! 3. Check the "Preferred TNC Settings" in the Technical Section of the Manual (Page 177) and ensure your TNC has the correct settings for use with paKet. Some of these parameters are critical for correct, reliable operation especially for Binary File Transfers. Thank you for supporting paKet. There are more ideas that I would like to see implemented in this system and I am sure you the users will come up with lots more too. Please let me know what you think and if you have any ideas for future versions, please pass them on. 73s de Tony, VK2DHU