73 Where are the AmiTCP Docs? How do I install and use AmiTCP?
Description
This article is from the Amiga Networking FAQ, by Richard Norman with numerous contributions by others.
73 Where are the AmiTCP Docs? How do I install and use AmiTCP?
The quality and lack of docs is a weakness in the demo version, but hey it is free. There are docs included with the registered version.
The most important doc is "Howtoinstall". It is in the Amitcp: drawer. PRINT IT, and MEMORIZE IT ;-} Seriously though, do read it and gather the necessary info.
If your network provider is using SLIP, then you have all software you need to get AmiTCP up and running. If your provider uses PPP, then you will need to get a copy of PPP.device which is shareware and is available on Aminet.
Also there are some docs in the amitcp:doc and amitcp:help drawers. There isn't any real organization to them, but look at them anyway. Some of the terms are described in the generic section of this FAQ, and it is good background if you know little or nothing about networks.
To get started you do NOT need a dialing script. Just use a standard modem program such as jrcomm, Termite, term, handshake, etc. A dialing script is a form of automation. It assumes you've got things working and merely want to automate the process. So wait until you get AmiTCP to work before attempting to set up a dialing script.
Even if you have dynamic addresses from your provider (i.e. the address for your machine changes each time you log in) you still do NOT have to have an automated dialing script for testing AmiTCP. Save that for later.
So here is how installation goes in a nutshell:
* print and read the amitcp:HowToInstall document * gather the info about your connection * install AmiTCP using the installer script
Now that AmiTCP is installed here is how to test and use it:
----------< IMPORTANT STEP Follows >-------------------
*Setup your terminal program to use the same baud rate as AmiTCP. If the baud rate is different AmiTCP will NOT work! This is an easy step to overlook so watch out.
Hint: You can change the baud rate AmiTCP uses by editing the amitcp:bin/startnet script.
-----------------------------------------------------------
*start your terminal program such as term, ncomm, or Termite or you can use a dialing script. Some of the dialing scripts require programming others have user interfaces. Go with what is easiest for you. I say for testing purposes that a term program is the easiest.
*Setup your terminal program's modem predial string to be ATZAT&D0/r (this will reset the modem and force it to ignore DTR) If your terminal program does not use a predial string, then simply enter the command AT&D0 so that the modem will ignore DTR.
*Use your terminal program to make the connection to your provider
*Manually log in and take note of the prompts and messages. When you write the automated dialing script it will use these prompts as cues.
*Some providers will automatically start SLIP others require you to issue a command. You'll have to follow their instructions here.
*if you have a dynamic address the host should provide it to you at this point. Since we are doing things manually, you will need to write the address down for use in a later step.
*Once SLIP mode is entered, QUIT the term program. (this is where ignore DTR is critical. You don't want the modem to hang up because we are going to turn the serial port over to AmiTCP next).
*In a shell window type "startnet" for static addresses or "startnet your.dynamic.address" if you have a dynamic address (hint: use the one you wrote down in the previous step)
*if everything goes right you should get a banner which makes you click on OK after a period of a few seconds. Then you should be returned to the shell prompt. Do NOT close the shell. Shrink it and move it out of the way. AmiTCP is now running. Having fun yet?
Not very exciting Huh? Well AmiTCP doesn't do anything for you directly. You must run an application which uses AmiTCP in order to accomplish anything. The great thing about AmiTCP and your multitasking Amiga is that you can run a bunch of these applications at the same time over one modem connection all talking to _different_ hosts if you wish. Now it is beginning to get interesting, huh?
So what are these applications? and how can you tell if AmiTCP is working? Patience, we are almost there. Remember those amitcp:doc files I asked you to look at? These describe some of the applications. Among them is a tool called PING which allows you to test your connection. Try it against your dial up host. Should work pretty fast, and instantly verifies your connection and setup. Now try it against a remote host such as www.microsoft.com. If it works, this verifies your name server lookup is functioning as well as proves you are on the internet. If it doesn't, don't panic. Check for typos in your config files. Things like a transposed number in the default gateway address would cause the network to be invisible. Also, check that baud rate!
If ping works you can move on to more fun things like ncftp for file transfers or telnet for terminal access to your shell account (gotta check that mail).
If all this is working for you, It is time to dive into automating that dial up process. Then it is on to Amosaic (provided you have WB3.x and MUI), news readers, mail, etc., etc.
See, now that wasn't so bad was it. ;-}
Q) Software-bycat
Software by Category (some items include both hardware and software) (some items are discontinued but listed for those buying used stuff)
-----------
Protocols:
Appletalk
AMAX EMPlant DoubleTalk
Decnet
DECnet
TCP-IP
AmigaNOS AmiTCP AS225 INet 225 Miami TermiteTCP
Novell
Oxxi
Other
AmigaUUCP DNET ENLAN DFS ENVOY Link-It Parnet/Parbench SAMBA
-------------
Disk Utils:
CrossMac MaxDOS
------------
TCP-IP Utils:
MLINK TELser TorqueWare netser.device
SANA II device drivers:
PPP.device PLIP SanaUtil SanaMon
X-windows:
Amiwin X11
Email:
AEmail ADmail AmigaELM INetUtils MunPack MIME decoder THOR Voodoo
Gopher:
BBGopher (aminet) Goppher (aminet)
Web browsers:
Amosaic IBrowse AWeb II Voyager
Web editors:
HTML-Heaven Heddley News:
GRn Offline-Orbit THOR TIN
IRC:
Grapevine
--------
Terminal emulation:
Handshake Ncomm Termite Term Terminus (JRComm 102) VLT
----<end of list>----
hardware-bycat ----------
Hardware Listed by Category:
Ethernet cards:
A2065 A4066 Ariadne Hydra ICard LAN Rover
ISDN:
ISDN-MASTER
Other:
Amigalink GG2-Bus+ Card Quicknet
Software-Specs ================
Specifications for Amiga Networking Software
This is not an exhaustive list. There are several good web pages that list even more programs. Also, you should check out Aminet and Fred Fish for the latest software. The news group comp.sys.amiga.announce is quite handy as well.
AmigaELM -- email
AmigaNOSFlavors -- protocols
AmiTCP -- TCP/IP protocol
AmigaUUCP -- UUCP protocol
AmiWin -- X-windows
Amosaic -- Web browser
AS225 -- TCP/IP protocol
CrossMac -- Mac formated disk support
DECnet -- Decnet protocol
DNET -- protocol and file sharing
ENLAN-DFS -- protocol and resource sharing
Envoy -- protocol and resource sharing
GPDial -- dialing script for Amitcp
GRn -- NEWS reader
HTML-Heaven -- Web processor
INet 225 -- TCP/IP Protocol
INetUtils -- support for news and mail
Link It -- Amiga-PC file sharing
MaxDOS -- Mac formated disk support
Miami -- TCPIP for modem users
Mlink -- TCPIP for Shell users
MunPack -- MIME and uuen/decode
NCOMM -- terminal emulation
netser.device -- remote serial port access
Offline-Orbit -- NEWS/BBS reader
Parnet -- protocol and file sharing
Plip -- Parallel port device driver for TCP/IP
PPP.device -- device driver for PPP-TCP/IP
SAMBA -- protocol and file sharing (UNIX/PC/AMIGA)
telser -- allows modem terminals to be used with telnet
Termite -- terminal emulation
TermiteTCP -- TCPIP for modem users
THOR -- NEWS/BBS reader
TIN -- NEWS reader
TorqueWare (TM) -- Distributed Processing
VLT -- terminal emulation
Voodoo -- email with GUI and MIME
X11R4 -- X-windows
Q) AmigaELM
AmigaELM by Andreas M. Kirchwitz.
elm-fan@zikzak.in-berlin.de
AmigaELM is available on AmiNET in the /comm/mail directory.
AmigaELM is a shareware electronic mail utility for UUCP or TCP/IP that allows you to read and post mail through a remote unix mail box. It can also be setup to run without UUCP or IP on the Amiga.
AmigaELM 8 (8.20) was just announced in c.s.a.announce Announcements are archived on Aminet so I won't repeat the text here.
It works with MetaMail which is also on Aminet. MetaMail handles a lot of different MIME message types.
You should also pick up a copy of INetUtils from Aminet . It has a SMTP client which is suppose to work with AmigaELM.
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