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sindi keesan wrote:
>
> I want to be able to telnet via nullmodem cable from 
> a computer using DOS to a computer using BL2.  

You might find it more convenient to use that same nullmodem
cable to direct-connect to your Linux box.  Run an ordinary
terminal program (like telix, commo or terminate) on the DOS
box, skip the dialing part and logon to COM1 (/dev/ttyS0) of 
the Linux box.  All you have to do on the Linux box to get
this to work is to uncomment the s1 line of /etc/inittab
(naturally you have to set your DOS terminal program for
the same speed you have in /etc/inittab).  Note: reset your 
Linux box for the new /etc/inittab to take effect.

I am currently using the above method to access a headless
box (which is stacked between my main box and my monitor).
The headless box auto-boots BasicLinux and I run commo 
(in DOS) on my main system to access it.  When finished,
I execute "shutdown -r now", listen for the headless box
to reset, turn it off, and then exit commo.  No problem.

> I have kermit (which does telnet and file transfer) at 
> both ends.  Apparently I need to have a telnet server 
> on the linux computer, which might be the same as the 
> inet daemon.  

No, the inet daemon is something different.  It is the
supervisor that calls telnetd.  inetd runs continuously
watching for incoming requests.  When it gets a request
for telnet, it wakes up telnetd.  When it gets a request
for ftp, it wakes up ftpd.  And so on.  inetd is not
necessary.  It is quite possible to run the various inet 
servers individually, but it is usually more efficient 
to run inetd alone and let it call the servers when they 
are needed (rather than running the various servers 
continuously).

> The BL2 FAQ says to install 'the telnet server' but which 
> package is this?  

/slakware/n6/tcpip1.tgz

> I already have two telnet programs 

Those are probably just client programs for telnet.  What
you are looking for is a telnet server (telnetd).

> What is the server named?  

The telnet server in tcpip1.tgz is called in.telnetd.
The prefix means it is designed to be called from inetd
(but you can get around this by using the -debug parameter).

> pppd /dev/ttyS0 115200 192.168.1.1:192.168.1.2 local crtscts noauth

That runs pppd (on both systems) to create a network between
the two systems.  You will see a similar line in ~/netsetup
in BL3.  So, on the DOS system, you need pppd and telnet.
And, on the Linux system, you need pppd and telnetd.

> Can I use pppd instead of a telnet server somehow?

No.  pppd is used to set up the network.  Then you need
a client/server pair to use the network (in BasicLinux,
send/receive are a simple client/server pair).
 
> What do crtscts and noauth mean?  Something about how 
> packets are sent and maybe no need for authorizations 
> (security)?

man pppd

> I did manage once to do a kermit file transfer without 
> telnetting, between DOS and linux, 

I know little about kermit, so it is quite possible that
kermit is able to act as a self-contained client/server
pair (without requiring telnetd).

> and another time used a dumb terminal as a real terminal 
> to linux, both via nullmodem cable.

That is the method I recommend.  It is much simpler to set 
up (assuming you can handle the set up of a DOS terminal 
program).  

> What I would like is to telnet from my DOS to my linux 
> computer 

AFAIK everything you do with telnet can be done with the
dumb terminal option.

> and do file transfers 

No problem.  Use lsz on the Linux box to download files 
to your DOS terminal.  You will find lsz (and lrz) 
in /slakware/a10/minicom.tgz

> and maybe even dial the net from linux 

No problem with a dumb terminal.

> and use the DOS computer as a terminal somehow, 

That's what the dumb terminal option does.

> letting me access the web from DOS 

CLI access, no problem.

> that way and download files directly to it 

It won't be direct.  First the files download from
the net to the Linux box.  Then from the Linux box
to the DOS box using lsz.  

> Then I could use an old (286) lunchbox computer (with 
> TTL plasma screen!) with DOS on it as a linux terminal 
> and DOS wordprocessor.  

Sure.  Direct-connect it to a serial port on the Linux box
and run a DOS terminal program on the 286.

> I don't want to learn DOS ethernet right now.

Then the dumb-terminal option is the one for you.  Using 
telnet/ftp/kermit requires some sort of network to be set up.
Whether you are talking DOS ethernet or DOS slip or DOS plip
or DOS ppp, it all involves configuring a network.  Network
configuration from DOS will be trickier for you than running 
a DOS terminal program.

Cheers,
Steven

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