MEX114KP.NOT
In the search for a communications program THAT WOULD WORK
with a newly acquired 1200-baud modem, "The Maxwell" by Racal-
Vadic, and the Kaypro 2X (4'84), it was suggested "Why not try
MEX?" The combination of MEX114.COM and MXO-KP41.ASM turned
out to be the perfect combination. The first time I used it, it
worked and has been working ever since.
It may be time consuming to read through all the MEX files
for the first time, but it is worth all the effort. The MXO-KP41
file also contains the dialing routine from MXO-SM13.ASM (the
Hayes SmartModem overlay) so there is no need to have any other
overlay file. What follows is a "how-to" assemble everything and
get it up and running. This should work for all CP/M Kaypros with
Hayes-compatible external modems.
1. Download MEX114.LBR, MEX-HLP.LBR, and MXO-KP41.AQM (which is
contained in the MEX-OVL.LBR). (De-lbr and Usq files that
need it).
2. Place MEX114.COM, MEX.HLP, MXO-KP41.ASM, MLOAD21.COM and
ASM.COM (this one came on your cpm diskette) on a diskette
and put this diskette into drive A.
3. At the A0> prompt type the following:
A0>ASM MXO-KP41.AAZ
This will assemble your Kaypro overlay file and give you
the needed .HEX file which must be bound into the system
by typing the following at the A0> prompt:
4. A0>MLOAD21 MEX.COM=MEX114.COM,MXO-KP41
You have just loaded a new MEX.COM file which is ready for
immediate use!!
*******************************************************************
HOWEVER - - - - - -
Life with your modem can be made almost instantaneously easier
if you do a few preparatory things before running your MEX program
for the first time.
1. Create a file with your word processor or text editor (in non-
document mode) and name it INI.MEX - This is the file:
stat wtecho on
stat search 3
stat split on
stat bakfile on
stat exclude off (all these commands in this
stat filter on (file should be typed at the
stat extend off (left-hand edge of your screen
alt A0:
id "[inimex]"
load phone.phn
load keys.key
b:
term session.log
dir
global t
2. Save this file to disk and place it along with the other files
on your diskette in drive A.
3. Now, invoke MEX on the disk in drive A:
A0>MEX
4. You will now see on your screen:
[MEX] A0>>
5. At this prompt type:
[MEX] A0>>STAT INITFILE ON
This stat command will tell MEX to search for INI.MEX when
booting MEX.
6. Now create your phone library by typing at the prompt:
[MEX] A0>>PHONE KAYFOG=285-2687 1200
[MEX] A0>>PHONE FIDO=1-404-926-1876 1200
etc. After you have entered all the phone numbers you want,
then do the following:
[MEX] A0>>SAVE PHONE.PHN
You have just created a phone file called PHONE.PHN and the
next time you run MEX you can simply give the command:
[MEX] A0>>LOAD PHONE.PHN
However, since we have an INI.MEX file, loading the phone.phn
file is not necessary, as it will be loaded automatically
through the ini.mex file.
7. This process can also be used to create a KEYS.KEY file:
[MEX] A0>>KEY L=<"logon sequence"> [MEX] A0>>KEY A="HELLO!"
etc. You must enclose the keystring in quote marks. Now SAVE
your KEYS file.
8. [MEX] A0>>SAVE KEYS.KEY
The INI.MEX file will load the KEYS.KEY file just like the
phone file, the next time you invoke MEX.
9. Now, with the KEYS and PHONE files saved, and the STAT INITFILE
ON command given, you must CLONE this MEX file:
[MEX] A0>>CLONE INIMEX.COM
You can call your new mex.com file anything you want, but I have
called it INIMEX.COM because I used ID "[INIMEX]" in the
ini.mex file that was created with my word processor. If you
want your file named something else, just use that same name (less
the .com extension) in your ini.mex file. However, as stated
above, you don't even need an ini.mex file.
10. Now after "cloning" has taken place, your new working MEX commun-
ications program can be invoked from your A0> prompt:
A0>INIMEX
and [INIMEX] A0>> prompt will appear on your screen. It is nice
to use a different name than MEX because you will always know
you are at your own command prompt if the computer at the other
end is also using MEX. I only like "inimex" because it reminds
me that I have my ini.mex-file commands in use. This way, I
don't have to worry about entering all these commands every time
I want to run MEX.
11. Now at the INIMEX prompt, I can call kayfog (or anyone else in
the library) with the following command:
[INIMEX] B0>>cal kayfog #5
and my modem will call KAYFOG, and if there is no answer, it will
try five times before giving up; you could use any number #nn you
want. You are at the B0 drive because of your command in ini.mex.
After your modem makes a connect, because of your ini.mex file, you
will be automatically placed in terminal mode and will see a ":"
at the left margin if your capture file SESSIONS.LOG is on and
capturing everything that comes across the screen.
If you can't get the other computer's attention after making a
connection, you can press <cr> a couple of times, and that should
do it. Now you are ready to communicate as always.
If you want to download MEX (for example), do the following after
you are in the CP/M area:
A0>(or whatever drive/user area you are in), just type:
B3>kmd s mex114.lbr
(here the computer will tell you how much time it will take to send
the file, etc.) Then when you find that things are just "sitting
there" you do the following:
hit your CTRL-J key plus E to get back to command mode:
^JE
then you will see your MEX prompt:
[INIMEX] B0>>
At this prompt, type the following:
[INIMEX] B0>>r mex114.lbr
While transferring files (in 1k mode), MEX will print "logical" record
numbers on the screen. (See Ron Fowler's "Progress reporting" statement
in the -READ 114.ME file of the MEX114.lbr)
Credits: This short tutorial is taken from notes and documents of the
MEX conference files located in the CP/M area of KAY*FOG. Special thanks
to Ron Fowler for placing MEX in public domain, to Hank Tate for writing
the MEX-SET2.DOC for the ini.mex file (notice I have used my own
commands, they are not quite the same as Hank Tate's), and to Will Kacy
for the MEX-EASY.FIX file from which the phone.phn file was taken.
***********************************************************************
You can get "on-line" help by typing HELP ?, or HELP <topic-name> for
any topic-name displayed by HELP ? You can also get help by typing
CTRL-J+? (that is, hold down the control key while typing J and then
press the space bar and then type the ? key - Do this control-J ?
AFTER going to terminal mode by pressing T at the command prompt of
[MEX] etc.
Note that in most of the documents, reference is made to ESC E, ESC N,
etc. while in terminal mode. Well, in version 1.14 of MEX, the ESC is
no longer ESC, it is now CONTROL-J (^J). That is:
ESC = ^J in version 1.14 of MEX
Please read MEX-SET2.DOC by Hank Tate. He gives an extremely clear
explanation of the creation of the INI.MEX file.
For a full understanding of MEX, read everything that is in the MEX
CONFERENCE. Most of the information deals with prior versions of
MEX, but it makes for better understanding of the power that this
program holds. It is a flexible program and "limited only by your
own imagination". ENJOY!
E. McGowan, 5-10-86
Almost forgot! After you tell the BBS "bye", return to command mode
by typing ^JE and at the [INIMEX]B0>> prompt, type CPM and that will
get you back to your system prompt. Also, SESSION.LOG (where you
captured everything that came across the screen) is on drive B. If
you are going to make another call, be sure to rename your SESSION.
LOG because it will be wiped out the next time you make another call.