tip

[Matt Cohen]

In UNIX-WIZARDS Digest V9#067, 
	jerry waldorf <waldorf at venice.sedd.trw.com> writes:

>	I want to transfer compressed files from a vax to a sun 
>using tip.  I can connect up to the vax and ~t filename with 
>text files.  That is I can download ascii files.  But when I download
> .Z files the whole thing gets hosed.

	The problem, I believe, is that tip is simply doing a
"cat file" on the remote system and then putting whatever
comes back into a file. The unprintable characters are garbaging
up the output and tip is not getting anything remotely like your file.

	There are two solutions. The first is to use some other
file transfer program that has a binary mode. Good examples are
kermit or better yet, xmodem/ymodem/zmodem. These are available at
your favorite comp.sources.unix archive or I can send you a copy.

	The second option is to use uuencode, which encodes binary
using only printable ASCII. You get tip to uuencode the file on the 
remote system and decode it on the local one. 

	While in tip, type "~|". Tip will respond with "~Local command?".
Assuming the file is called myfile,
	~Local command? uudecode
	List command for remote system? uuencode myfile myfile

	Using tip this way is signifigantly slower, since uuencoded
files are 35% larger. Also, tip has no error detection/correction apart
from any automatically provided by your modem, so if you get line hits
during transmission part of your file will be garbaged. If you suspect
line noise, you can try getting the file twice and doing a diff.

	Good luck!

Matt Cohen                              UUCP: ...!uunet!chron!sysnmc
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