Sloup: how do I connect/use...?

This document discusses configuration issues for communication programs, and import/export data issues for specific applications. If you'd be willing to share your experiences or questions, email Steve.

Macintosh

ZTerm 1.0.1
shareware terminal emulator. quite reliable, but appears to truncate long lines (>~4K)
ClarisTerm
commercial terminal emulator, part of ClarisWorks. supports ADSP
FreeTerm 3.01
handles long lines and files well; few amenities; this version not widely available?
Other
expeeSlurport, NamesImport, NotePrint

DOS/Windows PC

Terminal
Windows (3.1) built-in, under Accessories
HyperTerminal
Windows 95,NT built-in. "Connect Using:" whichever port the connecting cable is on.
Kermit
(from Bruce Hopkins)
To send from pc to newton (to unfiled notes):
  1. start up kermit on your pc (the default settings are perfect for using Sloup on com1)
  2. start up Sloup on the newton
  3. type "c" on the pc (for "connect")
  4. also type "notes" and "{}" on the pc (note that the text won`t be echoed on the pc, but will show on Sloup)
  5. press "Alt-X" on the pc to get back to the kermit prompt
  6. now you can send any text file to the newton. to send the file "temp.txt", simply type: type temp.txt > com1
  7. to close the new note, type "c" again, then type "BYE!"
To get text from newton:
  1. start up kermit on the pc
  2. type "log session" on the pc
  3. type "c" on the pc to connect
  4. on the pc you can perform a DUMP! and/or on the newton you can paste selected text
  5. on the pc type "Alt-X"
  6. on the pc type "close session"
  7. the the text is saved in a file called session.log
Ecco (Win95)
(from Jason Lamb)

Has anyone collected useful information on using Sloup between the MP and Ecco (running on my WIN95 desktop). What specifically I'm looking for are example Dump and Add files so that I can synchronize the information between platforms with a minimum of ASCII editing.

So far I have gotten my Ecco address book of 95 or so names, exported to my MP, and it took a fair amount of editing of the export file to match one of your file examples, which worked the best for me, and it took some editing of extraneous characters (the letter a with a degree character next to it, being one of the most popular extraneous characters added to stuff.) of the entries on the MP end. All in all (especially with the Inspect mode for regular keyboard fixing of Names entries) it was much faster than hand entering them. MUCH faster.

Other
WinNewt,

Unix/Linux

NewtonLink
Reinhold Schoeb
Other

IrDA

This information graciously provided by Bill Moser.

This works for iMac or appropriate PowerBook (For Windows folks, you're going to have to work this out on your own; the Newton is theoretically capable of talking to a Thinkpad, but I have no access to the Windows IR driver. I can help you configure it if you email me with the prefs from the IR driver...)

Here's how you do it:

  1. Get a registered version of Sloup (v. 2.2f is what I have). [note: Sloup 2.2e-2 public evaluation version should work]
  2. Install on your Messagepad 2000, 2100, or eMate. (The MP130 and earlier models are not IrDA-capable...sorry.)
  3. Get the "Palm Extras" folder that comes with the new Palm MacPac 2
  4. Inside is a folder labelled "IrDA". Inside that is a folder labelled "install in your system folder". Drag those items to the Extensions folder -- it will replace your Mac's IrDA Tool and 2 other extensions, and insert a new item: SerialShimLib.
  5. Reboot your Mac.
  6. Open the AppleWorks application, and choose a communications window. (This will also work with SitComm or any other terminal emulator that uses the Communications ToolBox.)
  7. Choose "Connect..." from the appropriate menu. Select the IrDA tool. You will see 4 options appear (2 "class" and 2 "attribute" lines). For both classes, type "X" (case is important). For both attributes, type "IrDA:IrLMP:LsapSel"
  8. Choose "File Transfer..." from the appropriate menu. Select the Text Tool.
  9. On the Newton, open Sloup. Put a check the "autoconnect" box. Set the upper right menu to "IrDA". Set the upper left menu to "command". At this point, my MP2000 seems to begin scanning for an IR connection.
  10. Select "open connection" in your terminal emulator. If everything is set right, the link should take a second or two to establish, and then Sloup will chime to announce the link is open.
  11. At this point, Sloup acts just like it's connected by a cable to the desktop machine. It can be used to send text to the newton (Notes, NewtWorks, Names, etc.) or get text from the Newton, as well as (apparently) graphics and sounds.

(BTW, I have sent large files back and forth between my iMac and Newton, and have run into no problems with information being scrambled or lost. The connection is rock-solid and error checking works.)

The only difficulty now is that Sloup is not very user-friendly, and it's best to download the manual and examples to get it to work. I'm currently trying to write some AppleScripts that can be installed into AppleWorks to automate the transfer process, so hopefully this will be easier to use in a couple of weeks.

I may eventually write a transfer utility that's more intuitive, but I think the good folks at Landware are working on this already for X-Port 3.0. Since it's now relatively simple to set up on the Mac side, I would hope this makes it into the X-Port 3.0 feature list.

Email me if you have questions.
Bill Moser: guillermo1967@hotmail.com

Later summary (10 Dec 99):

NCU and NTK will NOT work over IR links. That feature was begun but never finished by the Newton developers.

Two program options do exist:

  1. EETransfer, a shareware program from Easter Eggs, gives a full terminal emulator which works over IrDA (among other things).
  2. Sloup, a fairly complex programming tool from Steve Weyer, also can connect over IrDA.

Both of these programs can connect to a desktop terminal emulator (like AppleWorks, SitComm, or Black Knight). You can then transfer files back and forth via X, Y, or Zmodem. I've transferred text files, gifs, and jpegs (also sound recordings, but no way to decode them).

This technique works on a Bondi Blue iMac, a Powerbook 2400 or 3400 (I think), and all G3 Powerbooks. On the Newton side, it works with a Messagepad 2000 or 2100, or an eMate.

I have tried for a Windows solution, but the Windows IR driver does not seem to work. It uses IrCOMM, which is too high level for the Newton IR stack (I'm guessing).