June 1985:

As contributions of Kermit programs continue to arrive, the Kermit
distribution area grows larger and larger.  This week, the collection finally
grew so large that it would not fit on a 1600bpi labeled tape.  The past
several days have been spent reorganizing the entire Kermit distribution
operation.

The biggest change is that there are now two major Kermit distribution areas,
which correspond to two Kermit distribution tapes (Tape A and Tape B).
Area/Tape B contains all the mainframe and minicomputer ("host")
implementations; Area/Tape A contains everything else -- the microcomputer
(PC, workstation) implementations, the manuals, and miscellany.  Splitting up
the files this way allows room for a good amount of growth, and also lets
several versions (notably the U of Toronto Pascal Kermits for RT-11 and
VAX/VMS) be resurrected from the "Kermit-Extra" area.

Even though the files have been split into two directories, they still all
have (and must have) UNIQUE PREFIXES.  No files with the same prefix will
appear in more than one directory (except the new AA files, about which see
below).

Many files have been renamed in a more sensible way.  Previously, all the
"bureaucratic" files like VERSIONS.DOC, 00README.TXT, etc, were mixed in with
all the other files.  Now (in addition to being rewritten), they have new
names, all starting with AA.  In fact, all filenames now start with a letter,
since it turns out that some systems require that.

Old             New          What

(none)          AAAREAD.ME   Explains what all the AA files are.
00README.TXT    AATAPE.HLP   Talks about tapes (replaces ANSITAPE, OSSLTAPE)
(none)          AANETW.HLP   Instructions for getting Kermit via network
00README.TXT    AAFILES.HLP  Explains what the Kermit files are
CURRENT.DOC     AAVNEW.HLP   List of current versions, chronological
VERSIONS.DOC    AAVSYS.HLP   List of current versions, alphabetical by system
(none)          AAWAIT.HLP   List of versions we're waiting for
FLYER.DOC       AAXFLY.DOC   Flyer (now also includes order form)
COMMER.DOC      AAXCOM.DOC   Commercial policy, only the name has been changed
KLTR.TEX        AAKLTR.TEX   Cover letter, rewritten

The files that used to be VERSIONS.DOC and CURRENT.DOC been combined into
AAVERS.HLP.  This is a list of versions, one on each line, showing the
following information:

Prefix,                 Operating  Program   Program  Released
 Tape  Machine          System     Language  Version  yy/mm/dd  Contributor

for example:

CMS B  IBM 370 Series   VM/CMS     Assembler    2.01  85/05/20  Columbia U

Whenever a new version is installed, this file is updated and then sorted
several different ways to produce the following files:

AAVNEW.HLP -- Listed in reverse chronological order of release date
AAVOPS.HLP -- Listed alphabetically by operating system only
AAVPFX.HLP -- Listed alphabetically by prefix, regardless of tape
AAVSYS.HLP -- Listed alphabetically by machine and operating system
AAVTAP.HLP -- Listed by tape (A or B), then alphabetically by file prefix

The AA*.* files will appear in both Kermit distribution areas/tapes.  A glance
at the appropriate file will make it easy to answer questions like "Is there a
Kermit for xxx?", or "Has there been a new release of Kermit for xxx since
yyy?", or "What is the prefix for zzz Kermit?", or "What tape is such-and-such
a Kermit on?"

Some Kermit program files were renamed:

    Old             New

  20KERMIT        K20MIT (needed to start with a letter)
  170KERMIT       CDCKER    "
  800KER          LUXKER    "
  86KERMIT        C86KER    "
  CMSKERMIT       CMSKER (so Scribe could deal with the .MSS better)

Those who use the Internet, CCnet, or BITnet to get Kermit files from Columbia
should read KER:AANETW.HLP for details about network access.  The BITnet area
(KERMSRV@CUVMA) is not yet reorganized -- that will take another week or two.
Those who use FTP or NFT to get files from CU20B should notice no difference
in the procedure, since the "logical name" KER: has been redefined to include
the new area in its search path; the fact that no prefix (except AA) appears
in more than one area should allow network file transfer to work as before,
except when you try to get ALL the Kermit files (would anybody really do
that?) -- if you tried to "MULTIPLE GET KER:*.*", you would wind up with only
the files from area A.  If you need to refer to the B area explicitly, its
logical name is K2:, as in "MULTIPLE GET K2:*.*".

And a minor complication 
