The MacTerminal MINI-HOWTO: Logging in via kermit.

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## 4. Logging in via `kermit`.

Configuring Linux to use the Mac as a `login:` terminal is even easier. `kermit` is ideal for this purpose, because it is one of the few free communication programs which provides credible VT100/120/220 emulation.

Essentially, what you want to do is start `kermit` on the Macintosh side as in the previous section, but rather than issue server commands, you enter `connect` mode. This is the normal terminal emulation mode that most people use, anyway.

On the Linux side, the serial line must be configured with a `getty` on it to start a `login:` shell. To do this, you need to tell `init` that the serial line has a terminal on it. In your `/etc/inittab` file you will need a line something like this:

    T1:23:respawn:/sbin/getty -L ttyS0 9600 vt100

Be sure to substitute the appropriate serial device for `/dev/ttyS0` and the correct baud rate for `9600` in the command line above.

This command tells `getty` to start `login` (the `-L` switch) on the terminal display, and, when the login times out, to re-start (`respawn`) the login program until someone logs in. If no device is connected to the serial line, or if the connection is defective, you may see a message on the system console like: `/dev/ttyS0 respawning too fast: disabling for 5 minutes`. If this happens, you can return things to normal by (as root) `kill`ing the `getty` process, or using the `init q` command. Both of them have the effect of re-spawning the `getty` processe(s). If everything is in order, you should see the Linux banner and login prompt on the Mac's `kermit` window. That's all there is to it.

Also, if you use something besides vanilla `getty`, like `getty_ps`, the command above will look somewhat different. The important thing to remember is that everything to the right of `/sbin/getty` is an argument for `getty` itself; not `init`. You should look at the manual pages for `getty`, `init`,and `inittab` if you have questions concerning the setup of `init` and `getty`.

The Serial HOWTO provides helpful details on how to configure `/etc/inittab` for `getty_ps`, if that's what your system uses.

To transfer files back and forth between the Macintosh and the Linux machine, you can (via the Mac's Kermit) issue the `kermit -x` command to start the Linux `kermit` in server mode. You can then use the normal file transfer commands to send files across the serial line. It's useful to set a prompt in your `~/.kermrc` with a line like

    set prompt Linux-kermit >

Otherwise, remembering which machine you're on can quickly become confusing.

## 4.1 Other Mac terminal programs.

This method should work equally well for any other Mac terminal program. If you have ZTerm, you can use `rz` and `sz` on the Linux machine to transfer files via the ZModem protocol. If Microphone Lite came bundled with your fax modem, that works equally well, albeit without `kermit's` superior scripting and configuration facilities.

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