UUCP /etc/uucp/Dialers File

The /etc/uucp/Dialers file contains dialing instructions for many commonly used modems. You probably do not need to change or add entries to this file unless you plan to use a nonstandard modem or plan to customize your UUCP environment. Nevertheless, you should understand what is in the file and how it relates to the Systems and Devices file.

The text specifies the initial conversation that must occur on a line before it can be made available for transferring data. This conversation, often referred to as a chat-script, is usually a sequence of ASCII strings that is transmitted and expected, and it is often used to dial a phone number.

As shown in the examples in "UUCP /etc/uucp/Devices File", the fifth field in a Devices file entry is an index into the Dialers file or a special dialer type (TCP, TLI, or TLIS). The uucico daemon attempts to match the fifth field in the Devices file with the first field of each Dialers file entry. In addition, each odd-numbered Devices field, starting with the seventh position, is used as an index into the Dialers file. If the match succeeds, the Dialers entry is interpreted to perform the dialer conversation.

Each entry in the Dialers file has the following format:

dialer 

substitutions 

expect-send

The following example shows the entry for a US Robotics V.32bis modem.

Example 40-10 /etc/uucp/Dialers File Entry

Dialer       Substitution  Expect-Send
usrv32bis-e  =,-,  ""      dA\pT&FE1V1X1Q0S2=255S12=255&A1&H1&M5&B2&W\r\c OK\r 
                           \EATDT\T\r\c CONNECT\s14400/ARQ STTY=crtscts

The Dialer field matches the fifth and additional odd-numbered fields in the Devices file. The Substitutions field is a translate string: the first of each pair of characters is mapped to the second character in the pair. This mapping is usually used to translate = and - into whatever the dialer requires for "wait for dial tone" and "pause."

The remaining expect-send fields are character strings.

The following example shows some sample entries in the Dialers file, as distributed when you install UUCP as part of the Solaris installation program.

Example 40-11 Excerpts From /etc/uucp/Dialers

penril	=W-P "" \d > Q\c : \d- > s\p9\c )-W\p\r\ds\p9\c-) y\c : \E\TP > 9\c OK 
 
ventel	=&-%	"" \r\p\r\c $ <K\T%%\r>\c ONLINE! 
 
vadic	=K-K	"" \005\p *-\005\p-*\005\p-* D\p BER? \E\T\e \r\c LINE 
 
develcon	""	"" \pr\ps\c est:\007 
 
\E\D\e \n\007 micom	""	"" \s\c NAME? \D\r\c GO 
 
hayes	=,-,	"" \dA\pTE1V1X1Q0S2=255S12=255\r\c OK\r \EATDT\T\r\c CONNECT 
 
#   Telebit TrailBlazer 
tb1200	=W-,	"" \dA\pA\pA\pTE1V1X1Q0S2=255S12=255S50=2\r\c OK\r 
\EATDT\T\r\c CONNECT\s1200   
tb2400	=W-,	"" \dA\pA\pA\pTE1V1X1Q0S2=255S12=255S50=3\r\c OK\r 
\EATDT\T\r\c CONNECT\s2400   
tbfast	=W-,	"" \dA\pA\pA\pTE1V1X1Q0S2=255S12=255S50=255\r\c OK\r 
\EATDT\T\r\c CONNECT\sFAST 
 
# USrobotics, Codes, and DSI modems 
 
dsi-ec  =,-,    "" \dA\pTE1V1X5Q0S2=255S12=255*E1*F3*M1*S1\r\c OK\r \EATDT\T\r\c 
CONNECT\sEC STTY=crtscts,crtsxoff 
 
dsi-nec =,-,    "" \dA\pTE1V1X5Q0S2=255S12=255*E0*F3*M1*S1\r\c OK\r \EATDT\T\r\c CONNECT 
STTY=crtscts,crtsxoff 
 
usrv32bis-ec =,-,  "" \dA\pT&FE1V1X1Q0S2=255S12=255&A1&H1&M5&B2&W\r\c OK\r \EATDT\T\r\c 
CONNECT\s14400/ARQ STTY=crtscts,crtsxoff 
 
usrv32-nec =,-, "" \dA\pT&FE1V1X1Q0S2=255S12=255&A0&H1&M0&B0&W\r\c OK\r \EATDT\T\r\c 
CONNECT STTY=crtscts,crtsxoff 
 
codex-fast =,-, "" \dA\pT&C1&D2*MF0*AA1&R1&S1*DE15*FL3S2=255S7=40S10=40*TT5&W\r\c OK\r 
\EATDT\T\r\c CONNECT\s38400 STTY=crtscts,crtsxoff 
 
tb9600-ec =W-,  "" \dA\pA\pA\pTE1V1X1Q0S2=255S12=255S50=6\r\c OK\r 
\EATDT\T\r\cCONNECT\s9600 STTY=crtscts,crtsxoff 
 
tb9600-nec =W-, "" \dA\pA\pA\pTE1V1X1Q0S2=255S12=255S50=6S180=0\r\c OK\r \EATDT\T\r\c 
CONNECT\s9600 STTY=crtscts,crtsxoff

The following table lists escape characters that are commonly used in the send strings in the Dialers file.

Here is a penril entry in the Dialers file:

penril =W-P "" \d > Q\c : \d- > s\p9\c )-W\p\r\ds\p9\c-) y\c : \E\TP > 9\c OK 

First, the substitution mechanism for the phone number argument is established so that any = is replaced with a W (wait for dial tone) and any - with a P (pause).

The handshake that is given by the remainder of the line works as listed:

• "" - Waits for nothing (that is, proceed to the next step).

• \d - Delays 2 seconds, then sends a carriage return.

• > - Waits for a >.

• Q\c - Sends a Q without a carriage return.

• : - Expects a :.

• \d- - Delays 2 seconds, sends a - and a carriage return.

• > - Waits for a >.

• s\p9\c - Sends an s, pauses, sends a 9 with no carriage return.

• )-W\p\r\ds\p9\c-) - Waits for a ). If ) is not received, processes the string between the - characters as follows. Sends a W, pauses, sends a carriage return, delays, sends an s, pauses, sends a 9 without a carriage return, then waits for the ).

• y\c - Sends a y with no carriage return.

• : - Waits for a :.

• \E\TP - Enables echo checking. From this point on, whenever a character is transmitted, UUCP waits for the character to be received before proceeding, and then, sends the phone number. The \T means to take the phone number that is passed as an argument. The \T applies the Dialcodes translation and the modem function translation that is specified by field 2 of this entry. Then sends a P and a carriage return.

• > - Waits for a >.

• 9\c - Sends a 9 without a newline.

• OK - Waits for the string OK.

UUCP Hardware Flow Control

You can also use the pseudo-send STTY=value string to set modem characteristics. For instance, STTY=crtscts enables outbound hardware flow control. STTY=crtsxoff enables inbound hardware flow control. STTY=crtscts,crtsxoff enables both outbound and inbound hardware flow control.

STTY accepts all the stty modes. See the stty(1) and termio(7I) man pages.

The following example would enable hardware flow control in a Dialers entry:

dsi =,-, "" \dA\pTE1V1X5Q0S2=255S12=255*E1*F3*M1*S1\r\c OK\r \EATDT\T\r\c 
CONNECT\sEC STTY=crtscts 

This pseudo-send string can also be used in entries in the Systems file.

UUCP Setting Parity

In some situations, you have to reset the parity because the system that you are calling checks port parity and drops the line if it is wrong. The expect-send couplet P_ZERO sets parity to zero:

foo =,-, "" P_ZERO "" \dA\pTE1V1X1Q0S2=255S12=255\r\c OK\r\EATDT\T\r\c CONNECT 

In the same manner, P_EVEN sets parity to even (the default), P_ODD sets it to odd, and P_ONE sets it to one. This pseudo-send string can also be used in entries in the Systems file.