Welcome to Minicom Version 3.5 Help

Contents

 

 

Introduction

Minicom Version 3.5 is produced by CS-JAMI and is designed for PCs running Win'95, Win'98, Windows NT or Win'2000. The PCs can be connected together via an Intranet ( LAN) or modem and using the TCP/IP or IPX/SPX protocol.

Please note that Modem connections using TCP/IP require Win'98 or Win NT on one of the PCs.

Tip

Try using the IPX protocol if you want to establish a Win'95 modem connection.
(Don't forget to install PC Plus on Win'95 servers.)

 

System Requirements

Minicom requires a minimum of a 486 66 Mhz computer with 5 Megabyte spare disk space and VGA/ SVGA graphics card. Minicom works on Win'95, Win'98 and NT V4.0 systems. For modem connections at least a 28k modem is recommended for "Screen".

For MyPhone you will also need a sound card, headset or speakers and a microphone.

Functionality

Minicom allows you to

...AutoSchedule tasks on other PCs.
...text chat with the Chatboard to other PCs.
...exchange clipboard text with other PCs.
...setup Minirem and Minicom on other PCs and your own.
...control local and remote modems.
...monitor and control other PCs from your PC
...shutdown your own and other PCs
...synchronise your PC Time from another computer.
...voice chat with other PC users

 

Installation

Install the software on all the PCs you wish to control.

MiniRem.exe, the hidden remote control program, will be started on each PC and entered in Startup, to be restarted each time the PC is restarted.

Finally start Minicom on your own PC and configure each of your PCs.

The default TCP-IP and IPX port for Minirem on each PC is "2600".
The default password for Minirem on each PC is empty, ie. "".

If you use a "Hosts." file in the windows directory on your PC then a list of possible PCs to connect to will be loaded automatically when Minicom starts for the first time.
To add additional PCs select one of the functions of Minicom such as Screen.

By default Minirem is set to run at startup. To prevent Minirem running at startup, start Minicom and select Setup Minirem for that PC.

Win NT 4.0 users please note that Remote Access Connection and Remote Access Server services must be running on any PCs where you will require modem information.

AutoSchedule

...allows you to schedule tasks on your own and other PCs.

Select "Do", "AutoSchedule" from the Menu. An "Untitled" dialogue will appear.

First build a list of schedule tasks using the "Add", "Insert", "Modify" and "Delete" buttons. For more details see Schedule Tasks.

To open an existing schedule file use the File/Open menu commands.

To test these tasks you can Run them on your own PC.
Don't forget that the directory names may be different on the target PC/s.

Use the File/ Save menu commands to save the schedule for later use.
The files are saved by Minicom in its default directory with the extension ".sch".

To run the tasks on your own or other PCs select Run.
If you select to run the schedule on another PC, Minicom will open a "Schedule Send" window and try to send the task list to Minirem on the Remote PC.
Select Schedule Details to name the Schedule and to set the Schedule to "one shot" or "restart everytime with Minirem". To remove schedules from Minirem select Setup and Schedule List.

If the task list is "one shot" Minirem will start carrying out the tasks.
If the task list is "restart everytime with Minirem" Minirem will start carrying out the tasks but will also save the list to a ".scd" file. Each time that Minirem restarts it will start carrying out the tasks.


To remove a schedule from the remote schedule list start Minicom, select MiniremSetup for the remote PC and select Schedules.
Select Schedule List, highlight the task list and press Remove Schedules.

Chatboard

...allows you to text chat with other PCs.

Chatboard does not require a Password.

Select "Do", "Chatboard" from the Menu and select one or more PCs.
A Minicom chatboard will appear. If the connection is successful to the remote PC a "PC connected" message will appear on the chatboard. This means the chatboard has also popped up on the remote PC. You can now type in a message to the remote PC user.
Press "Enter" to send the message.

When the remote user closes the chatboard a "PC Disconnected" message will appear.

Clipboard Exchange

...allows you to exchange clipboard text with another PC.

Select "Do", "Clipboard" from the Menu and select one or more PCs.

If there is any clipboard text on your PC you can "Send" it to the remote PC clipboard. If the remote PC has clipboard text you can press "Get" and copy it to your PC clipboard.

 

Setup Minirem

...allows you to setup Minirem on another computer on the network.

Select "Do", "MiniRem" from the Menu and select one or more PCs.

The "Setup Minirem" dialogue allows you to modify the password and TCP-IP port on the remote PC and whether Minirem is in the Startup ( starts automatically when the PC starts).

"Schedule" allows you to remove Scheduled tasks from the remote PC.

"Configure Minicom" defines which functions are available on the remote PC.

Tip
The system manager normally would have all the functions available. A typical user may have only the 2 communication devices Chatboard and Phone.

 

Modem

...allows you to start and stop local and remote dial-up connections.

Select "Do", "Modem" from the Menu and select one or more PCs.

A dialog will appear with a list of the remote PCs dial-up connections.

Select a connection and click the "start" or "hangup" button.

MyPhone

...allows you to phone other users on the network/ lan, and for them to phone you.
To use phone you need a sound card on your PC ( preferably full duplex) and a set of headphones, or speakers, with a microphone.

Tip:
Special cardiod moving coil microphones may not work well as they require extra amplification. This is not always provided by the sound card. eg. boost.

MyPhone does not require a Password.

To configure MyPhone select "File/ Setup" to display the Setup dialog.
You can set the microphone and speaker/ earphone sound card drivers.
You can also "Add" other PCs on the network. The list shown contains the same PCs setup in Minicom. Use "Modify" to change the PC network name, port and TCP-IP or IPX addressing.

To make a phone call select a PC name from the "Phone List" on the main screen. Then click "Call".

If another user calls you, select the "Call/ Answer" button to speak to the caller.

To check the volume use File/ Check Handset. This switches local loopback on.
To set the volume use the standard volume controls provided for your soundcard. ( check out the Taskbar symbols, on the right side, next to the clock).

Screen

...allows you to view and control other PCs from your own screen.

Select "Do", "Screen" from the Menu and select one or more PCs.

A window should now appear that says "Command - <Computer Name> Connected". In the window you should see the other PC screen.

You can View this as a Full Screen Display giving the impression of working directly on the other computer. To exit from the Full Screen Display press the "Esc" escape key.

(See View/ Refresh to update the screen if there is a line transmission problem.)

 

Shutdown

...allows you to shutdown your own and other PCs.

Select "Do", "Shutdown" from the Menu. The "Shutdown" dialogue will appear.

Options are "Shutdown", "Shutdown with Restart" and "Shutdown and Logon as a different user".

If the "Seconds Timeout" field is greater than 0 then a Count Down message will appear on the PCs to be shutdown.

"Forced Shutdown" forces the shutdown independent of warning messages and even if other users or programs are using the PC at the time. Be careful when using this option.

Having selected the options press "OK" and select one or more PCs. The Shutdown command will now be sent to all selected PCs which can be connected.

Time

...allows you to set your computer clock from another computer on the network.
Select "Do", "Time" from the Menu and
select a PC.

A window should now appear that says "Time - <Computer Name> Connected".

After a few seconds you should see a time string eg. "16:00:45", appear in the window. This means that the time has been sent from the other PC and that your PC clock has been synchronised to that time.
The synchronisation time will continue to be sent every 5 seconds until the window is closed.

Connecting

Select the PCs you wish to connect to and press "OK".

If there are no PCs in the list, use "Add" to add a PC name. Here you enter the Network name of the computer eg. "PC6" .

The remaining commands allow multiple selection. Eg. "Modify", "Delete", "Settings ", "Unselect" and "Select All".

Having selected the PC name or names, press "OK" to connect.

 

Command Line Parameters when starting Minicom

You can start Minicom with a Command Line Parameter. For example if you want immediately to connect to "Screen" on computer "PC6" then add PC6 to the command line for Minicom.

 

AutoSchedule /a and title of schedule

eg. "c:\Program Files\Minicom\Minicom.exe /a Schedule.scd"

 

Chatboard /b and name of computer

eg."c:\Program Files\Minicom\Minicom.exe /b PC6"

 

Clipboard /c and name of computer

eg."c:\Program Files\Minicom\Minicom.exe /c PC6"

 

Modem /d and name of computer

eg."c:\Program Files\Minicom\Minicom.exe /d PC6"

 

Shutdown /h and name of computer

eg."c:\Program Files\Minicom\Minicom.exe /h PC6"

 

Minirem Setup /r and name of computer

eg."c:\Program Files\Minicom\Minicom.exe /r PC6"

 

Screen /s and name of computer

eg.c:\Program Files\Minicom\Minicom.exe /s PC6

to start with Full Screen on PC6 /sf

eg."c:\Program Files\Minicom\Minicom.exe /sf PC6"

 

Time /t and name of computer

eg."c:\Program Files\Minicom\Minicom.exe /t PC6"

 

Registering Minicom

Purchasing the unlimited time version of Minicom is quite easy, on the Internet just Browse into "members.xoom.com/jamixoom" .


Get the Unlimited version now

 

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