Configuring UUCP and CU to work via an Annex port

A common requirement of many UNIX systems is the ability to connect to other UNIX systems via direct and dial up connections, for the purposes of remote file transfer, mail and remote login.

The standard UNIX UUCP package permits these operations to be performed, using a set of application programs. These programs, along with various necessary configuration files, are usually kept in the /usr/lib/uucp directory on most UNIX systems, work files and any necessary datafiles are created in /usr/spool/uucp and its subdirectories. A Component part of the UUCP package is the CU utility which allows a user to connect to a remote system using either a dialup or a direct serial link.

UUCP is normally configured to use a directly connected tty device. However in order to access an Annex serial device the connection must be made via TCP/IP. One way of configuring UUCP to work with an Annex serial port is by using the rtelnet utility, supplied with the Annex software distribution. Rtelnet is used to create a device linked to a corresponding pseudo device that can communicate via TCP/IP to an Annex serial port. UUCP utilities can then use this device in the same way as a directly connected tty device.

However, on some versions of UUCP it is possible to access the TCP stack directly, in order to connect to a particular TCP Internet address and port number. This makes it possible for UUCP utilities to directly access a specified Annex port or group of ports defined as a 'rotary'. This is much better than using rtelnet, as a layer of interface software is dispensed with, making the UUCP connections more efficient and robust.

UNIX systems that use AT&T V.3 and V.4 UUCP implementations have this capability, by the provision of a special CU/UUCP internal dialer called TLIS.

The following is a description of the entries that are required in various files located in the /usr/lib/uucp directory, in order for UUCP utilities to work correctly using a Annex for dialout and dialin.

Annex Port Configuration

An Annex port should be configured for both dialin and dialout, with full 8 bit transparency.

     mode: adaptive        
     type: dial_in
     bits: 8

/usr/lib/uucp/Sysfiles Entries

service=uucico   devices=Devices.uucp
service=cu       devices=Devices.cu

Two different Devices files are required in order specify a different type of connection for use by uucico and cu, in order to provide a raw 8-bit connection for uucp file transfers, and a telnet connection for use with cu. Uucico is the program that actually performs the file transfer across the serial link.

/usr/lib/uucp/Devconfig Entries

service=cu        device=mserv  push=tirdwr
service=uucico    device=mserv  push=tirdwr

This pushes the tirdwr streams module onto the stack. Without these entries, cu and uucico will fail.

/usr/lib/uucp/Systems Entries

If the remote modem port is a directly connected tty port, the Systems entry would be of the form :

RHOST Any  mserv  Any  0123456789 "" \r\d ogin:\rogin: nuucp word: nuucp

The following Systems entry assumes that the remote modem port is an Annex CLI, with prompt 'annex'. CLI security is enabled on the Annex, and therefore a username and password are required before the Annex CLI can be accessed. Rlogin is used to access the host Jupiter, as user nuucp, in order to start up the uucico program on the remote machine :

RHOST Any  mserv  Any  0123456789 "" \r\d name:-\r-name: joe word:
bloggs \r\d annex rlogin\sJupiter\s-l\snuucp word: nuucp

The following Systems entry assumes that the remote modem port is a annex CLI, with CLI security disabled :

	
RHOST Any  mserv  Any  0123456789 "" \r\d annex:-\r-annex:
rlogin\sJupiter\s-l\snuucp word: nuucp

RHOST should be replaced by the name of the remote host as given by the command 'uname' executed on the remote host.

mserv is the device tag used to cross reference the entry to to be used in the Devices files.

0123456789 is the number to dial.

The chat script '\r\d annex rlogin\sJupiter\s\-l\snuucp word: nuucp' is used to rlogin to the host Jupiter with user name and password nuucp.

These chat scripts may require additions/alterations in some cases.

Setting Up a Rotary

You can configure cu and uucp to work in conjunction with an Annex rotary you have defined as below:

moduucp: protocol=raw 3-6@135.101.67.33/6100

modcu: direct_camp_on=never 3-6@135.101.67.33/6200

Two rotaries are defined; 'moduucp' which allows 8-bit uucp file transfers over the connection and 'modcu' which allows a dialup terminal connection to a remote host.

Devices Entries

The following Devices entries configure the IP address and port number that the TLIS dialer accesses. Three Dialers are used: 'TLIS', 'xlogin' and 'pp9600'. The TLIS dialer requires an octal or hexadecimal address of the port to access. In this instance the TCP Internet address of the Annex, as well as a port address. This port number can be in the 5000 range for a telnet connection to single port, 6000 range for defined rotary and 7000 range for a Raw connection to a single port.

Both raw and telnet connections to a Annex port are required, if both CU and UUCP file transfer utilities are to be used and this is achieved by using two Device files, Devices.uucp for Raw connections, and Devices.cu for telnet connections.

/usr/lib/uucp/Devices.uucp

Example entry for a modem on port3 of annex 135.101.67.33:

mserv tcp - - TLIS \x00021b5b87654321 xlogin - pp9600 \D

Example entry for rotary moduucp:

mserv tcp - - TLIS \x000217d487654321 xlogin - pp9600 \D

/usr/lib/uucp/Devices.cu

Example entry for a modem on port3 of annex 135.101.67.33:

mserv tcp - - TLIS \x0002138b87654321 xlogin - pp9600 \D

Example entry for rotary modcu:

mserv tcp - - TLIS \x0002183887654321 xlogin - pp9600 \D

mserv is device tag. tcp - uses /dev/tcp as port "-" no aux port to use "-" speed entry. The Annex handles the speed of the connection to the modem, which does any speed conversion.

TLIS - The System V Transport Layer Interface Streams Dialer. The Address passed to the TLIS dialer is encoded in hexadecimal as follows :

0002 --   internet addressing
1B5b --   hex for 7003 a raw connection to port 3 on the annex. Needed for 8bit uucp file transfers.
138b --   hex for 5003 a telnet connection to port 3 on the Annex. Needed to run a terminal session to a
          remote host.
17d4 --   hex for 6100. Allows access to rotary 'moduucp'
1838 --   hex for 6200. Allows access to rotary 'modcu'

The IP address of the Annex is converted into hexadecimal by converting each byte of the IP address into it's Hex equivalent. If we use the IP address 135.101.67.33

135 = 87(hex), 101 = 65(hex), 67 = 43(hex), 33 = 21(hex)

87654321 -- hex for the IP address of the Annex 135.101.67.33

'xlogin -' -- The dialer token pair, used to login in to the Annex port server, if the annex has been configured with port server security. This dialer token pair can be omitted if port server security is not being used.

'pp9600 \D' -- The dialer token pair for the modem type (a Hayes compatible dialer in this case).

Dialers Entries

This dialer entry is used to negotiate port server security on dial out. Only required if Annex port server security is being used.

xlogin ""      name: annex word: annex granted

The Hayes compatible dialer used to dial the number given in the Systems file.

 
pp9600  =,-,    "" \r\dAT\r\c OK ATV1EOH OK ATDP\D\r\c CONNECT-\c-
CONNECT 

Remote Machine Configuration

There should be an entry in the password file on the remote machine for the user nuucp, of the form:

nuucp::10:10::/usr/spool/uucppublic:/usr/lib/uucp/uucico

In order to initiate uucp file transfers to the host you will have to make sure that the Permissions file on the remote host is setup appropriately ie.

LOGNAME=nuucp
SENDFILES=yes \
REQUEST=yes \
READ=/ WRITE=/

The remote host will also need an entry added to the Systems file for the host that is to dial it. It can just be of the form:

LHOST Never

If the remote machine is never going to call the local machine and LHOST is the name of the local host as given by the command uname, executed on the local end of the uucp link.

You should now be able to initiate uucp commands to a remote host specified by the Systems entry RHOST. Use the following commands to test the connection:

/usr/lib/uucp/Uutry -r -x9 RHOST  or 
cu -d RHOST

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