Question 1

Is DasherA better than PuTTY for serial connections to old hardware?

Accepted Answer

DasherA is specialized for Data General DASHER terminals, offering pixel-perfect emulation and specific keyboard functions like custom keys that PuTTY doesn't have. For general serial tasks, PuTTY is more user-friendly, but for authentic DASHER compatibility, DasherA is the superior choice.

Question 2

How to build DasherA on Windows?

Accepted Answer

Building DasherA on Windows is challenging as there's no pre-compiled binary. You need to install GNU Ada and GtkAda, then use gprbuild, but the README notes the author lacks Windows facilities, so success isn't guaranteed and may require significant setup effort.

Question 3

Does DasherA support SSH connections?

Accepted Answer

No, DasherA only supports serial interfaces and Telnet for network connections. If you need SSH access to legacy systems, you'll have to use a different terminal emulator or set up a Telnet-to-SSH gateway separately.

Question 4

What is XMODEM-CRC and how do I use it in DasherA?

Accepted Answer

XMODEM-CRC is a file transfer protocol common in legacy systems. DasherA supports sending and receiving files with this protocol using short (128-byte) or long (1024-byte) packets, which is handy for transferring data to and from old hardware via serial or Telnet.

Question 5

Is DasherA still being updated?

Accepted Answer

No, development on DasherA has been suspended in favor of DasherG, as stated in the README, due to maintenance issues with the Ada toolchain. This means it's essentially in maintenance mode with no planned improvements.

Question 6

How does session logging work in DasherA?

Accepted Answer

DasherA can log terminal sessions to a file, capturing all input and output, which is useful for debugging or documenting interactions with legacy systems. You enable it through the interface, and it saves the session data for later review.

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