In article <199511120725.SAA00913@zen.void.oz.au>,
Simon J. Gerraty <sjg@zen.void.oz.au> wrote:
> This presents a problem for all the folk who have asked for my shell
> script that monitors my Smart-UPS... its a shell script so nothing is
> hidden.
[...]
> I'm afraid that for now, I'll have to sit on the script.

Why? Did you sign their NDA or are you otherwise legally bound not to
disclose the information? If not, you're free to publish your script. 

I'm not allowed to distribute protocol information because I (well, the
company did) signed a legal agreement stating that we would not, in
exchange for them telling us the protocol.  If you did not sign such an
agreement, then unless you are bound by some other legal terms (perhaps
license terms on their software prohibits reverse engineering), you're
not bound to keep the information secret. 

> So it may well be that you have to buy APC's s/w just to get the
> correct cable.  Perhaps then they wouldn't mind you using a simple

We did, but like signing NDA to get the protocol information, that is
only one way. It may be the easiest, but it't not the only way.