I've compiled C-Kermit and it using it currently for my comms. Now I can't
   set the carrier behavoir of NetBSD like I'm used to (/dev/ttyiXX or
   stty -f /dev/ttyXX clocal etc. ala my old FreeBSD). I solve this
   currently by just hard strapping CD on my US Robotics Courier. But this
   solution is not ideal.

As has been pointed out already, you can add the `local' flag in the
/etc/ttys line for that port, and the ttyflags(8) program will set the
tty to default to CLOCAL mode on open.

The behavior of FreeBSD in this case is wrong; CLOCAL should *not* be
preserved on last close.  Our interface is an extension to the
standard, not a redefining of it.

   In the ppp script pppd is run with a
   chat script. CHAT gets the port up, but when it exists to hand the link
   over to pppd POSIX resets the port to it's defaults and pppd ends up ....

You could have the `chat' program set HUPCL mode, so the port isn't
reset.