On Mon, 15 Jul 1996, John Utz wrote:

> Hi gang;

<snip>

> 
> 	The folks at APC *sell* monitor software for there ups. Has
> anybody had any experience hacking up a perlscript ( or whatever ) that
> visits the serial port and listens to what the ups has to say? The APC-ups
> software only comes for NT, AS/400, vines, netware, etc, so buying the
> software is out of the question.

The folks at APC also sell the *spec* on the communication protocol used 
between the UPS and the PC.  For $50 and a signed N.D.A., they will send
you a book describing how it works.

All you have to do is distribute the binaries of the S.W. and you are 
perfectly legit.


Andrew Webster  - andrew@pubnix.net - http://www.pubnix.net
PubNIX Montreal - Connected to the world - Branche au monde
 514-990-5911   - P.O. Box 147, Cote St-Luc, Quebec, H4V 2Y3