File / port cconventions and use

[Pete]

Okay, so you are saying if that after it counted '31' characters received, in the example, telling it to exit to loop would make no difference because when it cycled back, to monitor for the next message, it would forever hang until that message was sent, and if never sent, hang indefinitely.

Hopefully the handshake suggestion by tantalus makes a difference. If not, and you can get a C solution for that part going, as DSMan mentioned, and he does have a Linux system, you might still be able get it working, without any chewing gum and bailing wire.

Pete