Ñ×ËÒÒ128 ÉNTRODUCTORY ÄOCUMENTATION ÄECEMBER 1993 ÐROGRAM BY : ÒOD ÇASSON ÒÅÙÎÅÌÌÁ, ÓOUTH ÁUSTRALIA ÄOCUMENTATION BY: ÍARK ÄOWSETT ÓÙÄÎÅÙ, ÎEW ÓOUTH ×ALES ÉÎÄÅØ 3 .ÍÓÇ 3 .Ñ×Ë 3 .ÒÅÐ 3 ÁFTER LEAVING Ñ×ËÒÒ 3 ÁÒà 2 ÁRCHIVES 2 ÁREA ÓELECTION 2 ÁÒÊ 2 ÃÍÄ DEVICES 1 ÃOMPATIBLE ÐACKERS 2 ÃONFERENCE ÓELECTION 2 ÃÏÎÔÒÏÌ.ÄÁÔ 3 ÃÓ-ÄÏÓ 1,3 ÃÓØ01 1 ÃÓØ128.ÍÌ 1 ÅXTERNAL ÐACKERS 3 ÅXTERNAL PROGRAMS 1 ÈOW TO GET THE MAIL 2 ÉNTRODUCTION TO ÏÌÒ OPERATION 1 ÌÈÁ, ÌÈÚ 1,2 ÍAIL PACKETS 2 ÍAIL ERRORS 3 ÍÅÓÓÁÇÅÓ.ÄÁÔ 3 ÏTHER SYSTEM ÏÌÒS 1 ÐACKET ÔYPE 2 ÐACKING 1 ÐACKING OPTIONS 2 ÐÁË 2 ÐËÐÁË, ÐËÚÉÐ 2 ÐROTOCOL, ÔRANSFER 2 ÑÐØ 1,3 ÑÓÏ 3 Ñ×Ë PACKETS 2 ÒÁÍÄÏÓ 1 ÓELECTING ÃONFERENCES / ÁREAS 2 ÓENDING THE MAIL 3 ÔEXT EDITING 1 ÔRANSFER ÐROTOCOL 2 ÕNPACKING THE ÍAIL 1,3 ÕNÚÉÐ 1 ×HAT DO YOU NEED? 1 ×HAT DO YOU DO WITH THE PACKET? 3 ×HY DO YOU NEED IT? 2 ×HY READ MAIL OFF-LINE? 1 ÚÉÐ 1,2 ÔHIS SECTION OF THE DOCUMENTATION IS AIMED SOLEY AT USERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN INVOLVED WITH Ñ×Ë OFF-LINE MAIL READING BEFORE. ÅXPERIENCED USERS SHOULD PROCEED STRAIGHT TO THE DOCUMENTATION FOR THE PROGRAM. ÔHE ONLY ÎÅ× INFORMATION AVAILABLE IN THIS FILE IS A LIST OF ÉÂÍ PACKERS AND THEIR COMPATIBLE ÃÂÍ UNPACKERS. Ñ×ËÒÒ128 ÉNTRODUCTORY ÄOCUMENTATION ×HAT DO YOU NEED Ñ×ËÒÒ128 FOR? ============================== Ñ×ËÒÒ128 IS A 128 ÎATIVE MODE ÏFFLINE MESSAGE READER FOR THOSE ÂÂÓ MAIL ADDICTS OUT THERE WITH Ã128S. ÉT ENABLES THE USER TO READ, REPLY TO AND ORIGINATE ÂÂÓ MAIL WHILE OFFLINE AND HAS A RANGE OF FEATURES TO ASSIST IN THIS PROCESS. ÉT HAS BEEN DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO HAVE NO MESSAGE PACKET SIZE LIMITATION APART FROM THE DISK SPACE AVAILABLE. ×HY READ MAIL OFFLINE? ÆOR A COUPLE OF POSSIBLE REASONS: 1/ ÒEDUCTION IN 'PHONE BILLS FOR LONG DISTANCE CALLS AS DOWNLOADING AND UPLOADING MAIL PACKETS IS MUCH MORE TIME EFFICIENT; 2/ ÒEDUCING ACCESS TIME ON SINGLE LINE ÂÂÓ' GIVING OTHER USERS MORE CHANCE OF GETTING ON OR ALLOWING MORE ACCESS TO MAIL AREAS IF YOU ONLY HAVE A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME AVAILABLE TO YOU ON THE BOARD. ÓOME ÓÙÓÏÐS ALLOW DISCOUNTED TIME RATES TO ÏFFLINE MAIL USERS AS IT IMPROVES THEIR MESSAGE BASE WITHOUT TYING LINES UP AS MUCH; 3/ ÒEDUCING THE TIME THE COMPUTER TIES UP YOUR 'PHONE. ÙOU CAN RING SOMEONE ÁÎÄ ANSWER YOUR MAIL AT THE SAME TIME. ÔHE MOST POPULAR REASON IS PROBABLY THE FIRST BUT THE OTHERS ARE ALSO USEFUL. ÉNTRODUCTION TO ÏÌÒ OPERATION ON THE Ã128 ========================================= ÏFF-LINE READERS (ÏÌÒ) ON ANY PLATFORM ARE GENERALLY NOT A STAND-ALONE PROGRAM. ÏN A ÃÐ/Í OR ÍÓ-ÄÏÓ COMPUTER THEY WILL GENERALLY BE SUPPORTED BY AN EXTERNAL PROGRAM FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING FUNCTIONS: ÕNPACKING, ÔEXT EDITING AND ÐACKING WITH THE ÏÌÒ ONLY SUPPLYING THE READING OPTIONS AND SUPPLYING FORMATTING INFORMATION FOR THE REPLIES WHICH ARE WRITTEN AND EDITED THROUGH THE EXTERNAL EDITOR. ÂECAUSE THE Ã128 / 64 OPERATING SYSTEM DOES NOT EASILY ALLOW PROGRAMS TO CALL EACH OTHER AND PASS INFORMATION BETWEEN EACH OTHER AS EASILY AS OTHER PLATFORMS WHICH WERE DESIGNED FROM INCEPTION AS DISK-BASED SYSTEMS Ñ×ËÒÒ128 SUPPLIES UP TO 3 OUT OF 4 OF THE ABOVE OPTIONS, ALLOWING YOU TO READ, EDIT/WRITE AND IF REQUIRED ÐACK YOUR REPLIES. ÔHE PROGRAM PACKAGE ALSO INCLUDES ÑÐØ BY ÒUSSELL ÐRATER WHICH YOU CAN USE AS AN UNPACKER BUT THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY REQUIRED AS IT IS POSSIBLE AND MAY BE DESIRABLE TO USE AN EXTERNAL PROGRAM SUCH AS ÃÓ-ÄÏÓ TO SUPPLY BOTH ÐACKING AND ÕNPACKING FUNCTIONS DEPENDING ON THE PACKING METHODS SUPPORTED BY YOUR ÂÂÓ. ×HAT DO YOU NEED TO USE IT? =========================== ÙOU WILL NEED AN 80 COLUMN MONITOR, Ã128 AND A DISK DRIVE (SORRY BUT IT WON'T RUN IN 40 COLUMN MODE). ÍOST ÃÂÍ DISK DRIVES SHOULD WORK BUT THE LARGER CAPACITY IT HAS THE LARGER THE MAIL PACKET YOU CAN COPE WITH. ÔHE PROGRAM HAS BEEN TESTED WITH 1570, 1571, 1581, ÃÍÄ ÈARD AND ÒÁÍÌINK DRIVES AND WILL ALSO MAKE USE OF UP TO FOUR PREDEFINED DRIVES PLUS ANY OTHER ONLINE DRIVE VIA ÄÏÓ COMMANDS. Ñ×ËÒÒ128 IS *ÎÏÔ* COMPATIBLE WITH ÒÁÍÄÏÓ. ÙOU WILL ALSO NEED A MEANS OF CREATING AND DISSOLVING ÉÂÍ STYLE ARCHIVES. ÔHE PREFERRED METHOD IS TO USE ÃHRIS ÓMEET'S ÃÓØ01 PROGRAM, HOWEVER ÕNZIP64, ÂÖUNZIP, ÃÓØÁÒà AND ÌÈØ ARE ALL SUITABLE. Ñ×ËÒÒ FEATURES ITS OWN INBUILT ÚÉÐ PACKER. ÔHIS IS A ÓÔÏÒÅ ONLY ÚÉÐPER BUT WILL COMPRESS A SERIES OF REPLIES AS LONG AS YOU HAVE 1 BLOCK FREE ON THE DISK. ÉF YOU WISH TO USE A COMPRESSION PACKER SUCH AS ÃÓÁÒà OR ÌÈÁ YOU ARE FREE TO DO SO. ÎOTE: Ñ×ËÒÒ COMES WITH A "BOOT" PROGRAM CALLED ÑÐØ. ÔHIS REQUIRES THE USE OF THE ÃÓØ128.ÍÌ FILE FROM THE ÃÓØ01 PACKAGE, WHICH CANNOT BE SUPPLIED WITH THIS PACKAGE FOR COPYRIGHT REASONS. ÑÐØ HOWEVER DOES A BIT MORE THAN UNARC YOUR MAIL AND BOOT Ñ×ËÒÒ, IT IS ALSO USED TO ALLOW ÁUTOÉNDEXING OF THE MAIL PACKET AND TO ACCEPT THE DRIVES SET IN THE ÄÅÆÁÕÌÔ FILE OF Ñ×ËÒÒ. ÐAGE 1 Ñ×ËÒÒ128 ÉNTRODUCTORY ÄOCUMENTATION ÓEE THE ÑÐØ DOCUMENTATION FILE FOR MORE INFO. ÁS WELL AS Ñ×ËÒÒ AND A SUITABLE UNPACKER YOU ALSO NEED A Ñ×Ë FORMAT MAIL PACKET. (ÂEFORE YOU MAKE A WABBIT PIE YOU MUST FIRST CATCH YOUR WABBIT). Ñ×Ë IS ONE OF A NUMBER OF ÉÂÍ ÂÂÓ MAIL PACKETS AND IS FAIRLY COMMON WITH MOST ÂÂÓ'S. ÉF IT IS NOT VISIBLE ON YOUR ÂÂÓ ASK YOUR ÓÙÓÏÐ ABOUT IT AS IN CAN BE EASILY ADDED TO MOST ÂÂÓ AND THERE ARE ÆÒÅÅ×ÁÒÅ PROGRAMS AVAILABLE FOR SOME ÉÂÍ ÂÂÓ'S. ÈOW DO YOU GET THE MAIL PACKET? =============================== ÌOG ONTO YOUR FAVOURITE ÂÂÓ AND ENTER THE OFFLINE MAIL READER AREA. ÙOU WILL NEED TO DO A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF SETTING UP IN THIS AREA SETTING UP AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING PARAMETERS: ÐACKING ÏPTION : ÁÒÃ, ÌÚÈ, ÐËÐÁË OR ÚÉÐ (ÐËÚÉÐ); (ÁÒà PREFERRED); ÐACKET ÔYPE : Ñ×Ë (OTHERS WILL BE OFFERED); ÐROTOCOL : ÓELECT YOUR FAVOURITE TRANSFER PROTOCOL COMPATIBLE WITH YOUR TERMINAL PROGRAM; ÁREA ÓELECTION : ÓELECT HERE THE MAIL ÁREAS, OR ÃONFERENCES, FROM WHICH YOU WISH TO RECEIVE MAIL. ÔHIS IS OFTEN A SEPARATE OPTION TO THE ÃOMBINED ÒEAD OPTION. ÙOU WILL PROBABLY FIND MANY OTHER OPTIONS INCLUDING SELECTION OF THE NUMBER OF MESSAGES YOU WISH TO ALLOW IN EACH PACKET, INCLUSION OF NEWS BULLETINS, NEW FILES LISTS AND OTHER THINGS. ÔHERE MAY BE A HELP FILE AVAILABLE ON THE ÂÂÓ TO EXPLAIN THE OPTIONS AND THEIR USES. ÃOMPATIBLE ÐACKER ÔYPES ======================= ÔHE FOLLOWING ÉÂÍ PACKERS SHOULD BE COMPATIBLE WITH THE SPECIFIED ÃÂÍ UNPACKER: ÉÂÍ ÃÂÍ FILE NAME ÍODE ------------ ------------- ---- ÌÈÁRC 1.13 (ÌÈ-1) ÌÈØ ÃÓ-ÄÏÓ ÌÈÁ 2.XX (ÌÈ-5, ÌÈ-6) ÐÍÁÕÔÏÅ.ÃÏÍ ÃÐ/Í ÐËÐÁË 3.61 ))(( ÃÓØ01 64 OR 128 ÁÒà 6.02 ))(( ÃÓØÁÒà ÃÓ-ÄÏÓ ÁÒà 6.01 ?? ÃÐ/Í ÐËÚÉÐ 1.1X )--( ÕÎÚÉÐ64 64 (V1.00 OR 1.01) (OR JUST ÚÉÐ) ( ÂÖÕÎÚÉÐ ÃÓ-ÄÏÓ ( ÕÎÚÉÐ.ÃÏÍ ÃÐ/Í ÁÒÊ ÃÐÍÕÎÁÒÊ.ÁÒË ÃÐ/Í ÎOTES: 1: ÉF USING ÕÎÚÉÐ IN OTHER THAN ÃÐ/Í MODE TURN ÃÒà CHECKING ÏÆÆ IF POSSIBLE. ÔHE FILES WILL PROBABLY GIVE A ÃÒà ERROR EVEN IF DISSOLVED CORRECTLY. 2: ÐËÐÁË IS ÎÏÔ THE SAME AS ÐÁË. ×E DO NOT HAVE A ÐÁË COMPATIBLE UNPACKER. 3: ÌÏ×ÅÒ VERSION NUMBERS OF THE ÉÂÍ PROGRAMS ARE USUALLY ÏË TOO, BUT NOT HIGHER. 4: É CAN'T VERIFY ALL THIS INFORMATION BUT IT HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY VARIOUS USERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ÆIDONET ÃÂÍ ECHO. ÔHANKS FOLKS. ÏNCE THESE OPTIONS HAVE BEEN SET TO YOUR PREFERENCE YOU SHOULD THEN DOWNLOAD THE MAIL PACKET USING YOUR FAVORITE TRANSFER PROTOCOL. ÉF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO DOWNLOAD THEN READ THE DOCS FOR YOUR TERMINAL PROGRAM. ÐAGE 2 Ñ×ËÒÒ128 ÉNTRODUCTORY ÄOCUMENTATION ÔHE ÂÂÓ WILL GIVE YOU THE NAME OF THE FILE TO DOWNLOAD. ×HAT DO YOU DO WITH THE .Ñ×Ë MAIL PACKET? ========================================= ÙOU SHOULD NOW HAVE A FILE CALLED .Ñ×Ë. ÔHIS IS THE SAME AT EACH DOWNLOAD IN MOST CASES SO YOU WILL HAVE TO DELETE OR RENAME PREVIOUS PACKETS BEFORE DOWNLOADING A NEW ONE UNLESS YOUR TERMINAL PROGRAM AUTOMATICALLY RE-NAMES OR OVERWRITES DUPLICATE DOWNLOADS. ÑÓÏ (ON ÔÂÂÓ SYSTEMS) WILL RECOGNISE IF YOU DOWNLOAD MORE THAN ONE PACKET A DAY AND SUPPLY A DIFFERENT FILE NAME IN THIS CASE. (ÒOD'S NOTE: É NEVER KNEW THIS ÍARK?) IS A VARIABLE FOR EACH ÂÂÓ DEFINED BY THE ÓYSOP AND CONTAINED IN THE ÃÏÎÔÒÏÌ.ÄÁÔ FILE. ÔHIS VARIABLE IS USED A LOT WITHIN Ñ×ËÒÒ AND WITH Ñ×Ë PACKETS GENERALLY SO GET USED TO SEEING IT IN THESE DOCUMENTS! :-) ÙOU NOW HAVE TO EXIT YOUR TERMINAL PROGRAM AND SWITCH TO THE Ñ×ËÒÒ128 PACKAGE OF FILES. ÕNPACKING THE MAIL ------------------ ÔHE PREFERRED METHOD OF PACKING /UNPACKING PACKETS IS TO USE THE FILES INCLUDED WITH THE Ñ×ËÒÒ128 SET OF FILES, PREFERABLY ÑÐØ. ÉF USING A PACKER RATHER THAN ÁÒà OR IF YOU WISH TO USE ÃÓÄÏÓ' ÃÓÁÒà REFER TO THE RELEVANT ÃÓ-ÄÏÓ DOCS FOR ADDITIONAL HELP. ÆROM THE .Ñ×Ë PACKET ALL YOU REQUIRE ARE TWO FILES, ÍÅÓÓÁÇÅÓ.ÄÁÔ AND ÃÏÎÔÒÏÌ.ÄÁÔ. ÔHESE NAMES ARE STANDARD AND CANNOT BE CHANGED OTHERWISE Ñ×ËÒÒ WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIND THEM (THESE NAMES ÍÕÓÔ BE IN LOWER CASE ON YOUR DISK). ÓEE SEPARATE DOCUMENTATION FOR THE OPERATION OF ÑÐØ AND Ñ×ËÒÒ128. ÁFTER LEAVING Ñ×ËÒÒ128 ====================== ÕSING ÅXTERNAL ÐACKERS ---------------------- ÉF YOU WISH TO USE AN ÅXTERNAL PACKER, USING THE <Ì>INK OPTION IN Ñ×ËÒÒ, YOU WILL FIND ON EXITING Ñ×ËÒÒ A FILE CALLED .ÍÓÇ. ÄÏ ÎÏÔ CHANGE THIS FILE NAME. ÙOU WILL THEN NEED TO LOAD ÃÓ-ÄÏÓ OR ANOTHER PACKER TYPE PROGRAM TO CREATE THE PACKED ÒÅÐLY FILE CALLED .ÒÅÐ. ÉF YOU USE THE <Ú>IP OPTION WITHIN Ñ×ËÒÒ THIS IS THE FILE YOU WILL FIND WHEN EXITING. ÓENDING THE MAIL ---------------- ÙOU SHOULD NOW HAVE A FILE CALLED .ÒÅÐ. ÙOU MAY NOW RE-BOOT YOUR TERMINAL PROGRAM, RING THE ÂÂÓ, GO INTO THE ÏFFLINE ÍAIL AREA AND UPLOAD YOUR PACKAGE. ×ATCH THE PROGRESS OF THE ÏFFLINE PACKET AS YOU UPLOAD IT AS THE ÏFFLINE MAIL MODULE ON THE ÂÂÓ WILL GENERALLY (BUT NOT ALWAYS) REPORT ERRORS IF THEY OCCUR. ÉF NEW TO THE SYSTEM TURN YOUR TERMINAL BUFFER ON BEFORE THE UPLOAD SO THAT MESSAGES CAN BE EXAMINED LATER. ÉF ITS ALL ÏË IT WILL PROBABLY REPORT AT LEAST THE NUMBER OF MESSAGES RECEIVED AND POSSIBLY THE AREAS THEY WERE SENT TO AND OTHER INFORMATION TO LET YOU KNOW THAT IT ALL WORKED. ÍËÑWK REPORTS FOR EACH MESSAGE THE AREA NUMBER AND SUBJECT TOGETHER WITH ANY ERROR REPORTS - COMMONLY 'ÍESSAGE MOVED TO ÄEFAULT AREA' IF FOR SOME REASON THE MESSAGE IS NOT ACCEPTABLE IN THE AREA YOU WANTED IT. ÐOSSIBLE CAUSES ARE: 1) ÐUBLIC MAIL IN A ÐRIVATE AREA OR VICE VERSA; 2) ÎETMAIL WITHOUT A LEGAL ADDRESS OR SUFFICIENT ÎETMAIL CREDIT. ÐAGE 3 Ñ×ËÒÒ128 ÉNTRODUCTORY ÄOCUMENTATION ÅVEN IF THE ÂÂÓ DOESN'T GIVE PROGRESS REPORTS IT SHOULD AT LEAST GIVE YOU AN 'ÕPLOAD IS ÏË' OR 'ÕPLOAD ÅRROR' TYPE MESSAGE. ÉF ITS ALL ÏË YOU'VE FINISHED! ÅASY WASN'T IT.... ÐAGE 4