SOME IMPROVEMENTS AND BUG FIXES IN VERSION 1.3: NEW HOST SECURITY LEVELS: The Host secutity levels were slightly modified in version 1.3. The new levels are described below. Level 0 - Caller is "locked-out" of the Host and will have no access. Level 1 - Callers may read mail, view bulletins and info screen, page the SysOp, or leave a private message to the SysOp. Level 2 - Same as 1, but may also view file directories and perform a text search on directories. Level 3 - Same as 2, but may also enter public messages and upload files. Level 4 - Same as 3, but has access to doors and may view files. Level 5 - Caller has full guest privilges including the ability to download files. Level 6 - Same as 5, but no time limit is imposed on caller. Level 7 - Not used (same as 6). Level 8 - Not used (same as 6). Level 9 - SysOp status. Caller has full access to all SysOp functions. Callers with access levels below level 3 now have the ability to leave a private message to the SysOp. Slight modifications were made to the message entry code in order to allow the entry of extended ascii characters. This allows the entry of border characters, and also permits users to enter messages with letters such as , , , etc., which are common in the european languages. More color was added and other minor improvements and fixes were made to the public message base. Trailing spaces are now stripped out of caller's name in order to make the Host more strict during name/password entry. Caller's time left is now calculated from the door menu, eliminating the possibility of callers being allowed to stay on too long. Also, the time of day, and time left is now displayed at the door menu prompt. Some problems arising out of more than 100 registered callers were fixed. Added a new option for callers to auto-logoff after their download is complete. Logoff is performed only if transfer is successful. A new option was added to the configuration of Executive Host. The event time may now be set to any time of day the SysOp prefers. This new option may be also used in order to shut down the host at a certain time. For example, if you wanted the Host to shut-down at 6:00am, you could set your event to run at 6:00am, and make the last line of your event read: ECHO ~~~+++~~~ATS0=0 > COM1 ( OR WHICHEVER PORT YOU ARE USING ) This would tell your modem to no longer answer the phone, effectively turning off the host. One more new option added to the configuration of Executive Host. This one allows the Operator to "Lock" baud rates; useful with high-speed modems. When this option is turned on, the Host will lock the communications rate to the default protocol set in Telix. The (C)hange Colors option was removed from the SysOp menu and substituted with the (C)olor on/off option. This function was only taking up code space, and was never being used by most SysOp's. Custom color capabilities will probably be available again in version 2.0, and will most likely be added to the configuration options of the Host. CHANGES IN VERSION 1.2 The Host now supports multiple download directories! The SysOp may now create subdirectories off of the "Main" file directory and place files in them. Executive Host will auto-detect these new subdirectories and search them for downloading. Files in these subdirectories will also be available for view by callers, and will be checked for duplicates when a caller attempts an upload. One Example set-up is as follows: Ŀ Ŀ Ŀ TELIXijMAINijUTIL <-- These are all valid download directories as Ŀ they are subdirectories of ijPROGRAM the MAIN download directory. Ŀ NOTE: Valid download ijUTILITY directories may be ONLY one subdirectory Ŀ deep off of MAIN. ijGAMES Ŀ ijEDUCAT Ŀ ijSYSOP Files in these subdirectories will be available for View and Download by all callers with download priveleges (access level 4 and above). These subdirectories will also be searched for duplicates when a caller attempts an upload. No further set-up on your part is required, other that making these directories and placing files in them. The limit on subdirectories is approximately 100, depending on the length of each directory name. This new feature gives the Executive Host SysOp more power and flexibility in designing and maintaining the file base. Note that this feature now makes the Host CD-ROM compatible. For example, if you had a CD-ROM player configured as your D drive, you could set your "Main" download directory as "D:\" (the root directory). This would mean that all of the files in subdirectories off of the root directory will be available for callers. However, a few CD-ROM disks are designed with subdirectories several layers deep. In this case, only the subdirectories that branch directly off of the root will be available for callers. Downloads are now checked against the caller's time remaining to ensure that the caller does not over-extend his\her time limit. The deletion of public messages is now allowed. Callers may delete messages written to them and also messages written by them. The SysOp may delete any public message. A message base "packer" is now included with Executive Host. This program strips out deleted messages from the MESSAGE.TXT file in order to reduce the size of this file, and to speed up the operation of the Host. The program is called PACK.EXE and comes with it's own docs (PACK.DOC). Descriptions of private uploads are now added to a file called private.dir. The Host Filer was fixed so that it would use the "Main.dir" file for certain functions if the SysOp was not using multiple description files. Callers are now returned to the doorlist menu instead of the main menu when coming out of a door. This feature was added by popular demand. Callers may stack door numbers when using the O)pen door option from the main menu - for example entering "O 2" will open door #2. A problem with the recording of callers' daily time has been fixed. Several other minor bugs and problems have been fixed. CHANGES IN VERSION 1.1 The new sortit.bat file is correct and contains no non-standard DOS commands. The Sort Dir Option in the Host Filer now executes the necessary command. The Verify Dir File Option has been modified so that it now finds all files correctly (if they exist). The Host no longer keeps the phone off-hook after returning from Utility and Filer screens, and when coming out of local mode. SysOp may now choose "0" in the time limit configuration to give callers unlimited access time (Callers were being logged off immediately). The files "doorlist.g" and "bulllist.g" may now be used as ansi color versions of the menu files "doorlist" and "bulllist". Color versions of bulletins (with the letter g added to the end) now are used correctly if the caller has ansi turned on. The dorinfo1.def file is created correctly if using com2 or in local mode. Auto-answer string should now work for all modems. The "Last Message Read" number is now displayed correctly. Option "S" in the file directories menu line has been removed since this option is available from the main menu (text search). The limit on number of registered users has been raised from 99 to 999. ** IMPORTANT NOTE: Version 1.1 uses a slightly different message base format. Therefore, it will not run properly with a message base and execmail.dat file created by version 1.0. If you do not want to lose your existing message base, there is a way that you can modify the key files to work with the new version. To accomplish this, follow the instructions below. 1. Edit the EXECMAIL.DAT file with your text editor, and change the following example file as shown. OLD FORMAT FILE 1;00000;00000 <-- Notice that there is a blank space before data 2;00000;00000 <-- numbers less than 10. 3;00000;00000 NEW FORMAT 001;00000;00000 <-- Notice that there are NO spaces in the new format! 002;00000;00000 003;00000;00000 2. You will also have to change your MESSAGE.TXT file, which contains the actual messages in your base. Each message data line (i.e.";;;01;01") in this file will have to have an extra zero added to it as shown below. Remember that ALL data lines in this file will have to be changed (one precedes each individual message). OLD FORMAT FILE ;;;00;01 To: ALL From: etc, etc, etc. NEW FORMAT ;;;000;01 <------- An extra zero in the first number group is all To: ALL that is required to be compatible with 1.1. From: etc, etc, etc. Now the conversion is complete! Of course another way to convert is simply delete ALL of your old version data files, including the user file EXECHOST.USR and re-install the Host, but this I will leave up to you. Keep in mind that if you choose this option, you will have to add all of your caller's names back into the new user file (accomplished with the "EDIT" guest list option), and therefore should print out your old user file before deleting it. If you decide to convert your old message base, your old user file is compatible with version 1.1, but if you delete the message base (along with EXECMAIL.DAT), you will have to delete the user file also, since the data numbers will not match up otherwise.