home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
CD ROM Paradise Collection 4
/
CD ROM Paradise Collection 4 1995 Nov.iso
/
comms
/
ts3j.zip
/
RUNT.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1994-11-08
|
16KB
|
401 lines
RUNT - The RUN Timer Manual Page 1
_______
____|__ | (R)
--| | |-------------------
| ____|__ | Association of
| | |_| Shareware
|__| o | Professionals
-----| | |---------------------
|___|___| Member
Version 4.50 November, 1994
The RUNT is an ASP member Shareware product.
The RUNT program provides password access control, screen
saver capability, and basic events management, both singly and
in various combinations as your needs and imagination decree.
For example, you can setup password controlled access to a
'screen saver' that simply displays quotes from a quotes
database. With two more switches you can allow the user to
quit or swap to DOS, reboot the machine if he/she cannot pass
the password test. The RUNT is normally distributed with
TeleShare, Hands On, and the OpMenu system, and can be found
in other places.
Optional command line usage:
-B[filename] Use the built-in quotes reader.
-C to Create the calldata.dbf.
-D99 Seconds to Delay.
-E A simple password file editor.
-Fname To specify an alternate command file.
-FX To disable using a command file.
-Gprogram The program to Go to when someone signs on.
-H for the usage screen.
-Iprogram to run immediately. Such as a 'quotes' program.
-L List people currently having password access.
-P[password] to enter the system.
-Q Allow the password user to Quit on request.
-QS As above, but swap the program to disk instead of quitting.
-S to tell the RUNT to swap to the PROGRAM, specified in
RUNT - The RUN Timer Manual Page 2
the command file (or tsphone).
-Xprogram to run if the user fails the password test.
Password/Access Control
You use the -Ppassword switch to add password capability. The
password (up to 15 characters) can be supplied with the -P, or
the -P can be used by itself and the password will be sought
in the password database. The RUNT will first ask for your
name (up to three times), assuming case sensitivity, and look
it up in the database. It will then ask for your password and
either match to the command line "-Pmy_pass" or look it up in
the database. If you use the -Q switch, anyone successfully
passing the password test will be given the option to quit the
RUNT and continue using other software on the machine. The
-QS option swaps all but 2K of the RUNT to disk, so the user
can simply EXIT when finished to reassure password
protection. The -Gsome.exe switch tells the RUNT to run or Go
to the provided program or batch file once you have passed the
password test. Note that just using -P without -G, -Q, or -QS
can effectively lock the RUNT into its current settings until
you reboot the machine. The -E switch provides a simple
editor so you can directly edit the password database, which
is called CALLDATA.DBF. The database is the same as that
found in the TeleShare/DOS remote support system. Starting
with version 4.50 the passwords are encrypted based on a
master password stored in the binary RUNT.CFG configuration
file. When you, as password administrator, create the set of
allowable passwords, using "RUNT -e" the RUNT will initially
ask for your master password which is the current date and
time formatted as in 01/30/9514:5. Then the RUNT will ask you
for your new unique password, and will allow you to enter
names and passwords. You will be able to use the same new
master password with "RUNT -E" to add and edit names and
passwords on a continuing basis. The master password may be
up to 50 characters long. You should be very careful how you
enter it because you will get no hints or second chances to
review the password. The 'normal' password is only 12
characters long.
The structure of the CALLDATA.DBF table or database is as
follows:
No. Field Name Type Length Decimals
===========================================
1 KEYNUM C 5 0
2 IDENTITY C 20 0
RUNT - The RUN Timer Manual Page 3
3 PHONEDESC C 10 0
4 PHONENUM C 21 0
5 PASSWORD C 12 0
6 UPDATED D 8 0
===========================================
If there is no CALLDATA.DBF password database, the RUNT will
only ask for a password and will only attempt to compare with
the command line password. It will accept "-P" as a zero
length password. It will also enter the nasty infinite loop
if you do not specify another action should the user fail the
password test.
Use -Xexit.exe to specify what the RUNT should do if the
user/you fail to pass the the password test. Using tools
distributed with TeleShare you can specify that the machine
"REBOOT" or "HANGUP", via a batch file, if a telephone
connection is involved. You can specify some other preferred
action if you like. The current default is to enter an
infinite loop beeping and announcing the password failure.
Use something like "-XDIR/W" while you are testing/setting up
the RUNT for your uses.
Note that just using -P without -G, -Q, or -QS can effectively
lock the RUNT into its current settings until you reboot the
machine.
Screen Savers
There are three options:
1) The normal events management system includes a simple
"Press any key" screen saver.
2) You can use the -Immediate switch to specify an alternate
repeating screen saver program, such as a quotes generator.
Its often useful to also use the -Delay switch to control the
number of seconds the quote (or whatever) is on display. A
sample command line would then be "RUNT -IQUOTE -D3" to run
the QUOTE program every 3 seconds.
3) Use the -B switch to tell the RUNT to use the QUOTES.DAT
quote database file. Using -Bother.dat will tell it to use
the 'other.dat' file. A likely command line might be "RUNT -B
-D3". The quotes file that the built-in reader uses must use
# symbols to separate quotes as in:
RUNT - The RUN Timer Manual Page 4
#Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting
of a fire. - William Butler Yeats
#TV is chewing gum for the eyes.
- Frank Lloyd Wright
Naturally, you can add -P for password protection, -FX to
disable events actions, and so on, with your 'screen saver'
choice.
Events Management
The original purpose of the RUNT was to allow you to run any
software at timed intervals. The idea is that you may well
have tasks that can be done with minimal or no human
intervention, over a break like tea time, lunch, or
overnight. The RUNT takes a set of up to 30 programs to run
from the TODO_NOW or EVENTS.NOW text command file, and then
runs them at specified times. If you put instructions for
previous hours in the command file, the RUNT will only grab
the previous hour's commands. It will treat the remainder as
instructions for the next day. The runt defaults to swapping
all but 2K of itself out to disk when it runs another
program.
The switches normally used with events management are:
Combinations with the password and 'screen saver' switches.
-Fsomefile to specify an alternate to the TODO_NOW or EVENTS.NOW
events command files.
-FX to disable looking for and using a command file.
-S to specify a program to Swap to to renew the command file.
or no switch.
You can just type in "RUNT" and wait as it looks, first in the
current directory, then in the same directory as its .EXE, for
a current copy of the command file. It grabs its setup
information from the file, sets itself up and runs. If there
is no current command file, or no current entries it
complains. If you wish you can use another setup file as a
parameter with the RUNT as shown with "RUNT \mystuff\ToBeRun"
in place of, or in addition to, the command file. This allows
RUNT - The RUN Timer Manual Page 5
you to have many programs to run, and to repeatedly cycle
through the runs (eg for testing or other repeating
activities). The RUNT automatically rereads the setup file
each hour, which allows another process to renew the file for
it and reloads the runs that are repeated every hour.
Some years of instructions for programs to run can be stored
in the events.dbf database. These values are transferred to
the command file (EVENTS.NOW) using TSPHONE. See the
TSPHONE.DOC and the online help in TSPHONE.
Programs like OPMENU and TSPHONE allow you to run many more
than 30 programs with more flexibility by adding multiple
entry numbers on the RUNT program to be run line as in "OPMENU
-R 1 4 67 213 9917". With each entry number then running one
after the previous at and after the time specified for the
entry. Plus each entry can easily contain instructions to run
several programs in programmed sequence.
CHECKDATE
Adding "CHECKDATE" early in the instructions for the file
tells RUNT to only use the file if it is current and has
today's file date. The RUNT quits if there is no current
script file.
DELAY 25
Delay allows you to change the display reading time in
seconds. The default value is 15 seconds. See also WAIT
below.
NOSWAP
Adding "NOSWAP" on the program to run line tells the RUNT not
to swap itself to disk before running the program. This is
somewhat faster and quite feasable when running most general
utility programs. The RUNT occupies about 100k when running
another program using NOSWAP.
PROGRAM
Use "PROGRAM" followed by the program name to tell the runt
which program to swap to, as in "PROGRAM TSPHONE", when it
reloads or the -S command line switch is used.
QUIT
A program to run named "QUIT" will cause the RUNT to quit.
RELOAD
Using "RELOAD somefile" tells RUNT to reload its instructions
from the specified 'somefile'. This allows you to chain
RUNT - The RUN Timer Manual Page 6
groups of instructions to overcome the 30 instruction limit.
If you do not include a file name, the RUNT assumes that you
want to reload from TSPHONE and the events database, so it
automatically runs the phone program to create a new script
file. Any reload that occurs in the first hour of the day
(just after midnight) includes an automatic CHECKDATE to
ensure that the RUNT does not use one day's script file on the
next day. If no current script file is found the RUNT quits.
WAIT
The WAIT command can be used on the same line as another
command to tell the runt program to wait so you can see the
results of the command. It is actually a long delay so you
can include it in scripts that are run when nobody is around.
TODO_NOW (EVENTS.NOW)
TODO_NOW is the default name for the file the RUNT reads in to
get its instructions. Its alternate name EVENTS.NOW is
generated automatically from the EVENTS.DBF database by the
TSPHONE program, and you can also just create or edit an
existing command file. Many current users just use their text
editor to edit and reuse existing command files.
The RUNT is not a TSR or RAM resident program.
This product is Copyright (C) 1993-4 P. C. Softsmith all
rights reserved. It is distributed as shareware and must be
distributed with this documentation. It is normally
distributed with other P.C. Softsmith materials that further
explain the shareware process. If you wish to distribute it
with your software or are unable to find the other
documentation that should accompany this file (such as the
SHR_WARE.DOC, FILE_ID.DIZ, and the VENDOR.DOC) please contact
whoever gave you the software or P.C. Softsmith.
For technical support, either call (604) 433-5189, or write to
Suite 606 - 6455 Willingdon Avenue, Burnaby, British Columbia,
Canada, V5H 4E4. Both registered and soon to be registered
users currently get the same support without any arbitrary
time limit. You may also try leaving a Compuserve message at
75020, 2664, or send email to
INTERNET:vic_williams@mindlink.bc.ca
History:
RUNT - The RUN Timer Manual Page 7
November, 1994 - v4.50 encrypted passwords with a master
password. Added the -C create calldata.dbf switch.
Minor changes and corrections during most of 1994.
The RUNT gained password control, and user defined 'screen
saver' capability in version 4 in November, 1993. Previous
releases only had events capability. There is an extant
ACCESS.exe program with password capability, and a RUNRUN.exe
program that runs external 'screen savers'. The RUNT uses
code and ideas from those other programs, and is a general
replacement for them.
THE DOCUMENTATION AND ASSOCIATED SOFTWARE ARE DISTRIBUTED AND
SOLD WITH NO WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, REGARDING
ITS MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
THE INFORMATION IN THIS DOCUMENTATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
WITHOUT NOTICE AND DOES NOT REPRESENT A COMMITTMENT ON THE
PART OF THE VENDOR.
OTHER PRODUCT AND BRAND NAMES MENTIONED ARE TRADEMARKS OR
REGISTERED TRADEMARKS OF THEIR RESPECTIVE HOLDERS.
SPECIFICALLY XBASE IS THE GENERIC DATABASE INDUSTRY
REPLACEMENT FOR THE REGISTERED TERM DBASE OWNED BY BORLAND
INTERNATIONAL.