home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
17 Bit Software 6: Level 6
/
17 Bit - Level 6 (1998)(Epic Marketing)[!].iso
/
quartz
/
q0867.dms
/
q0867.adf
/
Docs
/
AmigaPoint.FAQ
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1995-01-22
|
14KB
|
411 lines
AmigaPoint version 2.1
----------------------
Stuart Grier
------------
AmigaPoint.FAQ
--------------
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON....
Setting up a point system at a Bulettin Board with an Amiga home computer using April and TrapDoor...
Section 1. - Setting up your system and the BBS so as both systems
---------- can communicate.
1. Is April / TrapDoor the only software available which I can use to
set up a point system on my computer ??
- No, there is a lot of different software which can do this, there
are Off Line Readers (O.L.R.) in which you log on to the BBS as
normal, and ask the system to prepare all the mail packets which
you requested. Once prepared, the mail packet is downloaded as
you would normally do. The O.L.R. separated the mail packet into
individual messages and presents them to the editor / tosser so
as you can read your mail, and write any messages.
There are similar programs available to April, namely SPOT.
April and Spot do the same basic job, they are a combined
Editor / tosser, this makes the need for an O.L.R. unnecessary,
although some people prefer to use O.L.R's other than this
method.
2. Ok, I've got AmigaPoint_2.1, so what do I do now ??
- You'll find the following files and directories :
AmigaPoint_2.1 ---+--- C---+--- Installer
I I I
I I +--- LhA
I I I
I I +--- PPMore
I I
I +--- Docs ---+--- AmigaPoint.FAQ (icon)
I I
I +--- AmigaPoint_Install.DOC (icon)
I I
I +--- Compatibility.TXT (icon)
I I
I +--- Changes.DOC (icon)
I I
I +--- Important.Readme (icon)
I I
I +--- Registration.TXT (icon)
I I
I +--- Scottish_BBS.TXT (icon)
I I
I +--- Setup.DOC (icon)
I
+--- AmigaPoint.Install (icon)
I
+--- April.lha
I
+--- Fido.cfg
I
+--- Nodelist.322
I
+--- Readme.First (icon)
I
+--- SGTrapDoor.config
I
+--- TrapDoor.lzh
Read the file 'Setup.doc', this details the basic operations
required to install the software, and make the appropriate changes
where they are required, and what directories to make, and where.
You are advised to follow the documentation in the same order, it will
save you from getting lost half way through.
3. I've dearchived TrapDoor and April, I've made the assigns, I now want to
start sending messages, how do I do that ??
- Before you start sending messages, you have to enter the database on
your choice of BBS of your particular options.
To start with, your session password will be in the format :
ABMAIL A - Initial of your first login name
B - Initial of your second login name
REMEMBER TO SPECIFY THE SESSION PASSWORD IN YOUR TRAPDOOR.CFG FILE,
OTHERWISE THIS WILL NOT WORK !!
You need to send a NETMAIL message to AREAFIX, the message format will
be in the format below :
TO : AREAFIX AT : <BBS address>
FROM : <Your name> AT : <Your address>
SUBJ : <YOUR SESSION PASSWORD>
------------------------------------------------------------
%HELP
---
This is only a one line message, it is %HELP The --- is used by
AREAFIX to signify the end of your message.
The lines TO, FROM, and SUBJ, are all added in the header which will
appear after the message has been saved, and the editor has been quit.
You must enter all the information in the appropriate spaces.
Once you have done this, click on <OK> and the message will be saved
in the NETMAIL area.
Now you must select the EXPORT option in the main menu, this will
transfer the message to the appropriate directory ready
to be sent to your Boss system.
4. I've got a message to be sent to my BBS, how do I actually do that ?
- Easy, All you do is exit from April, open up a shell, move to the
directory SYS:MAIL/TRAPDOOR/BIN, and enter :
trapdoor call boss
This will only work if the trapdoor.cfg file has been modified with
your appropriate information, NAME, NODE, PASSWORD, etc and the
nodelist has been compiled with TRAPLIST.
- - YIPEE! You've sent your first message !!!! 8-)))))
Now wait for about 30 seconds (1 minute usually guarantees it) for
the reply from AREAFIX to be generated and be available to be picked
up.
To get the reply enter :
trapdoor call boss
Here, a message is received.
5. How do I read this message ?
- reload April, and select IMPORT from the main menu, the reply will
be found in the NETMAIL area, it will be from GECHO.
To read this message, double click on the NETMAIL area and then
double click on the message.
***** NOTE: How to do Q4 & Q5 automatically is described later... *****
6. How do I change my options ?
- To change your options, write a message to AREAFIX in the following
format :
TO : AREAFIX AT : <BBS address>
FROM : <Your name> AT : <Your address>
SUBJ : <Your session Password>
------------------------------------------------------------
%PWD <choose a new session password>
%COMPRESS LZH
---
For compression LZH you must have program LHA in your C directory
other compressors available are ZIP, ARC, ZOO.
send this mail and receive the reply as described before Q4 & Q5.
NOTE : DO NOT CHANGE THE PASSWORD IN THE TRAPDOOR.CFG TO YOUR NEW
PASSWORD UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE REPLY INDICATING THE
CHANGE OF PASSWORD.
7. But I don't want to just write messages like this, how do I get to
all the areas ?? How do I join them ??
- To join them, you first need a list available, to do this sent a
NETMAIL to AREAMGR in the following format :
TO : AreaMgr AT : <BBS address>
FROM : <your name> AT : <Your address>
SUBJ : <your new session password>
------------------------------------------------------------
%LIST
---
Send this off, and in reply there will be a list of areas which
can join.
To join the Areas of your choice, send a NETMAIL to AREAMGR in
following format :
TO : AreaMgr AT : <BBS address>
FROM : <your name> AT : <Your address>
SUBJ : <your session password>
------------------------------------------------------------
%RESCAN
+AMIGA
+WORKBENCH
---
This message joins you to areas AMIGA and WORKBENCH and also does
a RESCAN, that means that the current messages in these areas will
be sent to you when you next call the BBS.
SECTION 2. - Specific April Queries...
----------
NOTE : When you ever change the configuration of April, remember to save
the new configuration, because April will not do save it
automatically. To save the configuration, select SAVE CONFIG in
the Config Menu.
1. When I first run April, I get a lot of requesters, and I've to
answer a lot of questions, I don't know what to enter, help !
- When you first run April, a requester will come up informing you
that the internal default settings will be used, on that click
<OK>. Also click on the <OK to INSTALL> requester.
Another screen will come up, telling you that you have to enter
your own settings, etc. These settings are for you NOT the Boss sytem.
UserName - <enter your own name>
BBSName - <enter the name of your system>
PointNet - Leave alone, if blank leave alone also.
Editor - Choose your favourite editor, Use Memacs, Ed, Ced etc.
ConfigDir - If it says 'S:' leave alone.
NOTE : The UserName and BBSName have to be the same as indicated
in the TrapDoor.cfg file.
Now, you are ready to edit the AreaList part of April 8-).
2. How do I get the AreaList in April the same as I have chosen ?
- There are two ways of doing this :
a. Just Poll the BBS and the Arealists will be created
automatically when April reads the Mail Packets.
- NOT a good way of doing things !!!!!
b. Enter The AreaList option in the Config Menu of April,
Select NEW, to indicate that you wish to create a new
Area.
In the AREANAME box, you MUST enter the name of the area
EXACTLY as it appears in the Areas you have joined
Message generated by your Boss system.
In Domain there should be FIDONET, do not change this.
In UserName There should be your name, if not change it.
In Directory, it should read MAIL:
Click on the BBSinfo requester, Here is info about the
BBS where the Mail comes from / goes to - It should
read info on Guru-ten :
BBSName : <Name of BBS>
Boss Name : <Name of SysOp> |
AREAFIX : AREAFIX \|/
PointNet : <leave alone> +
PointNr : <your point number> { 2:250/364.a }
Pack : <Leave alone>
UnPack : <leave alone>
Click on the indicator for '4D Filenames'.
After you have done this for all your Areas, DO NOT
FORGET TO SAVE YOUR CONFIGS - LAST OPTION ON THE CONFIG
MENU !!!
3. How do I send mail to someone but not through the public echo
areas ??
- Doing this is called NetMailing someone, it is done in the same
way as sending the messages to AreaMgr or AreaFix for changing
your configuration.
If, for example you wanted to ask me a question about April or
setting up a point system, then the message format would be as
follows :-
my address
|
| your address
TO : Stuart Grier AT : 2:250/364.4 <-+ |
FROM : <your name> AT : <Your address> <------+
SUBJ : Help on using April...
-------------------------------------------------------------
Hia Stuart,
Help me, I can't get April to work properly.
Cheers,
<Joe Soap>
This message would get to me, and I would send a reply once I've
sorted out how to fix your problem.
What I will ask is try and be as specific as possible on the
problem :- What you were trying to do, etc.
4. You mentioned that I can call the BBS automatically, how do I do
that ??
- In the CONFIG menu in April, there is an option 'EXTERNAL PRG' This
option allows you to call your Boss system automatically.
a. Select EXTERNAL PRG from the Config menu
b. Select NEW.
c. Enter 'Poll <name of BBS>' in the MENUNAME box
d. Leave blank SHORTCUT box
e. In the COMMAND box enter :
RUN MAIL:TRAPDOOR/BIN/TRAPDOOR CALL BOSS
f. Select the box for 'program uses Custom Screen'
This method can be used for a number of other options,
eg, viewing the trapdoor.log file and the April.log file etc.
Now to call your BBS, all you have to do is select 'Poll ...'
from the External menu, there is now no need to quit April and
call from the shell.
5. Hey, Thanks for this help, but what do I do If I need any more
help ??
- All you have to do is send me a netmail, and I'll try and sort
out your problem. Alternatively you can call either of the
authors of the main packages (April and TrapDoor) for specific
queries.
- Both April and TrapDoor have public areas in which people will
be willing to help you, the authors are present also, so you
can contact them this way also. Ask your Boss if he / she
can tag onto these FidoNET areas.
Contact address for help - Stuart Grier AT 2:250/364.4
- Nick de.Jong AT 2:285/404.31
- Maximilian Hantsch AT 2:310/6
REMEMBER : April and TrapDoor are Shareware, do us all a favour and
register these packages when you can afford to. The next
version of April will be released in a few months, and the
newest version of TrapDoor is already available from most
BBS's.
BTW : If it can't be found, then you probably never had it.