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AreaFix v1.20 User's Guide
Jeffrey J. Nonken
19 September 1990
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
===================
This document is public domain. Please note that this does not
alter the rights or ownership status of the copyright holder of
AreaFix in any way.
This is a user's guide to AreaFix. This document does not
describe how to install AreaFix; I created this document to allow
echomail hubs running AreaFix to pass simple instructions around
to their downlinks.
To keep things simple I will use the terms "uplink" and
"downlink". Your uplink is the system that is passing echos to
you, usually from the direction of the backbone or the origin of
the echo (sometimes known as an "echo feed"). You are his
downlink. If you are passing the echos from your uplink to
another node, that node is your downlink, and you are his uplink.
Simple? Good. This guide assumes your uplink is running AreaFix
and tells you how to add and remove echomail areas remotely using
AreaFix.
WHAT IS AREAFIX?
================
AreaFix is a slick program that allows sysops to remotely alter
their uplinks' distribution files (AREAS.BBS, ECHO.CTL, etc.)
without bothering the uplinks' sysops. In other words, if I want
to pick up a certain echo from my uplink, and he has AreaFix
installed, I just send a special message and the linking is
handled automatically. Ideally, my uplink's sysop does nothing
once he has set up AreaFix.
AREAFIX SETUP
=============
This is mostly your Hub's responsibility. He has to install
AreaFix on his system and install your password. You should pick
a password to use in your AreaFix messages. Remember this
password! It may be from 1 to 30 characters long and may contain
any printable characters except spaces.
TALKING TO AREAFIX
==================
To invoke AreaFix you must send a netmail message to your Hub.
The message should be private, addressed to AreaFix, and the
subject will be your password. Case is not important.
To: AreaFix
Subj: Gronk
AreaFix will also allow psuedonyms for itself. Your Hub may have
a special name he wants you to send to instead of "AreaFix". If
so, he will tell you. For my examples I will use "AreaFix".
AreaFix v1.20 User's Guide page 1
AREAFIX TALKING TO YOU
======================
Any time AreaFix replies it will send you a message explaining
what action it took (if any) and giving you a list of echos
currently active for you. If you are first on your uplink's list
for a particular area -- which usually implies that you are a
'feed' for that area, the originator of the echo -- AreaFix will
put an asterisk next to the echo name with a note that says you
are your uplink's feed for that echo. You will usually only see
that for local echomail areas, if at all.
TURNING ON ECHOS
================
Turning on an echo is easy; simply send a message to AreaFix with
a list of echos you want. Case does not matter. The names may
start in any column, and you may string them out on a line
(separated by spaces) or put them on separate lines.
TO: AreaFix
FROM: Tom Slick
SUBJECT: Gronk
Sysop
FDECHO
mtask
---
Notice Tom put a tear line at the end of his message. That's the
three dashes on the line after "mtask". This tells AreaFix that
there is no more information for it in this message. If he wants,
Tom may now write comments to his uplink Sysop, or just notes for
himself. It's a good idea to add this tear line even if you have
nothing more to say, in case some garbage gets tacked on to the
message during processing.
AreaFix replies:
TO: Tom Slick
FROM: Areafix on 1:103/522
SUBJECT: Re: Node change requests
Additions/Deletions
AREA: STATUS:
------------------------------- -------------------------------
SYSOP ......................... Added area.
FDECHO ........................ Added area.
MTASK ......................... Added area.
Active areas on 1:103/522
USERS
C_ECHO
ORANGE_CO
ASIAN-AMERICAN
FDECHO
SYSOP
AreaFix v1.20 User's Guide page 2
MTASK
Total found: 7
Note, a '*' indicates you're the feed on the echo.
--- Areafix v1.20
TURNING OFF ECHOS
=================
Removing an area is just as easy; just preceed the area name with
a minus sign (-) when you send the message.
TO: AreaFix
FROM: Tom Slick
SUBJECT: Gronk
-sysop
---
AreaFix replies:
TO: Tom Slick
FROM: Areafix on 1:103/522
SUBJECT: Re: Node change requests
Additions/Deletions
AREA: STATUS:
------------------------------- -------------------------------
-SYSOP ........................ Deleted.
Active areas on 1:103/522
USERS
C_ECHO
ORANGE_CO
ASIAN-AMERICAN
FDECHO
MTASK
Total found: 6
Note, a '*' indicates you're the feed on the echo.
--- Areafix v1.20
Now Tom will no longer receive the Sysop echo.
OPTIONS
=======
There are several useful options available. Each of these is
invoked by adding a command to your subject line after the
password. Note that any of these options can be disabled at your
uplink Sysop's discretion.
-R is a rescan command. This causes AreaFix to force a rescan of
the echo area by removing the high-water mark. The next time the
area is scanned, any messages in that area that you did not
receive will be packaged up and sent to you. Note that if your
uplink has an area as a passthrough, he will not have any
messages to rescan.
AreaFix v1.20 User's Guide page 3
-L sends you a list of echo areas. The uplink Sysop may make a
list of available areas in a file; if he has done this, the -L
command will cause AreaFix to send it to you.
-Q also sends you a list of echo areas. However, unlike the -L
command, it will scan through the Area Control files to see what
areas are available and send a list back in a message. AreaFix
will put an asterisk (*) next to each area that you are
receiving.
There is one thing to remember when using these switches: they
may not work unless there is some text in your message. For
example, the -Q option will not send back a list if you send a
blank message. However, just having the tear line will be enough.
TO: AreaFix
FROM: Tom Slick
SUBJECT: Gronk -r -q
Sysop
FDECHO
mtask
---
AreaFix replies:
TO: Tom Slick
FROM: Areafix on 1:103/522
SUBJECT: Re: Node change requests
Additions/Deletions
AREA: STATUS:
------------------------------- -------------------------------
SYSOP ......................... Added area and rescanned.
FDECHO ........................ Added area and rescanned.
MTASK ......................... Added area and rescanned.
Active areas on 1:103/522
USERS
C_ECHO
ORANGE_CO
ASIAN-AMERICAN
FDECHO
SYSOP
MTASK
Total found: 7
Note, a '*' indicates you're the feed on the echo.
--- Areafix v1.20
In a separate message, AreaFix also replies:
TO: Tom Slick
FROM: Areafix on 1:103/522
SUBJECT: Query request on 1:103/522
Areas available to 1:103/328 on 1:103/522:
AreaFix v1.20 User's Guide page 4
* USERS
* MTASK
* C_ECHO
NEWOPUS
MEADOW
* ORANGE_CO
* SYSOP
HST
80XXX
* ASIAN-AMERICAN
BIBLE
CHATTER
* FDECHO
FLAME
* FOR-SALE
LAN
LASERPUB
STTNG
Total found: 18
Note: a '*' indicates you're already active for the echo.
--- Areafix v1.20
ACCESS LEVELS
=============
When your uplink sets up your password, he will assign an access
level to you. It is possible that he will have some private or
special interest echos that he does not want to have automated
for AreaFix use. By assigning those areas a higher access than he
gives to his downlinks, those downlinks will not be able to turn
on those areas remotely; the uplink sysop must enable those areas
for the downlinks by hand. However, if you are enabled for a
restricted area and you want to turn it off, you may do so via
AreaFix as normal. The restriction is only one-way.
POINTS AND POINTNETS
====================
If you are a point off a bossnode you may have a slightly
different situation than normal. Your bossnode probably assigned
you a private net number. Your software may address you as a node
off that net or as a point off the bossnode, depending on how it
handles private nets and how you set it up. Let's assume for the
moment that you are set up as point 4 off private net 30010, and
that your bossnode's address is 1:103/522.
If you are set up to use the privatenet address, 30010/4, for
everything, then there is nothing to be aware of. Your bossnode
will have you set up as 1:30010/4 and AreaFix will use that
number.
If you are set up to use the point addressing scheme, 103/522.4,
then your message editor and/or mailer must do the following:
- The message must be addressed to your bossnode (103/522). If
your bossnode supports a privatenet AKA, you can send the
message to that address. (For example, 30010/0.)
AreaFix v1.20 User's Guide page 5
- The message must be addressed as coming from your bossnode's
address (103/522).
- The message must have a MSGID or a FMPT kludge line, or both.
When AreaFix sees the MSGID (which contains your full address) or
the FMPT (which shows that you're a point off the address in the
message header), and assuming your bossnode has AreaFix set up
properly, then AreaFix will internally convert your bossnode
address plus point (103/522.4) into your point address (30010/4)
and process you normally.
In either case, your pointnet address (1:30010/4) will show in
the AreaFix reply messages.
Chances are you won't have to change anything, but it's good to
know how things work in case something goes wrong.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
================
Thanks to Greg Dawson for all the work he put into making the
AreaFix utility, and for listening to suggestions from the users.
AreaFix is certainly a utility you should not do without.
Jeffrey J. Nonken
Ophiophile Maximus
Fidonet: 1:273/715
Internet: Jeffrey.Nonken@f715.n273.z1.fidonet.org
BBS: (215)279-9799
AreaFix v1.20 User's Guide page 6