DRAFT of Docs for ROSERVER/PRMBS (KA2BQE) - ver 1.50 03/01/91 pg 1
ROSERVER - Packet Radio MailBox System Command Summary ROSERVER - Packet Radio MailBox System Command Summary ROSERVER - Packet Radio MailBox System Command Summary ________ _ ______ _____ _______ ______ _______ _______ ________ _ ______ _____ _______ ______ _______ _______ ________ _ ______ _____ _______ ______ _______ _______
This is a summary of the commands for the Packet Radio Mail-
box System. It is aimed at the sysops so that they may better
understand the general manner in which the MailBox functions
internally so that they may best utilize the powers this system
gives them.
All commands are started with a line beginning ">>", the
command itself, as parsed by the command dispatch table is given,
followed by the name of the procedure in the C source code that
is called, this is given in case you want to follow how the
system works. Optional arguments are in "[ ]" and required
arguments plain or in "{ }" with "|" where there are alternate
formats of required arguments
LOCAL Commands available only to the Super USER (main SYSOP) LOCAL Commands available only to the Super USER (main SYSOP) LOCAL Commands available only to the Super USER (main SYSOP)
>> Get out of program to DOS: Get out of program to DOS Get out of program to DOS
"x" (done)
"x number"
Sayonara, we are done. This command can also be scheduled from
the event scheduler. If employed with a BAT file having a 'goto'
loop, it may be used to leave the PBBS and do some other things
that need more memory than is available in a simple DOS escape,
and then return to the PBBS. You may use it schedule different
exits to do different things by setting number to something other
than 0. This number will be passed as a DOS ERRLEVEL. In fact you
must do it, since a simple X will exit with ERRLEVEL 0 and be
treated as a normal, I want to get the heck out of here exit!
>> Enter terminal mode: Enter terminal mode Enter terminal mode
"terminal" (lterm)
"terminal port [filename]"
Adequately described above in the Connect command, no
'portscr' needed, just a port spec. For remote sysop, if this
were a multi-port (not multi-user single port!) configuration, he
What happens is that when the ROSERVER program is exited the
BAT file executes SOM_PROG and then loops back and brings up MB
again.
Think of 'EVENT' as a BATch processor. You can have
'scripts' (think BAT file) of mailbox commands which can be
executed from the command line by using the '-f filename' option.
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REMOTE SYSOP Commands: available to LOCAL Console and R/Sys REMOTE SYSOP Commands: available to LOCAL Console and R/Sys REMOTE SYSOP Commands: available to LOCAL Console and R/Sys
>> Sysop enable/disable bell: Sysop enable/disable bell Sysop enable/disable bell
"bell" (change_prms)
"bell [ on | off ]"
A CONFIG option, BELL ON/OFF dtermines whether or not the
ctrl-G character will be sent to the CONSOLE.
The same routine is used for CHAT, which determines if the SYSOP
gets binged by a user who wants to talk to him, SERVMSG, which
dtermines if a Service message is generated by a KT, and SHOWZIP,
whic determnines if ZIP codes of T-messages will be displayed in
the "Mail For:" banner. These other variables are queried and
set/unset by typing their name and no arguement for query or name
and ON/OFF to set/unset.
>> Connect out to a station: Connect out to a station Connect out to a station
"c" (lterm)
"c portscr call [capfile]"
"c port call v path [capfile]"
This is a console command line connection routine. the
'portscr' is the same script get as for Bulletins and forward,
the 'capfile' is an optional capture file name. After the connect
is issued the system simply drops to terminal mode.
The 'capfile' will be appended to and will be closed each
time you exit the terminal mode, so if you exit quickly to check
something, when you return you must use the 'T' command with a
Simple delete file(s). Unambiguous file name required (i.e.
no wildcards!). Multiple files may be deleted on the same command
line, just specify additional file names separated by a space.
>> Delete a user from user file: Delete a user from user file Delete a user from user file
"deluser" (eduser)
"deluser call"
When you delete the user, the call stays in the file except
the first character of the call is replace with a '*' and the
'delete flag' is set in his record.
>> Distribution to multiple recipients of a single message Distribution to multiple recipients of a single message Distribution to multiple recipients of a single message
"distrib"
"distrib route_1 route_2 .... route_9"
For starters there are two types of messages which are
listed as 'B' and called bulletins, one is generally addressed
ALL or some special interest 'group' (like AMSAT) at some BBS and
is exactly that a message of interest, maybe, to ALL users at
that BBS. Then there are messages addressed to ALL at some wide
area group like ALLUSA, MDCBBS, MBLBBS, etc. These latter mes-
sages are what is truly called a FLOOD bulletin and are handled
by the FLOOD command.
The Distribution files are 6 character file names with
extension .DST, so the file below which is for PHOTOG would be
named PHOTOG.DST .
w2xxx
w3yyy
w4rrr
w1aar@wb2mic
rmail@kb1bd
aa4re
n2evw
alldx@wb2qja
*** EOF
rmail@wb2mnf
alldx@ka2bqe
k2adj
*** EOF
B/alldx@w1aw
DST files will be looked for in the SYS directory.
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Basically a message or series of messages are exported from
ROSERVER via the export command. They will come out with TO,
FROM, AT, and MSGID.
The messages will be 'imported' into ROSEDIST where the SEND
line will be parsed. The @BBS field will be used to make a file
name by appending ".DST" to it. If ROSEDIST cannot find that
file, the message is simply 'passed through' untouched, from the
input file to the output file.
Assuming now that we find the file, we will then take the
message and read down to the "To:" line in the internal headers,
or the end of headers if there is none. We will store all that
material in a the first of two temporary files. WE then will read
from that point to the line with "/EX" and store that in a second
temporary file. The "To:" line, if it was present, is lost at
this point.
We read the DST file and take it in line by line. The DST
file can have the following kinds of record entries:
- BBSCALL this simply created as a message with TO
filled in from the TO of the source message.
- CALL@BBSCALL created with the CALL and BBS specified.
- CALL@ - will place message in with this as the TO
and no @BBS
- RMAIL@BBSCALL makes an RMAIL message with next sequential
ID from local system. Reads subsequent lines to a "*** EOF"
to pick up target addressees;
- BBSCALL - takes the TO of source message
- CALL@BBSCALL - takes this explicitly
- CALL@ - this call with no @BBS
** '$' used inside 'rmail' specs will be ignored) **
- $RMAIL@BBSCALL - identical to the the above, except the
BID from the source message is added to the "To:" line
(i.e.;
To: rmail@bbscall$XXX_000, call@bbscall, .....
After everything is ready, the message type character from
the orginal will be carried over. The follwoing exceptions are to
be observed; all RMAILs will be 'P'. and any prefixed by a letter
plus a '/' will get that letter as a type 9obsevre the last entry
in the example has a "B/".
A typical execution of DISTRIB might go like:
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distrib ALLUSA MDCBBS MBLBBS RATS HARC
The 'distrib' command does, in effect, an EXPORT, dirstrib
processing, an import and an erase of the temporary work files.
The DISTRIB command from the mailbox does a lot in one command
line, and you do not have to remember options and erase file
names, etc.
>> Doorway to DOS Application Doorway to DOS Application Doorway to DOS Application
"door" (doDoors)
"door"
This command engages an doorway manager called doorway.exe.
It is used to bring up any dos application and redirect it all to
the comport. This particular manager was designed for a PCBOARD
(tm) system, but is sufficiently generic for our purposes. It
monitors DCD (connect status), it can be 'broken' by sysop, and
monitors timelimits. (I set it to 30 minutes in version 98Y, hard
coded). The program writes a DOOR.SYS file, refer to DOORWAY docs
for details about this file. The manner in which it works is to
exit the MailBox with a DOS ERRORLEVEL of 100 which is tested and
sent by a BATch GOTO to execute the Doorway driver whihc brings a
DOS prompt to the Comm port the user is on. When he is done, he
types the command "EXIT" returning command to the BATch file
which then executes ROSEBOOT with a file RSTNCSET.DSC which
contians three "D"s to force disconnect, and if modem ports have
been configured, DTR will be raised/lowered , breaking the con-
nection, then MBBIOS is Unloaded, then reloaded, restoring the
Comm vector and the BBS loops back and comes up.
Just about any program that does not write directly to
screen RAM can be run. LOTUS, DBASE III Plus, will not run cor-
rectly (i.e. some stuff will be show, other will not. Norton
Editor (NED) will not. All DOS commands will run, Quiktrak will
run. Compiled DBASE Applications will run.
In future versions there will be a DOORWAY menu allowing
non-remote sysop users access to selected programs. DOS access is
to general users is asking for disaster. To that end the DOOR
command is REMOTE SYSOP available only covered by the RSysy
password AND it also has a privelege file called DOORWAY.RS which
acts in excatly the same way as REMOTREQ.RS and RMAIL.RS (see
This allows a disk file to be used as the medium of ex-
change, the concept was originally built by WA7MBL as a means to
go back and forth to the TCP/IP smtp mail system. It was con-
ceived independently on ROSERVER as a generalized mail transfer ROSERVER
system. The MBL and ROSERVER formats are identical and inter- ROSERVER
changeable. It might permit a large collection of interesting
bulletins to be sent by diskette and US Snail to another part of
the country without overly burdening the current system. Or it
could be used to easily transplant the entire mail system from
one BBS to another, say when one site needed to be shut down.
>> Send a file to another system: Send a file to another system Send a file to another system
"putfile" (put_file)
"putfile filename call@address"
This command allows the sysop or remote sysop to send a file
to another user on another system. Without having to go through a
complex synthesis of the required inbound REQFIL message to
achieve the same thing.
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>> Send a file to a port: Send a file to a port Send a file to a port
"port" (port_dump)
"port ID filename"
This command allows a file to be dumped to a port. It is
usually used to send a setup file to a TNC when first bringing it
back up after a non-BBS use of the TNC.
>> Set different baudrate to port: Set different baudrate to port Set different baudrate to port
"setbaud" (ch_baud)
"setbaud port baudrate"
This comand was mostly implemented for modem use, but may be
used for anything. Enter the command, port letter and a baudrate
(300,600,1200,2400,4800,9600, 19200, 38400) and that baudrate
will be set to that port. Upon returning the BBS back on-line,
the system will re-set the port to the CONFIG file specified
value. he command returns errors messages for 'invalid baudrate'
or 'port not found' in either case it exits, doing nothing. If
you try to set the console baudrate you get no error message, but
likewise nothing happens!
>> Translate a range of messages: Translate a range of messages Translate a range of messages
"translate"
"translate # # #-# ... #"
used to re-translate messages, entire file, range, or just a
few messages selected by AT or TO fields. This is so that a
subsequent address change can be applied to a bunch of messages
without the need for hand editing.
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:USER Commands - available to all users, LOCAL, REMOTE and REMOTE :USER Commands - available to all users, LOCAL, REMOTE and REMOTE :USER Commands - available to all users, LOCAL, REMOTE and REMOTE