HAM Radio 1/HamRadio.cdr/packet/packetcl/fwd.doc

Text File | 1989-01-28 | 9KB | 298 lines

     Automatic forwarding of messages to other MailBox systems.

     The file FWD.MB contains information that drives the automatic
forwarding of messages. If the file does not exist, no forwarding is done.

      Summary of list header types within FWD.MB

Item  Type        Function

I     File        "Input from File"
O     File        "Output to File"
X     smtp        "Exchange Messages with smtp"
E     Forwarding    "Answer Reverse Forward Requests"
F     Forwarding    "Forward and Reverse Forward"
H     Forwarding    "Forward, Reverse Forward, and Poll"
!     DOS Commands    "Like .BAT file"

      Summary of script item types within FWD.MB

P     Script        Do this tnc command before connecting.
Q     Script        Do this tnc command after disconnecting.
P!    Script        Do this DOS command before connecting.
Q!    Script        Do this DOS command after connecting.
C     Script        Connect to this call.
L     Script        Do not forward if message larger than size given.
N     Script        Connect to this call using NET/ROM.
S     Script        Send this text.
R     Script        Receive this text.


       Format of the list header (O, X, E, F, H, !)

Columns     Data

  1        Header type from above table.
  2        Port identifier or filler. "A" = COM1, "B" = COM2, etc.
  3-4        Hour to activate this function.
  5-6        Hour to de-activate this function.
  7-12        Key used to select list with X or XI command.
        For File type lists, the file name.
        For forwarding lists, the callsign of the MailBox to
        forward to, WITHOUT SSID.


The file contains several kinds of information:


     1) Connect Command scripts.

Command scripts are supported through C, L, N, P, Q, R, and S items.
The command script precedes the E, F, or H list that uses it.


P items give TNC commands to be executed BEFORE the connection:

     Pretry 10
     Pmaxframe 3
     Pfrack 8

Q items give TNC commands to be executed AFTER the disconnect:

     Qretry 3
     Qmaxframe 7
     Qfrack 3


Be very careful using P and Q items. The MailBox assumes that the
TNC is setup in a "standard" manner. If you change CR, CP, or SE
in a script, it could cause problems.


An L item is used to keep large messages from forwarding:

L 5000

Would cause any message larger than 5000 bytes to NOT forward.


A C item gives the call and path to do the initial connection:

     CC W6NR-11
     CC N7EQN-10 via A6DIG

N items gives the call and path to continue the connection using NET/ROM:

     NC W6NR
     NC W6QRM v N6DIG

S and R items come in pairs:
An S item is a line to send:

     SC WB6FFC-1

An R item is the expected response:

     R#SBAY1:N7EQN-10} Connected to #WWORM:WB6FFC-1

In the case that ANY response is valid use:

     R!

There can only be one C item in a script, but may be as many N, P, Q, R
and S items as required. As an example, the script for W0RLI
in Santa Cruz using NET/ROM to connect with KA6IQA in San Diego might
be (using all the possible script features).


L 2000              <-  Don't forward messages larger than 2K
Pretry 10          <-  Tough path, retry a lot.
Pmaxframe 3          <-  And don't send very many packets.
Pfrack 8          <-  And wait a long time for ACK.
Qretry 3          <-  Put things back to normal after this forward.
Qmaxframe 7          <-  Ditto
Qfrack 3          <-  Ditto
CC W6AMT          <-  Connect to the local NET/ROM
NC W6AMT-3          <-  Connect to the NET/ROM closest to KA6IQA
NC KA6IQA v W6AMT-4      <-  Connect to KA6IQA
FB0023KA6IQA          <-  Use port B. All hours. List name KA6IQA.
KA6IQA              <-  Forward messages TO or AT KA6IQA
91*              <-  Forward zip codes starting with 91
TIME$$              <-  Set date and time on KA6IQA's computer.
*** EOF           <-  End of list marker. Must be upper case.


     2) Routing lists.

E, F, and H lists are lists of stations for whom you should forward mail.
They are grouped by the call of the MailBox to which the messages
will be forwarded. Each list has a header line, any number of callsigns
or sublists, and the list terminator ("*** EOF").

An "F" list is used when you wish to initiate forwarding.

An "H" list acts the same as an "F" list, except that the
connect and probe for reverse forwaring will occur even
if you do not have any messages to forward.

An "E" list acts like an "F" list, except the forwarding is not done,
the list is used only when someone requests reverse forwarding from you.

Forwarding will occur at the minute given for the port in CONFIG.MB,
on those hours given in FWD.MB.


     3) Import / Export lists.

     There are two list types to move messages to or from files. The files
must be in the MailBox directory. An "O" list will output the messages into
a file. An "I" list will input messages from a file. There may be several
messages in each export or import file. The end of a message is indicated
by a line containing the text /EX.

Format modifiers may follow the file name.

Defined format modifiers are:

O - Use the old (WA7MBL) export/import format.
8 - Add an RFC-822 header before each message text.
B - Include the BBS message headers.

If no modifier is given, then ONLY the message text is put into the file.

To "forward" messages TO the file MSG.OUT in old (WA7MBL) format :

Ox0023MSG.OUT O
WA6XXX
*** EOF

To "forward" messages TO the file MSG.OUT, with only RFC-822 headers
and message text, (as might be used by a user written smtp interface):

Ox0023MSG.OUT 8
WA6XXX
*** EOF

To "forward" messages TO the file MSG.OUT,
with RFC-822 headers, existing BBS headers, and message text :

Ox0023MSG.OUT D8
WA6XXX
*** EOF

To "forward" messages TO the file MSG.OUT, with only the message text :

Ox0023MSG.OUT
WA6XXX
*** EOF


To "forward" messages FROM the file MSG.IN :

Ix0023MSG.IN
*** EOF

MSG.IN must be in "old export/import format"


     4)  smtp interface.

An "X" list exchanges ("forwards" and "reverse forwards") messages with smtp.

The second field is the smtp address.

Xx0023SMTP
k3mc   [e-mail]
k6qrm  [e-mail]
*** EOF

The usual directories for smtp are used: SPOOL/MQUEUE and SPOOL/RQUEUE


     5) DOS commands.

     A "!" list is a list of DOS commands. It acts very much like a .BAT file.
The second character of the list header is ignored. The time window is honored.
Be very careful what commands you use here; anything that might CHANGE one of
the files used by the MailBox will cause TROUBLE! You must also run the MailBox
in a partition large enough to allow for COMMAND.COM (23k) plus whatever
commands you run.

     Example:

!B0023
clock set
*** EOF


     6) Wildcards and special "callsigns" in lists.


When the designator in FWD.MB is compared to the TO or @ BBS call,
the characters "?" and "*" appearing in the designator act as
wildcards. "?" will match any character. "*" causes the remaining
characters to match.

For example: Using ZIP code routing, to route all South Carolina
traffic to wa4szk, you would put "4*". Any message sent
to a destination starting with "4" would route to wa4szk.
wa4szk could then continue the routing breakdown by forwarding
or "41*" to one station, or "42*" to another, etc.

The special "callsign" TIME$$ is used to "forward the current date and time".
This feature is available only if the receiving system has the sending system
marked as a BBS or remote sysop. Systems that support this feature identify
with the "C" feature letter in their System ID.


     7) Sublists.

At any place in the FWD.MB file you can refer to another file. In effect
what happens is that the contents of the sublist are treated exactly
as if they were in the FWD.MB file. This feature is very useful when
you have several alternate paths to a given location. FWD.MB need only
contain the connect information for the different paths. You can refer
to a single file that contains the list of calls for forward. A sublist
is given by a line starting with "@". The rest of the line is the device,
path, and file name of the sublist.

Example:

CC N4CHV V N6MPW-1
FC0023N4CHV
N4CHV
@C:\BBS\HF111.FWD
@C:\BBS\SILICON.FWD
*** EOF
CC W6CUS-1 V W6AMT-10
FD0023W6AMT
NI6A
@C:\BBS\SILICON.FWD
*** EOF

     W0RLI MailBox and GateWay     Version 6.07 - 5/20/88   Page    8

     There is no limit to the number of lists or the number of
calls in each list. Your MailBox will do the connect and send the
messge onward. It will either delete it or mark it with 'F' status
depending on the setting of the YES/NO (Kill on forward) flag in
CONFIG.MB. Auto forwarding is attempted each hour at the minute
specified in CONFIG.MB, or when you use the "X" command.

     The special call "*" (a single *) can be used to force the
forwarding of all mail not addressed to the system owner. This
could be used by someone who would like to run this software, but
would not like to maintain an active MailBox. They would get all
their own mail locally, but any mail deposited onto their system
would be automatically forwarded.

     The forwarding of messages counts on the remote MailBox
behaving correctly. It must have a prompt with '>' at the end
of the last line. The command for sending messages must have the
form "Sx call". It must prompt for message title, and then prompt
for message text. Message text is terminated by ^Z (Control-Z).