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- 066030003040000132006000006008000
- 1QuickStart v1.00 Page # 0
- 2QuickStart v1.00 Page # 0
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-
- The front-end interface for QuickBBS ST and related utilities
-
-
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
- =================
-
- 1. General..............................3
- 2. Installation.........................4
- 3. Operation............................6
- 4. Terminal.............................8
- A. Error Levels........................10
-
- 1 - GENERAL
- ===========
-
- QuickStart is the part of QuickBBS ST which handles all modem
- initialisation, answering the phone and looking for a caller. It also
- provides a shell for the QuickBBS utilities and a terminal with dial
- directory, VT-52 and Ansi graphics, uploading and downloading. It is, in
- fact, a sort of mailer without the FidoNet capabilities. You'll be able
- to see the status of your BBS at a glance with QuickStart installed.
-
- For The-Box and Binkley sysops: because QuickStart knows nothing about
- FidoNet, it can only be used when Quick is running as a stand-alone
- package, but if you like you can run QuickStart during non-mailing
- hours, and use it as a terminal/shell of course. If QuickStart detects a
- FidoNet mailer at the other end, it will drop the carrier.
-
- The QuickStart program consists of two main files: QSTART.PRG and
- QSTART.OVL. QSTART.PRG is only a tiny little program which loads
- QUICKBBS.PRG and QSTART.OVL in turn, depending on error levels. An
- example:
-
- 1) QSTART.PRG is loaded.
- 2) QSTART.PRG loads QSTART.OVL
- 3) QSTART.OVL waits for a caller etc.
- 4) A 1200 bps call is received
- 5) QSTART.OVL exits with errorlevel 12 (for 1200 bps)
- 6) QSTART.PRG detects the errorlevel and starts up QUICKBBS.PRG at
- 1200 bps.
- 7) QuickBBS logs on the user etc.
- 8) User logs off, QuickBBS exits with errorlevel 0
- 9) QSTART.PRG detects the errorlevel and goes back to step 2.
-
- This way the maximum of memory is available for QUICKBBS.PRG, and you
- won't need a batch file. If you want DO want to run QuickStart using a
- command line interpreter and batch file you can rename QSTART.OVL to
- QSTART.PRG and do the errorlevel checking yourself. A list of
- errorlevels can be found in Appendix A.
-
- At present the extended events in QuickStart and QuickBBS are not fully
- supported, so the event window will be empty.
-
- 2 - INSTALLATION
- ================
-
- Installing QuickStart is easy. Just place QSTART.PRG and QSTART.OVL in
- the same directory as QUICKBBS.PRG. QuickStart assumes that you have
- QConfig, UserEdit and such in the same directory too.
-
- Now, start up QConfig (v1.20 or newer), and select option 6:
-
- Term Init Str..... ATZ|~ATS0=0M1X3| (1)
- Dial String....... ATDT (2)
- Default TimeOut... 30 seconds (3)
- Default Pause..... 10 seconds (4)
- No Connect 1...... NO CARRIER (5)
- No Connect 2...... BUSY
- No Connect 3...... NO DIALTONE
- Zmodem AutoDl..... Yes (6)
- Log Level......... 1 (7)
-
- (1) This is the command which is sent to the modem when the terminal
- mode is entered. See the main QuickBBS ST documentation for special
- characters.
-
- (2) This is the command which makes your modem dial out. It will be
- followed by the number to dial and a carriage return.
-
- (3) This is the 'default' maximum time between dialing a number and
- establishing a connection. If this time is exceeded, QuickStart
- will toggle DTR to make the modem hang up.
-
- (4) When dialing a number QuickStart will wait before trying to redial.
- The default pause can be specified here. Enter 0 for no pause.
-
- (5) When one of these strings is received from the modem, QuickStart
- will assume the dialing failed.
-
- (6) QuickStart has a feature called Zmodem Auto Download. When switched
- on the first few bytes of a Zmodem packet header will trigger the
- Zmodem download driver. The toggle in QConfig is the 'default'
- status when the terminal is started.
-
- (7) The Log Level controls the amount of information QuickStart (NOT
- QuickBBS!) puts in the log file. Each logged line starts with one
- of the following characters:
-
- ~ (not important)
- + (good)
- - (not so good)
- ? (strange situation encountered)
- ! (hard error!)
-
- Depending on the log level, these lines will be written to the log
- file SYSTEM.LOG. The log levels are:
-
- 0 will log ALL lines
- 1 will log lines starting with !, ?, -, +
- 2 will log lines starting with !, ?, -
- 3 will log lines starting with !
-
- Log level 0 will require a lot of disk space, level 3 hardly any.
- This will NOT affect the logging which QuickBBS does.
-
- Of course the other options in QConfig should be filled in before you
- attempt to run QuickStart or QuickBBS. Refer to the QuickBBS
- documentation.
-
- A file called WAITKEYS.BBS (located in the CONF\ directory) can be
- created to assign values to the function keys. This file has the same
- format as any other 'function key file':
-
- 1:C:\COMMS\FLASH\FLASH.PRG
- 2:D:\EDIT\TEMPUS.PRG D:\QBBS\SYSTEM.LOG
-
- In the above example, pressing f1 while in unattended mode (not in the
- terminal) will load FLASH.PRG in the given directory. Parameters can
- also be passed, like in line 2.
-
- A second function key file called TERMKEYS.BBS is also used, and defines
- the function keys used in the terminal mode.
-
- When a caller is connected he/she will see the lines...
-
- + QuickStart v1.00, Copyright 1989 by J. Webb, DeltaVision Systems.
- + Press <Escape> to start the BBS...
-
- After the user has pressed the Escape key QuickBBS is loaded. If a
- FidoNet compatible mailer is detected on the other side, the carrier is
- dropped.
-
- Next QuickStart looks for and sends the file BANNER.ASC in the textfile
- directory. There are NO control codes recognised by QuickStart. If this
- file doesn't exist:
-
- + Starting the BBS now! Just a sec...
-
- will be sent instead.
-
- 3 - OPERATION
- =============
-
- When you run QSTART.PRG you will see that the main screen (unattended
- mode) is divided into four main areas:
-
- The top-left box is called the activity window and contains the
- last few log lines. Depending on your log level, some of these
- lines will also be placed in the log file.
-
- The top-right box is called the status window. This contains the
- current status of QuickStart, the number of calls (rings), the
- number of actually connected users, the number of messages left to
- YOU and the number of times you were paged. The current time is
- also displayed.
-
- The bottom-left box is the last user window. Once you've had a call
- it will display the last few users on your system, together with
- the time of connection and log-off, and whether that user left mail
- for you or tried to page you.
-
- The bottom-right box will contain information concerning the
- current and next events, but is at present left blank because the
- extended events are not yet implemented.
-
- The top line of the screen contains a little menu. The highlighted or
- coloured characters represent the key which you should press to access
- that option. They are:
-
- Local Starts QUICKBBS.PRG in local mode.
- Terminal Enters the terminal.
- Users Starts up USEREDIT.PRG for editting users.
- Config Starts up QCONFIG.PRG for editting the configuration.
- After completion QuickStart will ask whether it should
- re-read the configuration file.
- Boards Starts up MCONFIG.PRG for editting the configuration of
- your message boards.
- Events Starts up ECONFIG.PRG for changing the event setup. After
- completion QuickStart will ask whether it should re-read
- the event file.
- Menus Starts up MENUEDIT.PRG for editting your menu files.
- Dos Starts up the command line interpreter specified in
- QConfig. Function keys in CONF\DOSKEYS.BBS are loaded
- first.
- Quit Quit to GEM (or to whatever started QuickStart).
-
- The keys displayed are not the only keys which can be used to access the
- options. Alt-J, for instance, also shells to DOS.
-
- Before starting any of the utilities, executing function key programs or
- quitting to Gem, the reset string will be sent to the modem. After
- return to unattended mode the modem is initialised again. When entering
- terminal mode the terminal init string is sent instead of the reset
- string.
-
- Some other keys are available in unattended mode too:
-
- - The HELP key displays a list of all available keys,
- - The four items (calls, connects, messages and yells) can be
- reset to zero by pressing Clr/Home,
- - The P key will toggle printer logging on and off. This key will
- also toggle the printing in QuickBBS, as it is saved in the
- SYSINFO.BBS file. Likewise, pressing Alt-P in QuickBBS will
- toggle the printer logging in both QuickStart and QuickBBS.
- - The I key can be used to manually initialise the modem.
-
- While in unattended mode the screen saver is active. It will blank the
- screen after the time stated in QConfig. Move the mouse or press a key
- (e.g. space or shift) to get the screen back. As soon as any activity is
- detected (a caller or an event) the screen is restored too.
-
- While QuickStart is waiting for something to happen it will initialise
- the modem every 5 minutes 'just for fun'.
-
- 4 - TERMINAL MODE
- =================
-
- By pressing the T key in unattended mode the terminal is started. The
- terminal init string is sent to the modem first.
-
- The terminal is a fairly simple, but nevertheless handy one. It features
- VT-52 and Ansi graphics modes, built-in PC font, dial directory with
- redial, upload and download with Xmodem, Xmodem 1K, Windowed Xmodem,
- Ymodem and Zmodem, filename recognition and more...
-
- At the bottom of the screen you'll see the status bar. From left to
- right it contains:
-
- - The current baudrate,
- - CD (Carrier Detect) or NC (No Carrier),
- - STf (ST Font) or PCf (PC Font),
- - VT-52 or Ansi graphics,
- - The Zmodem AutoDL status,
- - A message section.
-
- The available keys in the terminal mode are...
-
- UNDO Returns to unattended mode,
- HELP Shows a list of available keys,
- Alt-R Receive file(s), (1)
- Alt-S Send file(s), (1)
- Alt-B Change Baudrate,
- Alt-D Dial directory, (2)
- Alt-C Clear screen,
- Alt-J Jump to DOS, (3)
- Alt-H Hangup (drop DTR),
- Alt-F Toggle ST or PC fonts, (4)
- Alt-G Toggle VT-52 or Ansi graphics, (5)
- Alt-U Log the 'other end' into the BBS, (6)
- Alt-V View file, (7)
- Alt-Z Toggle Zmodem AutoDL.
-
- (1) A menu with available download/upload protocols will be displayed.
- When receiving using a non-batch protocol, QuickStart will attempt
- to guess the filename. After completion of the transfer a beep will
- sound. There are different beeps for completed and aborted
- transfers.
-
- (2) Alt-D calls up the dial directory. Each entry in this directory can
- be selected using the cursor keys. The entries contain, from left
- to right:
-
- - BBS name,
- - Phone number,
- - Baudrate,
- - Timeout,
- - Default protocol,
- - Graphics mode,
- - Font,
- - Zmodem AutoDL or Normal.
-
- The number of redials can be set by pressing R. The pause, the time
- between redial attempts, can be set with the P key. Pressing S will
- save any changes you've made to the dial directory, which can be
- accomplished with E. This will bring up an edit screen.
-
- Press Escape to abort dialing or Enter to dial the highlighted
- number. If you dial a number the settings of that BBS are made
- active (font, graphics mode etc).
-
- (3) Alt-J works like the Dos option in unattended mode, and calls the
- command line interpreter specified in QConfig. Note: it doesn't
- HAVE to be a CLI, you could put NeoDesk or something in here if you
- want.
-
- (4) The PC font will not show when Turbo-ST v1.4 or older is installed.
-
- (5) Ansi in QuickStart is about the same as what is supported by
- QuickBBS ST itself. It is far from perfect, but provides the basic
- components for controlling the screen. It should NOT be used with
- full screen editors like QuickEd, otherwise you probably won't be
- able to get out... Refer to QANSI.DOC for supported Ansi escape
- sequences.
-
- (6) Say you are in the terminal mode when a user calls in. You answer
- the phone manually and find out that you'd like the user to log
- into the BBS. Instead of making him/her call back, establish
- connection (if it was a voice call) with ATA or whatever makes
- your modem answer the phone, press Alt-B to set the baudrate, and
- then Alt-U. This will log the user into the BBS. When the user logs
- off QuickStart will enter unattended mode, not terminal mode.
-
- (7) The view-file option will display the selected file using the
- current graphics mode and font.
-
- APPENDIX A - ERRORLEVELS
- ========================
-
- When QuickStart (QSTART.OVL) exits the following errorlevels are passed
- back to the calling program:
-
- 0 - Go Offline,
- 1 - Start BBS in Local Mode,
- 2 - System Error,
- 3 - Start BBS for 300 bps user,
- 12 - Start BBS for 1200 bps user,
- 24 - Start BBS for 2400 bps user.
-
- Any other errorlevels should be treated as program errors.
-
-
