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| Text File | 1993-06-10 | 282.1 KB | 5,815 lines |
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- version 1.10
-
- The Quick Bulletin Board System
- for Atari ST computers
-
- by
-
- Jon Webb and Theo Runia
-
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- The QuickBBS ST package is Copyright (c) 1990-93 by Jon Webb and
- Theo Runia. It is in no way connected to the QuickBBS PC
- version. Read the license agreement for copyright information and
- distribution rules.
-
- 9 [..................................................]0110
- TABLE OF CONTENTS
-
- Section 1 : Introduction Page
-
- License Agreement ......................... 5
- Bug Reports, Questions, Ideas ............. 8
- Notices ................................... 8
- Thank You ................................. 9
- Features .................................. 9
- Overview .................................. 10
- QuickStart ................................ 10
- Documentation ............................. 10
- Required Hardware ......................... 11
- Required Software ......................... 11
- Required Software for FidoNet ............. 11
- Recommended Setup ......................... 12
- First Time SysOps ......................... 12
-
- Section 2 : Installation Page
-
- Unpacking the Archives .................... 13
- Directory Structure ....................... 14
- Creating the System Files ................. 15
- Creating the User Base .................... 15
- Creating a Configuration File ............. 16
- Installing 4KBUF .......................... 17
- Requesting a Key .......................... 18
- Running the BBS ........................... 18
-
- Section 3 : Configuration/Operation Page
-
- More about QConfig ........................ 20
- Function Keys ............................. 26
- SysOp Keys ................................ 27
- Chatting & Yell Tunes ..................... 28
- The Status Bar ............................ 29
-
- Section 4 : Users Page
-
- User Information .......................... 30
- Packing the User Base ..................... 32
- The Limits File ........................... 32
- The TrashCan File ......................... 32
- The Accounting system ..................... 33
-
- Section 5 : Text & Graphics Page
-
- Text Files & Graphics Modes ............... 34
- System Text Files ......................... 35
- Text File Control Codes ................... 37
-
- Section 6 : Menus Page
-
- The Menu System ........................... 40
- Menu Text ................................. 41
- Menu Structure ............................ 41
- The Menu Editor ........................... 42
- Menu Option Types ......................... 43
- Menu Parameters ........................... 48
- Automatic Menu Execution .................. 49
- The Menu Optimiser ........................ 49
-
- Section 7 : Messages Page
-
- The Message System ........................ 50
- Message Area Access ....................... 51
- The Language Check File ................... 51
- The UpperCase Check ....................... 51
- Allow use of an alias ..................... 52
- Allow 8 bit characters .................... 52
- File attached messages .................... 52
- Group number .............................. 52
- LastRead Pointers ......................... 53
- Packing the Message Base .................. 53
- The Mail Area Lister ...................... 54
-
- Section 8 : Files Page
-
- File Areas ................................ 56
- The File Search File ...................... 57
- The File Area Lister ...................... 57
- Transfer Protocols ........................ 59
- Uploads & Downloads ....................... 59
- Transfer Drivers .......................... 61
- External Protocols ........................ 61
- The Online Archiver ....................... 62
- The File Browser .......................... 62
- Mark File Menu ............................ 63
-
- Section 9 : Doors Page
-
- External Programs ......................... 64
- DOR Files ................................. 66
- Exit With ErrorLevel ...................... 71
-
- Section 10 : FidoNet Page
-
- What is FidoNet? .......................... 72
- Practical, please ......................... 73
- FidoNet Organisation ...................... 73
- NetWork Addresses ......................... 74
- Points .................................... 75
- What's a Mailer? .......................... 75
- Import and Export ......................... 75
- Installing the Mailer ..................... 76
- Compiling the NodeList .................... 77
- Writing NetMail ........................... 78
- Reading and Writing EchoMail .............. 78
- Generating EchoMail ....................... 79
- Events and Routing ........................ 79
- Exporting Mail ............................ 80
- Importing Mail ............................ 80
- Archived Mail ............................. 80
- Batch Files and such ...................... 81
-
- Section 11 : Appendices Page
-
- A - Jargon Guide .......................... 83
- B - SysOp Keys ............................ 96
- C - Menu Options .......................... 97
- D - System Text Files ..................... 98
- E - Text File Control Codes ............... 100
- F - .DOR File Commands .................... 103
- G - VT-52 Escape Codes .................... 104
- H - Ansi-BBS Escape Codes ................. 105
- I - RS-232 Pins ........................... 110
- J - FSE Interface ......................... 111
- K - External Chat Interface ............... 113
- L - Available Utilities ................... 114
- M - Errorlevels & Parameters .............. 116
- N - Example Batch Files ................... 117
- O - Bug Report Form ....................... 123
-
- =================================================================
- =================== Section 1 : Introduction ====================
- =================================================================
-
- LICENSE AGREEMENT
-
- QuickBBS ST uses a key which can be requested from the Support
- BBS. There are two sorts of keys available:
-
- ¯ A Demo key will operate for a period of 60 days. No more than 4
- demo keys will be provided, and there must be at least one month
- between the date on which one demo key expires and the date on
- which the next demo key is requested.
-
- ¯ A Full key can be bought from Theo Runia. Once you have bought a
- full key you are a registered owner of QuickBBS ST and have
- unlimited use of the program. A full key costs 150 Dutch
- Guilders (approx. $80/50) and can be ordered by sending a
- cheque or postal order for the above amount, made payable to
- Theo Runia to:
-
- Theo Runia
- P.O. Box 1183
- 8900 CD Leeuwarden
- The Netherlands
-
- Please include a note with your name, phone number and key
- number (which is displayed by QuickBBS when it checks your demo
- key).
-
- Now for the different methods of payment, in order of
- preference:
-
-
- ¯ By International Postal Money Order is quickest on our end.
- I just have to go to the post office to cash them. A postal
- money order can be sent from your local post office. This is
- fast as I get them within a week, and a full key will be
- ready at that day.
-
- ¯ By EuroCheque is also fairly quick. Because EuroCheques are
- guaranteed by the bank, your full key will be available as
- soon as the cheque arrives here. Most banks charge very
- little for EuroCheques.
-
- ¯ If you live in Europe and have access to a giro account, you
- can transfer the money directly to mine. My giro bank is
- called Postbank N.V. in Arnhem and my account number is
- 2740040.
-
- ¯ You can also transfer money via the SWIFT system. This is an
- international money transfer system. Almost all banks should
- have access to this. You should show the following to your
- bank:
-
- Transfer 150 dutch guilders via the SWIFT transfer system
- to my bank, my bank is:
-
- Friesland bank
- Zaailand 110
- Leeuwarden
- The Netherlands
-
- My account number there is 29.63.18.418 on the name of:
- Theo Runia in Leeuwarden.
-
- The swiftcode for the Friesland bank is FRBKNL2L
-
- With this code it should be easy for a bank to transfer the
- money. But please mention your keynumber, it make's live
- easier for me and you.
-
- ¯ A bank cheque of your bank is possible too. It should be
- drawn on a Dutch bank. But normally this is the case with
- bank cheques. The disadvantage is that I get the cheques
- fast enough but I will have to wait 1-2 weeks before it's
- cleared by the bank. But generally it's quite a good system.
-
-
- If you have sent a cheque or postal order etc. and your demo
- key runs out, just post a message on the Support BBS or send a
- netmail. In general we will make an extended demo key
- available.
-
- We wil send a netmail via Fidonet if the key is ready, so do
- supply your nodenumber. If you want the key on disc please say
- so. This will however take longer.
-
- Any invalid cheques and postal orders will be returned to you,
- with a description of what was wrong.
-
- And please don't forget to mention your keynumber, the number
- of users is so big that it is sometimes diffecult to find out
- who send the money.
-
- If you have experience with international money transfers
- which you think would be of use to others, let me know and
- I'll include it in this file.
-
-
- We reserve the right to refuse any key request. We also reserve
- the right to withdraw your key, even a full key, if you violate
- the distribution rules.
-
- The QuickBBS ST package may be made available for download as long
- as you stick to the following rules:
-
- ¯ You may not distribute modified programs or documentation,
- ¯ You may translate the documentation, but the original English
- version must be in the documentation archive,
- ¯ You may not distribute incomplete archives,
- ¯ You may not distribute the key,
- ¯ You may not charge anything for the package other than nominal
- copying cost or on-line fees.
-
- Violation of these rules will lead to the withdrawal of your key!
-
- You can also send 2 formatted discs together with 2 international
- reply coupons. You will be send the latest version of QuickBBS ST
- and some nice utils. You can also request a demokey this way. Make
- very sure you put on the disc a file or send a letter with your
- name and address on it and include the following:
-
- Sysop Name
- BBS Name
- Nodenumber
-
- This way we can generate a demo key so you can start the BBS the
- moment you recieve the discs back.
-
- BUG REPORTS, QUESTIONS, IDEAS, ETC.
-
- The best way to contact us is via the QuickBBS ST Support BBS:
-
- QuickBBS ST Leeuwarden
- FidoNet 2:282/301, NeST 90:5/0
- Holland +31-(0)58 - 153 849
- 300-14400 Bps, HST/V32bis
- 24 hours per day
-
- The SysOp - Theo Runia - has been running QuickBBS ST ever since
- the first version was tested, and can answer just about any
- questions you care to ask. But don't forget he's doing all this in
- his spare time, and might be very busy doing something else.
-
- Another way of getting in touch is in the QUICKBBS.ST echomail
- area. This area is currently also linked into the NeST area
- N.GATE.QBBS.ST and might be linked to other areas in the future.
-
-
-
- NOTICES
-
- We can not be held responsible for any damages which may occur due
- to the use of QuickBBS ST and/or associated programs and/or
- documentation. If you use the system, you do so at your own risk.
- QuickBBS ST is supplied as-is. If it doesn't suite your needs I'm
- sorry.
-
- We am in no way connected to Adam Hudson, the original author of
- the PC version, other that he gave Jon webb the 'go ahead and try'
- signal. QuickBBS ST was not ported, it was rewritten from scratch
- in GfA 3.0 and Turbo-C/ST.
-
- We have heard that Adam Hudson is no longer developing the PC
- version, and has sold the source. We hope this will speed up
- implementation of new features in the PC version. In fact we think
- the new developers have 'borrowed' a few of our ideas, which is
- fine by us.
-
- When the name QuickBBS is used in this documentation, it relates
- of course to the ST version, not the PC version. QuickBBS is often
- called 'QBBS' or 'Quick'.
-
- THANK YOU
-
- A lot of people have assisted in the development of this package,
- and it is impossible to list them all here. However, I'd like to
- express special thanks to ...
-
- ¯ Theo Runia, the very first QuickBBS ST board and SysOp of our
- Support BBS. Theo has been very helpful, coming up with ideas,
- (lots of) bug reports and doing an enormous amount of listening.
- From version 1.06 onwards Theo took over development.
- ¯ Jac Kersing, author of The-Box and Pandora, has spent many hours
- on the phone with me, at first when testing The-Box and Pandora,
- afterwards when technical problems arose during the development
- of Quick.
- ¯ Iain Summers, for his help with all sorts of bits-and-pieces,
- especially the internal Zmodem drivers, and for putting up with
- me for a few days when I was over in the UK 8-).
- ¯ all the SysOps of our 'other' main beta sites, Lasse Eriksson,
- Jens Fischer, Joop Koopman, Kaj Lehtinen and Erno Meffert and
- Wilco Roos.
-
- FEATURES
-
- QuickBBS is a very powerful and flexible BBS system. A few of the
- features which are implemented in the current version:
-
- ¯ The complete menu system, the menu text and the menu structure
- are SysOp-configurable,
- ¯ Most of the other text the user sees is SysOp-configurable,
- ¯ Nearly all keys in the BBS are HotKeys, that means the user
- doesn't have to wait for the menu or to be completed, he just
- presses the key he wants,
- ¯ Up to 200 message areas, and an unlimited number of file areas,
- ¯ Fully FidoNet compatible, linking your BBS to 20000 others
- worldwide,
- ¯ Uploads and downloads with Xmodem, Xmodem 1K, Ymodem, Windowed
- Xmodem and Zmodem, and a powerfull external protocol interface,
- ¯ VT-52 Standard, Monochrome, Colour and Ansi graphics modes,
- ¯ New Mail pointers for each user in each area,
- ¯ Online Archiver with support for .ARC and .LZH archives,
- ¯ Language check, uppercase check and quoting in the line editor,
- ¯ Separate front-end for Stand Alone mode includes terminal with
- dialer, VT-52 and Ansi graphics, File Transfers etc.
- ¯ External programs can be started from within the BBS, providing
- access to doorgames, utilities and such. Most FoReM and Pandora
- doorgames can be run,
- ¯ Free updates,
- ¯ Lots, lots more...
-
-
- As you can see, no other BBS package on the ST offers so much for
- so little money. And best of all: QuickBBS is very fast, otherwise
- it wouldn't be called that, would it?
-
- OVERVIEW
-
- QuickBBS ST is closely related to the The-Box system which was
- written by Jac Kersing and Jan-Paul Middelink. It does not use
- The-Box itself, but it uses the same mail utilities, due to the
- fact that the message base is of identical format. Nowadays
- Binkley ST is used more and more. Most mail utilities on the Atari
- now use this messagebase, it's often referred to as the 'QBBS
- format'.
-
- The QuickBBS package consists of the following files:
-
- ¯ QINSTALL.PRG Installation program
- ¯ QKEY.PRG Key Requester
- ¯ QUICKBBS.PRG The main program
- ¯ QSTART.PRG QuickStart, for Stand Alone use
- ¯ QSTART.OVL Overlay for QuickStart
- ¯ USEREDIT.PRG The user editor
- ¯ MCONFIG.PRG The message base configuration program
- ¯ QCONFIG.PRG The general configuration program
- ¯ MENUEDIT.PRG The menu editor, written by Theo Runia
- ¯ FASTPACK.PRG The message base packer
- ¯ 4KBUF.PRG Communications buffer program
- ¯ XFER.00? Ymodem/Windowed Xmodem/Zmodem modules
-
- These and other files have been placed in a number of archives,
- ready to be extracted by the installation program.
-
- QUICKSTART
-
- QuickStart is a program which is run 'in front' of QuickBBS. It
- initialises the modem, answers the phone when a user calls etc. It
- also has a terminal with file transfer capabilities, Ansi graphics
- etc. When a user calls QuickStart will start up QuickBBS.
- QuickStart has its own documentation file.
-
- DOCUMENTATION
-
- This documentation is available in ASCII or in First Word Plus
- format. The First Word Plus file has extension .DOC (with .GEM
- illustrations), the ASCII file has extension .TXT and does not
- contain any illustrations. A special print program is being
- developed to print out the First Word Plus document and
- illustrations. The program can either print a plain ASCII version
- or - if you have GDOS (or G+Plus), a printer driver and a printer
- font - a version with pictures, styles etc. Of course you can
- print out the .DOC and .IMG files with First Word Plus.
-
- If, after reading this documentation, something is still unclear
- you could have a look at the QuickBBS PC documentation. More help
- with FidoNet can be found in the Binkley ST manuals.
-
- REQUIRED HARDWARE
-
- QuickBBS is currently being developed on an Atari 520 ST with 2.5
- Mb or ram and a SM-124 mono monitor, and lots of HD space (+/- 500
- Mb). It works on TOS 1.04, but should work oke on most TOS
- versions. It also works with almost all HD drivers, at least all
- the ones we tested. We do recommend that you install a cache
- program to speed up HD acces, the mailscan really benefits from
- this.
-
- You need at least 1 megabyte of memory to run QuickBBS.
-
- It might also be possible to run QuickBBS on a single or double
- drive system, but I doubt whether you'll have a nice time doing
- so. A harddisk should be used, but there is no technical reason
- why it couldn't be done with less.
-
- As for a modem, you will need a fairly Hayes-compatible one which
- is capable of answering the phone, monitoring the carrier,
- responding to DTR and switching to the correct baudrate. There are
- so many modems out there that it is impossible to test and list
- them all. The connection cable between the computer and the modem
- is very important. It must have at least the Ground, RX, TX, DTR
- and CD pins wired through. Complete pinout information can be
- found in the appendix section. On highspeed modems (9600 and over)
- you must use the CTS and RTS lines. For this to work on your Atari
- you must install a CTS fix program in your autofolder, e.g.
- HS_FIX, TurboCts, Serialfix etc. From TOS 2.06 onwards it should
- work without. But do enable RTS/CTS in your modem control panel.
-
- REQUIRED SOFTWARE
-
- You will need a text editor such as Micro Emacs or Tempus. First
- Word in ASCII mode (WP Mode OFF) will do, but I can't recommend
- it. For creating screens a VT-52 and Ansi editor could come in
- handy.
-
- The QuickBBS ST is in .ZIP format, you need STZip to unpack it,
- STzip is made by Vincent Pomey (hay vincent!). But you might have
- to use some archivers like LHarc, Arc, Unarj, Zoo, etc. to unpack
- all kinds of third party utilities.
-
- REQUIRED SOFTWARE FOR FIDONET
-
- If you want to run QuickBBS as a FidoNet node, you will need a
- mailer in addition to the software mentioned above. At the moment
- there are two mailers available for the ST: The-Box and
- Binkley/ST. Both can be downloaded or requested from our Support
- BBS. You will also need a shell (often called a Command Line
- Interpreter, or CLI for short). PCommand is a good choice, but it
- doesn't support command line parameters. PCommand is shareware.
- Another possibility is Gulam. This is a Unix-like shell, it should
- be possible to use that. A commercially available shell called
- Craft might work too. Whatever you choose, the shell must:
-
- ¯ Support batch files
- ¯ Support environment variables
- ¯ Support errorlevels
- ¯ If possible, accept a batch file to execution passed on the
- command line.
-
- Try to get one that doesn't take up too much memory. The examples
- given here are for PCommand.
-
- You wil also need a mailtosser, software to proces the incoming
- and outgoing mailpackets. There are quite a lot, but we will
- mention some to give an idea:
-
- Bermuda,
- Jetmail,
- Marsmail,
- IOS,
-
-
- RECOMMENDED SETUP
-
- The usual and recommended setup for a reasonable QuickBBS ST
- system is
-
- ¯ Atari 1040 STf with either TOS 1.04 or higher
- ¯ Monochrome or Color monitor,
- ¯ Harddisk, we recommend to start at least at 30 Mb
- ¯ 2400 Bps or better a 14.400 Bps modem
- ¯ Battery-backed clock! Don't forget :-)
-
- 20 or 30 Mb of hard disk space is enough to start with, but a
- major BBS often has 60 or 100 Mb or more. A second ST would also
- come in handy to be able to do some work without taking the BBS
- offline, though it certainly isn't essential. You could connect
- that up via one of the cheap Midi networks, so you can preform
- some tasks and still keep the system online
-
- FIRST TIME SYSOPS
-
- This is not a communications tutorial. I assume you know how a BBS
- works from the users point of view, and have a reasonable idea
- what a SysOps job is. If you haven't had much experience with
- using a BBS, spend some time calling other (Quick)BBS's first.
-
- Although you won't need to do any programming yourself, I will
- also assume you know a fair a bit about your computer. Explaining
- everything from scratch would make this manual a few MegaBytes
- larger. Again, if you don't know much about how your ST works,
- wait a few months.
-
- ==================================================================
- ==================== Section 2 : Installation ====================
- ==================================================================
-
- UNPACKING THE ARCHIVES
-
- The very first thing you must do is check your system date and
- time (if you don't have a built-in clock, that is). The date and
- time must always be correct when you run your BBS. Strange things
- will happen if they are incorrect.
-
- QuickBBS is distributed as a set of three archives:
-
- ¯ Q_DOC.ZIP contains the First Word Plus version of the
- documentation,
- ¯ Q_ASC.ZIP contains the no-frills ASCII version of the
- documentation,
- ¯ QUICKBBS.ZIP contains the BBS system itself.
-
- To install QuickBBS you must have STZip 2.0 or higher to be able
- to unpack QuickBBS and it's docs. STZip is copyright by Vincent
- Pomey and is available at most Atari BBS's, if need be you can get
- it at our support BBS.
-
- If you have one disk drive:
-
- ¯ Place QUICKBBS.ZIP on a diskette,
- ¯ Create a ramdisk large enough to hold the files in
- QUICKBBS.ZIP, plus STZIP.PRG,
- ¯ Place STZIP.PRG on the ramdisk,
- ¯ Extract QUICKBBS.ZIP to the ramdisk,
- ¯ Insert a blank, formatted diskette in your disk drive,
- ¯ Start up 4KBUF.PRG from the ramdisk,
- ¯ Start up QINSTALL.PRG from the ramdisk,
- ¯ Choose Select Drive and enter drive A.
-
- If you have two disk drives:
-
- Either follow the instructions for single disk drive systems,
- or...
-
- ¯ Place QUICKBBS.ZIP on a diskette in drive A,
- ¯ Place STZIP.PRG on a diskette in drive B,
- ¯ Extract QUICKBBS.ZIP to drive B,
- ¯ Insert a blank, formatted diskette in drive A,
- ¯ Start up 4KBUF.PRG from drive B,
- ¯ Start up QINSTALL.PRG from drive B,
- ¯ Choose Select Drive and enter drive A.
-
- If you have a hard disk:
-
- ¯ Create a temporary directory,
- ¯ Place STZIP.PRG and QUICKBBS.ZIP in that directory,
- ¯ Extract QUICKBBS.ZIP (after extracting this archive you no
- longer need it),
- ¯ Start up 4KBUF.PRG,
- ¯ Start up QINSTALL.PRG,
- ¯ If you don't want to install the BBS on the current
- partition, choose Select Drive and enter the partition on
- which the BBS is to be installed.
-
- One of the files you just extracted and executed was 4KBUF.PRG. It
- must be placed in the AUTO folder of your boot disk, and must
- always be installed when QuickBBS or QuickStart is run.
-
- DIRECTORY STRUCTURE
-
- The QInstall program can be used to create a runable demonstration
- system which should help you get started. It sets up a directory
- structure on the drive of your choice and unpacks all the archives
- into the correct directories.
-
- The first thing you should do, if you haven't done it already, is
- to define on which drive or partition you want to install the BBS.
- Use the Select Drive option for this. This doesn't mean you must
- always run the BBS on this drive, you can always change it later
- if you change your mind.
-
- Now you must create a directory structure, using the Create
- Directories option. You should not attempt to run QuickBBS from
- the root directory, because root directories can't contain more
- than 112 files. You won't notice this at first, but it might cause
- problems later.
-
- The directory structure QInstall creates looks like this:
-
- \QBBS home directory
- \QBBS\CONF configuration directory
- \QBBS\TEXT text file directory
- \QBBS\MENUS menu file directory
- \QBBS\MSGS message base directory
- \QBBS\OARC online archiver directory
- \QBBS\TUNES yelltune directory
- \QBBS\DOWNLOAD downloads:
- \QBBS\DOWNLOAD\GENERAL general download area
- \QBBS\DOWNLOAD\UTILS utility download area
- \QBBS\DOWNLOAD\COMMS communications download area
- \QBBS\UPLOAD uploads:
- \QBBS\UPLOAD\GENERAL general upload area
- \QBBS\UPLOAD\UTILS utility upload area
- \QBBS\UPLOAD\COMMS communications upload area
-
- I've used some jargon here, but do not fear, all will be explained
- when the time is right. If you can't wait, have a look in the
- Jargon Guide in the appendix section.
-
- CREATING THE SYSTEM FILES
-
- So we've created the directory structure, but everything is still
- empty. Now we must fill them up. Remember you unpacked the
- distribution archive QUICKBBS.ZIP? Well, you should now have the
- following files:
-
- ¯ Q_PRG.ZIP program files,
- ¯ Q_CFG.ZIP configuration files,
- ¯ Q_MNU.ZIP menu files,
- ¯ Q_TXT.ZIP text files,
- ¯ Q_MUS.ZIP yelltune files.
-
- These archives are unpacked by QInstall. Select the Write Files
- option from the main menu.
-
- QInstall will now unpack all these archives using STZip and place
- the extracted files in the correct directories. When the unpacking
- is completed return to the main menu.
-
- CREATING A USER BASE
-
- The next option you need to select is Run UserEdit. This option
- starts up the user edit program. The user file is called USERS.BBS
- and is located in the home directory. It contains important
- information about each user. UserEdit will tell you it can't find
- any LastRead pointers, and ask you whether they should be created.
- Just say Yes for now.
-
- The very first user in the user base must always be you - the
- SysOp. To change this user record:
-
- ¯ Press Return and type in your name. If your name consists of
- more than two words you should use a dot to separate the words
- (e.g. Alexis Carrington.Colby.Dexter). QuickBBS only accepts one
- space in a users name,
- ¯ Use Cursor Up and Cursor Down to move the highlighted bar to the
- password field, press Return and enter a password of your
- choice,
- ¯ Move the bar to the Security Level field, press Return and enter
- 500.
- ¯ Press Escape to save and exit.
-
- CREATING A CONFIGURATION FILE
-
- QuickBBS gets most of its configuration from a file called
- QCONFIG.BBS, located in the home directory. This file can be
- created and edited with the configuration program QConfig. Select
- the Run QConfig option from the main menu. You will see...
-
- 1 ... Modem Parameters.
- 2 ... System Paths, General Info.
- 3 ... Restrictions.
- 4 ... New user parameters
- 5 ... NetMail Information, Screen Settings
- 6 ... Toggles.
- 7 ... Terminal, Stand Alone Mode.
- 8 ... External Protocol interface
- 9 ... Accounting system
-
- This is the QConfig main menu. For the moment there are only a few
- settings which are of great importance.
-
- Choose option 1, Modem Parameters. In this screen you can define
- what commands QuickBBS should send to your modem, what speed your
- modem works at etc.
-
- The first important setting is Max Baudrate. Here you should fill
- in the highest speed at which your modem can work. If you have a
- highspeed modem (9600 and higher) you need to lock the modem at a
- certain speed. The Locked Baudrate is the baudrate the RS-232 will
- always stay at. Mostly the value will be 19200 .
-
- Then move the highlighted bar (with the cursor keys) to Init
- String. This is the command which QuickStart will send to the
- modem when it starts up. It should put the modem in Auto-Answer
- mode, which can usually be done with the command AT S0=1. It should
- also make sure the modem tells us at what baudrate the connection
- is. Most modems accept AT X1 to do this.
-
- All modem command strings can contain a number of special
- characters. See the chapter on configuring QuickBBS for more info.
-
- A good init string which works with most modems is...
-
- AT Z|~AT X1 S0=1|
-
- Some modems need to be told that the carrier and DTR must be used.
- This can often be accomplished with...
-
- AT &D1 &C1|
-
- The Reset String is the command which is sent to the modem before
- QuickStart exits. A good reset string is
-
- AT Z|~AT H1 S0=0|
-
- Init Response and Reset Response are the strings which your modem
- sends back when it has successfully executed the init and reset
- strings. A simple OK is generally enough.
-
- Now press Escape to return to the QConfig main menu and select
- option 2, System Paths, General Info. Another screen will be
- displayed, and at the bottom you will see the two lines we need to
- edit...
-
- SysOp Name..........
- System Name.........
-
- Use the cursor keys to move the highlighted bar to SysOp Name and
- type in the name you just entered in the user editor. The name
- entered here must be exactly the same as entered in the user
- editor, otherwise QuickBBS will not run.
-
- Now move the bar to System Name and type the name of your BBS.
- Then press Escape to return to QConfigs main menu.
-
- Select option 5, NetMail Information, Screen Settings. At the top
- of the screen you will see...
-
- Zone Number ...........
- Net Number ............
- Node Number ...........
-
- If your BBS is a Stand-Alone BBS, enter zeroes as Zone, Net and
- Node numbers. If you already have a FidoNet or other (NeST,
- AtariNet etc.) address, enter it here. If you don't know what a
- FidoNet address is, just enter zeroes. Press Escape to return to
- QConfigs main menu and Escape again to save the configuration and
- return to QInstall. If you have several nodenumbers then only use
- the main number, in most cases your FidoNet number.
-
-
- INSTALLING 4KBUF
-
- You must make sure that 4KBUF.PRG is in your autofolder, reset the
- system first so this is active. Both the keysystem and QuickBBS ST
- need this little buffer to be active
-
- REQUESTING A KEY
-
- You can test and run QuickBBS locally without the need of a key,
- if you want to allow users to login you must have a key, either a
- demo or full key.
-
- To get a (demo) key select Run QKey from the QInstall menu. QKey
- is the program which can be used to request a key from our Support
- BBS. The key is a small file which must be placed in the home
- directory.
-
- For people who live outside Holland: requesting a key from the
- Support BBS should only take about a minute, so it doesn't cost
- much. But you can also request a key via the mail, read the part
- about paying for the key.
-
- QKey will ask you a few questions. We would like to know some
- things like your voice & BBS phone numbers, postal address etc. so
- we can contact you if needed. Please fill in this information
- truthfully. It will - of course - be kept secret.
-
- At this point you must also confirm that the information entered
- in QConfig and UserEdit is correct. The key will contain this
- information. If the information in the key doesn't match the
- configuration, QuickBBS will not run. This means that if you
- change - say - your BBS name you will have to request a new
- key.
-
- QKey has a little terminal built in. Set the correct baudrate (the
- Support BBS runs at all speeds ), and dial the number. As soon as
- QKey detects a carrier it will take over. If you use a highspeed
- modem (9600 and higher) set the baudrate to the locked baudrate,
- mostly 19200. Otherwise it won't work.
-
- If you can't get a good connect try to disable HST, use V32bis, or
- disable MNP-5. And very sure that 4KBUF.PRG is active!
-
- So now you should have your own, personal demo key. It should be
- called QUICKBBS.KEY and placed in the home directory (QKey will do
- this for you).
-
- RUNNING THE BBS
-
- It's about time we had a look inside the BBS by now! Quit to the
- DeskTop and start up QSTART.PRG. When it's finished loading you
- will see the QuickStart screen. Your modem will be initialised and
- QuickStart will wait for the first caller. Press L (Local) to
- start up the BBS. QuickStart will reset your modem and execute
- QUICKBBS.PRG, the actual BBS program.
-
- You can also start QuickBBS via a commandline interpreter (like
- Pcommand). To logg in locally you must enter: quickbbs -l
-
- Quick will read the configuration files and check your key. And
- then you can finally type in your name! Play around with the demo
- system for a bit to find out what it looks like from the users
- point of view.
-
- When you've had enough, log off and have a look at the file
- SYSTEM.LOG in the home directory. This file contains all major
- actions, possible error messages and bits of interesting
- information. It will grow and grow until you delete it. Any new
- users that log in will be recorded in the file NEWUSER.LOG.
-
- =================================================================
- =========== Section 3 : Configuration / Operation ===============
- =================================================================
-
- MORE ABOUT QCONFIG
-
- Well, what do you think of the demonstration system? Please keep
- in mind that it is precisely that. It doesn't make use of many
- advanced features of QuickBBS. Of course you will want to
- customise your BBS, develop your own 'look & feel'. To do that
- we'll have to explain some more about the configuration program
- QConfig first.
-
- ¯ The Modem Parameters screen contains most of the modem control
- information as used by QuickStart.
-
- ¯¯ Max Baudrate is the maximum speed at which your modem works.
- QuickStart can only operate at speeds of up to 2400 bps. If
- your modem is faster than 2400 bps you will have to use a
- mailer as front-end.
- ¯¯ Locked Baudrate is the baudrate at wich the serial port is
- locked. You need this with modems that are 9600 Bps or
- higher. Normally You set this to 19200. And always use a
- CTS/RTS fix in your autofolder as TOS <2.06 doesn't support
- CTS/RTS. You could use TurboCTS, HS-Fix, Serialfix etc.
- for this task.
- ¯¯ Max Init Tries is the maximum number of times QuickStart may
- try to initialise/reset your modem. If the modem doesn't
- respond correctly after the maximum number of retries
- QuickStart will abort.
- ¯¯ Connect Delay (Seconds) is the maximum time between detection
- of a ring and receiving a Connect. Used in manual answer
- mode.
- ¯¯ Answer Delay (Seconds) is the delay between detecting a ring
- and sending the answer string. Used in manual answer mode.
- ¯¯ Init String is a command which is sent to the modem when
- QuickStart starts up. If you are not using manual answer mode
- it should make the modem auto-answer. All command strings can
- contain these special characters:
-
- | Sends a carriage return,
- ~ Waits half a second before sending the next
- character of the command,
- ! Sends a carriage return and waits for a response
- from the modem,
- ^ Raises DTR,
- v Lowers DTR.
-
- ¯¯ Reset String is sent to the modem when the BBS goes off-line
- (e.g. when QuickStart exits or starts a utility).
- ¯¯ Answer String is used in manual answer mode. QuickStart will
- look for the Ring Detection string and check the RING pin on
- the RS-232 interface. When it notices the phone is ringing it
- will send the Answer String to the modem and wait for a
- Connect string. To use the manual answer mode you must also
- change a setting in the 'Toggles' screen of QConfig.
- ¯¯ Ring Detection is the string your modem sends when the phone
- is ringing, used in manual answer mode.
- ¯¯ Init Response is the string your modem sends when it
- successfully received the Init String. If this string is not
- received from the modem QuickStart will try to initialise the
- modem again.
- ¯¯ Reset Response is the same as the Init Response, but now for
- the Reset String.
-
- ¯ System Paths, General Info is where you define what directories
- should be used by QuickBBS to access the system files.
-
- ¯¯ Menu Path is the path leading to your Menu files,
- ¯¯ Textfile Path is the path leading to your Text files,
- ¯¯ Message Path is the path leading to your Message Base files,
- ¯¯ OARC Path should point to a scratch directory which the
- Online Archiver can use. This directory should be reserved
- for the Online Archiver only.
- ¯¯ Shell Program is the program which is started when you use
- the Alt-J key (Jump to DOS) in QuickStart and QuickBBS. This
- can be any program you like, but a command line interpreter
- would be an obvious choice. If you want you could put
- something like NeoDesk in here.
- ¯¯ External Chat can point to a chat program which is executed
- by QuickBBS when a user yells for you. If this program
- doesn't exist, or if this field is left blank, the internal
- chat is used.
- ¯¯ FSE Program points to a Full Screen Editor which is executed
- by QuickBBS when a user writes a message. At the moment there
- is no such program, so leave this blank.
- ¯¯ Nodelist Path is for FidoNet nodes. It should point to the
- directory which contains your nodelist, translated with
- XLTLST, ParslST or BTNC.
- ¯¯ SysOp Name is your name. If a user writes a message to SysOp
- this name will automatically be substituted. It should
- correspond exactly to the name of the first user in the
- userbase, and to the name contained in the key.
- ¯¯ System Name is the name which you have given your BBS. This
- can't be changed without requesting a new key.
- ¯¯ Leave message in chat on board is the board number in mconfig
- that a user can leave a message in after an unsuccesfull
- yell.
-
- ¯ The Restrictions, screen lets you define certain restrictions.
-
- ¯¯ Start 300 Baud Access (HH:MM) and End 300 Baud Access: You
- can define a certain period of time in which 300 Baud users
- are allowed on your BBS. If a 300 Baud user calls outside
- this period he will not be allowed in. If you don't want such
- a restriction, enter 00:00 as start time and 24:00 as end
- time.
- ¯¯ Start Download Hours and End Download Hours: Users are only
- allowed to download between these times. Enter 00:00 and
- 24:00 to allow users to download at any time of day.
- ¯¯ Start Paging Hours and End Paging Hours: Users are only
- allowed to yell for you between these times. Enter 00:00 and
- 24:00 to enable yelling at all times.
- ¯¯ Minimum Baudrate to Logon: if a user tries to log into the
- BBS at a slower baudrate than this setting he will be
- refused.
- ¯¯ Minimum Baudrate for Graphics: users with slower baudrates
- than this setting will not be allowed to choose a graphics
- mode other than ASCII.
- ¯¯ Minimum Baudrate for Xfer: users with slower baudrates than
- this setting will not be allowed to upload and/or download
- files.
- ¯¯ Max OARC Size (Kb) is the maximum size an Online Archive may
- be. This is the size of the archive, not of the files
- contained in the archive, in KiloBytes. Enter zero if you
- want QuickBBS to use all available disk space minus a small
- safety buffer.
- ¯¯ TimeOut (seconds) defines how long the user may remain idle
- (i.e. not type anything) before QuickBBS decides he's fallen
- asleep and logs him off. This should be at least 30 seconds,
- because QuickBBS sends a message warning the user 30 seconds
- before this time limit expires.
- ¯¯ Default Logon Time (minutes) defines how many minutes per day
- a user may use the BBS. The file LIMITS.CTL overrides this
- setting, but it can be used to set the number of minutes
- available for new users before they have completed the
- registration sequence.
- ¯¯ Password Tries: if a user types his password wrong more times
- than this value he will be disconnected.
- ¯¯ Maximum Pages defines the maximum number of times a user may
- yell for you per call.
- ¯¯ Page Tune Length (seconds) is the length of the yell tune or
- beep.
-
- ¯ The New user settings, screen lets you defime what level and
- flags a new user gets.
-
- ¯¯ New User Security: The security level which is given to new
- users. Must be between 1 and 32000. See the section on Users
- for more information.
- ¯¯ New User Flags: Flags which are given to new users. See the
- section on Users for more information.
- ¯¯ New User Credit (cents) is used for FidoNet nodes, and
- defines how much NetMail credit a new user gets. See the
- section on FidoNet for more information.
-
- ¯ In NetMail Information, Screen Settings you define your FidoNet
- address, screen colours etc.
-
- ¯¯ With Zone Number, Net Number and Node Number you tell
- QuickBBS what your FidoNet address is. Refer to the section
- on FidoNet for more information. Point Number is not yet
- supported.
- ¯¯ Fake Net Number, some older mailer software still uses a Fake
- Net for it's points. QuickBBS can readress mail in the
- netmail area so it doesn't show this Fake Net and uses a full
- 4D point address.
- ¯¯ Allow Reply to Unlisted Nodes Will allow users to reply to
- messages originating from a node which is not in our
- NodeList.
- ¯¯ Use netmail Credits allows you to charge a user for the use
- of netmail. This will only work with the The Box and Version
- 6 Binkley ST nodelist. It doesn't work with the new BTNC
- nodelist format.
- ¯¯ Status Line Character Colour is the colour of the text in the
- status bar at the bottom of the screen. For colour monitors I
- recommend 3, for monochrome systems try 0.
- ¯¯ Status Line Background Colour is the colour of the status bar
- itself. If you use a colour monitor try 2, for a monochrome
- monitor try 1.
- ¯¯ Colour 0, 1, 2 and 3 are the RGB colours on a colour monitor
- and allow you to reverse the 'colours' on a monochrome
- monitor. Try 000, 700, 007 and 777.
- ¯¯ Screen Saver Delay (seconds) is the length of the delay
- before QuickStart's screen saver blanks the screen. As soon
- as any activity is detected QuickStart will restore the
- screen.
-
- ¯ In the Toggles screen you can switch all sorts of things on and
- off...
-
- ¯¯ ^E at Logon: Quite a few communications programs can
- automatically send a name and a password when a ^E (Control-
- E, ASCII 5) character is received. When this option is
- switched on QuickBBS will send a ^E when it asks for the
- users name.
- ¯¯ Fast Logon Locally: if this option is switched on Quick won't
- ask for a user name when you log in locally. Instead it will
- just take the first user in the userbase, which should of
- course be you.
- ¯¯ Ask for Pwd Locally: when this is on you must enter a
- password when you log in locally, even if Fast Logon is
- switched on.
- ¯¯ Use LastRead Pointers: currently unused. Always used
- ¯¯ Exit for Net/Echo: QuickBBS exist with an errorlevel after
- mail has been entered
- ¯¯ Check for Mail: by switching on this toggle you activate the
- MailScan when a user logs in. QuickBBS will look in the
- message base to see whether there is any mail waiting for
- this user. The MailScan can be aborted by pressing Space.
- ¯¯ Ask Voice Phone and Ask Data Phone will make Quick ask new
- users for their voice and data phone numbers.
- ¯¯ When Ask New Users Graphics is switched on new users will be
- asked which Graphics Mode they would like to use. If this is
- switched off they will get plain ASCII text.
- ¯¯ By switching off Use Xmodem, Xmodem-1K, Ymodem, WXmodem, and
- Zmodem you can disallow the use of any of the internal
- protocols, both for Uploading and for Downloading.
- ¯¯ Allow Batch Uploads can be used to disallow Uploading
- multiple files at once with Ymodem and Zmodem.
- ¯¯ With Touch Uploads you can choose whether you want to set the
- date and time stamp of uploaded files to the current date and
- time. Files uploaded with non-batch protocols always have the
- current date and time.
- ¯¯ Use Download Counters will let QuickBBS update the number of
- times a file is download. It will put a [xx] at the beginning
- of the file description in the FILES.BBS.
- ¯¯ Enforce Language can be used to stop users writing messages
- in your local language in international EchoMail areas (where
- messages should be in English). See the section on Messages
- for more info.
- ¯¯ When Enforce Lower Case is switched on each message entered
- is checked for lowercase characters. If the message is
- entirely in uppercase the user will not be allowed to save
- it.
- ¯¯ By switching Allow Quoting on you allow users to use the
- reply-quoting feature of the message editor.
- ¯¯ Save Combined Boards is not implemented.
- ¯¯ When Use Manual Answer is switched on QuickStart will wait
- for the phone to ring and then send the Answer String. When
- this option is switched off QuickStart will assume the modem
- answers the phone by itself, and just waits for a Connect
- string.
- ¯¯ Use Yelltunes switches the yell tunes on and off. Depending
- on a users name or security level you can get Quick to sound
- a different tune when the user yells for you. When this is
- switched off you will just hear a beep. See the section on
- Chatting for more information.
- ¯¯ Use External Xmodem: QuickBBS has two versions of Xmodem
- available. One is built-in, the other is a separate driver,
- XFER.000. When this option is switched off the internal
- Xmodem is used. Try it out, and if you have problems use the
- external one. NOTE: XFER.000 is still needed for Ymodem and
- Windowed Xmodem transfers!
- ¯¯ Allow VT-52 Monochrome: Switch this off if you don't want
- your users in VT-52 Mono graphics mode.
- ¯¯ Allow VT-52 Colour: Same as above, but for VT-52 Colour.
- ¯¯ Allow VT-52 Standard: Same as above, now for the no-frills
- Standard VT-52 mode.
- ¯¯ Allow Ansi: Again, for Ansi graphics mode.
- ¯¯ Use PC font for Ansi: by switching this on QuickBBS will use
- a PC-style font when Ansi Graphics are active, so you can use
- the nice box characters etc. This font doesn't show if you
- have an old (pre-1.6) version of TurboST installed.
- ¯¯ Allow Optimiser: if you want to allow your users to use the
- Menu Optimiser, switch this on. See the section on Menus for
- more info.
- ¯¯ Translate [x] to <x>: In some Scandinavian countries the
- square brackets are used for their local character set. When
- this option is switched on the system menus will use angled
- brackets instead of square ones.
- ¯¯ Fun mode in chat, if switched on your chats can become very
- exiting. Just have a try.
- ¯¯ Logoff after transfers, will ask a user before a download if
- he wants to be logged off directly after the transfer.
- ¯¯ Allow message uploads, a user can now upload a prepared
- message text. So he hasn't type it all in online.
-
- ¯ With Terminal, Stand-Alone mode you can control some of the
- features and defaults in QuickStart. These settings are
- described in the QuickStart documentation.
-
- ¯ In the External Protocols screen you can program QuickBBS on how
- to use the external protocols. For more info read the section on
- external protocols.
-
- ¯¯ Number on/off switches the protocol on or off. Be carefull
- that if you use a protocol that already is used in QuickBBS
- you disable this in the toggle screen.
- ¯¯ Name, is the name of the protocol, this is used when asking
- the user which protocol to use.
- ¯¯ Key, is the key a user has to press to select this protocol.
- ¯¯ Full Duplex, enable this for protocols that can up- and
- download at the same time. Currently only Jekyll (great) can
- do this. With Jekyll you can up- and download and chat at the
- same time. This option makes sure that QuickBBS always scans
- for uploaded files after a transfer.
- ¯¯ Door file, every external protocol must have a .DOR file in
- where path's and commandline etc. are programmed. See the
- section about External protocols for this. For example you
- can use something like JEKYLL, QuickBBS then uses JEKYLL.DOR
- for Jekyll.
- ¯¯ Logfile ID, is used to identify a protocol in the upload- or
- download.log. It must be 2 characters. For example Z-Modem is
- ZM, Jekyll JK etc. etc.
- ¯¯ Batch files, enable this for protocols that can transfer more
- then one file at a time, like Z-Modem/Y-Modem/Jekyll etc. Do
- not enable this for X-Modem/X-Modem 1k.
- ¯¯ F-Path, Full path, enable if a protocol always needs a full
- path. Mostly you can specify a path and filename seperately,
- so in most cases it's off.
-
- ¯ With Terminal, Stand-Alone mode you can control some of the
- features and defaults in QuickStart. These settings are
- described in the QuickStart documentation.
-
- ¯ Accounting system, here you can define on how to use the
- accounting system. See the accounting section for mroe info.
-
- ¯¯ Download - per Kb, determines how many points are added or
- subtracted for every download KiloByte. The number of points
- can be negative or positive.
- ¯¯ Download - per file, de termines how many points are added or
- subtracted for every file download. Same as per Kb
- ¯¯ Upload - per Kb, same as download except it's for uploads.
- ¯¯ Upload - per file, same as download except it's for uploads.
- ¯¯ Connect - per call, number of points given each time a user
- calls.
- ¯¯ Connect - per minute, number of points given for each minute
- a user has been online.
- ¯¯ Read - per message, number of points given for each message
- a user has read.
- ¯¯ Post - per message, number of points given for each message
- a user has posted (entered).
- ¯¯ Maximum points, is the maximum number of points a user can
- get, the abslute maximum is +32767
- ¯¯ Minimum points, is the lowest number of points a user can
- get, the abslute minimum is -32767
- ¯¯ New user points, is the number of points a new user gets.
-
-
- FUNCTION KEYS
-
- You can create a number of files in your CONF\ configuration
- directory which assign strings to the function keys. QuickBBS will
- load different function key files in different parts of the BBS.
- There are files for chat mode, the message editor etc.
-
- Each line in the function key files should start with a number
- between 1 and 20, followed by a column (:) and the string you wish
- to assign. A vertical bar (|) will be replaced by a Carriage
- Return and a Line Feed. The files are...
-
- ¯ FUNCKEYS.BBS loaded when a user is on-line,
- ¯ LOCLKEYS.BBS loaded in local mode,
- ¯ CHATKEYS.BBS loaded in chat mode,
- ¯ EDITKEYS.BBS loaded in the message editor,
- ¯ DOSKEYS. BBS loaded when you jump to DOS,
- ¯ TERMKEYS.BBS loaded in terminal mode in QuickStart,
- ¯ WAITKEYS.BBS loaded in unattended mode in QuickStart.
-
- The WaitKeys file doesn't assign a string to the function keys.
- Instead it defines programs to start up when the key is pressed.
- See the QuickStart documentation. A ChatKeys file might look
- something like...
-
- 1:Just a sec...|
- 2:You called?|
-
- When you press f1 the text "Just a sec..." is sent to the user,
- followed by a Carriage Return and Line Feed (CRLF). Each string
- may be up to 30 characters long. It may include tab characters.
-
- SYSOP KEYS
-
- While a user is online QuickBBS allows you to modify some of his
- parameters and do some other nice things by pressing one of the
- Sysop Keys.
-
- ¯ Help shows you a brief list of the available SysOp keys
- in the status bar. The user doesn't notice
- anything.
- ¯ Clr/Home updates the status bar and/or restores it to normal
- after pressing Help. The user doesn't notice
- anything.
- ¯ Cursor Up increases the users time limit by 5 minutes. The
- user doesn't notice anything except that he has 5
- minutes more.
- ¯ Cursor Down decreases the users time limit by 5 minutes. The
- user doesn't notice anything except that he has 5
- minutes less.
- ¯ Alt-A changes the users graphics mode to ASCII.
- ¯ Alt-C enters chat mode. See below.
- ¯ Alt-D cycles Display Mode: switches the status bar off,
- then the screen display if you press this key
- again. Use Shift-Shift-Alt-D to switch status bar
- and screen display back on.
- ¯ Alt-F allows you to edit the users flags. The user is
- told to wait.
- ¯ Alt-H hangup: disconnects the user directly.
- ¯ Alt-I gives some extra info about the user like:
- Phonenumbers, lat time he/she called, up/download
- files, account etc.
- told to wait.
- ¯ Alt-J jump to DOS: starts the program defined in QConfig.
- The user is told to wait.
- ¯ Alt-L lockout: disconnects the user, asks for
- confirmation and zeroes the users security level,
- locking him out of the BBS.
- ¯ Alt-O allows you to edit the users account. The user is
- told to wait.
- ¯ Alt-P switches printer logging on and off. If the printer
- doesn't respond printer logging is switched off.
- ¯ Alt-S allows you to edit the users security level. The
- user is told to wait.
- ¯ Undo clears the daily download counter and asks you for
- a new download limit for this call only.
-
- CHATTING & YELL TUNES
-
- A few extra keys can be used in chat mode:
-
- ¯ Control-C clear the screen
- ¯ Control-F switch Funmodem on or off
- ¯ Control-G sound a bell, beep or tune
- ¯ Control-L switch the chat log on and off
- ¯ Control-U switch the users CapsLock on and off
- ¯ Control-V view a file
- ¯ Escape exit chat mode
-
- The chat log is called CHATLOG.TXT and can be found in the home
- directory. It contains everything you type and everything the user
- types.
-
- Control-U comes in handy when users don't know what the CapsLock
- key is for. If a user types everything in uppercase, press
- Control-U. Quick will transform whatever the user types to
- lowercase. The user will see this too, and hopefully switch his
- CapsLock off. As soon as he types a lowercase character, or you
- press Control-U again, the transformation is disabled.
-
- Control-V will prompt you for a file to display (and send to the
- user). This can be a text or graphics file, all control codes will
- be translated. See the section on Text Files and Menus. This key
- is identical to executing a menu option type 5.
-
- Control-G sends a bell signal to the user. If the user is in Ansi
- graphics mode he'll even hear a tune! When the user presses it
- he's sure to get your attention.
-
- Control-F will switch the Funmode on or off. If you use the
- Funmode some very strange things can happen. QuickBBS will start
- to behave very strange. Try it, it will surprise you...
-
- If a user tried to page you and you didn't answer he is asked to
- leave a message. You must enter the areanumber where this message
- must end up in Qconfig.
-
- Quick can sound a different tune depending on a users name or
- security level. To use this feature you must create an ASCII file
- called YELLTUNE.BBS in your CONF\ directory. Each line can either
- start with the users name (with spaces replaced by underscores) or
- a security level. This should be followed by a file path + name
- which contains the XBios 32 (DoSound) instructions. Such a file
- can be created by programs like Composer (downloadable from the
- Support BBS) or Musix32. An example:
-
-
- Robert_Redford \QBBS\TUNES\MICHELLE.MUS
- 200 \QBBS\TUNES\PRELUD.MUS
- 10 \QBBS\TUNES\STUPID.MUS
-
- If a user with level 200 yells the file PRELUD.MUS is played. If
- Robert Redford yells you'll hear the tune in MICHELLE.MUS.
-
- THE STATUS BAR
-
- A status bar is displayed at the bottom of the screen. It contains
- some information about the current user. The top line shows the
- users name and city, in the bottom line you'll see his security
- level, when he logged in, how much time he has left, how many
- times he's called and what his graphics mode is (A for Ascii,
- M for VT-52 Monochrome, C for VT-52 Colour, S for VT-52 Standard
- and I for (IBM) Ansi).
-
- In Local mode the amount of free RAM is displayed in the middle of
- the bar. If a user yells for you it will be shown there instead.
-
- If you press Alt-I you will get some more info about the current
- user. Mayby you want to check his phonenumber !
-
- The status bar and the local display can be switched on and off
- with the Alt-D key. This is for use with multi-tasking packages
- like the MTC-shell and MX2. Press Alt-D once to switch off the
- status bar. Press Alt-D again to switch off the display. To switch
- them both back on again you must press Shift-Shift-Alt-D. You can
- also switch it off if you put -n on the commandline, the mouse
- will be switched on too then.
-
- =================================================================
- ======================== Section 4 : Users ======================
- =================================================================
-
- USER INFORMATION
-
- QuickBBS knows quite a lot about the user. The two most important
- items of information are the his Security Level and his Flags. The
- Security Level, sometimes called User Level or Privilege, is a
- value between 0 and 32000. Depending on this level he may or may
- not have access to certain options in the BBS. A user with
- security level zero will not even be allowed into the BBS. Nice
- way of locking out your mother-in-law!
-
- The user has four sets of Flags. Each set contains 8 flags which
- can be either on or off. The sets are 'numbered' A to D, the flags
- are numbered 1 to 8, so one flag can be identified as, for
- instance, A1 or C6. A flag which is on is marked with an X, a flag
- which is off is marked with a minus (-). Both the security level
- and the flags can be changed in the user editor.
-
- Each option in a menu in the BBS has a security level and a set of
- flags too. These items are compared to the users settings.
- Depending on the result, the user may or may not have access to
- that option. An example:
-
- A menu option has the following settings:
-
- Security Level : 50
- A-Flags : --X---X-
- B-Flags : -------X
- C-Flags : --------
- D-Flags : --------
-
- A user logs in with the following settings:
-
- Security Level : 100
- A-Flags : XXX---XX
- B-Flags : --------
- C-Flags : --X-----
- D-Flags : --------
-
- QuickBBS will first look at the required Security Level (50) and
- compare it to the users Security Level (100). The users level is
- higher. If it was lower the user wouldn't have access to , or even
- see (!) the menu option.
-
- Based on the Security Levels the user has access, but Quick will
- now compare the required Flags and the users Flags:
-
- Required A-Flags : --X---X-
- Users A-Flags : XXX---XX
- Binary AND
- Result : --X---X-
-
- If a required flag is on, then the users flag must also be on if
- he is allowed to use the menu option. This operation can be
- compared to a binary AND. Notice that the result is equal to the
- required flags.
-
- Based on the A-flags the user also has access, so we continue with
- the B flags...
-
- Required B-Flags : -------X
- Users B-Flags : --------
- Binary AND
- Result : --------
-
- The menu option requires flag B8 to be on, but the user doesn't
- have flag B8! This means he does not have access to the menu
- option, and it will be invisible to him. This might be a bit
- difficult to grasp at first, and might require a little
- experimenting. Notice the result isn't equal to the required
- flags.
-
- The menus aren't the only part of the BBS which have flags. Each
- message board has security level and flag protection for read
- access, write access and SysOp access. More on that later.
-
- What else does QuickBBS know about the user? Well, let's see...
-
- ¯ Calls The number of times the user has called your BBS,
- ¯ City Where the user says he lives,
- ¯ Home Phone His voice phone number,
- ¯ Data Phone and data phone number,
- ¯ Last Date The last date the user logged in, MM/DD/YY
- format,
- ¯ Last Time The last time the user logged in, HH:MM format,
- ¯ Used Today How long he has been online today,
- ¯ Credit His NetMail credit,
- ¯ Downloaded How many files & Kb he has downloaded,
- ¯ Uploaded How many files & Kb he has uploaded,
- ¯ DL Today How many Kb he has downloaded today,
- ¯ Posted How many messages he has written,
- ¯ Deleted Is this user to be deleted next time UserPack is
- run?
- ¯ Clear Screen Does this user want his screen cleared between
- menus?
- ¯ More Prompt Does he want the 'More [Y/n] ?' prompt to be
- displayed at the bottom of every screen?
- ¯ Screen Length If so, how many lines can his screen display?
- ¯ Ignore DL Hrs May this user download outside the download
- period as specified in QConfig?
- ¯ Graphics Mode What is the users graphics mode?
- ¯ Account What is his number of account points?
-
- Quick also keeps track of which messages the user has read in the
- message base, if the file LASTREAD.BBS exists. This file can be
- created with UserEdit.
-
- PACKING THE USERBASE
-
- When you delete a user in UserEdit he is not actually removed from
- the userbase. He's just marked as deleted. You must run the PACK
- option in the usereditor to really delete the user and update the
- lastreadpointers. Here you can also delete users that haven't
- logged in for a while. It asks after how many days a user must be
- deleted.
-
- THE LIMITS FILE
-
- QConfig allows you to define a default time limit for each user.
- But you might like some users more than others, and want to give
- them more time in the BBS. I'd give Kelly LeBrock (remember The
- Woman in Red?) all day if she wanted it 8-). It would make much
- more sense to have a time limit which depends on the users
- Security Level. Well, that's possible of course. With the
- optional LIMITS.CTL file.
-
- The Limits file is a plain ASCII one which should be placed in the
- home directory. It contains one or more lines, each terminated
- with a CRLF (Carriage Return and Line Feed, ASCII 13 and ASCII
- 10). Each line contains three numbers. The first number is the
- security level. The second is the maximum time in the BBS, in
- minutes, per day. The third value is the maximum amount users with
- that Security Level may download, in Kb, per day. The file must be
- sorted on Security Level.
-
- Quick will search through the file looking for the users Security
- Level. If it doesn't find the exact level it will use the closest
- lower level.
-
- An example: Kelly LeBrock has level 200. Our LIMITS.CTL file looks
- like this:
-
- 1 10 20
- 10 20 50
- 50 30 100
- 100 45 200
- 500 60 250
-
- Level 200 isn't in the Limits file, so Quick will use the values
- defined for Security Level 100 instead: 45 minutes per day in the
- BBS and 200 Kb of download per day.
-
- THE TRASHCAN FILE
-
- The TrashCan file is also located in the home directory. Another
- optional ASCII file. Each line in TRASHCAN.CTL can contain a whole
- name or part of a name which is not allowed to be used on the BBS.
- You might want to put some dirty words in there too (an old
- favourite of VIC-20 users).
-
- An example: a new user called Douglas Duck logs in. Your TrashCan
- file contains...
-
- HITLER
- REAGAN
- DONALD DUCK
- MICKEY MOUSE
-
- Douglas Duck would be allowed onto the BBS, because no line
- contains only the words 'Douglas Duck', 'Douglas' or 'Duck'.
- However, if a new user called Robin Reagan logged in he would not
- be allowed on, because one of the lines is the word 'Reagan'.
-
- THE ACCOUNTING SYSTEM
-
- This is a very powerfull part of QuickBBS. You can reward or
- punish a user depending on his actions. Have a look at the
- accounting section in Qconfig. You can determine there what the
- 'reward' will be for several actions.
-
- The account can run from -32767 to +32767. But you can set a lower
- max. or higher min. too.
-
- QuickBBS only registers the account, it doesn't do anything with
- it itself. That is up to you. To give you an idea you could use a
- .DOR file in the download section of the BBS that is run after a
- file is downloaded. You can use the account as *O in the .DOR
- file, with the IF ... THEN .. statements you could change the
- users level and/or downloadlimit depending on his account.
-
- So let them gray cells work, this is really very nice if you make
- good use of it.
-
- =================================================================
- ================== Section 5 : Text & Graphics ==================
- =================================================================
-
- TEXT FILES & GRAPHICS MODES
-
- Your Text File Directory contains a whole lot of text files. You
- can edit any of these files to customise your BBS, add new ones
- etc.
-
- QuickBBS supports five Graphics Modes. By selecting a graphics
- mode the user can get QuickBBS to make better use of his terminal,
- by using Escape Sequences to control things like colours, cursor
- position etc.
-
- The text files come in five flavours, one for each Graphics Mode.
- QuickBBS selects the file to display by looking at the file
- extension. The text files which contain escape codes are sometimes
- called Graphics Files.
-
- The simplest Graphics Mode is plain ASCII. No escape codes are
- sent in this mode. The text files for this mode end in .ASC.
-
- Then we have three VT-52 modes. VT-52 Monochrome and VT-52 Colour
- are for use on Atari ST's only. They use some escape codes which
- are Atari-private and might do strange things on other machines.
- The Monochrome flavour has extension .VTM and should not contain
- any colour escapes. The Colour flavour is called .VTC. If a user
- is running software on a different computer with VT-52 emulation
- he can select VT-52 Standard. In this mode the BBS will not send
- any of the Atari-private escapes. The file extension here is .VTS.
-
- The most fancy mode is Ansi. This isn't real Ansi, but the IBM
- version, as implemented in many comms packages on the PC. It is
- often called Ansi-BBS. When operating in this mode QuickBBS can
- use a PC-style font so that you can see the IBM character set with
- box graphics etc. The extension is .ANS. Though the most used
- escapes can be interpreted by QuickBBS, the implementation of Ansi
- is not complete. If QuickBBS sees an escape it doesn't know it
- will ignore that escape. The escape will be sent to the user.
-
- Please refer to the appendix section for VT-52 and Ansi escape
- sequences. And remember: you can do a hell of a lot with these
- escapes, but your users don't call your BBS to look at the pretty
- pictures. I've seen a number of boards using Ansi to implement
- DropDown menus. Looks great, but is very very slow.
-
- The different text/graphics files can contain non-standard
- escapes, if you want. In Ansi mode Quick will only use Ansi
- escapes in the system menus, but you are free to put anything you
- like in the graphics files (not that it would make much sense).
-
- SYSTEM TEXT FILES
-
- There are a number of system text files which you can edit and/or
- create. Some of the files can only have an .ASC version because
- they are displayed before the users Graphics Mode is known.
-
- ¯ BANNER displayed by QuickStart while the BBS is being
- loaded. ASCII only, and may not contain any control
- codes.
- ¯ BROWSER displayed when the user selects [H]elp from the
- File Browser.
- ¯ DNLDHRS displayed if the user attempts to download outside
- download hours.
- ¯ EDITHELP displayed when the user selects [H]elp from the
- Message Editor.
- ¯ FILEMENU displayed when the user selects [H]elp from the
- File Menu.
- ¯ GOODBYE displayed just before QuickBBS disconnects.
- ¯ GRAPHELP displayed when the user selects [H]elp from the
- Graphics Mode menu. To be on the safe side use .ASC
- only.
- ¯ HOTNEWS displayed after login, and only if the file date is
- newer then the last time the user called.
- ¯ LANGUAGE displayed when the user tries to save a message
- which doesn't pass the language test.
- ¯ LOGO the very first file QuickBBS displays (after the
- banner file, displayed by QuickStart). Because the
- graphics mode is not yet determined, the file has
- ASCII only flavour.
- ¯ MAXPAGE displayed if the user attempts to page you more
- times than allowed, as specified in QConfig.
- ¯ NEWS displayed just before the system checks for new
- mail.
- ¯ NEWUSER1 displayed to a new user after he has verified his
- name, but before any questions are asked. ASCII
- only.
- ¯ NEWUSER2 displayed after the new user has selected a
- password.
- ¯ NEWUSER3 displayed when the new user has filled in all the
- questions.
- ¯ NO300 displayed when a call comes in at 300 Bps outside
- the 300 Bps hours.
- ¯ NODELIST displayed when a user selects [H]elp from the
- NodeList menu.
- ¯ NOTAVAIL displayed when a user pages you outside the paging
- hours defined in QConfig.
- ¯ NOTFOUND displayed if the system can't find the user in the
- User Base, but before he is asked whether his name
- is correct. You should explain the FidoNet naming
- convention (Alexis Carrington.Colby.Dexter) etc.
- ¯ OARCHELP displayed when the user selects [H]elp from the
- Online Archiver main menu.
- ¯ OARCTYPE displayed when the user selects [H]elp from the
- Online Archiver type selection menu (when he
- chooses between .ARC and .LZH archives).
- ¯ OPTIMISE displayed when the user selects [H]elp from the
- Menu Optimiser menu.
- ¯ PAGEABRT displayed if the SysOp aborts a page.
- ¯ PAGED displayed when you don't respond to a page. It
- should inform the user that the SysOp has been
- paged.
- ¯ PASSWORD displayed before a new user is asked for a
- password, and when the user changes his password.
- ¯ POSTCHAT displayed after a chat
- ¯ PRECHAT displayed before a chat
- ¯ PRE-UPLD displayed before uploading
- ¯ READHELP displayed when the user selects [H]elp from the
- Read Messages menu.
- ¯ SCANHELP displayed when the user selects [H]elp from the
- Scan Messages menu.
- ¯ SECxxx displayed after login if user with level xxx calls.
- ¯ TOOSLOW displayed if a user calls with a baudrate lower
- than the "Minimum Baudrate to Logon" as defined in
- QConfig.
- ¯ TRASHCAN displayed if the name typed in by the new user
- conflicts with the TRASHCAN.CTL file. ASCII only.
- ¯ UP-DESC displayed after upload but before asking the user
- for the description of the uploaded file(s)
- ¯ UPPER displayed when a user tries to save a message which
- doesn't pass the UpperCase check.
- ¯ USERxxx displayed after login to the user with record
- number xxx. Example: USER006.ASC is shown to user
- number 6.
- ¯ WELCOME displayed after the user has entered his name and
- password. This is where you might like to get
- elaborate. It's ASCII only.
- ¯ XFERHELP displayed when a user selects [H]elp from the File
- Transfer Protocol menu. It should explain what each
- protocol does, and which is best.
-
- Your menus can contain commands to display text files. Unless
- otherwise stated these files should be located in the Textfile
- Directory. Do not include an extension in the name of the file to
- display, Quick will add it depending on the current Graphics Mode.
-
-
- If there is no graphics file for the current Graphics Mode,
- QuickBBS will downgrade, e.g. if there is no WELCOME.ANS the file
- WELCOME.ASC is used. When looking for a file Quick will follow
- this chart...
-
- Graphics Mode Search order
-
- ASCII *.ASC
- ANSI *.ANS *.ASC
- VT-52 Standard *.VTS *.ASC
- VT-52 Mono *.VTM *.VTS *.ASC
- VT-52 Colour *.VTC *.VTM *.VTS *.ASC
-
- TEXT FILE CONTROL CODES
-
- Each text file other than BANNER.ASC can contain control codes.
- These codes are replaced when QuickBBS displays the file, or
- cause QuickBBS to take a certain action. Most editors can insert
- such codes into a text file. First Word Plus can't, in fact it
- will often refuse to load a file with such control codes. Try
- Tempus, Micro Emacs or the capture buffer in Flash.
-
- In this (and most other) documentation a control code is shown as
- a ^ sign followed by a character. For example, ^A (Control-A) has
- ASCII code 1, ^B is code 2 etc.
-
- In Tempus you can use the character table to enter the codes, or
- keep the Alternate key pressed while you type the ASCII value on
- the numeric keypad, e.g. to type control-C you would hold down
- Alternate, press 3 and release Alternate. In most Micro Emacs
- versions you can press control-Q followed by the character you
- want, e.g. control-Q followed by control-C.
-
- The control codes known to QuickBBS can be split up into three
- groups: System Control, User Information and System Information.
-
- The User Info and System Info are two-character codes. They start
- with either a ^F or ^K, followed by another character. This second
- character is not a control code!
-
- The codes are...
-
- System Control
-
- Code ASCII Function
-
- ^A 001 Pause and wait for the user to press Return.
- ^B 002 Turn [S]top aborting off. The user can
- normally abort any textfile with the S key,
- and pause with the P key.
- ^C 003 Turn [S]top aborting on.
- ^D 004 Turn the More [Y/n] prompts off.
- ^E 005 Turn the More [Y/n] prompts on.
- ^F 006 User Information code.
- ^G 007 Sound bell/beep.
- ^H 008 BackSpace.
- ^I 009 Tab.
- ^J 010 LineFeed.
- ^K 011 System Information code.
- ^L 012 FormFeed (clear screen).
- ^M 013 Carriage Return
-
- User Information
-
- Code ASCII Function
-
- ^FA 006 065 Users full name.
- ^FB 006 066 City.
- ^FC 006 067 Password (use with care!).
- ^FD 006 068 Data phone.
- ^FE 006 069 Voice phone.
- ^FF 006 070 Last date user called.
- ^FG 006 071 Last time user called.
- ^FH 006 072 Users A-Flags.
- ^FI 006 073 Users B-Flags.
- ^FJ 006 074 Users C-Flags.
- ^FK 006 075 Users D-Flags.
- ^FL 006 076 NetMail Credit in cents.
- ^FM 006 077 Number of messages the user has posted.
- ^FO 006 079 Users Security Level.
- ^FP 006 080 Number of times the user has called.
- ^FQ 006 081 Number of files the user has uploaded.
- ^FR 006 082 Number of KiloBytes the user has uploaded.
- ^FS 006 083 Number of files the user has downloaded.
- ^FT 006 084 Number of KiloBytes the user has downloaded.
- ^FU 006 085 Number of minutes user has been online today.
- ^FV 006 086 Length of the users screen.
- ^FW 006 087 Users first name.
- ^FX 006 088 Users Graphics Mode.
- ^FY 006 089 More prompt : ON or OFF.
- ^FZ 006 090 Screen Clear : ON or OFF.
- ^F0 006 048 Optimiser : ON or OFF.
- ^F1 006 049 KiloBytes the user has downloaded today.
- ^F2n 006 050 Flag An : ON or OFF.
- ^F3n 006 051 Flag Bn : ON or OFF.
- ^F4n 006 052 Flag Cn : ON or OFF.
- ^F5n 006 053 Flag Dn : ON or OFF.
- ^F6 006 054 Current Account
- ^F7 006 055 Full Screen Editor : ON or OFF.
-
-
- System Information
-
- Code ASCII Function
-
- ^KA 011 065 Number of calls to the BBS.
- ^KB 011 066 Name of the last caller.
- ^KF 011 070 Number of times you've been paged.
- ^KG 011 071 Day of the week (i.e. Monday, Tuesday etc.).
- ^KH 011 072 Number of users in the User Base.
- ^KI 011 073 Current time in 24 hour format (HH:MM)
- ^KJ 011 074 Current date, format DD MMM YY (04 Nov 89).
- ^KK 011 075 Time connected - minutes.
- ^KL 011 076 Time connected - seconds.
- ^KM 011 077 Time used - minutes.
- ^KN 011 078 Time used - seconds.
- ^KO 011 079 Time remaining - minutes.
- ^KP 011 080 Time remaining - seconds.
- ^KQ 011 081 Time limit in minutes.
- ^KR 011 082 Baud rate.
- ^KS 011 083 Abbreviated day of week (i.e. Mon, Tue etc.).
- ^KT 011 084 Download limit in Kb.
- ^KWx 011 087 Amount of free space on drive 'x'.
- ^KX 011 088 Amount of free RAM.
-
- You'd like an example? Okay. The file PAGED.ASC contains the
- following text and control codes...
-
- Hello ^FW, the SysOp doesn't seem to be around at the
- moment. You have ^KO minutes and ^KP seconds left for today,
- so why don't you write him a message?
-
- Press [Return] to continue...^A
-
- When this file is displayed it might look something like this...
-
- Hello Dave, the SysOp doesn't seem to be around at the
- moment. You have 24 minutes and 18 seconds left for today,
- so why don't you write him a message?
-
- Press [Return] to continue...
-
- at which point Quick would wait for Dave to press the Return.
-
- ==================================================================
- ======================= Section 6 : Menus ========================
- ==================================================================
-
- THE MENU SYSTEM
-
- Each menu on a board running QuickBBS is 100% SysOp-configurable.
- Not only the menu text and menu keys, but also the menu structure.
-
- Each menu has a menu file which can be created with the menu
- editor (MENUEDIT.PRG). This program was written by Theo Runia. The
- menu files are located in the Menu File Directory and have
- extension .MNU.
-
- When a user calls, the first menu he will get is TOP.MNU. This
- menu must always be present. From this point onward you are
- completely free to choose your own menu names.
-
- A menu contains one or more menu options. Each option consists
- of...
-
- ¯ Text Line what the user sees on the screen.
- ¯ Data Line depends on the Option Type.
- ¯ Option Type what the option does.
- ¯ Option Key key which activates the option.
- ¯ Required Security Security Level needed.
- ¯ Required Flags Flags needed.
- ¯ ForeGround Colour foreground colour in VTC/ANS mode.
- ¯ BackGround Colour background colour in VTC/ANS mode.
-
- The Text Line will only be displayed if the user has access to
- the option. This depends on the Required Security and Required
- Flags, and the users Security Level and Flags.
-
- There are three special characters which can be used in a text
- line. They are:
-
- ^ Toggles highlight on/off in VT-52 Mono/Colour and Ansi modes,
- ~ Is replaced by the number of minutes left,
- ; If the text line ends with a semi-column no CRLF is added, so
- you can put two or more options next to each other.
-
- The Option Key is the key the user must press to activate the
- option. Of course this is a HotKey.
-
- The Foreground and Background Colour items are not implemented in
- the current version of QuickBBS.
-
- The Option Type is the most important of the whole lot. It defines
- what the option actually does. There are option types to read
- mail, to view files, to yell for the SysOp etc. etc.
-
- The Data Line can contain parameters depending on which Option
- Type you have chosen. Some people call it the Command Line for
- some reason or other.
-
- MENU TEXT
-
- What the user sees when your menu is displayed is the Text Line of
- each menu option he has access to. The Text Line should indicate
- what key the user must press to activate the option. You can use
- the ^ character to highlight parts of your Text Line. If you
- define the line as
-
- ^[F]^ File Menu
-
- then the [F] will either be reversed (in VT-52 Mono mode) or have
- a different colour (in Ansi and VT-52 Colour mode). In ASCII and
- VT-52 Standard modes QuickBBS can't change any colours or
- attributes. The square brackets make sure that the key is clear in
- those modes too.
-
- MENU STRUCTURE
-
- Anybody who has ever programmed in BASIC will know the commands
- GoTo, GoSub and Return to branch to a certain section of the code.
- You use a similar method to describe the structure of your menus.
-
- Option Type 1 is the GoTo option. It makes QuickBBS forget the
- current menu and load a new one. Option type 2 is the GoSub
- option. It also loads a new menu, but remembers from which menu it
- was loaded from. With option type 3 you can Return to that menu.
-
- This may sound rather complicated but in fact it is very easy.
- Think of the menu structure as a hierarchy. The highest level is
- the TOP menu, each branch is a sub-menu, called with option type
- 2. To go back to the TOP menu you use option type 3. A sub-menu
- can also have branches, up to 20 levels deep.
-
- Time for an example. We want to create a menu structure which
- looks something like this...
-
- +-------+
- | TOP |
- +-------+
- / \
- / \
- / \
- +----------+ +----------+
- | FILE | | MAIL |
- +----------+ +----------+
- | | | |
- +----+ +----+ +----+ +----+
- | F1 | | F2 | | M1 | | M2 |
- +----+ +----+ +----+ +----+
-
- ...where TOP is the main menu, FILE is a menu where you select a
- file area menu (F1 or F2) and MAIL lets you select a mail area
- menu (M1 or M2).
-
- We'd have seven menu files: TOP.MNU, FILE.MNU, MAIL.MNU,
- F1.MNU, F2.MNU, M1.MNU and M2.MNU. It's a quite easy to do it with
- less, but I'll save that for later.
-
- TOP would contain two GoSub menu options. One to load FILE and one
- to load MAIL. I assume you want to be able to get back to the top
- menu from within one of the sub-menus, so FILE and MAIL will both
- contain a Return option. They would also allow a selection between
- either F1 and F2 or M1 and M2, with GoSub options.
-
- The lowest level menus could contain an option to either go back
- to the selection menu (with Return), or straight back to TOP. To
- accomodate for this sort of construction Quick knows a fourth menu
- structure option, called Clear Stack and GoTo New Menu (got it?).
- What it does is this: first it forgets how it got to the current
- menu (it clears the menu stack). Then it just loads the new menu
- like the GoTo option does. You'd use this option to go straight to
- TOP.
-
- All these options - exept for Return - expect the name of the menu
- to be on the data line. If a menu isn't found Quick will warn the
- user (and the SysOp, in the logfile) and return to the TOP menu.
-
- THE MENU EDITOR
-
- is called MENUEDIT.PRG. When executed it will display a list of
- existing menus. With the function keys you can copy, delete and
- rename existing menus. To create a new menu or edit an existing one
- just type in the name.
-
- You will then see the main menu of MenuEdit. From here you can Add
- new options to the 'end' of the menu, Insert a new option between
- two existing options, Change (edit) or Delete options.
-
- With Simulate you can see what your menu looks like when it is
- displayed to the user. You'll have to enter a Security Level to
- determine which menu options are used, but all flags are assumed
- on. The List command shows a list of all the options in your menu.
-
- When you Add, Insert or Change an option the edit screen is
- displayed. All the fields of the menu can be changed here.
-
- The menu Prompt is really just another menu option right down at
- the bottom of the screen (the very last option). The difference is
- that it is only a Text Line and doesn't actually do anything. The
- HighLight colours aren't implemented in the current version.
-
- MENU OPTION TYPES
-
- There are about 40 different option types in the current version
- of QuickBBS. They are...
-
- Type Description
-
- 0 Text Line, not considered a command. Use this to add extra
- lines of text to your menu, such as titles and empty lines.
-
- 1 GoTo New Menu. The menu name and any menu parameters should
- be placed on the Data Line.
-
- 2 GoSub New Menu. The Data Line should contain the menu name
- and any menu parameters.
-
- 3 Return from Previous Gosub returns to the menu which loaded
- the current menu.
-
- 4 Clear Stack & GoTo New Menu. Data Line: menu name and menu
- parameters.
-
- 5 Display Text File. The Data Line contains the name of the
- file, without extension and without path. The file should
- be located in the Text File Directory.
-
- 7 Execute Program. Starts up an external program, see the
- section on Doors.
-
- 8 Version Information. Displays the version of QuickBBS, the
- copyright information etc. No Data Line.
-
- 9 Log off. Terminates the connection. No Data Line.
-
- 10 Display System Usage Graph. This displays a graph of the
- usage of your BBS per hour. No Data Line.
-
- 11 Yell for SysOp will either execute the external chat
- program or page you using the internal chat routines.
-
- 13 List/Search User Base. This allows the user to enter part
- of a name to search the User Base with, or just press
- Return to view the whole User Base. The name, city and
- date-of-last-call of each user are displayed. No Data Line.
-
- 14 Display Time/Download Statistics shows the user some
- information about how long he has been in the BBS, how much
- time he has left, how much he can download etc.
-
- 15 Exit with ErrorLevel terminates QuickBBS with an errorlevel
- specified in the Data Line. The connection is not
- terminated. See the section on Doors.
-
- 16 Change City allows the user to modify the 'City' field he
- filled in as a new user. No Data Line.
-
- 17 Change Password will display the text file PASSWORD in the
- Text File Directory and will then ask the user for a new
- password. No Data Line.
-
- 18 Change Screen Length allows the user to change his screen
- length (used for the More [Y/n] prompt). No Data Line.
-
- 19 Toggle Clear Screen will switch the screen-clear codes sent
- between menus on and off. No Data Line.
-
- 20 Toggle More [Y/n] Prompt switches the prompt on and off
- which is displayed at the end of each page when reading
- text files, messages etc. No Data Line.
-
- 21 Change Graphics Mode allows the user to select a different
- Graphics Mode. No Data Line.
-
- 22 Check for Personal Mail will scan the message base for mail
- to this user which he has not yet read. You can specify the
- area number to scan on the Data Line. If the Data Line is
- empty all areas to which the user has access are scanned.
- You can also specify ALL, in this cases message To: ALL are
- scanned.
-
- 23 Read Messages allows the user to read messages in the area
- number supplied on the Data Line, as long has he has read-
- access to that area. See the section on Messages.
-
- 24 Scan Messages displays the headers of the messages in the
- area number supplied on the Data Line if the user has read-
- access. The user is asked if he wants to Mark a message,
- this can be read with Read Messages (Marked) later. Refer
- to the section on Messages.
-
- 25 QuickScan Messages displays a list of the messages in the
- area number supplied on the Data Line if the user has read-
- access. Refer to the section on Messages.
-
- 27 Write a New Message is used to write messages in the area
- supplied on the Data Line. The Data Line can also contain
- the /T and /L modifiers. /T=First_Last forces the message
- to a certain name, the /L modifier logs the user off after
- the message has been completed.
-
- 30 Raw Directory displays a list of files in the directory
- specified in the Data Line. The file names, sizes, times
- and dates are displayed. The files don't need to be in
- FILES.BBS (see the section about File Areas).
-
- 31 Display File List shows the user the formatted FILES.BBS
- file, with file names, sizes, dates and descriptions. Refer
- to the section about File Areas. The Data Line should
- contain the directory of the file area.
-
- 32 Download a File allows the user to download one or more
- files from the directory specified in the Data Line. See
- the section on File Areas. The Data Line can also contain
- the name of the file to download.
-
- 33 Upload a File lets the user upload one or more files to the
- directory specified in the Data Line. See the section on
- File Areas for more information.
-
- 34 Show Contents of Archive prompts the user for the name of
- an .ARC, .LZH, .ZIP, .ZOO or .ZIP archive or .GIF picture
- file in the directory specified in the Data Line, then
- displays the contents of that archive or picture. With a
- .GIF file (picture) it can also test the integrity of the
- .GIF fil.
-
- 35 Search for a File by Keyword searches all areas specified
- in FLSEARCH.CTL for a word supplied by the user. See the
- section on File Areas.
-
- 37 List New Files displays a list of new files since the user
- last called. The Data Line can contain the directory to
- search. If the Data Line is empty all areas specified in
- FLSEARCH.CTL are used. The user is prompted for a date to
- start the scan from, defaults to the last time the user
- called.
-
- 38 View Text File asks the user for the name of a text file in
- the directory specified in the Data Line, then displays the
- file.
-
- 39 Display Text File lets the user read a text file which you
- specify in the Data Line. With this option you must specify
- the full path, name and extension of the file to display.
-
- 40 Replace Menu Text is used with Automatic Menu Execution and
- allows you to replace the menu Text Line with the contents
- of a graphics file. Automatic Execution is explained below.
- The Data Line is the same as in type 5.
-
- 41 Toggle Full Screen Editor switches the Full Screen Editor
- on and off. No Data Line. The user can't switch on the FSE
- in ASCII mode.
-
- 45 Display Text File with Return is the same as option type 5,
- but displays the 'Press Return' prompt when done and waits
- for the user to press Return.
-
- 57 Change Voice Phone of the current user, if nothing is
- entered then it won't be changed. The phonenumber is only
- changed in USERS.BBS and not in NEWUSER.LOG.
-
- 58 Change Data Phone is the same as 57, except that it changes
- the Data phone number.
-
- 80 Online Archiver is used to extract parts of archives to
- download. See the section on Online Archives for more
- information. The Data Line specifies the directory which
- contains the archive to extract from.
-
- 81 Pump File will send a file to the user without interpreting
- any control codes. This can be used for things like VidTex
- graphics. The Data Line should contain the full path, name
- and extension of the file to display, preceded by a + or a
- - modifier. If the modifier is a - the file is not
- displayed locally.
-
- 82 Select Menu Optimiser will display the Menu Optimiser
- selection menu, which is explained below. No Data Line.
-
- 83 File Browser starts the File Browser, explained later. The
- Data Line contains the full path, name and extension of the
- file to view.
-
- 84 File Mark Menu is a sort of browser for your download. The
- optional data line takes a path to the download area. A
- User can step trough a files.bbs listing here, jump pages
- ahead etc. He can also mark file for download. In the
- current version of QuickBBS it only remembers the marked
- files for the current area. Mor info can be found in the
- Section about File Areas.
-
- 85 Mail Area Lister generates a list of mailareas for the user
- to choose from. This is not for the Novice sysop though.
- The optional Data line takes as first parameter the Group
- number of the areas to list, this number is enter in
- Mconfig. The second option is optional, if used you must
- put there the name of the menu that it has to Jump to after
- the user has made a selection. If you omit this the user
- will be returned to the current menu. The Mail Area Lister
- will put on the optional data line of the menu:
- Areanumber Areaname
-
- You can use &1 in the menu for the areanumber and &2 for
- the name of the area.
-
- For more info read the Section about Mail Areas.
-
- 86 File Area Lister does the same job as option 85 but in this
- case it's for the file areas. It works the same only in the
- the first option on the optional data line is a
- string that must be available in the description of an
- area in FLSEARCH.CTL. This string is then deleted.So for
- example put (ATARI) after the atari areas, use as string
- (ATARI). Then all areas with this string are displayed
- minus this string.
-
- This option also returns 2 items on the optional data line
- of the menu it will return to:
- Path Description (from FLSEARCH.CTL)
-
- So you can use &1 as path info and &2 as areaname in your
- menu.
-
- For more info read the Section about File Areas.
-
-
- Quite a lot of different commands aren't there? A shorter list of
- these commands can be found in the appendix section.
-
- The menu files (.MNU) are compatible to the ones used by the PC
- version of QuickBBS. That version supports all types up to and
- including type 57, though there are some minor differences in the
- Data Lines. The option types supported by QuickBBS ST only are
- numbered 80 upwards, to avoid problems.
-
- MENU PARAMETERS
-
- If you have a lot of different file or mail areas you would
- normally need one menu for each area. With the PC version of
- QuickBBS some SysOps have over 500 different menu files! I think
- that is absolutely ridiculous, so QuickBBS ST can pass parameters
- from one menu to another.
-
- When you call a menu using GoTo (type 1), GoSub (type 2) or Clear
- Stack and Goto (type 4) you can pass up to 10 parameters to the
- menu you are calling. These parameters are placed in the Data
- Line, after the name of the new menu. They must be separated by
- spaces.
-
- These parameters can be used in the new menu by placing a &
- character in the text or data line, followed by a number. That
- number selects the parameter to insert into the text or data line.
-
- An example: you call a menu called UPDOWN with a GoSub command.
- The data line used to call it is...
-
- UPDOWN Communications_programs \QBBS\DOWNLOAD\COMMS\
-
- the new menu is loaded and displayed. The first option in UPDOWN
- is a Text Line (type 0). It displays the name of the file area
- which this menu is used for. So the Text Line of the first option
- would be something like...
-
- Current Area : &1.
-
- ...Quick would translate that to...
-
- Current Area : Communications programs.
-
- ( Note that Quick replaces the underscores with a space in the
- Text Line only )
-
- Then you could have an option to - say - download a file. That
- might have a Data Line which contains only &2. Quick would replace
- that '&2' with the second parameter passed to UPDOWN, the
- directory \QBBS\DOWNLOAD\COMMS\. The file would be downloaded from
- that directory.
-
- On most boards each file or mail area menu looks exactly the same,
- except the name of the area and the directory of that area are
- different. With QuickBBS ST you can create one uniform menu and
- call it with different parameters, saving you lots and lots of
- work!
-
- AUTOMATIC MENU EXECUTION
-
- NOTE: This topic isn't suitable for novice SysOps. If you've only
- just started using QuickBBS, skip this part.
-
- Automatic Menu Execution, sometimes called AutoExec for short,
- makes Quick execute the option while the menu file is being
- loaded. You can define an AutoExec option by giving it a ^A key.
- This is a little difficult in the current version of the menu
- editor, but nevertheless possible. Move the highlight to the key
- field and press Control-A. Then type 1 and press Return. You
- should see an arrow pointing upwards. This is a raw ^A character.
-
- AutoExec options are quite powerful. One option type is specially
- made for AutoExec-ing. It's type 40, and can be used to replace the
- Text Line of the AutoExec option with the contents of a file in the
- Text File Directory. That file can contain all the usual control
- and escape codes, except for the Press Return and Enter Line codes.
- This way you can create customised VT-52 and Ansi menus! Type 40
- can only be used as an AutoExec option. It will be ignored if it
- isn't automatically executed.
-
- Using AutoExec you can get Quick to execute any option type
- automatically. The only 'but' is this: when the option has been
- executed the rest of the menu is handled, except when the AutoExec
- option loaded a new menu. In that case the menu is re-loaded after
- a Return, and the AutoExec option is executed again.
-
- One way to get round this problem is to work with flags. By giving
- the AutoExec option a 'required flag', and clearing that flag in
- the sub-menu (using a .DOR file). Then the AutoExec option isn't
- executed on return, because the required flag isn't set.
-
- THE MENU OPTIMISER
-
- For non-ASCII users Quick provides a Menu Optimiser. It replaces
- multiple spaces, carriage returns and line feeds by VT-52 or Ansi
- escape codes to position the cursor, but only if the escape code
- is shorter than the original. At 300 and 1200 baud this makes
- quite a lot of difference! The Menu Optimiser can switched on and
- off with option type 82.
-
- In some cases it is undesirable to have the Menu Optimiser
- switched on. For instance, if you want to send coloured spaces
- (spaces with a background colour greater than 0), the optimiser
- might jump over some 'coloured' background with an escape code.
- There is a special control code which you can put in your AutoExec
- graphic files. It's ^O, and it temporarily toggles the optimiser
- on and off.
-
- ==================================================================
- ======================== Section 7 : Messages ====================
- ==================================================================
-
- THE MESSAGE SYSTEM
-
- QuickBBS can handle up to 200 different Message Areas (sometimes
- called Boards). Each area has a number ranging from 1 to 200. All
- messages in one area are stored in two files, located in your
- Message File Directory.
-
- These files are called nnnn.HDR and nnnn.MSG, where 'nnnn' is the
- number of the area (decimal). The .HDR files contain the message
- headers (from, to, subject etc). The actual message text is stored
- in the .MSG files.
-
- You can assign the area numbers with the program MConfig. The
- message base configuration is read from BOARDS.BBS which should be
- in your CONF\ directory.
-
- Each area has an area name, which is displayed to the user. If
- this area name is blank the message area doesn't exist as far as
- Quick is concerned. The areas must also have a specific area type.
- This can be one of the following types...
-
- ¯ Local messages are not sent to any other nodes in
- FidoNet.
- ¯ EchoMail messages are sent to all FidoNet nodes connected to
- this EchoMail area.
- ¯ NetMail messages are sent to the FidoNet node the user
- specified.
-
- If you are running a Stand-Alone BBS all areas should be Local
- areas. Refer to the section on FidoNet for information about
- EchoMail and NetMail.
-
- You can specify what kind of messages you want to allow in this
- area...
-
- ¯ Public means the messages written in this area may only be
- public (i.e. anyone who has access to the area can
- read them).
- ¯ Private means the messages in this area must be private,
- only the SysOp, the writer and the receiver can
- read them (if they have access to the area).
- ¯ Both means the messages can be either public or private.
- The user is asked which kind of message he wants to
- write.
-
- If you have specified the area as EchoMail you will have to enter
- an Origin Line. Refer to the FidoNet section.
-
- MESSAGE AREA ACCESS
-
- Each message area has three sets of Security Levels and Flags. The
- user can access the area in three different ways, if he has the
- required Security Level and Flags...
-
- ¯ Read Access allows him to read messages in this area,
- ¯ Write Access allows him to reply to messages in this area, and
- to post new messages,
- ¯ SysOp Access allows him to read all private mail and delete any
- messages.
-
- If the user tries to read messages in an area he doesn't have read
- access to Quick will tell him so and return to the menu. Same with
- Write. If the user has Sysop Access the Read Messages menu will
- just contain some extra options (to delete the message, send it to
- the printer, forward it etc).
-
- THE LANGUAGE CHECK FILE
-
- A lot of EchoMail areas are international. In such areas all
- messages should be written in English. There are thousands of dim-
- witted users out there who either don't care or don't know, and
- write their messages in German, French, Dutch or whatever other
- language they fancy.
-
- QuickBBS can put an end to all that with the Language Check. If
- you switch this on in MConfig all messages the users write in that
- area are checked before they are saved. To enable this checking
- you must also switch it on in QConfig.
-
- Of course you have to tell Quick how to check the message. That
- can be done with the LANGUAGE.BBS file, a plain ASCII one located
- in the CONF\ directory. It contains one word per line. These words
- may not appear in the message. Each language has some words that
- can't be used in English, but are often used in messages. That's
- the kind of words you want. You might like to put some dirty ones
- in there too...
-
- If the message contains illegal words the file LANGUAGE in the
- text file directory is displayed. The user is then returned to the
- message editor to correct his mistake.
-
- THE UPPERCASE CHECK
-
- Another old favourite of dumb users is an UPPERCASE message. Some
- people just don't know what that the CapsLock key is for. You can
- get Quick to check for this too by switching on the UpperCase
- Check options in MConfig and QConfig.
-
- When the user tries to save a message Quick will test each line
- for lowercase characters. If a lowercase character is found in any
- line, the message is saved. If no lowercase characters are found
- the file UPPER is displayed and the is user returned to the
- message editor.
-
- ALLOW THE USE OF AN ALIAS
-
- On most Bulletin Boards you must use your real name. The same
- applies to most mailnetworks. But sometimes your are allowed to
- use an alias (Fakename etc.). For example in Role Playing
- Adventures every everone as there own fanatsie name.
- So this options allows the user to use a different name for this
- area only. The Alias is only remembered for the current session.
-
- ALLOW 8 BIT CHARACTERS
-
- In most networks you are only allow to use ASCII characters,
- mainly because the characters above 127 are not standarized. But
- in some country's you need those (mostly scandinavian). So you can
- allow the use for 8 bit characters per area. Do make sure you ask
- if this is allowed!
-
- FILE ATTACHED MESSAGES
-
- With this flag you can let user attach a file to a message. The
- user will be asked if he wants to attach a file to the message.
- The file can then be downloaded by the one the message is
- addressed to. The file can only be download by the user in the To:
- field, the only exception is if the message is addressed to ALL,
- in that case everyone can download the file.
- The message wil first be shown, after that the user is asked if he
- wants to download a file. Mind you can recieve file attach message
- from all areas, you must only allow it for them to be posted.
-
- The file is put into \QBBS\PVT_FILE\ and the filename/path is
- stored in the subject field, which can't be edited anymore for
- safety reasons. The With file flag is also set. This system is
- compatible with Fidonet, so you can also send file attached
- message from say LED.
-
- On thing though, you can also make the netmail area file attach
- but take in account that you generally are not allowed to route
- file attached message over/via other systems, you should bring
- them by crashmail.
-
- GROUP NUMBER
-
- This is a number from 0 to 255 where 0 disables the group number.
- Currently this is only used in menu option 85 (Mail Area Lister).
- You can divided your message areas into groups, for example:
-
- Group nr 1: Local areas
- Group nr 2: National echomail areas
- Group nr 3: International echomail areas
- Group nr 4: Atari areas
- etc. etc.
-
- With Menu type 85 you can use this group to make several lists of
- areas. This will make life very easy for the sysop. He now only
- needs to add a new area in mconfig and pronto it appears in the
- area list in the BBS...
-
- LASTREAD POINTERS
-
- QuickBBS keeps track of which messages the user has read in every
- area. These pointers are stored in the file LASTREAD.BBS in the
- home directory. They are used in two ways:
-
- ¯ In the MailScan the message areas are scanned starting with the
- first unread message.
- ¯ When a user selects the [N]ew option from the read messages menu
- the first unread message is displayed.
-
-
- PACKING THE MESSAGE BASE
-
- Once you are running your BBS the message base will get larger and
- larger unless you do something about it. This is where the
- FastPack program comes in. It packs your message base, which
- means...
-
- ¯ Deleted messages are always removed.
- ¯ You can define how old a message may be before it is removed.
- ¯ You can define a minimum number of messages which must always
- remain in a certain area.
-
- It's a good idea to pack your message base once a day if you have
- a busy system. The FastPack program has its own documentation
- files.
-
- There are other programs that can pack and update the lastread
- pointers too, some names:
- Bermuda
- Jetmail
- IOS
- etc.
-
- Mind you be carefull with those, always check if they update the
- pointers the right way. If you have problems with wrong pointers
- then let the programmer of the packer contact us, so we can tell
- him the exact format of the pointers and how to work with them.
-
- THE MAIL AREA LISTER
-
- This is menutype 85. With this option you can generate a list of
- Mail Areas for the user to choose from. You can choose what areas
- to list by using a the group number. The areas are also sorted
- alfabeticly to make it easier to read.
-
- The Optional Data Line looks like:
-
- <groupnumber> (up/download menuname)
-
- 1 readmail
-
- Now only mail areas that have group number 1 are shown.
-
- The groupnumber is entered in mconfig, see above,
-
-
- The second parameter is the menu it will jump to. You can also
- leave this out, it will return you then to the current menu, for
- example if you use a Change Area option in your readmail menu.
-
- After the use made a choice the menu readmail (in this example) will
- be run. On the optional data line it will put:
-
- <areanumber> <description>
-
- 20 From/To_the_sysop
-
- In the menu readmail you can use &1 as areanumber and &2 as
- description.
-
- Here is another example. You have a mail menu in where the user
- can choose between National, International and local areas. If he
- does it will run a mailarealist menu that will run the readmail
- menu:
-
- Mail -> Mailarealist -> Readmail
-
- Mail:
-
- [N] National areas
- [I] International areas
- [L] Local areas
-
- Readmail menu:
-
- [R] Read messages
- [W] Write messages
-
- The mailarealist menu will have to options:
-
- 1: Type 85, Optional data: 1 readmail
- 2: Type 3, Return from gosub.
-
- Both lines have ^A as key. This way they are run directly when the
- menu is called. So if you choose N for national you will get a
- list with national areas. After you make your choice the menu
- readmail is run. When you return from this menu you will be
- presented with the list again.
-
- This option is not for the novice sysop, but it will make much
- easier for the experienced sysop as now you only need to enter new
- areas into MCONFIG and you don't have to be bother with
- having to adapt all those menu's.
-
-
- ==================================================================
- ======================= Section 8 : Files ========================
- ==================================================================
-
- FILE AREAS
-
- The number of file areas you have is only limited to the amount of
- free disk space. Each file area must have its own directory. That
- directory must be specified on the Data Line in some menu options.
-
- Each directory should contain a FILES.BBS file. This is an ASCII
- file with a description of each file in the area (=directory).
-
- One directory might contain the following files:
-
- FILES.BBS
- TCARC.TTP
- TCARC.DOC
- LHARC.PRG
- LHARC.DOC
-
- The FILES.BBS file should describe the other four files, perhaps
- like this:
-
- +--------------------------------------------------------+
- | Archive programs |
- +--------------------------------------------------------+
-
- TCARC.TTP [10] ARC compatible archiver, 50-80% faster.
- TCARC.DOC [1] Documentation for TCARC.
- LHARC.PRG v201 of LHarc-ST, for using .LZH archives.
- LHARC.DOC Documentation for LHarc-ST.
- STZIP.TOS STZIP 2.2, for using .ZIP archives (with docs)
-
- When QuickBBS displays this list it will insert the size and date
- of the file between the name and the description. If the file
- isn't found the text '---MISSING---' is inserted instead.
-
- FILES.BBS can contain comments lines. Any character which is not
- usually part of a file name can be used to indicate a comment
- line. Empty lines are also allowed, as are multiple spaces between
- the file name and the description.
-
- If a description is too long to fit onto one line Quick will word-
- wrap and indent it on the next line. Your ASCII editor must be
- able to handle long lines to use this feature. Tempus can, and so
- can First Word. Some versions of Micro Emacs can't handle long
- lines.
-
- The number between brackets ([]) is the number of times a file is
- downloaded. QuickBBS updates this number after a download, you can
- en/disable this option in qconfig under toggles.
-
- THE FILE SEARCH FILE
-
- ...is called FLSEARCH.CTL and can be found in the home directory.
- It's an ASCII list of all file areas in your BBS. Each line has
- the following layout:
-
- <path> <security> <description>
-
- where <path> is the directory, <security> is the security level
- needed to search the area and <description> is the name of the
- area. An example:
-
- \QBBS\DOWNLOAD\GENERAL 10 General Area
- \QBBS\DOWNLOAD\COMMS 10 Communications Programs
- \QBBS\DOWNLOAD\UTILS 20 Utilities
- \QBBS\UPLOAD\GENERAL 50 Uploaded General Files
- \QBBS\UPLOAD\COMMS 50 Uploaded Comms Programs
- \QBBS\UPlOAD\UTILS 50 Uploaded Utilities
-
- The menu options New Files and Search for File use this file. Each
- line is checked for a valid Security Level and (if valid)
- searched. Please note that the Security Levels in this file do not
- affect uploading, downloading, file lists etc. They are only used
- in the two option types above.
-
- THE FILE AREA LISTER
-
- This is menutype 86. With this option you can generate a list of
- File Areas for the user to choose from. You can choose what areas
- to list by using a search string. The areas are also sorted
- alfabeticly to make it easier to read.
-
- The Optional Data Line looks like:
-
- <searchstring> (up/download menuname)
-
- atari updown
-
- Now only file areas that have ATARI in the description are shown.
-
- This description is taken from the flsearch.ctl file. This way
- you can make several list for different computers.
-
- The searchstring is case sensitive!! Mind you on the first 20
- characters of the description are shown. The word ATARI will be
- taken out of the list though!
-
- The second parameter is the menu it will jump to. You can also
- leave this out, it will return you then to the current menu, for
- example if you use a Change Area option in your up/download menu.
-
- After the use made a choice the menu updown (in this example) will
- be run. On the optional data line it will put:
-
- <path> <description>
-
- c:\atari\falcon\ Falcon_files
-
- In the up/down menu you can then use &1 as path and &2 as the
- description.
-
- Here is another example. You have a files menu in where the user
- can choose between Atari, MS-DOS, Amiga areas. IF he does it will
- run a filelist menu that will run the up/download menu:
-
- Files -> Filelist -> Up/download
-
- Files:
-
- [A] Atari areas
- [M] MS-DOS
-
- Up/download menu:
-
- [D] Download
- [U] Upload
-
- The filelist menu will have to options:
-
- 1: Type 86, Optional data: ATARI UPDOWN
- 2: Type 3, Return from gosub.
-
- Both lines have ^A as key. This way they are run directly when the
- menu is called. So if you choose A for atari you will get a list
- with areas that have ATARI in de description. After you make your
- choice the menu up/down is run. When you return from this menu you
- will be presented with the list again.
-
- This option is not for the novice sysop, but it will make much
- easier for the experienced sysop as now you only need to enter new
- areas into the FLSEARCH.CTL and you don't have to be bother with
- having to adapt all those menu's.
-
-
-
- TRANSFER PROTOCOLS
-
- When a user wants to upload or download a file the first thing he
- sees is the protocol menu. If you haven't switched off any
- protocols in QConfig the user can choose one of the following
- transfer methods:
-
- ¯ Xmodem is the oldest and slowest. When downloading QuickBBS
- will detect three flavours of Xmodem automatically: Xmodem
- Checksum, Xmodem CRC and Xmodem 1K. The first two are very slow
- (about 50% efficiency). Xmodem 1K is slightly faster if the
- connection is good (about 60%), but slower on bad lines.
-
- ¯ Ymodem is derived from Xmodem. For some stupid reason some
- communications and BBS programs think Xmodem 1K is Ymodem. This
- is not true. Ymodem uses mixed 128 and 1024 byte blocks, and is
- always a batch protocol (more than one file can be sent at
- once). Ymodem is no faster than Xmodem 1K.
-
- ¯ Windowed Xmodem is another Xmodem flavour. It doesn't wait for
- the receiver to acknowledge the block, but assumes that no news
- is good news. Windowed Xmodem is much faster than the normal
- Xmodem. In some ways it's rather like SEAlink, but it doesn't
- support batch transfers. Efficiency is about 75%.
-
- ¯ Zmodem is the best of all. It supports batch transfers, and is
- very fast (90% to 98% efficiency). It also uses 32 bit CRC
- instead of 16 bit, making it much more reliable. If the transfer
- fails during a Zmodem upload/download (carrier lost or any other
- cause) you don't have to start all over again, Zmodem will
- continue where it left off!
-
- The efficiency is the ratio between the actual number of bytes
- transferred per second and the theoretically possible number of
- bytes per second.
-
- Always use Zmodem if at all possible. It's much faster, much
- easier and much more reliable.
-
- UPLOADS & DOWNLOADS
-
- When downloading Quick will ask for the files to transfer. If
- Ymodem or Zmodem are selected the user can type in more than one
- filename, separated by spaces. Quick will check the download
- limit, time limit and start the download. If the download is
- succesfull QuickBBS will add a number to the file description like
- this:
-
- QUICKBBS.ZIP [100] The BEST Atari ST(E)/TT/Falcon BBS
-
- The number between brackets [] is the number of times a file is
- download.
-
- NOTE: The user can download any file from the directory you
- specify. A file doesn't have to be described in
- FILES.BBS for the user to download it.
-
- When uploading files with a non-batch protocol the user must type
- the file name. The file may not yet exist in the directory to
- which the user is uploading. With a batch protocol Quick will not
- allow existing files to be overwritten. After the transfer the
- user must type in a description for each file he uploaded. This
- description will be added to the end of FILES.BBS. The time used
- during an upload is added to the users time limit.
-
- The log file SYSTEM.LOG will show you what the user has uploaded
- or downloaded. Two additional log files are updated, called
- UPLOAD.LOG and DOWNLOAD.LOG.
-
- Both log files contain 1 file per line. Lines starting with an
- asterisk (*) should be ignored. Each line in UPLOAD.LOG has the
- following format:
-
- TP User_Name FILESPEC Description
-
- and DOWNLOAD.LOG just contains:
-
- TP User_Name FILESPEC
-
- where...
-
- ¯ TP is the transfer protocol:
-
- ¯¯ XM : Xmodem Checksum or CRC
- ¯¯ XK : Xmodem 1K
- ¯¯ YM : Ymodem
- ¯¯ WX : Windowed Xmodem
- ¯¯ ZM : Zmodem
-
- ¯ User_Name is the name of the user, with an underscore to mark
- spaces,
-
- ¯ FILESPEC is the path + name of the file,
-
- ¯ Description is the file description entered by the user.
-
- Example: James Bond uploads a file called PACMAN.LZH to the
- General Area. He uses Zmodem to upload the file. The line added to
- UPLOAD.LOG would be something like...
-
- ZM James_Bond \QBBS\UPLOAD\GENERAL\PACMAN.LZH Very old game.
-
- The line is only added if the transfer was successful, of course,
- and ONLINE.ARC and ONLINE.LZH (see Online Archiver) are also
- added, when they are downloaded.
-
- TRANSFER DRIVERS
-
- At the moment Quick uses a number of different driver programs to
- upload and download files. Some are internal, others are external.
- In QConfig you can select whether you wish to use the internal or
- the external drivers. This is what Quick uses:
-
- ¯ XFER.000 is always used for Ymodem and Windowed Xmodem. In
- QConfig you can get Quick to use this for the
- 'normal' Xmodem transfers too.
-
-
- The driver must be in the home directory. Try the internal
- drivers first. If they cause problems switch to the external one,
- and please let us know what's going wrong!
-
- EXTERNAL PROTOCOLS
-
- To top it all off you can hang virtual every protocol on QuickBBS
- using the external protocol interface. You must Configure a
- protocol firstly in Qconfig under the external protocol section.
- Read that section of the document first! You must also make a kind
- of script file for each protocol. We use the door file interface
- for this. As example there are some .DOR files included. For
- example ZMODEM.DOR for XYZ.TTP, it might look like:
-
- uploadpath D:\ATARI\UPLOADS\
- upload C:\QBBS\XYZ.TTP -c D:\ATARI\UPLOADS\
- download C:\QBBS\XYZ.TTP -U -c *PATH*FILES
-
- *PATH is replaced by the current path, and *FILES by the files the
- user wants to download.
- Upload defines the filename of the upload protocol and it's
- commandline.
- Download does the same for the download protocol.
- Uploadpath is special and only need if you have 1 special
- uploadpath. Normally QuickBBS scans the *PATH (current path) for
- new uploaded files. If Uploadpath is specified then that directory
- is scanned in stead.
-
- You can use almost all .DOR file commands in this file too, mayby
- you need it to generate a commandline. But the complete .DOR is
- read. After that is done QuickBBS will start the protocol.
-
-
- THE ONLINE ARCHIVER
-
- Ever wanted to download the documentation files from a 200 Kb
- archive before you downloaded the rest, just to make sure you
- really want it? Or perhaps you've lost that one little
- configuration file from a large archive? In that case the Online
- Archiver would come in very handy.
-
- The Online Archiver lets you extract files from one or more .ARC
- or .LZH archives and put them into a temporary archive called
- ONLINE.ARC or ONLINE.LZH, ready for downloading.
-
- These Online Archives are placed in a directory you specified in
- QConfig. They can be downloaded from the Online Archiver menu, and
- are deleted when Quick exits. In QConfig you can specify the
- maximum size of these archives in Kb, or (by entering 0) let Quick
- use all available disk space, minus a small safety buffer.
-
- If no Online Archive exists the user is required to select an
- archive type - Arc or LHarc. Because different compression methods
- are used these two can't be mixed. The user can then add files to
- the Online Archive, remove files, clear the whole archive (and
- select a new type) or download it.
-
- QuickBBS doesn't need ARC or LHarc to create the archives. The
- archiving routines are internal.
-
- If an error occurs during an archive operation (perhaps because
- of a damaged archive) the log file will contain a warning, so you
- can do something about it. The Online Archive will be cleared.
-
- The Online Archiver menus each have a help option which display
- the OARCTYPE and OARCHELP files. You will have to promote the
- Online Archiver a bit. Most users haven't the slightest idea what
- it is, and don't go to the 'trouble' of finding out how it works
- if they do know what it is... Just say it saves money, and they'll
- come around sooner or later 8-)
-
- THE FILE BROWSER
-
- is menu option type 83. A textfile is split up into pages and
- displayed page by page, with a menu inbetween each page allowing
- the user to move forward, backward etc. as well as search the text
- for a string or jump to a certain page. You could put a table of
- contents on page 1, and let the user use the 'Goto' option to jump
- to the page of his choice.
-
- MARK FILE MENU
-
- Is menutype 84. It looks a bit like the browser. A user can list
- the files in an area. he can also jump to a certain page. Jumping
- to the last page will show him the newest files.
- He can mark files to download. With M of Mark you will get into
- the Mark files menu. Here you can mark a file for download, just
- enter it's number. The user can also list what files are already
- marked en delete some of them for the list. If he decides to
- download he can choose Download from the main menu. All files will
- be send (if he his levels check out!). The marked files are only
- remember if the user stays in the Mark File menu. In a future
- version you can expect global downloads.
-
- ==================================================================
- ======================= Section 9 : Doors ========================
- ==================================================================
-
- EXTERNAL PROGRAMS
-
- Quick can start up external programs, also known as Doors. A lot
- of boards run DoorGames, where the user can play a game against
- other users of the BBS.
-
- Menu option type 7 (Execute Program) will run anything you specify
- on the Data Line (path+name+extension). Everything after the
- program name is passed to that program on the command line. The
- current directory is changed to the directory where the program is
- located.
-
- External programs may never modify the order of the user base or
- the LastRead pointers. The program may change the current user
- record, but that wouldn't make much sense because Quick will
- overwrite it when the user logs off.
-
- Because Quick remains in memory while an external program is being
- executed you will need enough spare RAM. Any program which is
- started while the user is online should...
-
- ¯ trap errors and exit if one occurs. It should not wait for input
- from the SysOp.
- ¯ monitor the carrier and exit if the carrier is lost.
- ¯ keep track of the amount of time the user has left, and exit
- when the time is nearly up.
- ¯ exit if the user doesn't type anything for a minute or two (in
- case he's fallen asleep).
- ¯ handle its own modem I/O.
-
- Most DoorGames have some way of doing this. But, you ask, how does
- the program know how much time the user has left? It can find out
- in two of different way:
-
- ¯ The data line can contain a command line to pass to the program.
- There are some special codes that you can put in there which are
- replaced by Quick:
-
- ¯¯ *A is replaced by the users current alias,
- ¯¯ *B is replaced by the current baudrate or 0 in local mode,
- ¯¯ *C is replaced by the errorlevel that is returned when a
- program is executed
- ¯¯ *F is replaced by the users first name,
- ¯¯ *G is replaced by the number of the users graphics mode,
- ¯¯ *L is replaced by the users last name,
- ¯¯ *O is replaced by the users account,
- ¯¯ *P (privilege) is replaced by the users security level,
- ¯¯ *R is replaced by the users record number in USERS.BBS,
- ¯¯ *T (time) is replaced by the number of minutes the user has
- left.
-
- A special case is *S, which makes Quick leave the Status Line at
- the bottom of the screen on, handy for programs which don't show
- you who is online.
-
- Another special case is the *E code, which executes the commands
- in a little script file. It must be the first code on the data
- line. More on that later.
-
- Example: James Bond is online at 2400 baud and has 20 minutes
- left. If the data line is...
-
- \QBBS\GAMES\MR\MOONRAKE.TTP baud *B name *F time *T
-
- ...then Quick will change the current directory to
- \QBBS\GAMES\MR\, start up MOONRAKE.TTP with command line...
-
- baud 2400 name James time 20
-
- Refer to the documentation of the program you wish to start to
- see what parameters it needs.
-
- ¯ Before the program is started Quick will write a few files from
- which the external program can read the user info. The files are
-
- ¯¯ LASTUSER.LOG is compatible to Pandora. It's plain ASCII, and
- contains the users name on line 1, his security level on line
- 2, a zero on line 3 and finally the number of minutes left on
- line 4.
-
- ¯¯ DORINFO1.DEF is also an ASCII file, and contains...
-
- ¯¯¯ the SysOps first name,
- ¯¯¯ the SysOps last name,
- ¯¯¯ the current baudrate (0 = Local),
- ¯¯¯ the users first name,
- ¯¯¯ the users last name,
- ¯¯¯ where the guy lives,
- ¯¯¯ his graphics mode,
- ¯¯¯ the length of his screen,
- ¯¯¯ his security level,
- ¯¯¯ the number of minutes left,
- ¯¯¯ his record number in the USERS.BBS file.
-
- ¯¯ FOREM.DAT is compatible to the FoReM BBS program. Refer to
- the FoReM documentation of info about this file,
-
- ¯¯ EXITINFO.BBS described in the developers guide.
-
- The documentation of DoorGames will usually say what files are
- used.
-
- DOR FILES
-
- The special *E code can be used to execute a .DOR file. The data
- line should contain something like
-
- *E game
-
- You can also pass parameters to the dor file like:
-
- *E game param1 param2 param3 param4
-
- You can use these parameters in the .DOR file with the known &1,
- &2 etc. parameters.
-
- Quick will execute the commands it finds in a file called GAME.DOR
- in the home directory. Valid commands in that file are:
-
- ¯ ACCOUNT <number> Changes the users account. Number can
- be expressed in three ways:
-
- +n increases the users account by n.
- -n decreases the users account by n.
- n sets the users account to n.
-
- The account cannot go above or below the
- maximum or minimum set in qconfig.
-
- ACCOUNT +10 (ACCOUNT up 10)
- ACCOUNT -5 (ACCOUNT down 5)
- ACCOUNT 50 (ACCOUNT set to 50)
-
- ¯ CD <path> Changes the current directory to <path>. Can
- change to another drive too. Example:
-
- CD c:\qbbs\doors\galemp
-
- ¯ CL <command> Sets the current command line which will be
- used when a program is executed (see EXEC) to
- <command>, which may contain the usual
- codes like *F, *B etc. but not *E. Example:
-
- cl -N=*F_*L -T=*T
-
- ¯ CLRFLAG <flag> Is the opposite of SETFLAG and switches one of
- the users flags off.
-
- ¯ CLS Clears the screen
-
- ¯ COPY <src> <dest> Copies file <src> to <dest>. Full path may be
- specified, but wildcards are not allowed.
- Example:
-
- Copy lastuser.log \doors\ste\lastuser.log
-
- ¯ CTIME <number> Increases, decreases or sets time limit for
- the rest of the current session. Works like
- ACCOUNT.
-
- ¯ DEL <spec> Deletes all file matching the specification
- <spec>. Examples:
-
- DEL \qbbs\doors\dorinfo1.def
- Del \qbbs\temp\*.*
-
- ¯ DEXIST <path> Same as FEXIST, but for Directories (folders)
-
- ¯ DLIMIT <number> Increases, decreases or sets the download
- limit for the current session. Works the same
- as ACCOUNT.
-
- ¯ ECHO <text> Same as Send, see there for info.
-
- ¯ EXEC <program> <cl> Executes <program>, using the command line set
- with CL, or <cl> if used. QuickBBS checks
- whether the file exists, releases (nearly) all
- memory then executes. You must specify the
- extension (e.g. STE.PRG or GALEMP.TOS). If the
- program exits with an errorlevel, QuickBBS
- will put that in the logfile. Examples:
-
- Exec \doors\galemp\galemp.tos
- EXEC ste.prg
-
- ¯ EXIT Stop executing the current .DOR file and
- return.
-
- ¯ FEXIST <file> Checks if <file> exist. The result is stored
- in the parameter *C. (*C=1 file exist)
- ¯ GOTO <label> Jump to a label. A label is preced by a : and
- starts at the beginning of a line. Example of
- a label:
-
- :start
-
-
- ¯ IF <value> <operator> <value> THEN <command>
- <operator> can be :
- = equal
- ~ equal, case independent
- <> not equal
- > greater than
- < smaller than
- => greater or equal
- <= smaller or equal
- $ contains the string
-
- Valid parameters for <value> are :
- All the *x parameters listed before and :
- *C result code of FEXIST or
- DEXIST
- *ASC the ASCII value of the
- character pressed.
- *CHR the character pressed.
- *TXT string entered after an INPUT
- command.
- &<n> parameter n
-
- <command> can be any .DOR command.
-
- ¯ INPUT <type> [<len>] [<"str">]
- Allows the user to enter a line of text. The
- string entered will be stored in the *TXT
- parameter.
- <type> can be ?
- ANY all characters (ASCII 32 .. 126)
- are valid
- USER to enter a username
- PASSWORD to enter a password, asterisks
- are echoed
- FILE to enter a file name
- <len> (optional) is the maximum length of the
- the line (default is 80)
- <"str"> (optional) is a string with valid
- characters. Put them between ""
-
- ¯ KEY Wait for the user to press a key.
- The characters pressed is stored in two
- parameters:
- *CHR the key pressed
- *ASC the ASCII value of the key
- pressed
-
- ¯ LEVEL <number> Changes the users security level. Works the
- same as with ACCOUNT.
-
- ¯ LOCAL <text> Almost identical to SEND and ECHO, but it only
- displays it locally (not via the modem)
-
- ¯ LOG <option> <data> Writes <text> to the system log file
-
- ¯ MENU <option> <data>
- Execute a QuickBBS menu option.
- <option> can be every menu option except for
- the numbers 0 to 4, 7 and 40.
- <data> is the optional data line you would
- normally use.
-
- ¯ PAUSE Prompt and wait for a [Return]
-
- ¯ PROMT <text> Identical to SEND and ECHO commands, but
- leaves the cursor on the same line. You could
- do and INPUT after this.
-
- ¯ READMARKED This will try to read the file MARKED.DAT in
- the QBBS directory. This files should contain
- all message that have to be read. After this
- it will show all the marked messages. Read the
- mailscan section for more info.
-
- ¯ REN <old> <new> Renames file <old> to <new>. This can also be
- used to move a file, by using a different
- path, as long as it is moved within one
- partition. Wildcards are not allowed.
- Examples:
-
- ren forem.dat \qbbs\doors\progs\forem.dat
- REN lastuser.log xyz.log
-
-
- ¯ SEND <text> Sends the line <text> to the user, followed by
- a carriage return and line feed. Examples:
-
- Send Wait a sec, getting D&D for you...
- SEND Back to QuickBBS!
-
- ¯ SETFLAG <flag> Switches one of the users flags on. The <flag>
- parameter is two characters long. The first
- can be between A and D, the second between 1
- and 8, indicating the flag to switch on.
- Examples:
-
- SETFLAG a1
- SetFlag d8
-
- ¯ SHOW <file> Displays <file> in exactly the same way menu
- option type 5 does. Examples:
-
- Show DDST1
- Show GoodBye
-
- Not valid:
-
- Show \wp\manual.doc
- Show ddst1.asc
- Show doors\score.vtm
-
- ¯ STATUS <ON/OFF> Switches the status bar on or off. The status
- bar will remain on the screen while the
- program is being executed. Handy for doors
- that don't show you who is online.
-
- ¯ SYSTEM <command> This command can only be used with three
- command line interpreters: Craft, Mupfel and
- Gulam. QuickBBS can acces these shells
- directly, without needing to load the program
- files, by calling them through the shell_p
- system variable. The presence and type of the
- shell is checked. If anyone knows of other
- shells which support the shell_p variable
- correctly, please let us know. And example:
-
- SYSTEM ls
-
- Will display a directory listing ("ls" is the
- Unix command which does this, supported by all
- three shells). Programs and script files can
- also be started through the SYSTEM command as
- long as they free memory when completed. Due
- to the case sensitivity of Unix shells, the
- command is NOT converted to uppercase. The
- return code of the command can also be
- accessed with the *C parameter.
-
- ¯ TIME <number> Increase, decrease or set time limit for the
- rest of the day. Works like ACCOUNT.
-
- ¯ WRITE <type> Will write a certain file (specified by
- <type>) in the current directory. Examples:
-
- Write lastuser.log
- write FOREM.DAT
- WRITE DorInfo1.Def
-
- If an error occurs while a .DOR file is being executed QuickBBS
- will write a message in the log file and return to the menu which
- started the file. Errorlevels returned by the executed program are
- not errors.
-
- EXIT WITH ERRORLEVEL
-
- If you are running QuickBBS using a batch file you can use option
- type 15 (Exit with ErrorLevel) to run your doors. Quick will write
- the 'door files' and exit with the errorlevel you specified in the
- Data Line. The connection is not terminated.
-
- The batch file can detect the errorlevel and start up another
- program.
-
- When the program returns the batch file can start up QuickBBS
- again. By passing the -R switch on the command line Quick won't
- ask the user for a name/password, but read the EXITINFO.BBS file
- instead. The user is returned to the top menu.
-
- This method has three good points and three bad points:
-
- + You have much more RAM free, because Quick doesn't remain in
- memory.
- + The user record can be changed. Quick will re-read the record
- when it is started with the -R switch.
- + You can use any batch file commands and any utility program you
- like,
- - The user is returned to the top menu, instead of to the menu
- which contained the exit-with-errorlevel option.
- - It takes a while for Quick to load and read its configuration.
- - This method can only be used in conjunction with a batch file,
- not when QuickStart is being used.
-
- Note that you still can't run programs which change the order of
- the user base, because Quick saves the user record number to one
- of the door files and reads it again when it is restarted.
-
- As always, it's up to you...
-
- =================================================================
- ====================== Section 10 : FidoNet =====================
- =================================================================
-
- WHAT IS FIDONET?
-
- Far back in the mists of ancient time, in the great and glorious
- days of CP/M and Commodore 64's, life was wild, rich and largely
- tax free. In those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high,
- men were real men, women were real women, and small furry
- creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from
- Alpha Centauri.
-
- It was in those days that a brave young pioneer called Tom
- Jennings named a random group of bytes, which by an entirely
- meaningless coincidence actually did something, after his pet dog
- Fido.
-
- The random group of bytes, when inserted into a certain piece of
- machinery called a PC, allowed carbon-based bipedal life-forms who
- had just discovered the basics of datacommunications (henceforth
- known as Users) to spend hours and hours reading bulletins,
- posting and reading messages and - best of all - sending and
- receiving other random groups of bytes they called files. The
- users chose to call all this a Bulletin Board System.
-
- Now it is such a bizarrely improbable coincidence that anything so
- mindbogglingly useful could have evolved purely by chance that
- some thinkers have chosen to see it as a final and clinching proof
- of the non-existence of God. The argument goes something like
- this:
-
- "I refuse to prove that I exist," says God, "for proof denies
- faith, and without faith I am nothing."
-
- "But," says Man, "the BBS is a dead giveaway isn't it? It
- could not have evolved by chance. It proves you exist, and so
- therefore, by your own arguments, you don't. QED."
-
- "Oh dear," says God, "I hadn't thought of that," and promptly
- vanishes into a puff of logic.
-
- "Oh, that was easy," says Man, and for an encore goes on to
- prove that black is white and gets himself killed on the next
- zebra crossing.
-
- <loosely based on the Babel Fish entry in The Hitch Hikers Guide>
-
- In the meantime Fido was feeling rather lonely. So TJ thought it
- would be a pretty neat idea if he added some more random bytes to
- his Fido program which automatically talked to other Fido's. And
- that's how FidoNet was created.
-
- PRACTICAL, PLEASE...
-
- Oh, you don't like fun manuals? Guess I'd better explain it
- differently then...
-
- FidoNet links more than 20000 (!) Bulletin Boards world-wide. It
- defines a standard way of transferring messages, files and other
- random groups of bytes (oops, sorry) between these boards.
-
- Messages on a BBS which is connected FidoNet can be split up into
- three groups:
-
- ¯ Local Mail: these messages don't go anywhere.
-
- ¯ Network Mail or NetMail: these messages are sent to one other
- BBS which is the user specifies.
-
- ¯ EchoMail: these messages are sent to all other boards in FidoNet
- who wish to receive them.
-
- NetMail is normally used for person-to-person mail. If - for
- instance - you have a friend on the other side of the world who
- calls a FidoNet-BBS there, you can send him messages. The message
- is sent to that board only (although it may be routed, but we'll
- keep that for later).
-
- EchoMail is divided up into a whole lot of different topics
- (areas). There are EchoMail areas for animal lovers, cooks, Basic
- programmers and dentists, to name but a few. Some EchoMail areas
- are national (e.g. German), some are continental (e.g. European).
- There are quite a few world-wide areas too.
-
- By posting a message in an EchoMail area it can be read on each
- and every BBS which carries that area. Any problem you wish to
- pose is usually answered within days, if not hours. You, the
- SysOp, can choose from a wide selection of different topics.
-
- FIDONET ORGANISATION
-
- In the following section I will explain how FidoNet is organised.
- At least, what the theory behind the organisation is. In practice
- the organisation differs on quite a few points.
-
- Of course it would be stupid, impossible in fact, to call each
- connected BBS when one of your users has entered a message in an
- EchoMail area. It would also be silly if ten boards sent their own
- mail to the other side of the world. It would be much cheaper if
- just one BBS gathered the mail and sent it all at once.
-
- The organisation of FidoNet can be viewed in two different ways:
- the topographic organisation and the structural or hierarchical
- organisation.
-
- The topographic organisation can be seen in figure 5.1. The whole
- world is divided into a number of different Zones. Zone 1 is
- America, zone 2 is Europe and zone 3 is Australia/Asia. There
- aren't many connections in Africa, so it is included in zone 2.
-
- Each zone is subdivided into Regions. The regions don't have any
- effect on the structural organisation, and are usually
- disregarded.
-
- Each region contains Networks. A network is generally a group of
- boards located in the same geographic area, to cut down phone
- costs. The actual Bulletin Boards are called Nodes.
-
- When you look at the structural organisation (figure 5.2) you will
- see that each zone has a sort of tree shape. Right up at the top of
- the tree (or at the root, if you like) we have a ZoneGate. The
- ZoneGate takes care of all inter-zone mail. It calls other
- ZoneGates in other zones when mail must be transferred from one
- zone to another. So you could say that the ZoneGate is head of the
- zone.
-
- At the head of each network we have a Host. The host takes care of
- inter-network mail. If a node sends a message to a node in a
- different network, it goes via the host.
-
- In some large networks Hubs are used. Some networks have hundreds
- of nodes. One single host couldn't handle that many calls, so hubs
- are introduced. They act as a host for a group of nodes.
-
- Right down at the bottom of the tree you'll see the nodes
- themselves. By the way, a zonegate, host or hub is a node too!
- Each node has a number, the host is usually just node number 0.
-
- As I stated earlier, this is how it works in theory. To speed
- things up a bit, some hosts call inter-zone themselves. And a node
- often sends mail for another network to the host of that other
- network.
-
- For EchoMail an EchoMail Backbone is used. It transfers the
- EchoMail between the hosts (generally all hosts in one region),
- and to and from other regions.
-
- NETWORK ADDRESSES
-
- Every BBS in the network has its own address which has the
- following format:
-
- zone:net/node
-
- where 'zone' is the zone number, 'net' is the network number and
- 'node' is the node number. Our Support BBS (zone 2, network 282,
- node 301) has address
-
- 2:282/301
-
- Hosts are normally node 0 in a network. So, the host of network
- 282 would have address
-
- 2:282/0
-
- This address is unique for each node in FidoNet. No two nodes have
- the same address. If you don't yet have an address you should ask
- your Regional Coordinator or a local Host for information about
- getting one.
-
- POINTS
-
- A fairly new part of FidoNet is the point. A point is one level
- lower than a node. It's really just a sort of super-user who
- doesn't log into your BBS to read his mail, but uses a mailer to
- collect it and read it at home, offline. Before you start
- promising people all sorts of things you should have your board
- running in FidoNet without major problems for a few months.
- QuickBBS doesn't need to know anything about points. They are just
- extra nodes, as far as Quick is concerned.
-
- Points have a different format address, with an extra number at
- the end. The first three numbers are generally the same as their
- boss (the node which sends them mail). The last number is their
- point number. So a point of our Support BBS might have address
-
- 2:282/301.4
-
- WHAT'S A MAILER?
-
- A mailer is a program which handles all the mail transfers from
- one node to another. It sits 'in front' of QuickBBS and waits for
- the phone to ring. If there's a user at the other end it starts up
- QuickBBS. If the other end is a mailer it may send or receive some
- mail.
-
- At the moment there are two mailers available for the ST: The-Box
- and Binkley/ST. Both are PD/Shareware, downloadable from the
- Support BBS.
-
- It's not up to me to tell you which mailer you should use. Both
- mailers have their positive and negative sides. The-Box is a very
- reliable and flexible mailer, but the user interface is
- practically non-existent. Binkley on the other hand looks very
- pretty, but isn't as stable or as powerful as The-Box. It's up to
- you to decide what you think is more important. Example
- configuration files given here are for The-Box. Binkley uses
- similar methods though.
-
- IMPORT AND EXPORT
-
- Neither The-Box nor Binkley understand the way in which QuickBBS
- stores the messages. Outgoing mail (from us to someone else) must
- be exported. Any incoming mail will have to be imported before
- QuickBBS can use it.
-
- To export and import mail we have three programs, part of the
- Bermuda package. They are
-
- ¯ IMPORT.TTP for importing NetMail and EchoMail from FidoNet
- into the QuickBBS message base.
- ¯ PACK.TTP for exporting NetMail from the QuickBBS message
- base to FidoNet.
- ¯ SCAN.TTP for copying outgoing EchoMail into the Netmail
- area or directly to FidoNet.
- ¯ CRUNCH.TTP for deleting deleted messages in the messagebase,
- it can also delete mail older then xx days.
- Basicly the same as out Fastpack.
-
-
- The mailer sends and receives packets. These are files containing
- one or more messages. Import will translate packets to .HDR and
- .MSG files for QuickBBS to use, pack will do the precise opposite.
- Scan only copies EchoMail to the NetMail or directly in packets if
- yuo use -p on the commandline area. Figure 5.3 shows this in
- schematic form. Even if you are running Binkley you will need
- these programs from the The-Box package. Another program you will
- need is XLTLST for translating the NodeList. For Binkley ST you
- should use PARSELST or BTNC to translate the nodelist.
-
- INSTALLING THE MAILER
-
- To run QuickBBS with a mailer you will need a shell. The
- environment variable MAILER should point to the directory
- containing your mailer configuration files (for Import, pack and
- Scan). Most shells can set the variable with either
-
- SET MAILER=\QBBS\MAILER\
- or
- setenv MAILER=\QBBS\MAILER\
-
- but fill in your own path of course. More on shells, batch files
- and environment variables later.
-
- In your mailer configuration file you will need to define two
- special directories which will contain your InBound and OutBound
- packets. You will also need a directory for your NodeList files
- and one for your mailer configuration files.
-
- Import looks in the Inbound directory to see if there are any
- packets which need unpacking. Pack places outgoing mail in the
- OutBound directory.
-
- Import and Pack use a file called AREAS.BBS to find out what areas
- are linked to other nodes. The first line contains the origin
- line. Because QuickBBS has already filled this one in it isn't
- used. The format of the rest of the file is:
-
- <filespec> <name> [node] [node] [node...]
-
- where...
-
- ¯ filespec is the path to the message area, followed by the 4-
- digit area number. Do not add an extension.
-
- ¯ name can be:
-
- ¯¯ LOCAL:xxxxx to indicate a local area which should not be
- exported,
- ¯¯ MAIL to indicate that this area is the NetMail area,
- ¯¯ anything else should be the name of the EchoMail area. Your
- host can tell you what the name of each area is.
-
- ¯ node is an address in the format zone:net/node. The area is sent
- to and received from this node.
-
- The address following the NetMail area should be the address of
- your host. You can only have one NetMail area!
-
- Example: You have five areas in your BBS: two local ones (1 and
- 2), a NetMail one (3) and two EchoMail areas (4 and 5) called
- BASIC and CHAT. NetMail is sent to your host 2:282/0, and so is
- the BASIC echo. The CHAT echo is an area you share only with a
- friendly node, 2:282/350. Your AREAS.BBS file would look like
- this:
-
- <Dummy Origin Line>
- \QBBS\MSGS\0001 LOCAL:General_Area
- \QBBS\MSGS\0002 LOCAL:From/To_SysOp
- \QBBS\MSGS\0003 MAIL 282/0
- \QBBS\MSGS\0004 BASIC 282/0
- \QBBS\MSGS\0005 CHAT 282/350
-
- The name of an area which you define in MConfig has nothing to do
- with the name of the EchoMail area in AREAS.BBS!
-
- COMPILING THE NODELIST
-
- Both Quick and the mailer need to know what the structure of the
- network is. This structure is described in the NodeList. Ask your
- host for the most recent one. A new nodelist is published each
- week.
-
- Because the nodelist is a few hundred Kb in size it would cost far
- too much to get a whole nodelist every week. To solve that the
- FidoNet people have thought up a slightly cheaper way: the
- NodeDiff file. This contains all the differences between last
- weeks nodelist and the new one. It's much smaller than the
- complete nodelist. Most hosts can automatically send you the new
- NodeDiff each week.
-
- The nodelist and nodediff files are called NODELIST.nnn and
- NODEDIFF.nnn, where 'nnn' is the day on which the file was
- published. The files are usually archived. The archives are called
- NODELIST.Ann and NODEDIFF.Ann.
-
- Before Quick and The-Box or Binkley can use the nodelist and
- nodediff files (which are in ASCII form, very slow) they must be
- compiled. You can use XLTLST to do this for you. First it extracts
- the files from the archives using ARC. It then takes the old
- nodelist and the new nodediff and generates a new nodelist.
- Finally it translates the nodelist file from ASCII to binary. The
- output is placed in two files: MAILER.NET and MAILER.NOD. For
- Binkley you must use PARSELST which wil generate a NODELIST.DAT
- and NODELIST.IDX. You could also use BTNC, in the current version
- (before 2.0) it uses 3 files: DOMAINS.BNL, INDEX.BNL,
- NODEINFO.BNL. Use QConfig to tell QuickBBS where these files are.
- With a little experimentation you should be able to make the
- nodelist compilation automatic.
-
- WRITING NETMAIL
-
- When you write a NetMail message in QuickBBS you will have to
- enter the address of the node where the message should be sent.
- This is done in the NodeList Menu. If you know the address you can
- just type it in. If you don't, use the list or search options to
- find out.
-
- To send NetMail you must have credit. The amount of credit a user
- has can be changed in UserEdit. When a message is sent the cost of
- the message is subtracted from the users credit. In the XLTLST or
- PARSELST control file you can specify what a message will cost,
- based on the phone number (area code) of the destination node.
-
- READING AND WRITING ECHOMAIL
-
- EchoMail is fairly transparent to the user. Writing an EchoMail
- message is the same as writing a message in a local area. When
- reading EchoMail you will notice a few extra lines at the bottom
- of the message.
-
- The line beginning with '---' is the Tear Line. It identifies the
- program which was used to write the message. The line beginning
- with '* Origin' is the Origin Line. This identifies the BBS from
- which the message was sent. It is followed by the address of the
- node.
-
- The origin line which is added by QuickBBS can be defined in
- MConfig. Each area can have a different origin line. You should
- always put at least the name of your BBS in the origin line. If
- possible, put the phone number in too. Don't include your address,
- it will be added by Quick.
-
- GENERATING ECHOMAIL
-
- The Scan program 'exports' EchoMail. It exports it for each node
- linked to the area. Let's write an EchoMail message using QuickBBS
- to see if everything works okay.
-
- Make sure you have correct AREAS.BBS and TB.CFG (The-Box
- Configuration) files, then start Scan.
-
- Each area in AREAS.BBS will be scanned for outgoing EchoMail. You
- should put -P on the commandline, then it creates directly
- mailpackets.
-
- After this you must run Pack, it will archive the Packets so they
- can be send to the nodes.
-
- One of the options in the Read menu is the Kludge command. This
- option switches off the filtering of Kludge Lines (sometimes
- called ^A lines). Some extra lines are included in an EchoMail
- message. These are the Kludge Lines. Normally the message
- contains two sorts of kludges: PATH and SEEN-BY. They help the
- EchoMail utilities keep track of which nodes have received the
- message (SEEN-BY) and how the message got here (PATH).
-
- EVENTS AND ROUTING
-
- Before you can export any mail you have to tell Pack when the mail
- must be sent. This is done in two files, called the Event and
- Route files. These files are TB.EVT and TB.RTE and are described
- in detail in the Export and The-Box documentation. Refer to the
- Jargon Guide in the appendix section to find out what all the
- technical talk means.
-
- An event is a 'piece of day'. With events you can split the day up
- into various parts, and tell The-Box how it should act during such
- a period. If you don't understand how the TB.EVT file works, just
- put the following lines in it:
-
- a ALL 00:00 01:59 b c t=1,10 a=120 m=10,10
- b ALL 02:00 02:59 t=1,10 a=120 m=10,10
- c ALL 03:00 23:59 b c t=1,10 a=120 m=10,10
-
- With routing you can send your mail via another node (generally
- your host), so that you don't go sending mail all over the world.
- In the route file you also define what nodes you want to call,
- when to call them, whether or not you want to pick up any mail
- they have waiting for you etc. If you don't understand how the
- TB.RTE file works, use the above event example and...
-
- Route-To zone:net/node ALL
- Schedule B
- Poll zone:net/node
-
- and replace the 'zone:net/node' with the address of your host.
- This will cause mail to be sent to your host between 2 and 3
- o'clock at night (check with your host to see what time suits him
- best). No users will be allowed into the BBS during this period.
-
- EXPORTING MAIL
-
- The Pack program translates outgoing messages in the NetMail area
- (including EchoMail copied by Scan) into packets in the OutBound
- directory. These packets can be sent by the mailer.
-
- When Pack has done its job correctly you should find a packet in
- the outbound directory (called x.CM, for Crash Mail). Now start up
- The-Box with command line UNATTENDED and watch your mail being
- sent!
-
- IMPORTING MAIL
-
- Of course it's not all one-way traffic: other nodes can call your
- mailer. They might send you mail, which must be translated from
- Packet format to the QuickBBS message base. This is done by
- Import. The InBound directory is scanned for packets. If Import
- finds one it will unpack it and place it in the correct area,
- depending on the AREA kludge. Easy huh?
-
- ARCHIVED MAIL
-
- Most modern mailers and mail utilities can handle ArcMail. An
- ArcMail file just contains all packets to one node ARCed together.
- ArcMail is used for two reasons: it saves time (and money), and
- due to the CRC check in ARC it improves reliability.
-
- The ARC.TTP program should be in the current directory to import
- and export ArcMail. You an specify which nodes are sent ArcMail in
- the route file, or on the command line (see the Export docs).
-
- LZHMail is the same as ArcMail, but LHarc is used instead of ARC.
- LHarc is much better at compressing than ARC is.
-
- ZIPMail is again the same but for you need STZip to extract.
- ZIPMail is the most commonly used in fidonet now.
-
- BATCH FILES AND SUCH
-
- As a FidoNet node you use a mailer instead of QuickStart. The
- mailer doesn't know as much about QuickBBS as QuickStart does. So
- we need to use a shell and a batch file to start up the mailer,
- the mail utilities and QuickBBS.
-
- It's all based on ErrorLevels. An ErrorLevel is a value returned
- by a program. It can be used by the shell to determine which
- action to take.
-
- The-Box, for instance, exits with a certain errorlevel when mail
- is received (which you defined in TB.EVT). In the batch file you
- can tell the shell that import should be started when that
- errorlevel is returned.
-
- When The-Box detects a user on the other end it will exit with an
- errorlevel of baudrate/100 (e.g. 1200 baud = errorlevel 12). The
- batch file detects this, and starts up QuickBBS. QuickBBS must be
- told what the current baudrate is. This is done with the -B
- parameter on the command line.
-
- When you press one of the function keys in The-Box it will exit
- with an errorlevel of 10 * key (e.g. 70 for F7). Use this to log
- into the BBS locally. To start Quick in local mode you should put
- the -L parameter on the command line.
-
- A very simple batch file for PCommand might look like this
- (comments in brackets should not be typed in) ...
-
- CD \qbbs (change directory)
- :start ("Start" Label)
- tb unattended (run The-Box)
-
- IF ERRORLEVEL 100 GOTO qlocal (errorlevel 100? Local BBS)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 192 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 192? 19200 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 144 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 144? 14400 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 96 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 96? 9600 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 48 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 48? 4800 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 24 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 24? 2400 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 12 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 12? 1200 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 3? 300 bps)
- GOTO end (lower than 3? Exit!)
-
- :qlocal ("BBS Local" label)
- quickbbs -L (run Quick in local mode)
- GOTO start (jump back to start)
-
- :qbbs ("BBS online" label)
- quickbbs -B%:e00 (run Quick at xx00 bps)
- GOTO start (restart)
-
- :end (jump to here to exit)
- echo BBS Offline. (show message)
-
- Although this very simple it should work. It doesn't provide any
- handling of import or export though. A more complete example can
- be found in the appendix section. To log in locally press f10.
-
- Environment Variables can be used to help Quick and The-Box find
- their configuration files. An Environment Variable is a value
- which the shell can pass to any program it starts. They usually
- have the form NAME=VALUE. We're interested in two variables:
- MAILER and QBBS. The MAILER variable should point to the directory
- containing the configuration files for The-Box (TB.CFG, TB.RTE
- etc). The QBBS variable should point to the QuickBBS home
- directory (with USERS.BBS etc).
-
- When these variables have been set you can start The-Box, Quick
- and the utilities from any directory you like, for instance by
- typing...
-
- \QBBS\QCONFIG
-
- when you're in \COMMS\FLASH\. QConfig will still find the
- configuration files. Most shells use the set or setenv command to
- define an environment variable. Refer to your shell documentation.
-
- ==================================================================
- ==================== Section 11 : Appendices =====================
- ==================================================================
-
- APPENDIX A - JARGON GUIDE
-
- 9 [.....................................................]0110
- Of all areas of computer science, communications is probably in
- the top-5 of the list when it comes to the amount of jargon which
- is used. To help you understand what everyone is talking about I
- have compiled a list of the most frequently used jargon.
-
- A
-
- Adams, Douglas ex-script-writer of numerous TV and radio
- series (among which Doctor Who), ex-actor, ex-
- director, ex-barn-builder, ex-chicken-shed-
- cleaner, ex-lots-of-other-silly-things and
- author of the best book ever written: The
- Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy. Lives in
- Islington with a lady barrister and an Apple
- Macintosh.
- Address unique code which identifies a FidoNet node.
- It usually has the form zone:net/node or (in
- point addressing) zone:net/node.point.
- Ansi 1. American National Standards Institute, an
- organization which develops and describes
- all sorts of standards.
- 2. Ansi X3.64 is a terminal emulation standard
- often used on large computer systems. VT-
- 100 and Ansi-BBS are subsets of this
- standard.
- 3. Ansi-BBS is a subset of Ansi X3.64, with
- some additional escapes, and is used by IBM
- and compatible computers. It is implemented
- in a device driver called ANSI.SYS, and
- often used in communications packages.
- ARC 1. archiver developed by System Enhancement
- Associates (SEA).
- 2. an ARC: archive created by an archiver.
- 3. to ARC: to add files to an archive or
- create a new archive.
- Archive 1. one or more files combined into one file by
- an archiver. The files are usually
- compressed.
- 2. to archive: to add files to an archive or
- to create a new archive.
- Archiver program which can create and extract archives.
- ArcMail one or more packets to a single node placed in
- an archive.
- Area part of the message base of a BBS which
- contains messages which have the same or
- similar topic. Often called Board.
- Arrrggghhh! sound made by a Sysop when a user uploads the
- same file for the one-hundred-and-twenty-
- second time.
- ASCII file a text file consisting of any codes between 32
- and 127. Each line (including the last line!)
- should be terminated with a CRLF sequence
- (Carriage Return followed by a Line Feed,
- codes 13 and 10).
- Asynchronous in an Asynchronous connection the transmitting
- side sends a start bit, then 8 data bits and
- one or two stop bits. No synchronisation lines
- are needed (we only have one: the phone line).
- All BBS systems use Asynchronous connections.
- AutoDL short for Auto DownLoad. This is a sequence of
- characters which triggers a file transfer with
- Zmodem.
- Auto Execute menu option which is executed while the menu
- is being loaded. Options which have a ^A as
- key are Auto Executed. Often called AutoExec.
-
- B
-
- Batch File file containing instructions for a shell,
- which are sequentially executed.
- Batch Protocol file transfer protocol which can send/receive
- more than one file in one go. The file names,
- sizes and dates are usually sent.
- BaudRate speed at which a modem can work. This is not
- really the same as BPS, but nobody seems to
- care.
- BBS short for Bulletin Board System (or Service).
- If you didn't know this one you won't be
- needing QuickBBS!
- BiModem fairly new transfer protocol which allows data
- transfer in two directions simultaneously,
- e.g. user can upload and download at the same
- time. Written in 8088 assembler, so no chance
- of ever having that in QuickBBS ST I'm afraid.
- Binkley mailer program developed on MS-DOS systems and
- ported to the ST.
- Board see Area.
- Boss a node in FidoNet which has points.
- BPS Bits Per Second, the number of bits which are
- sent through the RS-232 interface each second.
- Bulletin a text file displayed to the user which
- contains news, ideas, tips & tricks or other
- more or less interesting information. In some
- BBS systems the first menu you see is the
- Bulletin menu.
- BullShit contents of most messages found in the
- INTERNAT EchoMail area.
-
- C
-
- Carrier to transmit and receive data a modem sends
- sounds over the phone line. The Carrier is a
- sound of a constant frequency, which tells the
- modem on the other end that the connection
- exists.
- CCITT short for Comit Consultatif International
- Tlgraphique et Tlphoniquequequeque, an
- institute which defines the V-standards.
- CD Carrier Detect, pin number 8 on an RS-232
- interface. A logical high signal from the
- modem means a carrier is present. Often called
- DCD (Data Carrier Detect).
- Chat, to- to talk with somebody through keyboard and
- screen. Normally you press Return twice when
- you have said what you want to say to let the
- person on the other side know that it's their
- turn.
- CheckSum the lower byte of the total of all bytes in a
- block, used to check that those bytes are
- correct. This can be used by the Xmodem
- protocol and is not as reliable as CRC
- checking.
- CLI Command Line Interface, see Shell.
- CrashMail One or more messages which have Crash
- priority, i.e. should be sent right away, and
- straight to the destination node (they are not
- routed).
- CRC Cyclic Redundancy Check, very complicated
- calculation performed on a block of data. If
- the CRC of one block is the same as that of
- another block, it is pretty likely the blocks
- are the same too. Used by most transfer
- protocols, and is much more reliable than the
- Checksum method.
-
- D
-
- Dent, Arthur a rather stupid earthling whose house was
- knocked down to make way for a bypass.
- DL See DownLoad.
- Door a program executed by the BBS while a user is
- online.
- DoorGame a game program executed by the BBS while a
- user is online. Often the users of the BBS can
- play games against each other.
- Download 1. to Download: to transfer a file from the
- BBS to the user.
- 2. a Download: one or more files which have
- been downloaded.
- 3. the Download: all files in a BBS which the
- users can download.
- DTR Data Terminal Ready, pin 20 on an RS-232
- interface. By lowering this pin the computer
- can tell the modem to disconnect. When DTR is
- low most modem don't answer incoming calls.
- Duplex full-duplex means two connected computers can
- send data at the same time, but in half-duplex
- only one of the computers can send at any one
- time. BBS systems always work in full-duplex.
- DupKiller program which removes duplicate messages from
- your message base.
- Duplicate an EchoMail message which has been received
- more than once. This often occurs when the a
- node gets an area from two different sources.
- You should take the greatest care not to cause
- duplicate messages, and use a DupKiller to
- remove such messages if they exist.
-
- E
-
- Echo an EchoMail area.
- EchoMail messages in FidoNet that can be read on each
- node who wishes to receive the area in which
- the message was written (i.e. is connected to
- the echo).
- EchoMail Backbone FidoNet node who handles some inter-net and
- inter-region EchoMail transfers.
- Earth mostly harmless.
- Electronic Mail messages stored by an electronic medium like a
- BBS. Devices like a fax don't store the
- messages, so they aren't Electronic Mail
- handlers.
- Email see Electronic Mail.
- ErrorLevel is a value returned by a program to whatever
- executed it. Some shells can examine this
- value to determine what to do next.
- Escape 1. ASCII character 27.
- 2. A key on the keyboard, usually marked Esc.
- 3. A sequence of bytes, starting with an
- Escape character, which controls the users
- terminal.
- Event a period of time which has certain flags to
- influence the operation of a program like a
- mailer. Really just something that happens.
-
- F
-
- Fido Bulletin Board System which was the first to
- do mail transfers from one BBS to another.
- FidoNet a world-wide network of BBS systems which
- allows mail to be transferred from one BBS to
- another, of from one BBS to lots of others.
- File Request to use your mailer to ask another mailer to
- send one or more specified files. The file
- names are given to your mailer. Can be
- compared to downloading a file without having
- to enter the BBS.
- File Transfer sending a file from one computer to another,
- using a file transfer protocol.
- Flag a switch each user, each menu option and each
- message area has. The switch can be on (X) or
- off (-). If the flag is on in the menu option
- or message area it must also be on in the
- users record. There are 4 sets of flags (A-D),
- with each 8 flags (1-8).
- Flash the best communications program available for
- the Atari ST. Distributed by Antic, current
- version is 1.6.
- Fmail a message which has a file belonging to it.
- Can be used to send a message and a file to
- one or more specified users at once.
- Full-duplex see Duplex.
-
- G
-
- GfA German company which produces a language
- called GfA-Basic. It isn't really basic, but a
- mixture between Basic, Pascal and a little C.
- Very fast, very structured and very easy. GfA
- never meet dead-lines.
- Graphics Mode one of five different terminal emulations
- which the user selects in QuickBBS. To use a
- Graphics Mode the communications program the
- user is running must also support the terminal
- emulation.
- Great word often used when speaking about products
- from Theo Runia and Jon Webb.
- GROUND pin numbers 1 and 7 on an RS-232 interface.
- Pin number 1 is PG (Protective Ground) and
- ensures both devices have the same voltage
- levels. Number 7 is SG (Signal Ground). It has
- a logically low signal. All other signal
- levels depend on this pin.
-
- H
-
- Half-duplex See Duplex.
- Hayes Company which produce modems. Quite a long
- time ago they developed a modem which had a
- small instruction set (called the AT set)
- built in. Most modern modems also have this
- instruction set and are Hayes Compatible.
- Hayes, Maddie photo model, private detective and very good-
- looking. Can be admired in the TV-series
- Moonlighting.
- Head Crash what always seems to happen to your harddisk
- when you haven't made a backup for six months.
- HFL dutch currency, please send lots.
- Home Directory the directory containing the QuickBBS system
- files (e.g. USERS.BBS). You must either start
- QuickBBS from this directory or point to it
- with the environment variable QBBS.
- Host a node in FidoNet which is 'head' of a
- network. It collects mail from all the nodes
- in the network and sends it to the hosts of
- other networks.
- HST High Speed Transfer, a method used by some
- modern modems to transfer information at high
- speed (up to 14400 bps). Old HST modems were
- not reliable, new ones are better. Not
- compatible with the V.32(bis) standard.
- Hub a node in FidoNet which is used in large
- networks to take some of the load off the
- hosts shoulders. It acts as a host for a group
- of nodes within the network.
-
- I
-
- IFNA International FidoNet Association. Like to
- think of themselves as the governing body of
- FidoNet (and are, in a way). Though not many
- people in FidoNet are actually IFNA members,
- their technical standards and policy affect
- each node in the IFNA nodelist.
- Infocom Company that makes the best ever adventure
- games for all sorts of computers. They are
- very well known for their high-tech
- programming, good plots and extremely good
- atmosphere.
- Interlink Communications program for the Atari ST which
- is second in my top-5 of comms packages. Very
- good Ansi graphics, nice bells & whistles, but
- too slow and too buggy. Current version 1.89,
- available from InterSect.
-
- J
-
-
- JEKYLL a transfer protocol which enables you to down
- and upload and chat! at the same time. It's
- written by Vincent Partington for the Atari.
-
- Jmodem a transfer protocol which is sometimes
- slightly faster than Zmodem. Written in 8088
- assembler, so it's very difficult to implement
- on an ST.
- Jon me.
-
- K
-
- Kermit 1. little green frog which attracts female,
- fat pigs,
- 2. old-fashioned file transfer protocol often
- used by stupid people and Unix machines.
- Kludge one or more lines in an EchoMail message used
- by mail utilities. Some kludge lines start
- with a ^A code. Well-known ones are AREA which
- defines the EchoMail area to which the message
- belongs, SEEN-BY to keep track of which nodes
- have received the message and PATH to find out
- how the message got here.
-
- L
-
- LastRead Pointers set of numbers Quick uses to keep track of
- what the last message was a user read in a
- certain area. Stored in the file LASTREAD.BBS.
- LHarc archiver developed by Yoshi and ported to the
- ST by yours truly. It's a bit slower than ARC,
- but achieves much better compression results.
- Log in, to- 1. to call a BBS.
- 2. to type in the user name and password.
- Log off, to- to tell the BBS you want it to hangup the
- phone.
- LZH archive created by the LHarc archiver.
-
- M
-
- Mail one or more messages.
- Mailer a program which sends mail to other nodes,
- receives mail from other nodes and waits for
- users to call the BBS.
- Menu a screen in the BBS from which users can
- choose an option.
- Menu Optimiser a feature of QuickBBS which can replace
- spaces, carriage returns and line feeds with
- VT-52 or Ansi escape sequences to position the
- cursor. Speeds up the menus quite a bit at 300
- and 1200 baud.
- Message a text written by one user and sent to another
- user, or to ALL other users.
- Message Base all messages on a BBS. The messages are stored
- in the .HDR and .MSG files in the Message
- Directory.
- MNP a system used by some modems to eliminate line
- noise, check data integrity and sometimes
- compress the data. There are different
- generations of MNP modems. The newer ones do
- data compression. All modems are downward
- compatible (or should be, at least). Most MNP
- modems can communicate with non-MNP modems.
-
- N
-
- NetMail one or more messages which each have a
- destination node defined by the user. A
- NetMail message is sent to only one other
- node. The user must have enough credit to send
- NetMail messages.
- NetWork 1. the organisation of a whole lot of Bulletin
- Boards to enable mail transfer.
- 2. a group of Bulletin Boards (nodes)
- geographically close together. A host is
- the head of the network.
- Net See NetWork.
- NMH National Mail Hour, a time at which all nodes
- must be available for receiving mail. In
- Zone 2 this is often disregarded, because each
- node can agree on a time with the host. I
- think Zone 1 still uses this.
- Node a Bulletin Board which is part of FidoNet.
- Nodes are grouped together into NetWorks.
- NodeDiff a file which contains the differences between
- last weeks and this weeks NodeList. If you
- have last weeks NodeList and this weeks
- NodeDiff you can create a new NodeList.
- NodeList file containing a description of the current
- structure of FidoNet. A new one is published
- every week, but because it is so big most
- people prefer to receive a NodeDiff file every
- week.
- Node Number See Address.
-
- O
-
- Offline 1. a user is offline: Not connected to a BBS
- at the moment.
- 2. a BBS is offline: the BBS is currently not
- available to users.
- 3. a printer is offline: can not receive any
- characters to print because the operator is
- mucking around with the switches.
- Online the opposite of Offline.
- Online Archiver feature of QuickBBS which allows users to
- extract files from one or more archives and
- place them in a temporary one which can be
- downloaded. Handy if you only want part of an
- archive.
- Opus a FidoNet compatible BBS program which runs on
- an MS-DOS PC. This BBS is command line
- oriented and hardly configurable.
- Origin Line A line added to an EchoMail message. It starts
- with '* Origin:' and ends with the FidoNet
- address of the node in brackets. Whatever is
- inbetween can be specified by the SysOp.
-
- P
-
- Packet one or more FidoNet messages ready to be sent
- to another node, or just received from another
- node.
- Pandora 1. Adrian Mole's girlfriend.
- 1. Fido-ish BBS program written by Jac
- Kersing. QuickBBS uses the same message
- base format. Pandora is command line
- oriented and slightly configurable.
- Parity a bit added to each byte transferred over an
- RS-232 connection (possibly with modems
- inbetween). You can have Even Parity, Odd
- Parity or No Parity. With Even Parity the byte
- plus extra bit must form an even number. With
- Odd Parity they must form an odd number. If
- the parity is incorrect an error is reported.
- All BBS programs work with No Parity, where no
- parity bit is sent/received.
- Path 1. directory specification.
- 2. route of a message before it got to us i.e.
- nodes through which the message passed.
- Point a user of a BBS who uses a mailer to receive
- and send mail instead of logging into the BBS.
- A point has an address with an extra number
- added, the point number. The format is
- zone:net/node.point. The first three numbers
- are the same as in the address of the BBS (the
- boss). This format is called 4D addressing.
- Poll, to- To call another FidoNet node to see if there
- is any mail waiting. Calling another node to
- send mail is often also called polling.
- Private a private message cannot be read by anyone but
- the writer, the receiver and the SysOp. Some
- programs cannot handle private EchoMail.
- Privilege See Security Level.
- Protocol a method of transferring one or more files. By
- agreeing on a protocol the transmitting and
- receiving programs can make sure that the file
- is transferred correctly and sometimes send
- information about the file name, size, date
- etc. too. Normally the transmitter and
- receiver must use exactly the same protocol.
- Psychiatrist the person you are going to meet once you have
- been running your BBS for a year or so.
- Public a public message can be read by anyone who has
- access to the message area.
-
- Q
-
- QBBS short for QuickBBS.
- QuickBBS unknown.
- QuickStart program used to handle all modem control for a
- Stand Alone QuickBBS system. Initialises the
- modem, answers the phone if it rings, starts
- up QuickBBS itself now and then. Also acts as
- a terminal and a shell for all the utilities.
- Quote part of the message to which the user is
- replying. By quoting parts of the message he
- can remind the writer what the message was
- about.
-
- R
-
- RD Receive Data, pin 3 on the RS-232 interface.
- Sometimes called RX. This connection is used
- to transfer bytes from the modem to the ST.
- Recover, to- 1. what you try to do when you go on holiday
- to Jamaica after a brain-crash, approx. 14
- months since you started running a BBS.
- 2. what Zmodem does when it starts
- transferring a file which was aborted
- before. If a Zmodem transfer fails it will
- pick up where it left off the next time you
- try.
- Reply Link pointer to the message to which this message
- is a reply. By using the - and + commands in
- the Read Message menu you can see the original
- message and replies to this message. QuickBBS
- doesn't do this in EchoMail by itself. A
- utility is available to create Reply Links in
- EchoMail.
- Request see File Request.
- RS-232 the serial interface on the back of your ST,
- marked with a little phone. The pins on an RS-
- 232 interface are +3V..+15V when they are
- logically low, -3V..-15V when they are
- logically high. Recommended voltages are +12V
- and -12V.
- RTS/CTS Request To Send and Clear To Send, pins 4 and
- 5 on the RS-232 interface. These are flow
- control signals. When the ST wants to send
- data it makes RTS high. When the modem is
- ready to receive it makes CTS high. It
- enables the ST to send at a higher (locked)
- baudrate than the modem can handle. Doesn't
- work in most TOS versions, and is not really
- needed for QuickBBS.
-
- S
-
- SEAlink transfer protocol from System Enhancement
- Associates (SEA) based on Xmodem. Instead of
- waiting for the other end to acknowledge each
- block it keeps on sending, and assumes no news
- is good news. If an error occurs it goes back
- to the faulty block. This protocol is nearly
- as fast as Zmodem! Can also transfer more than
- one file at once (batch protocol).
- Security Level a number each user has in QuickBBS. Based on
- this number you can tell Quick how much time
- the user may spend in the BBS each day, allow
- him to access certain menu options, message
- areas etc.
- Seen-By kludge line added to EchoMail messages that
- informs the mail utilities which nodes have
- received this message.
- Shell a utility which allows you to type in commands
- on the keyboard instead of clicking on files
- with the mouse. Has the useful side-effect
- that you can put lots of these commands in a
- batch file which can be executed when you're
- not there.
- Sleep Delay the number of seconds Quick waits before it
- disconnects the user when he doesn't type
- anything. This is in case the user has fallen
- asleep, or in case his own major intestine, in
- a desperate attempt to save life and
- civilization, leaps straight up through his
- neck and throttles his brain. Whatever the
- reason, it should keep your BBS available.
- Start Bit one or two bits sent before each data byte
- over an RS-232 connection to synchronise the
- transmitter and the receiver.
- Stop Bit same as Start Bit, but now sent after the data
- byte. A BBS should use 1 stop bit.
- Synchronous method of connection used by large computer
- systems. Instead of sending start and stop
- bits the synchronisation info is 'hidden' in
- the data byte. There can't be any pauses in
- the transmission, otherwise the
- synchronisation is lost. A BBS never uses this
- method.
- SysOp System Operator, the person who makes sure the
- BBS is in working order, helps users when they
- have problems with the BBS and does about
- three million other tasks.
- STZip Program ported from tyhe PC PKZIP, STZip
- generates and unpack .ZIP files. It is
- written/ported to the Atari by Vincent Pomey.
-
- T
-
- TD Transmit Data, pin 2 on an RS-232 interface.
- This is used to transmit bytes from the ST to
- the modem. Sometimes called TX.
- Terminal 1. the computer which is connected to the BBS
- via a modem.
- 2. the communications program the user is
- running.
- Terminal Emulation a method of controlling the colour of text,
- positioning the cursor, clearing the screen
- and all other fancy things. This is done by
- sending Escape sequences. The BBS and the user
- must be using the same Terminal Emulation
- (graphics mode).
- Tea the most scarce drink in the universe.
- The-Box a mailer program which works nicely with
- QuickBBS.
- Towel an item that each Hitch Hiker should have.
- Transfer See File Transfer.
- TurboDos a program available from Atari which speeds up
- the hard disk by 200% to 500%. You should
- install either TurboDos or TOS 1.4 when you
- run QuickBBS, otherwise it ain't so Quick.
-
- U
-
- UL see UpLoad.
- Upload 1. to Upload: to send a file from the user to
- the BBS.
- 2. an Upload: a file uploaded by a user.
- Uppercase what most messages from users are written in
- if you have Uppercase Checking switched off.
- User 1. one who calls a BBS,
- 2. ---CENSORED---
- User Base 1. all users of a BBS.
- 2. the file containing information about all
- your users, called USERS.BBS.
- UseNet a network of Unix machines which has some
- quite interesting messages. UseNet has links
- with FidoNet (i.e. some messages from UseNet
- can be transferred to FidoNet).
-
- V
-
- V.21 hardware standard defined by the CCITT for
- transferring information at 300 bps.
- V.22 same as V.21, but now for 1200 bps.
- V.22 bis same as V.21, but now for 2400 bps.
- V.23 same as V.21, but now for 1200/75 split
- baudrate. Not often used for BBS systems.
- V.29 same as V.21, but now for 4800 bps.
- V.32 same as V.21, but now for 9600 bps.
- V.32bis same as V.21, but now for 14400 bps.
- VT-52 terminal emulation defined by DEC. Much faster
- than Ansi (in fact it's a subset of Ansi X3.64
- and VT-100), but doesn't provide as many
- possibilities. The screen on an ST can be
- controlled using VT-52 escape sequences.
- VT-100 another terminal emulation from DEC. This is
- nearly the same as Ansi-BBS, but doesn't
- support things like colour changes.
-
- W
-
- WaZoo Warp Zillion Opus-to-Opus, one of the
- sessions used by modern mailers. A WaZoo
- session starts with a YOOHOO packet exchange
- and then sends mail or files with SEAlink or
- Zmodem.
- Windowed Xmodem see Xmodem, Windowed.
- Wow! sound often heard when observing a FoReM sysop
- who has just logged in to a QuickBBS system.
-
- X
-
- Xfer short for Transfer.
- Xmodem an old transfer protocol. Uses either 128 byte
- or 1024 byte blocks and either Checksum or CRC
- error checking. Slow.
- Xmodem-1K the version of Xmodem which uses 1024 byte
- blocks. Often incorrectly called Ymodem.
- Xmodem, Windowed sort of Xmodem where the transmitter doesn't
- wait for the receiver to acknowledge a block.
- It assumes that no news is good news. Much
- faster than Xmodem.
- Xon/Xoff another flow control method. The receiver can
- send a ^S code to pause the transmitter, and
- continue with a ^Q code. Not usually used in
- QuickBBS.
-
- Y
-
- Yell, to- to call the SysOp for a chat.
- Ymodem a sort of Xmodem which can transfer more than
- one file at once. Often Xmodem 1K is called
- Ymodem, but this is incorrect. Ymodem is
- always a batch protocol.
- YOOHOO a handshaking protocol used by modern (WaZoo)
- mailers. The YOOHOO/2U2 handshake passes such
- information as your address, system and
- operator name as well as password information.
-
- Z
-
- ZIP name of files generated by PKZip on a PC or
- STZip on the Atari series of computers.
- Zone a large geographic area in FidoNet. The whole
- network is split into three zones, each
- covering a continent. Each zone is split up
- into regions and nets.
- ZoneGate a node in FidoNet which transfers mail from
- one zone to another.
- ZOO yet another archiver. It's fast, slightly
- better at compressing than ARC, but not as
- good as LHarc. ST version available.
- Zmodem The best transfer protocol available. Very
- fast, extremely easy to use and very reliable.
- If you've got Zmodem: use it!
-
- Other
-
- 0 IQ of an average user.
- 8-) smiley, turn 90 degrees clockwise.
- 150 price of a Full Key in Dutch Guilders.
- -218 IQ of an average Amiga user.
- ^ 1. Character used to signify the Control-key.
- ^C means hold down the control key and
- press C.
- 2. Character used to mark a Control-code.
- ^C is the character with the ASCII value of
- the C character minus 64.
- ^A ASCII code 1, marks the start of a kludge
- line in a message. Also used in QuickBBS menus
- to define a menu option as auto-executing.
-
- APPENDIX B - SYSOP KEYS
-
- 9 [...................................................]0110
- Keys available while a user is online:
-
- Help brief list of available SysOp keys.
- Clr/Home updates/restores status bar.
- Cursor Up increases users time limit by 5 minutes.
- Cursor Down decreases users time limit by 5 minutes.
- Alt-A change users graphics mode to ASCII.
- Alt-C enters chat mode.
- Alt-D cycles Display Mode. Shift-Shift-Alt-D restores.
- Alt-F edit users flags.
- Alt-H hangup: disconnects user directly.
- Alt-I show info over the user in the statusbar, nr. of
- calls, last date called, phonenumbers etc. etc.
- Alt-J jump to DOS.
- Alt-L lockout: disconnects, zeroes security level.
- Alt-O edit users account.
- Alt-P switches printer logging on and off.
- Alt-S edit users security level.
- Undo clear daily download & ask for new download limit.
-
- Additional keys in chat mode:
-
- Control-C clear the screen.
- Control-F switch Funmode on or off
- Control-G sound a bell, beep or tune.
- Control-L switch the chat log on and off.
- Control-U switch the users CapsLock on and off.
- Control-V view a file.
- Escape exit chat mode.
-
- APPENDIX C - MENU OPTIONS
- 9 [...............................................................]0110
-
- In this reference chart optional parameters are enclosed in square
- brackets [x] and required parameters in angled brackets <x>.
-
- Type Name Data Line
-
- 0 Text Line (not a command)
- 1 GoTo New Menu <menu name> [parameters]
- 2 GoSub New Menu <menu name> [parameters]
- 3 Return from Previous Gosub
- 4 Clear Stack & GoTo New Menu <menu name> [parameters]
- 5 Display Text File <1-8 character name>
- 7 Execute Program <full path+name> [command line]
- 8 Version Information
- 9 Log off
- 10 Display System Usage Graph
- 11 Yell for Sysop
- 13 List/Search User Base
- 14 Display Time/Download Stats
- 15 Exit with ErrorLevel <errorlevel>
- 16 Change City
- 17 Change Password
- 18 Change Screen Length
- 19 Toggle Clear Screen
- 20 Toggle More [Y/n] Prompt
- 21 Change Graphics Mode
- 22 Check for Personal Mail [board number] or [ALL]
- 23 Read Messages <board number>
- 24 Scan Messages <board number>
- 25 QuickScan Messages <board number>
- 27 Write a New Message <board board> [/L] [/T=...]
- 30 Raw Directory <path to area>
- 31 Display File List <path to area>
- 32 Download a File <path to area> [filename]
- 33 Upload a File <path to area>
- 34 Show Contents of Archive <path to area>
- 35 Search for a File by Keyword
- 37 List New Files [path to area]
- 38 View Text File <path to area>
- 39 Display Direct Text File <full path & name>
- 40 Replace Menu Text (AutoExec) <1-8 character name>
- 41 Toggle FSE
- 45 Display Text File with Return <1-8 character name>
- 57 Change Voice Phone
- 58 Change Data Phone
- 80 Online Archiver <path to area>
- 81 Pump File <+ or -> <full path & name>
- 82 Select Menu Optimiser
- 83 File Browser <full path & name>
- 84 Mark File menu <path to area>
- 85 Mail areas lister <group nr.> [menu to jump to]
- 86 File areas lister <search key> [menu to jump to]
-
- APPENDIX D - SYSTEM TEXT FILES
- 9 [....................................................]0110
-
- These text files are displayed at various points during the
- operation of QuickBBS and QuickStart.
-
- NAME DISPLAYED...
-
- BANNER by QuickStart while the BBS is being loaded. ASCII only,
- may not contain any control codes.
- BROWSER when the user selects [H]elp from the File Browser.
- DNLDHRS if the user attempts to download outside download hours.
- EDITHELP when the user selects [H]elp from the Message Editor.
- FILEMENU when the user selects [H]elp from the File Menu.
- GOODBYE just before QuickBBS disconnects.
- GRAPHELP when the user selects [H]elp from the Graphics Mode menu.
- HOTNEWS displayed after login in the file is newer then the last
- time the user called.
- LANGUAGE when the user tries to save a message which doesn't pass
- the language test.
- LOGO before the user types his name. ASCII only.
- MAXPAGE if the user attempts to page you more times than allowed.
- NEWS just before the system checks for new mail.
- NEWUSER1 to a new user after he has verified his name, but before
- any questions are asked. ASCII only.
- NEWUSER2 after the new user has selected a password.
- NEWUSER3 when the new user has filled in all the questions.
- NO300 when a call comes in at 300 Bps outside the 300 Bps
- hours.
- NODELIST when a user selects [H]elp from the NodeList menu.
- NOTAVAIL when a user pages you outside the paging hours.
- NOTFOUND if the system can't find the user in the User Base, but
- before he is asked whether his name is correct.
- OARCHELP when the user selects [H]elp from the Online Archiver
- main menu.
- OARCTYPE when the user selects [H]elp from the Online Archiver
- type selection menu (when he chooses between .ARC and
- .LZH archives).
- OPTIMISE when the user selects [H]elp from the Menu Optimiser
- menu.
- PAGEABRT if the SysOp aborts a page.
- PAGED when you don't respond to a page.
- PASSWORD before a new user is asked for a password, and when the
- user changes his password.
- POSTCHAT displayed after a chat.
- PRECHAT displayed before a chat
- PRE-UPLD displayed before uploading.
- READHELP when the user selects [H]elp from the Read Messages menu.
- SCANHELP when the user selects [H]elp from the Scan Messages menu.
- SECxxx when a user with level xxx calls (ex. SEC100.ASC)
- TOOSLOW if a users baudrate is too slow.
- TRASHCAN if the name typed in by the new user conflicts with the
- TRASHCAN.CTL file. ASCII only.
- UP-DESC displayed before describing an upload.
- UPPER when a user tries to save a message which doesn't pass
- the UpperCase check.
- USERxxx when user nr. xxx calls (ex. USER001.ASC)
- WELCOME after the user has entered his name and password.
- XFERHELP when a user selects [H]elp from the File Transfer
- Protocol menu.
-
- APPENDIX E - TEXT FILE CONTROL CODES
-
- 9 [...................................................]0110
- can be used in any textfile displayed by QuickBBS.
-
- System Control
-
- Code ASCII Function
-
- ^A 001 Pause and wait for the user to press Return.
- ^B 002 Turn [S]top aborting off.
- ^C 003 Turn [S]top aborting on.
- ^D 004 Turn the More [Y/n] prompts off.
- ^E 005 Turn the More [Y/n] prompts on.
- ^F 006 User Information code.
- ^G 007 Sound bell/beep.
- ^H 008 BackSpace.
- ^I 009 Tab.
- ^J 010 LineFeed.
- ^K 011 System Information code.
- ^L 012 FormFeed (clear screen).
- ^M 013 Carriage Return
-
- User Information
-
- Code ASCII Function
-
- ^FA 006 065 Users full name.
- ^FB 006 066 City.
- ^FC 006 067 Password (use with care!).
- ^FD 006 068 Data phone.
- ^FE 006 069 Voice phone.
- ^FF 006 070 Last date user called.
- ^FG 006 071 Last time user called.
- ^FH 006 072 Users A-Flags.
- ^FI 006 073 Users B-Flags.
- ^FJ 006 074 Users C-Flags.
- ^FK 006 075 Users D-Flags.
- ^FL 006 076 NetMail Credit in cents.
- ^FM 006 077 Number of messages the user has posted.
- ^FO 006 079 Users Security Level.
- ^FP 006 080 Number of times the user has called.
- ^FQ 006 081 Number of files the user has uploaded.
- ^FR 006 082 Number of KiloBytes the user has uploaded.
- ^FS 006 083 Number of files the user has downloaded.
- ^FT 006 084 Number of KiloBytes the user has downloaded.
- ^FU 006 085 Number of minutes user has been online today.
- ^FV 006 086 Length of the users screen.
- ^FW 006 087 Users first name.
- ^FX 006 088 Users Graphics Mode.
- ^FY 006 089 More prompt : ON or OFF.
- ^FZ 006 090 Screen Clear : ON or OFF.
- ^F0 006 048 Optimiser : ON or OFF.
- ^F1 006 049 Number of KiloBytes the user has downloaded today.
- ^F2n 006 050 Flag An : ON or OFF.
- ^F3n 006 051 Flag Bn : ON or OFF.
- ^F4n 006 052 Flag Cn : ON or OFF.
- ^F5n 006 053 Flag Dn : ON or OFF.
- ^F6 006 054 Current Account
- ^F7 006 055 Full Screen Editor : ON or OFF.
-
-
- System Information
-
- Code ASCII Function
-
- ^KA 011 065 Number of calls to the BBS.
- ^KB 011 066 Name of the last caller.
- ^KF 011 070 Number of times you've been paged.
- ^KG 011 071 Day of the week (i.e. Monday, Tuesday etc.).
- ^KH 011 072 Number of users in the User Base.
- ^KI 011 073 Current time in 24 hour format (HH:MM)
- ^KJ 011 074 Current date, format DD MMM YY (04 Nov 89).
- ^KK 011 075 Time connected - minutes.
- ^KL 011 076 Time connected - seconds.
- ^KM 011 077 Time used - minutes.
- ^KN 011 078 Time used - seconds.
- ^KO 011 079 Time remaining - minutes.
- ^KP 011 080 Time remaining - seconds.
- ^KQ 011 081 Time limit in minutes.
- ^KR 011 082 Baud rate.
- ^KS 011 083 Abbreviated day of week (i.e. Mon, Tue etc.).
- ^KT 011 084 Download limit in Kb.
- ^KWx 011 087 Amount of free space on drive 'x'.
- ^KX 011 088 Amount of free RAM.
-
- APPENDIX F - .DOR FILE COMMANDS
-
- 9 [......................................................]0110
- The data line of menu option type 7 can contain the *E (extended)
- command to execute instructions in a .DOR file. The commands are...
-
- ACCOUNT <number> increases, decreases or sets the account
- CD <path> changes the current directory to <path>
- CL <command> sets the current command line
- CLRFLAG <flag> Switches one of the users flags off
- CLS clears the screen
- COPY <src> <dest> copies file <src> to <dest>
- CTIME <number> increases, decreases or sets current time limit
- DEL <spec> deletes files matching <spec>
- DEXIST <path> checks if a directory exists
- DLIMIT increases, decreases or sets download limit
- ECHO <text. sends the line <text> to the user
- EXEC <program> <cl> executes <program> with command line
- EXIT stop executing the current .DOR file and return
- FEXIST <file> checks if a file exists
- GOTO <label> jump to label (:label in .dor file)
- IF <value> <operator> <value> THEN <command>
- if true execute <command>
- INPUT <type> [<len>] [<"str">]
- inputs line of text from user, stored in *TXT
- KEY Wait for keypress, stored in *CHR and *ASC
- LEVEL <number> Increases, decreases or sets the security level
- LOCAL <text> <text> is displayed locally only
- LOG <text> writes <text> to the system log file
- MENU <option> <data> execute a menu option.
- PAUSE Prompt and wait for return
- PROMT <text> sends <text> but leaves cursor on same line
- READMARKED read MARKED.DAT and read marked messages
- REN <old> <new> renames file <old> to <new>
- SEND <text> Sends the line <text> to the user
- SETFLAG <flag> Switches one of the users flags on
- SHOW <file> Displays <file> in the textfile directory
- STATUS <on|off> Switches the status bar on or off
- SYSTEM <command> send <command> to Craft, Mupfel or Gulam
- TIME <number> increase, decrease or set time limit for the
- rest of the day
- WRITE <type> will write a file depending on <type>, which can
- be LASTUSER.LOG, FOREM.DAT or DORINFO1.DEF
-
- The DEL command is the only command which accepts wildcards as
- parameters.
- 9 [...................................................]0110
-
- APPENDIX G - VT-52 ESCAPE CODES
-
- Please note that all lowercase characters are Atari-private, and
- should not be used in VT-52 Standard mode.
-
- Esc-A Moves the cursor up one line, but not beyond the top of
- the screen.
- Esc-B Moves the cursor down one line, but not beyond the bottom
- of the screen.
- Esc-C Moves the cursor right one column, but not beyond the
- edge of the screen.
- Esc-D Moves the cursor left one column, but not beyond the edge
- of the screen.
- Esc-E Clears the screen and puts the cursor in the top left
- corner. This code is Atari-private!
- Esc-H Places the cursor in the top left corner of the screen.
- Esc-I Moves the cursor up one line. If the cursor was already
- at the top, the screen is scrolled down.
- Esc-J Erases the screen starting at the current cursor
- position.
- Esc-K Clears the screen between the cursor and the end of the
- line.
- Esc-L Inserts an empty line at the current cursor position. The
- cursor is placed in the first column of the new line, the
- rest of the screen is scrolled down.
- Esc-M Deletes the line at the current cursor position and
- scrolls the rest of the screen up. The cursor is moved to
- the first column of the line.
- Esc-Yyx Moves the cursor to the position defined in the
- characters <y> and <x>, of which the ASCII codes must be
- incremented by 32 (i.e. Esc-Y-space-space moves the
- cursor home).
- Esc-bx Sets the foreground text colour to <x>. Only the lower 4
- bits of the colour are used, so Esc-b-1 is the same as
- Esc-b-A. The number of colours available depends on the
- screen 'resolution'.
- Esc-cx Same as Esc-bx, but now for the background colour. All
- screen clearing is done in this colour.
- Esc-d Clears the screen between the cursor position and the
- start of the screen.
- Esc-e Switches the cursor on.
- Esc-f Switches the cursor off.
- Esc-j Remembers the cursor position.
- Esc-k Restores the cursor position saved with Esc-j. Not
- nestable.
- Esc-l Erases the current line and puts the cursor on the first
- column.
- Esc-o Erases the current line between the left of the screen
- and the cursor position.
- Esc-p Switches to reverse video.
- Esc-q Switches reverse video off.
- Esc-v Causes the text to wrap over the right hand side of the
- screen if a line is longer than 80 characters.
- Esc-w Causes the text which exceeds 80 characters to be
- discarded.
-
- APPENDIX H - ANSI-BBS ESCAPE CODES
-
- Due to the structural differences between the screen of a PC and
- that of an ST, the Ansi driver in QuickBBS ST has some
- 'differences'...
-
- ¯ A PC with CGA monitor can display 8 colours for foreground and 8
- colours for background, whereas the ST can only display 4 each on
- a colour monitor. See the 'change attributes' escape sequence to
- see how Quick handles colours.
-
- ¯ A PC can underline, highlight, blink and reverse text. An ST
- using BIOS/GEMDOS for output can only use reverse. See the
- 'change attributes' escape sequence.
-
- ¯ I have not found any way of changing the scroll region X, Y, and
- Width for TOS output.
-
- ¯ All escape sequences that QuickBBS ST doesn't know will be
- ignored. They will be sent to the user on-line.
-
- The implementation in QuickBBS ST also has some escape sequences
- not found in ANSI.SYS (the Ansi driver on a PC), but which are part
- of X3.64, or frequently used by Unix machines.
-
- QuickBBS ST recognises and reacts to the following escape
- sequences. All characters in <brackets> should be replaced, and
- spaces should be removed...
-
- Name : CUU - Cursor Up
- Escape : <ESC> [ <n> A
- Example : <ESC> [ 5 A
-
- This sequence moves the cursor up <n> lines. If parameter <n> is
- omitted, the cursor moves up one line. The cursor will not move off
- the screen, nor will the screen scroll down. The cursor remains on
- the same column.
-
- Name : CUD - Cursor Down
- Escape : <ESC> [ <n> B
- Example : <ESC> [ 3 B
-
- CUD is the same as CUU (cursor up), but the cursor is moved down
- instead.
-
- Name : CUF - Cursor Forward (right)
- Escape : <ESC> [ <n> C
- Example : <ESC> [ 8 B
-
- This moves the cursor <n> columns to the right. If the cursor
- reaches column 80, it will stay there. The cursor remains on the
- same line. If <n> is omitted, the cursor moves one column.
-
- Name : CUB - Cursor Backward (left)
- Escape : <ESC> [ <n> D
- Example : <ESC> [ 7 D
-
- Is identical to CUF (cursor forward), except that the cursor is
- moved to the left, as far as the left hand side of the screen.
-
- Name : CUP - Cursor Position
- Escape : <ESC> [ <y> ; <x> H
- Example : <ESC> [ 10 ; 20 H
-
- This escape moves the cursor to location (x,y), where X is between
- 1 and 80, and Y between 1 and 24. If <y> and <x> are omitted, the
- cursor is moved to the top left-hand corner (1,1). The sequences
-
- <ESC> [ <y> ; <x> H
- <ESC> [ <y> ; <x> f
- <ESC> [ <y> ; <x> j
-
- are identical, but the first is recommended.
-
- Name : SCP - Save Cursor Position
- Escape : <ESC> [ s
-
- SCP tells the Ansi driver to note down the current cursor position
- for future use. If an RCP is received the cursor will be returned
- to this position. The SCP and RCP escapes are not nestable.
-
- Name : RCP - Restore Cursor Position
- Escape : <ESC> [ u
-
- RCP places the cursor at the location noted down by SCP.
-
- Name : ED - Erase Display
- Escape : <ESC> [ <n> J
- Example : <ESC> [ 2 J
-
- ED erases all or part of the screen depending on the parameter <n>.
- If this parameter is omitted, it is assumed to be '0'...
-
- <n> = 0 : The screen is erased between the current cursor
- location and the lower right corner of the screen,
- inclusive. The cursor doesn't move.
- <n> = 1 : The screen is erased between the upper left corner
- of the screen and the current cursor location,
- inclusive. The cursor doesn't move.
- <n> = 2 : The whole screen is erased and the cursor is moved
- to the upper left corner.
-
- The screen is cleared using the current background colour.
-
- Name : EL - Erase Line
- Escape : <ESC> [ <n> K
- Example : <ESC> [ 0 K
-
- All or part of the current line is erased, depending on parameter
- <n>. The cursor is never moved by this escape. If <n> is omitted,
- it is assumed to be '0'...
-
- <n> = 0 : All characters to the right of the cursor are erased.
- <n> = 1 : All characters to the left of the cursor are erased.
- <n> = 2 : All characters on the current line are erased.
-
- The line is cleared using the current background colour.
-
- Name : IL - Insert Lines
- Escape : <ESC> [ <n> L
- Example : <ESC> [ 3 L
-
- IL inserts <n> lines at the current cursor location. The current
- line and all lines below it are moved down. Lines at the bottom of
- the screen will be lost. If <n> is omitted, one line is inserted.
- The cursor doesn't move. The new line will be displayed in the
- current background colour.
-
- Name : DL - Delete Lines
- Escape : <ESC> [ <n> M
- Example : <ESC> [ 9 M
-
- DL deletes <n> lines, starting with the current cursor line. All
- lines underneath the line(s) to be deleted will be moved up. New
- lines, in the current background colour, will appear at the bottom
- of the screen. The cursor doesn't move.
-
- Name : DECSC - DEC Private, Save Cursor Parameters
- Escape : <ESC> 7
-
- This is supposed to be a DEC Private escape, but is used on other
- systems as well. It saves the current cursor position (like SCP),
- but also stores the current text attributes and colours. With DECRC
- these parameters can be restored. This is not implemented in
- ANSI.SYS!!!
-
- Name : DECRC - DEC Private, Restore Cursor Parameters
- Escape : <ESC> 8
-
- DECRC is the opposite of DECSC, and restores the saved cursor
- parameters. This is not implemented in ANSI.SYS!!!
-
- Name : RIS - Reset to Initial State
- Escape : <ESC> c
-
- This 'resets' the Ansi driver: the colours are set to default
- values, all text attributes are switched off and the screen is
- cleared. It is the same as doing an SGR 0 followed by ED 2. This is
- not implemented in ANSI.SYS!!!
-
- Name : NEL - Next Line
- Escape : <ESC> E
-
- This moves the cursor to the first position on the next line,
- scrolling the screen up if necessary. It is effectively the same as
- Carriage Return followed by Line Feed, and is not implemented in
- ANSI.SYS!!!
-
- Name : SGR - Set Graphics Rendition
- Escape : <ESC> [ <n> ; <n> ; ... ; <n> m
- Example : <ESC> [ 1 ; 37 m
-
- Now this is the good stuff... With this escape you can control
- three things:
-
- ¯ The text foreground colour,
- ¯ The text background colour,
- ¯ The text attributes.
-
- There can be any number of parameters, separated by ';' characters.
- The effect is cumulative. If no parameters are passed, '0' is
- assumed. The following parameters are available:
-
- 0 Reset colours and attributes
- 1 Bold (*)
- 4 Underlined (*)
- 5 Blink (*)
- 7 Reverse Video
-
- 30 Foreground Black
- 31 Foreground Red
- 32 Foreground Green
- 33 Foreground Yellow
- 34 Foreground Blue
- 35 Foreground Magenta
- 36 Foreground Cyan
- 37 Foreground White
-
- 40 to 47 Background Colours
-
- Attributes marked by (*) are ignored by Quick. When running on a
- monochrome monitor the colours are also ignored. On a colour
- monitor colour 30 is black (register 0), colour 37 is white
- (register 3), and all colours inbetween are alternated Blue
- (register 1) and Red (register 2). Of course this depends on your
- screen settings, but the above are the QuickBBS defaults. If
- foreground and background turn out to be the same, Quick will
- adjust the background colour.
-
- Some examples...
-
- Bold, White on Blue : <ESC>[0;1;37;44m
- Blink, Red on Yellow : <ESC>[0;5;31;43m
- Normal, White on Black : <ESC>[m or <ESC>[0m
- Bold, Underlined, Green : <ESC>[0;1;4;32m
-
- Note that setting - say - Bold does not effect any of the other
- attributes, nor the colours. To make sure you've got the right
- mode, you could add a '0' at the beginning, but that depends on how
- intelligent your Ansi editor is.
-
- You can create your Ansi screens in a number of different ways. The
- hardest way is to do it all in a text editor like Tempus or the
- capture buffer in Flash. This is lots of hard work, and you can't
- get many fancy effects this way.
-
- The most expensive method is to buy a PC and use an editor like
- TheDraw. These editors have lots of nice options to do stuff like
- animation.
-
- The simplest is to create your screens in a VT-52 editor and
- convert them to Ansi using the QANSI program, available from our
- Support BBS. You just specify the input VT-52 file, and your Ansi
- file is ready to use! The only limitation is: QANSI can't handle
- more than one screen at a time.
-
- Perhaps someone has time to write a good VT-52 and Ansi editor for
- the ST? It's about time we had something we can work with!
-
- APPENDIX I - RS-232 PINOUT
-
- 9 [...................................................]0110
- On an RS-232 interface a logically low (binary 0) signal is between
- +3V and +15V (+12V is recommended). A logically high (binary 1)
- signal is between -3V and -15V (-12V recommended). There are two
- types of ports (DCE on the ST and DTE on the modem), which
- generally ensure that receive and send are inter-connected on
- either side.
-
- Most RS-232 ports have 25 pins (pin number 1 should be marked on
- the plug). Some PC's use 9-pin 'joystick' connectors for their RS-
- 232. The pin numbering is different, but the meaning is the same. A
- jumper box always comes in handy when trying to connect equipment
- using RS-232!
-
- The minimum requirement for QuickBBS is CD, DTR, TD, RD, PG and
- GND. For modems of 9600 bps or over you must also use RTS and CTS.
- Not all pins are connected on an ST. Available pins are...
-
- Pin Name Description
-
- 1 PG Protective Ground, protects your equipment against
- current surges, different voltage levels etc.
- 2 TD Transmit Data. The computer sends data to the modem
- on this pin.
- 3 RD Receive Data. Data sent from the modem to the
- computer goes through this pin.
- 4 RTS Request To Send, goes high when the computer wants
- to send data to the modem.
- 5 CTS Clear To Send (response to RTS), goes high when the
- modem is ready to receive data from the computer.
- 7 GND Ground, all other signals are relative to the
- voltage on this pin.
- 8 CD Carrier Detect is made high by the modem when a user
- is online (a connection is in progress).
- 20 DTR Data Terminal Ready, is made low by QuickBBS when
- the modem should terminate the connection.
- 22 RI RIng, goes high when the modem detects an incoming
- call (the phone is ringing).
-
- APPENDIX J - FSE INTERFACE
-
- The Full Screen Editor is called by QuickBBS when the user wants
- to write a message. Before Quick executes the FSE it changes the
- current directory to the directory where the FSE program is
- located and writes one or two files. The command line of the FSE
- contains the current baudrate (0 for local), the number of minutes
- the user has left, the number of seconds before the user should be
- timed out and the users graphics mode number.
-
- Quick will always write a file called MSGINFO.FSE, which is a plain
- ASCII file with 7 lines:
-
- ¯ who the message is from (max. 35 characters),
- ¯ who the message is to (max. 35 characters),
- ¯ the subject of the message (max. 72 characters),
- ¯ the originating FidoNet address,
- ¯ the destination FidoNet address,
- ¯ an area name (max. 35 characters),
- ¯ some message bits.
-
- The to, from and subject lines are checked for validity by Quick.
- If the message is a Local or EchoMail message the FidoNet addresses
- are 0, otherwise these lines contain the zone, net and node numbers
- in the usual format, followed by a space and the name of the node
- (max. 35 characters).
-
- The message bits are stored as a string of 8 zeroes and ones (MSB
- first), which mean:
-
- Bit Change? Meaning
-
- 0 Yes the message is private
- 1 No the message is a reply
- 2 No the message is local
- 3 No the message is EchoMail
- 4 Yes the message 'to' line may be changed
- 5 Yes the message 'subject' line may be changed
- 6 Yes the message has a file attached
- 7 No reserved
-
- If the message is a reply Quick will create a file called
- MSGTEXT.FSE, which contains the text of the original message. It is
- unformatted, null terminated and contains linefeeds to mark the
- end-of-paragraph. It may also contain kludge lines.
-
- The FSE should add its own quote characters, but please use the
- standard quote format (e.g. " XX> " or " > "). This way other
- editors can detect them and quoting will not end up in an extreme
- mess.
-
- When the editor returns to the BBS it should exit with an
- errorlevel:
-
- ErrorLevel Meaning
-
- 0 all went okay, save the message
- 1 user aborted the message
- 2 user dropped the carrier
- 3 user fell asleep
- other internal error - Quick will abort the message
-
- If the editor returns with errorlevel 0 it must have written the
- two files with new info. MSGTEXT.FSE will contain the message text,
- null terminated, LF's to terminate paragraphs. CR's will be ignored
- by Quick. The message text may only contain characters 10, 13 and
- the range 32 to 127. A null should be used to terminate the
- message.
-
- The new MSGINFO.FSE may have lines 2 and 3 changed, and in line 7
- only those bits marked with 'change?' above. If line 2 or 3 have
- been changed then the corresponding message bits should be set. If
- the 'to' field is changed in a local message the FSE should check
- the user base to validate the new name.
-
- If either of the two files are not found Quick will abort the
- message.
-
- APPENDIX K - EXTERNAL CHAT INTERFACE
-
- The external chat program is called if...
-
- ¯ the user yells for the SysOp
- ¯ the SysOp presses Alt-C to start chatting
-
- Quick changes the current directory to the directory containing the
- chat program and executes it with command line
-
- <Yell?> <Baud> <FirstName> <LastName> <Graphics> <Record>
-
- where
-
- <Yell?> is 1 if the user yelled or 0 if the SysOp pressed
- Alt-C,
- <Baud> is the current baudrate, or 0 in local mode,
- <FirstName> is the users first name,
- <LastName> is the users last name,
- <Graphics> is the users graphics mode number,
- <Record> is the users record number in USERS.BBS.
-
- The chat program should page the SysOp if <Yell?> is 1 etc.
-
- APPENDIX L - AVAILABLE UTILITIES
-
- 9 [...................................................]0110
- There are already quite a lot of utilities available for QuickBBS
- ST. Most of them can be downloaded from our Support BBS. Some
- utilities require a batch file setup. The ones supplied with
- QuickBBS aren't listed here.
-
- Utilities
-
- ¯ COMPOSER can be used to create yelltunes. Runs in high resolution
- only and needs GfA-Basic 2.0. Provided as source code.
- ¯ FSU can be used to scan your file areas for missing files and/or
- descriptions.
- ¯ WOWSER can extract text files from archives and reads them, wrks
- a bit like the internal browser.
- ¯ AMAIL can generate .QWK mail packets for use with off-line
- editors. Very power- and usefull, it's shareware
- ¯ FIBU compiles your FILES.BBS file descriptions into one big file.
- ¯ LAST10 makes charts in ASCII, VTM and VTC graphics modes of the
- last 10 callers.
- ¯ LED is an offline message editor in a Gem environment (i.e. with
- windows etc). Very nice indeed!
- ¯ QANSI converts VT-52 screens to Ansi graphics. Supports limited
- animation but can only handle one screen at a time.
- ¯ STICK (FidoNet), used to send and receive files to and from other
- FidoNet nodes. It automatically sends newest versions,
- descriptions etc.
- ¯ TOP10 makes charts in ASCII, VTM and VTC graphics modes of the
- top 10 uploaders, downloaders, message writers and callers.
-
- DoorGames
-
- Because Quick can run Pandora and FoReM DoorGames you have quite a
- choice in this department too. A small selection...
-
- ¯ Arcade is a collection of simple games like hang man and tic-tac-
- toe (noughts & crosses).
- ¯ Dungeons & Dragons should ring a bell? In this game the user
- plays against your ST. He must search through dungeons collecting
- treasures & fighting monsters. Very nice VT-52 graphics!
- ¯ Galactic Empire is a sort of Space Empire Elite, but doesn't play
- as well.
- ¯ Space Empire Elite is an old favourite of mine. Users battle
- other users trying to build a large empire. You set a maximum
- number of turns per day. There are planets to be bought and fed,
- troops to be payed, espionage to be done etc. etc. Very
- addictive.
- ¯ Space Trader Elite is another space game which is played on a
- map. You can travel from planet to planet, buy and sell goods,
- attack other users and so on. Not as competitive as Space Empire
- though.
- ¯ ST Nationals concerns road racing. You can race against other
- users and spend your winnings on new or better parts for your
- car.
-
- Others
-
- ¯ QSTRUCT contains all the QuickBBS ST file structures.
-
- APPENDIX M - ERRORLEVELS & PARAMETERS
-
- QuickBBS exits with different ErrorLevels when NetMail or EchoMail
- is entered, when a system error occurs etc...
-
- Errorlevel Meaning
-
- 0 Normal Exit
- 1 Normal Exit
- 2 Setup error
- 3 Carrier Dropped
- 4 NetMail written
- 5 EchoMail written
- other Menu option errorlevel (type 15)
-
- By checking for errorlevels 4 and 5 you can run Scan and Pack
- directly after QuickBBS to export any mail which was just written.
-
- A few parameters can be passed on the command line too...
-
- Parameter Meaning
-
- -B300 User online, 300 bps
- -B1200 User online, 1200 bps
- -B2400 User online, 2400 bps
- -B4800 User online, 4800 bps
- -B9600 User online, 9600 bps
- -B14400 User online, 14400 Bps
- -B19200 User online, 19200 bps
- -L Operate in Local Mode
- -R Re-login after exit-with-errorlevel
- -S Simulate: don't use fast screen routines locally
- -N Disable statusbar and show mouse. Should be used when
- running MulitTos.
-
- As you can see, when started from a batch file (with a mailer)
- Quick can operate at speeds up to 19200 bps. With the -R parameter
- you don't need to select speed or local mode.
-
- APPENDIX N - EXAMPLE BATCH FILES
-
- The batch files listed here are for the PCommand shell. This shell
- has a few bugs in the batch file handling department. The batch
- files shouldn't be too big (no larger than 5 or 6 Kb), and it seems
- like calling one batch file from another causes problems. All
- commands are in uppercase, the parameters are in lowercase (for
- clarity, PCommand doesn't care). The comments in brackets should
- not be typed in.
-
- Running QuickBBS with QuickStart
-
- ECHO off
-
- REM ==========
- REM QuickBBS ST + QuickStart example batch file. To use this one
- REM you must rename QSTART.OVL to QSTART.PRG.
- REM ==========
-
- :start (jump here to rerun QuickStart)
- CLS
- ECHO Loading QuickStart
-
- CD \qbbs (change to right directory)
- qstart (run QuickStart)
-
- CLS
- ECHO QuickStart exit with ErrorLevel %:e
-
- REM Check errorlevel returned by QuickStart...
-
- IF ERRORLEVEL 192 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 192? 19200 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 144 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 144? 14400 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 96 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 96? 9600 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 48 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 48? 4800 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 24 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 24? 2400 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 12 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 12? 1200 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 3? 300 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO errorend (level 2: error!)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO local (level 1: local)
- GOTO end (level 0: offline)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :local (jump here to login locally)
- CLS
- CD \qbbs (go to right directory)
- quickbbs -L (run QuickBBS in local mode)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO afterquick (exit with errorlevel?)
- GOTO start (nope, rerun QuickStart)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :qbbs (jump here for xxx bps users)
- CLS
- ECHO Starting up QuickBBS at %:e00 bps.
- CD \qbbs (go to right directory)
- quickbbs -B%:e00 (run QuickBBS at 300 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO afterquick (exit with errorlevel?)
- GOTO start (no, back to QuickStart)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :end (jump here to bring board offline)
- CLS
- ECHO @3 18 - QuickBBS is Offline -
- ECHO .
- CD \QBBS
- EXIT (out of batch file)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :errorend (jump here if error occurs)
- BELL (sound the bell)
- CLS
- ECHO @3 18 - QuickStart Error
- ECHO .
- CD \qbbs
- BELL
- EXIT (out out out)
-
- REM ==========
- REM DoorGames etc. here...
- REM ==========
-
- :afterquick
-
- REM Check what errorlevel was returned by Quick. Note that the
- REM 'if errorlevel 6' bit actually means 'if errorlevel >= 6'
-
- IF ERRORLEVEL 7 GOTO dosgate (level 7: remote shell)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO starwars (level 6: play a game)
- GOTO relogin (should never get here)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :relogin (rerun Quick with user still online)
- CLS
- ECHO Restarting QuickBBS.
- CD \qbbs
- quickbbs -R (rerun Quick, -R means Relogin)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO aferquick (another exit-with-errorlevel?)
- GOTO start (no, back to QuickStart)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :dosgate (jump here for remote shell)
- CLS
- ECHO Remote Dosgate in operation...
-
- CD \qbbs
- CTTY AUX (redirect PCommand to modem)
- cdwatch ON (monitor carrier, reset if lost)
-
- ECHO QuickBBS DOSGATE
- ECHO ================
- ECHO Type 'EXIT' to return to QuickBBS.
-
- INPUT (interactive commands)
-
- cdwatch OFF (carrier watching off)
- CTTY CON (redirect back to console)
- ECHO Back from Dosgate
- GOTO relogin (rerun QuickBBS)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :starwars (Jump here to play game)
- CLS
- ECHO Starting DoorGame: StarWars
- CD \qbbs\starwars
- starwars (start up program)
- GOTO relogin (rerun QuickBBS)
-
- REM =======
- REM The End
- REM =======
-
- Running QuickBBS with The-Box or Binkley
-
- ECHO off
-
- REM ==========
- REM QuickBBS ST + The-Box example batch file.
- REM ==========
-
- :start (jump here to rerun The-Box)
- CLS
- ECHO Loading The-Box
-
- CD \qbbs (change to right directory)
- tb unattended (run The-Box in mailer mode)
-
- CLS
- ECHO The-Box exit with ErrorLevel %:e
-
- REM Check errorlevel returned by The-Box...
- REM Use f10 to login locally. The levels for import/export depend
- REM on your TB.EVT configuration file.
-
- IF ERRORLEVEL 100 GOTO local (level 100: local)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 192 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 192? 19200 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 144 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 144? 14400 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 96 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 96? 9600 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 48 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 48? 4800 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 24 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 24? 2400 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 12 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 12? 1200 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 9 GOTO import (level 9: received mail)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 4 GOTO export (level 4: pack mail)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO qbbs (errorlevel 3? 300 bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO errorend (level 1: error!)
- GOTO end (level 0: offline)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :local (jump here to login locally)
- CLS
- CD \qbbs (go to right directory)
- quickbbs -L (run QuickBBS in local mode)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO afterquick (exit with errorlevel?)
- GOTO start (nope, rerun The-Box)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :qbbs (jump here for xxx bps users)
- CLS
- ECHO Starting up QuickBBS at %:e00 bps.
- CD \qbbs (go to right directory)
- quickbbs -%:e300 (run QuickBBS at xx bps)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO afterquick (exit with errorlevel?)
- GOTO start (no, back to The-Box)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :end (jump here to bring board offline)
- CLS
- ECHO @3 18 - QuickBBS is Offline -
- ECHO .
- CD \QBBS
- EXIT (out of batch file)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :errorend (jump here if error occurs)
- BELL (sound the bell)
- CLS
- ECHO @3 18 - The-Box Error -
- ECHO .
- CD \qbbs
- BELL
- EXIT (out out out)
-
- REM ==========
- REM DoorGames etc. here...
- REM ==========
-
- :afterquick
-
- REM Check what errorlevel was returned by Quick. Note that the
- REM 'if errorlevel 6' bit actually means 'if errorlevel >= 6'
-
- IF ERRORLEVEL 7 GOTO dosgate (level 7: remote shell)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO starwars (level 6: play a game)
- GOTO relogin (should never get here)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :relogin (rerun Quick with user still online)
- CLS
- ECHO Restarting QuickBBS.
- CD \qbbs
- quickbbs -R (rerun Quick, -R means Relogin)
- IF ERRORLEVEL 6 GOTO aferquick (another exit-with-errorlevel?)
- GOTO start (no, back to The-Box)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :dosgate (jump here for remote shell)
- CLS
- ECHO Remote Dosgate in operation...
-
- CD \qbbs
- CTTY AUX (redirect PCommand to modem)
- cdwatch ON (monitor carrier, reset if lost)
-
- ECHO QuickBBS DOSGATE
- ECHO ================
- ECHO Type 'EXIT' to return to QuickBBS.
-
- INPUT (interactive commands)
-
- cdwatch OFF (carrier watching off)
- CTTY CON (redirect back to console)
- ECHO Back from Dosgate
- GOTO relogin (rerun QuickBBS)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :starwars (Jump here to play game)
- CLS
- ECHO Starting DoorGame: StarWars
- CD \qbbs\starwars
- starwars (start up program)
- GOTO relogin (rerun QuickBBS)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :import (jump here to import received mail)
- CLS
- CD \qbbs
- ECHO Mail received, starting Import.
- ECHO #
- import (run Import)
- GOTO start (back to The-Box)
-
- REM ==========
-
- :export (jump here to pack outbound mail)
- CD \qbbs
- CLS
- ECHO Scanning echomail...
- ECHO #
- scan -p (now scan EchoMail)
-
- CLS
- ECHO Scanning NetMail...
- ECHO #
- pack (then scan NetMail)
- GOTO start (back to The-Box)
-
- REM =======
- REM The End
- REM =======
-
- APPENDIX O - BUG REPORT FORM
-
- 9 [...................................................]0110
- To be used if you discover a bug in QuickBBS ST or one of the
- provided utilities.
-
- If you have problems please make sure...
-
- ¯ that you have read the documentation properly,
- ¯ that your configuration is right,
- ¯ that your system date is correct,
- ¯ that you have installed 4KBUF in your Auto folder,
- ¯ that you have the latest version of the program.
-
- Then remove all programs from your Auto folder (except 4KBUF) and
- all accessories, reboot and try again.
-
- If it still goes wrong, fill in the bug report form below and send
- it (as a message or as a file) to our Support BBS. Please tell us
- as much as you can about the problem, and if possible describe how
- we can reproduce it. If you're having trouble with terminal
- emulation or during file transfers, include the name of the program
- 'on the other end' (e.g. Flash, Interlink, Procomm etc.). Thank
- you!
-
- Your name _______________________________________________
- Key serial number _______________________________________________
- BBS name _______________________________________________
- BBS phone number _______________________________________________
- FidoNet address _______________________________________________
-
- System Atari _______ ST ______________________________
- _______________________________________ Monitor
- ______________________________________ Harddisk
- _________________________________________ Modem
- TOS version ___________________________________
- ___________________________________ Kb RAM free
- _______________________________________________
- _______________________________________________
-
- Auto folder _______________________________________________
- _______________________________________________
- _______________________________________________
- _______________________________________________
-
- Accessories _______________________________________________
- _______________________________________________
- _______________________________________________
- _______________________________________________
-
- Program _______________________________________________
- Version _______________________________________________
-
- Description etc. :
-
-
