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1993-05-30
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------------------------------------------------------------------------
VBBS/NET 6.10 Archives
Copyright (C) Roland De Graaf 1990-1993
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the official release of VBBS 6.10!
VBBS610.DOC Main VBBS Documentation (Please Read)
VSCRIPT.DOC Explaination of Vscript commands
MULTINET.DOC VBBS MultiNet Documentation
MODEM.DOC Modem Configuration
VFIDO.DOC VFIDO Documentation
VXY.DOC VXY Documentation
VBBSDOOR.DOC Setting Up Doors Under VBBS
LOCALNET.DOC Local NET Documentation
UTIL.DOC VBBS Utility Reference
NETGUIDE.DOC VirtualNET Network Guide
SUBSLIST.NET Current List of VirtualNET subs
INSTALL.EXE VBBS Installation Program
BBS.EXE VBBS Start-Up File
VBBS.EXE VBBS Main Program
VBBS-AUX.EXE VBBS Aux Executable
VCONFIG.EXE VBBS Configuration Program
VCOM.EXE VBBS Script Compiler
VLIST.EXE Ascii/Heart Code File Viewer
VXY.EXE VXY Xmodem/Ymodem Transfer Protocol Program
VQWK.EXE VBBS QWK Program
VME.EXE VBBS MultiNet Engine
VFIDO.EXE VBBS FidoNET Mailer/Tosser
VNET.EXE VNET Network Software
---------------------------
Version 6.10 UPGRADE
---------------------------
The Virtual BBS/NET ver 6.10 updates versions 6.00 only!
--> VBBS 6.10 replaces ALL executable files <--
(New Installations Please read VBBS610.DOC)
UPGRADE Installations for ver 6.10, upgrading from ver 6.00:
1) Backup:
files in your database directory
files in your data directory
your .cfg files
2) Having extracted the VBBS61-1.ZIP & VBBS61-2.ZIP to a separate dir,
run the "INSTALL" exe as an upgrade existing installation and name
the correct path to your actual VBBS dir.
(your .CFG files will NOT be overwritten)
3) Verify settings in Vconfig and change Channel 1 in CHANNEL.CFG to
reflect your modem port. (Base addresses and IRQ addresses are set
automatically)
4) The INSTALL for 6.10, when used to upgrade existing installations,
copies ONLY the new .EXE files to your VBBS directory.
It does NOT over-write any menus, script files, function blocks,
text files, or network data files.
You may need to copy files or make some changes manually. <--------
File to consider replacing/editing: *.ANS *.ASC *.TXT *.PDM
-> EXISTING INSTALLATIONS MUST USE THE INSTALL PROGRAM TO UPGRADE VBBS. <-
It is recommended that you BACK-UP the files in your Database
Directory, and the files in your Data Directory.
-- Please Read VBBS610.DOC for more information --
VBBS 6.1 - What 's New!
1. VBBS: Major File Section Improvements
a. Automatic (Configurable) New Upload Verification
VBBS 6.10 incorporates a "ZIPLAB-style" program right into the BBS.
1) Automatically Identifies Archive Format
(ZIP, ARJ, LZH, and ARC supported)
2) Tests Archive Integrity
3) Scans Files in Archive for Virii
4) Adds Archive Comment (If you have a ZIPCOMNT.TXT setup.)
5) Supports FILE_ID.DIZ and DESC.SDI type extended descriptions
6) Feature can be set to:
Disabled -- Turned Off Entirely
Scan & Warn -- Warns you of failed integrity and virii
Leaves message in UPLOAD.LOG and marks
file description with "(!)"
Scan & Delete -- Warns you, as above, also deletes file
and removes user upload stats gained from
the upload.
7) New Upload Verifier runs OFFLINE, after the uploader logs off.
This allows VBBS to shrink out, and use the maximum memory
available on your system for archive processing and scanning.
This also means that your users won't have to wait online
for the archivers and scanners to do their processing.
8) The New Upload Verifier program is contained with VBBS-AUX.EXE.
The syntax is:
VBBS-AUX <channel #> UPLOADSCAN
VBBS calls UPLOADSCAN as needed, automatically.
9) A log file, UPLOAD.LOG is created and maintained in the VBBS
Data Directory.
b. New File Listings are now handled as in most other BBS softwares.
That is, the New Files Listing presented to the user is based on the
date and time of their last call, and this date/time can be optionally
set by the user who wishes to do so. This allows users to execute
the new file list command repetitively during the same login,
instead of just once, as the old pre-6.10 file section was set up.
New Script command to set New Files Scan "Days Back Threshold":
SETNEWFILESSCAN
SETNEWFILESSCAN <number of days back>
The first syntax listed above prompts the user for "Number of Days
Back," accepts input, and so on. Use the first syntax from within a
script, or a function block (as in the default 6.10 .FB files).
The second syntax sets the value directly using the data
you've specified. This type of usage is limited to script only.
c. Pre-upload duplicate filename checking has been VASTLY improved.
(Much Faster than in previous releases of VBBS)
2. VME: Polling Changes
a. Neil and I have proposed to change the polling for VBBS 6.10
& VFIDO 6.10.00, with regards to FIDOnet networks.
Under the current VBBS/VME/VFIDO 6.00, VME calls
VFIDO 1 /POLL NETWORKID=<networkid>
for each fidonet networkid installed on the system.
According to the new guidelines from Neil, VME only needs to call
VFIDO 1 /POLL NETWORKID=<id of first installed FIDO network>
once in order to handle the polling for ALL installed fido-based
networks. This optimizes the number of calls to VFIDO /POLL,
and allows Neil to better control and develop Fidonet Polling.
Since VBBS/VME 6.10 will go hand-in-hand with VFIDO 6.10.00
due to this change, Neil and I will coordinate the release
to prevent the minimum of disruption.
b. VirtualNET Polling has been improved. Unzipped subpackets
are now counted in the call threshold calculations, whereas
with 6.00, they were not.
3. VBBS: Fixes
a. Fixed non-fatal obscure bug in the "To:" field which occured
under rare conditions.
b. Fixed non-fatal bug in user editor display of mail forwarding.
Seems the 6.00 user editor did not give the field enough room to
display forwarding addresses with long node numbers. (oops)
c. Fixed memory problems for users running in cramped
environments such as Desqview 386 or Windows 3.1.
VBBS.EXE 6.10 is 8k smaller than VBBS.EXE 6.00, yet
no functionality has been lost. (In fact, much has been gained.)
d. Fixed Bug in /AC and /CHAIN switches
4. VNET: Fixes & New Duplicate-Detection Features
a. Fixed two "long node number" errors on my part.
(Sorry -- I'm pretty sure this is the last of them.)
1) One problem prevented nodes with numbers greater then
99999999 from netting in. Oops, the limit was supposed
to be 999999999 (nine 9's), not 99999999 (eight 9's).
Typo, but its fixed now.
2) The other problem caused problems with secured subs
routing to long node numbers. Fixed it and tested it
on the @2 server ... Looks good.
b. Added more safety mechanisms
1) Better update validation
2) Duplicate Detection and Removal for AutoRequest Sub Posts
3) VNET verifies existance of VXY.EXE, DSZ.COM, HSLINK.EXE
(if configured as allowed) and warns if file missing.
(VNET first searches the current directory.
If the file isn't found, directories listed as specified
in the PATH environment variable are searched.)
4) VNET verifies existance of PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE
5) New command line option: /CHECK
Give detailed info about your clients, such as the last time
they connected, if they have switched servers, if they
are no longer in the net, etc.
6) A "SEEN-BY" type of line is now incorporated in VNET.
As a post passes through each system, the system adds
their network address to the "Via:" line.
Only sysops can see the "Via:" line at the bottom of the post
-- non-sysop users cannot see it.
"Via" will let us see the exact path a post travels,
and will make posts very easy to track.
A sample Via line, for an email from @6160 to @1:
Via: 6160*1 2*1 1*1
which means:
@6160 network 1 --> @2 network 1 --> @1 network 1
I included the network id, so that gated posts can
be fully tracked also.
c. Fixed bug in network validation of secured subs
d. Added 'extended connections' capability. This allows
your system to have direct connects to other system
which are neither your clients, or your server.
Only Email and autosubscription/secured subs may
pass thru extended connections. This change does not
affect the way the BBSLIST is formatted and used.
Your server/clients as configured in the BBSLIST
are still yours. The structure defined in the BBSLIST
still forms the "backbone" of the network.
Extended Connections are defined in a separate
file called EXTEND. By strategically using extended
connections to bridge together far-out limbs of the backbone,
propagation of email and secured subs will flow faster.
e. Added Dupe Detection/Removal for autosubscription/secured subs
f. Command Line for VNET.EXE:
VNET <channel> <command> NETWORKID=<net id>
Examples:
VNET 1 /U Update Outgoing Packets
VNET 1 /A Analyze Network
VNET 1 /CHECK VNET Diagnostic
VNET 1 /DIAL# Dial System (# = Node Address)
5. VXY: Fixes
Added code to correct filenames when files are being received
from systems that don't necessarily support MSDOS naming conventions.
6. TimeSlice Support for more Multitaskers
VBBS 6.10 (and associated programs) run faster under Windows 3.x
and OS/2 2.x, using the INT 2F facility provided by those
multitaskers to give up time slices when inactive.
(The switch "Desqview Awareness" is now called "MultiTasker Awareness"
and the choices are 1) Disabled 2) Desqview 3) Windows or OS/2)
7. Unencrypted NETWORKS.LST replaces NET.0
8. Event Support Enhanced
Events can now be configured for both HARD and SOFT.
Hard Events adjust time limits so that the effect goes off
on time. Soft Events do not adjust user time limits.
System Daily Cleanup is, by default, a hard event.
Additionally, multiuser VBBS systems will now notice that
channels 2 and up are held "offline" during HARD EVENTS ONLY
on channel 1, effectively keeping users off the board
during the duration of the external event.
When the event on channel finishes processing, channel 1
clears the "event flag", and channels 2 and up go back online,
automatically. (Manual override is supported).
While in the offline state, channels 2 and up maintain
a watch-dog timer. Should the external event batch file
executing on channel 1 crash or bomb out, channels 2
and up will time out after approximately 1 hour, and
clear the event flag themselves and go back online.