OS/2 Shareware BBS: 2 BBS/02-BBS.zip/mag7demo.zip/HLP_DIR.ZIP/FILEHELP.BBS

File List | 1993-09-01 | 12KB | 227 lines

@A12 @c18
NOTE: This help file also serves as an example of a regular ASCII text
      file that you, as SYSOP of a Magnum BBS can create. Although a
      regular ASCII text file, created with any text editor, it can
      offer sophisticated menus, customization, and multitudes of other
      things limited only by your imagination.

@P0 @C8

                  @A14 Gilmore Systems FILE HELP @A13

        [G] - General Explanation of Commands
        [P] - File Transfer Protocols (upload/download) Explained
        [H] - How to Perform a File Transfer (upload/download)
        [T] - Time and CPS (Characters per Second) Transfer Rate.
        [Q] - Quit Help

        Enter Choice (G,P,H,T,Q) => @Z0('GPHTQ');
        @B1(z0="G"); @B2(z0="P"); @B3(z0="H"); @B4(z0="T"); @C16 @B5(z0="Q");
@P1  @C8 @A14 Gilmore Systems General Explanation of File Commands @A10

[Q] - Quits file section and returns back to Main Menu

[I] - Gives detailed information on a file

[L] - Lists Available Files. Note that the areas you are allowed to list
      may not necessarily be the same areas you are allowed to download
      from or upload to. This is purely at the Sysop's discretion.

[D] - Download File(s) From BBS to your computer. There are several
      download protocols. All protocols will let you download one file
      at any given time. YMODEM and YMODEM-G are batch protocols and
      will let you download multiple files (one after the other) without
      further intervention from you once the transfer is started.

[U] - Lets you upload a file to the BBS from your computer. Uploads are
      done as single file at a time.

[N] - Searches for NEW files added to the BBS file area(s) since the
      last time you performed the [N]ew search. The system keeps track
      of your last search date for every file area available on the
      system.

[T] - Allows you to search for files within a given file area based on
      a text search criteria and date fileter which you specify. The
      search tries to find a match in the filename and/or file
      description if it meets the date criteria. All matches (if any),
      will be displayed on your screen.

[S] - Displays your file statistics (Characters/second, files uploaded,
      files downloaded, etc).

[G] - The GOODBYE function ends your session on the BBS and breaks the
      line connection.

[?] - Presents this help screen.

[A] - Allows Access to a compressed (.ARC or .ZIP) file. This function
      will list the members of the compressed file and allow you to read
      any of its members. You may also download any individual members.

[R] - This function will allow you to read a file, provided it's an
      ASCII (readable) file.

[C] - This function will allow you to change things on any file you
      uploaded to the system. You can change the expiration date, the
      filename, description(s), the area, make it public or private
      (password protect it), or even delete the file.

[M] - Similar to [L]ist files, but the output is routed to a file,
      compressed into an .ARC, and queued for the user to download.
      Automatic password protection (uses your logon password) and
      expiration dates are automatically assigned. Replaces the need
      for an ALLFILES.ARC or similar file listing offered by many
      other BBS's.

@c9 @B0(0=0);
@P2  @C8 @A14 Gilmore Systems File Transfer Protocols Explained @A10

File transfers must follow a transfer protocol. The Gilmore Systems
Magnum BBS software offers the following protocols:

   Xmodem, Xmodem-CRC, Xmodem-1K, Ymodem, Ymodem-G and Zmodem

All of the above file transfer protocols offer error correcting file
transfers between this computer and yours. Error checking is performed
by breaking the file up into blocks of usually 128 or 1024 bytes each.
Each block is sent with a block number in front of it and an arithmetic
checksum or CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) following it. The receiving
computer checks to make sure the block number matches what was sent,
then calculates its own checksum or CRC and compares it with the
checksum or CRC that was sent. In the event of a mismatch (an error
occurred in the block), the receiving computer tells the sending
computer to resend the block. The block is resent until either no errors
are received, or the transfer is aborted if too many consecutive errors
occur (a block gets resent too many times). When the last block is
successfully sent, the transmission for that file is complete.

The oldest transfer protocol is Xmodem, which uses 128 byte blocks and
sends an arithmetic checksum at the end of every block. You should use
the Xmodem protocol only if thats the only protocol that your
communications program has in common with the Magnum BBS protocol
offerings. Although fairly reliable, Xmodem's arithmetic checksum is not
as error-free as the CRC calculation used by all other protocols on this
BBS.

Xmodem-CRC is much more accurate than plain old Xmodem. If you are using
Compuserve's PC-3 communications software, the implementation of Xmodem
they use is the Xmodem-CRC protocol. Make sure you specify Xmodem-CRC
when transferring files between a Magnum BBS and your computer, or make
Xmodem-CRC protocol your default protocol.

Xmodem-1K, uses 1024 byte blocks instead of the smaller 128 byte blocks
used by Xmodem and Xmodem-CRC. This means greater throughput between the
BBS and your computer. The reasoning behind this is because at the end
of every block, there is additional overhead of the receiving computer
sending an ACKnowledgement (successful receive of block) or a NAK
(Negative AcKnowledgement) meaning to resend the block. With Xmodem or
Xmodem-CRC, these ACKs and NAKs are sent back and forth 8 times, whereas
the equivalent Xmodem-1K sends 1 ACK or NAK for every block. When you
have a clean line (very little noise), Xmodem-1K offers greater
throughput. On noisier lines (more errors), Xmodem-CRC or Xmodem offers
greater throughput since checks are done 8 times for every 1024 bytes
sent (once every 128 bytes) instead of once every 1024 bytes. Xmodem-1K
uses CRC checks to insure high reliability file transfers.

Ymodem is what's known as a "batch" protocol. This means that you can
tell Magnum BBS the filenames of several files you wish to transfer,
then start your download and walk away. All files will be sent, one
after the other, until complete. If you told Magnum BBS to disconnect
after the transfer, you needn't stick around to disconnect your
connection after the last file - Magnum BBS will do that for you. Ymodem
uses 1024 byte blocks and CRC checking.

Ymodem-G is identical to Ymodem with the following difference: No error
checking is performed by the receiving computer, and the sending
computer does not wait for an ACK or a NAK between blocks. Magnum BBS
software only allows Ymodem-G when it detects that you've established
a connection with an error-correcting modem. These are modems which
support the MNP (Microcom Network Protocol) which perform error checking
within the modem's hardware, instead of having the software perform the
checks.

Zmodem is another "batch" protocol. Similar in functionality to Ymodem, it
also offers "crash recovery" - this means that if you start a download and you
have a power failure or some other disaster which disconnects you from this
BBS in the middle of a download, you can call back and tell your Zmodem
software to download a file from where it left off - this saves time in that
you needn't re-download the entire file. Crash recovery is not implemented on
uploads on this BBS since incomplete uploads are deleted by Magnum.

NOTE: ASCII is not a file transfer protocol, and is therefore not used
      in file transfer. Many other BBSs misleadingly offer ASCII as a
      file transfer protocol. Basically, ASCII defines the first 128
      characters of a character set including control codes. The ASCII
      character set is the character set used by IBM and many other
      microcomputers. Other character sets are Baudot and EBCDIC for
      example. If you wish to transfer a readable ASCII file without
      using one of the error-checking protocols, simply [R]ead the file,
      capturing it with the capture function on your communications
      software.

@c9 @B0(0=0);
@P3  @C8          @A14 How to Perform a File Transfer @A10

After reading @A13 "File Transfer Protocols Explained" @A10 you should
find a protocol in your communications software which matches one of the
protocols offered by Magnum BBS. To download a file, simply select the
download function, specify the file name (and protocol if you've not
selected a default protocol), then begin the download procedure on your
communications software program. An example of starting the download
procedure with popular communications programs such as Procomm or
Logicomm would be to press your <PgDn> key, specify the protocol
(matching the protocol you've chosen for Magnum BBS to use), enter the
filename (ending with the ENTER key), and everything else is automatic
from there. To upload, the choose the upload function on the Magnum BBS
file menu - Magnum BBS will ask you the filename you're sending, a
description and a few other things. When Magnum BBS tells you to begin
your upload procedure, press your <PgUp> key (with Procomm or Logicomm
communications software), specifiy the protocol and filename, and
everything is automatic after that.

When downloading using Ymodem, Ymodem-G or Zmodem, you needn't tell your
communications software the name(s) of the file(s) you're downloading -
the Ymodem, Ymodem-G and Zmodem protocols convey this information to your
communications program automatically.

@c9 @B0(0=0);
@P4  @C8   @A14 Time and CPS (Characters per Second) Transfer Rate @A10

Whether you're download or uploading to/from Magnum BBS, Magnum BBS
calculates your file transfer rate based on the last (most recent)
transfer you've performed. At 2400 baud, for example, 240 CPS is 100%
efficiency. Generally, transmission rates will be lower, however, with
the newer modems supporting speed conversion and error correction, rates
well above 240 CPS can be achieved.

If your last download at 2400 baud, for example, was 200 CPS, Magnum BBS
uses 200 CPS to calculate the time needed for the next file you wish to
transfer. If that period of time exceeds the amount of time you have
remaining on the system, Magnum BBS will not permit the transfer. If you
call back at 9600 baud, for example, Magnum BBS takes the old 200 CPS
rate (example) and converts it 800 CPS. Likewise, if you called back at
1200 baud, Magnum BBS would convert your last CPS rate to 100 CPS. In
other words, Magnum BBS automatically adjusts your CPS rate based on
last transfer, and your currently connected baud rate.

Magnum BBS can also compensate you with time spent for uploads. Although
this is up to the SYSOP, time compensation can be 0 (nothing), or 1 for
1 (meaning each minute you spend uploading will be given back to you), 2
to 1 (meaning if you spent 5 minutes uploading, 10 minutes will be given
back), 3 to 1 (meaning 3 minutes are given back for every 1 minute spent
uploading), etc up to 255 to 1. Again, this is all at the SYSOP's
discretion.

Also at the SYSOP's discretion, is a Download to Upload ratio. This
means that a Download to Upload ratio (DU ratio) of 5, for example,
means that Magnum BBS will let you download 5 files and not permit
anymore downloads until you've uploaded a file. In other words, for
every 5 files you download, Magnum BBS expects 1 back in return. The
download to upload ratio is determined by the SYSOP, and can range from
0 (no DU ratio), to 255. A DU ratio of 0 means that you can download as
much as you want without ever having to upload any files.

@c9 @B0(0=0);
@P5