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Text File | 1993-10-11 | 11KB | 207 lines

VBBS 6.11 Documentation--I-1 ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗ ║ APPENDIX I VIRTUAL QWK OFFLINE MAIL UTILITY ║ ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝ GENERAL OVERVIEW ════════════════ This appendix explains the installation procedures for the VBBS QWK offline mail utility. This utility allows users to download messages, bulletins, and file listings from the BBS and then upload their responses, all without having to tie up the BBS any longer than it takes to do the file transfers. VQWK is nearly 100% compliant with the QWK format as set down by Mark Herring in 1987. INSTALLATION PROCEDURES ═══════════════════════ 1> Run VCONFIG and select '1. Main Configuration' and switch to page 2. Select 'I. QWK Message Limit:' and enter a number to represent the maximum number of messages to be downloadable in one QWK packet. 2> Select the function block you wish to have the users access the mail utility and add the following line: Q 001 4 VQWK %1 Change the key and security level required as needed. 3> Edit the VQWK.CFG file located in the main VBBS directory with the following configuration information: Line 1> The location of your BBS Line 2> The BBS phone number Line 3> A short BBS tagline (used by some OLMRs) Line 4> List of archive utilities supported: A = ARJ version 2.30+ P = PAK version 2.51+ C = PKPak version 3.61+ Z = PKZip version 1.10+ L = LHarc version 2.13+ Lines 5-9> Maximum # of messages per packet based on caller speed. These 5 lines must contain a number even if you do not support the speed. Line 5> 300 baud Line 8> 9600 baud Line 6> 1200 baud Line 9> 14.4k+ baud and Line 7> 2400 baud local callers Line 10> Drive devices allowed for new file scans: 0 = No file scans allowed 1 = Hard drive databases only 2 = Hard drive and CD-ROM databases Line 11+> Bulletins to be included in the QWK packet. Each line containing a bulletin should include a title and a full path and filename to the actual file VBBS 6.11 Documentation--I-2 to be included in the archive. The title should be either in the form 'BLT-x.y' where 'x' and 'y' are replaced by numbers or one of three standard file types: HELLO = Login screen GOODBYE = Logoff screen NEWS = System news There is no limit to the number of bulletins that can be included in a QWK packet. Any line in your configuration file after 'Line 3>' that begins with an '!' is treated as a comment line and is ignored by VQWK. The first 10 lines are required and must contain an acceptable value. 4> If you wish to restrict email access to a particular network or piece of a network then edit the QWKNET.CFG file located in the main VBBS directory. Each restriction needs to be on a line by itself listed as "NOEMAILNET=<net #>[,<allowed routing>]. The <net #> is the network slot number that the restriction will be for. The [,<allowed routing>] is optional and can contain a specific network routing that you would like to allow email in, yet restrict all other email to the network. Some examples are shown here: NOEMAILNET=15 (Restrict all e-mail from network 15) NOEMAILNET=4,1:3816 (Restrict e-mail from FIDOnet except when addressed to any BBS in 1:3816) There are no limits to the number of restrictions that can be placed on email. Multiple restrictions to one network are allowed, but you need to take care in the order they are placed in. As soon as VQWK finds a restriction line that will allow the message into the network in question it will stop searching the list. 5> Reload VCONFIG and set up those databases that you wish to be QWKable by entering a number between 2 and 255 into the field 'QWK Conference:' under the specific database information. Do not enter numbers into file databases as they are not needed for VQWK to access them. VQWK CONTROL PANEL ══════════════════ The control panel supplies the user with access to the QWK functions supported by your BBS and will alter to show only those functions that the user can access. VBBS 6.11 Documentation--I-3 Here is what the VQWK control panel looks like: -------------------------------------------- (D)ownload new message packet (QWK). (U)pload reply message packet (REP). (A)lter maximum # of messages/packet. (C)hange default compression type. (P)ick # of days for new file scan. (S)elect message bases for QWKing. Show (W)ho's currently online. (R)eturn to the BBS (exiting VQWK). (G)oodbye / Log Off from the BBS. -------------------------------------------- (D) and (U) are used for exchanging messages with the user. (A) lets the user set the limit on the number of messages to be downloaded in a packet. This defaults to the limit you have set in the VQWK.CFG file but some users may need to set a lower limit, especially those using a floppy drive-only machine. (C) allows the user to alter their default compression type if there are any options available. If your BBS only uses one compression type then this option will not appear. (P) lets the user set the number of days back that the BBS should use when doing a new file scan for QWK use. If you do not allow file scanning by setting line 10 in the VQWK.CFG file to 0 then this option will not appear. By default this value is set to 0 for all users, thus they need to change it if they wish to get a file listing. The maximum value for this option is 730 days (2 years). (S) is used to select which message bases that the user wishes to have placed in the QWK packet. This option uses the same data files as the function block command 'SETQUICKSCAN' so the user will see the same message bases on or offline. The only exception to this is databases that do not have QWK numbers, these will not appear under the (S) option. (W) is identical to the standard who's online command used within function blocks. (R) sends the user back to the BBS while (G) logs the user off completely. The (G) option does not appear when a user is logged in locally, only when they are online remotely. VBBS 6.11 Documentation--I-4 OLMR INFORMATION ════════════════ Offline Mail Readers (OLMR's) are used to access the file that the user downloads from a BBS. Every OLMR has its own set of instructions to explain how the user can access the packet, so it is up to the user to read those instructions before downloading from a BBS. The one thing that should be noted is the way that VQWK can handle the addressing of messages uploaded with an OLMR. Many networks in use today have very long addressing schemes and so it is very difficult to send mail thru a QWK door since the standard allows for only 25 characters in the TO: field. In order to circumvent this limitation VQWK allows the users to insert the word 'VBBS' in the TO: field in the OLMR and then insert the real address as the first line of the message. The first line needs to be in the format: TO: [Handle/Name]<#User Number>{@Network Address}(*Network Number) [Handle/Name] = The recipients handle or name on the BBS, this is an optional field, unless the second field is not used. <#User Number> = The recipients account #, this is an optional field if the first field is used. {@Network Address} = This is the network BBS address that the email recipient is located at. If it is left blank then VQWK assumes it is a local user. (*Network Number) = The slot number for the target network. This field is ignored unless there is an address listed in the third field and then it must be supplied or the email will not be sent. When an email cannot be sent because the address has not been written correctly it will be sent to the sysop account with the original address inserted as the first line of the message. This will allow you to send the message back to the user or forward it to the correct recipient by correcting the address. When a user tries to send an email to a network address that has been placed into the QWKNET.CFG file it will be sent back to the sender with a note stating that email to that address is not allowed.