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autoppp.zip
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README
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1996-10-20
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AutoPPP - A REXX script that periodically connects to your ISP using
PPP.EXE and SLATTACH.EXE and executes a program once the
connection is established.
Author: David Forrai <dforrai@erinet.com>
DISCLAIMER: Please note that this software is freeware. You are free
to distribute and/or modify it. The author does not warrant that this
software will meet your requirements or that the operation of the
software will be error free. The author will not be liable for any loss
or damages occurred by the use of this software.
File list:
README - This file
AutoPPP.CMD - The main REXX program that launches PPP.EXE
Wait4PPP.CMD - A background REXX program that monitors SLATTACH
output and launches the specified program when the
connection is established.
Description:
AutoPPP will dial you ISP using PPP and SLATTACH. You must set the PPP
parameters using the PPP.CFG file in the TCPIP\ETC directory. If you
launch AutoPPP without any command line parameters, AutoPPP will start
PPP.EXE and connect to your ISP. If PPP.EXE terminates, AutoPPP will
restart PPP.EXE. In this mode you must manually kill the script,
otherwise it will try to keep your PPP connection established
indefinitely. The syntax for this mode of operation is:
AutoPPP
There are three optional command line parameters. These parameters
allow periodic execution of an application after the PPP connection is
established. As long as that application is running, AutoPPP will try
to keep your PPP connection up by restarting PPP.EXE after it
terminates. Once the application terminates, AutoPPP will wait until
the default or specified period from the start of the connection process
before connecting and launching the application again. By default, the
start time for the PPP connection is immediately and the interval is 24
hours. The syntax for this mode of operation is:
AutoPPP myapp.exe myapps_parameters
If you specify the path of myapp.exe, the default directory will be
changed to this path before launching myapp.exe. myapp could also be a
OS/2 command file, eg. myapp.cmd
If you wish to start the PPP connection at a specific time and restart
at 24 hour intervals, use the following syntax:
AutoPPP /Hxx:yy myapp myapp_parameters
The /H switch MUST be before myapp and the start time must be specified
in 24 hour format (eg. 0:00 = midnight, 12:00 = noon, 23:00 = 11pm)
where xx is in hours between 0 and 23 and yy is in minutes between 0 and
59.
To change the interval between launches, use the syntax:
AutoPPP /Ixx:yy myapp myapp_parameters
The /I switch MUST be specified before myapp. It can be used in
conjunction with the /H switch. The order of /I and /H doesn't matter
as long as they both precede the application. Again, xx is in hours
(between 0 and 23) and yy in minutes (between 0 and 59).
How it works
The script parses the command line and sets parameters accordingly. If
a start hour is specified, AutoPPP will calculate how long to wait
before this time occurs from the current time, then sleep for that
period. When AutoPPP wakes up (if it was put to sleep by the /H
switch), it creates a REXX queue, starts a minimized background process
(Wait4PPP) that monitors this queue, then starts PPP.EXE piping its
output into the queue. PPP.EXE is a PM app, therefore no output from
PPP.EXE is piped into the queue. Fortunately, SLATTACH.EXE is a VIO
app, so its output gets placed on the queue. When Wait4PPP reads that
the connection has been established out of the queue, it writes a
message to the queue that the application is launched. It then launches
the application and sleeps until the application terminates. When the
application terminates, it writes a message to the queue stating that
the application has terminated. After PPP.EXE terminates, control is
passed back to AutoPPP. It reads the queue. If it finds that the
application was never launched, it sends a message to the queue to tell
Wait4PPP to terminate. It then loops back to re-establish the
connection and attempt to launch the program again. If the application
was started but no message indicates it ended, AutoPPP will attempt to
re-establish the PPP connection without trying to launch the
application. Finally, if PPP.EXE terminates and the application has
started and ended, PPP calculates the total connect time (including
possible reconnects), subtracts this from the interval, then sleeps for
that period of time. When it wakes up, it repeats the process.
AutoPPP is useful for those who want to download e-mail messages or news
articles automatically (such as when they're sleeping!) such that they
can read them at there leisure. I hope you find AutoPPP useful. Please
send bug reports to David Forrai <dforrai@erinet.com>.