Beijing Paradise BBS Backup/PARADISE.ISO/software/BBSDOORW/INET16.ZIP/INET.DOC

Text File | 1995-02-27 | 41.6 KB | 990 lines

     The Internet Connection

     "Closing the Gap between Internet and Fidonet mail systems"

     Copyright (c) 1994-1995

     Mark Williamson






     1 Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    3

     2 Introduction  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    3

     3 Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    3

     4 Installation  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    5

     5 Replying to Internet Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    7

     6 Configuring the Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    8
          6.1 Sysop  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    8
          6.2 Sysop Security Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9
          6.3 RegistrationKey  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9
          6.4 Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9
          6.5 Gate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9
          6.6 Outbound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9
          6.7 MsgToLine  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9
          6.8 MsgAreaName  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9
          6.9 Flags  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9
          6.10 AppendText  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .    9
          6.11 AddressBook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   10
          6.12 MaxFileDays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   10
          6.13 MaxAddresses  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   10
          6.14 MsgInfo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   10
          6.16 MsgTemp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   11
          6.17 LogFile . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   11
          6.18 Editor  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   12
          6.20 MessageCost . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   12
          6.21 Allowhandles  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   12
          6.23 ReplyText . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   13
          6.24 Notes on ReplyText  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   13

     7 Using the Internet Connection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   14

     8 Location of Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   16

     9 Where to go if you need help  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   16

     10 Warranty and Registration  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   16

     11 License Information  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   16

     12 Contacting the Author  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .   17





     1 Credits

     This program was initially inspired by my good friend, Bob Lopinski,
     of INSANITY!  Without his constant pestering to get me to write
     programs like this, where would I be?  Anyway, after his initial push
     for me to sit down and write this thing, it really took off.  Thanks
     for the push Bob!

     This version of The Internet Connection! has been co-developed by
     myself, and James Goldbloom of Access Denied Message System.  If
     you've ever wanted to see a successful message-based system, call his
     board today!  James helped immensely in working out bugs and flaws in
     this version.  He is to be credited 100 percent for the design of the
     user interface, help and configuration files.  Thanks a billion James,
     you went above and beyond on this one!

     James Goldbloom is the official support site for the Internet
     Connection.  He can be reached via Fidonet netmail at 1:109/611.
     Registrations are handled by the author, Mark Williamson.  I can be
     reached at Fidonet 1:202/750.  See the REGISTER.ME form for
     instructions on registering the Internet Connection.

     2 Introduction

     The Internet, also known as the Information Superhighway, has always
     been somewhat out of reach by most Fidonet users and Sysops.  Unless
     you had a full Internet account, sending and receiving messages
     between the two networks was a chore.  Until now!

     The Internet Connection provides the necessary link between a Fidonet
     style message and a message acceptable to the Internet host gateway
     software.  In order to send a message from a Fidonet system to an
     Internet gate, also known as a UUCP gate, special formatting
     restrictions must be followed, or the message will be returned to the
     sending system.

     These formatting rules, although easy enough to conform to, were
     somewhat confusing to the BBS caller, who really had no idea what
     Fidonet or Internet messages are, or what the formatting rules were.
     The Internet Connection alleviates this responsibility and does the
     necessary formatting in real time.  All the user must do is provide a
     valid Internet address, a subject line, and then they type in their
     message using your favorite external message editing program.  It's
     really that simple!  The Internet Connection provides many more tools
     than this simplicity to make it an attractive addition to any BBS
     software.

     3 Terminology

     MSGINF    This refers to the Message Information File created by your
               BBS system when replying to a message, or when creating a

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               new message.  This file is not normally read back into the
               BBS, however is created as a convenience to the external
               editor to display pertinent information concerning the
               message being written.  This file name will vary depending
               on the BBS system you are using.

               The format of this file is described below:

               Line #    Contents

               1         Sender's Name
               2         Recipient's Name
               3         Subject Line
               4         Message Number
               5         Conference Name
               6         YES = Private Message, NO = Public

               If you are using a BBS system which does not create or use a
               temporary message file similar to the one described above,
               you may not be able to utilize the /REPLY feature.  Since
               you can specify the actual order of the lines described
               above, you may be able to specially configure Inet to work
               with your system.  If your system does not use this type of
               setup, please send us a message describing in detail the
               setup your BBS uses, and we will strive to make Inet work
               for you!

     MSGTMP    This refers to the Temporary Message Text file.  This file
               is created by your BBS when replying to an existing message.
               During a reply, the BBS will write the contents of the
               original message to this file.  The editor may then be able
               to quote this text, usually via the Control-Q key.  This
               will vary depending on the editor you are using.  This file
               name will vary depending on the BBS system you are using.

     UUCP      This is the term used to refer to the computer software
               which translates Internet messages to a Fidonet format, and
               vice versa.  If you do not have a UUCP system near you, you
               may use 1:31/1.  To save yourself some phone bill money, you
               may wish to route messages to this system through your hub.
               Consult your mailer documentation on how to do this.

     NOTE:  Throughout this document we will be referring to some two
     character commands, referred to as Optional Data Commands.  These are
     used by BBS systems like RemoteAccess, Proboard, QuickBBS, and many
     others.  Since every BBS system is different, and no two commands may
     mean the same thing across platforms, we will describe here what these
     commands are intended to mean so you can determine the equivelant
     command or option for your BBS software.  These commands are described
     below:

         *P    Represents the communications port Inet is operating on.

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               This information is obtained from the BBS Door Information
               File (DOOR.SYS, DORINFO1.DEF, etc.).  Inet will recognize
               this command when placed on the Editor Command Line field in
               INETCFG.EXE and substitute the actual port in place of *P.

         *B    Represents the actual baud rate the communications port is
               operating at.  This information is also obtained from the
               Door Information File.  Inet will recognize this command
               when placed on the Editor Command Line field in INETCFG.EXE
               and substitute the actual baud rate value in place of *B.


      *# or *N Represents the node number which Inet is operating under.
               This information is sometimes retrieved from the Door
               Information File, but this is not totally reliable.  To be
               sure, you should always specify /NODE*N on the INET.EXE
               command line in your RemoteAccess or QuickBBS optional data
               field.  For Proboard users, this option is *# on your Type 7
               Optional Data Field command line.  Inet recognizes both *N
               and *# when placed in the Editor Command Line field in
               INETCFG.EXE and will substitute the actual node number in
               place of *N or *#.

               The only * commands that Inet understands are *P, *B, *#,
               and *N.  Inet does not make use of *X or *M.  Remember, the
               only useful place for these commands WITHIN Inet is the
               Editor Command Line.  When configuring Inet within the BBS,
               you need only specify the node number (/NODE*N or *#) and
               enable memory swapping (*M or *X).  Please keep this in
               mind!

      *X or *M This is not an Inet command, however, is used by
               RemoteAccess to inform RemoteAccess that it must perform a
               swap to disk or EMS when executing Inet.  For Proboard
               Sysops, this command is *X.  For QuickBBS sysops, you must
               enable the Swapping option in QCONFIG when setting up Inet
               to handle replies.  For the /POST mode, QuickBBS sysops will
               use *M on the Optional Data Field.

     4 Installation

     The first step in installing the Internet Connection (Inet) is to
     obtain the netmail address of a UUCP gateway host near you.

     Perhaps the easiest way to do this is use a nodelist viewing program
     and look for GUUCP in your region.  The closer you can get to your
     local calling area the better.  Jot down the address, as you will need
     to enter it into INETCFG.EXE.  If you cannot find one in your local
     calling area, you can use 1:31/1 for all your internet mail.  To save
     costs, you should have your mailer configured to route messages to
     1:31/1 via your hub.  Refer to your mailer documentation for details.
     (If you decide to route the messages, be sure not to specify CRASH for

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     the message flags.  Crash priority overrides message routing.)

     Next, you will design an new menu option within your BBS System,
     perhaps naming this new option '<I>nternet Email'.  In this example we
     will use 'I' as the hot-key.  The most logical place for this new
     option is on the Message Menu, but its location does not matter.

     You will use a Shell to Dos menu function to call Inet.  The Optional
     Data Line, or Command Line, will contain the following:

     (Proboard)

     C:\INET\INET.EXE /POST /NODE*# *X

     (QuickBBS/RA)

     C:\INET\INET.EXE /POST /NODE*N *M

     NOTE:  It is very important to force your BBS software to swap out of
     memory when running Inet.  Usually this is done by using a command
     line option like *M or *X.  Refer to your BBS documentation to
     determine how to force the BBS to swap out.  This is important, due to
     the memory requirements of Inet and the external editor.

     For QuickBBS sysops, you will need to enable the memory swapping
     function in QCONFIG instead of using *M on the optional data line.

     Of course you may need to adjust the path to your installation.  /POST
     tells Inet it is to startup in POST mode, prompting the user for the
     address.  /NODE*N (or *#) tells Inet which node it is being run on for
     multinode systems.  You may leave this out if you are not using a
     multinode system.

     This is all that is required to install Inet into your system!  Your
     users will now be able to send Internet messages from your system,
     without worrying about frustrating formatting rules!  Additionally,
     since Inet allows up to 70 characters for the actual To: address, even
     the longest Internet addresses may be used, instead of the previous
     limitation of 35 characters for most BBS systems.  But there is much
     more to Inet than this!

     To reemphasize, the following command lines should be used to run
     Inet from the BBS:

     RemoteAccess:
     /REPLY MODE:  C:\INET\INET.EXE /REPLY /NODE*N *M
     /POST MODE:   C:\INET\INET.EXE /POST /NODE*N *M

     Proboard:
     /REPLY MODE:  C:\INET\INET.EXE /REPLY /NODE*# *X
     /POST MODE:   C:\INET\INET.EXE /POST /NODE*# *X


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     QuickBBS:
     /REPLY MODE:  C:\INET\INET.EXE /REPLY /NODE*N     (For /REPLY mode: be
                                                       sure to enable
                                                       swapping in
                                                       QCONFIG!)
     /POST MODE:   C:\INET\INET.EXE /REPLY /NODE*N *M


     (If you are using a BBS system not mentioned above, please do not
     think that Inet cannot be used by your system!  Inet does not care
     what kind of BBS software you are running!  As long as you are using a
     Fidonet compatible mailer, you can use Inet to POST Internet messages.
     Send us information about your command lines, and we will put that
     information here for others to benefit from!)

     5 Replying to Internet Messages

     You should have your mailer and tosser configured so that incoming
     netmail will be imported into the message base.  This provides the
     user the ability to receive Internet messages on your system.  When an
     Internet message comes into your system for one of your users, they
     will probably read the message in their normal logon message scan.

     When the user reads the message, they will most likely want to respond
     to it.  They would usually press R for Reply, and the BBS will load
     the editor and the user will type their reply and save it.  Since your
     BBS system does not know the difference between a regular message and
     an Internet message, the reply the user has just written will most
     likely end up going nowhere.

     The following command line will enable the reply handling feature of
     Inet:

     C:\INET\INET.EXE /REPLY /NODE*# *X (or *N *M)

     Place the above command line in your External Message Editor field of
     your BBS software's configuration setup.  Inet will look at the
     temporary message files created by the BBS during the reply process,
     and attempt to determine if the message is a normal message needing no
     processing by Inet, or an Internet message, requiring necessary
     reformatting.  This is done transparent to the user.  If the message
     is not an Internet message, Inet simply loads the message editor and
     returns to the BBS when the message is saved.


     The method Inet uses to determine whether or not a message came from
     the Internet relies on a Fidonet standard which states that every
     message entering Fidonet from a non-Fido system must have a control
     line that specifies the address of the originator on the original
     system.  This control line is called the REPLYADDR line.

     In your distribution archive you will find a program called

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     FIXMSG.EXE.  This program serves two purposes.  First, it is designed
     to reformat the physical TO line of the incoming netmail message (the
     one coming from the UUCP gateway).  The reason you may wish to have
     the TO line fixed is because some UUCP systems leave the period in
     between the user's first and last name.  Thus, when the message is
     imported into the message base, the user will never actually receive
     the message (during a logon mail scan, for example), because the TO
     line does not reflect their name.

     The other, and most important, feature of FIXMSG is that it will look
     at the actual REPLYADDR line (which is required by Fido standards) and
     grab the Internet address of the sender.  Then, it will rewrite the
     message, adding a line at the very top of the message text.  This line
     will contain the word 'INETADDR' followed by the sender's internet
     address.  Now, Inet will always be able to determine the correct
     address of the sender.  All that is required to use FIXMSG is to place
     the following line in the batch file that loads your BBS:

     C:\INET\FIXMSG.EXE C:\NETMAIL

     Of course the paths will be different on your system.  The only
     parameter FixMsg accepts is the path to your incoming netmail.  The
     ideal place to insert this line is just before your tosser imports the
     netmail into the message base.  This will ensure the message is
     rewritten before going to the message base.

     After Inet reads the MSGTMP as it was written by the BBS, it will
     attempt to determine if the message is an Internet message using the
     INETADDR line.  If there is no INETADDR line, Inet will check for the
     Reply Text as defined in INETCFG.  If it cannot find either of these,
     Inet will proceed as if it were a regular message, thus loading the
     editor and returning to the BBS as normal.

     6 Configuring the Internet Connection

     Inet Version 1.6 now comes complete with a configuration program to
     make life a little easier for you!  INETCFG should be used to
     configure Inet, although you may still simply edit the file directly.
     The configuration program has online help and an you may view this
     user's manual from the configuration program as well.

     Each line of the configuration file is divided into two portions,
     keyword and data.

     Any configuration lines beginning with a semi-colon ';' are considered
     to be notes, and are not parsed by Inet.  Therefore, if you wish to
     disable an option, precede its keyword with a semicolon.

     We will now discuss in detail each of the configuration options and
     the task they perform.

          6.1 Sysop

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          This is your name.  This is used to verify your registration key.
          This field is case sensitive and must match your registration
          form.

          6.2 Sysop Security Level

          This is the minimum security level needed to allow the user to
          Add, Edit or Delete entries from the Public Address Book.

          6.3 RegistrationKey

          This is your registration key as it was provided to you.

          6.4 Origin

          Enter your system's main Fidonet style address (example:
          1:202/750).  Specify the full address, with zone.

          6.5 Gate

          Enter the address of your UUCP host (example: 1:202/723).
          Specify the full address, with zone.

          6.6 Outbound

          Enter the drive and directory of your outbound netmail area.
          This area must be accessible and recognized by your mailer, or
          your messages will never go out!  (example: C:\RA\MAIL)

          6.7 MsgToLine

          This is the actual TO line in the netmail message, destined for
          your UUCP host.  Most systems use UUCP in this field, but some
          use other text.  Contact your UUCP host if you are not sure.
          This must be accurate or your messages will be returned.
          (example:  UUCP).

          6.8 MsgAreaName

          This is the fake name of your Internet message area.  This is
          only used by the editor to display in its header information.
          Inet will write this to the temporary message info file.
          (example:  The Internet Connection)

          6.9 Flags

          These are the netmail flags you want Inet to assign to each
          outgoing message.  These flags can be any on of the following:
          Crash Private Local Kill

          6.10 AppendText


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          This option specifies any text you wish to have appended to every
          message Inet creates.  This can be just regular text or a
          filename.  If you specify a filename, Inet will append the
          contents of that file to each and every message.  (example:
          C:\INET\SIGNOFF.TXT)

          6.11 AddressBook

          This option has not data following it.  The mere existence of
          this option enables the address book feature of Inet.  (More
          later!).  To disable the Address Book, place a semicolon in front
          of this line.

          As of version 1.6, Inet also provides a Public Address Book,
          where all the addresses are available to all users.  Only a user
          with Sysop Security Level may make changes to the public address
          book.  The Public address book will be purged at the same time
          the private address book is purged, when you run INET /PACK.  The
          Public Address Book feature is only available in REGISTERED mode.

          6.12 MaxFileDays

          This is the maximum number of days to maintain a user's account
          in the Address Book.  Inet will purge users and their addresses
          after this many days of inactivity.  (example: 5).  Unregistered
          users are limited to 5 for this option.

          6.13 MaxAddresses

          This sets Inet's maximum address count for each user.  In
          unregistered versions, this option is set at 10.   Registered
          users may specify any number, although something around 50 is
          more than reasonable for most email junkies!

          6.14 MsgInfo

          Here you will specify the NAME of the file your BBS system/editor
          uses as it's temporary message information file.  This file is
          used to pass information from the BBS to the editor about the
          message being created.  Usually this will contain the From, To,
          and Subject fields, plus the message area name, and a message
          number.  Rarely will you need to specify the path.  (example:
          MSGINF)

          6.15 MsgInfoFormat

          This line will specify the actual format of the Message
          Information File your system uses.  This is a single line of
          keywords, each separated by a space.  You may substitute any text
          for any keyword, the text will simply be written in stead of the
          keyword information.  This is particularly useful for QiuckBBS
          sysops since QuickBBS writes the word PRIVATE to the last line,

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          instead of YES or NO to indicate the message is private.

          Each of the keywords must be spelled correctly, or the MSGINF
          file will not be written correctly.  Note:  The MSGINF file is
          only used by the editor to display information to the user, it is
          not used by the BBS directly.  This feature is provided to permit
          flexibility between different BBS systems and external editor
          programs.

          Keyword        Meaning

          From           The Sender's full name
          To             The full name of the recipient
          Subject        The subject line
          MsgNum         The message number for this message (always 1 when
                         posting a new message)
          MsgArea        The name of the conference (in /POST mode, this is
                         the text entered in MsgAreaName field above).
          PrivateFlag    YES if the message is private, NO if not (in /POST
                         mode, this is always YES)

          An example of a proper MsgInfoFormat line is:

          From To Subj MsgNum MsgArea PrivateFlag

          Use the above example if you are using RemoteAccess or Proboard.
          This example will work on almost all systems.  QuickBBS uses will
          need to switch the MsgNum and MsgArea keywords, thus a correct
          MsgInfoFormat for QuickBBS would be:

          From To Subj MsgArea MsgNum PRIVATE

          It is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL that each keyword be separated by a
          space.  The case of the keywords is not relevant, but mixed case
          makes it easier to read.  Extra spaces will be deleted.

          6.16 MsgTemp

          This is the NAME of the temporary message file that your BBS
          creates when replying to a message.  This file contains the
          actual text of the original message.  The external message editor
          may use this text to provide a quote feature, where the user can
          quote a portion of the original message for reference purposes.
          It is also used by the external editor to store the contents of
          the message after it is saved.  Rarely will you ever specify a
          path.  (example:  MSGTMP)

          6.17 LogFile

          This is the PATH ONLY to your Inet log files.  Inet will use the
          node number to assign a filename for each node's logs.  (example:
          C:\INET)

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          6.18 Editor

          This specifies your External Message Editor command line.  This
          should be very similar to you existing editor command line,
          before you changed it to Inet.  Inet will translate three
          variables in this field.

          *P is the PORT Inet is currently using.
          *B is the BAUD Inet is operating at.
          *N is the NODE number Inet is operating on.

          Note that you should NOT specify *M as Inet ALWAYS swaps to EMS
          or Disk when running the editor. Here are some examples of the
          more popular full screen message editors:

          Examples: C:\GEDIT\GEDIT.EXE *P *B 30 300 -S32000 -N*N
                    C:\RA\RAEDIT.EXE *P *B 30 300 -S32000 -N*N
                    C:\TOPED\TOPED.EXE
                    C:\ICEEDIT\ICEEDIT.EXE

          6.19 Semaphore

          Specify the full path and filename of the semaphore file your
          mailer uses to detect newly created netmail.  When your mailer
          detects this file, it will automatically scan the netmail area
          and send out the new messages.  Inet will create this semaphore
          file once it has successfully created the outgoing netmail
          message.   Refer to your mailer's documentation for more
          information on this file.

          6.20 MessageCost

          If your system uses an EXITINFO.BBS drop file, you may use this
          option to charge your users for Internet mail they send or reply
          to.  This value is deducted each time Inet successfully sends a
          message.  If you have other means of cost recovery, or desire to
          disable this option, specify a zero, or comment this line out.
          If the user's netmail credit is insufficient, Inet will inform
          them and instruct them to contact the Sysop.  (example: 50)

          6.21 Allowhandles

          This option enables the ability for the user to EDIT the from
          line of the message.  Comment this line out to force Inet to use
          the user's real name, as it is read from the door information
          file.

          6.22 Semaphore

          This is the full path and filename that your mailer uses to
          determine if there are new outgoing netmail messages to be
          processed.  Consult your mailer documentation for more details.

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          6.23 ReplyText

          In order to detect an Internet message, Inet looks for text that
          is normally only found in an internet reply.  On most systems
          this text is "REPLYADDR".  If your UUCP host system uses
          something different, change this line to reflect the actual text.
          It is recommended you use the program FIXMSG, described above, to
          ensure Inet can correctly detect an Internet message reply.  This
          field is not case sensitive.

          6.24 Notes on ReplyText

          This version of Inet no longer requires the ReplyText.  However,
          you may wish to use it in addition to the FIXMSG program
          described above.  The FIXMSG program is the preferred method, as
          it should be almost completely accurate.

          After you read the following, if you are at all unsure what's
          really going on, please refer to the section above on using the
          FIXMSG program, as this will solve your headaches and you won't
          have to worry about any of this!

          Some BBS systems have the capability to write the special Kludge
          information, which is a part of each Fidonet message, to the
          MSGTMP file upon preparing to do a REPLY to a message.  QuickBBS
          is known to do this.  Proboard, however, does not quote the
          header information when doing a reply to a message.

          If you enter REPLYADDR in the ReplyText field, you must be sure
          that your BBS system actually writes this information to the
          temporary message file.  The most effective way to tackle this is
          to try it in practice.  Load your BBS software in local mode, and
          find an internet message that has come into your system through
          your mailer.  Use the reply feature of your BBS to force the
          system to create the MSGINF and MSGTMP files (filenames will
          vary).  When your editor loads, there are a couple of options you
          can do to find the necessary text.  The first, is to open your
          editor's quote window (Control-Q in Toped and Gedit), and look
          for a unique string that precedes the originator's Internet
          address (this will usually be at the very top of the message
          text).  If your BBS system quotes the kludge lines of the
          message, this text will appear as @REPLYADDR <address>.  If this
          is the case, you will specify "REPLYADDR" without the quotes or
          the '@' symbol, in your ReplyText field.

          If your quote window does not show this, but perhaps has
          something like "Origin: <address>" or "Originally_From:", then
          you will use this text.   If the text you decide to use ends in
          punctuation, for example a colon :, then you MUST specify this as
          well as the actual text.  In other words, you must specify the
          entire string, up to the space prior to the actual address.  Inet

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          will validate the address to ensure it is a correctly formatted
          address.  This prevents a message that casually mentions
          "Originally_From" (for example) in the message body from being
          mistaken for Internet email.

          If you have any questions on this issue, please send us a copy of
          an actual message that has come into your system from your UUCP
          host, and let us know what kind of BBS you are using.  We will
          strive to help you find the correct ReplyText keyword.  You may
          send this information to the address listed at the end of this
          documentation.

     7 Using the Internet Connection

     Using Inet is very easy.  When the program loads in /POST mode, the
     user will be prompted to enter a destination address.  They can enter
     up to 70 characters for this address.  They may also type ? to receive
     help, or / to load the Address Book Menu.  These must be the first
     character on the input line.  If you have enabled the address book, a
     menu will appear with several options (described later).

     After the user has typed in a To: line and a Subj: line for their
     message, Inet will load your editor.  The user will then type their
     message as usual, and Inet will take control again when they save the
     message.  Inet will write the message as a netmail message to your
     UUCP host and then prompt the user if they wish to store the address
     in their address book (if enabled).

     This is the simplest way to use Inet.  Now, we will describe the
     address book features.

          Address Book Menu

          In addition to storing the user's favorite addresses, Inet will
          also allow your users to store a comment attached to each
          address.

          From the Address Book Menu, the following options are available:

          Help with Address Book

          Displays the ADDRHELP.A?? screen, pausing at each end of page.

          Locate an Address

          Performs either a partial or exact match with the user specified
          search text.  If the user selects Partial match, Inet will also
          check the comment field for a matching string.  This is handy in
          bringing up a list of coworkers, or members of a club, etc.

          Select an Address


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          Displays a list of the user's addresses, prompting for a
          selection at the end of each page.

          Edit an Address

          Prompts the user to select an address to edit, then brings up
          input fields to allow editing of the address and comment.

          Delete an Address

          Prompts a user to select an address to delete.  Upon
          confirmation, the address record is deleted from the database.
          No retrieval is possible after the record is deleted.

          Add a new address

          The user is prompted to enter an address and comment to add.

          Quit to BBS

          Immediately exits Inet, and returns to the BBS.

          Hangup (Logoff)

          Immediately disconnects the caller, and returns to the BBS.

          Redraw screen

          Performs a screen redraw.

          Public/Private Address Book

          This option toggles between using the Public Address Book, and
          the user's own Private Address Book.  Unlike the Private book,
          addresses in the Public book are visible to all users.

          Public Address Book entries may only be Added, Edited or Deleted
          by a user with Sysop Security Level.  Inet will create the public
          address book file in the same directory as INET.EXE.  The file is
          not actually created until the first public address is stored.

          Exit Address Book

          Returns to the To: input line.

          Note:  In ANSI (graphics) mode, Inet uses a scrolling lightbar
          menu to select addresses.  In this menu, the address is on the
          left of the menu, and the comment is on the right, surrounded by
          ().  In non-graphics mode, the selection is made from a hot-keyed
          list.  The user presses a single key to make a selection.  The
          menus are also hot-keyed.  Pressing the highlighted letter will
          perform a selection as if the ENTER key had been pressed on the

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          highlighted item.

     8 Location of Files

     With the exception of the log files, Inet expects to find all help
     screens, address books, and configuration files in the same directory
     as INET.EXE.  This cannot be changed.


     Version 1.6 offers a little more flexibility for multinode systems
     than before.  When loading, if Inet finds a configuration file with a
     file extension matching the current node number, that configuration
     file will be loaded.  For example, assuming you have three nodes, and
     in the INET.EXE directory, you have INET.CFG and INET.2.  Inet on
     nodes 1 and 3 will use INET.CFG while Inet on node 2 will use INET.2
     as the configuration file.  When using InetCfg.exe, you will be
     prompted to enter the filename of the configuration file to edit or
     save.

     9 Where to go if you need help

     The author frequents many Fidonet Sysop conferences, such as
     RemoteAccess Utilities, QuickBBS Support, Proboard Support, PCBoard
     Sysops, and others that deal with BBS systems.  Additionally, you can
     send Fidonet netmail to one of the addresses listed at the end of this
     documentation.

     There is many possibilities for Inet's future expansion.  Several
     users have expressed ideas that would expand Inet's current
     capabilities.  The author gladly accepts all your comments.  Although
     it is impossible to reply to all of the messages about Inet, I sure
     try!  Your messages are always read by the individual who does the
     actual programming, so ideas are always welcomed.

     10 Warranty and Registration

     Inet is not FREE.  In order to use it beyond the 30 day evaluation
     period, you must register it.  The registration form is contained in
     the file REGISTER.ME.

     11 License Information

     This is a license agreement between you, the end user, and Mark
     Williamson, hereafter "the author". The Internet Connection software
     and information attached hereto, hereafter "INET", is the   property
     of the author. Read the terms and conditions of this license agreement
     carefully before using the software. If you for any reason,
     whatsoever, cannot accept the conditions in this agreement, you are
     not permitted to use INET.

     You acknowledge and agree that INET is a proprietary product of the
     author, protected by applicable copyright laws and international

                                       16




     treaty provisions. You further acknowledge and agree that all rights,
     title, and interest in and to INET are and shall remain with the
     author.

     INET may be used for a period of thirty (30) days on a trial basis to
     allow you to determine its suitability for your particular
     application.  After this period you MUST register each copy of INET
     that you use simultaneously.  If you have a multinode system, you are
     only required to register ONE copy of INET for use on a SINGLE BBS
     system.  If you run more than ONE BBS system, you are required to
     register ONE copy PER system, not node.

     Registration entitles you to a non-transferable license to use INET
     and  any future versions of INET for as long as you wish, subject to
     any  special licensing conditions and/or applicable upgrade fees
     attached  to future versions.

     In the event that you are in violation of this license agreement, you
     agree and accept that the author may cancel your registration and any
     rights to use INET that you may have. In the case of a dispute over
     the  license agreement, you further agree and accept to fully
     reimburse  the author for legal and other expenses resulting from the
     dispute,  should the dispute be decided in favor of the author.

     INET is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind or fitness for
     a  particular purpose, either expressed or implied, all of which are
     hereby explicitly disclaimed. The author only guarantees that  INET
     will occupy disk space.

     The author's liability resulting from your use or inability to use
     INET  is limited to the amount that the affected party has paid for
     it, or  in the event that INET was registered with a third party for
     payment to  the author, liability is limited to the amount that was
     received by  the author from that third party.

     Neither the author nor any of his employees, agents, or other
     representatives are in any way obligated to provide future versions
     of, or support for, INET.

     You may freely distribute and copy INET provided that no fee is
     charged  and the INET distribution archive contains unmodified copies
     of the  original files as produced by the author. Pay Bulletin Board
     Systems  may, however, charge their normal fee provided that no
     additional  charge for INET is levied. No part of INET may be
     modified, altered,  reverse engineered, sold, or distributed in any
     form whatsoever which  would involve some sort of trade without prior
     written permission  from the author.


     12 Contacting the Author

     You may contact the author at the support bbs listed below:

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     Support/Registrations:             Alternate Support:

     Mark Williamson                    James Goldbloom
     [phone] (data)               AD Message System
     Fidonet 1:202/750                  Fidonet 1:109/611
     PO Box 131                         BBS: [phone]
     Imperial Beach, CA 91932














































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