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Text File | 1992-01-24 | 20.3 KB | 386 lines

The Verify Door History File: (changes listed from the latest to the earliest) 01-24-92 v1.21 The Verify Door v1.21 implements a new and faster data transmission routine that implements improved RTS/CTS flow control and should be compatible with a wider range of modem brands and setups. TVD is also now much faster at detecting lost carrier. 01-04-92 v1.20 The Verify Door v1.20 implements sysop suggested enhancements to the log file output and status bar display. * Log now gives much more detail about what the user does when in TVD. * Status bar now displays various countdown timers to aid the sysop in 'tweaking' the door's configurable time delays. * Enhanced modem no response timeout routines * No Answer timeout feature was added to TVD and is included in the modem no response timeout setting. * Added DOS Errorlevel output (registered version only) when TVD finishes execution. (See docs) * Added automatic pulse dialing detection and delays to allow for more reliable pulse dialing in appropriate places in TVD 11-22-91 v1.19 The Verify Door v1.18 did not have any known bugs and this release contains some suggested enhancements. TVD door documentation has been updated to include dialing string setup information that up to this point has been available only to users who could 'read between the lines'. Added features this release: * Separately configurable number of dial-out attempts for both long distance and local calling. * Configurable modem no-response timeout (in seconds) Further changes have been made in the setup program to make it run a little better. Setup will now upgrade the config file(s) to be compatible with this new version of TVD. (Please see UPGRADE.DOC) 07-27-91 v1.18 The Verify Door v1.17 did not have any bugs and has proven to be a very reliable version. The setup program wasn't perfect, though, so some changes have been made to allow it to find it's way around your system more accurately. Some enhancements have been made to the v1.17 code such as detecting a user with an Error Correcting modem, enhanced dialing string abilities, and a few other goodies talked about in the WHATSNEW file. 05-26-91 v1.17 Bug in v1.16 fixed: The unregistered version of TCBV would not display any user prompts! This one even slipped by the beta testers, sorry folks. 05-07-91 v1.16 Updated the pack utility and associated docs only. The pack utility has now been updated to get along better with v1.16 of TCBV. 05-04-91 v1.16 Update with enhancements This version is not a major change from v1.15, however it now gets its com port and other parameters from PCBOARD.DAT. This should make it easier to configure for new users. A few enhancements have been made, though. The TCBVTEXT, WELCOME and WELCOMEG files have been changed to reflect the changes made in the way the door interfaces with the user. Instead of having to type a C to continue at 2 of the prompts, the user can now just press ENTER, making operations similar to the way PCBoard operates. Changes have also been made in entries to the config file, so if you are upgrading from a previous version, please follow the directions contained in UPGRADE.DOC before making any changes to your existing door files. Characters used to separate log entries in the log that you set TCBV to generate have been changed from a '*' to a 'v' to make the log entries more compatible with existing caller log analyzers. A minor problem was fixed regarding 'the midnight problem' in the TCBVTIME file. Sysop may now specify time formats that 'wrap around' midnight, such as: B,17:01,08:00. Version 1.15 would freak out with this kind of format because I didn't make a provision to work around midnight. Another problem was discovered when a sysop had his HST parameter X set to X7 (modem result codes format). His modem would return the result code of 'RINGING' which was interpreted by TCBV to mean 'RING', and would send the code into the nasty dial procedure thus never allowing the poor user to get connected in the first place! Although this problem has been fixed, you are warned to watch out for your modem not being able to properly detect a dial tone, as is sometimes the case depending on your phone company. I still suggest setting this parm to X4. The config program (now called SETUP16.EXE) has an additional option for first-time setup and upgrade situations. This new option should cure what I have found to be THE major problem in getting TCBV set up and running: getting proper path names for critical files, new user security level, graphics modes, etc., into the config file. 12-23-90 Release version 1.15 Update with enhancements (Version 1.14 was never released due to major portability problems, ie, it flatly refused to run on internal modems of any kind, nor would it run on several of the older XTs, so it was scrapped and chalked up to experience!) This version is now compatible with COM1, through 8 and will run at whatever baud rate you have PCBoard running at...up to 115,200 baud! There is no longer a need to specify a baud rate to lock or not lock as this code runs at whatever speed you com port has been opened at. NOTE! This version uses DMA (direct memory access) to access the com port, so you must now specify your com port address and interrupt request line (IRQ) in the config file. Standard addresses and IRQs for the four com ports are: COM1=3F8 IRQ 4 COM2=2F8 IRQ 3 COM3=3E8 IRQ 5 COM4=2E8 IRQ 2 If you aren't sure what your com port address or IRQ is, try using one of the defaults listed above. This door is now interrupt driven and relies on system interrupts and will not work without being configured properly for the IRQ in use on your com port. Your com port should have a standard 8250, 8250a, 16450, 16550 or compatible UART in use. This door may not function with some internal modems that are not connected to the standard AT bus. The older release Version 1.11 of this door will work with most internal modems, but at a maximum baud rate of 19,200. Thanks again to John Russell of Safari BBS (407-298-2826) for updating the TCBVDCNF configuration & install program. 11-17-90 Release version 1.13 bug fix for multiple area codes Fixed a bug for sysops listing more than one area code in the TCBVAREA file. Registered code would not check duplicate phone numbers if more than one area code was listed in the TCBVAREA file. Fixed! 11-17-90 Release version 1.12 maintenance and document update Fixed a minor bug found only when the networking flag is set to Y and a user who is not at new user level enters the door. This would have been seen as "Error in line 7870" and has been repaired. Changed the wording on what the networking flag actually does. If you are running PCBoard on a network or if you are running more than one node under a multitasking scheme, this flag should be set to Y. If you are multitasking but are running only one node, this flag can be set to N. I have implemented carrier checking in this version. The existence of a carrier is checked just before the door starts to send characters out the com port. If the user drops carrier at a prompt, the door will not detect a loss of carrier until it tries to resend the prompt at which time an entry will be made to your log file and the door will return to PCBoard. This will take care of errors (which were really not errors) in the following lines: 8750 8790 8850 9110 9160 9220 and 9280 10-09-90 Release version 1.11 maintenance release Fixed a minor bug where if you the sysop turned off your modem when TCBV was running, two errors would occur and you would have to 'press any key...' Fixed a minor bug where if the user entered a string of illegal password length, two errors would occur and guess what...... Updated TCBVTEXT file to remind user to wait for prompt when re-connected. 10-07-90 Release version 1.10 Added auto-centering for the text in the intro color file (the one that says REGISTERED TO.........) TCBV will write to comment line #2 in the user record as usual, but will also write the date on that line so that you know right away when the user was verified. Many thanks to John Russell of the Safari BBS in Orlando, FL, for writing (and re-writing) the config program. This utility should eliminate some of the errors caused by mis-configuring the long config file in this version. This version includes a new file called TCBVAREA and is used to put the area code or area codes that are in the local dialing area for your BBS. This fixes a problem where a user who is calling from your local dialing area, enters the right 7 digits to his phone number, enters a false area code and tells the door he is a local call. The door would proceed to call back even if his number had already been verified using his correct area code. The door now checks for hackers like this that are calling local and entering a false area code. If he says he is a local call, the door will look up the area code or codes listed in TCBVAREA, temporarily replace the area code the local caller enters and then check the TCBVVER file for duplicate numbers. (Special thanks to the hacker who tried this when I happened to be watching!) Fixed a bug where the entries in lines 21-24 of the config file. Entries are no longer case sensitive in those lines (or and line for that matter) Decreased the delay time for waiting to drop carrier from 15 seconds to 5 seconds to make for a slightly faster execution. Fixed a spelling error in the WELCOME and WELCOMEG files. Please update your copy with these new files. 09-30-90 Release version 1.09 After having called a long distance user back and verifying him, the door would error on line 5622 and would return to PCBoard without hanging up. Fixed! (Sorry about that folks!) Added two features to The Verify Door: 1) TCBV can now be configured to hang up after a call back to the user regardless of whether or not the verify was successful and regardless of whether or not the user was calling long distance. A sysop in Chicago called and told me that they get billed even for local calls and would like to have the door disconnect no matter what when it's done doing it's thing. (Thanks for the suggestion). The other feature added is that the door can now be configured to add upload bytes or uploaded file credit, which may come in handy for you depending on your configuration. These two changes can be configured for your system in The Verify Doors config file, see the docs for details. 09-22-90 Release version 1.08 Repaired a file sharing insect for users using the door in a multitasking environment such as DesqView or OmniView. The Verify Door now allows the CALLER log to be set as the door's log. TCBV was not set up to allow for spaces in the user password. Fixed TCBV was not set up to handle passwords that were 12 characters long. Fixed. In case a user should happen to call your system long distance and log into the door during a time that you have set for the door NOT to call long distance (for example before 5PM your time), TCBV will now display the next 'time slot' available for calling the user back long distance for verification. Update line 16 of the config file! The door used to just say "Sorry, that number cannot be dialed at this time." 09-16-90 Release version 1.07 Beta code is no longer being issued. There were no reported bugs during the last release (except the one I my self found purely by accident). I believe v1.07 can be used with a fairly high degree of confidence and that it is bug free to the best of my knowledge. Only one change was made from previous releases: Sometimes the code would get caught in an endless loop when prompting the user for the last four digits of his phone number under certain unusual circumstances. The code was supposed to recycle to PCBoard under certain conditions such as the user just not responding to the prompt. Fixed. 09-08-90 Beta release version 1.06b Seems like I've been coming out with a new version of this door about once a week or so. Yikes! Fortunately the bugs keep getting less and less significant as the code progresses. The only bug to be fixed here is a prompt that was not updated when the code was. The prompt that used to say "Press any key to continue" now says "Press ENTER to continue". Two other known 'problem areas' which are not bugs but are more like compatibility problems are 1)The code doesn't support 38,400 baud. Apparently Quick basic does not support that baud rate as it chokes every time I've tried it (works great at 19,200 or lower) The other 'problem area' is 2)It APPEARS that the code doesn't work properly with a few of the 16440 and 16550 UARTS. Anyone have any hints? Anyone giving a solution THAT WORKS to either or both of these problems will get a free registered copy of The Verify Door....... 09-01-90 Beta release version 1.05b A delay after a call back connect was added to compensate for non-mnp modems calling mnp modems and vice-versa. 08-27-90 Beta release version 1.04b (New filename) Additional error handling code has been added so that if an error occurs while the door is executing, it will report the line number in the code giving the error. This should help greatly in trouble shooting over the phone. Executable filename changed from PCBDOOR4.EXE to TCBVD104.EXE. 08-26-90 Beta release version 1.04b (Major Upgrade) Made a small change in the dial out routine to allow nasty dial out. "Busy boards" should have much less problem when this door is trying to call out at the same time another user is trying to call in. When an incoming call is detected during dial out to verify a new user, the code will now pick up the phone line, wait 3 seconds, hang up the phone line and after 1 more second will proceed to make the verify call out to the new user. Don't worry, the user that was trying to call in will call back. Several features mentioned in previous documentation but inactive were coded, and functions of lines 13, 14, 17 and 23 of the config file have been changed. An auto-color graphics enable (line 17), new expired security level (line 19), check TCBVVER for verified numbers enable (line 14), sysop maintained write comment enable (line 20) and nasty dial mode enable (line 23) switches have been encoded and are now active. A new feature , the status bar, (looks similar to the PCBoard status bar) has been added to the code. The status bar is enabled by setting status bar enable (line 3) to Y. Please check the docs and update your config file as needed. Added a new utility for use with The Verify Door: TCBVPK10.EXE (and a sample batch file). This code will read your user file and look at sysop comment line #2. It will compare the phone numbers it finds in the comment line with phone numbers listed in the TCBVVER file and will delete listings in the TCBVVER file when no match is found in the user file comment line #2. This should come in handy for those of you who delete users from PCBoards user file for inactivity and will allow those users who just haven't called for a long time to get re-verified if they should happen to call back after being deleted from the user file. TCBVPK10 uses the same command line as PCBDOOR3. 08-19-90 Beta Release version 1.03b (Upgrade) Same as version 1.02, auto-ansi color has been added. 08-18-90 Documentation update for version 1.02b (Typo fix) Part of beta testing is finding possible typos and hard to understand documentation. One typo was found in TCBV102.DOC (no biggie deal, so don't look for it) and was corrected. 08-16-90 Beta release version 1.02 (Bug fix) Had a problem where if a long distance caller had just been called back and successfully verified, the code would lock up the com port (and the system) upon an attempt to return to PCBoard. Sorry, my fault! Code has now been included to reset the com port DTR and RTS signals to ON and then return to PCBoard. Upon return to PCBoard, PCBoard should find that carrier has been lost (you don't want someone calling long distance to be on for any amount of time while you pay for the call, right?!). 08-15-90 Beta release version 1.01 (Bug fix) Minor bug fix. Repaired the code to recognize the N parameter (if entered) in the config file line 2. 08-12-90 Beta release version 1.00 - First release to the general public After several weeks of no problems reported from the alpha test sites, I felt that it is now time to release the code as a beta test. Registration number checking has been enabled and the code will not check the tcan (TCBVVER) file for numbers already verified unless the software is registered. It took hundreds of hours to get this code working exactly right (we're picky). 07-29-90 Alpha Release 'F' Finally came up with a nifty internal routine that drops/restores DTR as needed. The external DTR.COM program is no longer used and may be deleted. Also finally did away with the need for AT.COM. The code is now written completely in 100% Quick basic code and uses no 'shelled to' routines and no external assembly libraries. 07-28-90 Alpha Release 'E' Reworked the internal dialer so that it responds to your modems verbose result codes, see the docs for a listing of what codes are scanned for. Completely re-worked the modem communications routines using a completely different and hopefully more compatible and faster method. Fixed a potential bug in a timeout routine where if the user happened to use the door just before midnight and the door started to call back 5 seconds before midnight, the code would just sit there and hang your board up for exactly 24 hours before allowing it to auto-reset! Though to my knowledge this never happened to anyone testing this code, this potential killer was zapped forever. 07-12-90 Alpha Release 'D' Very few bugs found in the 'C' release. Moved on to adding one or two features: Changed the tcbv.cfg file so that the code will generate a separate and very detailed log file that lists modem result codes such as BUSY and NO CARRIER, bad password, time, date, etc. Wrote code for an internal dialer. AT.COM is no longer needed, however DTR.COM has yet to be replaced, so keep DTR.COM for now. Finally got RAID after a pesky bug in the backspace routine. Code would not properly backspace on the local screen and would do other nasty things. Fixed. Code would not echo 'dots' when the user was entering his password. Fixed so that dots will now echo ON THE REMOTE ONLY, but you the sysop will still see the user password as it is being entered on your local screen only. 06-22-90 Alpha Release 'C' Fixed a bug where if a long distance user was being called back and that user entered a wrong password more than twice, the code would proceed to reload PCBoard. We don't want that, do we! (OOPS!) Anyway, it's fixed where if the long distance user enters a wrong password more than twice, the code will give the user a 'Access Denied - Excessive password failures' ' Hanging up' message and WILL hang up the phone line on the user and THEN reload PCBoard which should sense a carrier lost and reset the board. I re tested this to make sure I had the bug fixed with an actual log distance user and it IS fixed. 06-22-90 Alpha Release 'B' Prettied up the prompt file (TCBVTEXT) and also made mention in the docs as to what the heck to do with the files AT.COM and DTR.COM. 06-19-90 Alpha Release 'A' Fixed bug in the config file setup. Code now looks for all entries in the config file to be left justified. Also added info in the docs about what to do with the last four lines in the config file. All file name beginning with PCBV*.* have been changed to TCBV*.* The files themselves have NOT changed except as in the config file mentioned above. User definable delay before dial has now been implemented. See the docs regarding line 22 of the config file for details.