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AREAFIX.USE
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1996-05-31
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AreaFix v1.30 User Guide
originally by Jeffrey J. Nonken
ABOUT THIS DOCUMENT
This document is public domain. Please note that this does not alter
the rights or ownership status of the copyright holder of AreaFix in
any way.
This is a user guide to AreaFix. This document does not describe how
to install or configure AreaFix. Instead, it allows echomail hubs
running AreaFix to pass simple instructions along to their downlinks.
To keep things simple this guide will use the terms "uplink" and
"downlink". Your uplink is the system that is passing echos to you,
usually from the direction of the backbone or the origin of the echo
(sometimes known as an "echo feed"). You are their downlink. If you
are passing the echos from your uplink to another node, that node is
your downlink, and you are their uplink.
Simple? Good. This guide assumes your uplink is running AreaFix and
tells you how to add and remove echomail areas remotely using AreaFix.
WHAT IS AREAFIX?
AreaFix is a program that allows sysops to remotely alter their
uplinks' distribution files (AREAS.BBS, ECHO.CTL, etc.) without
bothering the uplinks' sysops. In other words, if you want to pick up
a certain echo from your uplink, and they have AreaFix installed, you
just send a speciallly formatted NetMail message and the linking is
handled automatically. Ideally, your uplink's sysop does nothing once
AreaFix is set up.
AreaFix v1.30 User Guide page 2
----------------------------------------------------------------------
AREAFIX SETUP
This is mostly your Hub's responsibility. They to install AreaFix on
their system and install your password. You should choose a password
to use in your AreaFix messages. Remember this password! It may be
from 1 to 30 characters long and may contain any printable characters
except spaces.
TALKING TO AREAFIX
To invoke AreaFix you must send a netmail message to your Hub. The
message should be private (for security), addressed to AreaFix, and
the subject will be your password. Case is not important.
To: AreaFix
Subj: Gronk
AreaFix will also allow psuedonyms for itself. Your Hub may have a
special name to send to instead of "AreaFix". If so, they will tell
you. For all examples we will use "AreaFix".
AREAFIX TALKING TO YOU
Any time AreaFix replies it will send you a message explaining what
action it took (if any) and if configured to do so giving you a list
of echos currently active for you. If you are first on your uplink's
list for a particular area -- which usually implies that you are a
'feed' for that area, the originator of the echo -- AreaFix will put
an asterisk next to the echo name with a note that says you are your
uplink's feed for that echo. You will usually only see that for local
echomail areas, if at all.
AreaFix v1.30 User Guide page 3
----------------------------------------------------------------------
TURNING ON ECHOS
Turning on an echo is easy; simply send a message to AreaFix with a
list of echos you want. Case does not matter. The names may start in
any column, and you may string them out on a line (separated by
spaces) or put them on separate lines.
TO: AreaFix
FROM: Tom Slick
SUBJECT: Gronk
Sysop
FDECHO
mtask
---
Notice Tom put a tear line at the end of his message. That's the three
dashes on the line after "mtask". This tells AreaFix that there is no
more information for it in this message. If Tom wants, and if the
uplink has previously indcated that such things are noticed, he may
now write comments to his uplink Sysop, or just notes for himself.
It's a good idea to add this tear line even if you have nothing more
to say, in case some garbage gets tacked on to the message during
processing.
AreaFix replies:
TO: Tom Slick
FROM: Areafix on 1:103/522
SUBJECT: Re: Node change requests
Additions/Deletions
AREA: STATUS:
------------------------------- -------------------------------
SYSOP ......................... Added area.
FDECHO ........................ Added area.
MTASK ......................... Added area.
Active areas on 1:103/522
AreaFix v1.30 User Guide page 4
----------------------------------------------------------------------
USERS
C_ECHO
ORANGE_CO
ASIAN-AMERICAN
FDECHO
SYSOP
MTASK
Total found: 7
Note, a '*' indicates you're the feed on the echo.
--- Areafix v1.30
TURNING OFF ECHOS
Removing an area is just as easy; just preceed the area name with a
minus sign (-) when you send the message.
TO: AreaFix
FROM: Tom Slick
SUBJECT: Gronk
-sysop
---
AreaFix replies:
TO: Tom Slick
FROM: Areafix on 1:103/522
SUBJECT: Re: Node change requests
Additions/Deletions
AREA: STATUS:
------------------------------- -------------------------------
-SYSOP ........................ Unlinked.
Active areas on 1:103/522
AreaFix v1.30 User Guide page 5
----------------------------------------------------------------------
USERS
C_ECHO
ORANGE_CO
ASIAN-AMERICAN
FDECHO
MTASK
Total found: 6
Note, a '*' indicates you're the feed on the echo.
--- Areafix v1.30
Now Tom will no longer receive the Sysop echo.
OPTIONS
There are several useful options available. Each of these is invoked
by adding a command to your subject line after the password. Note that
any of these options might be disabled at your uplink.
-R is a rescan command. This causes AreaFix to force a rescan of the
echo area by removing the high-water mark. The next time the area
is scanned, any messages in that area that you did not receive
will be packaged up and sent to you. Note that if your uplink has
an area as a passthrough, there will not be any messages to
rescan.
-L sends you a list of echo areas. The uplink Sysop may make a list
of available areas in a file; if this has been done the -L
command will cause AreaFix to send it to you as a file attach.
-Q also sends you a list of echo areas. However, unlike the -L
command, it will scan through the Area Control files to see what
areas are available to you and send a list back in a message.
AreaFix will put an asterisk (*) next to each area that you are
receiving.
There is one thing to remember when using these switches: they might
not work unless there is some text in your message. For example, the -
Q option will not send back a list if you