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D'Bridge EMAIL System User's Guide and Technical Reference Version 1.30 - 15 December 1989 Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ------------------------------------------------------------ D'Bridge Software 800-762-4197 Credit card orders Suite 208 305-232-5245 Technical Support 15321 South Dixie Highway 305-232-9365 Data (EMAIL/BBS) Miami, Florida 33176 305-255-6460 FAX 1:1050/0 D'BridgeNet 1:18/68 Fidonet 7:48/2010 Alternet ------------------------------------------------------------ "This manual may be freely copied and distributed in its original form only. Distribution of modified copies shall be considered copyright infringement. This document is the complete User's Guide and Technical Reference for D'Bridge EMAIL system. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. We distribute this material on an "as-is" basis only. The current releases of this manual and/or software may be obtained free-of-charge anytime from any of the D'Bridge Support Systems located world-wide. "This is a strictly COMMERCIAL product, but a 30-day demonstration period is granted to all who request it. Copying and/or distribution of license-keys is strictly prohibited. (Except, of course for backup or archival purposes.)" D'Bridge Electronic Mail System TABLE OF CONTENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ----------------- 0.0 Forward - a note from the author 1 0.1 Hardware/software requirements 2 1.0 D'Bridge - an overview 3 1.1 Specific features and capabilities 4 2.0 Installation from floppy disk 5 2.1 Installation of "demo" copy 7 2.2 The "X00" FOSSIL driver 10 2.3 Initial configuration 11 2.4 Design philosophy, basic concepts 18 2.5 Basic EMAIL/FAX setup, scheduling 22 2.6 Basic ECHOmail setup 26 2.7 Using D'Bridge EMAIL System 31 3.0 The SETUP menu 35 3.1 EDITOR: Setup editor parameters 36 3.2 EDITOR: Local/ECHOmail areas 40 3.3 EDITOR: Keyboard macros 47 3.4 EDITOR: Translation table 48 3.5 CONFIG: Basic configuration 49 3.6 CONFIG: Directory paths 56 3.7 CONFIG: Install new modem 60 3.8 CONFIG: Comm/Modem setup 61 3.9 CONFIG: FAX configuration 66 3.10 CONFIG: Schedule maintenance 69 3.11 CONFIG: Nodelist configuration 85 3.12 CONFIG: Packet/Mail control 91 3.13 CONFIG: XMAIL control 97 3.14 ADVANCED: Function keys 100 3.15 ADVANCED: BBS configuration 101 3.16 ADVANCED: Security/Miscellaneous 105 3.17 ADVANCED: Disk space minimums 112 3.18 ADVANCED: Output configuration 114 3.19 ADVANCED: Accounting/Translation 115 3.20 ADVANCED: New support system 121 3.21 ADVANCED: ZMODEM parameters 122 4.0 DBMAILER: General operation 124 4.1 MAIL: Hold all mail 129 4.2 MAIL: View/modify queue 130 4.3 MAIL: Rebuild queue 133 4.4 MAIL: Poll a node 134 4.5 MAIL: Transmit file(s) 135 4.6 MAIL: File-request 136 4.7 MAIL: Information display 137 4.8 MAIL: Select alias 138 4.9 EDIT: Read/edit EMAIL 139 D'Bridge Electronic Mail System TABLE OF CONTENTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.10 UTILITIES: History display 140 4.11 UTILITIES: Request ECHOmail link 143 4.12 UTILITIES: New ECHOmail link 145 4.13 UTILITIES: Terminal mode 147 4.14 UTILITIES: Force nodelist compile 155 4.15 UTILITIES: Process ECHOmail 156 4.16 UTILITIES: Display schedule 158 4.17 Single-key commands 159 5.0 DBEDIT: The EMAIL message editor 160 5.1 DBEDIT: Using "edit" mode 166 5.2 DBEDIT: Using "read" mode 175 5.3 DBEDIT: Advanced features 178 6.0 Understanding the queue 181 6.1 Creating a private nodelist 186 6.2 Duties of a network administrator 188 6.3 Public amateur networks 189 7.0 DBUTIL: The utility program 190 7.1 Storage: Fido, QuickBBS 193 7.2 Using the scripting language 194 7.3 Example script file 199 8.0 Bulletin board systems 200 8.1 Using Wildcat 204 8.2 Using TBBS 208 8.3 Using Opus 211 8.4 Using QuickBBS 213 8.5 Using PC-Board 215 9.0 D'Bridge technical information 219 9.1 Parameter file 221 9.2 Message storage structures 222 9.3 D'Bridge file structures 225 9.4 Disk-based queue 236 10.0 Trouble? 240 Appendix "A" Glossary of EMAIL terms 241 Appendix "B" Credits / Acknowledgements 259 D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Forward - A note from the author 0.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greetings! Thank you for selecting D'Bridge, a state-of-the-art electronic mail system for the IBM PC. In the coming years, the ability to send and receive data electronically will become as common as the telephone for business. More and more companies are realizing that the most efficient and cost-effective way to move data is digital. FAX is fine for printed documents and voice is the most direct way to convey a thought; but data is the best way for businesses to communicate when the information sent and received becomes routine. I firmly believe that ten years from now, it will be commonplace for companies to have a "data" number, just like they have "voice" and "FAX" numbers now. In fact, it is possible that given current technologies, the "FAX" number may be replaced with a combined "Data/FAX" number if such standards can be firmly established. What can D'Bridge do? Simple - it can move data, programs, documents, spreadsheets, pictures, drawings and sounds between continents in just seconds or minutes, depending on the size. Anything that can be stored in your computer can be automatically transmitted anywhere in the world that uses a compatible EMAIL system. D'Bridge isn't alone; there are many other programs out there that can communicate with it. We chose to implement the most widely used point- to-point EMAIL system in the world, Fidonet. This means that you can communicate with anyone using the programs: AirMail, FrontDoor, Fido, Opus, SEAdog, BinkleyTerm and many others. Also, one feature about D'Bridge that you may find unique to software products, is that your license entitles you to obtain the most recent version for free - anytime. Since we use the "License Key" concept, we are able to allow our software to be freely circulated without the worry of "software pirates" stealing our wares. D'Bridge is just a beginning; look for our release of many innovative products that use our EMAIL system as a "hub." The possibilities of how D'Bridge can be used are virtually limitless. Worry-free, automated communications is the key to many new applications: Shared databases, unattended data collection and automatic order processing to name a few. I would be happy to discuss your custom application; after all, I am still a consultant too... Sincerely, Chris Irwin 1:1050/0 D'BridgeNet 1:18/68 Fidonet 7:48/2010 Alternet ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Hardware/Software requirements 0.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.1 HARDWARE/SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS ----------------------------------- HARDWARE COMPUTER - IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 or compatible - 512K RAM (640K recommended) - Monochrome, CGA, EGA, VGA, PGA adaptor and monitor - Serial port (if an external modem is used) - Printer (optional) STORAGE - A hard disk or other storage with at least 2.5 megabytes available before installation MODEM - Hayes-compatible modem The modem used MUST be capable of using both the DTR (Data Terminal Ready) and the CD (Carrier Detect) signals. - Modem cable (if external) FAX CARD (optional) - JT-FAX 4800 / JT-FAX 9600 by QuadRAM TELEPHONE LINE - A normal telephone line - A "cellular" phone (with a compatible modem) - Most PBX systems (check with your vendor) SOFTWARE OPERATING SYSTEM - D'Bridge requires DOS 2.1 or higher (DOS 3.1 suggested) - A FOSSIL communications driver such as X00 by Ray Gwinn. The X00 driver is provided with D'Bridge and is the only driver officially supported. (BNU also works, we hear...) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 2D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge - an overview 1.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.0 D'BRIDGE - AN OVERVIEW --------------------------- D'Bridge is one of the most flexible EMAIL systems on the market today and its menu-driven operation makes it one of the easiest-to-use. The communications between D'Bridge systems uses the powerful ZMODEM proto- col, ensuring that your data arrives as quickly and accurately as possible. In its simplest form, D'Bridge acts like a messenger between two or more points; at its best and most complex, it can be a multi-tiered network connecting hundreds (or thousands) of cities using a "hub and spoke" topology (much like our major airlines.) MESSAGES D'Bridge can send messages (text) from one location to (EMAIL) another automatically. Messages can be prepared by using DBEDIT, the D'Bridge Message Editor. Messages are a simple and cost-effective way for offices to communicate with each other. It is usually more cost-effective to send EMAIL messages between offices than to use FAX or TELEX. With a high-speed modem, D'Bridge can transfer hundreds of messages in just a minute or two. If your computer has a compatible FAX card, D'Bridge can also send your EMAIL messages and scanned images to any of over 3 million FAX machines. FILES Along with messages, D'Bridge can send files. Word processor files, spreadsheets, Database files, graphic images are just a few of the types of files that D'Bridge can transfer. Any file that can be put on a standard DOS diskette can be sent anywhere in the world within minutes using D'Bridge. The exception to this is special files and programs that have copy-protection of some kind. (You can't send your Flight Simulator disk using D'Bridge, but that's OK - if you can't send it, it's probably illegal.) FILE- As well as sending files, D'Bridge is capable of requesting REQUESTS them. What this means is that you give your D'Bridge system a list of files that you wish to receive from a remote site. D'Bridge calls the system and "asks" for the specified files. If you are authorized to receive them and they exist on the remote system, they will be immediately transmitted to you. FUNCTION- A Feature to unique to D'Bridge and other UltraTek EMAIL REQUESTS systems is the ability to request that various functions be performed by a remote site. This one's just a bit harder to explain but basically it allows the sending system to request that DOS services or programs be executed by the remote system. It's primary purpose is to support online database searches, but there are many more uses possible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 3D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Specific features 1.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.1 SPECIFIC FEATURES ---------------------- For comparison to other EMAIL systems, this "feature list" has been included: - Completely menu-driven -- no "text" files to edit - Sends and receives FAX, EMAIL and DATA completely unattended - Full screen editor to enter and read EMAIL messages - Fully compatible with UltraTek<tm>, Fidonet<tm>, WaZOO<tm> EMAIL - Can act as a "front-end" for most popular bulletin board systems - Uses the new EMSI handshaking protocol for maximum flexibility - Allows mail pickup for all aliases (with compatible EMAIL systems) - Fully supports Fido and QuickBBS message storage formats - Supports most Hayes-compatible 300-38400 baud modems - Communicates with XMODEM, TELINK and ZMODEM protocols - 32-bit CRCs and interruption-recovery are used in ZMODEM transfers - Supports WaZOO-style file and update requests - Complete file-request limit system, enforces limits for 24-hours - Processes "raw" nodelists directly - no other programs needed - Complete scripting language for PC-Pursuit, etc. / Script diagnostics - Flexible routing language - supports zones and points - Weekly schedule for MAIL EVENTS and DOS commands/programs - XMAIL (compressed mail capability) supporting ARC, LHARC, PAK and ZIP - Disk-based queue for file transfer and XMAIL - Full ECHOmail support including ZONES and POINTS - Built-in AREAFIX capability for remote link-requests - Complete password-security for mail sessions and file-requests - Terminal mode with ANSI support and ZMODEM autodownload - Compatible with most multi-taskers such as DESQview<tm> - Direct memory or BIOS screen I/O - Complete cost-accounting that estimates and tracks actual costs - Inbound, outbound, ECHOmail and AREAFIX history - Automatic shutdown if disk space becomes critical - Capable of a network of virtually any size - Can act as the "front-end" for external EMAIL receivers (UUCP, etc.) - Unique FUNCTION REQUEST feature - No batch files required; all processing can be internal - DOS commands may be run directly or by swapping to disk or EMS. - FREE software updates available electronically - Support systems located worldwide ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 4D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Installation from floppy disk 2.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.0 INSTALLATION FROM FLOPPY DISK ---------------------------------- Installation of D'Bridge has been simplified so that almost anyone can do it by following these few instructions: 1) Make sure that you have at least 2.5 megabytes free on the hard disk where you intend to install D'Bridge. 2) Locate the diskette labeled "D'Bridge - 1 of 2" and put it in the diskette drive. (Drive "A") 3) Assuming that you are at a "C>" prompt, type: A:INSTALL (then press ENTER) 4) The following screen should appear: /--------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge Universal Installation Program | | Version 1.30 -- Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin | |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | /--------------------------------------------------------------\ | | | | | | | Directory to install D'Bridge: C:\DB | | | | | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------/ | | | | | | | | /-----\ /-----\ | | | ESC | Abort installation | F10 | Proceed with installation | | \-----/ \-----/ | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------------/ The FIRST thing to remember is that at any time during this process, you may cancel it and start over simply by pressing the ESC key. If you get lost or confused, pressing ESC is always the way out. The cursor should appear in the INSTALL DIRECTORY field. Assuming that you want to install D'Bridge in the directory C:\DB, simply press the F10 key to start. If you want, select another directory before pressing the F10 key. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 5D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Installation from floppy disk 2.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The program will ask you to change disks; after copying all the information from BOTH diskettes, the following screen should be displayed: /--------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge Universal Installation Program | | Version 1.30 -- Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin | |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | | | /----------------------------\ | | | Testing software integrity | | | | DBRIDGE1.130 | | | \----------------------------/ | | | | | | | | | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------------/ During this phase of installation, all the information has been copied from the diskettes and is being tested to make sure it is completely valid. Be patient, D'Bridge is a large program and will take a few minutes to install. On the diskettes, it is stored in a compressed format and the installation program has to "unsqueeze" all of the files. Once installed, you will only need to repeat this process when you want to install a newer version of the software. When the installation program is done, re-boot your computer to install the supplied FOSSIL driver, X00. Start D'Bridge by typing "DB" while in D'Bridge root directory. (C:\DB) C> CD \DB C> DB Proceed to section 2.3 for continued installation instructions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 6D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Installation of "demo" copy 2.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.1 INSTALLATION OF "DEMO" COPY -------------------------------- If you have downloaded a DEMO COPY of D'Bridge from a bulletin board system, there are a few things that you should know: - D'Bridge is a commercial product; it is NOT FREE. - You may have a 30-day demonstration by getting a "demo key." - Demos keys are available from our support systems worldwide. - It will cost you the price of one long-distance call to get a key. To install the demo copy: 1) Make sure that you have at least 2.5 megabytes free on the hard disk where you intend to install D'Bridge. 2) Create a "root directory" for D'Bridge. (usually C:\DB) 3) Unpack the install program INSTALL.EXE from the ZIP file DBINST13.ZIP. 4) Assuming that you have the release files (2 "ZIP") files on your hard disk, type: INSTALL (then press ENTER) 5) The following screen should appear: /--------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge Universal Installation Program | | Version 1.30 -- Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin | |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | /----\ | | | F1 | Install D'Bridge for the first time | | \----/ | | | | /----\ | | | F3 | Upgrade to a newer version | | \----/ | | | | /----\ | | | F5 | Test integrity of the current version | | \----/ | | | | /-----\ | | | ESC | Exit install program | | \-----/ | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 7D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Installation of "demo" copy 2.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) Select option F1; install D'Bridge for the first time. 7) The following screen will appear: /--------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge Universal Installation Program | | Version 1.30 -- Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin | |--------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | /--------------------------------------------------------------\ | | | | | | | Directory to install D'Bridge: C:\DB | | | | Directory that contains release files: C:\DB | | | | "ZIP" file unpack command: PKUNZIP -O | | | | | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------/ | | | | | | | | /-----\ /-----\ | | | ESC | Abort installation | F10 | Proceed with installation | | \-----/ \-----/ | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------------/ 8) You may have to change one of the fields: A) Directory to install D'Bridge This directory is the final destination (the root directory) for the D'Bridge software. Make sure you specify the full path of the directory you want. (This is normally C:\DB) B) Directory that contains release files This is the directory that contains the two ZIP files of the actual software release. (DB130A.ZIP and DB130B.ZIP) It is advisable to allow the install program to unZIP the releases so that installation goes smoothly. C) "ZIP" file unpack command This specifies the actual command used to unpack (unZIP) the release files. If you are installing a "demo" copy, it is assumed you have an unZIP* program already as none is provided with D'Bridge. The default is (PKUNZIP -O) * PKUNZIP available from PKWARE, Inc. 7545 N. Port Washington Road Glendale, WI 53217 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 8D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Installation of "demo" copy 2.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) When you are ready, press the F10 key to begin installation. This process takes a few minutes, so be patient. 10) When the install process is complete, you will be returned to the "C>" prompt. 11) Make sure that you have a FOSSIL driver (such as X00.SYS) installed in your CONFIG.SYS file. If you do not understand what a FOSSIL driver is, see SECTION 2.2 for more information. 12) After the install process is complete, you may start D'Bridge by typing DB from the D'Bridge root directory. DB (then press ENTER) 13) The following screen should appear: /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge EMAIL System / Version 1.30 | "DEMO" Software License Agreement | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | TERMS and CONDITIONS: This is NOT SHAREWARE - It's a commercial product. | | | | You may evaluate this demo version of D'Bridge | | for a period of thirty (30) days. After that time, | | you must either purchase a copy or stop using the | | software. This "DEMO" program must be activated by | | obtaining a "DEMO LICENSE KEY" from a D'Bridge | | support system. THIS IS NOT FREE! (Your phone | | company will charge you about $0.30 for a call to | | one of our support systems. (Overseas users, this | | will probably cost more.) In addition, you MUST | | provide us with your name, address and phone number | | in order to receive a "DEMO LICENSE KEY." | | | | Type "AGREE" if you understand and accept these demo terms: _____ | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ 11) If you agree that D'Bridge is allowed to make the phone call to get a 30-day "demo license key," type AGREE on this screen. 12) If you can't agree to the simple terms and conditions required to operate D'Bridge, please do not use it. 13) Proceed to section 2.3 for continued installation instructions. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 9D'Bridge Electronic Mail System The "X00" FOSSIL driver 2.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.2 THE "X00" FOSSIL DRIVER ---------------------------- If you have installed D'Bridge from diskettes, the X00 FOSSIL driver has been installed on your computer automatically. This section is for your information only; you shouldn't have to install anything. In order for D'Bridge to communicate with your modem, it is required that a FOSSIL driver be installed. FOSSIL is an acronym meaning "Fido- Opus-SEAdog Standard Interface Layer." This has become a standard among PC-based communication programs to provide high-speed, buffered communications using the RS-232 serial port. Provided for use with D'Bridge is the X00 FOSSIL driver by Ray Gwinn. Ray was kind enough to allow the distribution of his X00 driver with D'Bridge; therefore it is the only "officially" supported FOSSIL driver. There are others that work, but only X00 is suggested because we know that it is a stable piece of software. To install X00 on your computer, you must have a line in your CONFIG.SYS file that says: DEVICE=X00.SYS E With this line installed, the X00 communications driver will be loaded at the time DOS is loaded. Make sure that the X00.SYS file is located in the root directory of your "C" drive. There are many advanced ways that X00 may be configured; you may control the size of both the inbound and outgoing data buffers as well as define non-standard communication boards. See X00.DOC, the user's manual for X00, for complete information. If you need a copy of X00.SYS, contact one of our support systems; we always have it available for download. ------------------------------------------------------------------ Make sure that the version of X00 that you use is 1.10 or greater. ------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 10D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Initial configuration 2.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.3 INITIAL CONFIGURATION -------------------------- When "DB" is first run, you will be shown a license agreement screen. This screen contains the basic license agreement between YOU and D'Bridge Software. If you agree with this license, type the word "AGREE" and press ENTER. If not, simply return the software to where you purchased it for a full refund. /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge EMAIL System / Version 1.30 | Software License Agreement | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | TERMS and CONDITIONS: D'Bridge Software assumes ABSOLUTELY NO LIABILITY | | for loss of data or accidental telephone charges | | caused by D'Bridge, whether directly or indirectly. | | | | USE THIS SOFTWARE AT YOUR OWN RISK ONLY! | | | | With D'Bridge, we have tried to create a package with | | excellent reliability and security, but there may be | | "bugs" yet undetected that could (in theory) cause | | DATA LOSS or ACCIDENTAL PHONE CHARGES. WE CANNOT BE | | RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE PROBLEMS. However, we will | | gladly work with you to resolve any real "bugs." | | | | TO USE THIS SOFTWARE, YOU MUST AGREE TO THESE TERMS | | UNCONDITIONALLY! | | | | Type "AGREE" if you understand and accept these terms and conditions: _____ | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ By your acceptance of this license agreement, you are understanding: - D'Bridge CAN and DOES make long-distance telephone calls using your MODEM or FAX CARD. - YOU, NOT D'BRIDGE SOFTWARE, are responsible for all charges from your long-distance carrier. - D'Bridge is a well-tested program, but "bugs" could exist that could cause accidental phone charges or loss-of-data. - D'Bridge Software cannot be responsible for such problems; the USER assumes full responsibility. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 11D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Initial configuration 2.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Assuming that you are using a COLOR DISPLAY ADAPTOR, the following screen will be displayed: /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge EMAIL System / Version 1.30 | INSTALLATION: Screen colors | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | D'Bridge has detected that you are using a color display adaptor! | | | | There are well over a BILLION possible color combinations which may | | be used for the screen. Since it would be impossible to list them | | all here, we'll start with four basic choices. Using the WINDOW | | COLORS menu, you may configure D'Bridge for any combination you | | desire. Here's your initial choices: | | | | Standard Colored backgrounds, colorful text | | Wild Colored backgrounds, CRAZY colors! | | Conservative Black backgrounds, mild colors | | Mono Completely monochrome (Black and white) | | | | | | Your choice? (S/W/C/M) | | | | | | Press ESC to abort the installation procedure | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ This one's easy - just choose from STANDARD, WILD, CONSERVATIVE and MONO. Whatever you choose, you can always change your mind later. With the WINDOW COLORS menu, you can select from the billions of possible combinations... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 12D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Initial configuration 2.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next, you will get a screen that allows you to specify what "support system" you would like to use. A "support system" is where you can call to request a "DEMO" key or a free software-update. The following screen will be displayed: /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge EMAIL System / Version 1.30 | INSTALLATION: Support Systems | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | The following support systems are available as of 12/15/89: | | | | 0) D'Bridge Sales and Support Miami/FL 1-305-232-9365 | | 11) D'Bridge Sales/West U.S. Portland/OR 1-503-292-7233 | | 12) D'Bridge Sales/West U.S. Portland/OR 1-503-292-7237 | | 13) D'Bridge Sales/East U.S. Philadelphia/PA 1-215-879-3310 | | 14) D'Bridge Sales/Canada Ontario/Canada 1-412-823-4521 | | 21) D'Bridge Sales/Europe Arnhem/Holland 31-85-459034 | | 22) D'Bridge Sales/Italy Civitavecchia/Italy 39-766-540-899 | | 23) D'Bridge Sales/UK London/UK 44-1-351-7262 | | 24) D'Bridge Sales/Germany Hamm/Deutschland 49-2381-460077 | | 25) D'Bridge Sales/Belgium Borgerhout/Belgium 32-3-8770709 | | 26) D'Bridge Sales/Sweden Kalmar/Sweden 46-480-14302 | | 31) D'Bridge Support/Australia Melborne, Australia 61-3-848-3331 | | 32) D'Bridge Support/Australia Melborne, Australia 61-3-563-2496 | | | | Which one would you like to use as your primary support system? 0 | | What phone number would you need to dial to reach it? 1-305-232-9365 | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Press F1 for the previous screen or ESC to abort the installation Select your support node from the list of valid choices. D'Bridge will then give you the chance to edit the phone number that will be dialed. This is necessary because of differences in international dialing methods and the possibility that calling a support node might be a local call. Make sure that the phone number can be dialed exactly as entered - no further translation will be done to your primary support system's phone number. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 13D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Initial configuration 2.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next, you need to tell D'Bridge about your modem. Obviously, you know that an EMAIL system needs a dedicated modem in order to function. It is highly recommended that you use a HAYES-compatible modem. I'll use that term rather loosely, because most modems "claim" to be HAYES- compatible even though most aren't. It doesn't matter whether your modem is internal or external, just so it meets the following criteria: 1) It must be able to dial the phone automatically. 2) It must be capable of answering the phone. 3) It must respond to the DTR (Data Terminal Ready) signal. 4) It must provide D'Bridge with the CD (Carrier Detect) signal. Odds are, your modem can do all these things, but it's possible that you will need to change some switch settings or do some "NRAM" changes before using D'Bridge. /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge EMAIL System / Version 1.30 | INSTALLATION: Modem Selection | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | D'Bridge requires a HAYES-COMPATIBLE modem to operate properly. | | It is important that you have all switch settings and controls | | set properly; see your modem manual for more information. There | | are really only two special requirements that must be met: | | | | 1) Your modem must be able to use the CARRIER DETECT signal. | | 2) It must hang-up the phone (and not answer) when the DATA | | TERMINAL READY (DTR) signal is "low." | | | | What COM port does your modem use? COM1 | | Use TOUCH-TONE dialing? Yes | | | | Modem type: | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Press F1 for the previous screen or ESC to abort the installation First, enter which COM PORT your modem uses. If you aren't sure, use COM1. Most modems are configured as either COM1 or COM2, but if you have a special system configuration, you might need a different port. Next, you must specify whether your phone line accepts TOUCH-TONE dialing. It's obviously a lot faster to answer "YES" to this field, but some older phone systems might require PULSE dialing, so you might have to answer "NO." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 14D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Initial configuration 2.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finally, select your modem type from the list of standard modems. If your particular modem is not in the list, choose one of the "generic" modems at the end of the list. (Make sure that you pick the right baud- rate...) If this screen confuses you, I would suggest that you read SECTION 3.7 in this manual; it will further describe modem selection. If you just can't figure it out, feel free to call customer support in Miami, Florida at 305-232-5245; we will be more than happy to assist you. The next screen lets you define your system address. An address is very much like a phone number; it identifies your system with a unique set of numbers used when communicating via Fidonet EMAIL. A Fidonet address consists of four numbers: ZONE, NET, NODE and POINT. These numbers are normally assigned by your NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR. If you don't have a administrator, or are setting up a private network, I would suggest first reading SECTION 6.1 about being a NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR. Here's the screen that D'Bridge uses to define your network address: /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge EMAIL System / Version 1.30 | INSTALLATION: Fidonet address | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | D'Bridge is a Fidonet-based EMAIL system. Similar to a telephone number | | Fidonet uses a 4-part "address" to define each system. An address | | consists of four numbers: ZONE, NET, NODE and POINT. They are used | | as follows: | | | | ZONE Usually defines a continent (1=America, 2=Europe, 3=Australia) | | NET Usually represents a local calling area (city) | | NODE Specifies an individual system within a NET | | POINT For most systems, use zero (see documentation) | | | | Do not pick a number at random; contact your network administrator | | for the correct assignment. If you are setting up a private network, | | please read the user documentation for further information. | | | | | | ZONE: ______ NET: _______ NODE: ______ POINT: ______ | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Press F1 for the previous screen or ESC to abort the installation ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 15D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Initial configuration 2.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- On this screen you specify your Fidonet address with four separate numbers. When using the MESSAGE editor, you will refer to these addresses in the format: ZONE:NET/NODE.POINT ie. 1:18/68.5 Again, if you don't know what to use for this screen, contact your NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR or read SECTION 6.1 if you're setting up a private network. As with all these parameters, your Fidonet address may be easily changed later by using the BASIC CONFIGURATION menu. The next screen simply tells D'Bridge your COUNTRY CODE and AREA CODE. For systems in the U.S., this is quite simple: Your country code is 1 and your area code should be obvious. D'Bridge needs this information so that it can distinguish local calls from long-distance. The following screen will be displayed: /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge EMAIL System / Version 1.30 | INSTALLATION: Country/Area code | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | D'Bridge already knows how to dial long-distance calls in most cases. | | What it doesn't know is which phone numbers are within your local | | calling area. To do this, you must specify what "prefix" to remove | | from phone numbers in order to place local calls. | | | | In most countries, you can simply specify your COUNTRY CODE and AREA | | CODE. For example, in Miami, Florida I use "1" as my country code | | (meaning US/Canada) and "305" as my area code. This means that for | | any phone number beginning with 1-305, I will usually place as a local | | call. Of course, there are always exceptions to this; most area codes | | cover more than one local calling area an (in the US) I'll need to dial | | a "1" before the number, but you'll need to read the user documentation | | for a complete explanation of that... | | | | What is your COUNTRY CODE? 1 | | AREA CODE? | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Press F1 for the previous screen or ESC to abort the installation This screen should be completely self-explanatory unless you live in another country but the U.S. If you don't know your COUNTRY CODE, look in your DOS manual or call your phone company. Again, your area code should be obvious. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 16D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Initial configuration 2.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | D'Bridge EMAIL System / Version 1.30 | INSTALLATION: Final recap | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | To summarize, here's the information that you have specified: | | | | | | Color choice: Standard | | | | COMM port: COM1 | | Modem baud rate: 1200 | | Dialing: Touch-tone | | Modem type: U.S. Robotics Courier 2400 | | | | Fidonet address: 1:18/68 | | | | Local "prefix": 1-305 | | | | | | Is this information completely accurate? (Yes/No) | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Press F1 for the previous screen or ESC to abort the installation This screen simply recaps all the information that you have entered. If it's wrong, you may go back and change it. Don't worry - you can always change any of this information later by using the configuration menus. Once you say YES to this screen, D'Bridge is installed - congratulations. These parameters barely "scratch the surface" of the capabilities of D'Bridge. There are HUNDREDS of different parameters that you may change by using one of the menu configuration screens. You can customize your D'Bridge installation to exactly suit your needs. Good luck. Call Technical Support from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM EST at 305-232-5245 for assistance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 17D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Design philosophy, basic concepts 2.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.4 DESIGN PHILOSOPHY, BASIC CONCEPTS -------------------------------------- D'Bridge is complex program that allows a user complete control over its operation. There are just four programs involved in the routine operation of the EMAIL system: DB.EXE This is the "shell" program that runs DBMAILER.EXE and DBEDIT.EXE. Normally, this is the program to run to start the system. DBMAILER.EXE This is the MAILER portion. It controls your modem both answering and originating calls; it can control your FAX card at the same time. Think of the MAILER as a fancy timer/clock that allows you to program different "events" to happen using a weekly schedule. EMAIL is transmitted only when the schedule permits; mail schedules can be set up to send all the mail at the least-expensive overnight rates. DBEDIT.EXE This is the EDITOR portion. It is very much like a word-processor in operation, but instead of documents, there are EMAIL messages. DBEDIT allows you to enter, read and reply to messages. DBUTIL.EXE This is the utility program. It allows for additional functions such as SEND FILE or POLL to be executed from a batch file so that nightly data transmissions can be automated. With the PURGE option, DBUTIL will purge the message base. There are some basic terms that are important to understand when dealing with D'Bridge. There is also a complete glossary located in appendix A, but here's the ones that you'll need to get started: EMAIL Electronic mail, or in D'Bridge terms, messages that are sent directly between systems or routed through a host. EMAIL messages may be public or private and may be sent in normal or compressed form. (XMAIL) NETMAIL NETmail or network mail is the name of the EMAIL message area for messages sent directly between systems. Each NETmail message has an ORIGIN and a specific DESTINATION where it is to be sent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 18D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Design philosophy, basic concepts 2.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ECHOmail ECHOmail is a form of conferencing. When an ECHOmail message is entered on your system, it is automatically "echoed" to all other systems participating in the given conference. ECHOmail messages are generally not private since they can be read by the system operator of each node receiving it. ECHOmail conferences are generally topic-specific. For example, there may be an ECHOmail conference about SKIING and one about SCUBA_DIVING. This provides a means of linking lots of people throughout the world in a common forum for discussion. XMAIL In D'Bridge terms, XMAIL simply means compressed mail. Compression is done by common compression/archival programs that store a series of files inside a single archive. By default, ARC by System Enhancement Associates is used to store and compress the mail so that telephone costs may be cut. ZIP, PAK and LHARC are also supported as standard compression methods. If you wish to use the XMAIL features of D'Bridge, you will need to get one of these supported archive programs: ARC System Enhancement Associates 21 New Street Wayne, NJ 07470 PKZIP PKWARE, Inc. 7545 N. Port Washington Rd. Glendale, WI 53217 PAK NoGate Consulting P.O. Box 88115 Grand Rapids, MI 49518-0115 LHARC Copyright by Haruyasu Toshizaki NETWORK A NETWORK is a group of computer systems that have the ability to send EMAIL on a scheduled or continuous basis. In D'Bridge, NETWORKS are defined by a NODELIST file. NODELIST A NODELIST is a text file that contains a list of EMAIL systems in a given NETWORK. The list is in a structured form known as the "St. Louis" format. D'Bridge needs to compile the raw list(s) into its database before a new nodelist file may be used. If you are joining a public NETWORK, you will need to obtain a copy of their NODELIST from a "network administrator." If you are setting up a private NETWORK, you will need to create your own NODELIST file; see SECTION 6.0 for more information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 19D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Design philosophy, basic concepts 2.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MESSAGE A MESSAGE is the basis of EMAIL communications. A user enters a MESSAGE in the editor and ADDRESSES it to any other system in the NODELIST. ADDRESS Each EMAIL MESSAGE has two addresses: the ORIGIN and DESTINATION ADDRESS. The ORIGIN is simply the ADDRESS of the system that wrote the message and the DESTINATION is the ADDRESS of the system where the message is being sent. In D'Bridge, addresses are broken up into four segments: ZONE, NET, NODE and POINT. Each of these segments is a number between 0 and 32767. The normal format for an EMAIL ADDRESS is ZONE:NET/NODE.POINT or ZONE:NET/NODE.FAXNAME for a FAX DESTINATION. ZONE The ZONE ADDRESS is a number between 1 and 32767 that designates a NETWORK or geographic region. In the case of public NETWORKS, different ZONES have been used to designate completely separate NODELISTS. NET The NET ADDRESS is a number between 1 and 32767 that designates LOCAL NETWORKS. A LOCAL NETWORK consists of a HOST NODES and BOSS NODES and POINTS. NODE The NODE ADDRESS is a number between 0 and 32767 that designates the ADDRESS of an individual system. If the NODE number is 0, the system is a HOST NODE. POINT The POINT ADDRESS is a number between 0 and 32767 that designates the ADDRESS of an individual system acting as a POINT. If the POINT number is 0, the system is a BOSS NODE; otherwise, the system uses its BOSS NODE to receive and sometimes send EMAIL. BOSS NODE A BOSS NODE is any system operating with a point address of zero. The difference between a BOSS NODE and a POINT is that BOSS NODES are listed in the NODELIST of a NETWORK and POINTS are not. A BOSS NODE will HOLD and FORWARD EMAIL and files to its POINTS. HOST NODE A HOST NODE acts as a collecting point for EMAIL and files that are HOST-ROUTED. When a message and/or file is ROUTED, it is FORWARDED for the appropriate NODES automatically. EVENT An EVENT is a scheduled item that controls EMAIL routing or executes a series of DOS commands at preprogrammed time. The SCHEDULE consists of from 1 to 64 EVENTS that tell D'Bridge what to do. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 20D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Design philosophy, basic concepts 2.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge has four basic modes of operation: MAILER The normal mode of operation, the MAILER mode of D'Bridge is normally running 24-hours/day unless you are running D'Bridge only at certain times. While in the MAILER mode, D'Bridge sends and receives EMAIL and files based on a preprogrammed schedule. The MAILER mode is a completely unattended method and scheduling a system and transferring data between systems. The user has the ability to control the queue of outbound file-transmissions and file-requests as well as XMAIL and standard EMAIL. No mail will be sent if the system is not left in MAILER mode when not in use by the operator. EDITOR The EDITOR mode allows you to enter and read EMAIL messages sent and received by D'Bridge. The EDITOR is a specialized word-processor specifically designed for simplicity and power. The editor can be configured to read hundreds of local and ECHOmail areas as well as standard EMAIL. TERMINAL The TERMINAL mode allows D'Bridge to act as a ANSI terminal allowing the user to call other systems such as Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) or commercial systems such as CompuServe<TM>. This mode provides upload and download capability plus the ability to set up a custom dialing directory of systems frequently called. CONFIGURATION The CONFIGURATION mode of D'Bridge consists of a series of parameter screens that provide complete control over the operation of the software. There are hundreds of user-definable parameters that control the scheduling, communications and routing of the EMAIL. For added security, a password may be required to enter the various CONFIGURATION screens. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 21D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Basic EMAIL/FAX setup, scheduling 2.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.5 BASIC EMAIL/FAX SETUP, SCHEDULING -------------------------------------- In order to gain a complete understanding of D'Bridge, we suggest that you follow this guideline to configuring the software initially. Using this section, follow along step-by-step as we setup D'Bridge initially. IDLE: ESC-Commands D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-LOG--------------------------------------+-ACTIVITY-------------------------\ | | | | | | | | Friday, December 15, 1989 | | | | |11:51 D'Bridge ONLINE, 204821 bytes free | 11:51:52 | |11:51 Scanning for outbound crashmail | | |11:51 0 messages scanned, 0 want out | | |11:51 No messages to send at this time | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 Waiting for call or event | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | -- No outbound mail currently in the queue -- | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ 1. When D'Bridge is first loaded, it will perform a series of self- tests on its environment, files and peripherals. There are several warning messages you may see in the LOG window. Here's a summary of the warnings and what they mean: WARNING: Unable to initialize modem This warning means that there is a modem defined but D'Bridge is unable to communicate with it. The software expects an "OK" response when the initialization string is sent to the modem. A number of things could cause this problem, the most likely being that a cable is loose, the modem is off or something is set wrong in the COMM/MODEM setup screen; see SECTION 3.7 for more information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 22D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Basic EMAIL/FAX setup, scheduling 2.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WARNING: Modem requires X00.SYS driver You have forgotten to install the X00.SYS device driver in your CONFIG.SYS file; D'Bridge need a FOSSIL driver to operate the modem. See SECTION 2.2 for more information. WARNING: 64K free RAM needed for ECHOmail If there is not at least 64K of memory free when you run D'Bridge, ECHOmail processing is not possible. Increase the environment size or lower the TOTAL MEMORY on the BASIC CONFIGURATION screen; see SECTION 3.5 for more information. WARNING: FAX software offline! You have defined a FAX card in the system but the software or card is not responding as it should. Check your FAX card or software configuration. WARNING: Unable to open log file The LOG FILE that is defined on the BASIC CONFIG screen is an invalid filename or can't be created for some reason. Check the drive and path; see SECTION 3.5 for more information. NOTE: "Demo" key has 27 days left! Your demonstration license key will expire in 27 days. This warning will only appear if you are running a demo copy of D'Bridge. This is here for two reasons: to remind you that the software is not free and to make sure that you order your copy before your key expires. ERROR: Insufficient disk space on C: There is not enough disk space for D'Bridge to operate. This is based on the values established on the DISK MINIMUMS screen. The solution to this problem is either to free some disk space on the "offending" drive or use DB SETUP to change the DISK MINIMUMS. (Typing "DB SETUP" from the DOS command line will allow you to use the configuration menus without D'Bridge coming online. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 23D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Basic EMAIL/FAX setup, scheduling 2.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Main: MAIL EDITOR UTILITIES CONFIG ADVANCED QUIT D'Bridge /---------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-LOG-| Hold ALL mail |--------------+-ACTIVITY-------------------------\ | | View/modify queue | | | | | Rebuild queue | | | | | Transmit file(s) | | Friday, December 15, 1989 | | | File-request | | | |11:51| Poll a node |21 bytes free | 11:51:52 | |11:51| Information display | crashmail | | |11:51\---------------------/ want out | | |11:51 No messages to send at this time | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 Waiting for call or event | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | -- No outbound mail currently in the queue -- | | | | | | | | | \------------------------------------------+----------------------------------/ 2. When the top-left corner of the screen says "IDLE," you may press the ESC key to display the main menu. Pressing the ESC key a second time will return to IDLE mode. Select menu items by using the ARROW keys to select the desired option then press ENTER. Pressing the first letter of any option will select that option immediately without any other keystrokes. 3. On the EDITOR menu, select the SETUP EDITOR PARAMETERS option. (Pressing ESC-E-S is a quick way of getting to this menu from the IDLE state.) Choose answers for all the fields on this screen. If you're not sure about a field, leave it blank or accept the pre- programmed "default;" refer to SECTION 3.1 for more information. 4. On the CONFIG menu, select each of the following options and fill-in all the fields with the appropriate information. Again, if you don't understand something, just accept the "default" value or leave it blank. Screen Section BASIC CONFIGURATION 3.5 DIRECTORY PATHS 3.6 COMM/MODEM SETUP 3.8 FAX CONFIGURATION 3.9 NODELIST CONFIGURATION 3.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 24D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Basic EMAIL/FAX setup, scheduling 2.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. If you run a bulletin board system (BBS,) setup the information on the ADVANCED MENU, BBS CONFIGURATION screen; refer to SECTION 3.15 for more information on this screen. 6. Next, if there are certain mail schedules required for your NETWORK, you can set them up in the SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE option of the CONFIG menu. Typically, a NETWORK will have at least one MAIL EVENT each night. During these events, EMAIL and files are allowed to be sent; this allows EMAIL entered during the day to be transmitted at night, yielding the highest savings in tele- communication costs. See SECTION 3.9 for more information. 7. At this point, your system should be configured for basic EMAIL operation. Assuming that you defined a NODELIST on the NODELIST CONFIGURATION screen, it must be compiled before D'Bridge can use it. The NODELIST always gets compiled when the system is brought up and a new NODELIST exists. If you haven't left the program, you can force a nodelist compile by using the FORCE NODELIST COMPILE on the UTILITIES menu. This process takes a few minutes, so be patient. 8. Now EMAIL is fully configured and you may continue either by reading SECTION 2.6, BASIC ECHOMAIL SETUP or by proceeding to SECTION 2.7, USING D'BRIDGE EMAIL SYSTEM. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 25D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Basic ECHOmail setup 2.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.6 BASIC ECHOMAIL SETUP ------------------------- It is assumed that you've completed the previous section and setup most of the parameters on all the menus listed. If you haven't please go back an read SECTION 2.5 as you configure D'Bridge. Before you configure the ECHOmail subsystem, it is a good idea to have a general understanding of what it and how it works. The D'Bridge ECHOmail processor is completely automatic in operation once properly configured. - What is ECHOmail? The facility to allow for EMAIL-based conferencing in any number of message areas (SIGs) at the same. An ECHOmail message differs from a NETmail message only in that there is no DESTINATION ADDRESS for an ECHOmail message; it gets sent to ALL systems participating in the conference. With ECHOmail, you have the capability of sharing ideas with other people in SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS or SIGS. A conference is created for each topic of discussion and you may participate in as few or as many as you wish. When you enter a message, it is automatically forwarded to all the other nodes you are linking to the conference. In turn, all the other nodes forward the message to all the nodes they link to; the process continues until your message has been seen by every system participating in the conference. Your message can be sent to THOUSANDS of systems if a conference is a large one! ECHOmail is a unique form of communication, new to the '80s that hasn't really exploded yet. People that live 3,000 miles apart can carry on a public discussion on any topic or interest they have in common. An example of some public ECHOmail conferences that anyone may participate in: DBRIDGE D'Bridge users conference HUMOR Sick jokes and humor POLITICS International political discussion SYSOP International Sysop ECHO ZMODEM Discussion about the ZMODEM protocol For more information about how to receive public ECHOmail, contact any of our support nodes and we'll be glad to help you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 26D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Basic ECHOmail setup 2.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - How does ECHOmail work? Each ECHOmail conference is actually an entire network within itself. An ECHOmail network is defined by its TOPOLOGY or the way in which the network interconnects. The following chart describes the topology of an ECHOmail conference that I currently use: ------------------- 1:18/68 (my system) ---------+--------- | | | /-----------+------------+-----+-----+-------------+-------------\ | | | | | | ---+--- ----+---- ----+---- ---+----- ----+----- ----+---- 1:105/3 1:107/150 1:150/613 1:3601/22 2:512/1006 1:18/68.1 ---+--- --------- --------- ---+----- ----+----- --------- | | | +-----------+------------\ | +-------\ | | | | | | ---+---- ---+---- ----+---- ---+----- ---+----- | 1:105/10 1:105/50 1:105/300 1:3601/14 2:280/280 | -------- -------- ----+---- --------- --------- | | | +----------------\ | | | | -----+------ -----+------ -----+------ 1:105/300.14 1:105/300.68 2:512/1006.1 ------------ ------------ ------------ To understand what topology is and how messages get to all the systems in the conference, let's take an example of a message entered on 1:105/300.68 that is a reply to a message from 2:512/1006.1 --- The message would pass through the following systems to make it to its final destination: 1:105/300.68, 1:105/300, 1:105/3, 1:18/68, 2:512/1006, 2:512/1006.1 This could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on the events running on the different systems; the message must be forwarded through four different systems before making it to 2:512/1006.1! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 27D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Basic ECHOmail setup 2.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You will notice that the topology (interconnection) is in the form of a tree starting with my address at the top. ECHOmail topology is different from every system's point-of-view. In the above network, there may be links that I don't know exist. For example, I have no way of knowing what points 1:105/300 is sending the ECHOmail. The tree looks completely different from his point-of-view. The main thing to remember is never to have more than once "source" of an ECHO. It is fine to forward an echo to several other systems, but make sure that all topology follows this tree structure and never causes any loops. Most networks have an ECHOmail coordinator whose job it is to ensure that the topology for the local network is correct. If you are a member of a public network, you should always contact the ECHOmail coordinator before setting up ECHOmail links. IMPROPER TOPOLOGY ACCEPTABLE TOPOLOGY /-----------\ /-----------\ | | | | ---+--- ---+--- ---+--- ---+--- 1:134/2 1:134/5 1:134/2 1:134/5 ---+--- ---+--- ---+--- ---+--- | | | | ---+--- ----+---- ---+--- ----+---- 1:134/3 1:134/150 1:134/3 1:134/150 ---+--- ----+---- ------- --------- | | \-----------/ OPTIMUM TOPOLOGY System FORWARD TO a ------ ---------- ------- 1:134/2 1:134/3 1:134/5 1:134/150 1:134/2 1:134/3 1:134/2 ---+--- 1:134/5 1:135/2 | 1:134/150 1:135/2 /-----------+-----------\ b | c | d | ---+--- ---+--- ----+---- 1:134/3 1:134/5 1:134/150 ------- ------- --------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 28D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Basic ECHOmail setup 2.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To configure basic ECHOmail capabilities, follow the following sequence of instructions to gain a greater understanding of D'Bridge. 1. From the CONFIG menu, select the PACKET/MAIL CONTROL screen. Using this screen, set the ECHOmail-related parameters like this: Unpack mail? Yes Kill null msgs? Yes Process ECHOmail? Yes Save ECHOmail AREA line? No Save ECHOmail SEENBYs? No Save duplicate messages? No Auto-add ECHOmail areas? No (for now) Accept AREAFIX requests? Yes See SECTION 3.12 for more information. 2. Next, select the XMAIL CONTROL screen. Here, you should already have defaults displayed for each of the compression commands. If you are using different archive programs than the ones specified, change them as appropriate, but remember that the formats of the ARC, PAK, ZIP or LHARC files must be the same. Specify "YES" to "Unpack inbound XMAIL." XMAIL uses the ARC program by default, but you may specify which compression methods to use for which systems on this screen. See SECTION 3.13 for more information. 3. On the ADVANCED menu, select the DISK SPACE MINIMUMS screen. D'Bridge comes preprogrammed with suggested minimum disk space criteria. If you plan to use more than one hard-drive to store the message bases or queue directory, make sure that you specify minimums for all drives used. See SECTION 3.17 for more information. 4. On the EDITOR menu, select the LOCAL/ECHOMAIL AREAS screen. Following the directions listed in SECTION 3.2, create all the ECHOmail areas that you will be using. In the FORWARD TO fields, list the addresses of the systems that you want to setup ECHOmail links for. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 29D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Basic ECHOmail setup 2.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. That's all there is to it. For ECHOmail to work, you must verify the following things: a. D'Bridge reports at least enough free memory as it takes to run the compression and decompression programs specified on the XMAIL CONTROL screen. When D'Bridge first comes online, it says how many bytes of memory are available. Typically, this must be around 100K, depending on the compression programs that you are using. b. The compression programs specified must exist in the current default path. c. There is enough free disk space; there will be a warning at the bottom of the screen if disk space is too low to unpack or forward ECHOmail. 6. Next, proceed with SECTION 2.7, USING D'BRIDGE EMAIL SYSTEM. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 30D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using D'Bridge EMail System 2.7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.7 USING D'BRIDGE EMAIL SYSTEM -------------------------------- The operation of D'Bridge can be broken down into three modes: MAILER Sends/receives EMAIL and files automatically EDITOR Specialized word-processor to read and enter EMAIL TERMINAL Terminal emulator to access remote data systems manually MAILER The MAILER mode is the normal mode of operation for D'Bridge. While running, it answers incoming calls as well as placing outbound calls to other EMAIL systems. The first thing that you need to understand is the operation is the STATUS indications. The upper-right corner of your screen indicates what mode the system is in and what keys have what effect on the mailer operation. Here's the most common displays and what they mean: IDLE: ESC-Commands This is displayed when the system is completely IDLE and has no outbound calls to make at the current time. Pressing ESC displays the MAIN command menu. SCANNING MAIL: ESC-Abort scan When D'Bridge is SCANNING MAIL, it is creating outbound packets to send based on the EMAIL messages in your NETmail message base. Messages entered through the editor, file-transfer requests by DBUTIL and ECHOmail being forwarded to other systems is placed in the queue at the beginning of every mail event. If you press the ESC key and abort the mail scan, the queue will not be completely built and some EMAIL might not go out; you will receive the warning message "Mail scan aborted by operator" in the LOG window. MAIL EVENT: Next call, ESC-Commands This means that there are currently outbound calls to be placed. D'Bridge places calls at random time intervals, but the operator may force the next call to be made at any time by pressing the letter N. Pressing ESC displays the MAIN command menu. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 31D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using D'Bridge EMail System 2.7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACTIVE CALL: Next call, ESC-Cancel call The ACTIVE CALL status means that D'Bridge has placed an outbound call but not yet received a CARRIER DETECT signal from the modem. Usually, at this point, a call may be aborted without any long- distance charges being incurred. (Unless something has already answered on the other end.) Pressing N for next call immediately terminates the call and move to the next item in the queue. Pressing ESC simply terminates the outbound call. The next call will not be placed immediately. ACTIVE SESSION: ESC-Abort session The ACTIVE SESSION status means that you are currently connected and transferring information. Pressing ESC at this point will cancel the mail session as soon as possible and abort the call. If it is an outbound call, D'Bridge may try again later, depending on how you have it configured in schedule. ECHOscan: Press ESC to cancel D'Bridge is scanning your message bases for outbound ECHOmail. You may stop this process at anytime by pressing ESC. Processing will stop as soon as it is possible. This could take a few seconds depending on what phase of the scan is in progress. If you cancel the ECHOscan, it will resume where it was interrupted the next time a scan is done. NODELIST COMPILE: Press ESC to cancel D'Bridge is currently compiling all your nodelists into its internal database. This may take anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes depending on the size of your nodelists and the speed of your computer. You may cancel the compile at any time by pressing ESC, but if you do, the nodelist database will not be complete and D'Bridge will not find some of the systems in the list. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 32D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using D'Bridge EMail System 2.7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAILER MENUS When the system is in IDLE or MAIL EVENT mode, pressing the ESC key will display the MAIN MENU. There are six separate menus available in this mode: MAIL The MAIL menu allows you to transmit and request files as well as control the outbound mail queue. EDITOR The EDITOR menu lets enter DBEDIT, the EMAIL editor or change its configuration. Local and ECHOmail areas may also be defined using this menu. UTILITIES Most of the "miscellaneous" features of D'Bridge are found on the UTILITIES menu. CONFIG The CONFIG menu controls the basic configuration of the software. Directory paths, modem, FAX and nodelist setup are a few of the options. ADVANCED The ADVANCED menu allows you to control some of the more sophisticated features such as BBS, security, disk minimums and cost-accounting. QUIT The QUIT menu allows you access to DOS by leaving the program entirely or by PUSHING/DROPPING to DOS. To select a menu item, you may either move the highlight bar by using the UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys then pressing ENTER when the desired selection is highlighted. An alternate (and quicker) method is to press the first letter of the menu or selection that you desire. The main thing to remember when using D'Bridge is that pressing the ESC key will get you out of any screen. For more information about individual menu options, see the table of contents; each menu option has a chapter describing it in detail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 33D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using D'Bridge EMail System 2.7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITOR The D'Bridge editor, DBEDIT, is a text-editor designed specifically for entering and reading EMAIL messages; think of the editor as a specialized word-processor. Once D'Bridge is configured, the EDITOR mode will most- likely be used on a daily basis to read and respond to EMAIL messages. Start EDITOR mode by pressing ALT-E or ESC-E-R when D'Bridge is in the IDLE or MAIL EVENT mode. It may take up to 10-15 seconds to load the editor, depending on the speed of your computer. An alternate way to start the editor is by typing "DBEDIT" at the DOS prompt. DBEDIT.EXE is a separate program and may be run stand-alone from DOS. The editor allows you to read, enter, reply, edit, list and kill EMAIL messages along with a variety of other functions that complete the integrated environment. For information on how to use the editor to read and enter EMAIL, see SECTION 5.0 for complete details. TERMINAL The TERMINAL mode of D'Bridge causes your PC to emulate an ANSI terminal allowing you to manually access remote data systems such as CompuServe, The Source and Bulletin Board Systems. Pressing ESC-U-T, ALT-C or ALT-D starts the terminal mode. ALT-Z will display a short help screen that describes what keys have what function. The terminal has a dialing directory that you may edit as well as the ability to "cycle-dial" systems from the mailer's nodelist. Uploads and downloads using XMODEM, TELINK or ZMODEM are also supported. It is not the intention for D'Bridge to compete with the other excellent terminal programs such as PROCOMM, TELIX and CROSSTALK; terminal mode is provided simply as a convenience. If you require advanced scripting or other features not provided by D'Bridge, you should look into these other programs. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 34D'Bridge Electronic Mail System The SETUP Menu 3.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.0 THE SETUP MENU ------------------- Before D'Bridge is put ONLINE, it is important to have the basic setup correctly defined. Usually, the installation process should provide an up-and-running system, but you might find it necessary to change the configuration before going ONLINE. To facilitate this, there is a command-line option to run the SETUP menu without bringing up the EMAIL system. From your DOS prompt, (in the D'Bridge directory) type: DB SETUP i.e. C>DB SETUP This command will bring up the following menu: SETUP: EDITOR CONFIG ADVANCED QUIT /-------------------------\ | Setup editor parameters | | Local/ECHOmail areas | | Keyboard macros | | Translation table | \-------------------------/ Select the desired menu by using the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to change the selected category (highlighted on the top line.) You may also press the first letter of the desired selection to change menus. Select the desired menu option by moving the highlight-bar to the desired option and pressing ENTER. Again, you can directly select a menu option by pressing the first letter of the desired selection. Following is a brief description of each menu and its functions: EDITOR To change the editor configuration CONFIG Basic EMAIL system configuration, schedules, nodelists ADVANCED Configuration of more advanced features, security QUIT Exit SETUP Each of these options is also available on the main menu of D'Bridge; they are just provided here to give you an OFFLINE method to maintain the configuration. To leave this setup screen and return to DOS, use the QUIT/LEAVE SETUP option (or press ESC at any menu.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 35D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Setup editor parameters 3.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1 EDITOR: SETUP EDITOR PARAMETERS ------------------------------------ The SETUP EDITOR PARAMETERS option allows the operator to define certain options that affect the D'Bridge EMAIL editor. This screen will appear: /-SETUP EDITOR PARAMETERS-----------------------------------------------\ | Editor method: DROP (DROP/PUSH) | | Restart crashmail? Yes | | Scan ECHOmail? Yes | | Sound effects? Yes | | Default private? No | | Kill/sent? No | | Archive/sent? No | | XMail? No | | Priority? Normal (Immediate/Crash/Normal/Hold) | | Insert? No | | INTL addressing? No | | Valid user names: Chris Irwin | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: EDITOR METHOD The editor, DBEDIT, is a separate program. There are two ways to invoke the editor from within D'Bridge: DROP When you DROP to the editor, all program memory is written to the disk or EMS memory, freeing most of the memory. The DBEDIT program will be spawned from a "switched task." PUSH When you push to the editor, only the memory NOT used by D'Bridge will be available for DBEDIT. Make sure you have at least 220K free if you use this method. (This is no problem on most 640K machines.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 36D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Setup editor parameters 3.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RESTART CRASHMAIL? This parameter gives you the option to automatically re-scan the netmail area after EMAIL has been entered or deleted. This scan will happen immediately after exiting the editor. If you want the mail scanned automatically, specify YES here. SCAN ECHOMAIL? If you want to send ECHOmail messages immediately after leaving the editor, specify YES here. The D'Bridge ECHOmail scanner knows what areas need to be scanned if any. If you don't say YES here, then ECHOmail will not be sent until an ECHOscan is run either in an event or manually with the command: UTILITIES-Process ECHOmail. SOUND EFFECTS? This specifies whether the "warning beeps" will be active in the editor. Answer YES, and if they bother you, just change your answer later. DEFAULT PRIVATE? This specifies whether the editor will default all new messages to private status or not. "Private" usually means that the EMAIL is only intended for the receiver, however you should note that mail can be read by all systems it passes through. (Unless mail is encrypted somehow) KILL/SENT? This specifies the default for the "Kill when sent" flag in the editor. If you have no use for a copy of outbound mail, you might want to specify "YES" here. Mail flagged KILL/SENT is erased after being sent to the next destination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 37D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Setup editor parameters 3.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARCHIVE/SENT? This specifies the default for the "Archive when sent" flag in the editor. If you want to save a copy of the outbound mail in a text file "archive," answer YES here. When a message is sent, it is added to the text file showing the date and time of transmission; the message is then erased. XMAIL? This specifies the default for the "XMail" flag in the editor. If a message is flagged as "XMAIL," the mail scanner will compress the message packet using one of several archive formats: ARC, ZIP, PAK and LHARC. Once EMAIL is added to an XMAIL packet, it is considered "sent" in the editor; if it's marked as Kill/Sent, it will be killed. PRIORITY? This specifies the default priority for EMAIL messages. The priority determines when (if at all) the message will be transmitted from the system. There are four priorities listed here from highest to lowest: IMMEDIATE When a message is flagged as IMMEDIATE, it has the ultimate priority on the system. All IMMEDIATE messages must be transmitted before any other out- bound calls are possible. Using this priority is quite effective in getting the mail out fast, but has the disadvantage of slowing down outbound mail traffic if the IMMEDIATE systems are busy or not answering. CRASH Messages flagged as CRASH are allowed to be sent anytime, 24-hours a day. Unless a "hold" override is placed on a system, an EMAIL message with CRASH priority will be sent during the UNEVENT or any scheduled event. If entered during the day, CRASH- priority messages will most-likely be sent at the highest phone rates. NORMAL When a message is flagged as NORMAL, it will not be transmitted until a scheduled mail event. Using this priority (usually overnight delivery) is the most cost-effective way to use D'Bridge for EMAIL. HOLD When a message is flagged as HOLD, it will not be sent until the destination system polls or another non-HOLD message is entered. Use HOLD priority if you intend for most systems to call to pickup their mail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 38D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Setup editor parameters 3.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INSERT? This specifies the default state of "insert mode" in the editor. Some people prefer to work in insert mode and other do not. If you want "insert" to be on in the editor by default, answer YES here. INTL ADDRESSING? This option allows you to use INTL (international) addressing on all messages. Most systems would answer NO to this, but if your system uses alias addresses in more than one zone, you should answer YES here. VALID USERNAMES Here, you specify a list of valid users and their "passwords." The correct format for a user line with a password is: Chris Irwin,password If more than one line is entered here, every time the editor is run, you must specify which user you are. This is for the "FROM" field in the message editor. If you only specify one line, you won't have to confirm anything (except your password, if specified.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 39D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Local/ECHOmail areas 3.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.2 EDITOR: LOCAL/ECHOMAIL AREAS --------------------------------- D'Bridge may have hundreds of different message areas. Each area consists of any number of EMAIL messages, typically grouped by subject matter. There are two built-in areas and any number of user-defined areas. BUILT-IN AREAS NETMAIL The network mail area is where direct point-to-point EMAIL is stored. When the editor is first started, the netmail area is always active. To access another area, you will need to use the AREA CHANGE command in DBEDIT. Each NET- MAIL message has both an ORIGIN and DESTINATION ADDRESS which controls how, where and when the message is sent. This area is referred to as AREA 0 or NETMAIL. BADECHO ECHOmail areas are all user-defined, but a catch-all area for unlisted or duplicate ECHOmail messages exists in Fido format. In this area, all the unwanted or unknown ECHOmail messages that arrive will be stored for the operator. This area is referred to as AREA 9999 or BADECHO. USER-DEFINED AREAS LOCAL A local area is one used within a LOCAL AREA NETWORK (LAN) or as a local message base for a bulletin board system. These messages are ignored completely by the mailer, only DBEDIT has access to them. ECHOMAIL An ECHOmail area is one that is shared by two or more systems all running Fidonet-compatible EMAIL systems such as D'Bridge. ECHOmail areas can receive hundreds of messages each day if a conference is large, so be careful not to set up more areas than you have disk space for. ECHOmail conferences are usually Special Interest Groups (SIGs) where the conference exists with a specific topic. There are conferences for PROGRAMMING, FLYING, SCUBA, POLITICS and hundreds more. An ECHOmail conference may be started as easily as two system operators (Sysops) setting up a simple ECHO link for a new conference. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 40D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Local/ECHOmail areas 3.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Local/ECHOmail areas screen allows you to define up to 9998 areas. Each area may be referred to either by AREA NUMBER or TAG. The AREA NUMBERS are assigned sequentially starting with 1; you may override this assignment and choose your own numbers, but "holes" in the numbering system will waste disk space. If you run a BBS, these numbers do not have to correspond with your BBS area numbering. TAGS are user-defined words or abbreviations to access an area quickly. When scanning or changing areas, you may always type either the number or the TAG. Upon selection of Local/ECHOmail areas, the following screen will be displayed: Areas: NEXT PREVIOUS SCAN ADD CHANGE DUPLICATE REMOVE D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-LOCAL/ECHOMAIL AREA MANAGER-------------------------------------------\ | Area # 19 Highest area # 23 | | Tag: SYSOP135 | | Security level: 50 Sort group: 0 | | Description: NET 135 Sysop Conference | | Storage: Fido (Fido/QuickBBS/None) | | Directory path: C:\NETSYSOP\ | | Default private? No | | Area archive: C:\ARCHIVE\NETSYSOP.TXT | | Purge except: 100 messages Preserve: 0 messages | | Area type: ECHOmail (ECHOmail/Local) | | Conference tag: NETSYSOP | | Origin line: D'Bridge Sales and Support/MIAMI | | Alias address: 1:135/968 | | Tiny SEEN-BYs? No | | Default priority: Crash (Immediate/Crash/Normal/Hold) | | Forward to: 1:135/14 | | | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ Use the ARROW keys to select the option; press ENTER to select; ESC-Exit The area manager maintains the area files which contain one screen of data for each area defined. When you first select the Local/ECHOmail areas screen, the cursor is at the top highlighting the NEXT option. To select the desired option, either press the first letter of the option "A for ADD" or highlight the desired option using the RIGHT and LEFT arrow keys and press ENTER. Pressing ESC will exit this screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 41D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Local/ECHOmail areas 3.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the "command level," the following commands are available: NEXT Advance to the next area record. PREVIOUS Move to the previous area record. SCAN Select from a list of areas already defined. ADD Add a new area. CHANGE Edit the currently displayed area record. DUPLICATE Copy the displayed area to a new record. REMOVE Eliminate an area permanently. ADD, CHANGE and DUPLICATE all use the same edit screen to define the area information. Following is a detailed description of each field: AREA # The AREA NUMBER field may only be assigned when ADDING or DUPLICATING an area. The area number is assigned automatically by the computer, but you may change this assignment if you wish. Once an AREA NUMBER has been assigned, it may not be changed. Valid AREA NUMBERS are from 1 to 9998. Try to assign them sequentially to save disk space. TAG The TAG is an word from 1 to 16 characters which you designate as a mnemonic reference to an area. It could be a word like POL for politics or PROG for programming conference. TAGs must be unique and both NETMAIL and BADECHO are predefined by the system. SECURITY LEVEL The SECURITY LEVEL is used by the AREAFIX subsystem to allow other systems to automatically add or delete themselves from ECHO links. Security levels are from 0 to 9999; if a system has a security level of 50, it has access to all areas with a SECURITY LEVEL of 50 or less. If you don't want anyone to have access to an area, make its level be 9999. SORT GROUP The DBUTIL program has an option to sort areas by group/tag. If you want to use this option, then put your message areas into logical groups for sorting. Sort groups may be from 0 to 9999. When the sort is done, areas will the same group number will all be listed together alphabetically by TAG. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 42D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Local/ECHOmail areas 3.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION The description is text that describes the message area. This text will be used in DBEDIT as an area description, but also when a remote system request a list of ECHOmail areas (AREAFIX request.) STORAGE There are three choices for the storage of a message base: FIDO With FIDO format, each message is stored in a separate file in the specified directory. This is the most common storage format among Fidonet-based systems, but has the disadvantage of being slower than the other formats. QuickBBS With the QUICKBBS format, messages are stored directly in a QuickBBS message base. This base may exist stand- alone or in conjunction with a QuickBBS system. NONE If NONE is specified, the area is a PASSTHROUGH for an ECHOmail area. The messages are not actually stored on this system, just forwarded to the specified systems. DIRECTORY PATH For FIDO storage, you must specify a DIRECTORY PATH for the message base. This must be the DOS path to a subdirectory when D'Bridge may store the .MSG files for this area. If the directory specified doesn't exist, D'Bridge will ask if you want to create it. QUICKBBS AREA # For the QUICKBBS format, you must specify what AREA NUMBER is associated with this area. QuickBBS areas are numbered from 1 to 200. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 43D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Local/ECHOmail areas 3.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEFAULT PRIVATE? If you want the editor to flag messages as PRIVATE by default, answer YES here. This only affects DBEDIT, the message editor when entering or replying to messages. AREA ARCHIVE If you want D'Bridge to save a copy of each message purged when DBUTIL PURGE is run, specify a text file to "archive" them in. Each area may write messages to a different file, or you may combine several areas into a single text file. If you don't want to save a copy of the messages, just leave AREA ARCHIVE blank. PURGE EXCEPT x MESSAGES / PURGE AFTER x DAYS In the DBUTIL PURGE program, there are two options for deciding which messages to erase from the system. When the cursor is on this field, you may press the F1 key to switch between the methods: PURGE EXCEPT and PURGE AFTER. With PURGE EXCEPT, DBUTIL will erase all but "x" messages; specify "x" in this field as how many messages to save after purging. With the PURGE AFTER option, DBUTIL will purge messages based on their age. PURGE AFTER 30 DAYS means to erase all messages over 30 days old when the DBUTIL PURGE is run. PRESERVE x MESSAGES In DBUTIL PURGE, you may specify a certain number of messages to ignore while purging. These will be the lowest-numbered messages in the area and contain information that you don't want erased such as conference rules, etc. AREA TYPE As discussed earlier in this chapter, user-defined areas are either LOCAL or ECHOmail. The default is ECHOmail. D'Bridge ignores LOCAL areas except while in the editor; When an ECHOscan is done, all ECHOmail areas are scanned for outbound mail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 44D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Local/ECHOmail areas 3.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFERENCE TAG (ECHOmail only) Each ECHOmail area must have a unique CONFERENCE TAG. This may be the same as or differ from the TAG specified above, but must reflect the actual ECHOmail name or conference tag used for the specified conference. The conference tag may be up to 54 characters and may not contain any spaces; when creating a new ECHOmail conference, it is suggested that your CONFERENCE TAG not exceed 16 characters if at all possible to maintain compatibility with other EMAIL systems. ORIGIN LINE (ECHOmail only) The ORIGIN LINE defaults from your SYSTEM NAME (specified on the BASIC CONFIGURATION screen) and will be added to the bottom of all ECHOmail messages that originate from your system. Typically, sysops use the name of their system and the city where it is located. ALIAS ADDRESS (ECHOmail only) If you are a member of more than one network, it might be necessary to use an "alias" address on an ECHOmail area. This means that the address put on the ORIGIN-LINE of the messages will be different that your primary system address. For most systems, this would be blank. TINY SEEN-BYs? (ECHOmail only) If you say YES to TINY SEEN-BYs, then only the systems that you are forwarding a conference to will appear on the SEEN-BY lines. This is fine if you are a "leaf node" or a local ECHO hub; PLEASE NOTE THAT USING THIS OPTION IS FORBIDDEN IN SOME NETWORKS-CONTACT YOUR LOCAL ECHO- MAIL COORDINATOR FOR MORE INFORMATION. DEFAULT PRIORITY (ECHOmail only) For each conference, you specify a DEFAULT PRIORITY for forwarding of ECHOmail. Choose either IMMEDIATE, CRASH, NORMAL or HOLD; This default may be overridden for any specific system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 45D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Local/ECHOmail areas 3.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FORWARD TO (ECHOmail only) The FORWARD TO fields allow you to specify a list of systems to whom you wish to forward this ECHOmail conference. You may specify as many systems as will fit on the 5 lines available; the systems should be separated by spaces and have the format: ZONE:NET/NODE.POINT[,PRIORITY] Here's an example: 1:18/0 1:105/3 1:135/69,C .5,H In this example, 135/69 has CRASH priority as an override and .5 has HOLD priority specified. Please note that you may only forward ECHOmail to nodes or your own points. You may not send EMAIL directly to a point of another system. With this example, if I enter an ECHOmail message in this area, it will automatically be forwarded to these four systems, who will in turn send my message on to all the other systems participating in the conference. When you're done with "edit mode," press ESC to get to the "save menu." This menu has three options: SAVE, CHANGE or ABORT. Select the desired option and press ENTER. ABORT cancels the changes you just made or the addition of a new area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 46D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Keyboard macros 3.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.3 EDITOR: KEYBOARD MACROS ---------------------------- The KEYBOARD MACROS option allows the operator to define "macros" that cause keys, ALT F1-F10 and CONTROL F1-F10, to substitute preprogrammed text while editing. This might be handy for "canned" introductions, signatures or whatever you can think of. Twenty keys may be defined and each key can have any amount of text desired. Note: This limit is RAM- based, so check the memory status in the BASIC CONFIGURATION screen if in question. The following allows you to define the KEYBOARD MACROS: /-KEYBOARD MACROS-------------------------------------------------------\ | ALT-F1: Chris Irwin, 1:18/68 | | ALT-F2: Sincerely, | | ALT-F3: *FLAME ON* | | ALT-F4: *FLAME OFF* | | ALT-F5: | | ALT-F6: | | ALT-F7: | | ALT-F8: | /--CTL-F1:--------------------------------------------------------------\ | Chris Irwin | | 15805 SW 103 Place | | Miami, FL 33157 | |\----------------------------------------------------------------------/ | CTL-F5: | | CTL-F6: | | CTL-F7: | | CTL-F8: | | CTL-F10: | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. The above example shows the definition for the CONTROL-F1 key as being my mailing address. Each key is defined in its own window. All vertical pipe characters "|" are translated to hard-returns in the editor. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 47D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Translation table 3.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.4 EDITOR: TRANSLATION TABLE ------------------------------ The TRANSLATION TABLE screen allows you to redefine how certain char- acters will be displayed. This may be used to allow line-drawing or foreign character sets to be used in DBEDIT. The ALT-keys (a-z) may be defined as displaying any character and transmitting it as a normal printable character in the range of 33-126. This is an advanced option and is not normally needed, so if you have no need for foreign character sets, skip this section. /-TRANSLATION TABLE-----------------------------------------------------\ | Key Display as Transmit as Key Display as Transmit as | | ALT-A 131 a^ 125 } ALT-N | | ALT-B ALT-O | | ALT-C ALT-P | | ALT-D ALT-Q | | ALT-E ALT-R | | ALT-F ALT-S | | ALT-G ALT-T | | ALT-H ALT-U | | ALT-I ALT-V | | ALT-J ALT-W | | ALT-K ALT-X | | ALT-L ALT-Y | | ALT-M ALT-Z | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ In the above example, pressing ALT-A in the editor would display a circumflex "A" and transmit a right brace instead. This allows you to redefine part of the printable character set as translating to non- standard characters. Pressing the LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys scans through the characters, helping you to locate the proper ASCII code. Press ESC when you are finished with this screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 48D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Basic configuration 3.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.5 CONFIG: BASIC CONFIGURATION -------------------------------- Selecting the "Basic configuration" option will display the following window: /-BASIC CONFIGURATION---------------------------------------------------\ | Total memory: 320 (in K) Overlay buffer: 127568 | | WorkRAM: 45 (in K) Free WorkRAM: 12958 | |Exploding windows? Yes | | Screen output: Memory | | Log filename: C:\DB\DBRIDGE.LOG | | Log level: Terse | | Diagnostics? No | | Transfer speed: kpm | | Primary address: 1:18/68 | | Alias addresses: 1:1050/0 | | Automatic alias? Yes | | Offset from GMT: 5 | | System name: D'Bridge support | | Operator's name: Chris Irwin | | Audio alarm? Yes | | Alarm hours: 08:00 until 22:00 | | Call alarm: | | Special alarms: | | Config password: | | Keep history for: 7 (days | | Video timer: 1 (minutes) | |Blankout graphics? Yes | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: TOTAL MEMORY This field controls how much memory (RAM) D'Bridge actually occupies. The "default" value is 300k, but this value may be changed at anytime so that more room is allowed for parameters or overlay. Increasing this number increases the size of the overlay buffer, making D'Bridge run faster. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 49D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Basic configuration 3.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WORKRAM This field controls how much memory (RAM) D'Bridge may use for its parameters. This number defaults to 32K, but must be raised as you have more events, parameters and ECHOmail areas. The amount of free WorkRAM bytes is displayed in the upper-right corner of this screen. Make sure that there is at least 12000 bytes available at all times. If you must raise the WorkRAM setting, you probably raise the TOTAL MEMORY setting by the same amount; if you raise WorkRAM and leave the TOTAL MEMORY the same, then the overlay buffer will be smaller resulting in slower system performance. SCREEN OUTPUT D'Bridge gives you two options for display output: Memory and BIOS. If you're not sure what this means, then use the "Memory" option. The difference between the two options is that "Memory" causes D'Bridge to write directly to the memory of your display card and "BIOS" makes all output go through the standard MS-DOS "interrupt calls." Following are guidelines for selecting this option: MEMORY If you desire fast screen output and DO NOT use a multi-tasking program that REQUIRES BIOS, use this option. BIOS This is REQUIRED if you plan to use D'Bridge with a multi-tasker that requires BIOS. Check the manual of your multi-tasking program for details. DESQview does NOT require the BIOS option, but most other multi-taskers do. NO SNOW If you have an old-style CGA card where "snow" is a problem, use this option. It is just like MEMORY, but checks for the vertical retrace signal before writing to screen. LOG FILENAME D'Bridge normally keeps a "log" of all activity so that you may review its performance. Here, you specify the name of the file (including the directory if you wish) to which D'Bridge will write its log. The log contains the information displayed in the upper-left window and contains such data as incoming and outgoing calls, file-transfer statistics and event activation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 50D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Basic configuration 3.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOG LEVEL D'Bridge allows three different options here: Verbose, Terse and None. It is highly recommended that you keep a log until you are totally familiar and comfortable with the way D'Bridge operates. Here's a brief description of the levels available: VERBOSE Writes ALL information displayed in the upper-left window to the specified log file. TERSE Writes only the important data, such as calls made and received and file-transfer information. NONE Creates NO log whatsoever. DIAGNOSTICS? Currently, the DIAGNOSTICS flag only affects whether the "Script file" debugging window is displayed. If you don't use "scripts" then it doesn't matter how you answer this question. If you select "Yes," then a debugging window that displays all "Script" commands and communication is displayed every time D'Bridge makes an outbound call with a script. TRANSFER SPEED D'Bridge has three methods that you may choose to measure the speed of a file-transfer: BPS (Bits/Second,) CPS (Characters/Second,) or KPM (Kilobytes/Minute.) By default, D'Bridge uses KPM, but you may change this unit if you wish; it has no effect on system performance. PRIMARY ADDRESS This specifies your primary system address. This (like all addresses) must be in the format ZONE:NET/NODE.POINT. If you are the member of an already-existing network, contact your network coordinator for an address assignment. If you're not sure, just pick arbitrary numbers for now and change them later. ZONE Continent code (1=North America, 2=Europe, 3=Australia, etc.) NET Usually represents a local calling area (1..32767) NODE Like a phone number within a NET (0..32767) POINT Usually 0 unless you are running a "point" system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 51D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Basic configuration 3.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALIAS ADDRESSES It is possible (and common) for one system to exist with more than one Fidonet address. This field allows you to designate ANY number of alternate addresses and system names: <ADDRESS> <SYSTEM NAME> AUTOMATIC ALIAS? If you answer YES to the AUTOMATIC ALIAS question, D'Bridge will choose from your listed alias addresses based on ZONE when it makes or receives an EMAIL call. This automatic alias feature only works with other WaZOO- based mailers like D'Bridge. Your system will "YOOHOO" with the alias address and system name as specified in the ALIAS ADDRESSES field. OFFSET FROM GMT Here, you specify the offset (in hours) from Greenwich mean time. This actually changes twice a year here in the U.S. for daylight savings time, but it is not critical that you do this. It is used only by the ZMODEM file transfer routines to properly "stamp" the date and time of a file. The purpose is to automatically translate these "stamps" between time zones using Greenwich mean time as a standard. Correct specifications in the U.S. are as follows: Time zone Standard time Daylight savings time --------- ------------- --------------------- Eastern 5 4 Central 6 5 Mountain 7 6 Pacific 8 7 SYSTEM NAME When D'Bridge "talks" to another system, the SYSTEM NAME is displayed on the screen and entered into the log file. You may specify any name you wish for your system; typically, a company name and city is used in a corporate environment. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 52D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Basic configuration 3.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPERATOR'S NAME This field is not really used by D'Bridge, but the "WaZOO" mail standard requires an operator name as well as a system name. This will appear in the log files of some other mail systems, such as Opus and BinkleyTerm. This should be the name of the primary system operator. AUDIO ALARM? Many system operators want to know when an incoming call is received. By answering "YES" to AUDIO ALARM, D'Bridge will sound a brief alarm (a series of tones) when a call comes in. This allows the operator to see what is happening when mail is being received and alerts him to the fact that there may be new messages to read. ALARM HOURS For systems that are run in the home, you may want to restrict the times that the D'Bridge caller alarms are active so that you may get a good night's sleep. If desired, specify the hours (FROM and TO) that the alarms should be active; the times must be specified in 24-hour format. This field has no effect if the AUDIO ALARM is turned off. CALL ALARM D'Bridge has a built-in caller alarm, but if you don't like it and would like to program your own, specify the ANSI-MUSIC string here. For those of you who aren't familiar with ANSI-MUSIC notation, here's a brief description of the characters used and their meaning: A .. G The musical notes A thru G. A note may be followed by an accidental ('#' or '+' for sharp and '-' for flat.) Additionally, a note (With optional sharp or flat) may also be followed by a number denoting the note length (1 for a whole note thru 64 for a 64th note.) The note, with optional accidental and length, may also be followed by one or more dots ("."), each of which extends the note by one half of its existing value. For example, two dots produce a length of 9/4 the original value, and three dots a length of 27/8 the original value. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 53D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Basic configuration 3.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ln Specifies the default length of the notes following ("n" must be 1 for a whole note thru 64 for a 64th note.) The initial default value is 4 (quarter note.) Mz Specifies the fraction of the note length that the note is actually sounding. "z" is one of the letters "S", "N", or "L", which have these meanings: MS Music staccato (3/4 of note length) MN Music normal (7/8 of note length) ML Music legato (all of note length) On Specifies the octave in which the notes following are to be played (0 thru 7). The initial default octave is 3, which is the octave which begins at middle C. Pn Specifies that no sound is to be made for an interval. "n" (optional) is the note length (1 for a whole note thru 64 for a 64th note.) If "n" is omitted, the current default note length is used. One or more dots may follow, each of which extends the rest by one half of its existing value. Tn Specifies the tempo in beats per minute (32 thru 255.) The initial default value is 120. SPECIAL ALARMS If you would like to be notified about specific systems calling using custom alarm sounds, you may program any number here using the same ANSI-MUSIC format described above. The SPECIAL ALARMS field is in the format: <ADDRESS> <MUSIC NOTATION> For example, the following special alarms are valid: 135/ALL T180L8O4GGGAAA 135/14 T180L4O4CDE ALL T200O3L8GGGL2D#.PL8FFFL2D. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 54D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Basic configuration 3.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONFIG PASSWORD In a corporate environment where there may be several people using the EMAIL system, it may be desirable to put a "lock" on the configuration menu to prevent accidental changes of the D'Bridge configuration. If a password is specified here, then it must be entered when any of the SETUP menu options are selected. It only needs to be entered once for each time D'Bridge is run. KEEP HISTORY FOR x (days) D'Bridge automatically maintains history files for INBOUND and OUTBOUND EMAIL calls as well as ECHOmail and AREAFIX requests. These files are automatically purged every night at midnight. This field defines how many days of history to keep before purging it. The default for this is 7, providing one week's history. VIDEO TIMER D'Bridge has a built-in "screen-saver" that will blank your video screen after a specified period of inactivity. The VIDEO TIMER parameter specifies the number of MINUTES of inactivity before the screen goes blank. If a call comes in, a scheduled event starts, or you press any key, the screen will re-display and the timer starts over. When the screen is blank, D'Bridge is still fully-functional - just waiting for something to happen! If you do not want the screen to ever go blank, enter a zero ("0") and the video timer will be disabled. BLANKOUT GRAPHICS? When the D'Bridge screen is blanked due to inactivity, you have the option to display "blankout graphics." If you answer YES to this question, there will be a bouncing pattern of dots that will tell you at a glance that D'Bridge is still running and you haven't had a system crash or something terrible like that. Most computers hate to be bored and do nothing all day; blankout graphics make your system happy by giving it something to do when nothing else is going on... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 55D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Directory paths 3.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.6 CONFIG: DIRECTORY PATHS ---------------------------- Selecting the "Directory paths" allows you to specify the various file and directory names used by D'Bridge. The following window is used: /-DIRECTORY PATHS-------------------------------------------------------\ | Network mail storage: Fido (Fido/QuickBBS) | | Network mail path: C:\DB\MESSAGES\ | | Inbound files path: C:\DB\FILES\ | | Packet path: C:\DB\PACKETS\ | | Disk-based queue: C:\DB\QUEUE\ | | Script file path: C:\DB\SCRIPTS\ | | Download directory: C:\DB\FILES\ | | Bad ECHOmail path: C:\DB\BADECHO\ | | New ECHO area path: C:\DB\ | | SJF directory path: | | Quick directory path: C:\QUICKBBS\ | | "ABOUT" file name: C:\DB\ABOUT.US | | "FILES" file name: C:\DB\135-68.ARC | | Request paths: C:\IBM\ | | Specific requests: ML-UPD.ARC \MEGA\ML-UPD15.ARC | | Outbound history file: OUTBOUND.TXT | | Inbound history file: INBOUND.TXT | | ECHOmail history file: ECHOMAIL.TXT | | AREAFIX history file: AREAFIX.TXT.TXT | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: NETWORK MAIL STORAGE D'Bridge gives you the option of two storage methods for the NETMAIL area: Fido or QuickBBS. Choose the storage method that you would like to use for D'Bridge NETMAIL; the default is Fido. NETWORK MAIL PATH (Fido storage only) This parameter specifies the name of the directory where the actual EMAIL messages are stored for the NETmail area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 56D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Directory paths 3.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUICKBBS AREA NUMBER (QuickBBS NETmail storage only) Specify the area number that you would like to use for NETMAIL within QuickBBS. If you are using the QuickBBS package, you should know what this means. INBOUND FILES PATH Since D'Bridge is capable of receiving files as well as messages, it needs to know what directory to put them in when they arrive. This is where you specify the directory path. PACKET PATH D'Bridge needs a work directory to create "packets" of outbound mail. This is where you specify what directory to use. MAKE SURE that you don't "share" this directory with other programs because D'Bridge will delete ALL files in it when it starts up. DISK-BASED QUEUE D'Bridge needs a work directory to store XMAIL and queued file-transfer requests. Make sure that this is NOT on a RAMDISK since the information that D'Bridge puts there is presumed to stay there until further notice. Make sure that there is plenty of disk-space available on the disk where the QUEUE directory is located. SCRIPT FILE PATH If you don't know what a script file is, then it doesn't matter what you put for this parameter. This specifies what directory D'Bridge will look for "dialing scripts." For more information about script files, see the section entitled "Using dialing scripts." DOWNLOAD DIRECTORY This is the default directory for downloads while in TERMINAL MODE. All ZMODEM auto-downloads will be stored in this directory. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 57D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Directory paths 3.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAD ECHOMAIL PATH This designates the Fido-style message directory where bad or duplicate messages are stored. Messages that arrive from other systems that aren't able to be tossed into a valid ECHOmail area will be posted here. NEW ECHO AREA PATH Specify the "root" directory where new Fido-style message bases should be created when the "Auto-add ECHO areas" option is used. (See section 3.12 for more complete information.) SJF DIRECTORY PATH (reserved for version 1.40 - unused now) "ABOUT" FILE NAME (optional) The ABOUT file is used mainly with the "Public Amateur Network (Fidonet)" to contain general information about your system. The "ABOUT" file name should specify the name of a text file to be transmitted when a file- request for "ABORT" is received. (For more information, see the section entitled "File-requests.") "FILES" FILE NAME (optional) The FILES file is also used primarily with the "Public Amateur Network" and contains a list of all "requestable" files on your system. The FILES file name should point to a this text file (or ARChive.) Again, see the section called "File-requests" for more information.) REQUEST PATHS D'Bridge has a feature that allows other systems to call in and request files from your system. If you wish to allow this option, you must specify what directories will be available for request. You may also specify a password that must accompany a request, but if you use no password, any system will have access to all directories listed here. The format for the request paths is: <directory_name> <password> Where password is an optional parameter. Any number of directories may be specified in the REQUEST PATHS WINDOW. Make sure that you use pass- words on any directories that contain sensitive or confidential infor- mation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 58D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Directory paths 3.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIFIC REQUESTS This window allows you to specify any number of "magic filenames" that may be requested from your system. An example of this might be where you distribute a newsletter and the filename changes every month. You might have a line like: NEWS \NEWSLTR\PC-NEWS.021 The above line means that when a file-request arrives for "NEWS" - the file \newslts\pc-news.021 will be transmitted instead of searching the directories specified in REQUEST PATHS. The format for this window is: <magicname> <actualfilename> <password> Once again, password is optional, but should be specified if any of this information is not public. OUTBOUND HISTORY FILE The OUTBOUND HISTORY FILE parameter specifies a text file to write an outbound EMAIL history log. Every outbound connection is logged to a the specified text file listing the date/time, address, data sent and received, elapsed time and total cost. If you do not want such a log, leave this field blank. INBOUND HISTORY FILE The INBOUND HISTORY FILE parameter specifies the text file to use for the inbound EMAIL history log. Every inbound EMAIL connection is logged here with the same information as above, except cost. (There is never a cost associated with inbound mail traffic.) ECHOMAIL HISTORY FILE The ECHOMAIL HISTORY FILE specifies what text file to use for the inbound ECHOmail history. This log lists Date/time, address, area name, messages and duplicates received. AREAFIX HISTORY FILE The AREAFIX HISTORY FILE specifies what text file to use an AREAFIX history log. This includes information about conferences added and removed either by remote AREAFIX request or New ECHOmail link, ALT-N. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 59D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Install new modem 3.7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.7 CONFIG: INSTALL NEW MODEM ------------------------------ Selecting the "Install new modem" options allows you to pre-program D'Bridge for a different modem brand/model. A screen similar to the following will be displayed: D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-LOG------/-INSTALL NEW MODEM------------------\VITY-------------------------\ | |U.S. Robotics Courier 2400 | | | |U.S. Robotics Courier HST | | | |U.S. Robotics Courier 14400 HST Dual|riday, December 15, 1989 | | |Telebit TrailBlazer "Non-Plus" | | |11:51 D'B|Telebit TrailBlazer "Plus" | 11:51:52 | |11:51 Sca|Telebit Trailblazer "T2500" | | |11:51 0 m|MultiTech MultiModem V.32 "932EH" | | |11:51 No |MultiTech MultiModem 2400 MNP5 "224E| 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 Wai|"Generic" 1200-baud modem | | |-QUEUE----|"Generic" 2400-baud modem |-----------------------------| | |"Generic" 9600-baud modem | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \------------------------------------/ the queue -- | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Select modem type using the arrow keys; press ENTER to select, ESC to cancel Select your modem brand and model from the list using the UP and DOWN arrow keys. Press the enter key to confirm your selection or the ESC key to cancel. If your modem is not in the list, select one of the "generic" settings at the bottom of the screen. We would like to greatly expand our list of pre-configured modems, but need your help. Please contact D'Bridge technical support if you have successfully installed a modem that we don't have in our list; it would greatly benefit our future customers! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 60D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Comm/Modem Setup 3.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.8 CONFIG: COMM/MODEM SETUP ----------------------------- Selecting the "Comm/modem setup" options allows you to specify the param- eters that control the communications port and modem. The following window is used: /-COMMUNICATION/MODEM SETUP---------------------------------------------\ | Modem port: COM1 (COM1-COM7 or NONE) | | Baud rate: 2400 | | Locked? No | | Use RTS-CTS? No | | Initialize: ATM0X4Q0V1H0S0=0 | | Offline: | | Drop DTR? Yes | | Answer: ATA | | Dial 300: ATDT | | " 1200: ATDT | | " 2400: ATDT | | " 4800: ATDT | | " 9600: ATDT | | " 19200: ATDT | | Specific dial: | | "RING" commands: | | "CONNECT" commands: | | "ABORT" commands: | | Char delay: 50 (milliseconds) | | Modem timeout: 45 (seconds) | | Carrier detect mask: 128 | | Auto-init modem? Yes | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: MODEM PORT Here, you must specify which "port" your modem is using. If you're not which port your modem is configured for, try COM1 or COM2; this will work for most installations. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE MODEM, CABLE AND COMM PORT BE ABLE TO SEND AND RECEIVE THE "DTR" AND "CD" SIGNALS. D'BRIDGE WILL NOT FUNCTION WITHOUT THESE SIGNALS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 61D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Comm/Modem Setup 3.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAUD RATE Specify the MAXIMUM baud rate which your modem supports. Specify either 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200 or 38400 baud. Your modem will be initialized at this speed. LOCKED? Usually "NO," but if desired, the communications rate may be locked at the highest allowed BAUD RATE. You MUST specify the corresponding modem command in the INITIALIZATION field. This option is usually only used for "high-speed" modems. Refer to your modem manual for specific information about the INITIALIZATION commands required. USE RTS-CTS? Again, this parameter is usually "NO," but with "high-speed" modems it may be desirable to answer "YES" if your modem supports hardware "handshaking." RTS-CTS means "Request-to-send, Clear-to-send;" these signals are passed between the computer to the modem to control the flow of the communications. For example, when I use my 9600 baud modem "locked at 19200," I must use the RTS-CTS handshaking, or communications buffers will constantly overflow. Anytime, the computer is sending more than the modem can buffer (or visa-versa,) CTS-RTS is required. INITIALIZE In this window, you may specify any number of initialization strings. For HAYES<tm>-compatible modems, each line should start with "AT" and should cause the modem to respond with an "OK" status. The default initialization (which should work for most modems) is: ATM0X1Q0V1H0S0=1 This should be adequate for basic initialization. You may customize this string to include any settings you wish, but make sure: - The modem will not answer the phone (S0=0) - Verbose response codes are enabled (Q0V1) - The phone is placed "on-hook" (H0) IMPORTANT: Because some modems have software-control over the "CARRIER DETECT (CD)" and "DATA TERMINAL READY (DTR)," it may be necessary to include: "&C1&D1" in your initialization string. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 62D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Comm/Modem Setup 3.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OFFLINE In this window, you may specify the command(s) to send to the modem to take it offline. If you want the telephone to ring while D'Bridge is offline, then no string is necessary here; DTR will drop, disabling the modem. However, if you desire the phone line to be busy (off-hook) when D'Bridge is offline, use a command like "ATH1" here. (Just make sure that your initialization string has an "H0" in it.) DROP DTR This is only an option if you specify an OFFLINE command string. Most modems, dropping DTR is a good idea, but some go back on-hook after DTR is dropped. If you're not sure, say "YES," drop DTR. If you find that your modem is going onhook, then immediately offhook, try "NO" in this parameter. DIAL 300 - DIAL 19200 Specify the command to dial the phone when calling at various baud- rates. This is almost always "ATDT" unless your modem has special initialization required at certain baud rates. See your modem manual for details. SPECIFIC DIAL It may be necessary to override the dial string for a certain system; if you need to do this, specify: <ADDRESS> <DIAL STRING> "RING" COMMANDS Some newer modems have added other responses to mean "RING." This window allows you to define any number of modem responses that mean that an incoming RING signal is being received or a RING signal was detected while making a call. For most modems, this window may be empty. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 63D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Comm/Modem Setup 3.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "CONNECT" COMMANDS Some newer modems have added other responses than just "CONNECT 1200" or "CONNECT 9600/ARQ;" D'Bridge recognizes all these. Newer modems may have response codes like "CONNECT FAST" meaning CONNECT 19200, etc. This window allows you to define those new codes and the baud rates that they represent. For the "CONNECT FAST" example, the following line would be entered in the window: 19200 CONNECT FAST The first parameter is the baud rate and then the actual response. This will basically translate a "CONNECT FAST" to a "CONNECT 19200" response. Again, with most modems, this window may be empty. "ABORT" COMMANDS Here, you can define the modem responses that will abort a call. Most responses, like "BUSY, NO CARRIER and NO DIAL TONE" are pre-programmed, but for newer modems, you might want to specify some others. For most installations, this window may be empty. CHAR DELAY Many HAYES<tm>-compatible modems cannot accept command strings at full- speed. Because of this, D'Bridge can include an inter-character delay for commands. In this field, specify the number of MILLISECONDS that you would like to delay between each character. The default value is 50, but most modems perform fine with 25 or less. MODEM TIMEOUT When D'Bridge is making a outbound call, your modem usually reports a BUSY or NO CARRIER response if no connection is made. Sometimes the modem gets confused or there is a communication error and these response codes don't get back to D'Bridge. Because of this, an overriding MODEM TIMEOUT is used. Here, you specify the maximum number of seconds to wait for a response code from the modem. Normally, this should be about 15 seconds longer than your modem's S7 value. (The S7 register is HAYES modems contains the number of seconds to wait for a connect.) If you do any international calling, you should set MODEM TIMEOUT to at least a minute, maybe more. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 64D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Comm/Modem Setup 3.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CARRIER DETECT MASK For almost all IBM PCs, this value must be 128, but you have the option to change it here if you're running a non-standard serial interface. D'Bridge will not function properly if this value is not correct. If you're not sure, leave it as 128. AUTO-INIT MODEM? If you answer YES, D'Bridge will automatically initialize your modem every 10 minutes while idle. This can be handy for detecting problems with your modem or resetting after a brown-out has your modem "flipped- out." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 65D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: FAX configuration 3.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.9 CONFIG: FAX CONFIGURATION ------------------------------ Selecting the "FAX configuration" options allows you to specify the setup for your FAX card, if you have one installed. /-FAX CONFIGURATION-----------------------------------------------------\ | FAX board installed? Yes | | FAX board type: JT-FAX/4800 | | FAX root directory: C:\FAX\ | | FAX ID: D'Bridge FAX | | Default font: Normal (Normal/Compressed) | | Default resolution: High (Normal/High) | | Touch-tone dialing? Yes | | Receive allowed? Yes | | Rings to answer: 2 | | Print automatically? Yes | | Answer when offline? Yes | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: FAX BOARD INSTALLED? Answer YES if you have a compatible FAX-card installed in your computer. Currently only the JT-FAX by QuadRAM is supported; more cards will be added in the coming months as hardware becomes available. FAX BOARD TYPE Pressing F1 will cycle through the supported boards. Each FAX board is slightly different and is controlled in a different way. Make sure that you have the correct board selected. FAX ROOT DIRECTORY Specify the directory where the manufacturer's FAX software is resident. This directory contains the control and log files needed for D'Bridge to interface with the FAX software. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 66D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: FAX configuration 3.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FAX ID Each FAX system has a 21 character ID associated with it. Select what ID you wish to use for your D'Bridge/FAX site. Some people list their dedicated FAX number in this field. This ID appears on the top line of each page transmitted. DEFAULT FONT Either normal (10 cpi) or compressed (16 cpi) fonts may be used when sending FAX messages. Normally, 10 cpi is used as is it more readable. DEFAULT RESOLUTION Most FAX cards offer both Normal- and High-resolution modes for text transmission. Specify the default here. TOUCH-TONE DIALING If your phone line supports touch-tone dialing, answer YES here. RECEIVE ALLOWED? If you are running the FAX on a dedicated line and wish the FAX card to answer incoming calls, answer YES here. You may also schedule a shared line between answering FAX and EMAIL calls; see CONFIG: SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE for more information. RINGS TO ANSWER If receive is enabled, how many rings should D'Bridge wait before answering a FAX call. PRINT AUTOMATICALLY If you have a compatible printer, received FAX messages may be printed automatically when received. If you answer YES here, make sure that your printer is always online with plenty of paper. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 67D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: FAX configuration 3.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWER WHEN OFFLINE Most supported FAX cards will answer FAX calls even when D'Bridge is offline. If you want FAX calls answered when D'Bridge is not running, answer YES here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 68D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.10 CONFIG: SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE ---------------------------------- Selecting the "Schedule Maintenance" option allows you to define the operating schedule that D'Bridge will follow. The "SCHEDULE" maintains a list of "EVENTS." Before going any further, let me define a few terms used here: SCHEDULE A weekly list of "things to do" that can be programmed by the operator is called the "schedule." It contains a list of EVENTS that will be executed a a programmed day/time. The schedule is used for MAIL EVENTS, DOS EVENTS and EXIT EVENTS. EVENT An "event" is a single entry in the schedule. Each event is assigned a TAG which may be up to 8 letters; this TAG serves only as an identifier. Up to 64 separate events may be programmed in D'Bridge. MAIL EVENT A "mail event" is a time-period where D'Bridge is permitted to send EMAIL. Depending on the ROUTING information, mail may or may not be sent during this time period. If no special ROUTING is used, all mail will be transmitted. D'Bridge will also answer incoming calls at this time, in-between the outbound calls. DOS EVENT A "DOS event" is one where a list of DOS commands are executed. To use this method, enough memory must be avail- able to "spawn" the specified commands. EXIT EVENT An "exit event" causes D'Bridge to terminate with a specified errorlevel. In this section, I'll demonstrate how a typical system, using the Fidonet amateur public network would use the schedule. In Fidonet, all systems in North America normally specify a one-hour "National mail window" when mail is normally sent and received; this happens every morning at 4:00 AM Eastern Standard Time. In this example, I am assuming that I live in Miami and it's summer, so daylight savings time is in effect. Following is the schedule that I wish to establish: 5:00-6:00 EDT Fidonet "National mail hour" (Send all mail) 6:00-6:30 EDT Local mail window (Send only local mail) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 69D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Schedule: ADD UN-EVENT DUPLICATE CHANGE REMOVE D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | 0..1..2..3..4..5..6..7..8..9.10.11.12.13.14.15.16.17.18.19.20.21.22.23 | | Sun ...............XXXXXX................................................. | | Mon ...............XXXXXX................................................. | | Tue ...............XXXXXX................................................. | | Wed ...............XXXXXX................................................. | | Thu ...............XXXXXX................................................. | | Fri ...............XXXXXX................................................. | | Sat ...............XXXXXX................................................. | | | | # Start End S M T W T F S Tag Type Status | | - ----- --- ------------- --- ---- ------ | | 1 05:00 06:00 S M T W T F S NMH Mail Done | | 2 06:00 06:30 S M T W T F S LOCAL Mail Done | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Above, is what the schedule maintenance screen would look like with the two events described. Events are maintained by using the commands: ADD, UN-EVENT, DUPLICATE, CHANGE or REMOVE. Each of these commands in described in detail. Remember that the ESC key is always the "way out" when you're in the event maintenance subsystem. Look on the bottom line of the screen for information about each "field." ADD - Add a new event --------------------- D'Bridge may have up to 64 pre-programmed events; the ADD option is used to insert new entries into the schedule. Select this option by moving the highlight to "ADD" and pressing ENTER. The following window should be displayed: /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Event "tag": NMH | | Enabled?: Yes | | Type: Mail | | Weekday(s): All[X] Sun[X] Mon[X] Tue[X] Wed[X] Thu[X] Fri[X] Sat[X] | | Start time: 04:00 | | End time: 05:00 | |Between calls: 30 to 60 (seconds) | | Max trys: 30 | | Max sessions: 3 | | Max failures: 3 | | Event alias: | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 70D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the event. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: EVENT "TAG" The "TAG" is an arbitrary 8-letter name by which you identify the event. In the above example, I've used "NMH" to stand for "National Mail Hour." This "TAG" must be unique; it is used on the screen and in the log to identify events. ENABLED? This Yes/No question simply specifies whether this event should be currently enabled or not. Normally, you would answer YES but if you ever want to temporarily disable the event, you may change it to no. This option is provided so that you can disable events without actually removing them. TYPE There are four types of events; each functions differently: Mail A "mail" event defines a period of time when certain mail may be sent. The default is to send ALL mail, unless you specify ADVANCED ROUTING. DOS A "DOS" event defines a list of DOS commands, programs and batch files to execute at a pre-defined time. These tasks are all "spawned" while D'Bridge remains in memory. This will only work if you have enough memory. Exit An "exit" event specifies that you want D'Bridge to terminate at the specified time. This would normally be used in a batch file to transfer control to another program - instead of "spawning" it as above. With EXIT, you specify what DOS errorlevel you want to use. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 71D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WEEKDAY(S) With the WEEKDAYS field, you put an "X" next to all days that you wish to run this event. If you specify "ALL," then all the days of the week are marked. To access individual days, erase the "X" next to "ALL" by pressing the SPACE BAR. START TIME Specify the time that you wish to activate the event. This time should be specified in 24-hour format and must not conflict with any other scheduled event. To specify a START TIME, just enter a time using 3 or 4 digits. For example: 300 is 3:00 AM; 2250 is 10:50 PM CRITICAL? (DOS and exit events only) For DOS and EXIT EVENTS, you should specify "YES" if you want the event to execute even if D'Bridge is not running at the time of the event. A CRITICAL event is one that D'Bridge will execute even after the START TIME specified; it is only executed once. Specify "NO" if you want the event to occur ONLY if D'Bridge is running at that time. DOS COMMANDS (DOS events only) For DOS events, you may specify any number of DOS commands, programs or batch files to execute. It is even possible to used DOS primitives like CD (Change directory) and COPY. It is up you to make sure that none of the commands specified require human interaction. For example, if you specify the command to start your word processor, odds are that the word processor will continue running until someone comes along... ERROR LEVEL (exit events only) For EXIT EVENTS, you simply specify the DOS ERRORLEVEL to return when terminating. This number would normally be used by an "IF ERRORLEVEL" directive in a batch file. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 72D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- END TIME (mail events only) Specify the time that you wish the MAIL EVENT to terminate. Remember that you can't conflict with any other scheduled event. Again, the time is specified in 24-hour format as above. BETWEEN CALLS Here, you specify the period of time to wait between outbound calls. This is entered as a "range." If you say "30 to 60," then D'Bridge will wait a random amount of time between 30 and 60 seconds between calls. This period of time is used to receive incoming mail; if this event is supposed to send mail only, you may specify a very short time period. MAX TRYS The MAX TRYS parameter indicates the maximum number of times D'Bridge should attempt to dial a specific system during the current MAIL EVENT. MAX SESSIONS The MAX SESSIONS parameter specifies the maximum number of actual connects that are allowed during the given mail event. This is handy for limiting ECHOmail turnaround for long-distance systems. MAX FAILURES The MAX FAILURES parameter specifies the maximum number of aborted or bad sessions are allowed with each system during the specified mail event. This parameter can help control costs when the answering system has crashed or is not functioning properly. EVENT ALIAS If you want your system to "act" as if its using a different primary address during an event, specify that ALIAS here. Always list the full address in the format ZONE:NET/NODE.POINT in the alias field. After the event is complete, your system will return to its primary address as specified in the BASIC CONFIGURATION screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 73D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- /-ADVANCED ROUTING for event#1 (NMH)--------------------------------\ | Accept EMAIL calls? Yes Dynamic event? No | | Accept FAX calls? No Process requests? Yes | | Host-route privates? No Accept human calls? No | | CM/Non-CM systems only? Both Maximum cost/msg: | | Scan ECHOmail areas? Yes Priorities allowed: NCI | | Packets for: ALL | | Hold for: NONE | | Poll: NONE | | Pickup mail from: ALL | | Allow pickup from: ALL | | Route to: HOSTS EXCEPT OURNET | | Route files for: NONE | | Forward mail for: ALL | | Forward mail to: OURNET | | Forward files for: NONE | | Forward files to: NONE | | FAX to: ALL | | Intl FAX-forward for: NONE | | Local FAX-forward for: ALL | \-------------------------------------------------------------------/ The advanced routing screen defines exactly who to send mail for, who to poll and how mail is to be routed. This information is defined in a simple "routing" language. Following is a description of the syntax used: <ADDRESS> An <ADDRESS> is any specific Fidonet address in the format: ZONE:NET.NODE.POINT Assuming that my address is: ZONE 1, NET 135, NODE 68, I can use the following address formats to describe a specific system: 1:135/68.2 My address 135/68.2 My address again, ZONE assumed 68.2 My address, ZONE:NET assumed .2 My address, ZONE:NET/NODE assumed 25 Specifies 1:135/25 107/27 Specifies 1:107/27 MYBOSS Specifies 1:135/68 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 74D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <FILTER> A <FILTER> defines a list of allowable Fidonet addresses allowed for a particular function. A filter is defined in its own window and uses the following general format: <ADDRESS> ... <ADDRESS> EXCEPT <ADDRESS> ... <ADDRESS> A FILTER may consist of any number of lines. Each line is "ORed" with the other ones meaning that if any of the individual filter lines is "true," the entire filter is true. If you're confused, think of a FILTER as a list of possible values and a specific ADDRESS is either IN the list or NOT IN the list. Here's some examples of valid filter lines: 135/ALL 107/ALL 109/23 135/ALL 107/ALL EXCEPT 135/20 135/30 If the above two lines were to be used together in one filter, the EXCEPT would mean nothing because the first line has included all of NET 135 anyway. A filter may also contain (almost) any combination of the following keywords: ALL By itself means ALL addresses .ALL All points for my ZONE:NET/NODE 135/ALL All addresses in NET 135, my ZONE 2:ALL/ALL All addresses in ZONE 2 3:952/22.ALL All points under 3:952/22 NONE Specifies no addresses OURNET Means ALL.ALL (all addresses in your NET) OTHERS Means ALL EXCEPT OURNET HOSTS Means ALL:ALL/0 (All NET hosts) HUBS Means all HUBS (See NODELIST section) OGATE Means OUTBOUND GATEWAY (See section 3.7) MYBOSS For a point system, means .0 (Point boss) MYHUB Refers to the node specified as your HUB ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 75D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For specific examples of how the routing language is used to setup a private network, see section 6. Following is a detailed description of each field on the ADVANCED ROUTING screen: ACCEPT EMAIL CALLS? If you want D'Bridge to answer incoming calls during this event, answer YES here. In most cases, you would want to accept calls except during events where only outbound traffic is desired or during a time where the line is being used to receive FAX calls. ACCEPT FAX CALLS? If you want the FAX software to answer incoming calls during this event, then specify YES here. If you are sharing a line between EMAIL and FAX, do not answer YES to both ACCEPT EMAIL and ACCEPT FAX. You should just use one or the other. HOST-ROUTE PRIVATES? It is possible that some of the systems in your nodelist will be marked as "private" and not include a phone number. In this case, there are two options if you wish to send mail to a private or unlisted system: You can either hold the mail and wait for them to call in to pick it up or you can send the mail to their HOST or HUB. Specify YES here if you wish to send all mail for unlisted/private systems to the NET host or answer NO if you want to put the mail on hold for pickup. CM/NON-CM SYSTEMS ONLY? In this case, CM stands for "continuous mail" as designated in the node- list flags. (See SECTION 6.1 for specific discussion of the flags.) This parameter controls whether your system will call "CM" systems, Non-CM systems or both during this mail event. (CM systems are the ones designated as being able to receive EMAIL 24-hours per day.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 76D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SCAN ECHOMAIL AREAS? If you have set up ECHOmail and would like D'Bridge to scan your message base for outbound ECHOmail traffic originating from your system, answer YES here. If you scan ECHOmail after each BBS call and after leaving the editor, there is no reason to do it at the start of an event. If you answer YES, all areas will be scanned and mail will be forwarded when the event starts. DYNAMIC EVENT? A DYNAMIC EVENT is one that terminates when there is no more outbound mail to be sent. Most MAIL EVENTS are not dynamic, but some operators of BBS systems want to allow "human" callers as soon as the mail is sent. If you specify "YES" for DYNAMIC EVENT, the event will terminate as soon as there is no more outbound activity; you may still receive mail, even though the event is over. If you want the event to continue until the END TIME specified, say "NO" to this question. PROCESS REQUESTS? If you run a public access system, BBS, you might want to disallow file-requests during your mail events. If you wish to honor file- -requests during this mail event, specify "YES" here. If you would rather not accept file-requests this event, answer "NO." ACCEPT HUMAN CALLS? If you run a BBS, you must decide if you wish to allow "human" callers during this mail event. Remember, if you do, they may tie-up your system until after the mail event is over! For Fidonet's National Mail Hour, it is traditional NOT to allow BBS calls so that the line would be free for "mail" calls. To ALLOW human callers, specify "YES" here; if you don't want BBS calls to interrupt this event, say "NO." MAXIMUM COST/MSG If you want to restrict outbound calls based on cost, you may specify a maximum cost per message allowed. If you specify 0 (zero,) then no EMAIL with any cost will be sent. If you leave this field blank, then there will be no cost restriction. PLEASE NOTE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BLANK AND ZERO! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 77D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRIORITIES ALLOWED This parameter may contain any or all of the letters (NCI) meaning NORMAL, CRASH and IMMEDIATE. This acts as a filter that allows D'Bridge to only send mail of the desired priority during the given event (or UN-EVENT.) For most systems, all events should contain all three letters, NCI in this field. This would allow the cost/accounting sub- system to control "when" D'Bridge may call "where." PACKETS FOR (default "ALL") Here's where we get into the filters and addresses! For PACKETS FOR, you specify a <FILTER> as defined previously in this section. This will determine for which systems you want to create packets. NOTE: This does not necessarily mean that D'Bridge will call the system, the packet might be on "HOLD" or "ROUTED" to a different system. An example follows: PACKETS FOR: ALL Except in strange cases, there is never any reason to specify anything other than "ALL" for this filter. HOLD FOR (default "NONE") If you DO NOT wish to send mail to certain systems, but wish to "HOLD" the mail, waiting for them to pick it up, specify a HOLD FOR <FILTER>. Normally, you would say "NONE," meaning that you wish to send all mail packets that are created. Examples: HOLD FOR: NONE HOLD FOR: OTHERS .ALL HOLD FOR: 2:500/27 202/202 105/3 135/27 HOLD FOR: ALL POLL (default "NONE") If you wish to force D'Bridge to call certain systems, regardless of whether you have mail to send or not, use this option. Normally, POLL would be used in a situation where you have pre-arranged to pickup your mail from a certain system by "polling" them at a specified time. If you enter three addresses in POLL, each time this event is started, D'Bridge will generate an empty packet for them, forcing a call. Note: you may not use "ALL" here, you must specify a list of valid addresses to POLL. Examples: POLL: 2 4 5 8 10 24 30 35 POLL: 2:500/27 107/27 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 78D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PICKUP MAIL FROM (default "ALL") For some events, you might want to refuse "pickup mail" when you call certain systems. Normally, it is desirable to pickup your mail when you call each system - it saves a phone call. Certain applications warrant restricting the "pickup" features. Here, you enter a <FILTER> specifying from which systems you DO wish to pickup mail. Examples: PICKUP MAIL FROM: ALL PICKUP MAIL FROM: NONE PICKUP MAIL FROM: OURNET 107/27 2:500/27 ALLOW PICKUP FROM (default "ALL") Normally, it is desirable to allow systems that are calling in with mail to pickup any outbound mail addressed to them. If you do not wish to allow this, perhaps for security reasons, then specify a <FILTER> that defines which systems ARE allowed to pickup mail when they call. Examples follow: ALLOW PICKUP FROM: ALL ALLOW PICKUP FROM: OTHERS EXCEPT 107/27 202/202 ALLOW PICKUP FROM: NONE ROUTE TO (default "HOSTS EXCEPT OURNET") Routing - this is where is starts to get complicated. This is the parameter that controls how a message is "routed." In a private network with just one "NET" number, there is generally no routing; messages go directly from the sender to the receiver. However, it might be desirable to route all message traffic through the central HOST to cut phone costs. There is a great deal that you can do with routing and the best way is to simply describe a few scenarios: ROUTE TO: HOSTS EXCEPT OURNET ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 79D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The previous example demonstrates the format for "standard" routing. In this case, all messages being sent to addresses in our NET number will go direct; everything being sent to addresses outside our NET number will be sent to that NET's HOST (which will then be forwarded to its destination.) If the destination address has a HUB, it will instead be sent to the HUB. Using this routing method, several messages sent to different addresses in the same net will be transmitted with just one long-distance phone call. ROUTE TO: MYBOSS FOR ALL The above example demonstrates the normal routing for a "point" system. All outbound mail would be routed through your BOSS (.0) and you would only call one system for the entire mail event. ROUTE TO: 105/3 FOR 105/ALL 107/27 FOR 107/ALL 109/ALL 2:500/0 FOR 2:ALL/ALL HOSTS EXCEPT OURNET The above example is an example of bizarre routing. I've told D'Bridge that I want "standard" routing for this event, except: All mail for NET 105 goes to 105/3 " " " NETs 107 and 109 goes to 107/27 " " " Europe (ZONE 2) goes to 2:500/0 Anyway, there are two specific syntaxes for the ROUTE TO field: ROUTE TO: <ADDRESS> FOR <FILTER> - or - ROUTE TO: HOSTS EXCEPT OURNET - or - ROUTE TO: HUBS (HOSTS and HUBS are really the same) - or - ROUTE TO: NONE ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 80D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROUTE FILES FOR (default "NONE") D'Bridge has the capability to route files as well as EMAIL messages. This is strictly forbidden in most public EMAIL systems, but we provide this capability because of its potential use in a commercial environment. If specified in this filter, EMAIL messages with files-attached, will be routed using the ROUTE-TO statement above. This filter just lists what systems files may be routed for. Example: ROUTE FILES FOR: OURNET FORWARD MAIL FOR (default "ALL") Because of ROUTING, mail FORWARDING becomes necessary. FORWARDING is defined as sending mail that is neither destined for or originating from your system. Normally, you shouldn't need to forward mail unless you are a HOST or HUB, or have made some sort or arrangement to do it. If you have forwarding disabled, messages "IN TRANSIT" will just sit in your network mail area until you notice that they're there and manually forward them. Here, you specify for which systems you will forward mail using a <FILTER>. There's no reason why you shouldn't specify "ALL" here. Examples: FORWARD MAIL FOR: ALL FORWARD MAIL FOR: 135/20 .ALL EXCEPT .7 FORWARD MAIL TO (default "OURNET") This is the "dangerous" one. This field controls to which addresses you are allowing mail to be forwarded. If you were to specify "ALL" here, your system would send "IN TRANSIT" messages to any system in your nodelist. Needless to say, this could cost you a lot of money. More typically, you would specify "OURNET" plus any nodes that you have agreed to forward mail to. Examples follow: FORWARD MAIL TO: OURNET FORWARD MAIL TO: OURNET 107/27 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 81D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FORWARD FILES TO: (default "NONE") Just like the FORWARD TO filter above, this specifies which systems may have files forwarded to them. Not all EMAIL packages that are compatible with D'Bridge have the capability to forward files. Before using the file-forwarding option, check with the system operator of the "host" system to make sure that they'll forward files you send. FORWARD FILES FOR: (default "NONE") Just like the FORWARD FOR filter, this specifies for whom you will forward files. This only affects messages that are in-transmit, neither originating from or destined for your system. DOS COMMANDS (no default) During certain events, you may wish to have D'Bridge terminate or execute DOS commands every time mail is received from a remote system. The DOS COMMANDS field allows you to specify any number of DOS commands or programs to be executed when mail arrives. Any DOS command or program may be used, but you must make sure that they don't require any human interaction or D'Bridge will be "stuck" until you give the program the input it wants. As well as DOS commands, the following functions are available from the DOS COMMANDS field: *R This will force D'Bridge to rescan the netmail area after all the DOS commands are executed. This should be on a line by itself. *S This will force D'Bridge to do a complete ECHOmail scan immediately. *X<errorlevel> This will cause D'Bridge to exit with the specified errorlevel. Make sure that this is the only thing on the line, everything else will be ignored. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 82D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When you have finished with all fields, press the ESC key. You should get a small menu like this: /-------------\ | Change | | Routing | | Save | \-------------/ Move the cursor to the desired option, then press ENTER. The SAVE will take you back to the main schedule menu as described in the beginning of this chapter. ROUTING takes you back to the ADVANCED ROUTING screen and allows you to change it; ESC or CHANGE takes you back to the ADD/CHANGE event screen and allows you to change values. After you SAVE the event, D'Bridge will show you a graphic picture of the weekly schedule using a bar-graph method. This should help you to prevent a scheduling conflict as you add more events. UN-EVENT - Maintain the Crashmail Parameters -------------------------------------------- When no other events are active, D'Bridge is running what we call the "UN-EVENT." An UN-EVENT is just what it sounds, not an event. We use this as the method for you to specify "ADVANCED ROUTING" information for crashmail. Each time D'Bridge is started, if there is no other event active, it scans for crashmail and makes packets for all specified systems. Normally, D'Bridge keeps everyone's mail on "HOLD" 24-hours a day, so it may be picked up at anytime. DUPLICATE - Copy one event to another ------------------------------------- The DUPLICATE function is just like ADD, but it allows you to copy a previously defined event to another. In many cases, you may have several events that are quite similar. DUPLICATE simply saves some typing (and possible mistakes) by duplicating the specified event. Select DUPLICATE by pressing ENTER when it is highlighted. Assuming that there are events to copy, event #1 should be highlighted. Using the UP and DOWN arrow keys, you can move the highlight bar to select the event that you wish to DUPLICATE. After you press ENTER, the schedule maintenance subsystem will be in ADD mode after copying the event entirely. Refer to the ADD function, described earlier in this section for more information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 83D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Schedule Maintenance 3.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHANGE - Change event information --------------------------------- The CHANGE function allows you to change any information that you had previously defined with the ADD function. Just like DUPLICATE, you select the event to change by moving the highlight bar UP and DOWN, then pressing the ENTER key. When you do this, the event will be displayed in its maintenance window and allow you to change values; refer to the ADD function, described earlier in this section, for more information. REMOVE - Erase an event completely ---------------------------------- The REMOVE function allows you to erase any event from the schedule. Just like DUPLICATE and CHANGE, you must select the event by moving the highlight bar UP and DOWN, then pressing the ENTER key. When you do this, D'Bridge will ask you to confirm (Yes or No) if you want to remove the event or not. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 84D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Nodelist configuration 3.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.11 CONFIG: NODELIST CONFIGURATION ------------------------------------ The NODELIST CONFIGURATION option allows the operator to define the parameters that affect the D'Bridge nodelist. Let's start with some basic definitions of terms used here. NODE A node is simply another name for a system. Each system running D'Bridge (or any other mailer) is called a node. POINT A point is just another name for a node. A point is never listed in the NODELIST, it is listed in a separate POINTLIST maintained by each POINT BOSS. NODELIST The master list of NODES that your system is able to contact. This list includes the address, name, operator, city, phone number and baud rate along with some additional information like flags/comments. For D'Bridge to be able to send mail directly to a system, the destination system must be in your NODELIST. POINTLIST The master list of POINTS under your a BOSS is called the POINTLIST. It is similar in format to a NODELIST, but contains only POINTS for one NODE. /-NODELIST CONFIGURATION------------------------------------------------\ | "St. Louis" nodelists: C:\DB\FILES\ NODELIST NODEDIFF 6567 153 | | Private nodelists: | | Pointlist: | | Fake pointnet: | | Fake point addressing: | | Create username index: Yes | | Additional user file: USER.LST | | Outbound gateway: | | Use ZONEgates? No | | Exclude ZONE:NET(s): | | Translate NET(s): | | Country prefix: 1 | | Domestic prefix: | | NO-COST prefix: | | International prefix: 011- | | Phone # override(s): 135/69 232-5555 | | Baud rate override(s): 135/69 2400 | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 85D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Nodelist configuration 3.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: "ST. LOUIS" NODELISTS? St. Louis refers to a standard format for NODELIST text files. This includes a "nodelist" and a "nodediff." You may have any number of St. Louis-style nodelists at one time by listing each separately in the window. Each line in the window describes one nodelist and should contain: <DIRECTORY PATH> <NODELIST BASE> <NODEDIFF BASE> For example: C:\DB\FILES\ NODELIST NODEDIFF 7567 153 C:\DB\FILES\ ANETLIST ANETDIFF 38791 153 The two numbers on the right are the CRC of the nodelist name and the currently installed nodelist. These numbers are maintained by D'Bridge and the user need not concern himself with them. D'Bridge automatically determines which nodelist is the most-recent based on the extension of the "list" or "diff" file. The St. Louis format is based on weekly update files called "diff" files; these files contain the differences between last week's and this week's nodelists and are generally smaller than the nodelist itself. If a diff file exists for a nodelist, it will be automatically decompressed and installed when it arrives (if applicable.) PRIVATE NODELIST(S) You may also use any number of private nodelists. In this field you may specify an number of text files to be included in your compiled nodelist. You may notice that D'Bridge adds two numbers after the filename once the nodelist is compiled; these numbers are the date and time of the private nodelist file. If these numbers are changed or the nodelist is replaced or edited, D'Bridge will automatically recompile the nodelist when it is started next. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 86D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Nodelist configuration 3.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POINTLIST If you are part of a point system, you will want to specify the name of your POINTLIST file. This is a list of POINTS that are under the same ZONE:NET/NODE as your system. Just like the PRIVATE NODELISTS, the numbers after the filename indicate the date and time of the POINTLIST when the nodelist was last compiled. If these are changed, D'Bridge will automatically recompile the nodelist. FAKE POINTNET To maintain compatibility with older EMAIL systems, a "FAKE POINTNET" has been established to allow Fidonet-based mailers to act as points of a D'Bridge BOSS. Since there is no definition of a "point" address in Fidonet, a fake NET number is used. Specify the fake net to use here. When a system calls in using that NET number, the node number used will be translated into a point address. FAKE POINT ADDRESSING This field specifies which systems require the FAKE POINT addressing. Specify the point numbers of the systems for which FAKE POINT addressing is required. This affects the way in which ECHOmail packets are created. CREATE USERNAME INDEX? D'Bridge will optionally create a USERNAME index when it compiles the nodelist. If you answer "YES" to this field, the index will be created and D'Bridge (and the editor) will be able to cross-reference operator name to address. This feature is quite handy, but makes the nodelist compile much slower. If you don't want the index created, answer "NO." ADDITIONAL USER FILE You may specify the name of a text file that contains an additional userlist to merge with the nodelists. Typically, this list will contain a list of people that use certain EMAIL systems but are not listed as the primary operator. The format for this file is: <address> <name> ie. 1:135/68.2 George Meyers .20 John Smith 107/27.5 Oliver North ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 87D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Nodelist configuration 3.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTBOUND GATEWAY Most networks do not use an outbound gateway, but if your NET has a system designated to send all outbound mail, then put its address here. You would use this in conjunction with the ROUTE TO field in the schedule maintenance subsystem. (ROUTE TO: OGATE FOR OTHERS) USE ZONEGATES? In Fidonet (and other international networks) there are ZONEGATES that allow mail to be sent from one ZONE to another without making an over- seas call. If you are part of Fidonet, and you are sending mail from the U.S. to Europe, you have the option of sending the mail through the ZONE 1 gateway (1/2) or going direct to your destination. Specify "YES" if you wish all interzone traffic (without attached files) to be routed through the ZONEGATE; specify "NO" if you always want to use direct routing. EXCLUDE ZONE:NET(s) Some systems (that use a large NODELIST like Fidonet) may want to completely eliminate certain ZONES and/or NETS from their nodelist. If there is no reason to communicate with people in other countries, you can greatly reduce the NODELIST size and compile-time by excluding those addresses that you don't use. For example, if you live in the U.S. and don't plan to do any mail to Europe or Australia, you can exclude them in the following way: EXCLUDE ZONE:NET(s): 2:ALL 3:ALL TRANSLATE NET(s) This field gives you the option to actually translate one NET to another. This will let you move a NET from one zone to another or simply change the NET number to something else. This will not be used for most systems, but is a feature found in other EMAIL systems and I am including it for compatibility. The syntax is: TRANSLATE NET(s): <original ZONE:NET> <new ZONE:NET> ie. TRANSLATE NET(s): 2:507 1:507 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 88D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Nodelist configuration 3.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COUNTRY PREFIX Here, you MUST specify your country code. This is the prefix found before the "area code" in the nodelist. For the U.S. and Canada, specify "1" - other countries, specify your country code (in the same way you do with DOS) NO-COST PREFIX If there is a prefix that you must dial before NO-COST (local) calls, specify it here. In the U.S. and Canada, this field will be left blank in most cases. (Some PBX systems might require you to dial "9" to get a local outside line.) DOMESTIC PREFIX If there is a prefix in your country that you must dial before all domestic calls, specify it here. For the U.S. and Canada, this field should be left blank; we need no PREFIX. (Some PBX systems might require that you dial an "8" to get a long-distance line.) INTERNATIONAL PREFIX Specify the prefix to dial before any international calls are made. In the U.S., use "011" - other countries, check with your phone company. An international call is defined as one where the COUNTRY PREFIX of the system being called differs from your own. PHONE NUMBER OVERRIDES If you wish to override the phone number for an existing address, or define the phone number for an unlisted NODE or POINT, the PHONE NUMBER OVERRIDES is the place to do this. Following is an example of how I specify the phone number for one of my unlisted points: 135/68.2 232-9365 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 89D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Nodelist configuration 3.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAUD RATE OVERRIDES This is where you may specify temporary overrides to baud rate for specified addresses. For example, a friend of mine just got a 9600 baud modem, but he is still listed in the nodelist as 2400. I'll just add the line: 107/27 9600 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 90D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Packet/mail control 3.12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.12 CONFIG: PACKET/MAIL CONTROL --------------------------------- Selecting the "Packet/mail control" option will display the following window: /-PACKET/MAIL CONTROL---------------------------------------------------\ | Outbound mail archive: C:\TEXT\OUTBOUND.TXT | | Netmail archive: C:\TEXT\NETMAIL.TXT | | Purge netmail after: 7 days | | Rename incoming files? No | | Unpack mail? Yes | | Kill null msgs? No | | Kill in-transit msgs? Yes | | In-transit rescan? Yes | | Process ECHOmail? Yes | | Limit NO-COST calls? No | | Save ECHOmail area line? No | | Save ECHOmail SEENBYs? No | | Save duplicate messages? Yes | | Link ECHOmail replies? Yes | | Auto-add ECHOmail areas? Fido (No/Fido/QuickBBS) | | Accept AREAFIX requests? Yes | | AREAFIX information: 1:18/68.1 SKYDIVE 50 Crash Yes | | Forced priorities: 1:18/68.1 Hold | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: OUTBOUND MAIL ARCHIVE This specifies the name of the text file (if any) to write messages flagged ARCHIVE/SENT before they are erased. This is quite useful as a history of EMAIL sent; it includes the full message text and the date and time it was sent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 91D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Packet/mail control 3.12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NETMAIL ARCHIVE The NETMAIL ARCHIVE parameter specifies the text file (if any) that the DBUTIL PURGE option will use to archive NETMAIL messages before erasing them. If you do not wish to save old NETMAIL messages, leave this field blank. PURGE NETMAIL AFTER x days / PURGE NETMAIL EXCEPT x messages In the DBUTIL PURGE program, there are two options for deciding which messages to erase from the system. When the cursor is on this field, you may press the F1 key to switch between the methods: PURGE EXCEPT and PURGE AFTER. With PURGE EXCEPT, DBUTIL will erase all but "x" messages; specify "x" in this field as how many messages to save after purging. With the PURGE AFTER option, DBUTIL will purge messages based on their age. PURGE AFTER 30 DAYS means to erase all messages over 30 days old when the DBUTIL PURGE is run. RENAME INCOMING FILES? There will be occasions when you will receive different files with the same filename. If you answer YES to this question, any files received that have a duplicate filename in the INBOUND FILES DIRECTORY will be renamed by "sequencing" the last character of the extension. A duplicate README.TXT would become README.TX1 if it existed; if "1" was already there as well, "2" would be used, etc. If you answer NO to RENAME INCOMING FILES, the file will simply be replaced by the newer one. UNPACK MAIL? This question should almost always be answered as YES. If you say NO, that means that you do not want D'Bridge to unpack any of the mail packets as they are received. (You can't read any EMAIL messages that haven't been unpacked.) If you wish to do this on a "batch" basis only, answer NO.= ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 92D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Packet/mail control 3.12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KILL NULL MESSAGES? Usually, you would answer YES to KILL NULL MESSAGES. A null message means a message that has a TO, FROM and SUBJECT, but no text. These are usually just messages associated with a file-attach and should be ignored anyway. If you answer YES to this question, all messages that are unpacked and have no text will be ignored. KILL IN-TRANSIT MESSAGES? The definition of an IN-TRANSIT message is one that was neither originated from nor destined for your system. This message exists on your system just to be forwarded elsewhere. If you answer YES to this question, IN-TRANSIT messages will be flagged KILL/SENT when they arrive. If you answer NO here, forwarded mail will "pile-up" until it is purged or manually killed. IN-TRANSIT RESCAN? If your system acts as a hub or boss-node, you might want to provide immediate turnaround when "routed" mail is received. If you answer YES to IN-TRANSIT RESCAN, the NETmail area will be rescanned after each in-transit message is received. This will cause the message to be made available to the destination system immediately rather than waiting for the next event. PROCESS ECHOMAIL? If you want D'Bridge to process ECHOmail, answer YES here. If you answer NO, any ECHOmail messages that are unpacked will just be treated as normal NETmail. This allows D'Bridge to be used with other message base formats than it supports providing there is a compatible external ECHOmail processor available. SAVE ECHOMAIL AREA LINE? Normally, you would answer NO to this question. The exception would be for bulletin board systems that require the "AREA:" text to appear at the top of messages. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 93D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Packet/mail control 3.12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIMIT NO-COST CALLS? D'Bridge has the ability to limit the number of outbound sessions that are allowed during an event (See section 3.10 for information...) If you answer NO to LIMIT NO-COST CALLS, there will be no limit for how many times you can call a local system. This is handy for allowing unlimited turnaround for local (NO-COST) ECHOmail while still limiting long-distance connections. SAVE ECHOMAIL SEENBYs? If you wish to save the text that contains the SEENBY lines in your message base, answer YES. It really doesn't matter how you respond to this question; the system will perform the same way. NOTE: This field has no affect on the Fido storage method. SAVE DUPLICATE MESSAGES? Personally, I would answer NO to this question, but if you would like to see what messages are received duplicated (more than once,) answer YES here. If you save the duplicate messages, they will be tossed into the BADECHO area for your inspection. AUTO-ADD ECHOMAIL AREAS D'Bridge has the capability of automatically adding ECHOmail areas that don't exist when undefined CONFERENCE TAGS are detected. This can save lots of work in setting up areas; all you need to do once they are added is to enter the area security and description using EDITOR: Local/ ECHOmail areas. In this field, you specify what storage format to use, if any for new ECHOmail areas: NO If you answer NO to this question, messages with an unknown conference tag will be tossed to the BADECHO area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 94D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Packet/mail control 3.12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fido If you specify Fido storage, a new subdirectory will be created when a new conference is received. This subdirectory will be created in the NEW ECHO AREA PATH specified on the DIRECTORY PATHS screen. QUICKBBS With the QuickBBS storage method, the next available area number will used in the message bases. For this reason, it is important to define ALL your message bases in D'Bridge so that it doesn't accidently assign one that you're using just in your BBS. ACCEPT AREAFIX REQUESTS? If D'Bridge should accept and process AREAFIX requests, answer YES here. If you answer NO, the requests received will just appear in your NETMAIL area and never be processed. D'Bridge only processes requests as they are unpacked, not from them existing in the NETMAIL area. AREAFIX INFORMATION This is the window where you list all your AREAFIX passwords and security levels. There is one line for each system using the format: <ADDRESS> <PASSWORD> <SECURITY> <PRIORITY> <ALLOW RESCAN?> Where: ADDRESS is the address of the system in the form ZONE:NET/NODE.POINT PASSWORD is a codeword agreed upon by both systems (you and the system specified.) The password may be from 1 to 32 characters. SECURITY is the security level assigned to the system. This is a number between 0 and 9999; based on the security level specified in each ECHO- mail area, it determines which areas a system may request. Only areas with a security level less than or equal to this number may be accessed with AREAFIX. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 95D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: Packet/mail control 3.12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PRIORITY is the EMAIL priority associated with the link. In most cases, you would use CRASH for systems in your local calling area and NORMAL or HOLD for long-distance links. Valid priorities are: Immediate, Crash, Normal and Hold. ALLOW RESCAN means whether the specified system should be allowed to request a complete rescan of a conference as it is added. Normally, this is acceptable, but if your system is particularly busy, you may want to disallow this by answering NO. New entries can be automatically added by using the REQUEST ECHO LINK, ALT-R command. Every system using AREAFIX must have a password in this field or they will receive a "no password" message from D'Bridge. FORCED PRIORITIES This window allows you to absolutely override the priority for any system on a semi-permanent basis. The overrides are listed one per line and the format is: <ADDRESS> <PRIORITY> ADDRESS is the address of the desired system. PRIORITY is the overridden priority: Immediate, Crash, Normal or Hold This field is also maintained in the VIEW/MODIFY QUEUE, ALT-V screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 96D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: XMAIL control 3.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.13 CONFIG: XMAIL CONTROL --------------------------- Selecting the "XMAIL control" option will display the following window: /-XMAIL CONTROL---------------------------------------------------------\ | Unpack inbound XMAIL? Yes | | LHARCmail for: NONE | | ZIPmail for: ALL | | PAKmail for: NONE | | LHARC creation command: LHARC a -m | | LHARC extract command: LHARC x -m | | ZIP creation command: PKZIP | | ZIP extract command: PKUNZIP -o | | PAK creation command: PAK A | | PAK extract command: PAK E /WA | | ARC creation command: ARC A | | ARC extract command: ARC XO | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: UNPACK INBOUND XMAIL? If you want to use the ECHOmail facilities of D'Bridge, you MUST answer YES to this question. If you answer NO, D'Bridge will never unpack the compressed mail (XMAIL) packets that arrive. LHARCMAIL FOR If you want to use the LHARC archive format for some systems, specify the net/node filter here. (This is in the same format as described in the advanced routing screen of schedule maintenance.) This only affects outbound XMAIL. ZIPMAIL FOR If you want to use the ZIP archive format for some systems, specify the net/node filter here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 97D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: XMAIL control 3.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PAKMAIL FOR If you want to use the PAK archive format for some systems, specify the net/node filter here. LHARC CREATION COMMAND Specify the DOS command to create or update an LHARC file. The default is: LHARC a -m LHARC EXTRACT COMMAND Specify the DOS command to extract all files from an LHARC file. The default is: LHARC x -m ZIP CREATION COMMAND Specify the DOS command to create or update an ZIP file. The default is: PKZIP ZIP EXTRACT COMMAND Specify the DOS command to extract all files from an ZIP file. The default is: PKUNZIP -o PAK CREATION COMMAND Specify the DOS command to create or update an PAK file. The default is: PAK A PAK EXTRACT COMMAND Specify the DOS command to extract all files from an PAK file. The default is: PAK E /WA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 98D'Bridge Electronic Mail System CONFIG: XMAIL control 3.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ARC CREATION COMMAND Specify the DOS command to create or update an ARC file. The default is: ARC A ARC EXTRACT COMMAND Specify the DOS command to extract all files from an ARC file. The default is: ARC XO If you wish to use the XMAIL features of D'Bridge, you will need to get one of these supported archive programs: ARC System Enhancement Associates 21 New Street Wayne, NJ 07470 PKZIP PKWARE, Inc. 7545 N. Port Washington Rd. Glendale, WI 53217 PAK NoGate Consulting P.O. Box 88115 Grand Rapids, MI 49518-0115 LHARC Copyright by Haruyasu Toshizaki ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 99D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Function keys 3.14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.14 ADVANCED: FUNCTION KEYS ----------------------------- The FUNCTION KEYS option allows the operator to define what DOS commands the F1-F10 keys will perform when D'Bridge is idle. It is often desirable to pre-program commands that are used often so they can be executed simply by pressing a function key. NOTE: These keys are only active while D'Bridge is "IDLE." When you are at a menu, these keys have no effect. /-FUNCTION KEYS---------------------------------------------------------\ |On this screen, you may define what DOS commands the function keys run.| | | | F1: CHKDSK /F | | F2: | | F3: | | F4: | /-F6:-------------------------------------------------------------------\ | TYPE DBRIDGE.LOG | | PAUSE | |\----------------------------------------------------------------------/ | F9: | | F10: | | ALT-F1: | | ALT-F2: | | ALT-F3: | | ALT-F4: | | ALT-F5: | | ALT-F6: | | ALT-F7: | | ALT-F8: | | ALT-F9: | |ALT-F10: | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. The above example shows the definition for the F6 function key as using the DOS "TYPE" command to display the system log, then pausing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 100D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: BBS Configuration 3.15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.15 ADVANCED: BBS CONFIGURATION --------------------------------- The BBS Configuration is only used if you are running a BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM in conjunction with D'Bridge. If you are running just an EMAIL system then this section does not apply to you. Selecting the BBS Configuration option displays the following screen: /-BBS CONFIGURATION-----------------------------------------------------\ | Using a BBS? Yes | | Human caller timeout: 15 | | Hours: 24 hours | | Minimum baud: | | "Banner" file: | | "Too slow" file: | | "After hours" file: | | "Please wait" text: Pressing ESC gets you in faster... | | "Loading BBS" text: Loading the D'Bridge support BBS... | | DOS commands for BBS: cd \opus | | Scan ECHOmail after? Yes | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: USING A BBS? If you are D'Bridge as the "front-end" for a bulletin board system (BBS) then answer "YES" to this question. If you do not want D'Bridge to run another program (such as a BBS) when "humans" call, specify "NO." HUMAN CALLER TIMEOUT Specify the number of seconds that D'Bridge should wait before determining that a call is "human" and not an EMAIL call. The minimum for this field is 10 seconds, but you may want to make this time longer if you have "noisy" phone lines or have trouble with inbound connections. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 101D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: BBS Configuration 3.15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOURS (If running a BBS) You may (if you wish) specify certain hours which humans may call your BBS. There is already an option in the schedule maintenance subsystem to disallow human callers during mail events, but you may also specify a time range here also. (Ie. 07:00 - 23:00) MINIMUM BAUD Some system operators have chosen to discontinue support for slower modems. (Usually 300 or 1200 baud) Here, you may specify the minimum allowable baud rate for BBS calls. This field is here to provide you a great deal of flexibility. Let it not be said that we condone its use. BANNER FILE If you have a text file that you wish to display when D'Bridge answers the phone, you may specify it here. NOTE: Using a banner file can slow down the "SYNC" of incoming mail calls, so use this at your own risk! "TOO SLOW" FILE If you have specified a minimum baud rate, then you may also specify the name of a text file to display when a "human" caller dials in with a modem slower than the minimum you've specified. This file would typically explain why they can't get on - perhaps offering to sell them a faster modem. :-) "AFTER HOURS" FILE If you have specified a time range when the BBS may be accessed, you may also define the name of a text file to display when someone calls in outside of those hours. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 102D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: BBS Configuration 3.15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "PLEASE WAIT" TEXT When someone first dials into D'Bridge, it displays its copyright notice and the "PLEASE WAIT" TEXT. You may specify any message you wish to replace the standard "Please wait..." In fact, you may use multiple lines in this message, but each line that you adds slows down the "SYNC" process when mail is received. "LOADING BBS" TEXT When D'Bridge has decided that the calling system wants access to the BBS, (either by timeout or by receiving an ESC) it sends the "LOADING BBS" TEXT. Again, this may be any number of lines, but usually just says "Loading the BBS..." or something like that. DOS COMMANDS FOR BBS Here, you specify the DOS commands that will be used to invoke the BBS, telling it that you already have a caller online. There are two methods for doing this: SPAWNING and EXITING. The most popular method is to SPAWN to BBS - leaving D'Bridge in memory. EXITING is used only when there is not enough memory to SPAWN the entire BBS system. In this field, you simply list the DOS commands that you want D'Bridge to run to invoke the BBS. There are several "special" commands that substitute values or cause an EXIT: *B A *B in a command line is replaced with the baud rate of the serial port. *C Replaced by the actual connect string from the mode. *P A *P in a command line is replaced with the port number that D'Bridge is using. (1-7) *R Causes a rescan of NETmail. *S Causes a rescan of ECHOmail. *T A *T in a command line is replace with the number of minutes until the next event. Most BBS systems can use this number to make sure that the caller logs off within that time period. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 103D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: BBS Configuration 3.15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *X If a *X is found in any command line, D'Bridge will terminate with an errorlevel of the BAUD RATE / 100. For example, a 300 baud connection would have an error level of 3; 2400 baud would return an error level of 24, etc. This is typically used with a batch file to invoke the BBS with the correct parameters depending on the baud rate of the caller. All other commands on a line with *X are ignored. All lines after it are useless. As an example, here's what my DOS BBS COMMANDS field looks like to run Opus, then execute the MYMAIL program (An Opus MAIL-CHECK program by Steve Sullivan): cd \opus opus opus -t*t -p*p -b*b mymail -u When a caller dials in at 2400 baud with 120 minutes until the next event, D'Bridge runs the following DOS commands: cd \opus opus opus -t120 -p1 -b2400 mymail -u After all these commands are complete, D'Bridge initializes the modem the returns to its previous status. (Mail event, IDLE, etc.) For specific information on setting up D'Bridge with your BBS, see section 10 for specific information. SCAN ECHOMAIL AFTER If you want D'Bridge to send ECHOmail immediately after it is entered on your BBS, answer YES here. It is usually more time-effective to scan ECHOmail during a scheduled event, but D'Bridge gives you the flexibility to have immediate turnaround on ECHOmail entered on the BBS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 104D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Security/Miscellaneous 3.16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.16 ADVANCED: SECURITY/MISCELLANEOUS -------------------------------------- The Security/Miscellaneous configuration is used to control many of the different features D'Bridge has. For a basic mail system, nothing on this screen needs to be changed. Selecting this option will display the following screen: /-SECURITY/MISCELLANEOUS------------------------------------------------\ | Default password for outbound mail: | | Session passwords: 135/20 WALLY | | Ignore unauthorized mail packets? No | | Rename unauthorized inbound files? Yes | | Allow unlisted nodes to send mail? Yes | | File-requests for unlisted nodes? Yes | | Time-limit for file-requests: 60 (minutes) | | File-request limit: 500 (K bytes) | | Maximum files for file-request: 6 (NUMBER of files) | | Check limits BEFORE or AFTER file? After | | Enforce limits for 24-hours? Yes | | Minimum baud rate for requests: 300 | | Function requests: MEGALIST.INQ MEGALIST.LST ML-INQ| | External gateways: | | Fidonet protocol for: NONE | | WaZOO protocol for: NONE | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: DEFAULT PASSWORD FOR OUTBOUND MAIL In this field, you may specify a "default" password to use when sending mail. Most systems do not require passwords, but you may specify a password to be used "by default." (ie. when no other is specified.) We do not really recommend this option, but it is provided for compatibility with other EMAIL systems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 105D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Security/Miscellaneous 3.16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SESSION PASSWORDS In a corporate environment, or a public network where security is becoming a problem, you may specify a SESSION PASSWORD for each system that you plan to communicate with directly. This password must be specified by BOTH systems and must be agreed upon in advance. Once in place, it becomes impossible to communicate with the other system if you don't use the same password. A password will prevent an unauthorized system from picking-up mail. With HiTek comes Hi-Tech hackers. It is not hard to change your address to something else, then poll your host to see what mail you can "steal." Any "link" that is protected with a password is not vulnerable to this simple form of "mail-stealing." For a password with 135/20, type: 135/20 WALLY (Where "WALLY" is the desired SESSION PASSWORD) Any number of session passwords may be defined. Remember, in the above example, it is important that 135/20 also sets up a SESSION PASSWORD for my address, 135/68, or it won't work. Both ends must use the same password! (Passwords must be eight letters or less) IGNORE UNAUTHORIZED MAIL PACKETS? If you are using SESSION PASSWORDS to protect any of your links, you may choose to completely ignore incoming mail from a link using the wrong password. If you do wish to ignore this mail, specify "YES" to this field. If you want to receive the mail normally, answer "NO." RENAME UNAUTHORIZED INBOUND FILES? If you are using SESSION PASSWORDS to protect any of your links, you may choose to rename incoming files to BADFILE.001, BADFILE.002, etc. The reason for doing this is to prevent unauthorized ECHOMAIL and FUNCTION REQUESTS from being executed. Specify "YES" if you want to automatically rename incoming files or "NO" if you want to receive them normally. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 106D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Security/Miscellaneous 3.16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALLOW UNLISTED NODES TO SEND MAIL? In a private network, possibly the BEST way to discourage hackers from the outside is to hang-up on them immediately. If you specify "YES" to this question, D'Bridge will immediately reject any incoming call that is from a system not listed in your nodelist. This should only be used in a private network - public networks often have communications from new addresses or private addresses, not in the nodelist. FILE-REQUESTS FOR UNLISTED NODES? If you support file-requests, you must decide whether or not you wish to allow systems that are NOT in your nodelist to request files. Some people (kids, usually) will abuse your system's file-request privilege by calling back many times, using many fake node numbers to file-request. If you say "YES" to this question, any system, listed or not will be able to issue file-requests. If you say "NO" then only requests from systems found in your nodelist will be honored. TIME-LIMIT FOR FILE-REQUESTS FILE-REQUEST LIMIT MAXIMUM FILES FOR FILE-REQUEST When you are running a public system, you may find that you have trouble with people abusing the file-request privilege by constantly requesting too many files and keeping your system busy for hours. D'Bridge allows you to limit the time, size and number of files requested. If a caller exceeds these limits, they will receive a text file that explains why their request was not honored. There are three parameters that control the file-request limits. If any one of the three are exceeded, then the caller is considered over-the-limit: Time limit for file-requests: The maximum number of minutes allowed. File-request limit: The maximum kilobytes (K) allowed. Maximum files for file-request: The maximum number of files allowed. CHECK LIMITS BEFORE OR AFTER FILE? This specifies whether the file-request limits are tested BEFORE or AFTER each file is transferred. Personally, I prefer testing AFTER because I like to allow people to request any file on my system; some files on my system are larger than the FILE-REQUEST LIMIT (K.) If the limits are checked BEFORE each transfer, it would be impossible to file-request any file larger than the size limit. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 107D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Security/Miscellaneous 3.16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ENFORCE LIMITS FOR 24-HOURS? If you wish to accumulate these file-request limits for a 24-hour period, answer "YES" here. If you want the limits enforced on a per-call basis, answer "NO." If the limits are enforced for 24-hours, a file is created containing the address, timestamp and limit data. The limit will be reset exactly 24-hours from the START of the first file-request. If you must manually reset these limits, delete the file "DBRIDGE.FRS." MINIMUM BAUD RATE FOR REQUESTS This specifies the minimum link rate (baud) that is allowed for file- requests. (300/1200/2400/4800/9600... Etc.) FUNCTION REQUESTS A FUNCTION REQUEST is an online service provided to calling systems while they are still "on the line." FUNCTION REQUESTS only work with other WaZOO-based EMAIL systems such as D'Bridge, FrontDoor, Opus and BinkleyTerm. This is a VERY advanced feature and will not be used by most systems, so don't feel bad if you don't understand this... A function request can be defined in four steps: 1) The caller sends the REQUEST FILE. 2) D'Bridge recognizes the filename as being a FUNCTION REQUEST and spawns the REQUEST SERVER task. (user-provided) 3) The REQUEST SERVER (a program provided by the user) takes its input data from the REQUEST FILE and the CALLER.FIL file that D'Bridge creates. It prepares output file(s) to send back to the caller plus a OUTPUT FILE LIST that tells D'Bridge what files to send. 4) When the REQUEST SERVER has terminated, D'Bridge then transmits all the files listed in the OUTPUT FILE LIST, deletes them, then continues to send the rest of the "pickup" mail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 108D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Security/Miscellaneous 3.16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To use this feature, you must either write your own REQUEST SERVER or use one of the existing systems such as ML-INQ or FILEFIND. Both of these programs can be obtained from the D'Bridge Support BBS, 1:18/68. The format for the FUNCTION REQUESTS field is: <REQUEST FILE> <OUTPUT FILE LIST> <DOS COMMAND> For an example, I'll explain how I run the ML-INQ program on my system. ML-INQ stands for Megalist Inquiry. The Megalist is another program I wrote that creates a "master file listing" for all participating Fido and Opus systems. The list got so huge, that I decided to add an online inquiry service. To access the MegaList Inquiry feature, the calling system simply creates a text file that contains a list of filename to search for; this file is called MEGALIST.INQ. Anytime D'Bridge receives a file called MEGALIST.INQ, the REQUEST SERVER "ML-INQ" is executed. Here's what I have in my FUNCTION REQUEST field: MEGALIST.INQ MEGALIST.LST ML-INQ The ML-INQ program first opens the file "CALLER.INF" to get general information about the system and the caller. CALLER.INF is a text file created automatically by D'Bridge just before spawning the REQUEST SERVER task. Here's what my CALLER.INF contains at the moment: 1:101/200 (The Fidonet address) TC-Trader (The system name) Cheryl Buzzell (The operator name) C:\DB\FILES\ (My INBOUND FILES DIRECTORY path) ML-INQ then opens the file "C:\DB\FILES\MEGALIST.INQ" to get the actual request from the caller. Then, it prepares the file "MEGALIST.OUT" that contains the results of the search. Finally, ML-INQ creates the OUTPUT FILE LIST, this time called MEGALIST.LST (in the current directory); this file contains the list of files to send back to the caller, then erase. In this case, the OUTPUT FILE LIST only contains MEGALIST.OUT. Finally, ML-INQ returns control to D'Bridge and the file gets sent and deleted as specified. The request file, MEGALIST.INQ is also erased. A request server may transmit files without erasing them (if they are available for file-request) simply by creating a WaZOO-style request file (with the extension .REQ) in the INBOUND FILES DIRECTORY. D'Bridge will treat these files like inbound file requests. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 109D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Security/Miscellaneous 3.16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT: It is essential that any REQUEST SERVER not take more than 30 seconds to execute. Taking more time than this can cause the calling system to timeout and hang-up. If you are still confused about how FUNCTION REQUESTs work, I would suggest that you FILE-REQUEST "FILEFIND.ARC" from 1:135/68; the source code (in Turbo Pascal) is included to give you a better example of exactly how to write a REQUEST SERVER. EXTERNAL GATEWAYS Again, this is a VERY advanced feature and will not be used by 99% of the D'Bridge systems out there; this is for the other 1%: An EXTERNAL GATEWAY allows D'Bridge to act as a "front-end" for up to 20 other EMAIL receivers at the same time. The way this works, is by defining a specific "SYNC" sequence, D'Bridge can look for that sequence and spawn another EMAIL system while the calling system is still online. This way, D'Bridge can be compatible with as many systems as possible. As of this time, I know that there are gateway programs for UUCP and USENET. I'm sure that there are others that I just don't know about. As an example, let's say that I want to install a UUCP mail receiver "on top" of D'Bridge. I have a program written for the IBM PC that will receive mail when a call is received. Assuming that this program has the option to respond to a call already in progress and terminate when it has finished the session, it is compatible. The first thing that you need to do is figure out what the SYNC sequence is. A SYNC sequence is the sequence of bytes that the calling system sends to the receiving system (multiple times) until the receiver responds with an acknowledgment that it is ready to being a mail session. D'Bridge can be programmed to recognize up to 20 separate sequences of up to 16 bytes each and spawn a different task depending on which one is received. For example, let's say that your UUCP transmitter continuously sends the sequence: 9F, A9, 9F, A9... (hex) until the receiving system acknowledges. For this sequence, simply specify your EXTERNAL GATEWAYS field as: 9F/A9 UUCP_RCV -b*b -p*p As soon as an incoming call is detected sending the sequence 9F, A9, D'Bridge will spawn the UUCP mail receiver with the following command line: UUCP_RCV -b2400 -p1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 110D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Security/Miscellaneous 3.16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Just like described in DOS BBS COMMANDS, (Section 3.9), the BAUD RATE and PORT NUMBER can be substituted by using a *B and *P respectively. It is up to the spawned task (UUCP_RCV in this case) to handle the mail session from this point on; it should terminate as soon as the mail is received and make sure that it doesn't answer any calls itself. Because of the normal operation of D'Bridge, we've restricted three characters: 1B (Escape), AE (Fidonet TSYNC), or F1 (WaZOO YOOHOO character) These three bytes may not be a part of your SYNC string. It is also suggested that you use bytes with high parity (Greater than 7F (hex)) to prevent "human" users from easily activating your alternate mailer. For more information on EXTERNAL GATEWAYS, or if you wish to be put in contact with someone already using this feature, contact D'Bridge Support at 1:1050/0. FIDONET PROTOCOL FOR If you want to override the default EMSI/WAZOO protocol that D'Bridge uses and revert to XMODEM/TELINK protocols, specify the NET/NODE filter here. This field should contain "NONE" in all but the strangest config- urations. WAZOO PROTOCOL FOR If you want to override the default EMSI protocol that D'Bridge uses revert to the YOOHOO-YOOHOO/2U2 handshake, specify the NET/NODE filter here. This field should contain "NONE" in all but the strangest config- urations. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 111D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Disk space minimums 3.17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ADVANCED: DISK SPACE MINIMUMS ----------------------------- D'Bridge can potentially use a lot of disk space with ECHOmail, so a subsystem to shutdown the system certain functions if disk space becomes critical has been developed. Selecting the DISK SPACE MINIMUMS option will display the following screen: /-DISK SPACE MINIMUMS (in Kilobytes)-------------------------------\ | | | | | | | | | Drive(s) | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Total space | 20708 | 20708 | | | | | | Free space | 2096 | 4201 | | | | | | Percent free | 10% | 20% | | | | | | | | | | | | | | System operation | 256 | 256 | | | | | | BBS operation | 512 | 512 | | | | | | Unpack mail | 1024 | 512 | | | | | | Forward ECHOmail | 2048 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next line and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous line. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: SYSTEM OPERATION The system operation line specifies the minimum disk space allowed (in K) before D'Bridge will completely shut-down. Once shut-down, D'Bridge will not reactivate without human interaction. Either disk space must be freed, or DB SETUP must be used to change the minimum. BBS OPERATION The BBS operation line specifies minimum disk space criteria for BBS operation. If disk space is below specified criteria, human callers will be told that the BBS is offline due to disk space shortage. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 112D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Disk space minimums 3.17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNPACK MAIL The unpack mail line specifies the minimum disk space required before a mail packet may be decompressed or unpacked. Once this limit is reached, all ECHOmail and NETMAIL unpacking will be halted. FORWARD MAIL The forward mail line specifies the minimum disk space required to forward ECHOmail messages to other systems. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 113D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Output configuration 3.18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.18 ADVANCED: OUTPUT CONFIGURATION ------------------------------------ D'Bridge has the capability to store its entire configuration in a text file called an "exported configuration." This file contains lines of human readable text that may be changed and re-imported as an alternate method of configuration. Using an the exported configuration language, a network administrator may pre-configure D'Bridge for any number of remote sites. This option simply asks for a filename, then writes the configuration as a text file. This may later be used by the "DB IMPORT" option from the command-line. Every night at midnight, D'Bridge automatically exports its current configuration to a backup file called DBRIDGE.AUT; you may import this file at anytime to return the system to the configuration as of mid- night. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 114D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Accounting/Translation 3.18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.18 ADVANCED: ACCOUNTING/TRANSLATION --------------------------------------- The Accounting/Translation screen is used to control the cost information as well as specify the "filter" that controls the outbound mail flow. To completely understand D'Bridge, you must first understand the basics of cost-based scheduling. D'Bridge comes with a cost-file as an example. This file is usually USA-EAST.COS, but this could differ depending on where you acquired your copy. The files with the extension .COS are "exported cost files" and contain a complete image of the ACCOUNTING/TRANSLATION screen. They can be used to store, merge or replace your database. When you first install or upgrade D'Bridge, it will automatically import DBRIDGE.COS if it exists; if not, it will use the first file it finds with the .COS exten- sion. When you select the Accounting/Translation option, the following screen will be displayed: Add, Change, Remove, Import, Export, UP/DOWN/PGUP/PGDN/ESC /-COST ACCOUNTING/PHONE NUMBER TRANSLATION------------------------------\ |Prefix Dial as Location | |1 1 United States (avg) | |1-204 1-204 Manitoba | |1-305 Local (Miami/Dade) | |1-305-370 1-370 Davie, FL | |1-305-437 1-437 Pembroke Pines, FL | |1-306 1-306 Saskatcewan | |1-403 1-403 Alberta | |1-418 1-418 Quebec | |1-506 1-506 New Brunswick | |1-604 1-604 British Columbia | |1-705 1-705 Ontario | |1-709 1-709 Newfoundland | |1-807 1-807 Ontario | |1-808 1-808 Hawaii | |1-809 1-809 Caribbean | |1-819 1-819 Quebec | |1-902 1-902 Nova Scotia | |20 20 Egypt | |212 20 Morocco | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 115D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Accounting/Translation 3.18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When the screen first comes up, the first entry will be highlighted. You may scroll through the cost entries by using the UP, DOWN, PAGEUP and PAGEDOWN keys. The valid commands are highlighted at the top of the screen: ADD Pressing the A key enters "add" mode. You will be prompted with the following questions: /-Add costlist ENTRY------------------------------------------\ | | | What prefix would you like to add? _____________________ | | | | | \-------------------------------------------------------------/ PREFIX, in this case, means the first part of a phone number, the way in which it appears in the nodelist. The general format for a phone number in the nodelist is: CC-AAA-EEE-NNNN CC represents the COUNTRY CODE. For example, 20 is Egypt and 1 is the United States. AAA represents the AREA or CITY CODE of the system. 305 is the AREA CODE for Miami, FL. EEE represents the EXCHANGE (or local calling zone). D'Bridge software is in the 232 exchange of Miami. NNNN represents the NUMBER. D'Bridge Software's EMAIL system is 9365. This is rarely used for translation, but may if applicable. As an example, let's use the prefix 1-305-370. In our case, this number is within our area code (305) but not a local call. Because of the entry 1-305, D'Bridge would normally try to dial the 370 exchange as a local call. For this we need to add this prefix as a toll-call. After we enter the desired prefix, the following screen will be displayed: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 116D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Accounting/Translation 3.18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Add, Change, Remove, Import, Export, UP/DOWN/PGUP/PGDN/ESC /-COST ACCOUNTING/PHONE NUMBER TRANSLATION------------------------------\ |Prefix Dial as Location | |1 1 United States (avg) | |1-204 1-204 Manitoba | |1-305 Local (Miami/Dade) | /-ADD COSTLIST ENTRY----------------------------------------------------\ | | | Prefix: 1-305-370 | | Dial as: 1-370 | | Location: Davie, FL | | | | /--------------------+-----+-----+---+----+-----------------------\ | | |All S M T W F T S |Start|End |NCI|Secs|Costs | | | |--------------------+-----+-----+---+----+-----------------------| | | | A S M T W T F S |23:00|08:00|NCI|60 | .19 | | | | M T W T F S |17:00|23:00| CI|60 | .25 | | | | M T W T F |08:00|17:00| CI|60 | .31 | | | | S |17:00|23:00| CI|60 | .31 | | | | S S |00:00|24:00|NCI|60 | .19 | | | \--------------------+-----+-----+---+----+-----------------------/ | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ The above example shows a typical translation for a toll-call within the same area code. When a phone number is dialed, D'Bridge will first translate then phone number by looking in this translation database. It will search for the longest match of the prefix. In this case, the leading 1-305-370 would be dialed as 1-370. Following is a description of each of the fields in the window: PREFIX This is the "key" to the database record. You cannot change it. If you must, you need to remove and add the record again. The PREFIX field is the first part of a phone number. (Which will be replaced with the DIAL AS field when a number is dialed.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 117D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Accounting/Translation 3.18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DIAL AS When phone number translations are done, the DIAL AS field will be used to replace the PREFIX for dialing. The DIAL AS field is actually broken down into two fields: PREFIX and SUFFIX. If you need to dial something after the number such as a credit card or billing account number, you may specify a SUFFIX by using a vertical pipe "|" to separate the PREFIX from the SUFFIX. An example would be: 1-305-370|,,3188. ",,3188" would be send to the modem after dialing. The two commas are a modem command meaning "pause a few seconds" before dialing the other digits. LOCATION This is just a description field for your information. COST/PRIORITY FILTER MATRIX The box at the bottom of the screen contains the cost information. In order to keep communications costs low, D'Bridge has adopted a system of "cost-based-control." This means that the system can be programmed to place all calls during the most economical periods based on this cost screen entirely. The cost-information for calling a given country or city can be acquired by calling your long-distance company. Typically, there are different rates on different days and at different times. This table allows you to specify up to 5 cost-periods for accounting and control purposes. When D'Bridge looks at these cost-tables, it searches from the top of the list to the bottom, stopping on the first match. For this reason, "catch-all" entries, like the one shown at the bottom of our example should be listed last. For flexibility and simplicity, overlapping periods are allowed to be defined, but D'Bridge will select the first applicable period for accounting and control. Please note that any time-ranges left undefined are assumed "free" and D'Bridge will try to dial out during these times. DON'T LEAVE ANY TIME-RANGE UNSPECIFIED. DAYS (All S M T W T F S) In these fields, specify for what day(s) the costing-line is applicable. Any non-blank character will designate a weekday. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 118D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Accounting/Translation 3.18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- START Here, you specify the starting time of the cost period. Make sure that you use 24-hour time. (23:00 is 11:00 PM) END In this field, you specify the ending time of the cost period. NCI Here's the CRITICAL part to understand. During a given cost-period, you have the option of what priorities of mail you would like to send. In the NCI field, you may specify any or all of the letters N, C and I that designate the priorities NORMAL, CRASH and IMMEDIATE. If you list all three "NCI," then all priorities of mail are allowed to be sent during this cost-period. If you say "CI," then just CRASH and IMMEDIATE mail will be sent. This allows you to send NORMAL priority mail during the low-cost periods and higher priority mail anytime. (That's what this example shows.) SECS Specify the number of seconds that the COSTS field is based on. In the United States, this is normally "60," but other countries and/or long- distance carriers may have a different billing increment. COSTS The COSTS field allows you to specify the FIRST, SECOND... FIFTH "per- period" costs. For example, if the SECS field is set for 60, then the values ".31 .29" means ".31 (cents) for the first minute, .29 (cents) per minute after that. When you are finished editing the cost data, press to save it. D'Bridge will ask you "Save entry? (Yes/No/Change)." Specify YES to save the entry, NO to abort it completely or C to make changes before saving it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 119D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: Accounting/Translation 3.18 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CHANGE To change an existing cost entry, simply move the highlight bar to the desired entry and press "C." Change mode works identically to the ADD command described on the previous pages. REMOVE To remove an existing entry, move the highlight bar to the desired entry and press "R." You will be asked to confirm that you want to remove the entry permanently. IMPORT If you wish to IMPORT costing data from an "exported costing file," you may use the IMPORT option to MERGE or REPLACE the existing data. Simply specify the name of the COST FILE and whether to merge or replace the database. This is typically used to add a standard costing file (such as USA-EAST.COS) to your database. The MERGE option can also be used to simply update the existing information with newer cost data. EXPORT This option allows you to create an "exported costing file" for backup or transfer purposes. This is a complete "snapshot" of your costing/ translation database stored in a standard text file. (For the format of the file, see section 9.3) NOTE: It is impossible to accurately predict the cost of any phone call due to timing and billing differences. It is not the intent of D'Bridge to give you an exact preview of your phone bill, just a log of what calls were made and how much they are expected to cost. WARNING: The cost tables included with D'Bridge are compiled from average costs noted from actual long-distance connections or taken from cost-tables. D'BRIDGE SOFTWARE MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO GUARANTEES AS TO THE ACCURACY OF THESE TABLES. It is up to the users to ensure that the costs and hours listed in the tables are correct for the area and long-distance carrier they are using. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 120D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: New support system 3.19 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.19 ADVANCED: NEW SUPPORT SYSTEM ---------------------------------- D'Bridge has support systems located world-wide to assist you with using the software. With this screen, you select your PRIMARY SUPPORT SYSTEM and enter the phone number exactly as it would be dialed. The support systems are listed in NET 1050, which is pre-programmed into the D'Bridge nodelist. If you need to obtain a newer version of the EMAIL software, you may get one from any of the listed systems. Selecting the NEW SUPPORT SYSTEM option will display the following screen: /-SUPPORT SYSTEM SELECTION----------------------------------------------------\ | | | The following support systems are available as of 12/15/89: | | | | 0) D'Bridge Sales and Support Miami/FL 1-305-232-9365 | | 11) D'Bridge Sales/West U.S. Portland/OR 1-503-292-7233 | | 12) D'Bridge Sales/West U.S. Portland/OR 1-503-292-7237 | | 13) D'Bridge Sales/East U.S. Philadelphia/PA 1-215-879-3310 | | 14) D'Bridge Sales/Canada Ontario/Canada 1-412-823-4521 | | 21) D'Bridge Sales/Europe Arnhem/Holland 31-85-459034 | | 22) D'Bridge Sales/Italy Civitavecchia/Italy 39-766-540-899 | | 23) D'Bridge Sales/UK London/UK 44-1-351-7262 | | 24) D'Bridge Sales/Germany Hamm/Deutschland 49-2381-460077 | | 25) D'Bridge Sales/Belgium Borgerhout/Belgium 32-3-8770709 | | 26) D'Bridge Sales/Sweden Kalmar/Sweden 46-480-14302 | | 31) D'Bridge Support/Australia Melborne, Australia 61-3-848-3331 | | 32) D'Bridge Support/Australia Melborne, Australia 61-3-563-2496 | | | | Which one would you like to use as your primary support system? 0 | | What phone number would you need to dial to reach it? 1-305-232-9365 | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Select your support node from the list of valid choices. D'Bridge will then give you the chance to edit the phone number that will be dialed. This is necessary because of differences in international dialing methods and the possibility that calling a support node might be a local call. Make sure that the phone number can be dialed exactly as entered - no further translation will be done to your primary support system's phone number; is will be dialed exactly as specified here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 121D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: ZMODEM parameters 3.20 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.20 ADVANCED: ZMODEM PARAMETERS --------------------------------- D'Bridge allows you precise control over its ZMODEM sender by giving you the following matrix to maintain: /-ZMODEM PARAMETER-----------------------------------------------------------\ | | | | | | | | | | Baud rates | 300 | 1200 | 2400 | 4800 | 9600 | 19200 | 38400 | | | | | | | | | | | Starting block size | 128 | 256 | 256 | 1024 | 4096 | 4096 | 4096 | | Maximum block size | 128 | 1024 | 2048 | 1024 | 4096 | 4096 | 4096 | | Recovery block size | 32 | 32 | 64 | 128 | 256 | 256 | 256 | | Block step rate | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The cursor will appear on the top line. Fields may be changed by typing over the current values or by using the field edit keys: INSERT, DELETE, LEFT and RIGHT arrows. Pressing ENTER or the DOWN arrow advances to the next field and pressing the UP arrow moves the cursor to the previous field. You must press the ESC key to exit this window and save the setup. Following is a field-by-field description of this window: STARTING BLOCK SIZE This is the block size that will be used at the start of a ZMODEM file- transfer. This must be a power of two between 32 and 8192. (32, 64, 128, 256, 512, 1024, 2048, 4096 or 8192) MAXIMUM BLOCK SIZE This is the largest block size that D'Bridge will use in ZMODEM. The value will grow from the STARTING BLOCK SIZE to the MAXIMUM BLOCK SIZE using the BLOCK STEP RATE specified. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 122D'Bridge Electronic Mail System ADVANCED: ZMODEM parameters 3.20 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECOVERY BLOCK SIZE This is the block size to be used after an error has been reported by the receiver. Normally, this is less than the starting block size because where there is one error (phone noise) there may be another immediately. Making the recovery block size small reduces the amount of time it takes the system to recover from bad line noise. BLOCK STEP RATE When the ZMODEM sender is not receiving error reports from the receiver, it will increase the block size by doubling it after "x" successful blocks until it reaches the MAXIMUM BLOCK SIZE specified. The BLOCK STEP RATE is "x" or how many consecutive good blocks before increasing the block size. By default, D'Bridge uses a factor of 4. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 123D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge: General operation 4.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.0 D'BRIDGE: GENERAL OPERATION -------------------------------- D'Bridge is activated by typing "DB" while in the directory where it was installed. C> DB Assuming that the DB command was found, you quickly get the following display on your screen: IDLE: ESC-Commands D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-LOG--------------------------------------+-ACTIVITY-------------------------\ | | | | | | | | Friday, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 D'Bridge ONLINE, 261320 bytes free | | |11:51 WorkRAM: 18427 bytes available | 11:51:52 | |11:51 Storage: 4.8mb Free on drive C: | | |11:51 Scanning for outbound mail | | |11:51 0 messages scanned, 0 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 No outbound mail at this time | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | -- No outbound mail currently on hold -- | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The screen may have slightly different information than this example, but you should get the general idea. The clock should be running and D'Bridge should be ready to answer a call or accept an commands from the operator. If the clock is stopped or you don't get this screen, please refer to SECTION 12.0, "Trouble?," for more information. Assuming everything looks OK, press the ESC key to display the main menu. D'Bridge uses a menu-structure that it quite similar to many of the other commercial programs available today. You can select an option by moving the highlight bar to the desired selection and pressing the ENTER key. The UP, DOWN, LEFT and RIGHT arrows will move the bar. Also, pressing the first letter of any option will immediately select that menu item. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 124D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge: General operation 4.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- There are six menus available from the "command mode" of D'Bridge, they are: MAIL Controls mail events, the QUEUE window and allows you to issue immediate commands such as poll, file-request and transmit file. EDITOR Allows you to run DBEDIT, the D'Bridge message editor and access the configuration screens that setup the editor. UTILITIES Various utility-type functions, displays the inbound or outbound history, enters "terminal mode" or allows you to recompile the nodelist. CONFIG Selects from the eight primary configuration screens: BASIC, DIRECTORY PATHS, MODEM, FAX, SCHEDULE, NODELIST, PACKET/ MAIL AND XMAIL. ADVANCED Selects from nine additional "advanced" configuration screens: FUNCTION KEYS, BBS, SECURITY/MISCELLANEOUS, DISK MINIMUMS, ACCOUNTING, IMPORT/EXPORT, SUPPORT SYSTEMS ZMODEM PARAMETERS and WINDOW COLORS. QUIT Allows you to EXIT, DROP or PUSH to DOS. D'Bridge is a fairly complex program and requires that someone in each network (usually the NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR) have a fairly complete understanding of its operation. This section attempts to explain how it works in general terms; if you are the NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR, I would strongly suggest reading section 6.1 of setting up a private network. SENDING AN EMAIL MESSAGE ------------------------ As you probably understand by this point, D'Bridge can send EMAIL (text messages) to any system in your nodelist. To send a message, you will need to use the ENTER/READ EMAIL option on the EDITOR menu. Reading chapter 5 should give you a complete understanding of how to enter a message, so you should read over that chapter first. If you have entered a message and are wondering when it will be sent, you should start by understanding mail events. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 125D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge: General operation 4.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A "mail event" is a period of time when D'Bridge is permitted to call other systems to transfer messages and files. There are four priorities which messages can have: IMMEDIATE, CRASH, NORMAL and HOLD. Unless you have specified your message to be IMMEDIATE or CRASH priority, your message will be transmitted only during a scheduled mail event. These scheduled mail events are time-periods specified by your NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR when mail is to be transferred. This could happen once per night, several times a day or only every few days - that's completely user-definable. Most likely, you will just have one mail event each night. In a network, all systems should use the same time- period for their mail events. Assuming that your system is properly configured, all you need to do to send an EMAIL message is to enter it using DBEDIT, the message editor (ENTER/READ EMAIL option on the editor menu) and make sure that D'Bridge is running overnight or whenever your scheduled mail event is. At the start of each event, D'Bridge will scan all of your EMAIL messages and determine which ones need to be sent. All the messages for a given destination are put into "packets" and added to the QUEUE window, ready to be sent. Unless some special routing information is used, your system will call the destination systems, send the mail and pick-up any mail that is waiting for you. At the same time, if you receive any mail from other systems, they will pick-up any mail that you were going to send to them, eliminating an extra phone call. At the end of the mail event, if D'Bridge hadn't reached any of the destination systems, it will quit trying and your mail won't be sent. Normally, this should only happen if there is a problem on the other end, or perhaps because you forgot to turn your modem on... Enough about scheduled mail - if you want to send an EMAIL message and you want it to be delivered immediately, then you must specify CRASH priority when you enter the message. All your messages entered as "crashmail" will be sent as soon as you leave the message editor and D'Bridge restarts. You may have noticed that when you first brought up D'Bridge, it says "Scanning for outbound crashmail." What this means is that every time you start it, D'Bridge looks through all your messages to see which ones have CRASH priority and it tries to send them right away - no matter what time of day it is. Needless to say, this feature can only be used if the destination system is ready to receive mail anytime. If the destination is using D'Bridge on a voice line and you try to send a crashmail message, it will dial the phone anyway, probably wasting some long distance time. (Your modem can't tell if a human answers the phone, it probably will just report "NO CARRIER.") ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 126D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge: General operation 4.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECEIVING AN EMAIL MESSAGE -------------------------- This is the easy part. Assuming that your modem is connected to a phone line, D'Bridge can receive mail anytime it says "Waiting" in the ACTIVITY WINDOW. That should be anytime you are not using the DBEDIT message editor or using one of the configuration screens. When D'Bridge receives a call, it first determines if the caller is another compatible EMAIL system. Assuming that it is, it identifies the caller on the screen and proceeds to receive whatever is being sent - that could be messages, files or requests for files/functions. When the call is complete, D'Bridge unpacks the mail and you may use the DBEDIT message editor to read or print it. For more information about reading your mail, read chapter 5. SENDING OR REQUESTING FILES --------------------------- As was explained earlier, along with EMAIL, data files may be sent or received. These files could be spreadsheets, database files, graphic images or even programs. Any file that you can copy onto a diskette with the DOS copy command can be sent using D'Bridge. There are two ways to send or request files: - Using DBEDIT message editor, you can enter a message that has the FILE-ATTACH or FILE-REQUEST "flag" set. You simply enter the filename(s) (including subdirectory) as the subject and they will be sent at the same time as the message. This method is also called the "queued" method because D'Bridge will keep trying (for days even) until the file is sent or requested. - Using the TRANSMIT-FILE or FILE-REQUEST option from the MAIL menu. This method causes D'Bridge to immediately dial the destination system and send or request the file(s) specified. This method is not a "queued" command because the operation is aborted if you press the ESC key or D'Bridge is unable to connect with the remote system within the allowable number of tries. With D'Bridge, files can be transmitted at speeds that come very close to the highest-possible speed that data can be sent using your modem and computer equipment. 32-bit "CRCs" are used to ensure that the file arrives exactly as it was sent, though there always is that 1-in-a- trillion chance that an error could slip through, but since this method is the same as your bank uses to communicate with the "FED," odds are it's secure enough for your purposes too! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 127D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge: General operation 4.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CALLING ONLINE COMPUTER SERVICES -------------------------------- D'Bridge also features an "terminal mode" that causes your computer to act as a "glass Teletype" or ANSI terminal. With this mode, you can use your modem to call online services such as bulletin boards, CompuServe<TM> and other such systems. ANSI emulation allows the remote system to have complete control over such functions as color selection and cursor positioning. This feature was provided as a simple add-on but is not designed to be a fancy "terminal program." It provides what I feel are the essential features and doesn't go much beyond that. D'Bridge terminal mode features: - ANSI emulation including music - Upload/Download with XMODEM, TELINK and ZMODEM - Dialing directory - Session capture - Ability to use the D'Bridge scripting language ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 128D'Bridge Electronic Mail System MAIL: Hold all mail 4.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.1 MAIL: HOLD ALL MAIL ------------------------ Main: MAIL editor utilities config advanced quit D'Bridge /---------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-LOG--| HOLD ALL MAIL |-------------+-ACTIVITY-------------------------\ | | View/Modify Queue | | | | | Rebuild queue | | | | | Poll a node | | | | | Transmit file(s) | | Friday, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 | File-request |bytes free | | |11:51 | Information display |ilable | 11:51:52 | |11:51 | Select alias |rive C: | | |11:51 \---------------------/mail | | |11:51 0 messages scanned, 0 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 No outbound mail at this time | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | -- No outbound mail currently on hold -- | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Selecting the HOLD ALL MAIL option will immediately place all outbound mail on HOLD. If a system has a FORCED OVERRIDE of IMMEDIATE or CRASH, this command will have no effect on a packet for their system. To HOLD mail for a FORCED node, either remove the FORCED OVERRIDE or change it to HOLD by using VIEW/MODIFY QUEUE, ALT-V. This command only holds mail until the next NETmail scan or next event. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 129D'Bridge Electronic Mail System MAIL: View/Modify queue 4.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.2 MAIL: VIEW/MODIFY QUEUE ---------------------------- Main: MAIL editor utilities config advanced quit D'Bridge /---------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-LOG--| Hold all mail |-------------+-ACTIVITY-------------------------\ | | VIEW/MODIFY QUEUE | | | | | Rebuild queue | | | | | Poll a node | | | | | Transmit file(s) | | Friday, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 | File-request |bytes free | | |11:51 | Information display |ilable | 11:51:52 | |11:51 | Select alias |rive C: | | |11:51 \---------------------/mail | | |11:51 10 messages scanned, 3 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 12 packets outbound | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| |Pkt Destination Tries/Connects/Time Priorities Packet types Status| | 1 !150/613 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 2 107/150 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 3 3601/22 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 4 !2:512/1006 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 5 170/600 6 1 02:27 X Sent | | 6 !151/4 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | | 7 *373/23 0 0 00:00 H M T Hold | | 8 *18/68.1 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Selecting the VIEW MODIFY QUEUE option (or pressing ALT-V from IDLE mode) allows you direct access to the outbound mail queue allowing you to view, erase or change priorities of queue entries. When you enter this screen, all "sent" packets are erased and the queue is renumbered. Using the above screen as an example, packet number 5, for 170/600 would be erased since it was correctly sent to its destination. The top line of the queue should be highlighted. To view or change a queue item, first move the highlight bar to the desired entry using the UP and DOWN arrows. Next select one of the following commands by pressing the first letter of the option (I for Immediate, etc.) QUEUE: Immediate, Send, Hold, Reset limits, Force, View or Kill ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 130D'Bridge Electronic Mail System MAIL: View/Modify queue 4.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IMMEDIATE The IMMEDIATE option will change the priority of an entire queue entry to immediate until the next NETmail scan. If the queue entry is FORCED or is a unlisted system, this option is not valid and the computer will sound the "foghorn." SEND The SEND option will change the priority of an entire queue entry to crash priority. This change only lasts until the next NETmail scan. If the queue entry is FORCED or unlisted, the computer will sound the "foghorn." HOLD The HOLD option causes an entire queue entry to be held and not transmitted unless the receiving system poll for it. This option is not valid if there is a FORCED PRIORITY for the system. RESET LIMITS When you RESET LIMITS for a queue entry, both the number of TRIES and CONNECTS is reset to zero, allowing the queue entry to be transmitted during this event even if the retries limit has been exceeded. FORCE When you FORCE a priority for a certain system, that system will be forced to that priority "until further notice." The only way to override the FORCE is to remove it by specifying "NONE" here. When you press "F" for FORCE, a menu is displayed: FORCED MODE: Immediate, Crash, Hold or None Choose what priority to force this system to; if you don't want to do this, just press ESC and no change will be made. Select the priority or "N" to remove the "force." When a node is forced, it is designated by an exclamation point "!" next to the address. VIEW Viewing a queue entry lets you "look inside" a queue entry and see what messages and files are queued to send. Some general information about a system is displayed on the left; on the right, is a detail window which may be scrolled up and down by using the UP, DOWN, PGUP and PGDN keys. Press ESC to exit view mode. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 131D'Bridge Electronic Mail System MAIL: View/Modify queue 4.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- KILL KILL is a very dangerous option because it allows you to erase any or all outbound mail and requests with one extra keystroke. Pressing "K" will display a window asking what you would like to KILL. If you don't want to KILL any part of the entry, press ESC to cancel. Otherwise, choose from the menu which lets you erase everything or just one "part" of the queued entry. You'll have to try it to really understand - just be careful. When you are finished VIEWING and MODIFYING the queue, just press ESC to exit this screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 132D'Bridge Electronic Mail System MAIL: Rebuild queue 4.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.3 MAIL: REBUILD QUEUE ------------------------ Main: MAIL editor utilities config advanced quit D'Bridge /---------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-LOG--| Hold all mail |-------------+-ACTIVITY-------------------------\ | | View/Modify queue | | | | | REBUILD QUEUE | | | | | Poll a node | | | | | Transmit file(s) | | Friday, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 | File-request |bytes free | | |11:51 | Information display |ilable | 11:51:52 | |11:51 | Select alias |rive C: | | |11:51 \---------------------/mail | | |11:51 10 messages scanned, 3 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 12 packets outbound | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| |Pkt Destination Tries/Connects/Time Priorities Packet types Status| | 1 !150/613 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 2 107/150 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 3 3601/22 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 4 !2:512/1006 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 5 170/600 6 1 02:27 X Sent | | 6 !151/4 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | | 7 *373/23 0 0 00:00 H M T Hold | | 8 *18/68.1 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The REBUILD QUEUE option causes D'Bridge to erase all the packets that that are currently in the QUEUE window as re-scan for outbound mail. This is the same thing that happens when D'Bridge begins a mail event. This is handy for recreating packets if you had previously aborted the scan when D'Bridge first came up or you entered some messages in the editor. (There is an option to automatically re-scan NETmail after leaving the editor.) REBUILD QUEUE will normally create packets for all outbound mail regardless of whether it is CRASH priority or not; typically, all crash- mail will be sent, and all other mail will be on hold. This can easily be changed by using the VIEW/MODIFY QUEUE, ALT-V command. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 133D'Bridge Electronic Mail System MAIL: Poll a node 4.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.4 MAIL: POLL A NODE ---------------------- /-POLL---------------------------------------------------------------------\dge | |002 | Poll whom? ________________ F1-List nodes in NET 1:135 |--\ | F2-Change ZONE:NET | | | F3-List all NETS | | | F4-List NETS in ZONE 1 | | | F5-Scan user names | | | | | | Priority: Normal (Normal/Crash/Immediate) | | | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------------------/ | |11:51 Waiting for call or event | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| |Pkt Destination Tries/Connects/Time Priorities Packet types Status| | 1 !150/613 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 2 107/150 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 3 3601/22 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 4 !2:512/1006 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 5 170/600 6 1 02:27 X Sent | | 6 !151/4 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | | 7 *373/23 0 0 00:00 H M T Hold | | 8 *18/68.1 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The POLL A NODE option causes D'Bridge to call the specified system to pickup mail that may be on "hold" at the destination system. D'Bridge will simply ask you "Poll whom?" and you enter either the address of the system to call or the operator's name. If you enter a name, it will display a list of all systems with the Operator name you specify. (If you enter "JOE," it will display all the "Joes" in your nodelist and allow you to select the one you wish. If you don't know the address, five function keys (F1-F5) will aid you in your search. Once you have determined the system to call and pressed ENTER, D'Bridge will add a POLL entry to the queue with the specified priority. If you use IMMEDIATE or CRASH priority, the POLL will happen right away. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 134D'Bridge Electronic Mail System MAIL: Transmit file(s) 4.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.5 MAIL: TRANSMIT FILE(S) --------------------------- /-TRANSMIT FILE(S)---------------------------------------------------------\dge | |002 | Send to whom: ________________ F1-List nodes in NET 1:135 |--\ | F2-Change ZONE:NET | | | F3-List all NETS | | | F4-List NETS in ZONE 1 | | | F5-Scan user names | | | Filename(s): _______________________________________________________ | | | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------------------/ | |11:51 No messages to send at this time | 1:135/68 waiting... | |11:51 Waiting for call or event | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| |Pkt Destination Tries/Connects/Time Priorities Packet types Status| | 1 !150/613 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 2 107/150 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 3 3601/22 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 4 !2:512/1006 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 5 170/600 6 1 02:27 X Sent | | 6 !151/4 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | | 7 *373/23 0 0 00:00 H M T Hold | | 8 *18/68.1 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The TRANSMIT FILE(S) option gives you simple and quick way to send files to another system. Any file that can be copied using the DOS "COPY" command can be send with D'Bridge. Similar to the POLL A NODE command, the TRANSMIT FILE(S) option asks you for the destination address. Here, you may enter the address of the system or part of the operator's name. Once you've entered the address, D'Bridge will ask you for a list of files to transmit. You may enter as many files as you wish, one per line. Make sure that you've included the DOS sub- directory if they aren't in the current directory. If D'Bridge can't find a file, the cursor will simply be stuck on the line until you press ESC (to cancel the entire request), press the UP arrow or enter a valid (existing) DOS filename. When you're satisfied that you've entered the list correctly, press ENTER. You may also use the DOS "wildcard" characters "*" and "?" to specify a group of files to send. To use a priority other than the default, enter <FILENAME> <PRIORITY> in the window: C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT Immediate C:\BIGFILE.ZIP Hold ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 135D'Bridge Electronic Mail System MAIL: Request files 4.6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.6 MAIL: REQUEST FILES ------------------------ /-FILE REQUEST-------------------------------------------------------------\dge | |002 | Request from: ________________ F1-List nodes in NET 1:135 |--\ | F2-Change ZONE:NET | | | F3-List all NETS | | | F4-List NETS in ZONE 1 | | | F5-Scan user names | | | Filename(s) : _______________________________________________________ | | | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------------------/ | |11:51 No messages to send at this time | 1:135/68 waiting... | |11:51 Waiting for call or event | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| |Pkt Destination Tries/Connects/Time Priorities Packet types Status| | 1 !150/613 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 2 107/150 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 3 3601/22 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 4 !2:512/1006 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 5 170/600 6 1 02:27 X Sent | | 6 !151/4 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | | 7 *373/23 0 0 00:00 H M T Hold | | 8 *18/68.1 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The FILE REQUEST option allows you to request that a remote system send you file(s). With a network of all D'Bridge systems, all file requests are really update requests. This means that if you already have a file and you re-request it, it will only be sent if the file size or date/time differ. To use the FILE-REQUEST option, simply enter the address of the system you wish to call (just like MANUAL POLL and TRANSMIT FILE(S)) and enter a list of files that you wish to receive. If you're not sure of the exact filenames, you may use the DOS "wild- card" characters, "*" and "?." After you have entered the entire list of files to request, press ENTER and D'Bridge will add the request to the outbound mail queue. To use a priority other than the default or file-request passwords, use: <FILENAME>[,<PASSWORD>] <PRIORITY> FILE1,SECRET Immediate FILE2 Crash Note that HOLD is not a valid priority for file-requests. Requests only work when you call the remote system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 136D'Bridge Electronic Mail System MAIL: Information display 4.7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.7 MAIL: INFORMATION DISPLAY ------------------------------ /-INFORMATION DISPLAY---------------------------------------------------------\ | Today Yesterday This week This month This year | | | | Calls received 26 44 70 345 754 | | EMAIL calls 18 29 47 214 479 | | BBS calls 6 6 12 80 177 | | GATEWAY calls | | Aborted calls 2 9 11 51 98 | | | | Calls placed 4 257 259 671 1,306 | | Connections made 2 11 13 46 82 | | Failed connects 3 6 | | Total cost 0.42 0.42 2.34 3.60 | | | | Data sent (kb) 3,229 2,809 6,308 17,589 42,041 | | Data received (kb) 227 95 322 777 1,453 | | | | EMAIL messages rcvd 5 5 10 36 88 | | ECHOmail messages 55 25 80 490 1,224 | | Duplicate messages 3 10 | | ECHOmail forwarded 44 88 132 618 1,683 | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Press any key to continue The INFORMATION SCREEN, ALT-I, is automatically maintained by D'Bridge. It provides useful statistics about mail volume and traffic. This screen is for your information only; pressing any key exit this screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 137D'Bridge Electronic Mail System MAIL: Select alias 4.8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.8 MAIL: SELECT ALIAS ----------------------- Select the desired alias address, then press ENTER. ESC to cancel D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-LOG--------------------------------------+-ACTIVITY-------------------------\ | | | | | | | | Friday, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 D'Bridge ONLINE, 261320 bytes free | | |11:51 WorkRAM: 18427 bytes available | 11:51:52 | |11:51 Storage: 4.8mb Free on drive C: | | |11:51 Scanning for outbound mail | | |11:51 0 messages scanned, 0 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | /-SELECT ALIAS ADDRESS-\ at this time | | |1:18/68 |-------------------+----------------------------------| |1:135/68 | | |1:135/968 | | |1:1050/0 | | |7:48/2010 | | \----------------------/No outbound mail currently on hold -- | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ SELECT ALIAS ADDRESS, ALT-A allows you to select from your defined list of aliases (and entered in the BASIC CONFIGURATION screen.) Simply move the highlight bar and press ENTER when the desired alias is selected. Pressing ESC cancels the assignment. You should see an immediate change of the address in the activity window. Remember, if you want the mail packets to reflect this alias address, you'll need to rescan NETmail by using the BEGIN MAIL EVENT command. The alias assignment only lasts until the current event ends or the next one starts. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 138D'Bridge Electronic Mail System EDITOR: Read/Edit EMAIL 4.9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.9 EDITOR: READ/EDIT EMAIL ---------------------------- Main: mail EDITOR utilities config advanced quit D'Bridge /-------------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-LOG----------| READ/EDIT EMAIL |-+-ACTIVITY-------------------------\ | | Setup editor parameters | | | | | Local/ECHOmail areas | | | | | Keyboard macros | | Friday, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 D'Bridg| Translation table | | | |11:51 WorkRAM\-------------------------/ | 11:51:52 | |11:51 Storage: 4.8mb Free on drive C: | | |11:51 Scanning for outbound mail | | |11:51 0 messages scanned, 0 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 No outbound mail at this time | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | -- No outbound mail currently on hold -- | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The READ/EDIT EMAIL option causes D'Bridge to load DBEDIT, the message editor. DBEDIT is a separate program and depending on how much memory you have available and how you have D'Bridge configured, it will either DROP or PUSH to the editor. PUSHing is faster, but requires more memory; try both options (in the SETUP EDITOR PARAMETERS screen) and see which you like better. DBEDIT may also be run directly from the dos prompt; it is used to enter and read the EMAIL messages that D'Bridge sends and receives. D'Bridge uses the Fidonet standard message format that is used by so many other EMAIL systems, bulletin boards and utilities. This will allow you to use a great variety of external programs such as "robot" mailers, form-letter generators and editors. For a complete explanation of DBEDIT, refer to SECTION 5 in this manual; it goes into great detail about reading, entering and responding to your EMAIL. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 139D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Display history 4.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.10 UTILITIES: DISPLAY HISTORY -------------------------------- Main: mail editor UTILITIES config advanced quit D'Bridge /------------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-LOG--------------------| HISTORY DISPLAY |TY-------------------------\ | | Request ECHOmail link | | | | New ECHOmail link | | | | Terminal mode |iday, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 D'Bridge ONLINE, | Force nodelist compile | | |11:51 WorkRAM: 18427 by| Process ECHOmail | 11:51:52 | |11:51 Storage: 4.8mb Fr| Display schedule | | |11:51 Scanning for outb\------------------------/ | |11:51 0 messages scanned, 0 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 No outbound mail at this time | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | -- No outbound mail currently on hold -- | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ When you select the HISTORY DISPLAY option, ALT-H, you will receive a menu of available history screens. Currently there are four screens active: Outbound mail Inbound mail Received ECHOmail AREAFIX log Select one of these history screens and press ENTER; press ESC to cancel. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 140D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Display history 4.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTBOUND HISTORY The outbound history screen simply displays a log of all outbound mail calls within the last "n" days. ("n" is specified on the BASIC CONFIG screen, section 3.5) This display always starts at the end by showing you the most recent call. The UP, DOWN, PGUP and PGDN keys scroll the screen, ESC exits. This displays lists the date, time, destination, bytes sent/received, elapsed time and actual cost of the connection. /OUTBOUND MAIL HISTORY--------------------------------------------------------\ |Date Time Sent to Sent Received E/T Cost| |05/11 04:36 3:632/340 Custom Programm 1,682b ---- 00:34 1.20| |05/11 04:42 109/706 S.O.T.A. BBS in 312b ---- 00:22 .16| |05/11 04:52 3:711/405 Sorcim Micros i 1,782b ---- 00:41 1.20| |05/11 05:06 102/450 PC Workshop in 4,952b 612b 01:07 .32| |05/11 05:09 105/305 Huggy's Den in 2,821b ---- 00:39 .16| |05/11 05:20 108/871 Point d'appui i 3,584b ---- 00:41 .16| |05/11 06:15 2:508/28 Words & Picture 11,370b ---- 02:31 3.60| |05/11 08:15 135/14 MetroFire in Mi 2,325b 40,295b 03:52 0.00| \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ INBOUND HISTORY The inbound history screen simply displays a log of all incoming mail calls within the last "n" days. ("n" is specified on the BASIC CONFIG screen, section 3.5) This display always starts at the end by showing you the most recent call received. The UP, DOWN, PGUP and PGDN keys scroll the screen, ESC exits. This displays lists the date, time, origin, bytes sent/received, elapsed time. Since this is inbound mail, there is no cost involved. /INBOUND MAIL HISTORY---------------------------------------------------------\ |Date Time Calling system Received Sent E/T| |05/11 01:54 134/27 Lynx in Cochrane Alt 1,046b 119,952b 09:46| |05/11 02:07 107/104 TRIBECA ISC BBS in N 128b ---- 00:13| |05/11 02:12 11/109 Runway's End in Peor ---- ---- 00:21| |05/11 02:35 108/871 Point d'appui in Cin 1,792b 1,152b 00:41| |05/11 03:00 147/17 O.P.E.C. in Bethany ---- 1,080b 00:31| |05/11 03:29 2:507/115 PleasureDome in Saar 1,248b ---- 00:34| |05/11 03:35 343/8 Seattle Software Exc 9,170b ---- 02:01| |05/11 05:17 2:507/115.2 Point of PleasureDom 382b 3,274b 01:12| \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 141D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Display history 4.10 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECEIVED ECHOMAIL HISTORY The received ECHOmail history screen displays a log of all ECHOmail messages received within the last "n" days. ("n" is specified on the BASIC CONFIGURATION screen section 3.5) This display always starts at the end by showing you the most recent call. The UP, DOWN, PGUP and PGDN keys scroll the screen, ESC exits. This displays lists the date, time, destination, bytes sent/received, elapsed time and actual cost of the connection. /RECEIVED ECHOMAIL HISTORY----------------------------------------------------\ |Date Time Origin Area Description Rvcd Dups| |05/11 17:10 105/3 DBRIDGE D'Bridge ECHO 1 0| |05/12 00:26 135/20 NET_DEV Network Developer's 1 0| |05/12 01:00 105/3 DBRIDGE D'Bridge ECHO 1 0| |05/12 04:46 135/20 NET_DEV Network Developer's 14 0| |05/12 09:40 135/20 FTSC Technical Standards 2 0| |05/12 12:46 135/20 NET_DEV Network Developer's 1 0| |05/12 12:49 107/150 DB_ALPHA D'Bridge ALPHA Conf 1 0| |05/12 16:17 2:512/1006 DB_ALPHA D'Bridge ALPHA Conf 1 0| \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ AREAFIX LOG The AREAFIX log screen displays a log of all automatic additions to your "forward-to" list in the area manager. These may be in the form of AREAFIX requests or manually by using the NEW ECHOMAIL LINK, ALT-N option. Again, the display is purged based on the parameter in the BASIC CONFIGURATION screen, SECTION 3.5. The function keys work as described previously. /AREAFIX HISTORY--------------------------------------------------------------\ |Date Time System Area Action | |05/11 01:54 134/27 DBRIDGE Added/Scanned | |05/11 02:07 107/104 POLITICS Added | |05/11 02:07 107/104 Area list sent | |05/11 02:35 108/871 DBRIDGE Removed | |05/11 03:00 135/10 TBBS Added | |05/11 03:29 2:507/115 POLITICS Added ---- | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 142D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Request ECHOmail link 4.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.11 UTILITIES: REQUEST ECHOMAIL LINK -------------------------------------- AREAFIX is a subsystem within D'Bridge that allows you to remotely request new ECHOmail links from a HOST or FEED system. This system, designed by Greg Dawson, completely eliminates the need for manual intervention on the part of the HOST system. Now that handling hundreds of ECHOmail conferences on a single system is a daily reality, this automated system of forwarding maintenance is required. /-REQUEST ECHOMAIL LINK----------------------------------------------------\dge | |002 | Request from: ________________ F1-List nodes in NET 1:135 |--\ | F2-Change ZONE:NET | | | F3-List all NETS | | | F4-List NETS in ZONE 1 | | | F5-Scan user names | | | Conference(s): _____________________________ | | | | | | Area listing? No | | |Get old messages? No | | | | | | Priority: Normal (Hold/Normal/Crash/Immediate) |--| | | | | ESC-Cancel request | | \--------------------------------------------------------------------------/d | | 3 3601/22 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 4 !2:512/1006 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 5 170/600 6 1 02:27 X Sent | | 6 !151/4 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | | 7 *373/23 0 0 00:00 H M T Hold | | 8 *18/68.1 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The REQUEST ECHOMAIL LINK, ALT-R command allows you to request that a remote system, either START or STOP forwarding of ECHOmail conferences. To use this feature, you must pre-arrange a PASSWORD with the operator of your ECHOmail feed. First, enter the address of the system to request ECHOmail. If you have not established an AREAFIX password for the specified system, D'Bridge will ask you to assign one at this time. AREAFIX will not function without a security password (for good reason!) AREAFIX passwords may also be entered on the PACKET/MAIL CONTROL screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 143D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Request ECHOmail link 4.11 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Next, enter a list of CONFERENCE TAGS desired, one per line; press ENTER on a blank line when finished. If you wish to remove a conference rather than adding it, simply put a minus sign "-" before the tag. If you wish to receive a list of available ECHOmail from your ECHO link, answer YES to "Area listing?" If you want the host system to rescan the message base, sending you all the old messages, answer YES to "Get old messages?" Finally, choose the EMAIL priority that you wish to use to transmit the request. This priority has nothing to do with the priority which you will receive the ECHOmail - that's up to the other system operator. When the request is received by the remote system, it will add or remove your system from its "forward-to" list as you have specified; it will send you a confirmation message that will explain the changes made and and errors or violations you have made. This message may be sent auto- matically, or you may have to poll later to receive it; this depends on how your ECHOmail link has his system configured. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 144D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: New ECHOmail link 4.12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.12 UTILITIES: NEW ECHOMAIL LINK ---------------------------------- /-NEW ECHOMAIL LINK--------------------------------------------------------\dge | |002 | Send to: ________________ F1-List nodes in NET 1:135 |--\ | F2-Change ZONE:NET | | | F3-List all NETS | | | F4-List NETS in ZONE 1 | | | F5-Scan user names | | | Conference(s): _____________________________ | | | | | |Re-scan messages? No | | | Send area list? No | | | Priority: Normal (Hold/Normal/Crash/Immediate) |--| | Process now? | | | | | | ESC-Cancel request | | \--------------------------------------------------------------------------/d | | 3 3601/22 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 4 !2:512/1006 0 0 00:00 H M X Hold | | 5 170/600 6 1 02:27 X Sent | | 6 !151/4 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | | 7 *373/23 0 0 00:00 H M T Hold | | 8 *18/68.1 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The NEW ECHOMAIL LINK, ALT-N command allows you to add systems to the FORWARD-TO list in your area manager. This command queues up the same type of entry as an inbound AREAFIX request with the exception of the security check. When a system is added or removed from an area, an audit trail is created in the AREAFIX LOG and a confirmation message is created and sent to the receiving system. First, enter the address of the system to send the ECHOmail conference(s) to. You do not have to have an AREAFIX password just to enter a manual request. Next, enter a list of CONFERENCES to add or remove, one per line; press ENTER on a blank line when finished. If you wish to remove a conference rather than adding it, simply put a minus sign "-" before the tag. If you wish to have D'Bridge rescan the entire ECHOmail area and send all the mail currently stored, answer YES to "Rescan?" If you wish to send a list of areas available, answer YES to "Send area list?" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 145D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: New ECHOmail link 4.12 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Choose the EMAIL priority that you wish to use to transmit the request. This priority has nothing to do with the priority which you will receive the ECHOmail - that's up to the other system operator. Finally, if you want the request to be processed immediately, answer YES to "Process now?" If the request is not processed immediately, you may enter several requests then run the PROCESS ECHOMAIL option on the UTILITIES menu; (See SECTION 4.15) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 146D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Terminal mode 4.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.13 UTILITIES: TERMINAL MODE ------------------------------ Main: mail editor UTILITIES config advanced quit D'Bridge /------------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-LOG--------------------| History display |TY-------------------------\ | | Request ECHOmail link | | | | New ECHOmail link | | | | TERMINAL MODE |ay, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 D'Bridge ONLINE, | Force nodelist compile | | |11:51 WorkRAM: 18427 by| Process ECHOmail | 11:51:52 | |11:51 Storage: 4.8mb Fr| Display schedule | | |11:51 Scanning for outb\------------------------/ | |11:51 0 messages scanned, 0 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 No outbound mail at this time | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | -- No outbound mail currently on hold -- | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ The D'Bridge terminal mode is designed to let you communicate with online services such as bulletin board system (BBS), CompuServe<TM> and other such electronic information systems. Terminal mode acts like a glass Teletype, having an 24x80 display plus a status line that gives information such as current baud rate, parity, etc. It is not the intention of D'Bridge to provide many terminal features such as you might find in other communication programs; D'Bridge is an EMAIL system and only provides this terminal mode as a simple means for you to tie- in with other systems with a direct connection. Terminal mode transmits all printable and control characters without translation to your modem. The ALT keys are used to control the various functions in terminal mode. Pressing ALT-X exits the terminal and returns to mailer mode. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 147D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Terminal mode 4.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Once in the terminal mode, you will notice that pressing ALT-H displays a help screen. These are the commands currently supported: /-TERMINAL MODE COMMANDS----------------\ | | | ALT-C Dial system(s) from nodelist | | ALT-D Dial system(s) from directory | | ALT-P Set terminal parameters | | ALT-L Capture log ON/OFF | | ALT-T Terminate connection | | ALT-W Wipe (clear) screen | | ALT-X Exit terminal mode | | ALT-Y PUSH to DOS | | ALT-Z DROP to DOS | | PgUp Upload file(s) | | Pgdn Download file(s) | | | \---------------------------------------/ ALT-C / Call system from nodelist D'Bridge can dial any systems in your nodelist that are not "unlisted nodes." Pressing ALT-C will display the following window: /-CALL SYSTEM(S) FROM NODELIST--------------------------------------------\ | | | F1-List nodes in NET 1:135 | | F2-Change ZONE:NET | | F3-List all NETS | | F4-List NETS in ZONE 1 | | Dial which node(s)? F5-Scan user names | | | | _____________________________________________________________________ | | | \-------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Simply enter a list of addresses you wish to call, separated by spaces. D'Bridge will auto-dial the entire list until a connection is made. The function keys F1-F5 are available to assist you in locating the proper addresses. When a connection has been made, D'Bridge will "beep" and return to terminal mode with the remote system online at the proper baud rate. F1 Pressing the F1 key displays all the NODES and POINTS in the currently selected NET. Pressing ENTER while using this display selects a system; pressing ESC cancels. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 148D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Terminal mode 4.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F2 Allows you to change the currently selected NET by entering the ZONE:NET desired. After you change NETs, you can use the F1 key to list the systems in the new NET. F3 Gives a listing of all NETs in the entire nodelist and allows you to select a new NET. F4 Lists all NETs within the currently selected ZONE. F5 Scans the entire nodelist by username. (by first names) ENTER Starts the cycle-dialing window; D'Bridge will continue dialing until connected or aborted by the operator. ESC Cancels dialing mode ALT-D / Dialing directory D'Bridge terminal mode has a built-in dialing directory that allows you to program the phone numbers for up to 100 systems that you call frequently. Pressing ALT-D will display the following window: /-DIALING DIRECTORY---------------------------------------------------------\ | Entry Name Phone number Baud/Parms | | ----- ---- ------------ ---------- | | 1 D'Bridge Support/Miami 1-305-232-9365 9600 8N1 | | 2 D'Bridge Support/West 1-503-292-7233 9600 8N1 | | 3 D'Bridge Support/West 1-503-292-7237 9600 8N1 | | 4 D'Bridge Support/East 1-215-879-3310 9600 8N1 | | 5 D'Bridge Support/Canada 1-416-823-4521 9600 8N1 | | 6 D'Bridge Support/Europe 31-85-459034 2400 8N1 | | 7 D'Bridge Support/Italy 39-766-540-899 2400 8N1 | | 8 D'Bridge Support/Austrai 61-3-848-3331 9600 8N1 | | 9 D'Bridge Support/Austrai 61-3-563-2496 9600 8N1 | | 10 | | 11 | | 12 | | | | Edit entry, Delete entry, UP, DOWN, PGUP, PGDN, #, ENTER-Dial, ESC-Cancel | | | | Command? | \---------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 149D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Terminal mode 4.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You may easily enter or change numbers in this list by using the EDIT ENTRY command. Move the highlight bar to the entry that you wish to add or edit then press "E." It will display the following window: /-EDIT DIRECTORY ENTRY---------------------\ | | | Entry number: 1 | | Name: D'Bridge Support/Miami | | Phone number: 1-305-232-9365 | | Baud rate: 9600 | | Parity: NONE | | Data bits: 8 | | Stop bits: 1 | | Save entry? | | | \------------------------------------------/ Enter the NAME, PHONE NUMBER, BAUD RATE, PARITY, DATA BITS and STOP BITS desired, then answer YES for "Save entry?" Pressing ESC will abort the change. After you have answered YES, the window will disappear and the entry will be permanently added to your personal dialing directory. To dial a number, simply type the ENTRY NUMBERS desired, separated by spaces, then press ENTER. You can also move the highlight bar to the desired line and press ENTER. Either will do the same thing. If you wish to use the D'Bridge scripting language, simply enter the phone number with the following format: "SCRIPT.FIL"aaa-nnn-nnnn Where SCRIPT.FIL is the name of your script file, aaa is the AREA CODE you are calling and nnn-nnnn is the PHONE NUMBER. For complete information about the scripting language see SECTION 9.0. ALT-H / Terminate connection Pressing ALT-H will terminate the current call immediately by dropping the DTR signal to the modem for 1.2 seconds. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 150D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Terminal mode 4.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALT-P / Set terminal parameters The ALT-P command will allow you to set the default settings for terminal mode. Pressing ALT-P displays the following window: /-SET TERMINAL PARAMETERS--\ | | | Comm port: COM1 | | Baud rate: 2400 | | Parity: NONE | | Data bits: 8 | | Stop bits: 1 | | Duplex: FULL | | Emulation: ANSI | | Capture ANSI: YES | | AutoDownload: YES | | | \--SPACE-Change, ESC-Exit--/ By using the UP and DOWN arrow keys to select an option and pressing the SPACE bar to change, you can configure the terminal to any setting you wish. This setting will be recalled when terminal mode is entered, but the communications settings can also be changed by ALT-C and ALT-D. COMM PORT The COMM PORT specifies which serial interface channel you wish to use. This could allow you to select between modems or even direct links to other PCs. COM1 through COM7 are allowable values. BAUD RATE This allows you to select the speed or BAUD RATE of the serial link with your modem. Allowable values are 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200 and 38400, but not to exceed the value specified in the COMMUNICATIONS/MODEM SETUP screen. If you have LOCKED your modem at its top speed, this baud rate setting has no effect. PARITY The PARITY setting allows you to communicate with systems that require parity-error checking. Valid settings are NONE, EVEN and ODD, but most newer networks are using "NONE." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 151D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Terminal mode 4.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DATA BITS This setting is included for compatibility with old-style 7-bit systems. Allowable values are 7 and 8, but be warned that file-transfers will not function properly with a 7-bit link. STOP BITS Almost all baud rates use 1 stop bit, but "weird" configurations might require a value of 2. (Highly unlikely!) DUPLEX Some older systems require that your own system provide the "echo" of the characters typed. This is called HALF DUPLEX. Newer systems all echo back the characters that you type, eliminating the need for a HALF DUPLEX setting. Use FULL DUPLEX for systems such as CompuServe, The Source and BBS networks. EMULATION D'Bridge terminal program has only one emulation, ANSI. You may either select ANSI or NONE. The ANSI emulation does not require the use of an ANSI.SYS driver; it includes full color support plus ANSI-MUSIC! CAPTURE ANSI If you have the capture log enabled, D'Bridge has the option to either save or strip the ANSI codes from the file. If you want to SAVE the ANSI codes in the capture file, answer YES here. AUTODOWNLOAD D'Bridge terminal mode has the capability to detect when the remote system has initiated a ZMODEM send request. If you answer YES to this question, when such a request is detected, D'Bridge automatically starts a ZMODEM receive session saving you the trouble. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 152D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Terminal mode 4.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALT-L / Capture log ON/OFF The ALT-L key "toggles" the capture log ON or OFF. If you wish every- thing that is displayed on the screen to be captured to a text file, press ALT-L to turn on the capture log. It will ask you for a DOS file- name to store the information; it defaults to CAPTURE.LOG, but you may change it to any directory or filename you wish. Pressing ALT-L a second time or exiting terminal mode will close the text file. If a capture file already exists, D'Bridge will add on to the end of it, preserving its previous contents. ALT-W / Wipe (clear) screen Pressing ALT-W simply clears the current screen, moving the cursor to the upper-right corner. ALT-X / Exit terminal mode Pressing ALT-X will take you out of the terminal mode and back to D'Bridge. Your modem will be re-initialized and should be ready to receive incoming mail almost immediately. ALT-Y / PUSH to DOS Pressing ALT-Y will allow you access to DOS commands while you are still connected to a remote system. To get back into D'Bridge, type EXIT. This is handy for doing directory listings, etc. while you're connected to an online service. ALT-Z / DROP to DOS Pressing ALT-Z will also allow you access to DOS commands. The only difference is that with ALT-Z, D'Bridge is totally swapped out of memory to EMS or disk so that you have as much free memory as possible. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 153D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Terminal mode 4.13 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PgUp / Upload The PgUp key allows you to transmit a list of files to the host computer. The way to do this is typically to tell the remote computer that you are ready to send some files, then press the PgUp button, select the desired protocol, XMODEM, Telink or ZMODEM, then enter a list of files to send. Note: With XMODEM, you can only send on file at a time because it is not a batch protocol. Pgdn / Download The PgDn key allows you to receive files from the host computer. This is normally done by first telling the remote system what files to send then pressing the PgDn key. You then tell D'Bridge what protocol you want to use, XMODEM, Telink or ZMODEM and specify which directory to put the files in. With XMODEM you must specify the actual filename because it is not a batch protocol. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 154D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Force nodelist compile 4.14 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.14 UTILITIES: FORCE NODELIST COMPILE --------------------------------------- Main: mail editor UTILITIES config advanced quit D'Bridge /------------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-LOG--------------------| History display |TY-------------------------\ | | Request ECHOmail link | | | | New ECHOmail link | | | | Terminal mode |ay, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 D'Bridge ONLINE, | FORCE NODELIST COMPILE | | |11:51 WorkRAM: 18427 by| Process ECHOmail | 11:51:52 | |11:51 Storage: 4.8mb Fr| Display schedule | | |11:51 Scanning for outb\------------------------/ | |11:51 0 messages scanned, 0 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 No outbound mail at this time | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | -- No outbound mail currently on hold -- | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ D'Bridge will automatically re-compile the nodelist when it is started and realizes that there is a newer nodelist file online. Sometimes, however, you may wish to force it to compile, henceforth this option. Simple enough? By the way, for those of you who don't know, COMPILE means to take the nodelist in it's raw form (a text file) and translate it into the database that D'Bridge uses for fast access to addresses and user names. All of the ST. LOUIS and PRIVATES NODELISTS and your POINTLIST defined on the NODELIST CONFIGURATION screen need to be compiled into the database before they may be accessed. This process creates the files DBNODEL.DAT and DBNODEL.IX in the D'Bridge root directory. Compiling the nodelist may take several minutes. You may stop it at any time simply by pressing the ESC. If you do this, you will get a warning message in the LOG window reminding you that D'Bridge won't be able to access the entire nodelist since it didn't completely finish processing. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 155D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Process ECHOmail 4.15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.15 UTILITIES: PROCESS ECHOMAIL --------------------------------- Main: mail editor UTILITIES config advanced quit D'Bridge /------------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-LOG--------------------| History display |TY-------------------------\ | | Request ECHOmail link | | | | New ECHOmail link | | | | Terminal mode |ay, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 D'Bridge ONLINE, | Force nodelist compile | | |11:51 WorkRAM: 18427 by| PROCESS ECHOMAIL | 11:51:52 | |11:51 Storage: 4.8mb Fr| Display schedule | | |11:51 Scanning for outb\------------------------/ | |11:51 0 messages scanned, 0 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 No outbound mail at this time | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+----------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | -- No outbound mail currently on hold -- | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ D'Bridge normally processes inbound and outbound mail automatically, so there's no reason to manually do it. Sometimes, you need to be able to force an "unpack" and "ECHOscan" because you had stopped it before or you had disk-space problems. Selecting this option first Unpacks and forwards ECHOmail, then scans all your ECHOmail areas for outbound mail entered locally. When D'Bridge unpacks and forwards ECHOmail, it performs three steps: 1. It scans for XMAIL packets in the inbound files directory and decompresses them using the appropriate program: ARC, ZIP, PAK or LHARC. 2. Is scans for .PKT files in the inbound files directory and unpacks the EMAIL messages contained within. As it unpacks each message, it stores it in the appropriate area, NETMAIL, ECHOmail or BADECHO and forwards the message to all systems listed in the FORWARD TO field in the specific message area. 3. D'Bridge creates outbound XMAIL packets for all forwarded ECHOmail and adds corresponding entries to the QUEUE window. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 156D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Process ECHOmail 4.15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When D'Bridge scans the ECHOmail areas is does the following: 1. Each ECHOmail area with Fidonet storage is scanned for new mail. D'Bridge uses a "highwater" mark stored in the first message so that it knows where it left-off scanning. All new messages found are forwarded to the systems designated in the specific message area. 2. The QuickBBS message base is scanned from the point at which the scanner left-off last time. This should be fairly quick unless you have packed the message base with an external utility. If D'Bridge detects that the message base is smaller than it was last time it scanned, it will rescan the entire base and write a new pointer. 3. Assuming there was ECHOmail forwarded as a result of the scan, XMAIL packets are created using the archive program specified and QUEUE window entries are created. /-ACTIVITY----------------------\ /-ACTIVITY-----------------------\ | -- Unpacking EMAIL -- | | -- Scanning ECHOmail -- | | | | | | Packet: 05928572.PKT | | Area: NETSYSOP | | Area: DB_ALPHA | | Message: Q502 | | Message #: Q497 | | Scanned: 7 | | Unpacked: 10 | | Forwarded: 21 | | Forwarded: 12 | | System: 18/68.1 | | System: 2:520/1006 | | | | | | -- 97% -- | | | | | \-------------------------------/ \--------------------------------/ Unpack/Forward ECHOscan/Forward ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 157D'Bridge Electronic Mail System UTILITIES: Display schedule 4.16 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.16 UTILITIES: DISPLAY SCHEDULE --------------------------------- Main: mail editor UTILITIES config advanced quit D'Bridge /------------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-LOG--------------------| History display |TY-------------------------\ | | Request ECHOmail link | | | | New ECHOmail link | | | | Terminal mode |ay, December 15, 1989 | |11:51 D'Bridge ONLINE, | Force nodelist compile | | |11:51 WorkRAM: 18427 by| Process ECHOmail | 11:51:52 | |11:51 Storage: 4.8mb Fr| DISPLAY SCHEDULE | | |11:51 Scanning for outb\------------------------/ | |11:51 0 messages scanned, 0 want out | 1:18/68 waiting... | |11:51 No outbound mail at this time | | |-QUEUE------------------------------------+-SCHEDULE-------------------------| | | Routine Start End Status | | | LOCAL1 04:00 05:00 Done | | | NMH 05:00 06:00 Done | | | LOCAL2 06:00 06:30 Done | | -- No outbound mail currently on hold -- | AFTER 06:31 Done | | | | | | | | | | | | | \------------------------------------------+----------------------------------/ The DISPLAY SCHEDULE option, ALT-S, simply toggles the display of the SCHEDULE window. Most people prefer to have this window disabled so that the extended QUEUE information is displayed. Press ALT-S a few times a decided for yourself which version you like! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 158D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Single-key commands 4.17 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.17 SINGLE-KEY COMMANDS ------------------------- When D'Bridge is idle, you will notice that holding down the ALT key displays the following help window: /-SINGLE-KEY COMMANDS------------------------------------------\ | | | ALT-A Select alias address | | ALT-C Dial a system from the nodelist (Terminal mode) | | ALT-D Dial a system from the directory (Terminal mode) | | ALT-E Read/Enter EMAIL messages | | ALT-F Request file(s) | | ALT-H Display EMAIL history | | ALT-I Display system information | | ALT-N New ECHOmail link / Resend old messages | | ALT-P Poll a node (call to see if there is mail waiting) | | ALT-Q Rebuild outbound queue | | ALT-R Request ECHOmail link (Outbound AREAFIX request) | | ALT-S Toggle schedule window display | | ALT-T Transmit file(s) | | ALT-V View/Modify queue | | ALT-X EXIT D'Bridge | | ALT-Y PUSH to DOS | | ALT-Z DROP to DOS | | ALT-4 Toggle 43-line EGA mode | | | \--------------------------------------------------------------/ With the exception of the ALT-4 and ALT-5 commands, all the keys have functions that are on the main menu. Pressing the ALT-KEY is just a time-saver; the function is identical. EGA 43-line mode / VGA 50-line mode Pressing ALT-4 (for EGA) or ALT-5 (for VGA) will toggle the screen display between 43- or 50-line mode and standard 25-line mode. The high-resolution modes can only be used if you are using an EGA or VGA card and monitor. Systems that process lots of mail will quickly learn to enjoy the extended queue display... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 159D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT - The EMAIL message editor 5.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.0 DBEDIT - THE EMAIL MESSAGE EDITOR -------------------------------------- The EMAIL message editor is activated by selecting the READ/ENTER EMAIL option from the main menu or by pressing ALT-E. The editor may also be accessed directly from the DOS prompt by typing: C> DBEDIT Assuming that the DBEDIT command was found, you quickly a display that is similar to the following: F1-Enter, F2-Reply, F3-Edit, F4-List, F5-Kill, F6-Areas, ESC-Menu D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-READ/EDIT EMAIL-------------------------------------------------------------\ |Msg # 250 | |Date: 10 Dec 89 12:02:10 | |From: Chris Irwin | | To: Tom Ordelman on 1:1050/21 D'Bridge Sales/Europe | |Subj: Greetings from sunny Miami! | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Hello Tom, | | | |I was just writing to let you know that I've been laying out by the pool | |finishing the D'Bridge documentation. I think that you will find that it | |is well-written and quite clear. I'm going skydiving tomorrow morning, so | |I won't be home... Give me a call when you get a chance! | | | |Regards, | |Chris, 1:18/68 | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Area: D'Bridge network mail Msgs: 273 Highest: 298 Last read: 276 This is the "READ" mode of D'Bridge. Using this screen, you can enter, read and reply to messages along with a variety of utility functions. Each function will be described in detail in the next few sections. Remember that a quick way to get out of DBEDIT is to press CONTROL-C. This is a perfectly acceptable way to get out, it's just like using the QUIT menu option. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 160D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT - The EMAIL message editor 5.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RIGHT and LEFT arrows - NEXT and PREVIOUS MESSAGE Pressing the RIGHT arrow key will display the next message in the current area; pressing the LEFT arrow will display the previous one. F1 or E - ENTER A MESSAGE As soon as you press the F1 key or the letter "E" D'Bridge will go into "EDIT" mode, clearing the screen and starting with a blank message. For detailed information on "EDIT" mode, see section 5.1. F2, R, Q or > - REPLY TO A MESSAGE Replying to a message is the same as entering a new one; the difference is that the "TO" name and address is taken automatically from the message currently on the screen. DBEDIT will move the "FROM" information to the "TO" field. This is handy to keep from making a mistake typing the name or Fidonet address. There are four keys that create a reply message: F2 Asks for QUOTED or NORMAL reply. R Creates a NORMAL reply. Q Creates a QUOTED reply. > Same as Q. If you select a NORMAL reply, the screen will clear and just the "TO" and "FROM" information will be on the screen. If you specify a QUOTED reply, the entire message that you are replying to will be QUOTED, so that you may remind who you are communicating with exactly what you are replying to. QUOTED text has each line starting with a ">" character and that indicates that the text came from the other person. For example, if a message reads: What time can I call you about the pricing information? Your QUOTED reply might look like: > What time can I call you about the pricing information? Give me a call around 4:00, if I'm not in, please leave the information with my secretary. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 161D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT - The EMAIL message editor 5.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUOTED replies are quite valuable for reminding the receiver exactly what you're talking about. In fact, if the receiver of the above message wanted to reply to you, the reply might look like: >> What time can I call you about the pricing information? > Give me a call around 4:00, if I'm not in, please leave the > information with my secretary. I can't - I'm flying to Paris today. I'll call you when I get back. In this case, two quote characters ">>" mean that you have QUOTED a QUOTED reply. Usually, text beginning with ">>" are your own words. This feature is quite useful, especially when it might be several days before a message is read. Refer to section 5.1 for complete information about "EDIT" mode. F3 or O - EDIT AN OLD MESSAGE Sometimes, you will enter a message, then realize that you wish to make a change before sending it. The F3 or "O" option does just that. It allows you to edit the currently displayed message. If the message displayed is not from you, you will be asked "You didn't enter this message, edit anyway?" Generally, it's not "nice" to edit other people's mail, but D'Bridge allows you to do this anyway. Again, refer to section 5.1 for detailed information about "EDIT" mode. F4 or L - LIST MESSAGES Pressing F4 or "L" will put DBEDIT into "LIST" mode. While in "LIST" mode, the display changes to show you all the message headers. This is handy when you want to scan for a particular message quickly. Until you press the ESC key, DBEDIT will remain in LIST mode and the function keys have a different meaning. While in this mode, you may view message headers and select a group of messages to KILL or PRINT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 162D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT - The EMAIL message editor 5.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIST: Include, Exclude, All, None, Page, Display, Group, ESC-Exit D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-READ/EDIT EMAIL-------------------------------------------------------------\ |/-LIST MESSAGES--------------------------------------------------------------\ ||Msg # Date From To Subject | || 292 20 Apr Chris Irwin Tom Ordelman 2:280/280 D'Bridge Suppor| || 293 20 Apr Chris Irwin Joaquim Homri 135/20 Re: ZMODEM | || 294 20 Apr ARCmail Sysop 107/246 FF239209.MO1 | || 295 20 Apr ARCmail Sysop 108/871 F98429E1.MO1 | || 296 20 Apr ML-UPD 1.5 11/109 Megalist Admi 000B0071.MLA | || 297 21 Apr Tom Ordelman 2:280/280 Chris Irwin Re: D'Bridge Su| || 298 21 Apr Tony Wagner 105/3 Chris Irwin Software distri| || | || | || | || | || | |\----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Area: D'Bridge network mail Msgs: 273 Highest: 298 Last read: 276 The first line will be highlighted with a light bar. Using the UP, DOWN, PGUP and PGDN keys, you can move the light bar to the desired message. When you press the ESC key, the specified message will be displayed and DBEDIT will return to READ mode. While the LIST window is on the screen, the following commands are enabled: I - INCLUDE When you press the I key, a star "*" will appear next to the message number on the highlighted line. This means that this message is "included" for processing by group commands. E - EXCLUDE Pressing the E key will remove a star "*" from the highlighted line. this is used to un-include (de-select) the current message from processing by the group commands. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 163D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT - The EMAIL message editor 5.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A - ALL If you press A, all of the messages will be included for processing by group commands and they will all have a star "*" next to them. This is handy to use in conjunction with "E" (EXCLUDE) when you want to process most of the messages with group commands. N - NONE Pressing N will remove all the stars "*" from the LIST MESSAGES window. None of the messages will be selected for group commands. P - PAGE Pressing P will select all messages on the currently displayed page. D - DISPLAY Pressing D will toggle the LIST display between showing the TO, FROM and SUBJECT and showing the entire SUBJECT line. G - GROUP Pressing G will display another list of options called GROUP COMMANDS. With these commands, you can PRINT or KILL all of the selected messages automatically. This can be a very "dangerous" command, so make sure you know exactly what you're doing if you use it. The following GROUP COMMANDS are allowed: P - PRINT (group command) The P group command will PRINT all messages that have stars "*" next to them and were previously included while in the "LIST" mode. Obviously this option will work only if you have a printer connected; press the ESC key to cancel the PRINT operation. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 164D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT - The EMAIL message editor 5.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- K - KILL (group command) The Kill group command will KILL all messages that were included and have a star "*" next to them. Make sure that you have double-checked which messages were included because once they are KILLED, they are permanently gone. (Perhaps Professor Norton could get them back...) F5 or K - KILL A MESSAGE Pressing the F5 or "K" allows you to permanently KILL (erase) a message from your disk. It will ask you "ARE YOU SURE?" just in case you pressed it accidently; use this option with caution! F6 or A - CHANGE MESSAGE AREAS DBEDIT allows you to have any number of local and ECHOmail areas. Pressing F6 or "A" will display a list of all the areas that you have defined in your configuration. Select the desired area by moving the light bar up and down, then pressing ENTER when the desired area is highlighted. You may also enter the AREA NUMBER and press ENTER. Both ways accomplish the same thing. If you are running a basic EMAIL system, you probably will not have any use for this option. ESC - EDITOR MENU All of the other editor features are accessible by using the EDITOR MENU. Pressing ESC will display the menu and allow you to select any of the following options, described in section 5.2: - Area information - Display statistics - Forward message - Copy/move message - Print message - Write message to file - Username AKAs/Alias addresses - Search headers/text - PUSH/DROP to DOS ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 165D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "edit" mode 5.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.1 DBEDIT: USING "EDIT" MODE ------------------------------ After you have selected either the ENTER, REPLY or EDIT command, DBEDIT will be in "EDIT" mode. When you are using this mode, all of the keys have different meanings than they do in READ mode. The top line of the screen lists all the valid commands. When entering a new message, the following screen will be displayed: F1-Abort, F2-Save, F3-Ins line, F4-Del line, F5/F6-Mark, ESC-Menu D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-ENTER NEW MESSAGE-----------------------------------------------------------\ |Msg # 277 | |Date: 13 May 88 10:52:43 | |From: Chris Irwin | | To: ________________________________ | |Subj: | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ F3-List users, F8-Multiple destinations The cursor will first appear on the "TO" field. Here, you enter the name of the person to whom the message is addressed. If you have selected the USERNAME INDEX option, (in the nodelist configuration,) DBEDIT scans for a username simply by entering part of the name. For example, if you enter "CHRIS," DBEDIT will display all of the users who have a first name of Chris, Christine, Christy or Christopher and allow you to select the desired person. This search is based on FIRST NAME, so entering a last name won't work. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 166D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "edit" mode 5.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to send the same message/files to different destinations, press the F8 key while on the "TO" field. This will display a window that allows you to enter any number of destinations, one per line in the following form: <ADDRESS>[,<PRIORITY>] <USER NAME> ie. 1:18/68 Chris Irwin 2:512/1006,H Piet Raa 1:105/3,C Tony Wagner Valid priorities are: H - Hold N - Normal C - Crash I - Immediate If you routinely send information to the same list of systems, you will want to take advantage of the "distribution list" feature. Instead of an address and a username, you can specify the names of any number of distribution lists to include. A distribution list is simply a text file that contains the same information as above, address and username. After you have entered or selected the name of the person you are writing the message to, DBEDIT will say "on" and expect you to enter the address of the user. If you selected the username from the D'Bridge database, the address should already be there and you simply press ENTER. If you are entering this message to someone not in the database or have \ specified NO to the CREATE USERNAME INDEX field in the nodelist setup, you will need to enter the address. DBEDIT provides 5 function keys to help you to find an address: F3 - List nodes Pressing F3 will display a list of all the systems in the currently selected ZONE:NET. Moving the light bar, highlight the desired system and press ENTER. If you can't find the address in this NET, press the ESC key. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 167D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "edit" mode 5.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F4 - Change net The F4 key allows you to change the currently selected ZONE and NET numbers. Enter the ZONE and NET numbers desired separated by a colon ":" character. If you specify just one number, it is assumed to be the NET and the ZONE remains the same. After changing the ZONE and NET can use the F3 key again to scan for individual systems. F5 - List nets Pressing F5 will give you a list of all ZONE and NET numbers in your nodelist and allow you to choose one as the currently selected NET. Similar to the F6 function, move the light bar to the desired line and press the ENTER key. F6 - List net/zone This function is identical to F5 above except only those NETS in the currently selected ZONE are listed. F7 - List FAXs This will scan your FAX list by username. After you have selected the destination address, the cursor will move to the SUBJECT line. If you want to send a file along with this message or if you wish to request one, you must enter the filename(s) as the subject. If you are SENDING files, you must specify the actual filename including drive and directory. If you are requesting a file, just specify the filenames that you wish to receive. Obviously, if you are neither SENDING nor REQUESTING files, then the SUBJECT line is simply a field that briefly states the purpose of the message. While the cursor is on the SUBJECT field, the following function keys are in effect: F3 - Send file Pressing the F3 sets the FILE-ATTACH attribute for the message. This means that all the files listed in the SUBJECT line (labeled ENCL) will be sent with the message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 168D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "edit" mode 5.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F4 - File request Pressing the F4 key sets the FILE-REQUEST attribute for the message. This means that when the message is sent, D'Bridge will request that the remote system send you all the listed files. F5 - Update request The F5 key sets the UPDATE-REQUEST attribute for the message. UPDATE- REQUESTS are the same as FILE-REQUESTS in D'Bridge. F6 - Cancel Pressing F6 cancels a FILE-ATTACH, FILE-REQUEST or UPDATE-REQUEST and makes the SUBJECT line be just informational. When the cursor is BELOW the line that separates the heading from the message text, DBEDIT acts just like most word-processing systems. You may simply type in your message, using the BACKSPACE and ARROW keys to edit. You may notice that when you press the ENTER key, a "HARD RETURN SYMBOL" is generated. Normally, you should not press the ENTER key unless you wish to start a new paragraph or are entering a list of some kind that should not be "rejustified" on the receiving system. Because D'Bridge can communicate with other EMAIL systems and bulletin boards, the messages might not look exactly the same on the receiving system as they look on your screen when they enter it. For example, some EMAIL editors only allow the display of 66-column text. If you were to use HARD RETURNS, (by pressing ENTER on each line,) your message would be very hard to read on the other EMAIL system. Get in the habit of only pressing the ENTER key when you want to start a new paragraph. While in the "EDIT" mode, the following function keys are in effect: F1 or ESC-Q-A - ABORT If you have accidently gone into "EDIT" mode or wish to cancel your edit and completely "throw away" the message you are entering, use the ABORT option. DBEDIT will ask "ARE YOU SURE?" just to make sure that you didn't press F1 accidently. ABORTING your editor will return you to "READ" mode. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 169D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "edit" mode 5.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F2 or ESC-Q-S - SAVE MESSAGE Pressing F2 will immediately save the current message to disk. Unless otherwise specified, it will be sent during the next scheduled mail event. If you press F2 by accident, you can always use the EDIT OLD option to continue or change it. SAVING your message will return you to "READ" mode. F3 or CONTROL-N - INSERT LINE The INSERT LINE option will add a blank line BEFORE the line where the cursor is located. F4 or CONTROL-Y - DELETE LINE The DELETE LINE option does just that; it erases the line that the cursor is on. F5/F6 - MARK This is an "advanced" feature; The F5 key marks the beginning of a block of text; the F6 key marks the end. "Marked" text is designated by reverse video for the selected block. This is used in conjunction with the BLOCK commands described later; they allow you to COPY, MOVE, DELETE or WRITE the selected block of text to a file. F10 - FLAGS D'Bridge allows you to set up to 15 different "FLAGS" on an EMAIL message. Pressing F10 displays a menu of all the flags; only the ones that are "bright" at allowed. Depending on certain criteria, such as FAX addressing, etc, certain options are not always available. The currently defined flags are as follows: Private This message is intended for the addressee only. If the receiving system is a BBS, only the Sysop should be able to read the message. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 170D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "edit" mode 5.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hold HOLD priority should be used for this message. Please note that unless you specify XMAIL for this message, the message will be sent if there is any other outbound traffic for the destination system; if you enter a CRASH message to the same system, both messages will be sent unless you XMAIL it. Crash CRASH priority means that the message should be sent right-away, even during the UNEVENT. Only messages with CRASH or IMMEDIATE priority will be sent during the UNEVENT. CRASH messages might cost more due to making a long-distance phone call during the day rather than during a late-night scheduled event. CRASH priority messages are also never get routed, but go directly to their destination. Immediate An IMMEDIATE priority message means that the message will be sent right away and have priority over other outbound traffic that is not IMMEDIATE priority. This is handy for getting an important message out when there's a lot of other outbound traffic in the queue. XMail If you specify that a EMAIL message be XMAIL, this means that the D'Bridge mail scanner will pack the message in an outbound XMAIL archive with the spec- ified archive program: ARC, ZIP, PAK or LHARC. If you use this method, all priorities: IMMEDIATE, CRASH, NORMAL and HOLD are treated separately; HOLD mail will never be sent unless the other system calls to pick it up or the operator specifically overrides it in the VIEW/MODIFY QUEUE, ALT-V mode. Kill/Sent If a message has the KILL/SENT flag, it will be erased from your NETmail area as soon as it has been successfully transmitted. This is good for messages that have been sent to multiple destinations. Archive/Sent The ARCHIVE/SENT flag causes a message to be written to the specified OUTBOUND MAIL ARCHIVE specified on the PACKET/MAIL CONTROL screen. After the message text has been stored in this file, the message is erased from the system. Direct If a message is flagged as DIRECT, the normal routing specified in the ADVANCED ROUTING screen of the event setup is ignored; the message is sent directly to its final destination. Use Zonegate If you wish an inter-zone message to be routed through the official "zonegate," use this flag. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 171D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "edit" mode 5.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Route/HUB If you want a message to be HOST- or HUB-ROUTED, specify this flag. HiRes If you want to use HIGH-RESOLUTION mode for a FAX message, use this flag. Typically, HiRes trans- missions take about twice as long as normal ones. FAX Cover Not implemented in 1.30 Signature Not implemented in 1.30 LetterHead Not implemented in 1.30 No CCs If your message has multiple destination and you DO NOT want D'Bridge to insert "CC" lines showing who received the message, use this flag. You can change the flags either by moving the highlight bar with the UP and DOWN arrows and pressing ENTER, or by pressing the first letter of the desired flag. Press ESC when you are finished setting message flags. ESC - MENU The rest of the "EDIT" mode commands are activated from the menu. Pressing the ESC key will display the menu. Editor: BLOCK ?-help quit D'Bridge /--------\ 1.30/001002 /-ENTER N| Read |-----------------------------------------------------------\ |Msg # 25| Write | | |Date: 10| Copy |:02:10 | |From: Ch| Move | | | To: To| Delete | on 1:1050/21 D'Bridge Support/Europe | |Subj: Gr\--------/om sunny Miami! | |-----------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Hello Tom, | | | |I was just writing to let you know that I've been laying out by the pool | |finishing the D'Bridge documentation. I think that you will find that it | |is well-written and quite clear. I'm going skydiving tomorrow morning, so | |I won't be home... Give me a call when you get a chance! | | | |Regards, | |Chris, 1:18/68 | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 172D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "edit" mode 5.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BLOCK: READ The BLOCK READ option allows you to read in text from a standard text file. It will ask for the name of a text file and whether you want to use HARD of SOFT returns. If the text is in the form of paragraphs, use the SOFT option; if you are reading in columns of numbers or some sort of text that you don't want to be reformatted, specify HARD. BLOCK: WRITE Assuming that you have already used the F5 and F6 keys to highlight a block of text, the BLOCK WRITE option allows you to write it to a stand- ard text file. BLOCK: COPY The BLOCK COPY option will move the text highlighted with the F5 and F6 keys to the position where the cursor is currently located. This option will not work if the cursor is within the highlighted region. BLOCK: MOVE The BLOCK MOVE option is the same as the BLOCK COPY command except the text is actually moved rather than copied to the current cursor position. BLOCK: DELETE The BLOCK DELETE command will erase all text that you highlighted with the F5 and F6 keys. QUIT: SAVE The SAVE option is the same as the F2 key. It saves the current message and returns to "READ" mode. QUIT: ABORT The ABORT option allows you to "throw away" the current edit. This is the same as the F1 key. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 173D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "edit" mode 5.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- QUIT: DROP TO DOS The DROP TO DOS command allows you access to DOS while you are editing a message. This method frees all available memory by swapping DBEDIT to EMS or disk. When you are finished using DOS commands or programs, type "EXIT" to return to your edit. QUIT: PUSH TO DOS The PUSH TO DOS command allows you access to DOS while you are editing a message. When you are finished using DOS commands or programs, simply type "EXIT" to return to your edit. To summarize, we have included the following table of keys and their effect in various "edit" modes: Mode/field Key(s) Effect ------------------------------------------------------------------- "TO" F3 List users starting with the one entered F8 Multiple destinations/Distribution list(s) "ADDRESS" F3 List a NODEs in the currently selected NET F4 Select a new ZONE and NET F5 List all NETs in the nodelist F6 List all NETs in the selected ZONE F7 List FAX entries "SUBJECT" F3 Send file(s) F4 File-request F5 Update-request F6 Cancel send/request EDITOR UP Moves the cursor up one line DOWN Moves the cursor down one line LEFT Moves the cursor left on character RIGHT Moves the cursor right one character DELETE Deletes the character under the cursor INSERT Toggles "insert mode" ON/OFF HOME Moves cursor to the start of line/page/message END Moves cursor to the end of line/page/message TAB Moves cursor to the next tab position BACKSPACE Moves cursor left one character and erases previous character if at the end of a line or "insert mode" is ON. F1 Aborts the current edit, returns to READ mode F2 Saves the message, returns to READ mode ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 174D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "read" mode 5.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.2 DBEDIT: USING "READ" MODE ------------------------------ "Read" mode allows the user to read EMAIL messages in any of the defined message areas. There are several keys that are used control "read" mode with a single keystroke: UP and DOWN arrows The UP and DOWN arrow keys move the currently displayed message UP and DOWN on your screen allowing you to read more text than will fit on the screen. PGUP and PGDN The PGUP and PGDN keys work like the UP and DOWN arrows except they advance the text one page at a time. HOME and END The HOME key displays the first page of a message; the END key displays the last page. LEFT and RIGHT arrows The RIGHT arrow displays the NEXT message; the LEFT arrow displays the previous message. + and - keys The PLUS and MINUS keys allow you to read by "thread." If a message says "Reply to #nnn," you can read the original message (the one replied to) by pressing the MINUS (-) key. Pressing PLUS (+) displays the next message in the "thread." This is most useful for "local" areas and does not usually work in your Network mail area. Number keys (0-9) You can advance to the desired message simply by entering the message number and pressing ENTER. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 175D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "read" mode 5.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge allows for virtually any number of message areas to be defined in the area manager. While in READ mode, you may select between the different message areas by using the F6 or "A" command. This command displays the following screen that allows you to select a new message area: F1-Enter, F2-Reply, F3-Edit, F4-List, F5-Kill, F6-Areas, ESC-Menu D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-READ/EDIT EMAIL-------------------------------------------------------------\ |Msg # 251 | |Date: 07/-AREA CHANGE-----------------------------------------------------\ | |From: Ch| 0 NETMAIL Network mail area | | | To: To| 2 COMPLAIN Complaint Department | | |Subj: Gr| 4 DB_ALPHA D'Bridge ALPHA conference | | |--------| 6 FTSC Technical standards committee |--| |Hello To| 7 NETDEV Network developer's conference | | | | 10 SYSOP18 Region 18 Sysop conference | | |I was ju| 11 ZMODEM ZMODEM conference | | |finishin| 12 ECHOECHO ECHOmail working group | | |is well-| 19 SYSOP135 NET 135 Sysop conference | | |I won't | 21 DBRIDGE D'Bridge ECHO | | | | 22 QUICKBBS QuickBBS ECHO | | |Regards,| 24 TBBS TBBS ECHO | | |Chris, 1| 9999 BADECHO Bad ECHOmail area | | | | | | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------/ | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Change areas either by highlighting the desired area using the UP and DOWN arrows and pressing ENTER or by entering the TAG or NUMBER of the message area you desire. Pressing ESC will leave you in the same area you were in before. Once DBEDIT is displaying another message area, it should be displaying the same message as was there the last time you used that area. This is called the LAST READ POINTER and is maintained for each user in the editor separately. D'Bridge stores the LAST READ POINTERS on your disk so that they are the same the next time you read your mail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 176D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Using "read" mode 5.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To summarize, we have included the following table of keys and their effect in various "read" modes: Mode Key(s) Effect -------------------------------------------------------------------- READ F1, E Enter a new message F2 Enter a reply to a message (see REPLY mode) R Enter a normal reply Q, > Enter a quoted reply F3, O Edit an old message F4, L Change to LIST mode F5, K Kill (erase) the current message F6, A Change message areas ESC Displays the main menu (advanced functions) LEFT arrow Displays the previous message RIGHT arrow Displays the next message 0..9 Selects message number ENTER Selects message or advances to the next one UP arrow Scrolls the message up one line DOWN arrow Scrolls the message down one line PgUp Scrolls the message up one screen PgDn Scrolls the message down one screen HOME Displays the beginning of the message END Moves to the end of the message CTL-C Leave editor REPLY F1 Enter a quoted reply F2 Enter a normal reply ESC Cancel reply LIST UP arrow Moves the highlight bar up one line DOWN arrow Moves the highlight bar down one line PgUp Scrolls the screen back one page PgDn Scrolls the screen forward one page ENTER Select current message, return to READ mode I Includes the highlighted message E Excludes the highlighted message A Includes all messages N Includes no messages (excludes all) P Includes all messages on the current page G Enters GROUP mode ESC Exits LIST mode, displaying the same message GROUP P Print all included messages K Kills (erases) all included messages ESC Exits GROUP mode, returns to LIST mode ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 177D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Advanced features 5.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5.3 DBEDIT: ADVANCED FEATURES ------------------------------ There are several other features available from DBEDIT; they include forwarding, copying, moving or printing messages, searching text and selecting alternate addresses or "AKA" usernames. To activate the EDITOR MENU, press ESC while in "READ" mode; the following menu will be displayed: Editor menu: UTILITIES SEARCH QUIT D'Bridge /--------------------\ 1.30/001002 /-READ/EDIT EM| Area information |------------------------------------------\ |Msg # 252 Wri| Forward message | | |Date: 07 May | Copy message | | |From: Chris I| Move message | | | To: Tom Ord| Print message |Bridge Sales/Europe | |Subj: Greetin| Write msg to file | | |-------------| New username |------------------------------------------| |Hello Tom, | Use alias address | | | \--------------------/ | |I was just writing to let you know that I've been laying out by the pool | |finishing the D'Bridge documentation. I think that you will find that it | |is well-written and quite clear. I'm going skydiving tomorrow morning, so | |I won't be home... Give me a call when you get a chance! | | | |Regards, | |Chris, 1:18/68 | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ Following are descriptions of all the options available from the main editor menu: UTILITIES: AREA INFORMATION The AREA INFORMATION screen functions identically to the AREA CHANGE function described in the previous section. The difference is that AREA INFORMATION displays the number of messages, last read, low and high message numbers in each area. D'Bridge displays the areas that have new, unread mail in the selected BRIGHT color. Areas which have new mail have the HIGHEST message different than the LAST READ. The information screen looks like this: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 178D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Advanced features 5.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- F1-Enter, F2-Reply, F3-Edit, F4-List, F5-Kill, F6-Areas, ESC-Menu D'Bridge 1.30/001002 /-READ/EDIT EMAIL-------------------------------------------------------------\ /-AREA INFORMATION------------------------------------------------------------\ |# Name Description Low High LR Msgs| |0 NETMAIL Network mail area 16 1477 1471 190| |2 COMPLAIN Complaint Department 1 1458 1458 17| |4 DB_ALPHA D'Bridge ALPHA conference 279 1479 1479 268| |6 FTSC Technical standards committee 1 295 261 295| |7 NETDEV Network developer's conferenc 1 107 107 95| |10 SYSOP18 Region 18 Sysop conference 1 479 479 402| |11 ZMODEM ZMODEM conference 1 29 29 29| |12 ECHOECHO ECHOmail working group 1 3 3 3| |19 SYSOP135 NET 135 Sysop conference 1 178 175 15| |21 DBRIDGE D'Bridge ECHO 4 1332 1332 125| |22 QUICKBBS QuickBBS ECHO 130 1450 1450 199| |24 TBBS TBBS ECHO 621 1182 1080 102| |9999 BADECHO Bad ECHOmail area 1 1 1 1| | | | | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ UTILITIES: FORWARD MESSAGE The FORWARD MESSAGE option allows you to re-route or send a copy of the current message to another system. You simply enter the TO, ADDRESS and specify the priority and whether to keep a the original copy of the message. UTILITIES: COPY/MOVE MESSAGE The COPY and MOVE MESSAGE commands can only be used when you have specified alternate message areas. It will copy or move the current message from one area to another. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 179D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBEDIT: Advanced features 5.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UTILITIES: PRINT MESSAGE Assuming you have a printer connected to your "PRN" port, DBEDIT will print the current message. UTILITIES: WRITE MSG TO FILE The WRITE MSG TO FILE option allows you to export a message to a standard text file. This might be used to transfer data from D'Bridge to a word- processor or spreadsheet. UTILITIES: NEW USERNAME If you have defined more than one USER NAME in the SETUP EDITOR PARAM- ETERS menu, you can select from any of these to be the current user. This is the same screen that you receive when you first start the editor with more than one user defined. UTILITIES: ALIAS ADDRESSES For systems who have defined multiple ALIAS ADDRESSES on the BASIC CONFIGURATION menu, this function allows you to enter messages that are addressed from one of your aliases. SEARCH: HEADERS or TEXT The SEARCH HEADERS or TEXT options allow you to search through your messages for specific keywords. Simply enter the word to search for and D'Bridge will find and highlight all occurrences. QUIT: EXIT Terminates DBEDIT and returns to D'Bridge. QUIT: DROP/PUSH TO DOS PUSH TO DOS allows you to enter DOS commands and run other programs while DBEDIT is still in memory. Type "EXIT" to return to DBEDIT. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 180D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Understanding the queue 6.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.0 UNDERSTANDING THE QUEUE ---------------------------- Everything D'Bridge does is based on the entries in the outbound queue window. Once you understand what the "queue" is and how it is organized, you will have a good overview of the program's structure. The "QUEUE" The outbound queue is a database that contains entries for each of the systems that has currently "outbound" mail. When D'Bridge first starts, the outbound queue is created by scanning the NETmail area (either in Fido or QuickBBS format,) then scanning the disk-based queue for polls, file-requests, etc. This database is then sorted by address and then displayed in the bottom-left window. The queue can best be understood by disabling the SCHEDULE window so the entire QUEUE window will be displayed. (Press ALT-S to toggle the schedule window on and off.) /-QUEUE----------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Destination Try/Con/Bad/Online Priorities/Pkt types Status | |*18/68.1 0 0 0 00:00 C N X M Hold/Unlisted | | 105/3 0 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | | 108/0 0 0 0 00:00 N F M Decision at 17:00| | 135/3 30 0 0 00:00 C X Try limit | | 135/142 1 1 0 00:32 Sent successfully| | 143/18 1 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | | 167/999 0 0 0 00:00 C M Hold/Unlisted | | 2:243/40 0 0 0 00:00 H X Hold | |*8:77/7 0 0 0 00:00 N T M Hold/Unlisted | \----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ To understand the queue, you simply need to have a good understanding of the individual fields: DESTINATION The destination is simply the Fidonet or FAX address of the system to contact. The destination is not always the "ultimate" destination due to possible routing, but is the system to be called. If the destination system calls in, it can pickup the mail unless you disable that feature. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 181D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Understanding the queue 6.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRY The try field simply lists how many times D'Bridge has tried to call the destination system in the current event. If there is a plus sign "+" after the number, it has been manually reset this event by the operator. CON This field lists the number of actual connections (carrier detects) that are made as the result of outbound calls to the system. Inbound connections do not count in the CON field. Again, if there is a plus sign "+" after the number, it has been manually reset this event. BAD This field lists the number of failures encountered during outbound sessions this event. In general, a failure means that it was a wasted phone call for one reason or another. (Generally, the reason or error is listed in the log file.) Again, the plus sign after the number is an indication that it has been manually reset (using the ALT-V command.) ONLINE The online field keeps track of total connect time as a summation of all outbound connects. This field is not reset until the end of the current event. PRIORITIES The priorities field lists what priorities of mail are contained within the queue entry. This field may contain any or all of the following: I Immediate (Highest priority mail) C Crash (High priority mail) N Normal (Normal, budget priority mail) H Hold (Mail that is never sent; remote must pick-up.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 182D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Understanding the queue 6.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PACKET TYPES The packet type field contains what types of mail packets are contained within the queue entry. The field may contain any or all of the following: R Outbound AREAFIX request (ALT-R) T Transmit file(s) (ALT-T) F File-request(s) (ALT-F) P Poll (ALT-P) X XMAIL (Editor/BBS/ECHOmail) M NETmail (Editor/BBS) STATUS The STATUS field is most-likely the most important one to understand. If you are having trouble understanding why a mail packet is not being sent, the STATUS indication should be able to tell you exactly what is wrong. Please read and understand what the following status indications mean: Hold The mail can't be sent because "HOLD" is the only priority specified for the mail. (You told it to do this when you entered a message or set-up an ECHOmail area.) Hold/Unlisted This indication means that it is impossible to call this system because he is either not in your nodelist or his number is listed as "unpublished." The destination system must call in for his mail or you need to get a nodelist that contains his phone number. Max cost hold The cost of the message you want to send (as indicated in the editor) exceeds the maximum allowed during the current event. (See maximum message cost in section 3.10) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 183D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Understanding the queue 6.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Temporary hold This means that the operator has used the VIEW/MODIFY QUEUE mode to set the entry's status told "hold." To send the message, select ALT-V again and specify "SEND." Forced hold This means that the operator has specified a forced priority of hold at some time in the past. This may be changed by using the ALT-V command to remove the "forced" status. Priority hold This means that the given mail event does not allow the specified priority of mail to be transmitted. (This is related to the PRIORITIES field in the advanced routing of the schedule; see section 3.10 for more information.) Not a CM system In this event, you have specified that only those systems with a "CM" (continuous mail) flag may be called. (Again, this is a function of the advanced routing screen of the scheduler.) CM not allowed In this event you have told D'Bridge not to call any "CM" system. Decision at 17:00 This means that because of the cost-control data, no outbound call may be placed to this address until at least 17:00. At 17:00, a decision will be as to whether it may be called or not. This is the mechanism that allows D'Bridge to call-out only at the economical times for normal priority mail. If you want the mail to be sent now, you should use a higher priority or change the cost-control data in the ACCOUNTING/TRANSLATION screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 184D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Understanding the queue 6.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Try limit This means that D'Bridge has exceeded the maximum number of times allowed to try calling the remote system. Typically, you are not charged for non-connects, but you might want a limit on how many tries. (Gotta give up sometime...) Session limit You have reached the maximum number of sessions allowed within the given event. In the case of long-distance systems, this has most- likely saved you a wasted phone call, making too many ECHOmail calls in the save evening... Failure limit This means that you have reached the maximum failures (bad sessions) allowed for the event. Maybe something is wrong with the remote system? Picked up This means that all mail has been successfully picked-up by the remote system. This saves D'Bridge the trouble and expense of making the call itself. Sent successfully This means that you called the other system, sent the mail and all went well. All mail is confirmed as delivered to the "destination" system; remember that routed mail is now in the hands of another operator and is not 100% guaranteed to arrive. ---------- The dashes (-----) mean that the packet is ready to send, now. Understanding what each of these status codes means should give you new insight into the operation of D'Bridge. Please feel free to contact technical support if there are still technical issues unclear to you; we'd be glad to help clarify them. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 185D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Creating a private nodelist 6.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.1 CREATING A PRIVATE NODELIST -------------------------------- Without a nodelist, D'Bridge can not make outbound EMAIL calls. Your nodelist tells D'Bridge what systems it can communicate with and contains information such as name, phone number and baud rate. Nodelists are text files that can be created by any standard text editor such as EDLIN. It lists ZONES, NETS and NODES, one per line using the "St. Louis format," the same style used by Fidonet, Alternet and many other public EMAIL networks. You may specify any number of St. Louis or private nodelists in D'Bridge. Here's a sample NODELIST for a bogus private network: HOST,1720,XYZ_Corporation,Miami_FL,Chris_Irwin,1-202-232-5245,2400,CM ,2,New_York_Office,Bronx_NY,Ron_Smith,1-202-555-9343,2400,CM ,4,Western_Division,Los_Angeles,Oliver_North,1-714-555-5286,2400,CM ,6,XYZ_Canada,Quebec,Lawrence_DeLaMouche,1-418-555-2811,2400,CM ,15,European_Office,Arnhem_Holland,Tom_Morrison,31-85-293845,1200 ,20,Moscow_Bureau,Moscow_USSR,Ed_Yankowitz,!Unlisted,2400,CM This example defined a HOST system and 5 nodes in NET 1720. Unless a ZONE directive is specified, NET 1720 will be in whatever zone you are in. Notice the format of the text file; no spaces are allowed. All underscore characters "_" will be translated to spaces when the information is displayed. Each field is separated by commas. The following format is used for the "St. Louis format" nodelist: KEYWORD,NUMBER,NAME,CITY,OPERATOR,PHONE,BAUD,FLAGS KEYWORD The KEYWORD directive may be blank or contain any of the following values: ZONE The ZONE keyword marks the start of a new ZONE and NET (both with the same number.) It also defines the NODE that is the ZONE coordinator. HOST The HOST keyword defines the start of a new NET number and defines its HOST. (A HOST has a NODE number of zero.) REGION The REGION keyword is identical to HOST with the exception that no mail will be automatically routed through the "HOST" node. This is mainly used when the NET covers more than one geographic area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 186D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Creating a private nodelist 6.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HUB The HUB keyword defines the start of a routing group. A HUB acts as the HOST to receive in- coming mail for all nodes listed after it. PVT Defines that the listed node is private and does not have a listed phone number. If a system's phone number is not listed, this keyword MUST be used. DOWN Defines that the listed node is down and should not be added to the database. NUMBER This specifies the NODE number of the listed node UNLESS the KEYWORD is ZONE, HOST or REGION; in these cases, the NUMBER defines the ZONE and/or NET, depending. NAME Defines the name of the system. D'Bridge truncates NAMES to 25 characters. Underscores "_" will be translated to spaces for display. CITY Specifies the city where the system is located. Again, underscores "_" translate to spaces. OPERATOR Defines the name of the primary system operator. Under- scores "_" translate to spaces. PHONE List the ENTIRE phone number including the COUNTRY CODE, AREA CODE and PHONE NUMBER separated with dashes. "-" For example: 1-305-232-9365 or 38-52-592831 BAUD Specify the MAXIMUM BAUD RATE for the system. May be either 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600 or 19200. FLAGS A free-form field that may contain additional information about the system. Include the characters "CM" if you wish to designate a system as CONTINUOUS MAIL, being able to receive EMAIL 24-hours/day. Pointlists are set up in the same format, with all listed nodes being point systems. There is no ZONE, HOST or REGION entry for a pointlist. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 187D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Duties of a network administrator 6.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.2 DUTIES OF A NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR -------------------------------------- Every network must have an "administrator" or anarchy would certainly prevail! This chapter briefly outlines what duties the administrator of any private network should perform. Remember, these are just guide- lines. 1) The NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR is generally responsible for daily operation of the network. This means that any problems are reported directly to the administrator. Obviously, a very large network would sub- divide the support into several regional administrators who would try to field all problems if they could. 2) The NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR is responsible for the maintenance of the nodelist. Any systems that are added, changed or deleted must have these changes reflected in the nodelist and the new nodelist updates must be sent to all systems in the network. 3) The general structure and routing used in the network must be either designed or approved by the NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR. He must be kept informed of all aspects of the network so that he can "keep a handle on it..." 4) The NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR will assign NET and NODE numbers unless that responsibility is divided into different regions and handled by the regional administrators. If you have any questions on what this all means, please feel free to contact Technical Support for assistance. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 188D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Public amateur networks 6.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6.3 PUBLIC AMATEUR NETWORKS ---------------------------- There are a number of public amateur networks that anyone may join. This section lists a few of them and who to contact to participate in the network and ECHOmail conferencing. Each network distributes its own nodelist in the "St. Louis" format. After you join a new network, use the NODELIST CONFIGURATION screen to add the nodelist definition and recompile the nodelist. Here are a few networks that are open to new membership: Network Contact ------------------------------------------------------------------ FIDONET International FidoNet Association P.O. Box 41143 St. Louis, Missouri 63141 USA ALTERNET InterGalactic Sysop Alliance (ISA) P.O. Box 956 Springfield, New Jersey 07081 EGGNET Ken Shackelford EMAIL 99:99/0 1-404-928-1876 data ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 189D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBUTIL: The utility program 7.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.0 DBUTIL: THE UTILITY PROGRAM -------------------------------- D'Bridge comes with a utility program called DBUTIL; it allows you to automate routine file-transfers and maintenance. Typing DBUTIL from the DOS prompt will display the following "help" information: C> DBUTIL D'Bridge Utilities v1.30; Copyright 1988, 1989 by Chris Irwin Valid commands: [priority] SEND <Address> <file> ... <file> Transmit file(s) [priority] ROUTE <Address> <file> ... <file> Transmit file(s) [priority] REQUEST <Address> <file> ... <file> File-request [priority] POLL <Address> Poll PURGE [areaname] [areaname] ... [areaname] Purge/Archive messages SORT AREAS Sort message areas/group ERASE QUICKBASE CONFIRM Completely erase Quickbase DBUTIL may be run from any directory providing you have assigned the environment variable DBRIDGE and set a DOS PATH for the D'Bridge root directory. Put the following in your AUTOEXEC file (or change the PATH command you already have:) PATH C:\DOS;C:\DB SET DBRIDGE=C:\DB SEND The DBUTIL SEND command adds TRANSMIT-FILE entries to the disk-based queue. Files will be sent directly to the destination system with no routing. The syntax for the SEND command is: C> DBUTIL [priority] SEND <Address> <file> ... <file> ie. C> DBUTIL CRASH SEND 18/68.5 HOMEWORK.TXT C> DBUTIL HOLD SEND 18/20 DB120*.ZIP DBINST12.ZIP C> DBUTIL SEND MYBOSS READTHIS.TXT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 190D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBUTIL: The utility program 7.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ROUTE The DBUTIL ROUTE command does the same thing as the SEND command except that it generates a FILE-ATTACH message in the NETMAIL area. Creating a message allows the file to be routed if you have specified any file- routing in your schedule. If you are not routing files, it is faster and better to use the SEND option as it puts entries directly in the disk-based queue. The syntax for ROUTE is the same as SEND: C> DBUTIL [priority] ROUTE <Address> <file> ... <file> ie. C> DBUTIL CRASH ROUTE 18/68.5 HOMEWORK.TXT C> DBUTIL HOLD ROUTE 18/20 DB120*.ZIP DBINST12.ZIP C> DBUTIL ROUTE MYBOSS READTHIS.TXT REQUEST The DBUTIL REQUEST command adds FILE-REQUEST entries to the disk-based queue. The file-request will be send immediately or during the next applicable mail event, depending on the priority you specify. Following is the syntax for REQUEST: C> DBUTIL [priority] REQUEST <Address> <file> ... <file> ie. C> DBUTIL CRASH REQUEST 2:512/1006 FILES ABOUT C> DBUTIL REQUEST 135/14 GOODGAME.ARC MONOPOLY.ARC C> DBUTIL IMMEDIATE REQUEST MYBOSS UPDATE.ZIP POLL The DBUTIL POLL commands adds a POLL entry to the disk-based queue. Depending on the priority, the system will be called either immediately or during the next applicable mail event. When you POLL a system, D'Bridge will call to see if you have any mail waiting. The syntax for POLL is: C> DBUTIL [priority] POLL <Address> ie. C> DBUTIL POLL MYBOSS C> DBUTIL IMMEDIATE POLL 1:105/3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 191D'Bridge Electronic Mail System DBUTIL: The utility program 7.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PURGE The DBUTIL PURGE command will purge the specified message areas or all of them if you don't list any AREA NAMES. The purge will scan each message area and purge (and archive) the messages based on the criteria specified in the LOCAL/ECHOMAIL AREAS screen; see SECTION 3.2 for more information. The syntax for the PURGE command is: C> DBUTIL PURGE [areaname] [areaname] ... [areaname] ie. C> DBUTIL PURGE C> DBUTIL PURGE POLITICS SCIENCE ART SORT AREAS If you wish to reorganize the areas in your LOCAL/ECHOMAIL AREAS screen, you may use the SORT AREAS command. This will sort and renumber your areas by SORT GROUP and TAG. Before using this command, make sure that you specify SORT GROUPS for all the areas and group them together in a logical manner. The syntax is: C> DBUTIL SORT AREAS ERASE QUICKBASE If you want to completely destroy and re-create your QuickBBS message base, you may do it with this command. You really had better be SURE that you want to do this or you could lose thousands of EMAIL messages with this single command. The syntax is: C> DBUTIL ERASE QUICKBASE CONFIRM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 192D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Storage: Fido, QuickBBS 7.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.1 STORAGE: FIDO, QUICKBBS ---------------------------- D'Bridge currently supports two methods for storing EMAIL messages on disk. These particular methods were chosen for compatibility with some popular bulletin board systems: FIDO Using the FIDO storage method, each message is stored in a separate ".MSG" file in a certain directory. Each fido- style local or ECHOmail area will have a unique sub- directory. This method is compatible with Fido and Opus, as well as many message handling utilities. FIDO storage usually takes the most disk space and is the slowest method available. QuickBBS The QUICKBBS storage method stores all messages in five data files: MSGHDR.BBS, MSGTXT.BBS, MSGIDX.BBS, MSGTOIDX.BBS and MSGINFO.BBS, all stored in the specified QuickBBS directory. Using this method, up to 200 message areas may be defined. This method is fast and doesn't use too much disk space; it is provided for compatibility with the QuickBBS bulletin board system by Adam Hudson. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 193D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using the scripting language 7.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.2 USING THE SCRIPTING LANGUAGE --------------------------------- D'Bridge includes a powerful scripting language that allows it to use alternate carriers such as packet-switched networks rather than using normal telephone connections. This can be used with any carrier such as Telenet's PC-Pursuit or your private Satellite uplink service. Any data carrier that is capable of 8-bit, no parity, full duplex commun- ication can be used with D'Bridge. The reason for using an alternate carrier is usually to save money on your phone bill. The scripting language connects two D'Bridge systems through any form of data link that is compatible. In the U.S., the most common example for using scripts is PC-Pursuit, so I'll use that as an example. Script files are text-files created by any standard text editor and contains keywords that tell D'Bridge exactly what to do. It is important to have a good understanding of the carrier you intend to use before designing your script file; this will understand a good understanding of all the terms used here - it's not that simple. To use a script file, you will need to have a PHONE NUMBER TRANSLATION or OVERRIDE for each area code or system you intend to use. With PC- Pursuit, this currently requires 40 translation strings, one for each city served. I intend to use an indexed database in a future release to eliminate this necessity, but that's later. For now, use a trans- lation in the following format: cc-aaa- "script.fil"xxxxx- Where "cc" is the COUNTRY CODE, "aaa" is the AREA CODE, and "xxxxx" is the translated AREA CODE (or in the case of PC-Pursuit, the city des- ignator.) As an example, use the following PHONE NUMBER TRANSLATION to reach the Miami, Florida area: 1-305- "PCP.SCR"FLMIA- This will translate ALL 305 area codes to use the script file. Needless to say, not all of area code 305 is PC-Pursuitable, so if you need to contact other cities in our area code, you will need to specify previous translation or override strings. (The upcoming index file will eliminate the need for these translations altogether.) Assuming you now have 305 translated to use the PCP.SCR script file, you now must create this file and put it in your defined SCRIPT PATH. (SCRIPT PATH is defined on the DIRECTORY PATHS setup screen.) With D'Bridge, it is possible to use one script file for ALL the "pursuitable" cities, though you will need one for each baud rate desired. Following is a detailed description of the scripting language keywords and their meaning. (See the next chapter for a specific example and explanation using PC-Pursuit.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 194D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using the scripting language 7.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Syntax: ABORT <start_time> <end_time> Example: ABORT 6:00 18:00 The ABORT keyword causes the script to abort immediately if the time is between the <start_time> and <end_time> specified. This is handy for making sure that no script calls are made outside predefined hours. Syntax: AREACODE The AREACODE keyword causes D'Bridge to transmit the AREA CODE field of the phone number. This is separated from the PHONE NUMBER by a dash "-" and is sent with no carriage return or other characters. For PC-Pursuit, this is usually substituted with the city code. (such as FLMIA) Syntax: BAUD <baud_rate> Example: BAUD 1200 The BAUD keyword overrides the changes the current baud rate to the specified value. By default, it will be the baud rate of the destin- ation system. Syntax: CARRIER When the CARRIER keyword is encountered, the script file is aborted unless a carrier is detected at this point. This is handy for ensuring that you have a carrier when you think you should. Syntax: COMM <config_characters> Example: COMM 7E1 The COMM keyword configures the communication port for the setting specified. In this example, it is set for 7 data bits, even parity and 1 stop bit. The following <config_characters> are supported: 1 - 1 stop bit N - No parity 2 - 2 stop bits E - Even parity 7 - 7 data bits O - Odd parity 8 - 8 data bits ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 195D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using the scripting language 7.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Syntax: CONNECT The CONNECT keyword sets the CONNECT count for the given packet is increased by one. This is used in conjunction with the maximum connects limit defined for the current mail event. Syntax: DIAL <phone_number> Example: DIAL 555-2939 The DIAL keyword causes D'Bridge to dial the <phone_number> specified and wait for a CONNECT, BUSY or NO CARRIER field just like when dialing normally. If a non-connect message is received, the script is aborted. Syntax: DIRECT <start_time> <end_time> Example: DIRECT 6:00 18:00 The DIRECT keyword will cause D'Bridge to abort the script file and dial direct (using your phone company) between the times specified. This is useful for switching between script and telephone company use depending on the time of day. Syntax: DOS <DOS_command> Example: DOS ibm_uucp 2400 The DOS keyword is seldom used, but it enables you to execute any DOS command from within a script file. In this example, the program "IBM_UUCP" is executed with a parameter of 2400. Syntax: GOTO <label> Example: GOTO LOOP-1 The GOTO keyword transfers control to another point within the script file. The <label> must exist and start with a colon ":" just like DOS batch files. Caution should be used in not creating "endless loops" without a TIMER statement proceeding it. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 196D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using the scripting language 7.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Syntax: IF <pattern_number> <label> Example: IF 2 GOTO SUCCESS The IF keyword transfers control to another point in the script file if a previously defined pattern has been detected. This is used in conjunction with the PATTERN keyword and uses the same label structure as the GOTO keyword. It is also possible for IF to cause "endless loops" if your script is not designed correctly, so use of the TIMER keyword is highly desirable. Syntax: INIT The INIT keyword causes D'Bridge to send it's standard initialization string to the modem. This is normally done at the beginning of every script, but may not be necessary. Syntax: PATTERN <pattern_number> <string> Example: PATTERN 0 BUSY The PATTERN keyword defines a pattern to look for from the remote system or modem. It is used in conjunction with the WAIT and IF keywords to act based on the response received. The <pattern_number> must be from 0 to 9 and the <string> may be up to 20 characters. If "PATTERN 0" is specified with no characters after it, pattern 0 is disabled. Syntax: PHONE The PHONE keyword causes D'Bridge to transmit the PHONE NUMBER field. This is sent with no additional characters such as carriage return, so if you want to send one, use the XMIT keyword after the PHONE keyword. Syntax: SESSION Example: SESSION The SESSION keyword is used to begin the mail session. When it is encountered, the script file terminates and D'Bridge starts trying to sync with the destination system. If there is no carrier detected at this point, the session will be aborted. Make sure that this is only used once a "CONNECT" signal is received from the remote modem. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 197D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using the scripting language 7.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Syntax: TIMER <seconds> Example: TIMER 300 The TIMER keyword sets an overriding timeout on the execution of the script file. This is especially handy when you have created "endless loops" for re-dialing within your script file. If no TIMER value is specified, D'Bridge will keep dialing "forever" until it gets through. Every time the TIMER keyword is encountered, the timer is cleared. For this reason, care should be taken to ensure that it is not with an "endless loop." Syntax: WAIT <seconds> Example: WAIT 20 The WAIT keyword causes the script to wait for the specified number of seconds for one of the patterns (previously defined) to be received. If none of the patterns are received within <seconds> seconds, the script is aborted. The PATTERN keyword defines the pattern(s) to wait for. Syntax: XMIT <string> Example: XMIT HELLO|~~~52937,334| The XMIT keyword causes D'Bridge to transmit characters to the remote system (or your modem if not currently connected to anything.) This command is executed literally and there must be only one space between XMIT and <string> or the spaces will also be sent. There are two special characters used in the XMIT keyword: "|" causes a carriage return (CR) to be sent "~" causes a one-second delay in execution The script file is executed much like a program, sequentially. The only exception is when control is transferred to another part by using an IF or GOTO keyword. Any errors in the script file will only be found when the keyword is executed. Use the script debugging windows while testing scripts; these will display the communications plus what keywords are being executed. Activate these windows by answering YES to the DIAGNOSTICS? question on the BASIC CONFIGURATION screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 198D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Example script file 7.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7.3 EXAMPLE SCRIPT FILE ------------------------ The following example script file is the one that Tony Wagner wrote for use with the PC-Pursuit service. It is currently used by a fair number of people with success. You will need to customize it somewhat to work in your city and use your own password. INIT TIMER 600 BAUD 2400 DIAL XXX-XXXX XMIT @~D~|~D1| :RETRY PATTERN 0 @ WAIT 30 XMIT C D/ AREACODE XMIT /24,YOUR ID#| XMIT PASSWORD| PATTERN 0 CONNECT PATTERN 1 ONLINE PATTERN 2 BUSY PATTERN 3 RE-ENTER PATTERN 4 MANUAL PATTERN 5 NOT WAIT 30 IF 2 RETRY IF 3 RETRY IF 5 RETRY TIMER 600 XMIT ~|~@~| XMIT ~SET 1:0,7:0| XMIT CONT| XMIT |~I~|~ATZ| :CITY_CONNECT XMIT ~ATDT PHONE XMIT | WAIT 45 IF 2 CITY_CONNECT IF 4 CITY_CONNECT SESSION The above script is a rapid-dial script that tries for a maximum of five minutes to connect with the desired city. Once in the city, it then re-dials the destination system for a maximum of five minutes. In theory, this script could run for a total of ten minutes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 199D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Bulletin board systems 8.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.0 BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEMS --------------------------- D'Bridge is designed to act as a FRONT-END for "online" programs such as BBS (bulletin board systems) and database systems. D'Bridge will answer the phone and determine in an incoming call is EMAIL or HUMAN. If it is an EMAIL call, D'Bridge automatically receives the mail and/or files and returns to the idle state. If a HUMAN call is detected, control may be transferred to another program such as a bulletin board system. It will take about 10 seconds for D'Bridge to decide a caller is HUMAN; this time-period can be increased if desired. If the caller presses the ESC key twice, D'Bridge will assume the call is HUMAN and transfers control immediately to the BBS. Every BBS software package is configured slightly differently, therefore D'Bridge needs to be flexible in the way it transfers control while the caller remains online. There are three basic ways of invoking your BBS program: PUSH Using the PUSH method, you simply specify a series of DOS commands to be executed. You may even invoke a batch file in this method. Only the memory that D'Bridge is not using will be available for the BBS. The PUSH method is designated by simply typing the commands in the DOS BBS COMMANDS window. ie. CD \OPUS OPUS OPUS -B*B -T*T DROP The DROP method is similar to the PUSH method, except that all available memory (except 15K) is freed, leaving almost all system memory free for the BBS to use. This is handy if you have a large D'Bridge configuration or your BBS has a lot of "door" programs that it spawns. The DROP method is designated by typing a plus sign "+" in front of the commands in the DOS BBS COMMANDS window. ie. CD \OPUS +OPUS OPUS -B*B -T*T ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 200D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Bulletin board systems 8.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXIT With the EXIT method, D'Bridge completely terminates, exiting with an errorlevel that designates the baud rate. If you use this method, you must be running the mailer from a batch file that is set up to trap the various errorlevels. To configure the EXIT method, specify *X on a line by itself in your DOS BBS COMMANDS window. ie. *X An example of a simple batch file that would work with the EXIT method demonstrates the setup for a 2400 baud modem. Note that the errorlevel returned by D'Bridge is equal to the BAUD RATE / 100. :TOP DB IF ERRORLEVEL 24 GOTO 2400BAUD IF ERRORLEVEL 12 GOTO 1200BAUD IF ERRORLEVEL 3 GOTO 300BAUD GOTO END :2400BAUD CD\OPUS OPUS OPUS -B2400 GOTO TOP :1200BAUD CD\OPUS OPUS OPUS -B1200 GOTO TOP :300BAUD CD\OPUS OPUS OPUS -B300 GOTO TOP If you are not familiar with batch files and you must use them, see SECTION 7-26 of the IBM DOS manual. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 201D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Bulletin board systems 8.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Every time a BBS call is detected, control is transferred to your BBS software by executing the commands located in the DOS BBS COMMANDS window. You may specify any number of DOS commands in this window that will be executed in sequence. Each line must contain a valid DOS command, or a D'Bridge "directive." If an entry begins with a plus sign, "+" the command will executed using the DROP method rather than the PUSH method. If you use DROP, D'Bridge will be entirely swapped out of memory (except 15K) allowing the called program almost all the free memory in the environment. This is nice for running BBS programs that have "door" utilities. The DROP method takes longer to execute than the PUSH method. D'Bridge memory is swapped to either EMS or DISK. Following is an example of how I run the QuickBBS bulletin board: CD \QUICKBBS +QUICKBBS -b*b -t*t -e0 Any entries with an asterisk "*" will be treated as D'Bridge directives or substitutions. When the above DOS BBS COMMANDS are executed, the following is an example of the actual DOS commands issued: CD \QUICKBBS QUICKBBS -b2400 -t126 -e0 Following is a description of the D'Bridge directives available: *B Substituted with the actual BAUD RATE of the connection. *C Substituted with the actual connect string returned from the modem. This may be translated to any string you wish by using the "CONNECT" COMMANDS field of the COMMUNICATION/ MODEM SETUP screen. *H If specified, leaves the FOSSIL "HOT" or initialized. *P Returns the COMM PORT that D'Bridge is currently using. This may be from 1 to 7. *R Causes a NETMAIL rescan to occur after each BBS call. *S Causes an ECHOmail scan to occur after each BBS call. *T Substituted by the number of minutes until the next event. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 202D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Bulletin board systems 8.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *X Exit D'Bridge with an errorlevel of the baud rate divided by 100. (3,12,24,48,96) If you use this method, (which is not suggested,) you will need to write a batch file like the one described on the preceding page. *Xnnn Exit D'Bridge with the specified errorlevel. If you use this method, you must be using some alternate method to pass the baud rate to the system. Any DOS command with the exception of EXIT, PROMPT and SET will work in the DOS BBS COMMANDS window. Changing directories is allowed; D'Bridge will automatically switch back to the DB root directory when the commands are finished. You do not have to specifically change directories after the BBS call. In the following SECTIONS, setups for certain popular bulletin board systems are described in detail. If you see any problems with the configurations we have set up, please let us know so that we can make a correction in future versions of this manual. As always, your suggestions are welcomed in order to make D'Bridge a better product for all its users. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 203D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using Wildcat BBS 8.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.1 USING WILDCAT BBS ---------------------- Wildcat bulletin board system is available from Mustang Software; it is an excellent menu-driven BBS that runs well with D'Bridge. In order to configure Wildcat and D'Bridge together, follow these steps: 1) Configure Wildcat's MODEM INFORMATION screen as follows. This uses the US Robotics HST as an example. If you use a different modem, the parameters may vary. Leave all the initialization fields blank or Wildcat will send the strings to the modem. Wildcat receives the caller already online after D'Bridge answers the call. /-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\ | MODEM INFORMATION - Part 1 Frame 3 | | | | 1. Which Communications Port do you want to use [ 1 .. 4 ] ? 1 | | 2. Maximum # of seconds to wait for carrier [ S7 Register ] ? 1 | | 3. Enter the string to reset your modem: | | 4. Enter Modem Startup String #1: | | | | 5. Enter Modem Startup String #2: | | | | 6. Enter Modem Startup String #3: | | | | 7. Enter the string to reinitialize your modem after every call: | | | | 8. Modem Delays in Milliseconds: | | #1: 1 #2: 1 #3: 1 | | 9. Initialize your modem port at which baud rate [ 300..19200 ] ? 19200 | | 10. Lock the DTE setting at the initialized baud rate [Y/N] ? Y | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 204D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using Wildcat BBS 8.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) Wildcat has certain protocols that may only be used if there is an error-correcting connection. If you have a modem with MNP, it should return a different response string such as MNP, ARQ or RELIABLE. D'Bridge needs to translate this code into a string that Wildcat will understand. Again, this example uses the HST modem; if you do not have an error-correcting modem, this setup is acceptable. Configure the "CONNECT" COMMANDS field on the COMMUNICATION MODEM SETUP screen: /-------------------------------------------------------------------\ | "CONNECT" commands: 9600 CONNECT 9600|9600 | | 2400 CONNECT 2400|2400 | | 1200 CONNECT 1200|1200 | | 300 CONNECT|300 | | 9600 CONNECT 9600/ARQ|9600MNP | | 2400 CONNECT 2400/ARQ|2400MNP | | 1200 CONNECT 1200/ARQ|1200MNP | \-------------------------------------------------------------------/ 3) There are two ways to setup Wildcat under D'Bridge: OPTION "A" - Spawn a batch file using the DROP method With the DROP method, D'Bridge swaps almost all its used RAM to EMS or disk, then "spawns" a batch file that invokes Wildcat. If you have available EMS or a fast disk, this is a good method to use: a) Enter the following in the DOS BBS COMMANDS window on the BBS CONFIGURATION screen: /--------------------------------------------------------\ | DOS commands for BBS: +CAT.BAT *C | | | | | \--------------------------------------------------------/ b) Create a batch file called CAT.BAT in the D'Bridge root directory. Use the following as an example: IF 1==%live% GOTO RETURNCAT :WILDCAT SET LIVE= C: CD \WC ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 205D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using Wildcat BBS 8.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REM If you want to pass the time to the next event to REM Wildcat add a %2 after the %1 Wildcat /B %1 IF ERRORLEVEL 60 GOTO END IF ERRORLEVEL 35 goto QBBSMAIL GOTO END :RETURNCAT C: CD \WC SET live= Wildcat IF ERRORLEVEL 60 GOTO END IF ERRORLEVEL 35 goto QBBSMAIL GOTO END :QBBSMAIL C: CD \QUICKBBS WC2QBBS C:\WC\CALLINFO.BBS QUICKBBS -R -e0 GOTO RETURNCAT END: EXIT OPTION "B" - Run D'Bridge from a batch file and EXIT With the EXIT method, D'Bridge is completely removed from memory when Wildcat takes control. This method requires that D'Bridge be run from a batch file. Following is a description of how to configure the software for this method: a) Enter the following in the DOS BBS COMMANDS window on the BBS CONFIGURATION screen: /--------------------------------------------------------\ | DOS commands for BBS: ECHO SET baud=*C >BBS.BAT | | ECHO SET live=2 >>BBS.BAT | | ECHO RUN-DB.BAT >>BBS.BAT | | *X96 | \--------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 206D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using Wildcat BBS 8.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- b) Create a batch file called RUN-DB.BAT using the following model as an example. Start D'Bridge by using this batch file, most-likely by calling it directly from AUTOEXEC.BAT: ECHO OFF :START CLS IF 1==%live% GOTO RETURNCAT IF 2==%live% GOTO WILDCAT SET LIVE= SET BAUD= C: CD \DB DB IF ERRORLEVEL 96 GOTO LOADBBS GOTO END :WILDCAT SET live= C: CD \WC Wildcat /B %baud% IF ERRORLEVEL 35 GOTO QBBSMAIL GOTO START :LOADBBS BBS.BAT :RETURNCAT C: CD \WC SET live= Wildcat IF ERRORLEVEL 35 GOTO QBBSMAIL GOTO START :QBBSMAIL C: CD \QUICKBBS WC2QBBS C:\WC\CALLINFO.BBS QUICKBBS -R -e0 GOTO RETURNCAT END: EXIT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 207D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using TBBS 8.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.2 USING TBBS --------------- TBBS is a very popular commercial bulletin board system available from eSoft. Current versions of TBBS are designed to work with the SEAdog electronic mail system by System Enhancement Associates. For TBBS users to enter NETmail, a SEAdog-style nodelist is required; D'Bridge does not create a compatible nodelist format. You must either use SEAdog's utilities or a third-party nodelist processor to create this list. It is not our intention of supporting multiple nodelist formats. There are two versions of TBBS: Single- and multi-line. Both versions use the same file formats, but only the Single-line version is capable of using D'Bridge as a front-end mailer. If you wish to use the multi- line version of TBBS, you will have to run D'Bridge for nightly mail events and transfer mail only during designated times. The configuration of D'Bridge is different for bother versions of TBBS. We'll describe the configuration, step-by-step: If you are using the TBBS MULTI-LINE version perform the following steps: a) Using a standard text editor such as EDLIN, create a batch file similar to the following: :TOP C: CD \TBBS MLTBBS /U IF ERRORLEVEL 25 GOTO MAILER GOTO END :MAILER CD \DB DB GOTO TOP :END EXIT ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 208D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using TBBS 8.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- b) Using the CEDIT program, set an external event at the time that you want to run D'Bridge, by exiting with errorlevel 25. For more details about CEDIT, see Chapter 5 of your TBBS manual. c) Using the D'Bridge SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE screen, create the desired MAIL events plus an EXIT event directly following with an errorlevel of 10. In the above batch file, error- level 10 means to re-load TBBS. d) To run the system, just start the batch file. TBBS will execute and run D'Bridge at the designated time. If you are using the TBBS SINGLE-LINE version perform the following steps: a) Rename DBMAILER.EXE to MAILER.EXE using the DOS "REN" command: C> REN DBMAILER.EXE MAILER.EXE If you are upgrading from a previous version, you might have to delete MAILER.EXE before doing this. Make sure that you always rename this file when you upgrade to a new D'Bridge version; The DB.EXE shell program will run MAILER.EXE if the DBMAILER.EXE program is not found in the current path. b) With a standard text editor, create a batch file similar to the following: :TOP C: CD \TBBS TBBSDVR TBBS /M IF ERRORLEVEL 30 GOTO ECHOSCAN GOTO END ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 209D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using TBBS 8.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- :ECHOSCAN DB UNPACK (Put your ECHOmail processing commands here) . . . GOTO TOP :END EXIT c) When D'Bridge is loaded in this manner, odds are there's not enough memory free to process ECHOmail, so unpacking should be done from on a batch basis.a batch basis; disable the internal unpacker by answering "NO" to the UNPACK MAIL field on the PACKET/MAIL CONTROL screen. d) For D'Bridge to unpack mail, you must specify DOS COMMANDS on the ADVANCED ROUTING screen of the SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE system. In each mail event that you want mail unpacked plus the UNEVENT, specify the following for DOS COMMANDS: *X30 After mail is received, D'Bridge will exit with an errorlevel of 30; with the above batch file, this will cause TBBS to be unloaded and the DB UNPACK option to be run. If you only want to unpack mail on a periodic basis, you may accomplish this by using "EXIT" events with errorlevel 30 when you want the unpacker to be run. e) Finally, for D'Bridge to exit to TBBS when a bulletin board call is received, specify the following in the DOS BBS COMMANDS field on the BBS CONFIGURATION screen: /--------------------------------------------------------\ | DOS commands for BBS: *X | | | | | \--------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 210D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using Opus 8.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.3 USING OPUS --------------- D'Bridge is completely compatible with the Opus CBBS (Conversational bulletin board system.) In order to configure D'Bridge with Opus, follow this simple steps: 1) Edit your OPUS.CTL file to include the following line: Exit 15 This tells Opus to exit after each call with an errorlevel of 15; when this happens, control is returned to D'Bridge. 2) Recompile your OPUS.PRM file by using the OPUSCTL command. See the Opus DOCs for more information. 3) There are three methods for running Opus from D'Bridge: a) Using the PUSH method, D'Bridge "spawns" the Opus program; this is the fastest way, but requires the most memory. To configure this, specify the following in the DOS BBS COMMANDS window: /---------------------------------------------------------\ | DOS commands for BBS: CD \OPUS | | OPUS OPUS -B*B -T*T | | | \---------------------------------------------------------/ b) Using the DROP method is almost identical. This way, D'Bridge swaps its memory to EMS or disk, then runs Opus. Simply put a plus sign "+" in front of the opus command like this: /---------------------------------------------------------\ | DOS commands for BBS: CD \OPUS | | +OPUS OPUS -B*B -T*T | | | \---------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 211D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using Opus 8.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- c) Using the EXIT method, D'Bridge must be run from a batch file. This requires some understanding of DOS, since your system will be setup slightly different than our example. Put the following in the DOS BBS commands field: /---------------------------------------------------------\ | DOS commands for BBS: ECHO CD \OPUS >BBS.BAT | | ECHO OPUS OPUS -B*B -T*T >>BBS.BAT| | ECHO CD \DB >>BBS.BAT | | ECHO RUN-DB.BAT >>BBS.BAT | | *X20 | \---------------------------------------------------------/ Create a batch file called RUN-DB.BAT that contains at least the following: ECHO OFF :START C: CD \DB DB IF ERRORLEVEL 20 GOTO LOADBBS GOTO END :LOADBBS BBS.BAT :END EXIT To start D'Bridge, simply type RUN-DB from the D'Bridge root directory. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 212D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using QuickBBS 8.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.4 USING QUICKBBS ------------------- D'Bridge has specific support for QuickBBS that allows both NETmail and ECHOmail operation smoothly and efficiently. Follow these simple steps to configure QuickBBS and D'Bridge together: 1) If you wish to the QuickBBS format for your NETmail area, specify the QuickBBS message area number to use on the DIRECTORY PATHS screen. 2) Define a QuickBBS path in the DIRECTORY PATHS screen. This path should be set to the directory that QuickBBS uses for its message base files. 3) Define all your local and ECHOmail areas using the LOCAL/ECHOMAIL AREAS screen. Make sure that you define ALL areas, or D'Bridge could auto-assign a new ECHO using an already existing message area number. 4) There are three methods for running QuickBBS under D'Bridge: a) Using the PUSH method, D'Bridge "spawns" the QuickBBS program; this is the fastest way, but requires the most memory. To configure this, specify the following in the DOS BBS COMMANDS window: /---------------------------------------------------------\ | DOS commands for BBS: CD \QUICKBBS | | QUICKBBS -B*B -T*T -E0 | | | \---------------------------------------------------------/ b) Using the DROP method is almost identical. This way, D'Bridge swaps its memory to EMS or disk, then runs QuickBBS. Simply put a plus sign "+" in front of the QuickBBS command like this: /---------------------------------------------------------\ | DOS commands for BBS: CD \QUICKBBS | | +QUICKBBS -B*B -T*T -E0 | | | \---------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 213D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using QuickBBS 8.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- c) Using the EXIT method, D'Bridge must be run from a batch file. This requires some understanding of DOS, since your system will be setup slightly different than our example. Put the following in the DOS BBS commands field: /------------------------------------------------------------\ | DOS commands for BBS: ECHO CD \QUICKBBS >BBS.BAT | | ECHO QUICKBBS -B*B -T*T -E0 >>BBS.BAT| | ECHO CD \DB >>BBS.BAT | | ECHO RUN-DB.BAT >>BBS.BAT | | *X20 | \------------------------------------------------------------/ Create a batch file called RUN-DB.BAT that contains at least the following: ECHO OFF :START C: CD \DB DB IF ERRORLEVEL 20 GOTO LOADBBS GOTO END :LOADBBS BBS.BAT :END EXIT To start D'Bridge, simply type RUN-DB from the D'Bridge root directory. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 214D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using PC-BOARD 8.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8.5 USING PC-BOARD ------------------- PCBoard is available from Clark Development Company. It is another excellent BBS package with particularly strong support for DOORs, and it runs very well with D'Bridge. In order to configure PCBoard with D'Bridge, follow these steps: Note that since this method uses DOS 3.3's CALL command, it will not work with earlier versions of DOS. It should work with DOS 4.x. 1) Configure PCBoard's MODEM INFORMATION screen as shown below. The example shown is for a US Robotics HST 9600 bps modem, with the comm port locked at 19200. If you are using a different modem, you will need to make some adjustments to the parameters. PCBoard will receive the caller online after D'Bridge answers the call. /-----------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Modem Information | | | | Seconds to wait for carrier : 60 | | Comm Port (COM1,COM2,NONE) : COM2 | | Opening Baud Rate (300-38400) : 19200 | | Lock in Opening Baud Rate : Y | | Modem Initialization String : ATE0M1H0 | | Modem Off-Hook String : ATE0M0H1 | | Disable CTS/RTS checking : N | | Using a Hayes V-Series 9600 : N | | Using a FastComm 9600 : N | | Reset Modem During Recycle : N | | Modem Off-Hook During Recycle : N | | Packet-Switch Network : N | | Answer on True Ring Detect : N | | Allow Callers at 7,E,1 : N | | Allow 300 Baud Callers : N | | Allow 300 Baud Start Time : 00:01 | | Allow 300 Baud Stop Time : 24:00 | | | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 215D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using PC-BOARD 8.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) In PCBoard's OPTIONS #1 screen, set PCBoard to drop to DOS after each call: /-----------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Options #1 | | | | Exit to DOS After Each Call : Y | \-----------------------------------------------------------------------/ 3) In D'Bridge's COMM PORT / MODEM SETUP screen, set it up as shown below (again, this is for a USR 9600 HST). Modify to suit your modem. The "CONNECT" commands are very important. You must use the appropriate translations so that PCBoard will understand the connect codes later in the batch files. /-------------------------------------------------------------------\ | Modem port: COM2 (COM1-COM7 or NONE) | | Baud rate: 19200 | | Locked? Yes | | Use RTS-CTS? Yes | | Initialize: ATE0F1M1X6Q0V1&K0&B1H0S0=0 | | Offline: ATE0M0H1 | | Drop DTR? Yes | | Answer: ATA | | Dial 300: ATDT | | " 1200: ATDT | | " 2400: ATDT | | " 4800: ATDT | | " 9600: ATDT | | " 19200: ATDT | | Specific dial: | | "RING" commands: RING | | "CONNECT" commands: 300 CONNECT|/C:0 | | 1200 CONNECT 1200|/C:2 | | 2400 CONNECT 2400|/C:3 | | 2400 CONNECT 2400/ARQ|/C:3 /ERR | | 9600 CONNECT 9600/ARQ|/C:5 /ERR | | "ABORT" commands: VOICE | | Char delay: 15 (milliseconds) | | Modem timeout: 45 (seconds) | | Carrier detect mask: 128 (almost always 128) | | Auto-init modem? Yes | \-------------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 216D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using PC-BOARD 8.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) In D'Bridge's BBS CONFIGURATION screen, set the "DOS commands for BBS:" as shown below: /-----------------------------------------------------------\ | DOS commands for BBS: ECHO PCBOARD *C > C:\PCB\PCBBAT.BAT | | *X20 | \-----------------------------------------------------------/ 5) If you run in a DESQview environment, create a batch file called "PrepDb.bat". I keep mine in my C:\Batch directory, which is in my DOS path. In your DESQview "Add a program" screen, you will run this batch file to run D'Bridge. It sets up the stuff for the DB window that only needs to be done once, instead of doing it every time the board recycles. @Echo Off REM PrepDb.bat file to start D'Bridge from DESQview Dnansi RunDB 6) If you are not running in DESQview, make sure you have ANSI.SYS loaded in your config.sys file. In either case, make sure X00.SYS is loaded in CONFIG.SYS. 7) The main batch file that runs D'Bridge is RunDb.bat... If you are running in DESQview, PrepDb.bat will run RunDb.bat as the last item, if not, you will run it directly from DOS using the RunDB.bat file. REM Rem Main Batch file to run D'Bridge @Echo Off C:\CAPTURE E: CD \DB DB If ErrorLevel 90 Goto Maint If ErrorLevel 20 Board Goto END :MAINT Call Maint :END Exit ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 217D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Using PC-BOARD 8.5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) Modify your PCBoard BOARD.BAT file so it looks like the example below. @Echo off C: Cd\Pcb If Exist Remote.bat Rename Remote.bat Remote.sys If Exist Event.bat Rename Event.bat Event.sys If Exist Door.bat Del Door.bat If Exist Endpcb del Endpcb Call PCBBAT If Exist Remote.bat Remote If Exist Door.bat Door If Exist Event.bat Event Cls RunDB 9) Now, when a BBS caller calls, D'Bridge will copy the translated connect code to a batch file it creates called "PCBBAT.BAT," exit with errorlevel 20, and run PCBoard's Board.bat file. When Board.bat gets to the "Call PCBBAT" line, it will run PCBBAT, which, if a 2400 bps MNP caller is online will contain the following command: PCBOARD /C:3 /ERR ...which tells pcboard that the caller is connected at 2400 bps, and is using an error-corrected (MNP) modem. This will allow the caller to use protocols such as YModem-G. After the caller exits from PCBoard, PCBBAT will return to BOARD.BAT. Well, that's it! Really fairly simple, and it works very reliably. -------------------------------------------------------------------- Our thanks for this section go to Michael Nelson, Fidonet 1:125/20 -------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 218D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge technical information 9.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9.0 D'BRIDGE TECHNICAL INFORMATION ----------------------------------- D'Bridge is a complex program that uses quite a few control, storage and history files to store system information. This section documents these file structures so that programmers may access them in utility programs. Structures will be listed in the following sections, but here is a brief summary of all files used directly by D'Bridge: Filename Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CALLER.INF Function-request caller information file DB.EXE D'Bridge shell program (executable) DBCOSTL.DAT Costing data file DBCOSTL.IX Costing index file DBEDIT.DRO Memory "swap file" for DBEDIT DBEDIT.EXE D'Bridge editor (executable) DBEDIT.OVR D'Bridge editor (overlay) DBFAXL.DAT FAX directory data file DBFAXL.IX FAX directory index file DBMAILER.EXE D'Bridge mailer (executable) DBMAILER.OVR D'Bridge mailer (overlay) DBNODEL.DAT NODELIST data file DBNODEL.IX NODELIST index file DBQUEUE.DAT Outbound queue data file DBQUEUE.IX Outbound queue index file DBRIDGE.AA1 Local/ECHOmail area header file DBRIDGE.AA2 Local/ECHOmail area detail file DBRIDGE.AUT Automatic exported configuration DBRIDGE.CON Keeps track of what systems were called during an event DBRIDGE.DB$ Stores defaults for the INSTALL program DBRIDGE.DBI Stores CRCs of current software version (for INSTALL) DBRIDGE.DL1 Inbound EMAIL history file DBRIDGE.DL2 Outbound EMAIL history file DBRIDGE.DL3 Received ECHOmail history file DBRIDGE.DL4 AREAFIX history file DBRIDGE.DOC D'Bridge user's manual DBRIDGE.DRO Memory "swap file" for DBMAILER DBRIDGE.DUP QuickBBS ECHOmail duplicate-prevention file DBRIDGE.FRS File-request limit file (Stores 24-hour limits) DBRIDGE.HIS Outbound XMAIL control file (tracks filenames) DBRIDGE.LRQ QuickBBS lastread pointers (for DBEDIT) DBRIDGE.PRM D'Bridge parameter file DBRIDGE.PTR QuickBBS EMAIL pointer file ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 219D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge technical information 9.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Filename Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------- DBRIDGE.R$$ Received files (internal control file) DBRIDGE.REG Registration file (DEMO version only) DBRIDGE.RSE ECHOmail scan activation file DBRIDGE.RSN NETmail scan activation file DBRIDGE.SCH Schedule control file DBRIDGE.SIF System information file DBRIDGE.TRM Terminal-mode parameter file DBRIDGE.XMA Outbound XMAIL control file (tracks outbound packets) DBUTIL.EXE D'Bridge utilities (executable) ECHOMAIL.CTL ECHOmail scan control file INSTALL.EXE D'Bridge installation program (executable) LASTREAD.DBR D'Bridge/Fido-style lastread pointers (for DBEDIT) LASTREAD SEAdog-style lastread pointers (for compatibility) MSGHDR.BBS QuickBBS message header file MSGIDX.BBS QuickBBS message index file MSGINFO.BBS QuickBBS message summary file MSGTOIDX.BBS QuickBBS message-to index MSGTXT.BBS QuickBBS message text file ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 220D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Parameter file 9.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9.1 PARAMETER FILE ------------------- D'Bridge uses a text-file called DBRIDGE.PRM to store its parameters. The structure of this file will remain undocumented except for the first few fields; DBRIDGE.PRM is subject to change without notice except for the following "static" information: Field Line/Column Description ------------------------------------------------------------------------- PARAMETER FILE VERSION 1/1 Current software version NETWORK MAIL STORAGE 2/1 NETmail storage method: F, T or Q DBMAILER OVERLAY EMS? 2/2 Copy DBMAILER.OVR to EMS? 1 or 0 DBEDIT OVERLAY EMS? 2/3 Copy DBEDIT.OVR to EMS? 1 or 0 DBMAILER PROGRAM SIZE 2/4 Total memory (in K) DBMAILER WORKRAM SIZE 2/11 WorkRAM (in K) NETWORK MAIL DIRECTORY 3/1 Fido-style NETmail directory path INBOUND FILES DIRECTORY 4/1 Inbound files directory path PACKET DIRECTORY 5/1 Temporary packet directory path QUEUE DIRECTORY 6/1 Disk-based queue directory path SCRIPT DIRECTORY 7/1 Script file directory path BADECHO DIRECTORY 8/1 BADECHO directory path (Fido-style) NEWECHO DIRECTORY 9/1 New ECHOmail base directory path QUICKBBS DIRECTORY 10/1 QuickBBS directory path SJF DIRECTORY 11/1 SJF directory path DOWNLOAD DIRECTORY 12/1 Terminal download directory path OUTBOUND MAIL ARCHIVE 13/1 Outbound NETmail archive filename NETWORK MAIL ARCHIVE 14/1 NETmail archive filename SYSTEM NAME 15/1 Primary system name OPERATOR NAME 16/1 Primary operator name ZONE 17/1 Zone address NET 17/8 Net address NODE 17/15 Node address POINT 17/22 Point address The other fields in DBRIDGE.PRM will be changed without documentation in future releases. If you are writing a utility program for D'Bridge, only the above documented fields are guaranteed to remain unchanged. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 221D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Message storage structures 9.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9.2 MESSAGE STORAGE STRUCTURES ------------------------------- D'Bridge can use three completely different storage methods to store EMAIL messages on disk. These particular methods were chosen for compatibility with popular bulletin board systems. Following are the file-structures used by D'Bridge for EMAIL message storage: FIDO When Fido-style storage is chosen for an area, a dedicated sub- directory will be created. This directory will contain one file for each message stored. The format for the filenames is: <message#>.MSG ie. 1.MSG, 2.MSG ... 9999.MSG Following is the Turbo-Pascal definition of the .MSG file format: FIDO_message = record msg_from, msg_to : array [1..36] of char; subj : array [1..72] of char; msg_date : array [1..20] of char; times_read, dest_node, orig_node, cost, orig_net, dest_net : integer; date_written, date_arrived : longint; reply : integer; attributes : word; (* Bit 0 Private 1 Crash 2 Message read 3 Message sent 4 File-attach 5 Forwarded 6 Orphan 7 Kill/sent 8 Local message 9 Hold 10 ??? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 222D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Message storage structures 9.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 File-request 12 Return-receipt requested 13 Return-receipt 14 Audit-trail requested 15 Update-request *) unreply : integer; message_text : array [1..???] of char; (* The message text field contains text of any length, terminated with a null (0) byte *) end; QUICKBBS When QuickBBS-style storage is chosen for an area, messages are stored in a 5-file database designed by Adam Hudson. The file-formats are defined in the following Turbo-Pascal definition: MSGHDR.BBS QuickBBS message header file QuickBBS_header = record message_number, reply, unreply, times_read, starting_record, number_of_records, dest_net, dest_node, orig_net, orig_node : integer; dest_zone, orig_zone : byte; cost : integer; msg_attributes, (* Bit 0 Deleted 1 Outbound NETmail message 2 NETmail message 3 Private 4 Received 5 Outbound ECHOmail message 6 Local 7 Reserved *) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 223D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Message storage structures 9.2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- net_attributes, (* Bit 0 Kill/sent 1 Sent 2 File-attach 3 Crash 4 Request-receipt requested 5 Audit requested 6 Return receipt 7 Reserved *) area : byte; message_time : string[5]; message_date : string[8]; msg_to, msg_from : string[35]; subj : string[72]; end; MSGIDX.BBS QuickBBS message index file QuickBBS_index = record message_number : integer; area : byte end; MSGINFO.BBS QuickBBS message summary file QuickBBS_info = record low_message, high_message, total_messages : integer; active_messages : array [1..200] of integer end; MSGTOIDX.BBS QuickBBS message-to index file QuickBBS_to_index = string[35]; MSGTXT.BBS QuickBBS message text file QuickBBS_text = string[255]; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 224D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9.3 D'BRIDGE FILE STRUCTURES ----------------------------- Following are Turbo-Pascal or text-file definitions of the data, history and control files used by D'Bridge. These structures are subject to change in future releases... CALLER.INF When D'Bridge receives a function-request, it writes a text file called CALLER.INF in the current directory. This file contains the following information about the caller online: <address> <system name> <system operator> <inbound files directory> DBCOSTL.DAT/IX The DBCOSTL files are created and maintained by the B-TREE FILER routines available from Turbo-Power Software. They contain the cost and control data from the ACCOUNTING/TRANSLATION screen. costlist_structure = record del : longint; prefix : string[20]; dial_as : string[30]; location : string[20]; start_time, end_time : array [1..5] of string[4]; weekdays : array [1..5] of string[7]; time_increment : array [1..5] of word; nci : array [1..5] of string[3]; cost_per_increment : array [1..5] of (* down *) cost_array end; The database key for the file is the PREFIX field. Key 1: PREFIX (20, non-duplicatable) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 225D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DBFAXL.DAT/IX The DBFAXL files are created and maintained by the B-TREE FILER routines available from Turbo-Power Software. They contain the FAX directory, maintained by the FAXLIST MAINTENANCE option in DBEDIT. faxlist_structure = record del : longint; faxname : string[8]; name, operator, city, phone : string[36]; hours_from, hours_to : string[4]; end; The database key for the file is the FAXNAME field; all characters in this field must be uppercase for a record to be accessed. Key 1: FAXNAME (8, non-duplicatable) DBNODEL.DAT/IX The DBNODEL files are created and maintained by the B-TREE FILER routines available from Turbo-Power Software. They contain the compiled nodelist database. nodelist_structure = record del : longint; zone, net, node, point : integer; nodelist_CRC : word; nodelist_offset : longint; route_to_node : integer; reserved : array [1..6] of byte; end; There are two database keys for the nodelist file: Key 1: ZONE+NET+NODE+POINT (8,non-duplicatable) Key 2: USERNAME+SEQ (17,non-duplicatable) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 226D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DBQUEUE.DAT/IX The DBQUEUE files are created and maintained by the B-TREE FILER routines available from Turbo-Power Software. They contain the current outbound queue. This file is not critical. It can be rebuilt at any time if it is deleted. outbound_queue = record zone, net, node, point : integer; faxname : string[8]; evl_rec, connect_time : longint; time_increment, tries, sessions, bad_sessions : integer; nocost, cost_hold, schedule_hold, send_everything, needs_work, unlisted, temporary_hold, forced : boolean; forced_priority : char; status : string[18]; costlist_key : string[20]; kinds : array [1..6] of char; (* RTFPXM *) priorities : array [1..4] of char; (* ICNH *) NCI, was_reset : string[3]; next_decision : string[4]; phone_number : string[60]; system_name : string[31]; system_city : string[31]; baud_rate : word; end; There is one database key for this record: Key 1: ZONE+NET+NODE+POINT+FAXNAME (16,non-duplicatable) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 227D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DBRIDGE.AA1/AA2 D'Bridge uses two files to maintain the internal area list. This is used in the LOCAL/ECHOMAIL AREAS screen. When an area is added, one record is added to each of the two files. The files should always contain the same number of records. area_header = record (* DBRIDGE.AA1 *) allocated : boolean; tag : string[16]; ECHOmail_tag : string[56]; end; area_detail = record (* DBRIDGE.AA2 *) description : string[40]; group : integer; storage : char; directory_path : string[48]; kind : char; Quick_area : integer; default_private, tiny_seenbys : boolean; origin_line : string[56]; default_priority : char; alias_zone, alias_net, alias_node, alias_point, area_purge, area_preserve, area_security : integer; area_archive : string[56]; forward_to : array [1..5] of string[56] end; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 228D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DBRIDGE.CON This file keeps track of what systems have been called during a mail event, so D'Bridge keeps track of all the limits for the entire event. This is a relative-record file where the first record is a control-record and not the same as the rest... event_limits = record case zone : integer of 0 : (dt : date; event : string[8]); 1 : (verification, net, node, point : integer; faxname : string[8]; tries, connects, bad : integer; priorities : pritype; send_everything : boolean; connect_time : longint; was_reset : string[3]; status : string[18]) end; DBRIDGE.DB$ This text file stores defaults for the INSTALL program. The format for this file is: <unZIP command> <release directory> DBRIDGE.DBI This file stores CRCs of current software version so that INSTALL may later be asked to "Verify software integrity." For internal security reasons, the CRC32s listed here are scrambled. This information is provided for your information only; we don't expect users to be able to decode this confidential information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 229D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- security = record lowest_install_vsn, install_vsn : integer; CRC32a, CRC32b : array [1..8] of longint; end; DBRIDGE.DL1 This is the inbound EMAIL history file: inbound_EMAIL_history = record log_date : string[6]; log_time : string[4]; zone, net, node, point : integer; bytes_out, bytes_in, time : longint end; DBRIDGE.DL2 This is the outbound EMAIL history file: outbound_EMAIL_history = record log_date : string[6]; log_time : string[4]; zone, net, node, point : integer; bytes_out, bytes_in, time, cost : longint end; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 230D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DBRIDGE.DL3 This is the received ECHOmail history file: received_ECHOmail_history = record log_date : string[6]; log_time : string[4]; area_name : string[16]; zone, net, node, point, dups, received : integer end; DBRIDGE.DL4 This is the AREAFIX history file: AREAFIX_history = record log_date : string[6]; log_time : string[4]; zone, net, node, point : integer; area_name : string[16]; action : (added,added_scanned,removed, security_violation,area_list) end; DBRIDGE.DUP The QuickBBS duplicate-prevention file contains from 0-200 of the following records: duplicate_prevention = array [1..1024] of record date_CRC, header_CRC : integer end; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 231D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DBRIDGE.FRS The file-request limit file tracks file-requests for a 24-hour period. DBRIDGE.FRS is a text file with one line per record in the following format: Field Starting column ------------------------------------------------ ADDRESS 1 UNIX TIME STAMP 21 FILE-REQUEST TIME USED 37 FILE-REQUEST BYTES USED 47 FILE-REQUEST COUNT 57 DBRIDGE.HIS D'Bridge uses this file to track outbound XMAIL filenames: daily_XMAIL_control = record zone, net, node, point : integer; updated : string[6]; xmail_number, reserved : integer end; DBRIDGE.LRQ For QuickBBS, DBEDIT stores the LASTREAD pointers in this file: Quickbbs_lastread = record username : string[36]; last_read : array [1..200] of record message, rec : integer end end; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 232D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DBRIDGE.PTR Both the ECHOmail and NETmail scanners update this file for QuickBBS storage method. In order for D'Bridge to know where it left-off scanning, the following text file is used: <high QuickBBS record> <first QuickBBS NETmail message> DBRIDGE.REE This file tells the ECHOmail scanner which conferences and systems to use for a RESCAN of designated conferences. This text file has the following format: <ECHO tag> <address> <priority> DBRIDGE.RSE If this control file exists, ECHOmail will be scanned when D'Bridge is activated the next time. It doesn't matter what's in the file. DBRIDGE.RSN If this control file exists, NETmail will be scanned when D'Bridge is activated the next time. It doesn't matter what's in the file. DBRIDGE.SCH This file controls the D'Bridge scheduling system. If it used to keep track of what events were executed, aborted, etc. The format of this text file is: <date> <event tag> <start time> <end time> <status> . . <event tag> <start time> <end time> <status> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 233D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DBRIDGE.SIF This file tracks summary information displayed by the DISPLAY SYSTEM INFORMATION SYSTEM option. system_information = record purge_date : string[6]; stats : array [1..20] of array [1..5] of real; (* 1-5 is TODAY, YESTERDAY, WTD, MTD, YTD [1] Calls received [2] EMAIL calls [3] BBS calls [4] GATEWAY calls [5] Aborted calls [6] Calls placed [7] Connections made [8] Failed connects [9] Total cost [10] Data sent bytes [11] Data received bytes [12] EMAIL messages rcvd [13] ECHOmail messages [14] BAD/DUP messages [15] Total forwarded [16..20] unused *) extra : array [1..256] of byte end; DBRIDGE.TRM The terminal-mode parameters are stored in this file. terminal_config = record baud_rate : word; duplex, parity, databits, stopbits : char; comport : byte; emulation : char; directory : array [1..100] of record name : string[25]; baud_rate : word; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 234D'Bridge Electronic Mail System D'Bridge file structures 9.3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- parity, databits, stopbits : char; phone : string[30]; end; capture_strip, auto_download : boolean end; DBRIDGE.XMA This text file contains a list of packets that need to be compressed by the XMAIL processor. Each line is in the following format: <queue name> <packet name> <queue name> <packet name> . . <queue name> <packet name> ECHOMAIL.CTL If this text file exists, D'Bridge will only scan the ECHOmail areas listed within. If it doesn't exist, all ECHOmail areas are scanned. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 235D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Disk-based queue 9.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9.4 DISK-BASED QUEUE --------------------- D'Bridge has a disk-based queue for XMAIL, file-transfer and AREAFIX requests. This queue works independently of the NETmail area and may be accessed by user-written programs. All queue entries reside as files in the specified "queue" directory; the address is encoded in the file- name as base-36 numbers. The filenames of queue entries use the following format: t-zzzNNN.nnn H-00102X.00G -or- -or- t-POINT-ppp H-POINT.005 Where: t is the entry type (A/B/C/H/I/N/Q) zzz is the base-36 ZONE address NNN is the base-36 NET address nnn is the base-36 NODE address ppp is the base-36 POINT address Base-36 numbers use the digits 0-Z to represent the numbers. You will notice from the structure that the address is either 3-dimensional (ZONE, NET and NODE) or a POINT-address. It is impossible to have a queue entry for a point of another system. The following queue entry-types are currently defined: A - AREAFIX request packet An "A" queue entry is an outbound AREAFIX request; this is a NETmail message that is destined for the specified system. It must always be associated with a "Q" entry-type that designates the packet priority. This packet is generated by using the REQUEST ECHOMAIL LINK, ALT-R option of D'Bridge. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 236D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Disk-based queue 9.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- B - Inbound AREAFIX request/New ECHOmail link control file The "B" queue entry indicates either an inbound AREAFIX request or a request issued using the NEW ECHOMAIL LINK, ALT-N command. These requests are usually processed immediately, but if there is a hold on ECHOmail forwarding because of a disk-space limit, these files may accumulate. The "B" queue entries are text files in the following format: <priority><rescan><area listing><manual override> <area name> . . <area name> <priority> is either N, I, C or H <rescan> Should the area be rescanned? Y or N <area listing> Should an area listing be sent? Y or N <manual override> Is this a manual (ALT-N) entry? Y or N <area name> Either + or - then the ECHOmail tags to add or remove from your LOCAL/ECHOMAIL AREAS screen. "B" queue entries are processed when an ECHOmail scan is done; any external program may add entries to the disk-based queue. C - Crash priority XMAIL "C" queue entries are XMAIL (compressed mail) packets with CRASH priority. These will be sent during any event including the UNEVENT to the specified system. This file contains any number of outbound mail packets. H - Hold priority XMAIL "H" queue entries are XMAIL packets with HOLD priority. These will never be sent unless there is a forced priority override or the operator uses the VIEW/MODIFY QUEUE command to force D'Bridge to call the specified system. Typically, HOLD priority XMAIL is picked up by a "poll" from the destination system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 237D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Disk-based queue 9.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I - Immediate priority XMAIL "I" queue entries are XMAIL packets with IMMEDIATE priority. These will be sent immediately during any event; this priority overrides crash and all immediate queue entries will be sent before any other outbound traffic. N - Normal priority XMAIL "N" queue entries are XMAIL packets with NORMAL priority. They will never be transmitted during the UNEVENT unless a forced priority has been specified or the operator uses the VIEW/MODIFY QUEUE command to force it to send. Q - General purpose outbound queue A "Q" queue entry is a text file that contains any number of lines, each of which contains one of the following formats: <priority> P A "P" entry indicates a "poll" with the specified priority. <priority> T <file path> <transmit filename> A "T" entry indicates an outbound file transmission. Wildcards are not allowed here; all entries must specify full filenames and whatever programs add entries to the queue must do the wildcard expansion themselves. This queue structure requires that both the full path of the file be specified as well as the transmitted file- name; this allows files to be transmitted different filenames than they have on disk. <priority> F <filename> A "F" entry indicates a file request. Filenames may include a path, but the file will be received into the inbound files directory unless you are requesting from a SEAdog or "Bark-style" system. If the file exists in the specified path, an update- request will be generated, only receiving the file if a newer version exists. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 238D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Disk-based queue 9.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <priority> R <packet path> <transmit packet name> An "R" entry indicates an outbound AREAFIX request. This is always associated with an "A" queue entry which contains an actual NETmail packet. The disk-based queue was designed to allow user-written programs to transmit files and XMAIL easily without using the DBUTIL program. Following is a sample routine to generate the queue entry filenames based on kind, ZONE, NET, NODE and POINT: function qname(kind : char; zone, net, node, point : integer) : string; function base36(n : integer) : maxstring; var d36 : string[36]; i,j,k : integer; begin d36:='0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ'; i:=n div 1296; j:=n mod 1296; k:=n mod 36; j:=j div 36; base36:=d36[i+1]+d36[j+1]+d36[k+1] end; begin if point<>0 then qname:=kind+'-POINT.'+base36(point) else qname:=kind+'-'+base36(zone)+base36(net)+'.'+base36(node) end; ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 239D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Trouble? 10.0 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10.0 TROUBLE? -------------- D'Bridge is a complex program and it is possible that you may experience some trouble that requires technical support. We have a technical- support number that you may call anytime from 9:00AM until 5:00PM, Monday through Friday. Please remember that we are in Miami, Florida and use EASTERN STANDARD TIME (half the year...) 305-232-5245 Miami is the primary customer-support center for D'Bridge. If you bought D'Bridge from a dealer or distributor, you might be able to get technical assistance from them. In any case, we are always here during the day to answer your questions, regarless of where you have purchased the product. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 240D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For your information, we have included the following glossary of EMAIL terms that you might not find in your normal dictionary. Please let us know if any of these definitions confuse you or there are other terms that you would like to see defined in future versions of this documentation. ADDRESS An ADDRESS normally specifies where you want to send EMAIL or files. D'Bridge uses the Fidonet addressing structure; this consists of four numbers: ZONE, NET, NODE and POINT. For example, my ADDRESS is 1:135/68. This means ZONE 1, NET 135, NODE 68 and POINT 0. The format for a Fidonet ADDRESS is: ZONE:NET/NODE.POINT. ALIAS An ALIAS is simply another ADDRESS or USER NAME that you are using at any given time. Your system will have a primary ADDRESS and OPERATOR, but you may also specify a list of AKA (Also known as) ADDRESSES and USER NAMES that may be selected while using DBEDIT, the message editor. ALIAS ADDRESSES and handy when you are part of more than one network. AREAFIX AREAFIX is a subsystem with D'Bridge that allows remote systems to add and delete ECHOmail conferences from your forwarding list. This eliminates the need for routine maintenance by the operator of an ECHOmail hub. BAUD RATE The BAUD RATE represents the speed of a serial communi- cation line. BAUD RATE actually means BITS PER SECOND and dictates how fast data can be transferred. Since normal data communications takes 10 bits per character, a 1200 baud modem can transmit and receive data at a maximum of 120 characters (bytes) per second. BBS An acronym for "Bulletin Board System." BIOS An acronym for "Basic Input/Output Services." This is a program that is built-in the ROM (Read Only Memory) of your computer and controls functions such as keyboard and screen I/O. D'Bridge gives you the option of using direct-memory screen writes or BIOS I/O. (Usually much slower.) BOSS A BOSS refers to the administrator of a "point" network. For example, if your address is 1:135/50.6, then your BOSS' address is 1:135/50 (or point zero) Since points are not in the nodelist, the BOSS will normally receive and forward all mail that is addressed for a point. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 241D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM Usually called a BBS, a BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEM, is a program which allows "human" callers to connect using a terminal program and directly access messages, files and other online services. Many BULLETIN BOARDS are public access systems which allow people to use them for free providing they follow the "rules." Many manufacturers and software companies have set up a BBS to handle support and distribute product information. D'Bridge is capable of acting as a "front-end" to most BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEMS, determining if a call is an EMAIL session or if a "human" is on the line. CARRIER CARRIER refers to the connection of two modems. When you dial a modem (with your telephone) you will hear a high- pitched tone; this is called the CARRIER SIGNAL. When a modem calls another system, the calling modem detects this tone and they automatically "synchronize" and determine the baud rate of the connection. Once this is accomplished, you are said to have CARRIER. If the connection is terminated, or the CARRIER signal is lost, the modems are no longer communicating and will hang up. CD An acronym for "Carrier Detect," CD refers to the circuits within the modem that monitor the connection and detect when a carrier is lost. Most external modems have a CD light that will tells the operator the status of the connection. Once carrier is detected, D'Bridge can initiate an EMAIL session. CD also refers to the signal that the modem sends to the computer telling it that another modem is connected. This signal is required for D'Bridge to operate. COMPILE In D'Bridge, COMPILE means to translate the raw nodelist into its internal database. This must be done every time a new nodelist is available. When D'Bridge is run, it checks the data and time associated with each nodelist file you are using with the last known values. If they differ, D'Bridge automatically RE-COMPILES the nodelist database. CONNECT CONNECT refers to D'Bridge receiving a carrier detect signal from the modem along with a "CONNECT" message generated by HAYES-compatible modems. When D'Bridge is CONNECTED to another system, it can send and receive EMAIL and files. When placing a long-distance call, your phone company will bill you for the actual CONNECT TIME, usually rounded up to the next minute. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 242D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CM An acronym for "Continuous mail," all D'Bridge systems are capable of this. Continuous mail means that a Fidonet-based EMAIL system is capable of receiving mail 24-hours per day and not just during a scheduled event. Some EMAIL systems are still not capable of this, so the nodelist has a "CM" flag that can be used to only send to CM systems. (This is configurable on the ADVANCED ROUTING screen of SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE.) CRC CRC is an acronym for "Cyclic Redundancy Check." This is how D'Bridge (and all other EMAIL systems) ensure that data is received the same way it is transmitted. It is much like a "checksum" attached to a block of data; A mathematical formula (a polynomial) is used to compare a block of data with its CRC value. If there is a difference, then the data is not valid and must be retransmitted. You, as the user, do not need to concern yourself with this as it happens automatically. CRASH In D'Bridge (and most other Fidonet-based systems,) CRASH refers to a high-priority message. It is an "attribute" that may be associated with a message to tell D'Bridge to send the mail immediately and to override any routing and call the destination system directly. Using DBEDIT, the message editor, you can specify any message to have CRASH priority. CRASHMAIL You may notice that when D'Bridge first starts, (assuming that no scheduled event is active,) it says "Scanning for outbound CRASHMAIL." What this means is that any EMAIL messages that have CRASH priority will be sent directly to the destination as soon as possible. It is important to make sure that the destination system will be online and ready to receive the mail; some systems may only operate at night because the computer is used for other purposes during the day. You should only send CRASHMAIL to those systems that can accept it. CTS An acronym for "Clear To Send," CTS is a signal generated by the receiving system or modem telling D'Bridge that it may transmit data. This is normally used only when a modem is using a higher baud rate than it is capable of sending (or receiving.) The CTS signal is used in conjunction with the RTS (Request To Send) signal and is sent from the modem to the computer. (on some modems) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 243D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DATA DATA simply means any form of information that can be stored in a computer in the form of a file. DATA could be a message, spreadsheet file, graphics image or anything else in your computer. Any form of DATA may be sent by D'Bridge. DATA BITS When D'Bridge is communicating with another EMAIL system, it uses 8 DATA BITS in the transmission. IBM computers are only capable of using 7 or 8 DATA BITS in their communications. The D'Bridge "terminal mode" allows you to select either 7 or 8 DATA bits when communicating with online services such as Bulletin Boards. DEFAULT A DEFAULT refers to a predefined or normal value for something. When you first install D'Bridge, you will notice that many of the configuration screens already have answers to questions even though you didn't enter them. This is because these values or answers will be used by most systems, so they are the DEFAULTS. DOMESTIC DOMESTIC refers to any communications within a given country. In the case of the U.S., D'Bridge considers any system that has a phone number beginning with "1" to be a DOMESTIC call. (This includes Canada, the Bahamas and possibly some other neighboring countries. DOS DOS, an acronym for "Disk Operating System," is the program (written by MicroSoft) that controls your computer's basic functions. D'Bridge requires DOS to operate and odds are (99.99% of the time) you already have this program. Other operating systems are available such as PC-MOS and XENIX, but D'Bridge will not function while using these. DOS EVENT A DOS EVENT is a scheduled event (defined by SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE) that will execute any number of DOS commands or programs, providing that you have enough memory to "spawn" these tasks. DOS EVENTS can be used for any function that you wish to have automatically performed on a scheduled basis. DOS EVENTS must only run programs that require no human intervention (keyboard I/O.) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 244D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOWNLOAD DOWNLOAD means to receive a file from a remote computer. The D'Bridge "terminal mode" supports downloads with XMODEM, SEAlink and ZMODEM protocols. When you DOWNLOAD a file, you are basically copying it over the telephone from the remote computer to yours. Because these protocols all use CRC error-checking, the files should arrive on your computer exactly like they are on the remote system. DROP In D'Bridge, DROP means to execute another program (or DOS access) by swapping all memory to EMS or disk, then executing another program. This method (as compared to PUSH) frees all available memory so that the executed program has the maximum memory available for its use. DUPLEX DUPLEX is used only in the D'Bridge "terminal mode" and refers to an operating characteristic of the remote computer that you are calling. These days, almost all computers and online services operate in FULL DUPLEX mode; this means that every time you type a character, the remote computer "echos" is back to you and it is displayed on your screen. Some systems, however, do not "echo" the characters you type; that is called HALF DUPLEX operation. If you set D'Bridge to HALF DUPLEX, then every character you type will be displayed on your screen. If you experience a double echo, (two characters for every one you type,) you should change to FULL DUPLEX mode. DTR An acronym for "Data Terminal Ready," DTR is the signal your computer sends to your modem telling it that it should accept commands from the computer or, if enabled, answer the phone. D'Bridge requires that this signal function properly; that's how it hangs-up the phone. When your computer "lowers" DTR, your modem should hang- up the phone if connected with a remote system, or not answer the phone (if so enabled.) Most external modems have a DTR light that will tell you the status of this signal. ECHOMAIL ECHOmail is a method of conferencing or sharing a message base between two or more systems. D'Bridge has internal ECHOmail processing, eliminating the need for external utilities. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 245D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- EDITOR An EDITOR is any program which allows you to read, enter respond to EMAIL messages. DBEDIT is the message EDITOR provided with D'Bridge. It may be run by selecting the EDIT/READ EMAIL option from the EDITOR menu. EMAIL As abbreviation for "Electronic Mail," EMAIL generally describes any form of electronic communication. This could include D'Bridge mail, FAX or TELEX communication. ERROR LEVEL An ERROR LEVEL is an "exit code" sent by D'Bridge to DOS describing an "exit condition." D'Bridge uses ERROR LEVELS in EXIT events so that a DOS batch file can detect what to do. Unless you already understand ERROR LEVELS, you most likely won't need to use them. For further information, consult your DOS manual in the section that describes BATCH FILES. EVENT A EVENT is simply something that happens. In D'Bridge, EVENTS are scheduled by using the SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE screen. Four types of EVENTS are supported by D'Bridge: MAIL, DOS, EXIT and SLEEP. EXIT EVENT An EXIT EVENT is defined by using the SCHEDULE MAINT- ENANCE screen. When an EXIT EVENT occurs, D'Bridge will actually terminate completely providing DOS with a pre- specified ERROR LEVEL. This is almost always used in conjunction with batch files. EXPORT In D'Bridge, EXPORT means to save your current config- uration in a text file for inspection or later use by the IMPORT command. All of the parameters that are in the setup screens may be written to a standard text file. This is handy for configuring a remote system and required when upgrading between major revisions of the D'Bridge software. EXTERNAL GATEWAY In D'Bridge, an EXTERNAL GATEWAY is a program that can be automatically run to receive incoming mail from other, non-compatible EMAIL systems. For example, there is a UUCP EMAIL receiver available for the IBM PC that will allow you to receive mail from UNIX and XENIX systems. A unique feature of D'Bridge allows it to recognize when non-compatible EMAIL systems are calling and transfer control to an external EMAIL receiver. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 246D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FIDONET FIDONET means two things really: First, it defines the protocol that D'Bridge uses when communicating with other Fidonet-based systems. This protocol is described in detail in certain documents written and maintained by the FTSC (Fidonet Technical Standards Committee.) Second, it is the name of the largest Fidonet-based EMAIL network. Both the network and the protocol were created by Tom Jennings of Fido Software. His initiative and early efforts is what made the Fidonet network possible. Our sincere thanks goes to Tom for making this all possible. FILE A FILE is an organized collection of information, usually similar in nature. When you type "DIR" in DOS, you receive a listing of all the files in the current directory. (Almost) any of these FILES may be trans- mitted via EMAIL to another D'Bridge or Fidonet system. FILE-ATTACH FILE-ATTACH means to send a file or list of files with an EMAIL message. This is normally done with DBEDIT, the message editor. FILE-ATTACH is an "attribute" that is associated with a given message. If a message has the FILE-ATTACH attribute, all the files listed in the SUBJECT line will be transmitted with the message. FILE-REQUEST FILE-REQUEST is similar to FILE-ATTACH, except is works in reverse. The files specified are "requested" from the specified system; when the call is placed, if those files exist and you have specified the right password, if any, they will be immediately sent to you. FILE- REQUEST is both a message "attribute" and a menu option. FORWARD FORWARDING means to send an EMAIL message that neither originated from or is destined for your system. FORWARDING is used in conjunction with ROUTING to send mail through HOST systems, usually to save phone calls and costs. For example, if you wish to send a message to a system outside of your NET, the message is normally routed to that city's HOST and then will be FORWARDED automatically to the destination. This way, if you have several messages to go to different destinations in one city, only one phone call needs to be made, saving several phone calls. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 247D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FOSSIL An acronym for "Fido/Opus/SEAdog Standard Interface Layer," FOSSIL refers to a common communications interface that is common to many Fidonet-based systems. If a FOSSIL driver is installed on your computer, D'Bridge will use it instead of its internal communi- cation routines. This is required by D'Bridge; The X00 FOSSIL driver is supplied. FRONT-END FRONT-END is a generic term for programs like D'Bridge, FrontDoor and BinkleyTerm when they are used in to run a combination BBS/EMAIL system. This simply means that D'Bridge acts as a FRONT-END, answering the phone and transferring control to a BBS or external EMAIL receiver. FUNCTION-REQUEST A feature unique to UltraTek<TM> EMAIL systems, FUNCTION REQUESTS allow a calling system access to predefined DOS functions or programs. This is a rather advanced feature and can only be used in conjunction with external programs (not included with D'Bridge.) GMT An acronym for "Greenwich Mean Time," GMT is a universal time standard that many EMAIL systems use internally for converting dates and times in a consistent manner. HOLD HOLD means NOT to send mail, but rather to wait until the destination system calls and picks it up. Normally, D'Bridge will put all mail on HOLD 24-hours a day that does not have CRASH priority. This way, a system that calls to send you mail can always get any mail that is waiting for them, saving a phone call. HOST Every NET has a HOST; a HOST acts as a consolidation point for inbound mail that comes from outside of your NET. A host is designated by having a NODE and POINT number of zero. By default, all mail sent to systems outside of your NET will be routed to a HOST or a HUB. The exception to this is if you have specified CRASH priority or have attached or requested a file. Usually, the NET host acts as the administrator for his NET, maintaining the nodelist and distributing updates to all his NODES. HUB A HUB is functionally identical to a HOST; it is usually only used when a NET is very large or spans more than one local calling area. In D'Bridge, HUB and HOST ROUTING are treated the same. Messages addressed to a NODE outside of your network are ROUTED through the HUB if one exists. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 248D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- IFNA IFNA stands for the International FidoNet Association. It is "allegedly" the governing body of Fidonet, a public amateur EMAIL network. While only a small percentage of the people in Fidonet are IFNA members, their policy and technical standards affect all systems in the "IFNA" nodelist. IMPORT In D'Bridge, the term IMPORT is used when upgrading between major releases of the software or anytime that you wish to transfer or restore an EXPORTED configuration. INBOUND INBOUND simply mail that arrives at your system from a remote site; opposite of OUTBOUND. INITIALIZE In D'Bridge, INITIALIZE is used to describe sending commands to your modem that INITIALIZE it, setting it for the correct settings to operate. Normally, your MODEM INITIALIZATION STRING tell your modem to answer the phone and report the connection back to D'Bridge. For specific information on this, read the section on COMM/MODEM SETUP. INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL refers to any communications outside of your country. In D'Bridge, this is determined by the first part of a phone number as it appears in the node- list. For the U.S., Canada, the Bahamas and several other neighboring countries that share a country code of "1," communications is not considered INTERNATIONAL unless calling Europe or Australia; anytime the COUNTRY CODE in the nodelist differs, that is an INTERNATIONAL call and the predefined INTERNATIONAL DIALING PREFIX will be used. LOCAL LOCAL refers to any call where D'Bridge simply strips off the COUNTRY CODE and AREA CODE. It is still possible that there is a charge for the call, but in most cases there is no charge. LOG D'Bridge keeps three kinds of LOGS: INBOUND, OUTBOUND and DETAILED. The inbound LOG lists all EMAIL calls received within the last "n" days; the outbound LOG lists all EMAIL calls that went out and the detailed LOG is a text file that displays chronological information about system activity, errors, etc. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 249D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MACRO In DBEDIT, the message editor, KEYBOARD MACROS are supported. What this means is that you can program function keys (ALT F1-F10 and CTL F1-F10) to substitute preprogrammed text of any length while editing messages. This is handy for signatures and any other text that you find yourself constantly typing. Words, sentences or even paragraphs can be programmed into the MACRO keys. MAIL MAIL simply refers to messages or files sent or received. MAIL EVENT A MAIL EVENT is a predefined period of time that D'Bridge is allowed to send mail. During this time, all messages will be sent unless otherwise specified in the ADVANCED ROUTING screen. It is important that all systems in the network use the same time for MAIL EVENTS. Remember that if a west-coast system starts a mail event at 1:00, systems on the east-coast must start the same event at 4:00, the same physical time. MESSAGE In D'Bridge, a MESSAGE is prepared by DBEDIT and contains text that is to be sent to another location conveying a thought or idea. Messages are the basis for more EMAIL systems. MODEM An acronym for "MODulator/DEModulator," a modem is the device that allows computers to communicate by converting electrical impulses to audio tones and back. Obviously, you have a modem or you would not have purchased D'Bridge, so we'll assume that this will suffice. NET Defines the second number in a Fidonet address. NET typically defines a geographical region or local calling area. In the case of a private network with few systems, all systems (regardless of location) could use the same NET number. NETWORK NETWORK refers collectively to all the systems listed in your nodelist. You should be able to send an EMAIL message to anyone in your NETWORK. Sometimes, NETWORK is used in the same way as NET, the second number in a Fidonet address, but they really mean two different things. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 250D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NETWORK Every NETWORK has an ADMINISTRATOR; without one, anarchy ADMINISTRATOR would prevail. There is a section devoted entirely to the duties and responsibilities that rest with a NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR. If you are such a person, I would strongly suggest reading it. Basically, he is simply responsible for the overall operation of the network and for keeping the nodelist up-to-dat and accurate. NODE A NODE is the third number in a Fidonet address; NODE specifies an individual system. Each NODE has an entry in the NODELIST that lists it's information such as name, phone number and baud rate. NODELIST Every NETWORK has a NODELIST; maintained by the NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR, the NODELIST is a text file that lists all the systems, their phone numbers, baud rates, cities and operator names. This list is identical on each system in the NETWORK and is updated whenever a new system is added or an existing one leaves or has information to change. In the case of the large amateur networks, the NODELIST is updated and distributed weekly. NULL MESSAGE A NULL MESSAGE is simply one that has to text. Often, these messages are used to send or request a file and if meaningless otherwise. D'Bridge gives you the option to automatically erase these NULL MESSAGES when they arrive. OFFLINE In D'Bridge, OFFLINE has two meanings: First, it means that the phone is not being answered, most-likely because you are using your computer for something else. Second, it means what commands you want to give to the modem when D'Bridge is "down" because you are using the editor or exit the program. Some systems are configured so that the phone is off-hook when D'Bridge is OFFLINE. ONLINE The opposite of OFFLINE, ONLINE means that D'Bridge is up and ready to accept commands and/or incoming EMAIL. OUTBOUND Outbound refers to EMAIL or files that are ready to be sent to a remote system. Mail that is on "HOLD" is also called OUTBOUND. In fact, everything in the QUEUE window is OUTBOUND mail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 251D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OUTBOUND GATEWAY Some NETs have an OUTBOUND GATEWAY - A system that sends all mail destined for systems outside of your NET. This is often done to save money by consolidating all the OUTBOUND traffic into one outgoing system. (Perhaps the OGATE (OUTBOUND GATEWAY) has a WATS line and is able to make long-distance calls much cheaper. In any case, OUTBOUND GATEWAYS forward mail for anyone within their NET. PACKET When D'Bridge sends EMAIL, it is put into packets that consolidate all messages into one file or PACKET. When D'Bridge connects with a system, it sends one packet instead of one file for each message. A packet could contain one or thousands of EMAIL messages. PARITY PARITY is a term only used in the D'Bridge "terminal mode." It is either NONE, EVEN or ODD and refers to a bit that follows the DATA BITS and comes before the STOP BIT. D'Bridge allows you to configure the PARITY any of these three ways to facilitate communication with different systems. Most BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEMS use no PARITY "NONE," but you might need to change that. PASSWORD A PASSWORD is the basis for the D'Bridge security system. If you wish to have a secure link between two systems, you choose an 8-letter PASSWORD that is mutually agree- able to both operators. Once these PASSWORDS are in place, it is impossible to communicate with the other system (using your address) unless that PASSWORD is specified. This is primarily designed to discourage "hackers" from infiltrating your network and stealing EMAIL that you may have on hold. PATH PATH normally refers to the name of a DOS directory that you wish to store files. A path consists of the drive name (C:) plus the name of a specific subdirectory. See your DOS manual for further infor- mation on directory PATHS. PICKUP PICKUP means to call another system and receive EMAIL they have on HOLD for you. Every time D'Bridge connects with another system, it asks it if there is any mail waiting. If so and you have the proper PASSWORD, if required, you will receive all your mail immediately after D'Bridge sends the outbound mail. By default, PICKUP is not a secure way to handle mail; make sure that you use a SESSION PASSWORD if you require high- security in your network. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 252D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POINT A POINT is the forth part of a Fidonet address. A POINT system is one that is not listed in the NODELIST. Normally, POINTS are not public access systems, but personal EMAIL systems used to communicate with the network through their BOSS NODE. For complete infor- mation on POINTS, see the section on setting up a POINT system. POINTLIST The POINTLIST is just like the nodelist but is specifies a list of POINTS associated with a given BOSS NODE. Again, this is only applicable for a POINT system and complete information is available in the section on setting up a point system. POLL POLLING means to call a system to see if there is mail waiting even though you have nothing to send. For example, if you don't have a permanent phone number for your system or run a private node or point, you will need to poll your HOST or BOSS on a periodic basis in order to receive your mail. The perfect example of someone who needs to poll is a salesman who uses a portable PC to communicate with the main office. PORT PORT refers to the serial I/O card used by D'Bridge to communicate with the modem. Internal modems have a built-in serial PORT but are used the same way. Your modem PORT is most likely called either COM1 or COM2. QUEUE D'Bridge has a QUEUE window which lists all of the outbound packets at any given time. A QUEUE is simply a list of things to do, or in this case packets to send. RAW NODELIST The RAW NODELIST simply refers to the nodelist when it is in the form of a text file, before it is compiled. D'Bridge only processes RAW NODELISTS and requires no external pre-processor like many other Fidonet EMAIL systems require. ROUTING D'Bridge has a great deal of flexibility in the way that it can ROUTE messages. In simple networks, messages can simply be sent directly from the sender to the receiver. Actually, this can be done in any network, but in many cases it is more desirable to use ROUTING because it can save money and cut the number of phone calls. Used in conjunction with FORWARDING, ROUTING simply means to send a message somewhere other than the final destination. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 253D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- For example, if I wish to send a message to someone in Cincinnati, it will be sent during my nightly mail event to the HOST or HUB in Cincinnati. The message is then FORWARDED to the final destination automatically. Obviously, with just one message there is no savings and actually the message will take longer to get there because it has to be FORWARDED to its destination. But let's say I want to send messages to three different systems in Cincinnati - this time, there is a savings because D'Bridge only makes one call instead of three. RTS An acronym for "Request To Send," RTS is the companion signal to Clear to Send, CTS. This is sometimes referred to as "flow control" and allows the computer to communi- cate with the modem at a higher baud rate that the modem can actually send. SCAN When D'Bridge says that it's SCANNING for outbound mail, it actually looks at each message to see if it needs to be sent. As it SCANS, it creates packets that are added the outbound queue. SCHEDULE In D'Bridge, the SCHEDULE is a list of pre-programmed events that should be executed at the specified times. It uses a weekly schedule to determine when to send mail, execute DOS commands, terminate with an errorlevel and when to "sleep." The SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE screen is used to add, change and remove events from the schedule. The lower-right window of D'Bridge always displays the schedule for the current day; this is advanced auto- matically at midnight. SCRIPT D'Bridge normally uses your telephone to connect with other EMAIL systems to transfer EMAIL. Sometimes it is desirable to use other carriers such as packet- switched networks to communicate. The D'Bridge scripting language allows you to communicate using other systems such as TELENET'S PC-PURSUIT. Many system operators in the U.S. subscribe to this low-cost data transmission service and D'Bridge is able to take full advantage of it by using its SCRIPTING language. This is a rather advanced feature, so please read the section about script files for more information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 254D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEALINK SEAlink is one of the four file-transfer protocols that D'Bridge uses to communicate with other Fidonet-based EMAIL systems. SEAlink was developed by Thom Henderson of System Enhancements Associates. It was derived from the XMODEM protocol but has the clear advantage of eliminating propagation (satellite) delays so common in long-distance communications. D'Bridge will use this protocol when communicating with some EMAIL systems. SECURITY D'Bridge has a password-based security system to protect EMAIL sessions. By default, no security is used and anyone with a compatible EMAIL system could send you mail and request files. The D'Bridge security system allows you many different options to improve security. See the section called SECURITY/MISCELLANEOUS SETUP for more information. SESSION A SESSION or MAIL SESSION simply refers to the period of time when two EMAIL systems are communicating with each other. SLEEP EVENT A SLEEP EVENT is one of the four basic event types. During a SLEEP EVENT, D'Bridge becomes inactive and will neither make outgoing calls nor accept incoming calls. The primary purpose for SLEEP EVENTS is to facilitate the shared use of a phone line as a VOICE/DATA line. Normally during the day, the line would be used for voice communications, so D'Bridge is programmed to "SLEEP" during the day so it won't answer the phone. SPAWN SPAWN refers to the method of executing another program while keeping the calling program in memory. An example of this is DOS EVENTS. All commands issued in DOS EVENTS are SPAWNED; this means that D'Bridge is still in memory resumes operation as soon as the SPAWNED task is complete. This method can only be used if there is enough free memory to load the SPAWNED program after D'Bridge. STOP BITS STOP BITS is a parameter only found in the D'Bridge "terminal mode." On an IBM computer, it may have a value of either 1 or 2. Most systems use 1 stop bit without exception, but it is left to your control for maximum flexibility. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 255D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TELINK TELINK is one of the four file-transfer protocols used by D'Bridge. It is a batch protocol that consists of XMODEM file-transfers proceeded by MODEM7 filename headers. This is the standard protocol defined by the Fidonet Technical Standards Committee as a "fallback" protocol for Fidonet. D'Bridge will use this protocol when communicating with some EMAIL systems. TERMINAL D'Bridge has a "TERMINAL MODE" that makes D'Bridge a teletype or video display terminal. (VDT) When using TERMINAL MODE, you can connect with other online services such as bulletin board systems and commercial systems such as CompuServe<TM>. TIMEOUT A TIMEOUT ERROR is a condition when the remote system fails to respond within an allotted period of time. The cause of such an error can be hardware trouble, poor line conditions or a software error. If a TIMEOUT ERROR happens consistently when calling a certain system, you might want to follow up with a voice call to the system operator. TRIES The number of TRIES refers to the number of times dials another system without getting a connection. During mail events, D'Bridge defaults to a maximum of 30 TRIES, but you may change this to any number you wish by using the ADVANCED ROUTING screen of the SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE screen. UN-EVENT The UN-EVENT refers to the "event" that is running when there is no scheduled event active. The UN-EVENT config- uration (found in SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE) controls how crashmail is handled and how mail is routed outside other events. UNPACK When EMAIL arrives from another system, it is in the form of PACKETS. Unless otherwise specified, D'Bridge will UNPACK these packets into messages when they arrive. UPDATE-REQUEST When communicating with other D'Bridge systems, all FILE- REQUESTS are really UPDATE-REQUESTS. The UPDATE-REQUEST option is provided only for compatibility with the SEA- dog<TM> EMAIL system. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 256D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPLOAD When using the D'Bridge "terminal mode," there is an UPLOAD option that allows you to transmit file(s) to a remote computer. You can use the XMODEM, SEAlink or ZMODEM protocols for this function. WAZOO An acronym for "WArp Zillion Opus-to-Opus," (I think,) WaZOO is one of the EMAIL protocols that D'Bridge supports. WaZOO sessions begin with a YOOHOO packet exchange then usually send mail and files with either SEAlink or ZMODEM protocols, depending on the cap- abilities of the communicating systems. WaZOO was designed by Wynn Wagner, III and is the EMAIL protocol used by most of Fidonet-compatible mailers currently available: D'Bridge, FrontDoor, Opus, BinkleyTerm and Dutchie. WINDOW A Window is simply an area on the screen that D'Bridge uses to display information. When I refer to a window, I simply mean a section of the screen. XMAIL XMAIL is simply a term that means "compressed mail." An XMAIL packet contains any number of mail packets and may be created using the ARC, ZIP, PAK or LHARC formats. XMODEM XMODEM is one of the most universal communications protocols available. Most people credit Ward Christian- son with coding and documenting the first XMODEM com- munications program, but I can't say for sure. XMODEM is the basis for Fidonet communications for sending the initial mail packet. D'Bridge will use this protocol when talking to some EMAIL systems. YOOHOO YOOHOO is the name of the handshaking protocol that D'Bridge uses when talking with other WaZOO-based systems. The YOOHOO/2U2 handshake passes such infor- mation as your address, system and operator name as well as password information. YOOHOO and YOOHOO/2U2 was designed by Wynn Wagner, III. ZMODEM ZMODEM is the protocol that D'Bridge uses when com- unicating with other "HiTek" systems. Most WaZOO- based EMAIL systems are capable of ZMODEM file-trans- fers, but not all. D'Bridge will automatically select this protocol if the other system is compatible with it. The advantage ZMODEM has over the other protocols is the ability to dynamically adjust the block size for the line conditions. D'Bridge can send and accept any ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 257D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Glossary of EMAIL terms Appendix A ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- block size between 64 and 8192 providing a fairly wide tolerance for poor line conditions. D'Bridge ZMODEM also has 32-bit CRCs for high data integrity and the ability to continue an aborted transfer at the point it left off. Chuck Forsberg is generally credited for documenting ZMODEM and promoting its popularity. ZONE A ZONE is the first number in a Fidonet address and generally specifies the continent where the system is located. Some other networks have started using a different ZONE to separate them from the Fidonet amateur network. ZONEGATE When communicating with other ZONES, it is possible to cut your communication costs by sending your EMAIL through the ZONEGATE. For example, if I wish to send a message to my friend in Europe, I can tell D'Bridge to route the message through the ZONEGATE and I can send the message with just an inexpensive domestic call to the European ZONEGATE. From there, he pays the bill to forward the message to the American ZONEGATE in Europe who in turn forwards it on to its destination. The only drawback to this approach is that it is fairly slow getting to its final destination and your message can be read by every system operator along the way. Personally, I am willing to pay the direct connection charges to ensure that the message arrives quickly and privately. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 258D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Credits / Acknowledgements Appendix B ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge would not be what it is today without the ideas and inventions of others. I feel that they all deserve credit for their work, so I am including this section. I have built on the ideas of many other soft- ware developers and I want to thank them all for their efforts. TOM JENNINGS Tom is the creator and "mastermind" of the entire Fidonet concept. In 1984, he created a bulletin board system called Fido that had the unique ability to communicate with other Fidos overnight sending electronic mail and files. Starting very simple, Fido grew and his software became more advanced adding features such as forwarding and routing. Fido is still widely used today by many individuals and corporations that have a need to communicate via EMAIL. Thank you, Tom, for creating a system and a standard that has spawned the largest public amateur EMAIL network is the world today. Where would we be without you? JOAQUIM HOMRIGHAUSEN and PETER STEWART "Joe" and Peter have been a constant source of inspiration and ideas for D'Bridge. In case you don't know, they are the authors of another EMAIL system called FrontDoor. D'Bridge and FrontDoor have a lot in common because we live just a few miles apart and share ideas and code. I first saw FrontDoor at the 1987 "FidoCon," a convention in Washington DC. I was impressed with the way it looked and worked; used to using that "other" commercial EMAIL system, I really liked the window-based operation and the whole "look and feel" it had. Without Joaquim to others provide fresh ideas, D'Bridge would certainly lack some of the nice features it has today. Thanks! THOM HENDERSON Thom has been a major factor in the advancement of the Fidonet standard. His company, System Enhancements Associates is responsible for developing the ARC standard, the SEAlink file-transfer protocol and SEAdog, another commercial EMAIL package. About a year ago, I purchased a copy of SEA- dog 4.0 and used it until I wrote D'Bridge. SEAdog took the Fidonet standards and extended them, supporting such features as file-request and crashmail. I wish to thank Thom for all the things he has done to help Fidonet and the EMAIL community. His SEAlink protocol has saved many people a LOT of money on their phone bill. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 259D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Credits / Acknowledgements Appendix B ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WYNN WAGNER III Wynn is the creator of Opus, "a computer-based conversation system." He took all the good ideas in Fidonet and created another EMAIL standard called WaZOO. D'Bridge uses the WaZOO standard when communicating with other "HiTek" systems. I wish to thank Wynn for making these standards available for all to use and creating documentation clear enough to make implementation easy. CHUCK FORSBERG Chuck, with his company, Omen Technology is credited with the development of the ZMODEM protocol and making it as popular as it is today. I used a document that he wrote in August, 1986 that describes very clearly how to implement the ZMODEM protocol. Without testing with his program, DSZ, it would have been very hard (if not impossible) to ensure that our 32-bit CRC logic was working correctly. JEFF RUSH Jeff was responsible for bringing ECHOmail to the Fidonet community. He didn't really invent ECHOmail, but set a clear definition in his original ECHOmail program (designed for use with Fido and SEAdog) that has remained virtually unchanged to date. I think that we should all appreciate the initiative that he took in the early days of Fidonet to bring conferencing ability to our network. GREG DAWSON Greg designed and wrote a system called AREAFIX which he graciously allowed us to incorporate into D'Bridge. His AREAFIX system allows ECHOmail distributors to automate the routine maintenance that was required when conferences were added and deleted. ADAM HUDSON Adam wrote the QuickBBS software which is in widespread use today. He has been cooperative in helping D'Bridge be compatible with his fine BBS program. We thank him for allowing us to use his message base format within D'Bridge. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 260D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Credits / Acknowledgements Appendix B ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RAY GWINN We wish to greatly thank Ray Gwinn for allowing us to include his excellent FOSSIL driver, X00, with the D'Bridge package. Ray has worked many years to bring the X00 driver through many hardware and specification changes. We thank him greatly for being kind enough to license his software for use with D'Bridge. BETA-TEST GROUP D'Bridge just wouldn't be possible without our Beta-test group which put the software "through a ringer" before you ever saw it. I wish to thank the following people for their effort and dedication during this year's development process: Karim Ashur Mehdi Attaran Noel Bradford Gordon Castle Robert Cox Les Fenison Steve Gabrilowitz Terry Garrett Floyd Grant Arthur Greenberg Reinier De Groot Richard Hall Bernd Hinkman A.J. de Jager Erich Janssen Vernon Merck Jim Montgomery Mark Moran Tom Ordelman Stefano Pasquini Piet Raa John Rafuse Theodore M. Rolle Gary Roth Mike Simkins Tony Wagner Tim Wool If anyone was left out, it was an oversight. This list was based on participation in the developmental ECHOmail conferences. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 261D'Bridge Electronic Mail System Credits / Acknowledgements Appendix B ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COPYRIGHT / TRADEMARK ACKNOWLEDGMENTS - AirMail is a trademark of Joaquim Homrighausen - ARC is a trademark of System Enhancement Associates - AREAFIX is a trademark of Greg Dawson - BinkleyTerm was written by Bob Hartman and Vince Perriello - Dutchie was written by Henk Wevers - ECHOmail was created by Jeff Rush - Fido and Fidonet are trademarks of Tom Jennings (Fido Software) - FrontDoor is a trademark of Joaquim Homrighausen - LHARC was created by Haruyasu Yoshizaki - Opus, WaZOO and YOOHOO are trademarks of Wynn Wagner III - PAK was created by NoGate Consulting - PC-Pursuit is a servicemark of Telenet - QuickBBS is a trademark of the QuickBBS Group - SEAdog is a trademark of System Enhancements Associates - UltraTEK is a trademark of Joaquim Homrighausen and Chris Irwin - Wildcat is a trademark of Mustang Software - XMODEM was originally made popular by Ward Christianson - ZIP was created by Phil Katz of PKware - ZMODEM was documented by Chuck Forsberg "The End." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Version 1.30, Copyright 1989 by Chris Irwin - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 262