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1995-03-21
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202 lines
THE RBBS-PC
FILE DISTRIBUTION NETWORK
=============================================================================
INTRODUCTION
=============================================================================
The RBBS-PC FDN is set up to provide a low cost alternative to receiving and
distributing RBBS related files and programs.
The FDN is connected to the Fidonet FileBone. If you are not familiar with
what the FileBone is you should find a copy of the FILEBONE.NA file. If after
reading it you have more questions please feel free to contact one of the RBBS
FDN sites listed below.
Any Fidonet node that wishes to receive files from the RBBS-PC FDN is welcome
to do so. The easiest and most cost effective way to receive these areas is to
contact your echo mail feed and see if they can feed filebone areas to you. If
that is not possible then you also may receive a link from one of the RBBS-PC
filebone hubs listed below or one of the filebone hubs listed in the
FILEBONE.NA file. If you are a Vmodem user, RBBS FDN files may also be sent &
received using your Internet IP address. Please see the Vmodem documentation
for more information regarding how this is accomplished.
Once you have established a RBBS FDN filebone link you will receive all the
files hatched into the FDN without further requirements on your part other
than polling for the files from your Filebone hub.
There is also a way in which a program author or any one else for that matter
may hatch files into the FDN with a minimum amount of effort. See the HATCHING
FILES section in this document.
=============================================================================
THE RBBS-PC FDN FILE AREAS
=============================================================================
In order to receive only the RBBS-PC FDN files that interest you we have
created different file areas. You may connect to any or all of the areas you
wish to.
Area CDOOR RBBS-FDN: RBBS CDOOR mods/merges.
Area RBBSADMN RBBS-FDN: Administrative Files
Area RBBSDOOR RBBS-FDN: Doors Specific to RBBS
Area RBBSHQ RBBS-FDN: UpStream to RBBS-HQ * ONLY *
Area RBBSMAIL RBBS-FDN: Mail Processors -- FTN/PostLink/QWK
Area RBBSMISC RBBS-FDN: Miscellaneous
Area RBBSPC RBBS-FDN: RBBS-PC Merges/Patches/Releases
Area RBBSUTIL RBBS-FDN: 3rd Party Utilities
Area RBBSTUNY RBBS-FDN: Stuny Mods/merges
=============================================================================
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
=============================================================================
Q) Who and where is the RBBS-PC FDN headquarters
A) The Headquarters for the FDN is 1:380/25, Patty Morris, and 1:114/271,
Brandon Carnahan.
Q) Is the RBBS-PC FDN on Planet Connect
A) Yes
Q) Is the RBBS-PC FDN available at ftp.fidonet.org
A) Yes, but typically only for 7 days after it has been received there.
Q) Can I hatch files into the RBBS FDN myself using the TIC/HATCH program?
A) YES! All you have to do is contact the RBBS FDN and inform them that
you wish to begin hatching files into the FDN. With where and how you
will be doing so. This is done in order to ensure duplicate files are not
sent out. Files hatched into the FDN are to be ones that your create your
self, they are not to be files you found on other BBS's that you think
would be good to pass around. You also must of course ensure that your
Filebone feed will allow hatches from your node. If your Filebone hub
does not allow hatches you may make arrangements with a RBBS FDN site to
hatch them for you.
Q) What if I have a file that I think would be good to send out into the
FDN that I found on another BBS?
A) Send the file with a message to one of the RBBS-PC FDN headquarters.
In your message state what the file is and why you think others would
benefit from it being distributed. If indeed it is a RBBS related file and
it's NOT something that was previously distributed into the FDN it will be
hatched out directly from the FDN headquarters. It may be good to contact
the author, if known, and ask if he/she would mind the file being distrib-
uted via the FDN. For various reasons, some authors do not wish for this
to occur or would rather submit the file themselves.
Q) What other ways can I submit a file into the FDN?
A) 1) You may send the file via anonymous FTP to tower.secret.com
(199.190.72.11). The \INCOMING directory is the only one that
will accept submissions at this time.
You may also telnet to tower.secret.com. Please login to the BBS
using your real name.
2) You may file attach the file along with your request to either Patty
Morris @1:380/25 or Brandon Carnahan @1:114/271.
Q) Do I need any special programs or setups inorder to receive files from the
RBBS FDN?
A) No. Files are sent out using a process called TIC'ing. TIC is a universal
format in which a file is created with the extension .TIC. Any file you
receive through the filebone will be accompanied by a *.TIC file. This TIC
file is a control file for programs we use to send and deliver files. If
you are strictly a receiving node you may delete the *.TIC file.
There are programs out there though that can read a *.TIC file and place
the related incoming file into your download area and also create a
description for you file list. You may wish to look into one of those
in order to make incoming files available to your users immediately after
receiving them.
Q) I don't run a Front Door or Mailer. How can I get new releases into the
FDN?
A) New releases are always available at the RBBS FDN headquarters BBS's
The Phone numbers for these BBS's are listed in the FDN SITES below.
Q) How do I know when new files are released into the FDN?
A) We post notices in both the RBBS-PC echo and the CDOOR echo whenever there
are new releases.
=============================================================================
RBBS-PC FDN SITES
=============================================================================
My Secret Garden BBS
Patty Morris
FidoNet: 1:380/25
Internet: Patty@warped.secret.com
Shreveport, LA
1-318-686-0118
H16,V32b,V34,V42b,VFC
Device and Data Services
Brandon Carnahan
1:114/271
Internet: bc@primenet.com
Chandler, AZ
1-602-786-0219
H16,V32b,V42b,VFC,V34
=============================================================================
LOCATING FILES
=============================================================================
We have also set up a way in which you may find files and programs that you
may need. You DON'T even have to know the filename. Just a description of what
it may be!
You can send a netmail message to ARCHIE at 1:114/271 and in the body of the
message enter a keyword or description of what file you may be looking for.
The message would look something like this
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
To : ARCHIE @ 1:114/271
From: Your Name @1:Your/Add
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
In your message, tell Archie what you are looking for. Put each keyword on a
separate line. You may optionally put a - or & in front of the keyword, as in
this example:
BINKLEY
&2.56
-OS/2
would search for Binkley, require it to have 2.56 in the description, but
throw the whole thing out if it's the os/2 version.
You can also use the following regular expressions (regex strings) in your
search strings. In the specified search string:
`*' matches any sequence of characters (zero or more)
`?' matches any character
`\' suppresses syntactic significance of a special character
[SET] matches any character in the specified set,
[!SET] or [^SET] matches any character not in the specified set.
A set is composed of characters or ranges; a range looks like 'character hyphen
character' (as in 0-9 or A-Z). [0-9a-zA-Z_] is the minimal set of characters
allowed in the [..] pattern construct.
Searches such as [a-e]*t would fit the name "apple.crt" or "catspaw.bat" or
"elegant". This allows considerably wider flexibility in file specification
and description searching.
To suppress the special syntactic significance of any of `[]*?!^-\', and match
the character exactly, precede it with a `\'.
Special ARCHIE commands:
%HELP This help file
%CAT Listing of BBS catalogs, with size/date/etc
%NOROM Skips the CD-ROM searches
%SYSTEM 280/25 Limits to catalogs at 203/7707
(You can also use sysop name, bbs name, phone number,
ARCHIE will then send you a reply message that show you who may have that
file.
You may also send a netmail to Brandon Carnahan @1:114/271 requesting that
ARCHIE send you the reply messages back routed or put them on hold for you to
poll for them later.
We have several BBS's throughout the country participating in our ARCHIE
setup. You may find the file closer to home than you think. :)