Monster Media 1994 #1/monster.zip/monster/HAM/NPFPMS.ZIP/NPFPMS.EXE/NPFPMS.DAT/README.1ST

Text File | 1994-02-19 | 14KB | 297 lines

NPFPMS  Multi-User PMS   (C) Copyright 1994 by Ted Harrison, G8NPF

This software is NOT public domain.
A full SHAREWARE version can be obtained by contacting:
    Ted Harrison
    5 Nelson Gardens
    Braintree
    Essex
    England
    CM7 6TG

    Phone     [phone]
    NTS       G8NPF@GB7ESX.#31.GBR.EU
    Internet  [e-mail]
    AMPRNet   44.131.16.148  [e-mail]

Please supply a suitable formatted disk, plus packaging/postage.
Suitable disks are MSDOS formatted 5.25 360K/1.2M  or 3.5 720K/1.44M
I prefer 3.5 disks.

The PMS is written to run as an application under BPQcode (4.05 or greater).
The computer should be a 286/386/486 PC compatible. The PMS code will NOT work
on a XT (8086/8088 cpu) system, sorry!
The PMS requires MSDOS >=3.3 or DRDOS >=5.0, and 640K ram. It will also run as
a DOS application under OS/2, WINDOWS and DESQview. A hard disk is essential
and a reasonably fast PC is advisable. I use a 386SX 25Mhz PC.

The PMS includes virtually all 'BBS' commands, many of which have been modified
to suit a PMS, rather than a BBS, system. It features, among other things;

Multi-user access. 'Simultaneous' operation on all channels.
YAPP binary file transfers and Ascii file transfers.
Automatic message forwarding.
NNA compatible bulk compressed message forwarding.
FBB compatible bulk ascii & compressed message forwarding.
FBB 'ACK:' type messages.
Automatic password verification when forwarding to and from a BBS running
the latest version of G1NNA's code (NNA v2.03 April 93).
REQDIR, REQFIL, FNDFIL and WP servers.
Automatic date-expired message killing/deleting.
Automatic Listing and Reading of mail on the local NTSBBS.
Full function text editor.
Local terminal mode, with all normal terminal functions.
Multi-colour displays.
User database and WP database.
Support for 7PLUS files.
Support for DESQview
.....plus lots more.


You may try the PMS program for a period of 30 days. If you then decide to
continue using the PMS, and have not previously registered, the requested
registration fee is 15.00 pounds. (That will help reward the many hundreds of
hours work that have gone into writing the code!)

You must state the callsign to be used with the PMS, and the full version
number of the version you are registering (i.e. G9ABC v2.13b).
You will then receive a registration number which will remove the banner
** Un-registered copy of NPFPMS **  from outgoing messages, when the PMS is
used with the stated callsign, and you will be added to the 'registered users'
list.

Cheques made out to 'E' Harrison please, not 'T ' (Ted is a just nickname!)

IF YOU WANT SHAREWARE SUPPORT, THEN REGISTER!


The only documentation available is in the file NOTES.DOC  I hope to write a
proper manual eventually, but finding time is a real problem! If you have any
questions you are welcome to phone me on the above number, or drop me a message
on packet.

**** VERY IMPORTANT  *****
You MUST edit all the sample CONFIG files before using them. Please don't use
ANY of the sample files without editing them first! They are included as
examples only. You may also wish to edit the sample SCRIPT files, but that's
not so important.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Version 2.xx of the PMS has undergone major changes. If you are upgrading from
an version prior to 2.00 it is most important that you read the NOTES.DOC file
first. Many configuration commands and some filenames have been changed.

The forwarding system has been written to interface with a BBS running G1NNA's
code. It has also been tested with FBB. If any problems arise using it with a
BBS running some other BBS code, *please* let me know. I can't test everything,
and feedback from users is most welcome. The more details the better!

After installation, please read (and print if possible) the following files.
SYS\SYSOP.TXT
FILES\USER.DOC
NOTES.DOC


==============================================================================

Permission  is granted  to use this code, provided  that this  notice and the
following disclaimer are included in their entirety and without modifications
of any sort.  This work  may not be sold,  or modified and sold,  or included
with any other  product to be sold,  without the  written  permission  of the
author.
No  fee or  compensation  may  be  requested  or  received  by any  person or
organisation distributing this program, except by the author or an authorised
distributor.

Disclaimer:
No guarantees or  warranties of any kind are expressed or implied.  This code
is distributed  "AS IS" without  any  warranty  of any kind, either expressed
or implied,  including,  but  not  limited  to,  the  implied  warranties  of
merchantability  and  fitness  for  a  particular  purpose.  You  are  solely
responsible for the selection of the program to achieve your intended results
and for the results  actually obtained.   Should the program prove defective,
you  (and not the author) assume the  entire cost of all necessary servicing,
repair, or correction.
Neither the  author nor  anyone else who has been  involved in the  creation,
production  or delivery  of this  program  shall  be  liable for  any direct,
indirect,  consequential or  incidental  damages  arising out of  the use or
inability to use this program.

You are free to copy and distribute the code for NON-COMMERCIAL use if:

               No fee is charged for use, copying or distribution,
               (except a small charge for media/postage)

               IT IS NOT MODIFIED IN ANY WAY.

               Only the original NPFPMS.EXE file should be distributed.

If you wish to include the PMS code on a BBS or other distribution system,
or include it in a Shareware list, please inform the author first.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Special thanks to:
Brian G1NNA and George G1NNB for their help, and to John G8DZH and others for
beta testing.

73 Ted.
NTS       G8NPF@GB7ESX
AMPRNet   [e-mail]  44.131.16.148
Internet  [e-mail]






==============================================================================

What is Shareware
-----------------
These  sections are designed to help you understand the nature  of  shareware
and  the professionalism that underpins it.  Many believe that  shareware  is
actually free - this is NOT the case.


Some Definitions

You've probably heard the terms "public domain", "freeware", "shareware", and
others  like  them.   Your  favourite BBS or disk  vendor  probably  has  many
programs described by one or more of these words. There's a lot of  confusion
about  and between these terms, but they actually have specific meanings  and
implications.  Once  you understand them, you will have a  much  easier  time
navigating the maze of programs available to you, and understanding what your
obligations are, or aren't, with each type of program.

Let's start with some basic definitions.

"Public domain" has a very specific legal meaning.  It means that the creator
of a work (in this case, software), who had legal ownership of that work, has
given  up  ownership  and dedicated the work "to the  public  domain".   Once
something is in the public domain, anyone can use it in any way they  choose,
and the author has no control over the use and cannot demand payment for it.

If  you  find a program which the author has explicitly put into  the  public
domain,  you  are free to use it however you see fit without paying  for  the
right to use it.  But use care - due to the confusion over the meaning of the
words, programs are often described by authors as being "public domain" when,
in  fact,  they are shareware or free, copyrighted software.  To  be  sure  a
program is public domain, you should look for an explicit statement from  the
author to that effect.

"Copyrighted" is the opposite of public domain.  A copyrighted program is one
where the author has asserted his or her legal right to control the program's
use and distribution by placing the legally required copyright notices in the
program  and documentation.  The law gives copyright owners broad  rights  to
restrict how their work is distributed, and provides for penalties for  those
who violate these restrictions. When you find a program which is copyrighted,
you  must  use  it  in accordance with  the  copyright  owner's  restrictions
regarding distribution and payment.  Usually, these are clearly stated in the
program documentation.

Maintaining  a copyright does not necessarily imply charging a fee, so it  is
perfectly  possible  and  legal  to  have  copyrighted  programs  which   are
distributed  free of charge.  The fact that a program is free, however,  does
not mean it is in the public domain - though this is a common confusion.

"Shareware"  is copyrighted software which is distributed by authors  through
bulletin  boards,  on-line services, disk vendors, and  copies  passed  among
friends.  It is commercial software which you are allowed to use and evaluate
before  paying  for  it.  This makes shareware the  ultimate  in  money  back
guarantees.


The Shareware Concept

Most money back guarantees work like this:  You pay for the product and  then
have  some period of time to try it out and see whether or not you  like  it.
If you don't like it or find that it doesn't do what you need, you return  it
(undamaged) and at some point - which might take months - you get your  money
back.   Some  software companies won't even let you try  their  product!   In
order  to qualify for a refund, the diskette envelope must have  an  unbroken
seal.   With  these "licensing" agreements, you only qualify for  your  money
back if you haven't tried the product.

How absurd!

Shareware is very different.  With shareware you get to use it for a  limited
time, without spending a penny.  You are able to use the software on your own
system(s), in your own special work environment, with no sales people looking
over  your  shoulder.  If you decide not to continue using it, you  throw  it
away  and forget all about it.  No paperwork, phone calls, or  correspondence
to  waste your valuable time.  If you do continue using it, then -  and  only
then - do you pay for it.

Shareware  is  a distribution method, NOT a type of  software.  Shareware  is
produced  by accomplished programmers, just like retail software.   There  is
good  and bad shareware, just as there is good and bad retail software.   The
primary  difference  between  shareware  and retail  software  is  that  with
shareware you know if it's good or bad BEFORE you pay for it.

As  a  software  user, you benefit because you get to  use  the  software  to
determine  whether  it meets your needs before you pay for  it,  and  authors
benefit  because they are able to get their products into your hands  without
the  hundreds  of  thousands  of dollars in expenses it  takes  to  launch  a
traditional  retail software product.  There are many programs on the  market
today which would never have become available without the shareware marketing
method.

The  shareware  system and the continued availability  of  quality  shareware
products depend on your willingness to register and pay for the shareware you
use.   It's  the  registration fees you pay which allow  us  to  support  and
continue to develop our products.

Please  show  your support for shareware by registering  those  programs  you
actually use and by passing them on to others.

Shareware is kept alive by YOUR support!



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Excuses and waffle.......

This program is not, and was never intended to be, a 'BBS' program.
I wrote it because I enjoy programming, and because I wanted a PMS that would
do what *I* wanted it to do, rather than what someone else thinks a BBS/PMS
should do.

I am developing the pms code primarily for my own use. A number of people have
expressed an interest in trying it out as well. Whilst I am quite happy to
send out copies, please bear in mind that I am not a professional programmer
and programming is just a hobby I do in my SPARE time!
I have no doubt that some people will say that there are 'better' programs
available from other sources. Fine. Don't bother to compare my pms code with
BBS software (like NNA/FBB). I never intended my code to run a busy BBS!

If you like my pms code then ok, if not... then don't use it. Simple eh?
Having said that, I do welcome helpful reports, suggestions and criticisms,
and will help out with advice on setting up the pms, where possible.

There are a few things I am not happy with at the moment. I hope to improve the
code when I get the time. Some functions can hog the cpu time and make the
other channels pause for a second or two. A user connected to a channel will
not normally notice this, as packet is slow anyway. The pauses can be
noticeable when you are using the keyboard to, say, input a message.

Don't configure the pms for more channels than you really need. Although the pms
can support up to 14 channels, it may be rather slow, unless you have a very
fast PC. Two or three channels should normally be enough. CPU time is shared
between channels. Although an inactive channel will not take much cpu time,
3 active channels will get approximately one third of the cpu time each. So a
30Mhz PC might appear to be running at 10mhz!
OK, so this is very much a simplification, but you get the point......
This applies to all, so called, multi-tasking code. The cpu can only do one
thing at a time!


I run the PMS program in a DESQview window with TCP/IP (WNOS) in another DV
window, and BPQcode running underneath everything. The system memory manager is
QEMM386. The PC is a 386DX 25Mhz.
My autoexec.bat file automatically loads BPQ code into HIGH memory, boots
DESQview, and the runs the PMS and WNOS code. That enables the whole system to
re-start after a power failure.