home
***
CD-ROM
|
disk
|
FTP
|
other
***
search
/
Monster Media 1996 #15
/
Monster Media Number 15 (Monster Media)(July 1996).ISO
/
bbs_door
/
fnls121.zip
/
FNLSCAN.DOC
< prev
next >
Wrap
Text File
|
1996-04-13
|
18KB
|
391 lines
╖──── ╖────╖ ╖ ╓───
║ ║ ║ ║ ║
║─── ║ ║ ║ ╙───╖ ╓─── ──╖ ╖──╖
║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ║ ╓──║ ║ ║
╜ ╜ ╜ ╜──── ────╜ ╙─── ╙──╜ ╜ ╜
FNLScan Documentation File
Version 1.21
(c) Copyright 1993-1996 - Stacy Smith
Courtesy of:
The Bloom Beacon-Picayune BBS
Node 1: *** DOWN *** (USRobotics Courier Dual Standard HST/V.34)
FidoNet
ILink
Intelec
Stacy Smith
┌────────────────────┐
│ 1. Introduction: │
└────────────────────┘
FNLScan was developed because many of my users who use Fidonet Netmail kept
coming to me wanting to know if there was a node in such-and-such a place, or
what address this-or-that person was at. While unzipping the nodelist and
using a text editor to search the nodelist, I groused that I wish they could do
this themselves. Now they can use FNLScan, the Fidonet NodeList Scan door.
┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 2. Features of FNLScan: │
└───────────────────────────┘
∙ Scans the standard NODELIST.nnn text file (uncompiled nodelist), FTS-0005
compatible. This format was chosen since it is available to all Fidonet
systems, regardless of the mailer or BBS software used.
∙ Up to 15 Fidonet-compatible nodelists can be configured for scanning.
∙ Fully multi-language capable for PCBoard sysops.
∙ Virtually all door text is contained within display or prompt files that
can be modifed by the sysop for customization and foreign language support.
∙ @-variables and @X colors translated inline in the text and display files.
∙ OS/2, DESQview and Windows aware, including time slice releasing.
∙ Optionally logs all FNLScan operations.
∙ Fully multinode and simultaeous multi-user compatible.
∙ Supports most BBS software through the use of PCBOARD.SYS, DOOR.SYS,
CALLINFO.BBS and DORINFOx.DEF door drop files.
∙ Supports IRQs 2 through 15 and any COM port address.
∙ Supports FOSSIL drivers.
∙ Supports Digiboard multiport cards.
∙ Written completely in C for optimal speed, using Microsoft C/C++ 7.0.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 3. Files Included in the FNLScan Distribution Archive │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
FNLSCAN.EXE Fidonet NodeList Scan door program
FNLSTXT Default FNLScan text and prompt file
WELCOME Text welcome screen file
MENU Text menu file
HELP Text help file
CLOSE Text closing file
SAMPLE.CFG Sample FNLScan configuration file
FNLSCAN.DOC This file
SUPPORT.DOC List of authorized support sites for my shareware
HISTORY.DOC FNLScan revision history in reverse order
REGISTER.FRM Registration form for FNLScan
FILE_ID.DIZ Internal description file
When you unzip the distribution archive, you should see my PKZIP authenticity
verification stamp, and a '-AV' after every file in the archive:
# SSU301 The Bloom Beacon-Picayune BBS
If there are any files missing or added, or the -AV stamp is missing, the
archive has been tampered with. It would be advisable to call my BBS (listed
at the top of this document) for the latest version of FNLScan.
┌───────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Program Requirements │
└───────────────────────────┘
To the best of my knowledge, this door will run on most any machine capable of
running a BBS package. My BBS setup was PCBoard 15.22M/10 running on a
LANtastic network with DOS, DESQview and OS/2, but other sysops have
successfully implemented FNLScan on a wide variety of hardware and software.
FNLScan requires DOS 3.x or later, as it uses DOS SHARE-compatible file reads
and writes. FNLScan's memory requirements are small (about 120K or so), so it
can be run as a shelled door versus a dropped-to-DOS door, if your software
supports such a mode and you choose to do so.
┌───────────────────┐
│ 5. Registration │
└───────────────────┘
FNLScan is not free; nor is FNLScan is crippled to force registration. FNLScan
is fully functional, and will always remain so. The only variation with the
registered copies is no time delay and beg message.
Why register? Besides a clean conscience, you will get a diskette including
the latest version of FNLScan and a registration key that will work for future
1.x versions of FNLScan, and will remove the delay and message displayed upon
closing the door.
The registration fee for your unique key is $20 for hobby BBS systems. The
registration fee for commercial BBSs, defined if you run your BBS in the course
of a commercial business (e.g. more than 10 nodes), is $30. Please print the
file REGISTER.FRM and fill it out. You can print out the form by issuing the
following command from the DOS prompt:
TYPE REGISTER.FRM > PRN
┌───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ 6. License, Warranty and Disclaimer │
└───────────────────────────────────────┘
I'll keep this part short and sweet, and dispense with the legal-ese:
License: You are allowed to use FNLScan for 30 days, after which you must
either register FNLScan or stop using it completely. Decompiling,
disassembly or any other form of reverse engineering FNLScan for any
purpose is prohibited. A FNLScan registration is a license for your
use of FNLScan; I retain ownership of the software. A single
registration applies to a single BBS system, regardless of the number
of computers used in the system. If you run two or more distinct BBS
systems on the same computer(s) (with different names), you require two
or more FNLScan registrations. FNLScan registrations are not
transferrable; you cannot sell your registration to another sysop.
Refer to the registration form for the current pricing structure.
Warranty: There isn't one. The only thing I'll guarantee is that FNLScan
will take up disk space, and will disappear when deleted.
Disclaimer: I'm not responsible for anything bad that happens. FNLScan
works here, but I cannot be held responsible for it not working on your
computer or doing any damage to hardware or software.
If these aren't agreeable with you, then the best thing to do is delete FNLScan
right now. I'll do my best to help any user (registered or not) that wants to
use FNLScan, and I'll act on bug reports quickly, but I simply cannot and will
not be responsible for anything bad, like lost data, disk crashes, or whatever
else you can think of.
┌───────────────────┐
│ 7. Installation │
└───────────────────┘
GENERAL INSTALLATION:
─────────────────────
Make a subdirectory on your hard drive. For the purposes of this document,
we'll call it "C:\FNLSCAN". Unarchive the FNLScan distribution archive into
this subdirectory. You've more than likely already made it this far, if you're
reading this file. <grin>
FNLScan opens several files simultaneously for various reasons. I would
recommend that you have a minimum of FILES=40 or FILES=50 per node in your
system CONFIG.SYS file(s), since FNLScan is run in conjunction with your BBS
software.
If you are running under a network or a multitasking operating system, you
should already have DOS's SHARE.EXE loaded. You must have SHARE loaded or be
running an operating system with SHARE capability (e.g. OS/2, etc.) in order to
take advantage of the file sharing and locking methods used by the FNLScan
program to prevent data loss. (If you are running a single-node system without
a multitasker, SHARE is not needed).
Copy the sample configuration file SAMPLE.CFG to FNLSCAN.CFG and edit to suit
your needs. Proper configuration will require you to refer to this section and
the section titled "Configuration", which has an in-depth explanation of each
configuration parameter and its function.
Note that for the FNLScan program, you can obtain a limited program syntax
screen simply by executing the program name "FNLSCAN".
INSTALLATION INTO YOUR BBS SOFTWARE:
────────────────────────────────────
FNLScan must be run from its own subdirectory; this is required so it can find
the text files required for display. Only two command-line parameters are
required for FNLScan:
FNLSCAN -Cfnlscan.cfg -Dc:\bbs\door.sys
where -C defines the configuration file for FNLScan, and -D is the complete
path and filename of the door drop file. This should be sufficient for most
BBS systems. In general, your BBS batch file will look like the following:
CD \FNLSCAN
FNLSCAN -Cfnlscan.cfg -Dc:\bbs\door.sys
CD \BBS
BOARD
* NOTE: If you choose to run FNLScan as a shelled door (versus being dropped to
DOS to open the door), calling the BOARD batch file at the end is
unnecessary and will hose up the node.
If you are running a multinode system, you can use environment variables such
as PCBDRIVE for the drive letter and/or PCBDIR for the subdirectory created by
PCBoard to define the locations of the door drop files. (Note that PCBDRIVE is
only needed if the door is on a different logical drive that your BBS
software). This type of door batch file would use the same batch file for all
nodes, and would like something like:
CD \FNLSCAN
FNLSCAN -Cfnlscan.cfg -D%PCBDRIVE%%PCBDIR%\pcboard.sys
%PCBDRIVE%
CD %PCBDIR%
BOARD
If required, you can provide the COM port information directly to FNLScan by
using the -P command switch:
FNLSCAN -Cfnlscan.cfg -Dc:\bbs\door.sys -P2
where -P is the port number (1 or 2 for COM1 or COM2, respectively). If you
need non-standard port support (e.g. COM3, COM4 or different IRQ lines), you
can define the port using the "address,IRQ" format (similar to the DSZPORT
convention), for example:
FNLSCAN -Cfnlscan.cfg -Dc:\bbs\door.sys -P3e8,5
FNLScan is capable of using a FOSSIL driver, and automatically detects if you
are running PCBoard /M and uses the appropriate FOSSIL port. However, if you
need to force FNLScan to use a FOSSIL driver, use the -F command switch with
the FOSSIL port number as the argument:
FNLSCAN -Cfnlscan.cfg -Dc:\bbs\door.sys -F0
Remember that the FOSSIL port is zero-based, where COM1 is FOSSIL port 0, COM2
is FOSSIL port 1, etc..
FNLScan is also capable of directly accessing a Digiboard multiport I/O card.
This can be defined using the -M command switch with the Digiboard channel
number as the argument:
FNLSCAN -Cfnlscan.cfg -Dc:\bbs\door.sys -M1
Note that these parameters can also be passed to the batch file using
environment variables as previously discussed.
CUSTOMIZATION OF FNLSCAN TEXT FILES:
────────────────────────────────────
The FNLSTXT, WELCOME(G), MENU(G), HELP(G) and CLOSE(G) files may be modified by
the sysop if desired. However, some caveats before you start:
- The files should not be deleted or renamed. FNLScan expects to find these
files as named in the currently logged subdirectory. The sole exception is
that the files can have different extensions to correlate with your
multi-lingual setup, if desired and supported (currently, only PCBOARD.SYS
supports this).
- The following PCBoard-style @-variables are supported:
@X## ANSI replacement color codes
@BOARDNAME@ BBS name (extracted from registration key)
@NODE@ Node number
@SYSDATE@ System date (as of door startup)
@SYSTIME@ System time (as of door startup)
@USER@ Full user name
@FIRST@ User's first name
@CARRIER@ Carrier speed
@POS:##@ Set cursor column position
@SYSOPNAME@ Sysop's name (extracted from registration key)
@SERIAL@ FNLScan serial number (extracted from registration key)
@VERSION@ FNLScan version number (#.## format)
- If @X color codes are used exclusively, the need for "G" versions of the
various files are not needed; FNLScan will strip them inline if the user is
not in graphics mode.
- An ANSI driver is required for proper display of local color codes, as
FNLScan must translate the @X codes to ANSI. Note that DESQview users must
load an ANSI driver within the node windows; an ANSI driver loaded
externally to DESQview will not be functional!
┌────────────────────┐
│ 8. Configuration │
└────────────────────┘
The sample configuration file included in the distribution archive is heavily
commented, but some additional information is provided below:
DEFAULT_DISP
FNLScan has two display modes, short and long, requiring one and two lines,
respectively. To set your default mode, enter SHORT or LONG. The user can
toggle the mode from the FNLScan menu, if he or she desires the other
format. Commenting out this parameter is equivalent to setting it to SHORT
mode.
AREACODE_POS and AREACODE_LEN
The position and length of the area code information within the phone
number field. If commented out, these will default to 3 for the U.S.
format.
EXAMPLE: If you phone number is "12 34 567 890", where "12" is the
areacode, then AREACODE_POS should be set to 1 and AREACODE_LEN set
to 2.
LOG_FILE
FNLScan can write scanning and error information to a disk log file, if
desired. This is the path/filename of the log file for FNLScan to record
its activities; comment it out if you don't want any disk logging. I
strongly recommend that you log the doors operation, as it will greatly
enhance your ability to debug setup and configuration problems.
NODELIST
The full path and filename, except for the extension, to where your
UNCOMPILED nodelist is stored. This must not include an extension! FNLScan
will search the path defined for the latest version of the nodelist named.
Up to 15 FTS-0005 compatible nodelists may be defined for sequential
scanning by FNLScan. All nodelists must comply with Fidonet standards
(FTS-0005), specifically that each nodelist must define, at a minimum, one
zone and one host. Normally, pointnet lists do not include this
information, and should not be included in the FNLScan configuration.
STATUS_LINE
If you do not want a status line on the local display when a user is in the
door, set this parameter to NO. If you want the status line, enter YES or
comment out the parameter. This in conjunction with the DISABLE_FKEYS
parameter allows you complete control over the access of users who login
locally.
DISABLE_FKEYS
If you do not want the sysop function keys (e.g. drop to DOS, etc.) active
during local logins, set this parameter to YES. Otherwise, enter NO or
comment it out.
┌────────────────────────────┐
│ 9. The Future of FNLScan │
└────────────────────────────┘
FNLScan will be supported as long as I'm in the BBSing business (which will be
quite a while...once it's in your blood, you can never shake it <g>). The
FNLScan system will be continually expanding it's features, so get your
comments in now! Some current plans:
∙ Develop code to read compiled nodelist formats (e.g. Version6, Version7,
Front Door, etc.)...maybe. A custom index specifically for FNLScan is
more likely as it will be more efficient.
∙ Speed enhancements.
∙ Any ideas from you guys? Thanks! <g>
If you have any other suggestions, contact me by U.S. snail-mail or on my BBS
at the number at the top of this document.
Thanks for giving FNLScan a try!
┌────────────────────────────────┐
│ Appendix A: DOS Errorlevels │
└────────────────────────────────┘
The following is a list of the errorlevels than can be returned by FNLScan:
0 Successful execution
99 Help screen (executing a program with no or an insufficient number
of arguments)
100 Could not close all open files
101 Unknown command line parameter
102 Configuration file not found
103 Excessive number of nodelists configured
104 Unable to access nodelist
105 Unable to intialize door routines
106 Unable to access FNLSTXT file
107 Unable to load FNLSTXT into memory
108 Hobbyist registration node limit (10 nodes) exceeded
109 Unable to buffer nodelist
110 Unable to allocate heap memory
111 Unable to open or lock disk logging file
200 Undefined error (internal to FNLScan program)
255 Critical error (internal to FNLScan program)
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Appendix B: Command Line Summary │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
FNLSCAN -Cd:\path\config.ext -Dd:\path\door.ext [-P#<,#>] [-F#] [-B#] [-Q]
-C complete path and filename of the configuration file.
-D complete path and filename of the door drop file.
-P COM port number [1/2/addr,irq]. (Optional)
-F FOSSIL port number. (Optional)
-B Digiboard channel number. (Optional)
-Q quiets beep on error. (Optional)