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1991-03-26
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RNETPOST.EXE
RNet REP Packet Post Processor Utility
Version 1.00
Runtime released to the Public Domain
Tue Mar 26 1991
RNETPOST is a utility designed to process an EchoMail REP packet after
one of QNet, RNet, or TNet has produced it. RNETPOST will:
■ Check for duplicate messages within the REP using a CRC16 calculation
backed up by header TO/FROM/SUBJECT comparisons. During testing, this
function found DUP's that I caused with the NASA processing. Special
thanks to Mark "Ace" Corl for this feature (one of the bad guys).
■ Send DUP messages to a specified PCBoard 14.x messagebase for later
Sysop review. The Sysop can later copy the messages back into the
original messagebase for export if the DUP should have been allowed.
[This operation is optional]
■ Send ALL messages that are in the REP packet to a specified messagebase
for later Sysop review. This is useful to allow the Sysop to see what
their users are up to. Thanks to Ed Hopper for this feature (one of
the good guys) [This too is optional]
■ Check the REP for messages over a specified number of days old. This
is very useful for catching pointer problems, dup uploads from lower
systems, and offline reader users who forget to delete their REP's.
Messages deleted as a result of age are sent to the DUP specified
messagebase (if one is specified). [Yep, this is optional]
■ Look neat when running and consume about 35K of disk space. [Yep, this
too is optional -- use DEL RNETPOST.EXE to disable (heh)]
DISTRIBUTION
------------
RNETPOST is distributed with the following files:
RNETPOST.EXE - The actual program. This is all you actually need.
RNETPOST.DOC - The documentation(?) you are reading(?).
REXAMPLE.BAT - An example batchfile for showing operation.
These files, if distributed separately, use the naming convention of
RPOSTvvv.ZIP (vvv refers to the release version number). The initial
release, for example, is RPOST100.ZIP.
OPERATIONAL OVERVIEW
--------------------
RNETPOST is operated entirely from the commandline. The only required
parameter you need to specify is the name/location of a HOSTID.MSG file
(HOSTID refers to the MailDoor "name" given to your host's BBS).
The HOSTID.MSG file to be processed must be extracted from the source
HOSTID.REP file. This version does not know how to extract the needed
file from your REP files (I had it working with PKZIP/PKUNZIP, but some
folks use other packing systems.. thus, I just left it up to you to
handle). See the example BAT file for suggested operation.
If you startup RNETPOST without any parameters, it will display a screen
reminding you of its operation and available switches.
Note that any and all switches may be specified via the DOS environment
using SET RNETPOST=[options] such as SET RNETPOST=-b -m -z -n14.
RNETPOST *should* automatically detect the kind of screen/system you are
running on. If something fails the auto-detect, you can force the issue
using the following optional commandline switches:
-b = Force BIOS writes. This is needed if the auto-detect fails and
you are running a multi-tasker. If you are running a multi-
tasker and see "bleed through", add -b to the commandline.
-m = Force Monochrome color mapping. If you have difficulty seeing
the screen (such as when using a LCD display), use -m to force
the colors to be re-mapped to monochrome (B/W).
-c = Force reduction of CGA "snow". Again, the auto-detection should
correctly determine when you are running an older CGA card. If
not, simply add -c.
MESSAGEBASE OPERATIONS
----------------------
RNETPOST is designed to copy some or all of the REP messages to specified
messagebases for the Sysop to review later. You have two options for what
messages and where they go:
-dD:/DIR/MSGS = Messagebase for DUP and OLD messages to be sent to.
Specify the actual messagebase filename to write the
DUP and OLD messages to. If you do not specify the -d
option, DUP and OLD messages will not be copied anywhere
(they will still be killed in the REP though).
-d## = Specify the conference number where DUP and OLD messages
should be sent. See the note below about using
conference numbers instead of messagebase filenames.
-sD:/DIR/MSGS = Messagebase destination for ALL messages. Named the the
"SPY" function by Ed Hopper, this option, if specified,
will force all messages in the REP (except DUP and OLD)
to be copied to the specified messagebase. If you also
want DUP and OLD messages sent to the same messagebase,
simply specify -d and -s to the same messagebase. If
you do not specify -s, this operation will be disabled.
-s## = You may optionally use a conference number in place of
the conference messagebase name. See below about using
conference numbers in this way.
-n## = Age checking. Specify the number of days old that
messages may be to be allowed to be echoed. A good
setting for this might be -n4, which tells RNETPOST to
delete any messages older than 4 days. This is similar
to the ProPack /N operation.
If you are running a single node system and/or if you are writing messages
to messagebases which are not accessable concurrently (ie, are private to
the Sysop), than you may specify the -z switch. By specifying -z on the
commandline, RNETPOST will not flush the DOS directory structure between
messages. Directory flushing allows other nodes to determine the true
end-of-file while another task is working on it. By not flushing the
directory structure (-z), message insertion speed is 3x normal. A disk
cashe system will also greatly speed message operations.
To use conference numbers in place of messagebase filenames, you must have
one of RNETCONF, CONFINFO, or CNAMES in the current directory or specified
via DOS environment variables RNETCONF, CONFINFO, or CNAMES (makes sense?)
If, if you have PCBoard 14.5 and want to use CNAMES (65534 conference
support), add "SET CNAMES=D:\PCB\MAIN\CNAMES" to your autoexec or to the
batch calling RNETPOST.
TO CONTACT THE AUTHOR
---------------------
If this DOC and/or the example batch file are not enough to explain the
operation or RNETPOST or if you have any problems/bugs to report, please
contact the author:
ROBERT VOSTREYS
via BBS: Faster-Than-Light BBS
404-292-8761 [2400]
404-299-3930 [HST1440]
via Echo: AtlArea - AtlSysop or NetLANTA
ILink - Admin, MM-RNet, or Sysops
MetroLink - Admin or MMail
RIME - Admin, Common, or Sysops
SmartNet - Admin, MMail, or Sysops
UNI'net - via SmartNet Admin
via Mail: Robert Vostreys, FTL Sysop
Post Office Box 2315
Stone Mountain, GA 30086-2315