Night Owl 6/Night Owl's Shareware - PDSI-006 - Night Owl Corp (1990).iso/034a/tvd121.zip/HISTORY.TXT

Text File | 1992-01-24 | 21KB | 386 lines

The Verify Door History File:
          (changes listed from the latest to the earliest)

01-24-92 v1.21 The Verify Door v1.21 implements a new and faster data
     transmission routine that implements improved RTS/CTS flow control
     and should be compatible with a wider range of modem brands and setups.
     TVD is also now much faster at detecting lost carrier.

01-04-92 v1.20 The Verify Door v1.20 implements sysop suggested
     enhancements to the log file output and status bar display.

   * Log now gives much more detail about what the user does when in TVD.
   * Status bar now displays various countdown timers to aid the sysop
     in 'tweaking' the door's configurable time delays.
   * Enhanced modem no response timeout routines
   * No Answer timeout feature was added to TVD and is included in the
     modem no response timeout setting.
   * Added DOS Errorlevel output (registered version only) when TVD
     finishes execution. (See docs)
   * Added automatic pulse dialing detection and delays to allow for
     more reliable pulse dialing in appropriate places in TVD

11-22-91 v1.19 The Verify Door v1.18 did not have any known bugs and this
   release contains some suggested enhancements.

   TVD door documentation has been updated to include dialing string setup
   information that up to this point has been available only to users who
   could 'read between the lines'.

   Added features this release:
   * Separately configurable number of dial-out attempts for both long distance
     and local calling.
   * Configurable modem no-response timeout (in seconds)

   Further changes have been made in the setup program to make it run a
   little better. Setup will now upgrade the config file(s) to be
   compatible with this new version of TVD. (Please see UPGRADE.DOC)

07-27-91 v1.18 The Verify Door v1.17 did not have any bugs and has proven
   to  be a very reliable version. The setup program wasn't perfect, though,
   so some changes have been made to allow it to find it's way around your
   system more accurately.

   Some enhancements have been made to the v1.17 code such as detecting
   a user with an Error Correcting modem, enhanced dialing string abilities,
   and a few other goodies talked about in the WHATSNEW file.

05-26-91 v1.17 Bug in v1.16 fixed: The unregistered version of TCBV would
   not display any user prompts! This one even slipped by the beta testers,
   sorry folks.

05-07-91 v1.16 Updated the pack utility and associated docs only.
   The pack utility has now been updated to get along better with v1.16
   of TCBV.

05-04-91 v1.16 Update with enhancements
   This version is not a major change from v1.15, however it now gets its
   com port and other parameters from PCBOARD.DAT. This should make it easier
   to configure for new users. A few enhancements have been made, though.
   The TCBVTEXT, WELCOME and WELCOMEG files have been changed to reflect the
   changes made in the way the door interfaces with the user. Instead of having
   to type a C to continue at 2 of the prompts, the user can now just press
   ENTER, making operations similar to the way PCBoard operates.

   Changes have also been made in entries to the config file, so if you are
   upgrading from a previous version, please follow the directions contained
   in UPGRADE.DOC before making any changes to your existing door files.

   Characters used to separate log entries in the log that you set TCBV to
   generate have been changed from a '*' to a 'v' to make the log entries
   more compatible with existing caller log analyzers.

   A minor problem was fixed regarding 'the midnight problem' in the TCBVTIME
   file. Sysop may now specify time formats that 'wrap around' midnight, such
   as:  B,17:01,08:00. Version 1.15 would freak out with this kind of format
   because I didn't make a provision to work around midnight.

   Another problem was discovered when a sysop had his HST parameter X set to
   X7 (modem result codes format). His modem would return the result code of
   'RINGING' which was interpreted by TCBV to mean 'RING', and would send the
   code into the nasty dial procedure thus never allowing the poor user to
   get connected in the first place! Although this problem has been fixed,
   you are warned to watch out for your modem not being able to properly
   detect a dial tone, as is sometimes the case depending on your phone
   company. I still suggest setting this parm to X4.

   The config program (now called SETUP16.EXE) has an additional option
   for first-time setup and upgrade situations. This new option should cure
   what I have found to be THE major problem in getting TCBV set up and
   running: getting proper path names for critical files, new user security
   level, graphics modes, etc., into the config file.

12-23-90 Release version 1.15 Update with enhancements
   (Version 1.14 was never released due to major portability problems, ie,
   it flatly refused to run on internal modems of any kind, nor would it
   run on several of the older XTs, so it was scrapped and chalked up to
   experience!)

   This version is now compatible with COM1, through 8 and will run at
   whatever baud rate you have PCBoard running at...up to 115,200 baud!
   There is no longer a need to specify a baud rate to lock or not lock as
   this code runs at whatever speed you com port has been opened at.

   NOTE!  This version uses DMA (direct memory access) to access the com
   port, so you must now specify your com port address and interrupt request
   line (IRQ) in the config file.

   Standard addresses and IRQs for the four com ports are:

               COM1=3F8   IRQ 4
               COM2=2F8   IRQ 3
               COM3=3E8   IRQ 5
               COM4=2E8   IRQ 2

   If you aren't sure what your com port address or IRQ is, try using one of
   the defaults listed above.
   This door is now interrupt driven and relies on system interrupts and will
   not work without being configured properly for the IRQ in use on your
   com port.

   Your com port should have a standard 8250, 8250a, 16450, 16550 or
   compatible UART in use. This door may not function with some internal
   modems that are not connected to the standard AT bus.  The older release
   Version 1.11 of this door will work with most internal modems, but at a
   maximum baud rate of 19,200.

   Thanks again to John Russell of Safari BBS (407-298-2826) for updating the
   TCBVDCNF configuration & install program.

11-17-90 Release version 1.13 bug fix for multiple area codes
   Fixed a bug for sysops listing more than one area code in the TCBVAREA
   file. Registered code would not check duplicate phone numbers if more
   than one area code was listed in the TCBVAREA file. Fixed!

11-17-90 Release version 1.12 maintenance and document update
   Fixed a minor bug found only when the networking flag is set to Y and
   a user who is not at new user level enters the door. This would have
   been seen as "Error in line 7870" and has been repaired.
   Changed the wording on what the networking flag actually does. If you
   are running PCBoard on a network or if you are running more than one
   node under a multitasking scheme, this flag should be set to Y. If you
   are multitasking but are running only one node, this flag can be set to
   N. I have implemented carrier checking in this version. The existence
   of a carrier is checked just before the door starts to send characters
   out the com port. If the user drops carrier at a prompt, the door will
   not detect a loss of carrier until it tries to resend the prompt at
   which time an entry will be made to your log file and the door will
   return to PCBoard. This will take care of errors (which were really
   not errors) in the following lines:

                 8750 8790 8850 9110 9160 9220 and 9280

10-09-90 Release version 1.11 maintenance release
   Fixed a minor bug where if you the sysop turned off your modem when TCBV
   was running, two errors would occur and you would have to 'press any
   key...'
   Fixed a minor bug where if the user entered a string of illegal password
   length, two errors would occur and guess what......
   Updated TCBVTEXT file to remind user to wait for prompt when
   re-connected.

10-07-90 Release version 1.10
   Added auto-centering for the text in the intro color file (the one that
   says REGISTERED TO.........)
   TCBV will write to comment line #2 in the user record as usual, but will
   also write the date on that line so that you know right away when the
   user was verified.
   Many thanks to John Russell of the Safari BBS in Orlando, FL, for
   writing (and re-writing) the config program. This utility should
   eliminate some of the errors caused by mis-configuring the long config
   file in this version.
   This version includes a new file called TCBVAREA and is used to put the
   area code or area codes that are in the local dialing area for your BBS.
   This fixes a problem where a user who is calling from your local dialing
   area, enters the right 7 digits to his phone number, enters a false area
   code and tells the door he is a local call. The door would proceed to
   call back even if his number had already been verified using his correct
   area code. The door now checks for hackers like this that are calling
   local and entering a false area code. If he says he is a local call, the
   door will look up the area code or codes listed in TCBVAREA, temporarily
   replace the area code the local caller enters and then check the TCBVVER
   file for duplicate numbers. (Special thanks to the hacker who tried this
   when I happened to be watching!)


Fixed a bug where the entries in lines 21-24 of the config file. Entries
are no longer case sensitive in those lines (or and line for that
matter) Decreased the delay time for waiting to drop carrier from 15
seconds to 5 seconds to make for a slightly faster execution.

Fixed a spelling error in the WELCOME and WELCOMEG files. Please update
your copy with these new files.


09-30-90 Release version 1.09
After having called a long distance user back and verifying him, the
door would error on line 5622 and would return to PCBoard without
hanging up. Fixed! (Sorry about that folks!)
Added two features to The Verify Door: 1) TCBV can now be configured to
hang up after a call back to the user regardless of whether or not the
verify was successful and regardless of whether or not the user was
calling long distance. A sysop in Chicago called and told me that they
get billed even for local calls and would like to have the door
disconnect no matter what when it's done doing it's thing. (Thanks for
the suggestion). The other feature added is that the door can now be
configured to add upload bytes or uploaded file credit, which may come
in handy for you depending on your configuration. These two changes can
be configured for your system in The Verify Doors config file, see the
docs for details.

09-22-90 Release version 1.08
Repaired a file sharing insect for users using the door in a
multitasking environment such as DesqView or OmniView.
The Verify Door now allows the CALLER log to be set as the door's log.
TCBV was not set up to allow for spaces in the user password. Fixed
TCBV was not set up to handle passwords that were 12 characters long.
Fixed.
In case a user should happen to call your system long distance and log
into the door during a time that you have set for the door NOT to call
long distance (for example before 5PM your time), TCBV will now display
the next 'time slot' available for calling the user back long distance
for verification. Update line 16 of the config file! The door used to
just say "Sorry, that number cannot be dialed at this time."

09-16-90 Release version 1.07
Beta code is no longer being issued. There were no reported bugs during
the last release (except the one I my self found purely by accident).
I believe v1.07 can be used with a fairly high degree of confidence and
that it is bug free to the best of my knowledge.

Only one change was made from previous releases:
Sometimes the code would get caught in an endless loop when prompting
the user for the last four digits of his phone number under certain
unusual circumstances. The code was supposed to recycle to PCBoard under
certain conditions such as the user just not responding to the prompt.
Fixed.

09-08-90 Beta release version 1.06b
Seems like I've been coming out with a new version of this door about
once a week or so. Yikes! Fortunately the bugs keep getting less and
less significant as the code progresses. The only bug to be fixed here
is a prompt that was not updated when the code was. The prompt that used
to say "Press any key to continue" now says "Press ENTER to continue".
Two other known 'problem areas' which are not bugs but are more like
compatibility problems are 1)The code doesn't support 38,400 baud.
Apparently Quick basic does not support that baud rate as it chokes
every time I've tried it (works great at 19,200 or lower) The other
'problem area' is 2)It APPEARS that the code doesn't work properly
with a few of the 16440 and 16550 UARTS. Anyone have any hints? Anyone
giving a solution THAT WORKS to either or both of these problems will
get a free registered copy of The Verify Door.......

09-01-90 Beta release version 1.05b
A delay after a call back connect was added to compensate for non-mnp
modems calling mnp modems and vice-versa.

08-27-90 Beta release version 1.04b (New filename)
Additional error handling code has been added so that if an error occurs
while the door is executing, it will report the line number in the code
giving the error. This should help greatly in trouble shooting over the
phone. Executable filename changed from PCBDOOR4.EXE to TCBVD104.EXE.

08-26-90 Beta release version 1.04b (Major Upgrade)
Made a small change in the dial out routine to allow nasty dial out.
"Busy boards" should have much less problem when this door is trying to
call out at the same time another user is trying to call in. When an
incoming call is detected during dial out to verify a new user, the code
will now pick up the phone line, wait 3 seconds, hang up the phone line
and after 1 more second will proceed to make the verify call out to the
new user. Don't worry, the user that was trying to call in will call
back.

Several features mentioned in previous documentation but inactive were
coded, and functions of lines 13, 14, 17 and 23 of the config file have
been changed. An auto-color graphics enable (line 17), new expired
security level (line 19), check TCBVVER for verified numbers enable
(line 14), sysop maintained write comment enable (line 20) and nasty
dial mode enable (line 23) switches have been encoded and are now
active. A new feature , the status bar, (looks similar to the PCBoard
status bar) has been added to the code. The status bar is enabled by
setting status bar enable (line 3) to Y. Please check the docs and
update your config file as needed.

Added a new utility for use with The Verify Door: TCBVPK10.EXE (and a
sample batch file). This code will read your user file and look at sysop
comment line #2. It will compare the phone numbers it finds in the
comment line with phone numbers listed in the TCBVVER file and will
delete listings in the TCBVVER file when no match is found in the user
file comment line #2. This should come in handy for those of you who
delete users from PCBoards user file for inactivity and will allow those
users who just haven't called for a long time to get re-verified if they
should happen to call back after being deleted from the user file.
TCBVPK10 uses the same command line as PCBDOOR3.

08-19-90 Beta Release version 1.03b (Upgrade)
Same as version 1.02, auto-ansi color has been added.

08-18-90 Documentation update for version 1.02b (Typo fix)
Part of beta testing is finding possible typos and hard to understand
documentation. One typo was found in TCBV102.DOC (no biggie deal, so
don't look for it) and was corrected.

08-16-90 Beta release version 1.02 (Bug fix)
Had a problem where if a long distance caller had just been called back
and successfully verified, the code would lock up the com port (and the
system) upon an attempt to return to PCBoard. Sorry, my fault! Code has
now been included to reset the com port DTR and RTS signals to ON and
then return to PCBoard. Upon return to PCBoard, PCBoard should find that
carrier has been lost (you don't want someone calling long distance to
be on for any amount of time while you pay for the call, right?!).

08-15-90 Beta release version 1.01 (Bug fix)
Minor bug fix. Repaired the code to recognize the N parameter (if
entered) in the config file line 2.

08-12-90 Beta release version 1.00 - First release to the general public
After several weeks of no problems reported from the alpha test sites,
I felt that it is now time to release the code as a beta test.
Registration number checking has been enabled and the code will not
check the tcan (TCBVVER) file for numbers already verified unless the
software is registered. It took hundreds of hours to get this code
working exactly right (we're picky).

07-29-90 Alpha Release 'F'
Finally came up with a nifty internal routine that drops/restores DTR
as needed. The external DTR.COM program is no longer used and may be
deleted.
Also finally did away with the need for AT.COM. The code is now written
completely in 100% Quick basic code and uses no 'shelled to' routines
and no external assembly libraries.

07-28-90 Alpha Release 'E'
Reworked the internal dialer so that it responds to your modems verbose
result codes, see the docs for a listing of what codes are scanned for.
Completely re-worked the modem communications routines using a
completely different and hopefully more compatible and faster method.
Fixed a potential bug in a timeout routine where if the user happened
to use the door just before midnight and the door started to call back
5 seconds before midnight, the code would just sit there and hang your
board up for exactly 24 hours before allowing it to auto-reset! Though
to my knowledge this never happened to anyone testing this code, this
potential killer was zapped forever.

07-12-90 Alpha Release 'D'
Very few bugs found in the 'C' release. Moved on to adding one or two
features:
Changed the tcbv.cfg file so that the code will generate a separate and
very detailed log file that lists modem result codes such as BUSY and
NO CARRIER, bad password, time, date, etc.

Wrote code for an internal dialer. AT.COM is no longer needed, however
DTR.COM has yet to be replaced, so keep DTR.COM for now.

Finally got RAID after a pesky bug in the backspace routine. Code would
not properly backspace on the local screen and would do other nasty
things. Fixed.

Code would not echo 'dots' when the user was entering his password.
Fixed so that dots will now echo ON THE REMOTE ONLY, but you the sysop
will still see the user password as it is being entered on your local
screen only.

06-22-90 Alpha Release 'C'
Fixed a bug where if a long distance user was being called back and
that user entered a wrong password more than twice, the code would
proceed to reload PCBoard. We don't want that, do we! (OOPS!) Anyway,
it's fixed where if the long distance user enters a wrong password more
than twice, the code will give the user a 'Access Denied - Excessive
password failures' ' Hanging up' message and WILL hang up the phone line
on the user and THEN reload PCBoard which should sense a carrier lost
and reset the board. I re tested this to make sure I had the bug fixed
with an actual log distance user and it IS fixed.

06-22-90 Alpha Release 'B'
Prettied up the prompt file (TCBVTEXT) and also made mention in the
docs as to what the heck to do with the files AT.COM and DTR.COM.

06-19-90 Alpha Release 'A'
Fixed bug in the config file setup. Code now looks for all entries in
the config file to be left justified. Also added info in the docs about
what to do with the last four lines in the config file. All file name
beginning with PCBV*.* have been changed to TCBV*.* The files themselves
have NOT changed except as in the config file mentioned above.
User definable delay before dial has now been implemented. See the docs
regarding line 22 of the config file for details.