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1991-12-11
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WWIVMail 1
Documentation
** Contents
1 Copyrights
1 Legal Notice and Disclaimer
1 Technical Requirements
2 Installation
2 WWIV Considerations
2 FrontDoor Considerations
2 FrontDoor Setup
3 FrontDoor control file
3 Command Line Options
3 IN, OUT, CHECK
3 WWIVMail IN
3 WWIVMail OUT
3 WWIVMail CHECK
3 FC - Flow Control
3 LOG - FrontDoor Log
4 HIS - FrontDoor History Files
4 Sample FrontDoor control file
4 Modem Considerations
5 Error Conditions
5 Advanced Configurations
6 Future Enhancements
6 Inquiries and Registration
6 Inquiries
6 Registration
7 Reaching the Author
7 Technical Information
7 Credits
** Copyrights
WWIVMail and WWIVMail Documentation
(C) 1991 Andrew J. Mead
All Rights Reserved.
FrontDoor
(C) 1986-1991 Advanced Engineering sarl
All Rights Reserved.
WWIV version 4 and WWIV Network software
(C) 1988-1991 Wayne Bell
All Rights Reserved.
** Legal Notice and Disclaimer
WWIVMail is provided as is. In no event will the author be liable
for any damages, costs, or lost mail resulting from the use of
WWIVMail
WWIVMail is to be freely distributed. It may be used free of charge
in non-commercial settings. Commercial liscences are available upon
request.
** Technical Requirements
WWIVMail is designed to help SysOps install WWIV Network software
underneath FrontDoor.
This program was written and debugged with the following programs:
FrontDoor 2.02/NC
WWIV 4.20A
WWIV Network 27
If your system can run this software than it should have no problem
with WWIVMail.
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** Installation
WWIV Considerations
You will need to place WWIVMAIL.EXE in your main WWIV directory.
This is the directory that contains BBS.EXE and NETWORK.EXE.
If you have modified the structure of CONFIG.DAT, this software
may not work properly. WWIV itself is not necessary, only some
its data files are.
WWIVMail uses the following WWIV files
required
CONFIG.DAT
NETWORK.EXE NETWORK1.EXE NETWORK2.EXE NETWORK3.EXE
BBSDATA.NET BBSLIST.NET CALLOUT.NET CONNECT.NET
required for HIS option (described later)
NET.LOG
used if present
REGIONS.DAT
FrontDoor Considerations
WWIVMail uses the following FrontDoor files
required
SETUP.FD
required for HIS option (described later)
INBOUND.HIS (with IN option)
OUTBOUND.HIS (with OUT option)
LASTCALL.FD
written to by LOG option (described later)
log file from FDSetup "Filenames" submenu
FrontDoor Setup
In the Mailer menu in FDSetup goto the Miscellaneous submenu.
Under the selection "BBS Software Name" you will need to
enter "NN: " (without the quotes). When a remote WWIVnet
mailer calls your system and sees the "NN: " string it will
respond with its mailer identification string "!-@NETWORK@-!".
In the Mailer menu in FDSetup goto the External Mail submenu.
You will need to enter the string "!-@NETWORK@-!" with the
errorlevel you will want to initiate the WWIVMail processing.
Once FrontDoor receives the mailer id string it will immediately
exit with the chosen errorlevel, bypassing the normal 11 second
or more wait.
Note: Both the "NN: " and the "!-@NETWORK@-!" strings may be
changed using the macro feature of WWIVnet mailer software.
A limited discussion of this is in the Advanced Configurations
section.
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In the Mailer menu in FDSetup go to the Errorlevels submenu.
You will need to turn the "Create .BAT File" option on.
WWIVMail uses this file to create command line arguments for
running the WWIV Network programs.
FrontDoor control file
In your FrontDoor control file (usually a batch file that
runs FrontDoor, and branches execution based on errorlevels
that FrontDoor exits with) you will need to have the
following things happen when FrontDoor exits (with the
errorlevel indicated in the External Mail submenu).
change active directory to main WWIV directory
execute WWIVMAIL with the necessary argument(s)
** Command Line Options
IN, OUT, CHECK
One of these three options must be present (otherwise
the help screen appears). These options tell WWIVMail
what mode to operate in.
WWIVMail IN
This tells WWIVMail that another WWIV Network Mailer
has just connected, and a connection needs to be
established. (NETWORK.EXE needs to be run)
WWIVMail OUT
This option, which is not yet operational, tells WWIVMail
to poll another system.
WWIVMail CHECK
This option, which can be run without all of the normally
required system files present, is the diagnostic option.
It merely checks for unprocessed mailbags, processes them.
If the Network files are not properly updated, it will
process them as well. This option will ignore both
the FC and HIS options.
FC - Flow Control
If you are using a modem with a locked terminal-modem
communication rate, you will want to add this switch
to the command line.
LOG - FrontDoor Log
This option will have WWIVMail log its activity in your
FrontDoor log.
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HIS - FrontDoor History Files
This option will log incoming and outgoing calls in
FrontDoor's INBOUND.HIS and OUTBOUND.HIS files.
It will update LASTCALL.FD as well.
It will not update the activity records.
The following translations are made
Zone : 9948 (WWIV on your telephone keypad)
Net : WWIV Network group number from BBSDATA.NET
Node : WWIV Network node number from NET.LOG
System : System name from BBSDATA.NET
Location : derived from REGIONS.DAT based on area
code in BBSDATA.NET
Sent/Rcvd : rounded up to next 1k increment. Derived
from NET.LOG
Sample from the authors FrontDoor control file
:FRONTDOOR
If ERRORLEVEL 91 Goto WWIVMAILIN ; incomming WWIV mail
REM -----------------------------
:WWIVMAILIN ; 91 WWIVMail ***
ChDir C:\WWIVDIR ; change to WWIV directory
wwivmail in log his
Goto FRONTDOOR ; return to FrontDoor
REM -----------------------------
** Modem Considerations
WWIV Network Software needs to be told about the connection.
WWIVMail understands the following connect string arguments
Asynchronious argument
HST
Error Correction arguments
LAPM
ARQ
REL
Data Compression arguments
V42BIS
MNP5
If your modem sends result codes that don't match the above
list, PLEASE let me know what they are so I may include them
in a later version of WWIVMail.
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** Error Conditions
If no errors are encounted, WWVIMail will exit with no
errorlevel.
If the program crashes, it will exit with its Turbo Pascal
generated errorlevel.
The following errorlevels are generated by WWIVMail if it
determines it can't proceed.
231 : -- More than one main command parameter [IN,OUT,CHECK]
was selected.
232 : -- WWIV's "CONFIG.DAT" not found.
233 : -- FD's "DOBBS.BAT" not found.
234 : -- WWIV's "BBSLIST.NET" not found.
235 : -- WWIV's "BBSDATA.NET" not found.
236 : -- WWIV's "CALLOUT.NET" not found.
237 : -- WWIV's "CONNECT.NET" not found.
238 : -- FD's "SETUP.FD" not found.
239 : -- FD's "INBOUND.HIS" not found.
240 : -- FD's "OUTBOUND.HIS" not found.
241 : -- WWIV's "NET.LOG" not found.
242 : -- Error extracting numeric value from WWIV''s "NET.LOG".
243 : -- WWIV node number not found in "BBSDATA.NET".
255 : -- Feature not available.
** Advanced Configurations
By using the macro features of the WWIV Network software, you
can easily configure multiple WWIV Network nodes under one
FrontDoor node. This can simplify running both WWIVnet and
WWIVlink on the same system (for example). All you need to
do is coordinate with the systems you connect to, and change
the Network ID string from !-@NETWORK@-! to some other string.
Using different strings with different networks keeps the
confusion to a minimum.
You will also need to create entries in your FrontDoor External
Mail submenu that reflect these changes.
You can also use macros to change the 'NN: ' string to something
more pleasing.
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** Future Enhancements
The next version of WWIVMail should implement the OUT command
line directive. You will be able to add external events to
your FrontDoor Event Manager that will have WWIVMail poll other
systems.
I would also like add support for VirtualNet (VBBS) or write a
seperate but similiar utility. However, I need to obtain certain
technical information about VBBS network software first.
I am also looking for someone who writes real technical
documentation to help prepare future versions of this documention.
** Inquiries and Registration
Inquiries
The latest version of WWIVMail is available for immediate
download or FREQ from the author.
The Infinite Improbability BBS
@9952 WWIVnet
1:151/205 FidoNet (Private Idaho BBS)
(919) 489-9446 (Durham, NC - PCPursuit NCRPT)
The BBS currently operates on an old USRobotics Courier 2400e
at 2400 bps with MNP-3. (As of December 1991)
The filename will follow the form WWMAILn.ZIP where "n"
is the latest version number.
Registration
WWIVMail may be freely used in non-commercial environments.
However, I still ask that you register the software. If
you are merely registering (no money) then please just fill
out the form in the file REGISTER.FRM and E-Mail it, File
Attach it, or postal mail it to me.
For commericial installations please contact me for further
information.
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Reaching the author
FidoNet
Andrew J. Mead 1:151/205 (Private Idaho BBS)
Andrew Mead 1:151/205 (Private Idaho BBS)
WWIVnet
Doc Technical 1@9952 (The Infinite Improbability BBS)
Andrew J. Mead 2@9952 (The Infinite Improbability BBS)
Direct Dial
(919) 489-9446 (2400bps - Durham, NC - PCPursuit NCRPT)
Postal Mail
Andrew J. Mead
WWIVMail
PO BOX 1155
Chapel Hill, NC 27514-1155
** Technical Information
WWIVMail is written in Turbo Pascal, and compiled in either
Turbo Pascal 5.5 or Turbo Pascal 6.0 (depending on which
computer I was last on). WWIVMail does not use any direct
screen activity, and should be compatible with DESQview and
other multi-taskers.
Source code licenses are available, please see the enclosed
REGISTER.FRM file.
** Credits
I would like to thank Dennis O'Dell (Plain Brown Wrapper) for
prodding me on this program (all 4 days it took to write) as
well as helping me test it and suggesting most of the options.
Dennis can be thanked, bothered, or complained to at
FidoNet
Dennis O'Dell 1:151/204 Another World BBS
WWIVnet
Plain Brown Wrapper #1@9968 Another World BBS
or directly dialed in the US at
(919) 220-6299 (2400bps - Durham, North Carolina)
(I would also like to thank Mollie and Rob for putting up with
my phone calls and helping when Dennis was not there)
Finally, I would like to thank
Joaquim H. Homrighausen and Advanced Engineering sarl for
FrontDoor.
and
Wayne Bell for WWIV and WWIV Network software.
without whom none of this would have been necessary.
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