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!UPGRADE.DOC
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1993-05-14
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MacroBBS 2.5a - (C)opyright 1992,93 by Jeff Oberlee - All Rights Reserved
* * * * * *
* Upgrade *
* * * * * *
Upgrading to MacroBBS 2.5a is very easy. There are some new files in the
archive as well as upgraded "carry-over" files. All of the .MAC files from
previous versions of MacroBBS should be replaced by the new files. I do NOT
suggest overwriting any of the system data files (such as CALLER.DAT,
CALLERS.LST, .MNU files, etc.) unless you want to start COMPLETELY from scratch.
Step 1: Copy the file MBBS25a.ZIP to your {COMMO} disk directory and type:
PKUNZIP -de MBBS25a <press ENTER>
This will create some new NECESSARY sub-directories and extract the
files. It will ask you if you want to overwrite existing files. Answer
YES to all of the .MAC files, and to any other files you want
overwritten. A new "trick" has been incorporated into the protocol
"stubs" (MBXPRO-*.MAC) and overwriting (or re-configuring these files
via the MacroBBS config module) is HIGHLY recommended.
Step 2: Next, type:
MACROBBS <press ENTER>
This batch file will copy some files from your CALLERS directory to the
new directories. The reason for this is simple: five files per user in
ONE directory can cause problems as your callership grows. Hence, the
house cleaning. I've merely attempted to organize things a bit
better.
Step 3: Lastly, type:
MBCFG <press ENTER>
or
MBBS <press ENTER>
Either batch file will get you into the MacroBBS config module.
(MBBS.BAT gets you there only because you need to make a few
configuration changes before MacroBBS will boot; it will normally
boot MacroBBS. MBCFG goes straight to the config module.) Go through
config sections 1, 2, and 3 AT LEAST. There are a few new options.
When you've had enough, save and exit to the BBS and yer OFF! Have fun!
** IMPORTANT NOTE **
1. You MUST use {COMMO} version 5.3 or higher.
2. Due to changes in {COMMO} 5.3 and adjustments in MacroBBS 2.0 Beta,
MacroBBS must always be started using a DOS command line that includes
"/v10000". Here's an example:
COMMO /v10000 /in /mMACROBBS.MAC /:bbs
^^^^^^^
The above line would boot {COMMO} 5.3 (or higher) with a 10K variable
buffer, then boot MacroBBS. This extra memory appropriation requires
your machine to have at least 138K available RAM, rather than the usual
128K. The extra memory is used by MacroBBS's message editor, enabling
it to perform much more efficiently, not to mention FASTER! :)
ALL included batch files have been modified to include the above enhance-
ment. But if you boot MacroBBS any OTHER way, be sure to make all necessary
changes.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* MacroBBS Evolution *
* * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
* 2.5 Alpha *
* * * * * * *
=======================================================================
MacroBBS has grown! But it is now near-fully modular: Use of ALL the
macro files is not required. The only .MAC files that ARE required are:
MACROBBS.MAC - The MAIN program
MACROCFG.MAC - The configuration module
& MACRONYT.MAC - The midnight maaintaenance macro
Using any or all of the remaining macro files is optional.
=======================================================================
1. MacroBBS now includes an easily configurable BULLETIN menu as well
as an easily configurable EXTERNAL PROGRAMS menu.
* The Bulletin menu can be modified at any time via Offline Wait Screen
option "3" -- "Text/Bulletins". When you choose option 3, you will be
placed in {COMMO}'s text editor, editing the Bulletin Config file. This
one file will contain ALL your bulletin definitions. After reading the
on-screen instructions, you may add or delete bulletins as you like.
Each bulletin requires THREE lines in this format:
Line 1; A number (1 for the first, 2 for the second, etc)
Line 2: Short description
Line 3: FULL path and filename of the file to display.
You can set-up as many bulletins as you want.
* The External Programs menu is modifiable from the MacroBBS Config
module. Select Offline option "S", enter your password, then select
Special Functions option "8". At the Config Menu, select option "5" to
setup an External Program. The program you want to setup can be an
online game, a program, a dual-transfer protocol...just about anything!
After entering all the pertinent data for your external program, you
will be placed inside {COMMO}'s text editor, editing the Door Config
file. This one file will contain your external program names only.
After reading the on-screen instructions, you may add or delete door
definitions as you like. Each door definition requires TWO lines in this
format:
1st line; A single letter from A to Z (keypress to run the door)
2nd line: Full name of the door program as you want it to appear to users.
There is currently a limit of 26 External Program definitions. {This
should not be confused with External PROTOCOL definitions; You can have
upto 26 of those, too...)
NOTE: The "drop file" you choose (DOOR.SYS, DORINFO1.DEF, etc) will be
written to your {COMMO} home directory whenever a user enters a door
program (ie. when he/she plays an online game.)
2. The External Protocol Config routine was modified.
An external protocol can be installed via the MacroBBS Config module.
Select Offline option "S", enter your password, then select Special
Functions option "8". At the Config Menu, select option "4" to setup an
External Protocol. After entering all the technical data pertaining to
your external protocol, you will be placed inside {COMMO}'s text editor,
editing the Protocol Config file. This one file will contain your
external protocol names only. After reading the on-screen instructions,
you may add or delete protocol definition as you like. Each protocol
definition requires TWO lines in this format:
Line 1; A single letter from A to Z (keypress to select the protocol)
Line 2: Full name of the protocol as you want it to appear to users.
There is currently a limit of 26 External Protocol definitions. {This
should not be confused with External PROTOCOL definitions; You can have
upto 26 of those, too...)
3. If EVENTS.BAT exists in your {COMMO} home directory, it will be
executed at midnight each night when MacroBBS begins its daily
clean-up. This is handy for maintenance purposes when running an
online game that requires nightly MAINTENANCE.
4. The Offline Screen will now (optionally) blank before MacroBBS
pop-up menus are displayed. This option is configurable from the
MacroBBS Configuration module.
5. An ANSI/TTY auto-detection routine now replaces the "Does your
system do ANSI?" logon question.
6. Entering an "*" at the Login: prompt will no longer crash MacroBBS.
(Neither will a "?"... :)
7. Due to overwhelming complaints, ;*) every User of your BBS may now
enable or disable the screen clears which occur between screen-fulls
of a long message. A toggle was added to the "Your data" option of the
Main Menu.
8. The "Forward" and "Reverse" options of the MESSAGE MENU and
FILE MENU will now cycle to the first/last area, rather than
dead-ending.
9. Added an experimental MESSAGE UPLOAD option.to the Message Menu.
This will use XMODEM ONLY. I made it this way on purpose. Callers may
usw either Xmodem-CRC or Xmodem-1K. WARMING!! There is no message size
restriction: A Caller could EASILY upload a 20-Meg message!
Use with caution!
10. If MAREASa.MNU and/or MAREASn.MNU exist in your datadir
(eg. C:\Commo\Macrobbs), one of these files will be displayed (when a user
chooses option "A" to list all message areas), rather than the default
internal message area listing. Similarly, with the File Base: If
FAREASa.MNU and/or FAREASn.MNU exist in your datadir, one of these files
will be displayed (when a user chooses option "A" to list all file areas),
rather than the default internal file area listing. The file to be
displayed is determined by the user's video mode (A = Ascii, N = aNsi).
Say you create JUST the ANSI message listing (MAREASn.MNU). Users with
ANSI active will see this list, but ASCII-only callers would still see
the same old internal message area list.
11. Reworked the message last-read pointer system and added a "Message
Packer" which will allow users to pack unread messages in each
message area they have "tagged". Then the message packet may be
downloaded and viewed/read at the user's convenience. Message packets
are straight ASCII files. PKZIP is the default archiver, but users may
choose from a list of available archivers you provide. The included
sample file (MBBSARCH.LST) should be used as a guideline for setting up
archivers; Edit it to include your favorite archiver utilities. Each
archiver you specify requires THREE lines in this format:
Line 1; A number (1 for the first, 2 for the second, etc)
Line 2: Archiver NAME as you want it to appear on the menu.
Line 3: The DOS command needed to COMPRESS with this archiver.
You can set-up as many archivers as you want.
12. Added an offline EDIT MENU. Use this menu as an easy way to edit
thee following three MacroBBS system files:
1. NOTICES,.DAT - The file containing your logon notices.
2. MBBSBULL.LST - The file containing your BULLETIN/TEXT FILE definitions.
3. MBBSARCH.LST - The file containing your archiver configuration.
13. DOS 5.0 users that had modified the DIRCMD environment variable in
DOS 5.0 were experiencing malfunctions with MacroBBS local/remote
uploads. Thanks to Dennis Boone, author of QuotEd, a small batch file
fix was implemented to correct this.
14. Added REMOTE CONFIG-ability (option "!" from the Main Menu). This
is a clone of the offline Master SysMenu minus option 2 - Edit a
FileList. (A remote user could edit a filelist using DOS DOORWAY,
if installed.) "Remote Config" is available to anyone with DOS
DOORWAY access The online user can ADD, EDIT, DELETE, and REVIEW
File Areas, Message Areas, and Caller Records.
Many thanks to Jim Bianchi, sysop of The Garbanzo BBS, (707-539-1279),
for his many suggestions, several of which were implemented.
* * * * * * *
* 2.0 Beta *
* * * * * * *
1. Fido DOES NOT YET WORK -- just ignore the Fido options.
2. This version does, however, optionally support a front-end mailer (eg.
BinkleyTerm). See the included file BINKLEY.BAT for an example of how
to pass carrier to MacroBBS.
3. All OFF-LINE options that call on the "Add, Delete, Edit or Review" routine
were combined into the Master SysMenu. Now the system password need only
be entered once. The "Review" option is for VIEWING only and was added to
eliminate the need for an external viewer just to look-up someone's
password.
4. Three new fields were added to the User records: Real name, Location, and
Last call. Callers will be prompted at log-on to provide their real name
and City, State ONLY IF THIS INFORMATION IS NOT PRESENT IN HIS/HER RECORD.
That means Callers will only be asked once. This information is User-
editable from the "Your System Data" MAIN MENU option. The LAST CALL
field is displayed on the GREETINGS/INTROMSG screen. A second line was
added to the MacroBBS status line to display the current Caller's real
name and Location.
5. E-Z Sysop-configurable external protocols via the MacroBBS Config routine.
Sample DSZ.COM Zmodem configuration included (MBXPRO-Z.MAC). Set up an
external protocol by entering MacroBBS's Configuration module and follow
the prompts. It's E-Z!
6. MacroBBS's E-MAIL/MESSAGE editor is now FULLY memory-resident, which
means it's MUCH FASTER -- no more disk reads/writes! Some of the Editor's
functions have been enhanced as a result of the change. Upto 100 lines.
7. The E-MAIL System was re-worked to include the JUMP command for quickly
jumping to the E-mail message you specify. Upon reaching the end of their
E-mail, Callers are now asked whether or not to delete it, allowing E-mail
to be saved for another time. It is no longer automatically deleted.
8. The Caller Time Limit routine was rewritten. You can now specify whether
the time limit is PER DAY or PER CALL specific to EACH USER. You can mod
this setting via the Useredit option of the On-line Sysop Menu (for the
current Caller), or utilize the Off-line Master SysMenu. Specify "D" if
you want the time limit to be a per DAY limit, or a "C" if you want it to
be a per CALL limit. For example, let's say you set a limit of 60 minutes
in the MacroBBS Config. You can now have some Callers that can only use
60 minutes TOTAL per DAY. Others can use upto 60 minutes per CALL, every
time they call. It's up to you. New User Default = "D" (PER DAY).
* * * * * * * *
* 1.2 a/b/c/d *
* * * * * * * *
- Bug fixes:
1. A BIG bug in the protocol menu (dealing with XMODEM) was fixed.
A BOTH of {COMMO}'s built-in protocols (XMODEM csum and XMODEM-1k)
are now available. THESE DO NOT NEED DSZ, but you must have DSZ
installed if you want to support YMODEM and ZMODEM transfers.
2. A certain line of code was limiting COM port access to CON1: -- this
A oversight has been corrected and MacroBBS should work fine with COM
ports 1, 2, 3, or 4 -- whichever {COMMO} is configured for.
3. MacroBBS was assuming too much about the format of your DOS directory
C listings. MBBS was crashing when there were more/less than 2 lines in
the DIRectory header:
Eg. Volume in drive C is DISK
Volume Serial Number is ????-????
Directory of E:\COMMO
...would cause MacroBBS to crash during local and remote uploads.
Thanks, Dennis! :)
4. {COMMO} 5.3's new military time format capability was conflicting with
D a portion of MacroBBS that relied on am's and pm's. This has been
corrected.
- Improvements:
REV
A 1. The Hall of Fame display/edit routine was re-worked and now re-displays
info only when the Caller enters "L" to LIST, rather than each time the
Caller updates a data field.
A 2. Made refinements to the "Intromsg" and "Your Data" MAIN MENU
subroutines.
A 3. Made a few changes to the OFF-LINE WAIT SCREEN. All options that
utilize {COMMO}'s built-in text editor were combined into a small
menu under OFF-LINE option 3, "Text Edit Menu".
A 4. Extended Name/Handle maximum length from 15 characters to 30 characters.
A 5. The older ADD CALLER routine assumed you knew EXACTLY what you were
doing; It would allow you to use an already taken Name/Handle as well
as allowing invalid input. That has been corrected.
A 6. The ON-LINE SYSOP MENU also assumed too much. Input length and
validity are now tested.
A 7. Seriously reworked the CONNECT routine to support many popular baud
rates and made configurable the CONNECT and RING modem result codes
to allow for greater versatility.
- New features:
REV
A 1. Options were added to the MESSAGE BASE, the FILE BASE, and the Hall of
Fame menus to allow direct access from one to another.
A 2. Added a Sysop configurable Personal Caller Data routine. If the file
PERSONAL.DAT is present in your MacroBBS data dir (\COMMO\MACROBBS\)
and there is no <id#>.DAT file for the current Caller (if the Caller is
new or his/her last call was before this feature was implemented),
normal log-on will be interrupted by the "System Information Request"
routine. The questions (prompts) are taken from the file PERSONAL.DAT
and the information provided by the Caller is saved to a file in the
CALLERS disk directory (\COMMO\CALLERS\). The newly saved file will
be named according to the Caller's id#. For example, User 5's info is
saved as 5.DAT. Create/edit PERSONAL.DAT with any ASCII editor or
select off-line option 3 to use {COMMO}'s built-in editor.
The format you MUST use for PERSONAL.DAT is exactly the same as the
format of QUESTION.DAT: two lines per item. The first line contains
a number -- the maximum number of characters MacroBBS will accept for
that item's answer. The second line contains the prompt.
Example:
25
Real name
2
Age
13
Phone #
In the above example, up to 25 characters will be accepted for the
Caller's REAL NAME, UP TO 2 for AGE, and UP TO 13 for PHONE #.
A 3. If the file NOTICES.DAT is present in your MacroBBS data directory
(eg. C:\COMMO\MACROBBS\), it will be displayed during log-on after the
stats/INTROMSG screen. Create/edit this file with any ASCII editor
or select off-line option 3 to create/edit this file with {COMMO}'s
built-in editor.
A 4. Added the (S)ysop command to the message READ MENU. Selecting S will
display the SYSOP MENU. Options available are: (D)elete the current
message, (M)ove the current message to another area, (E)dit the current
message (local uses {COMMO}'s built-in editor; remote uses MacroBBS's
editor), and (Q)uit to the READ MENU.
The Access Level needed to access the (S)ysop option must be set in
the MacroBBS configuration. ALSO, the Access Level needed to access
(D)OS from the MAIN MENU is now configurable.
A 5. Added the FORWARD (>) and REVERSE (<) commands to both the File Base and
Message Base menus for quickly jumping to the next File or Message area
without having to utilize the AREA LIST.
A 6. Added the (R)eviewScan option to the MESSAGE BASE MENU for scanning
message headers quickly.
A 7. Added the (T)race command to the message READ MENU. Selecting T will
auto-display the message to which the current message is a reply,
assuming the current message IS a reply to another message.
A 8. Added a configurable time limit per call, not counting chat time or
time spent UPloading. If you and a Caller chat for an hour, the
Caller will still have as much on-line time left as he/she did upon
entering chat mode. The same goes for file UPload.
- Hint for the not-so-distant future:
I have BIG plans for that empty off-line options slot. <grin>
* * * *
* 1.1 *
* * * *
- Bug fixes:
1. The NEWSCAN routine - The NEWSCAN flag was not being reset when
NEWSCAN was QUITted via the READ MENU command.
2. Off-line Edit Caller routine: If you edited a Caller before 12 noon,
that Caller's name/id# would be saved to disk as the "last Caller"
when the time flag was updated at noon.
3. OFF-LINE option 2, "See Scrollback," now works.
4. Protocol select: The protocol selection menu was "missing" but has
been replaced and is now working properly.
5. A ton of misspellings in the MACROBBS.DOC file were fixed.
(I *CAN* spell... Really I can. :)
- New features:
1. Local file upload routine: Now there's an automated way to add files
to a file list. Copy the files (the ones you want to add to a file
list) to the proper disk directory (ie. \COMMO\FILES\F2), log-on
locally and go to the File Base Menu. After switching to the area you
want to add files to, choose U for Upload. Enter a file mask (it may
include wildcards, eg. *.ZIP) If any files matching the mask exist in
that file area's disk directory, they will be displayed one at a time
and you will be asked whether or not you want to add the displayed file
to the list. If you choose YES, you will be prompted to enter a file
description. To abort (NOT add the file), Press ENTER only. Otherwise,
type in a description and press ENTER. The file/size/description is
then added to the file list for that area.
2. Added the [D]OS shell option to the ON-LINE SYSOP MENU.