Shareware Overload

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ Shareware Overload / ShartewareOverload.cdr / comm / rbbsmanl.zip / RBBSMANL.DOC

Wrap

Text File | 1991-03-03 | 53KB | 991 lines

************ USER'S MANUAL ************* 17 pages for RBBS-PC version 17.3B Written by Coke H. Dilworth Sysop for The Hub (512) 327-0235 BBS for the Central Texas PC Users Group with editorial help from Daniel Aiken Austin, Texas March 3, 1991 **** Other Sysops may modify to suit. **** Modified by: For: Date: RBBS-PC is a superb piece of work by Thomas Mack, Ken Goosens and members of the Capitol PC Users Group of the Washington D.C. area. The source code is distributed widely and modifications are contributed by countless Sysops. Most of its command structure is easily understood by users. This manual is intended as a complete listing and explanation of all the commands and their sub-commands. Some of the more obscure ones may surprise and delight you. There are three principal menus (function areas): MAIN - Where you read and enter messages FILES - Where you search for, upload and download files UTILITIES - Where you set the way the BBS responds to you. We will explain each command, in each menu, in alphabetical order. But first, there are some generalities and a Log-on trick. CALL WAITING If you have this service from your phone company, it should be defeated before any use of your modem. Otherwise, incoming calls will break your connection. Your dialing prefix should be changed from ATDT to ATDT*70W for touch-tone lines. If you use pulse dialing it should read ATDP1170W. Call Waiting will be restored as soon as you hang up. The "W" (Wait for next dial tone) can be replaced with a comma (,) which will cause a 2 second pause. Register S8 can change the duration of that pause. There are a very few exchanges where the *70 will not work. In that case, investigate Call Forwarding. PRE-LOG screen This is a text file that you see immediately after a connection is made. The Sysop thinks this information is important enough to make everyone see it. It's astonishing how many people don't take the time to read, much less understand what's on their screen. This is a plea for new users to slow down enough to EXAMINE what they see. Usually, the information one needs is right there on the screen. The command prompts for RBBS-PC are fairly cryptic because they are constrained to one line. Try to figure them out. "STACKING" Commands When you are asked for a response at the prompt lines, it's frequently appropriate to type two or more commands separated by a space (or a semicolon) before you hit the Enter key [CR]. These will be mentioned as we encounter them. A prime example is found at Log-on. Usually, you're asked to enter your First name, then your Last name and then your Password. If your communications software allows it (most do) you can assign one of your Function keys to send a string that looks like this: firstname lastname password} The "}" represents the [CR] and should be replaced with the character required by your software. Now, after you have gotten a connection and are prompted for your First name, just press that Fn-key and you're logged on in a jiffy. Of course, you can simply type the string on the First name line. REMINDER screens Sysops sometimes like to remind you of your "Terminal Profile" and how many files you have uploaded and downloaded. The former is only a convenience and the later is intended to make you feel guilty. You can see your Profile in the Utility menu with the R)ead Profile command. In the interest of saving time, many Sysops defeat one or both reminders. Some Sysops require you to see the latest News about the BBS and offer you options to see New Files and Bulletins since your last log-on. The New Files and Bulletins options can usually be T)oggled on or off from the Utility menu. BULLETINS Many Sysops require you to see the list of bulletins at Log-on. They have put a lot of pertinent information there. Answers to commonly asked questions are often found in bulletins. 1 ...List 2 ...of 3 ...Bulletins Read what bulletin(s), L)ist, S)ince, N)ews ([ENTER] = none)? <--Prompt Line Pick the number of the one you want, or stack them (1 2 3) and then [CR]. After you've read a bulletin you only see the Prompt line. Hit [CR] to go on without reading any of them. You may want to enter another number or the L) to see the listing again. You can read only the new bulletins S)ince your last call or see the N)ews again. CHECKING MESSAGES..... This is done each time you enter a new message base. You will see it, at log-on, for the Main message base and each time you J)oin a different Conference. Pay attention to it! If there are any messages To or From you their numbers will be displayed. Any with an asterisk (*) are private. See E)nter S)ave, below. Please go to the proper message base and K)ill any that you think will no longer be of interest to others. Unlike other BBSs, The Hub asks that you NOT kill your old messages. Next you see: RBBS-PC Version CPC17.3B Node 1 Caller # 22659 # active msgs: 16 Next msg # 296 Last msg read: 164 - Node 1 has to do with multiple phone line systems. Not active on most BBSs - You are the 22,659th caller to the BBS. - # active msgs: There are 16 messages that are still active. (Not Killed) - Next msg #: If you E)nter a new one, it'll be number 296. - Last msg read: The last one you read was number 164. More <[Y],N,C,A,J>? Any command option in brackets "[ ]" is the default. Just hit Enter to choose it. This is the ubiquitous "More" prompt. It's a device to keep things from scrolling off the top of your screen. All screens are interrupted every 23 lines by the More prompt. A 3 line display will may 20 CRs on the end so that you can have time to read it. Obviously, the N)o means you don't want to see any more. Choose C)ontinuous to let the text stream up your screen. This is very useful when you've opened a "Capture" (or Log) file and intend to read all that stuff while OFF-line. C)ontinuous disables the More prompt for the duration of the current command, only. Please see L)ines per page in the Utility menu. The A) aborts the command. The J) is for Jump and will ask for the text string for which to search. This is useful only in very large text files like the master file Directory. In that case, you could ask the system to J)ump to something like "09-01-89" (no quotes) and it would take you to the first occurrence of that string. * Ctrl-K(^K) / ^X aborts. ^S suspends ^Q resumes * If you have a C)ontinuous scroll going and want to stop it then hold down the Ctrl key and press "S". To resume the scroll hit any key or Ctrl-Q. Ctrl-K aborts a text file scroll. Ctrl-X aborts a text display and will even interrupt a file Download. ** CAUTION ** This does NOT work for U)tilities U)ser log R)ecent. Please see that section of this document. The HELP system RBBS-PC has a superb collection of H)elp screens. Actually they are small text files stored in a separate subdirectory and they are mostly "context sensitive". Most prompts have an H) option. We encourage you to use them and even play with them. They contain information that I consider beyond the scope of this short document. Some of the files are long and you get several More prompts. Have patience. Eventually you'll find what you want to know. What you see... EVERYTHING you see on your screen, with the exception of the Prompt Lines, has been built by the Sysop. Each listing, Menu, Directory, etc. is a text file which (s)he maintains from day to day. The color and music files are purely a labor of love. Perhaps, self defeating. If you find errors or inconsistencies, please leave a C)omment. Sysops need your feedback. The Hub's MAIN menu - Central Texas PCUG ----- MAIL ---------- SYSTEM ------------ ELSEWHERE -------- *[E]nter Messages *=Validation req'd [F]iles *[K]ill Messages [B]ulletins [U]tilities [P]ersonal Mail [C]omment to Sysop [Q]uit to F,U,S [R]ead Messages [I]nitial Welcome [G]oodbye, log off [S]can Messages [H]elp (or ?) [J]oin Conferences [T]opic of Msgs [X]pert on/off [V]iew Conf. Mail ------------------------------------------------------------ 43 min left MAIN command <?,B,C,E,F,H,I,J,K,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,X>? ****** A)NSWER Questionnaire(s) Not active on The Hub. ****** B)ULLETINS Takes you back to the list of Bulletins with the Prompt line below it. You will avoid the re-listing of Bulletins if you're in X)pert mode. ****** C)OMMENTS Leaves a special, private message that only the Sysop can read. All the margin widths and Editor functions operate here. See E)nter. There are many Comments every day. There isn't a Sysop in America that doesn't read the Comments daily, if (s)he can. The feedback is always instructive and occasionally makes 'em feel good. However, can you imagine yourself answering all those questions? Don't look for answers to questions left as Comments. E)nter a message to All instead. ****** D)OORS (not used on The Hub) A Door is a passageway to other programs that may be on a BBS. With this feature, you can drop out of RBBS-PC and run another program, remotely. Perhaps a game or an accounting program. You can imagine why it's dangerous to the system. If everyone pays close attention, it's Ok. Otherwise --- Disaster! Dropping carrier (hanging up) at just the wrong time can cause the BBS to seize up. Some Sysops keep the Doors closed because of the dangers to the system. Others maintain MANY remote programs. Running other programs can tie up the system for a LONG time. Busy BBSs seldom allow Doors. ****** E)NTER a message It's no big trick. Just answer the TO: and SUBJECT: prompts. Your response must be 25 characters or less. The recipient's name must be spelled exactly right. Next, you will see: Type message 30 lines max ([ENTER] quits) [----------------------------------------------------------------------] 1: The dashed line represents the 72 characters (max) that each line can hold. This can be changed in the Utility menu. The number 1: is the first of successive line numbers. RBBS-PC has "word wrap" so you don't have to place a [CR] at the end of each line. Just keep on typing as if you were using your favorite text processor. However, do NOT try to move your cursor around the screen! You may backspace on the current line, only. This is NOT a full-screen editor! To end your message put a [CR] as the first character on the last, empty line. You will then see: Edit Sub-function <A,C,D,E,I,L,M,R,S,?>? If you enter ?, you'll get: A - Abort without saving the message. C - Continue. Enter more lines of message. D - Delete line(s) of the message. E - Edit a line of the message. (Replace a text string) I - Insert line(s) into the message. L - List the entire message. M - Set the right text margin. R - Revise the message header (msg subject) S - Save the message. This option must be used in order to send the message. ? - Print this information If you choose S)ave, you'll get: Make message p[U]blic, p(R)ivate, (P)assword protected, (H)elp? If you choose H)elp, you'll get: U - pUblic. Message that can be READ BY ANYONE but can only be KILLED ONLY by sender, addressee, and SYSOP. R - pRivate. The message can only be read (and killed) by the sendor, the addressee and the SYSOP. P - Password. The message can be read and killed only by persons who can give the password you attach to this message, and the SYSOP. ? - Prints this summary 'Nuff said? Try to avoid pRivate and Password. pUblic is the way to go and is the default in most cases. ****** F)ILES This takes you to the Files function area where you can read the directories containing the file names and descriptions. You must be in the F)iles area in order to Upload or Download files. This is a separate Menu of commands. See the Files menu, below. ****** G)OODBYE G) immediately logs you off the system, disconnects the phone line and recycles the system to await another call. You can say G)oodbye from both the Main & Files function prompts. G) in the Utility menu means Graphics. ****** H)ELP Here's where the real help resides. Do H)elp from Main, Files or Utilities and you get: FILE - general help with file section commands MAIN - general help with main section commands UTIL - general help with utility section commands LIBR - general help with library section commands ZIP - what ZIPed files are and how to use them JUMP - How to use the RBBS-PC "jump" option SMARTEXT - A demo of RBBS-PC's "Smart Text" feature RBBS-PC - How to get a copy of RBBS-PC for your own use. Enter MAIN or ZIP or RBBS-PC and follow your nose. Darn near anything you want to know about the system is in H)elp. Far more than can be addressed here. You may have to wade through several More prompts to get to the level of help you're seeking. ****** I)NITIAL Welcome The "Prelog" and "Welcome" screens, which you saw when you first logged on, will be displayed. ****** J)OIN a Conference A Conference is just a separate message base file. Once you have J)oined a Conference, all of the system's functions are the same as if you were in the MAIN message base. However, messages are read and entered in that Conference only. At the Main Function prompt enter J) and you will be shown a list of the Conference names and their descriptions. Something like: ------ The CONFERENCES are ---------------- CONF1 - Description... CONF2 - Description... CONF3 - Description... What conference, L)ist, M)ain ([ENTER] quits)? If you enter CONF2 you'll join that conference. Some systems have private conferences. On others, you must R)egister in a conference. Still others have separate Files systems attached and are called Sub-boards. L)ist - will cause the conference Names to be shown in case you're in X)pert mode. M)ain - If you are in a Conference and want to return to the Main message base you must J)oin the M)ain base. From the Conference Main function prompt just do J M. You may also do Q C (Quit the Conference) to rejoin the Main message base. Any conference may be joined from any other. From any Main prompt do something like J CONF3. ****** K)ILL You can kill a message directly from the Main function prompt if you know its number. See P)ersonal Mail, below. Many systems will K)ill your old messages after a certain time (say 30 days). We ask that you NOT kill your old messages on The Hub. ****** O)PERATOR PAGE (not active on The Hub) Most Sysops set "office hours" for when they can be paged. If you page outside those hours you will be shown what they are. Some Sysops don't allow any paging. When you page within the office hours the system will beep for the Sysop for 30 seconds. If (s)he's home, not in the shower or the middle of a meal (s)he will switch to "Chat" mode and you can type stuff back and forth. ****** P)ERSONAL MAIL You will be shown those message numbers addressed To/From you just like at log-on. ****** Q)UIT to F, U or S QUIT C)onference, S)ession or to section F)ile, [M]ain, U)til? <--Prompt Ln. This seems redundant in the Main menu, but make sense in the Files and Utilities menus. Q F will take you to Files. Q U will take you to Utilities. Q S (session) will log you off. Each of these are simpler with F or U or G (goodbye). If you are in the Utilities area G is for Graphics and you must do Q M (Main) or Q F before you can say G)oodbye. If you are in the Files area and want to go to Utilities you must do Q U. In Files, U is for Upload. If you're in a Conference, Q C will take you to the Main message base. ****** R)EAD MESSAGES If you just enter R, you'll get: Msg # 5176-5573 (H)elp,S)ince,L)ast, T)o,F)rom,M)ine, text, [Q]uit)? The system is looking for more information. At least a message number! Let's say you only tell it M. You'll get: Only msgs TO/FROM you. Read from what msg # (e.g. 1+,4010-) You specified a "filter" (M), but still didn't say where to start searching. The system is asking for something like 5176+ or 5573-. Start from the first message and look forward (+) or from the last and look backward (-). See what's needed? R to start reading, an optional filter or at least a message number with an optional direction. That command could have been entered from the Main prompt like this: "R M 5176+" (no quotes). If S)ince or L)ast are chosen, then no direction is needed (Since last msg read, forward or Last msg, backwards). There's no need to stack commands if you don't wish to. It's a nifty time saver, though. Here's what the Help system shows about the first prompt. Msg # 5176-5573 (H)elp,S)ince,L)ast, T)o,F)rom,M)ine, text, [Q]uit)? RANGE options: S (or *) = forward from where you last read (the highest numbered message you read during this or previous sessions). n- = backward from message number n n+ = forward from message number n L = Start with LAST message left, and work backwards. FILTER options: F = Only mail From you T = mail To you specifically (or to ALL) M = My (your) mail. From you or To you. <text> = only messages with specified text in them. The TO/FROM & SUBJ as well as the text of the message will be searched for <text>. Note: If the text you wish to search for is a number, enclose it in quotes (ex. "100") to distinguish it from a RANGE. Examples of complete READ commands are: R S Read ALL messages left since the last time you read. R T 100+ Read messages 100 and above that are addressed TO YOU. R "GAME" 5000- Read messages 5000 and above that have the word GAME in the message (or in the TO, FROM or SUBJECT). R 10 20 S Read message 10, then 20, then ALL new messages. The More prompt has some added features when you are R)eading messages. Here's what the Help system says: More [Y]es,N)o,C)ont,A)bort,H)lp,R)eply,T)hread,=,+,-? Y: or [Enter] to continue to read or scan messages. [ ]=default N: if you do not wish to display additional messages. C: to read all messages referenced in your read command continuously. (without further pauses from the "More" prompt.) A: Abort message read and return to the MAIN menu. R: to enter a reply to the current message without having to go to the main menu. T: Thread (read only messages (R)eplies about the same SUBJECT). =: reads same message again +: switches to reading messages forward -: switches to reading messages backward F: Forward a copy of this message to someone else (if your sec lev permits) K: to erase the message you just read before continuing. Tips: 1. Range and Filter options can be used in many combinations. Feel free to experiment, and ask the Sysop if you have any problems. 2. Messages are numbered consecutively so that the most recently entered messages have the highest numbers. 3. You can rapidly identify the messages you would like to read with the S)can and P)ersonal mail commands. Every now and then the message bases fill up. Most Sysops allow for a base of 100 to 300 messages. Periodically, the Sysop must "Pack" the base to make room for more. All killed messages and those older than specified (say, 30 days) will be gone, forever, without warning. ****** S)CAN MESSAGES Only the TO:, FROM: and SUBJECT: lines are displayed. You will be prompted to enter a message number and a direction. Exactly like the R)ead prompt. ****** U)TILITIES Utilities are, for want of a better word, where you tell the system how you wish it to respond to you. This option will take you to the Utilities function area where you can change all of your system log-on settings and a few other handy things. See the Utilities menu section of this manual. ****** V)IEW Conference(s) If you were given a choice to check Conference mail at log-on, V) will show you exactly the same info. A list of conferences, the number of messages you havn't read and if any are to You or "All". ****** W)HO else is on the system This is intended for use with systems running with multiple phone lines. It is not active on most BBSs. Otherwise, it will show you the names and locations of those on the other Nodes. ****** X)PERT toggle When in the Novice mode you will see all the Menus displayed above the prompt lines. If you switch to X)pert mode only the prompt line will show. The X)pert command is an on/off toggle from Novice to Expert. RBBS-PC will remember which mode you were in when you said G)oodbye unless you are in a Conference. The next time you call it will be the same as when you logged off. The X)pert toggle is available at each of the major Menus. It's a great little time saver. All you've gotta do is learn a few of the the commands. A caveat is appropriate here. Many prompts and listings are effected by your Xpert mode. For instance, if in Xpert, the list of Bulletins will NOT be re-shown after you've read a bulletin. All you get is: Read what bulletin(s), L)ist, S)ince, N)ews ([ENTER] = none)? If editing messages you'll NOT see: A)bort,C)ont,D)el,E)dit,I)nsert,L)ist,M)argin,R)ev subj,S)ave Just: Edit Sub-function <A,C,D,E,I,L,M,R,S,?>? X)pert mode is the way to go. It only takes a little experience to get the hang of it. Same for command stacking. Have patience. If you feel the need for temporary help, just enter ? or H. If you're in Xpert, "?" will bring back a menu while leaving you in Xpert. The Hub's FILES menu - Central Texas PCUG -- TRANSFER ------- INFORMATION ----- SYSTEM ------ ELSEWHERE --- *[D]ownload file(s [L]ist Dirs [H]elp (or ?) [G]oodbye *[U]pload file [N]ew files [X]pert on/off [Q]uit to M,U *=Validation [S]earch for required [V]iew inside .ZIPs ----------------------------------------------------------------- 44 min left FILE command <?,D,G,H,L,N,Q,S,U,V,X>? File transfers work basically the same way for all on-line services (BBSs, CompuServe, etc.). First, tell the BBS what to do. Second, tell your computer what to expect. ****** D)OWNLOAD a file Download means to transfer a file from the BBS to you. After entering the D) you will be prompted: Download what file(s)? blahblah.exe <--Filename of your choice Make very sure that the filename you enter is EXACTLY as listed in the directory, complete with any extension (.EXE, .TXT, etc.). On The Hub the default extension is .ZIP and need not be added. At this point all DOS sub-directories are searched. Searching for BLAHBLAH.EXE.. If the file was found you'll be asked to select a transfer protocol. Protocol A)scii B)atch Ymodem (DSZ) C)rc Xmodem (Safer, use w/ your Xmodem) K)ermit X)modem (Checksum) Y)modem (1K Xmodem CRC) W)indowed Xmodem Z)modem (DSZ batch) N)one - Cancel Select Protocol? z <--Z used for illustration only File Size : 41 blocks 41500 bytes Transfer Time: 3 min, 19 sec (approx) <-- at 2400bps Protocol : Zmodem (DSZ batch) Ready to send blahblah.exe The BBS has just told you it's ready to send the file when you have done what's required on your end. Now, you must tell your communications program what it needs to know. Usually 4 things, not necessarily in this order. 1. You want to start a download transfer. (Alt-R, CAPTURE, PgDn, etc.) 2. Where you want the file to be stored. (drive B:, C:\PATH\, etc.) 3. What transfer protocol to use. It must be the SAME as your choice above. 4. The filename under which you want to store it. (Not neces'ly same as BBS's) When you have done everything on your end correctly the file transfer will begin automatically. It should end automatically when both systems encounter the EOF (End Of File) byte and close their files. There are so many things that can go wrong on your end that I'm not about to try to address them here. Sysops KNOW there's nothing wrong on their end because they have tested and tested and tested and tested and tested and tested and tested........ You need not be looking at any particular directory to download a file found therein. When you ask for the filename all available DOS subdirectories are searched, not the text Directories. See L)ist, below. File names can be stacked for downloading. D BLAHBLAH DOODAH Z /G D starts the process. Both BLAHBLAH and DOODAH are .ZIP files. Z is the protocol of your choice and "/G" is for Goodbye. You'll be logged off after completion of the last transfer. If your protocol doesn't support multiple (batch) file transfers, you must tell your program what to do between each file. Even so, its still a nice time saver. ****** G)OODBYE You can say G)oodbye here just like at the Main function prompt. Don't say goodbye from the Utility functions or you will be asked to select your G)raphics mode. ****** H)ELP Please see Help in the Main menu, above. ****** L)IST Directories and Files L shows a list of file Directories. L DirName shows a list of FILES within that directory. L U or L A shows a list of FILES in the Upload dir or All files. A simple L won't show you a list of files. It shows a list of the file Directory names (or numbers) and their categorical descriptions. A file Directory is only a TEXT file which contains the file names and their descriptions. They are not to be confused with DOS subdirectories. Usually, the text file directories (hereafter called "Directories") are all in the same DOS subdirectory. Confused? Sorry. Please read it again, slowly. L) will show you: * Ctrl-K(^K) / ^X aborts. ^S suspends ^Q resumes * DirName ----- ***** Directory of Drectories ***** ALL - All files in reverse date order (same as U)pload dir.) NEW - The directory to which all uploads go first BAS - BASIC language tools, routines, programs & patches COMMO - Communications programs and info. and so on.... Some BBSs have dozens of Directories EXAMPLE - From the Files Menu type `L COMMO' to see that listing or L U or L A to see ALL files. What directory(s) (U)pload,A)ll,L)ist,E)xtended +/-, [Q]uit)? <--Prompt The prompt is waiting for a DirName like BAS. A, for All, works nicely. Some BBSs won't let you look at the files in the U)pload directory. Again, you can do some serious stacking, like L NEW BAS COMMO. The files in those directories will be shown in that order. At this writing, I'm not sure what E)xtented +/- does. It's a toggle that turns "Extended directory display" on or off but has no effect (currently) on The Hub. ****** N)EW FILES since you last called. That's the intention of the [N] command. After entering the [N] you will be prompted: Files on/after MMDDYY, [ENTER] = 021991? <--date of your last call You can specify another date like 010190 or just press [CR] and you will be shown those files that have been added since your last call. You'll see that same prompt, again: What directory(s) (U)pload,A)ll,L)ist,E)xtended +/-, [Q]uit)? <--Prompt Just tell it A)ll. Again, there's a handy trick. If you would like to have a complete list of all the files on the BBS for your later study, open an ASCII capture file on your end. Then, do L A to list all files. At the first More prompt, choose C)ontinuous. If you are calling a large capacity BBS and are operating at 1200bps, this process can take forever. A MUCH better way is is to download the file that contains all the file listings. Many BBSs offer this kind of master file which is updated at varying intervals (sometimes daily). This file is called HUBBF.ZIP on The Hub and is updated monthly. ****** Q)UIT Please see Quit in the Main function area, above. ******* S)EARCH for a string in filenames and descriptions. Let's say you wanted to search for the string "form" in all of the Directories. S) will show you the prompt: Search string or filename (wildcards OK), [ENTER] quits)? form <-your entry If you're in Novice mode you'll be shown the Directories again before you can tell it A)ll dirs. A better way is to stack the command like S FORM A. Then you'll see: Scanning directory ALL for FORM - All files NEURAL.ZIP 61926 10-11-90 C++ code form 10/90 AI Expert pms EZFMT311.ZIP 225899 09-28-90 EZFormat, Gt! FD Formatter UD6.0 PBS FM300.EXE 78456 09-21-90 FormatMaster v3 for flppys slf extr FORMULA.ZIP 11149 01-29-86 math functions implemented in Turbo See what happened? The entire line, including the description, was searched. This is a powerful tool that not many know about, much less use. Wildcards (?*) work only on the filenames. The shorter the string, the more "finds". Had you asked for `formula' there would have been just one find. ****** U)PLOAD a file Upload means sending a file from you to the BBS. It works much like downloading. First, the BBS. Then, your end. After entering U) you will be prompted: Upload what file(s)? BLAHBLAH.ZIP <-enter the filename.ext Next, you will see: Searching for BLAHBLAH.ZIP... <-does the file already exist? Upload disk has 16306176 bytes free <-is there room for your file? You'll be asked to pick a protocol unless you've chosen a default one in the Utilities function area. If you did, you'll next see: C)rc Xmodem RECEIVE of BLAHBLAH.ZIP ready. <Ctrl X> aborts <-your default Now, start the process on your end with something like Alt-S or PgUp. Pick the SAME protocol and tell it the \path\filename. Upon completion of the upload you'll be asked for a description of not more than 40 characters: Upload successful Describe BLAHBLAH.ZIP (Begin with '/' if for SYSOP only) |----+--Min<..-+---2+0---+---3+0---..Max> ? <--10 chrs Min, 40 Max. PLEASE think up the most succinct and thorough description you can. Hundreds of other people are relying on your 40 character communication. Sysops have neither the time nor the inclination to look at the uploads and add descriptions. The "/" is intended as a way to send a file that only the Sysop can find. For God's sake, don't ask him to evaluate it! Your Sysop has many other things in his life. YOU make very sure that the file is in good shape, complete and not a commercial product. ******* PIRACY ****** Now, let's talk about copying software. There are zillions of utilities, games and patches which are offered to the world by the authors. Does it have an admonishment to "pass it on"? These are surely Public Domain. Copyright (c) symbols are nearly meaningless. Everyone does that to keep some jerk from using their code? These programs are very useful, fun and informative. Freebies! The middle ground is occupied by "Shareware". Does it have a plea from the author for money? Shareware is intended to be passed around, freely. You pay for it only if you like it and use it fairly regularly. It's a great concept that provides us with top quality software at a very low cost. PLEASE support the authors because that makes the system work. On the other end of the stick are commercial programs that are sold for "money up front". Did they take thousands of man hours to write? YOU know those programs when you see them. Well, this BBS doesn't deal in pirated (cracked) software. If you encounter one of these, please notify your Sysop so (s)he can help take it out of circulation. ****** V)IEW inside .ZIPs Files with the extension of .ZIP usually contain more than one file and each of those has been squeezed down to its minimum size. There's a fine explanation of what ZIP means in the H)elp system. From the Files menu, you might enter V SCANV74B and you'ld get: Searching for SCANV74B.ZIP... SCANV74B.ZIP has these files Name Length Stowage SF Size now Date Time CRC ============ ======== ======== ==== ======== ========= ====== ==== AGENTS.TXT 8616 Imploded 57% 3680 14 Feb 91 14:21 9038 SCAN.EXE 80951 Imploded 49% 41161 15 Feb 91 09:50 C4A0 VALIDATE.COM 6495 Imploded 70% 1895 31 Oct 89 16:16 B09D SCAN74-B.DOC 32599 Imploded 62% 12374 15 Feb 91 10:40 5809 README.1ST 3626 Imploded 50% 1802 29 Nov 90 01:59 470F REGISTER.DOC 3350 Imploded 60% 1318 14 Feb 91 14:03 1CAC VIRLIST.TXT 18670 Imploded 72% 5060 14 Feb 91 18:21 1C3F VALIDATE.DOC 2844 Imploded 50% 1406 14 Feb 91 14:25 0B57 ------ --- -------- ---- -------- *Total 8 157151 56% 68696 ****** X)PERT mode Please see the explanation in the Main function area. The Hub's UTILITIES menu - Central Texas PCUG -- DISPLAY -------- INFORMATION --- SYSTEM ---------- ELSEWHERE --- [G]raphics [H]elp (or ?) [B]aud Rate Change [Q]uit to F,M [L]ines/Page [R]ead Profile [C]lock Time-Date or S [M]essage margin [S]tatistics [F]ile Protocol *=Validation [T]oggles *[U]ser log [P]assword Change required ------------------------------------------------------------------- 42 min left UTIL command <?,B,C,E,F,G,H,L,M,P,Q,R,S,T,U,X>? Most of the Utility functions are there so that you can control the way the BBS responds to you. Most are remembered in your Main User record. How you had them set at log-off will be how they are set when you log-on the next time. However, each Conference has its own User records attached to it so that your last-msg-read can be remembered. Changes in your Main Utility settings are not automatically changed for the Conferences. You should join each Conference and change them manually. ****** B)AUD RATE change, 300 to 450 RBBS-PC has, to date, never abandoned old code (commands, features). I'm not going to waste your time explaining how to switch from 300 baud to 450bps. If you are calling at 300 baud, find another BBS or get a faster modem. ****** C)LOCK Time-Date It shows how long you have taken during the current call, thus: Now: 02-21-1991 at 11:59:04 On for 8 mins, 15 secs ****** F)ILE transfer protocols (your "default") This is where you come to select a protocol that will automatically be invoked each time you transfer a file. You will no longer be shown a list from which to choose every time you up/download. This default is overridden by your choice at the end of a stacked command. If you do D BLAHBLAH.EXE X, Xmodem will be the protocol for that download, only. A transfer protocol is a very clever way to send manageable blocks of information, check for errors and if necessary, re-send that block until the two computers agree that they have it right. I'm not quite sure that I understand all of Ward Christianson's XMODEM and I ain't about to try to explain it to you here. Suffice it to say that his basic idea is part of every protocol developed to date, including Zmodem. There are references below to "Reliable" modems. They are modems that have error correction protocols built into the hardware. If you call The Hub with one of those modems, the word Reliable will be echoed as part of the Welcome immediately after the connection is made. The built-in protocols include HST, MNP1-4, V.32 and V.42. MNP level 5 has been defeated on The Hub. It's a compression protocol that just slows things down when transferring files that are already compressed (ZIPed). V.42bis remains active on The Hub because it's smart enough to recognize a compressed file and get itself out of the way. A)SCII - American Standard Code for Information Interchange There is no error checking. It is just ASCII 0-127. Every computer in North America understands it (ASCII 0-255 on DOS machines). It only works with text (non binary) file transfers. When you are capturing screen scrolls to study later, this might be a good tool. A better tool would be to open a "Log" or "Capture" file because these usually strip out any ANSI (color) code. B)atch Ymodem (DSZ) This is the real, original Ymodem. Y)modem (1K Xmodem) is described below. Your commo software must explicitly recognize it or you can run it as an option under Omen Tech's (Fosberg's) DSZ module. This protocol has a 16-bit CRC and allows multiple downloads automatically. The block size is 1024 bytes and it can handle Reliable connections. X)modem (Checksum) The sending computer counts the number of bits in a block of 128 bytes of data and divides by a pre-determined number. The receiving computer does the same thing and echos the REMAINDER back to the sender. There is a tiny pause between blocks while this agreement is reached. If they agree, the next block is sent. If not, there are 9 more tries to re-send and agree. After that, failure. Reliable connections slow down the process. C)rc Xmodem Xmodem/CRC (Cyclical Recundency Check) offers a significantly higher transfer accuracy than Xmodem - 99.9995% versus 99.6%. There is no noticable difference in transfer time. Your software probably supports it. The redundancy is that CRC keeps a running count of the remainders and checks that, also. Communications programs published since 1986 should be able to distinguish between Xmodem and CrcXmodem automatically. If your commo program appears to only handle Xmodem, choose C)rc Xmodem on the BBS and Xmodem on your end. See what happens. It's a much safer protocol than old Xmodem (Checksum). Slowed by Reliable connections. Y)modem (1K Xmodem) This is exactly like CrcXmodem except that the block size is 1024 bytes and is, therefore, faster. Slowed by Reliable connections. K)ermit All I know about Kermit is that it was developed at Columbia University so that binary files could be transferred to/from mainframes, using the 7-E-1 parameters. And, yes, it was named after our beloved Frog. I have not used it for many years but, here it is for the few of you that seem to like it. W)indowed Xmodem The block size and CRC are the same as Xmodem/CRC. Wxmodem takes advantage of the full duplex capabilities of the phone lines by confirming the CRC while data is being transferred. There's no wait between blocks so, it's faster than Xmodem or even 1K Xmodem. The "sliding window" tries to keep 4 blocks ahead of the CRCs and, therefore, works well on packet-switching networks like Telenet. It bombs out on 9600bps Reliable modems and is slowed by 2400 Reliables. G) Ymodem-G (DSZ batch) <-- displayed ONLY if the connection is Reliable This works for Reliable modems, only. It provides no error detection or correction. It just counts blocks and facilitates batch downloads. It is "transparent" to both modems. However, for some modems, it is actually slower than Zmodem. Don't ask why. Z)modem (DSZ batch) At this writing, Zmodem is the fastest, most secure protocol available (see Batch Ymodem about Fosberg's DSZ module). Zmodem is a full duplex, 32-bit CRC protocol who's block size can adjust from 128 to 1024 as line conditions permit. It can handle all Reliable connections. It has many handy features like auto-download and crash recovery. Multi-file (batch) downloads are seamless. It's THE recommended protocol. If Zmodem is built into your commo program it's likely that it lacks some of the features and speed of an external DSZ module. Find a recent release of DSZ.COM and attach it. N)one (cancel your default or cancel the up/download) If you choose N)one, each time you d/l or u/l something you will be asked to make a choice of protocols. This can be an advantage if you want to see the ASCII files as they are u/downloaded or play around with protocol choices. Otherwise, pick your best protocol and stick with it. ****** G)RAPHICS FORMATS If you are in Novice mode when you enter G, you'll be shown a screen that explains ANSI color graphics and ASCII graphics. Your choices will be: Change from N to N)one, A)scii-IBM, C)olor-IBM, H)elp ([ENTER] quits)? N)one It's boring but, fast. A)SCII graphics You will see all the IBM ASCII characters in monochrome. ASCII 128-255 has all those line and box drawing characters. C)olor If you have a c/g card pick C)olor. Sysops have put a lot of time into those screens. (You'll put even more time into them if you don't switch to X)pert.) Your communications program must support color (Qmodem does, PC-TALK doesn't). You must boot with ANSI.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file and have called in with parameters of 8-N-1. Procomm+ (and maybe others) has ANSI built in so you don't have to mess with CONFIG.SYS unless you have other reasons. H)elp Shows you the same things listed here. Except, someone provided a nice demonstration to let you know if you can see color. It blinks at you in Red if your machine & commo program are already set up as described in C)olor, above. When you've made your choice from above, you'll be asked: Do you want colorized prompts ([Y],N)? Tell it Yes even if you have chosen None or ASCII. See T)oggles H)ighlights, below. You'll then be asked to choose: Make text R)ed,G)reen,Y)ellow,B)lue,P)urple,C)yan,W)hite ([ENTER] quits)? This is for all the normal text you see. The next prompt will ask if you want it Bold (high intensity) or not. It's all a matter of taste. ****** H)ELP Please see Help in the Main functions area. ****** L)INES per page (screen) CHANGE page length from 23 TO (0-255, 0=continuous)? You probably have 25 lines on your screen. Line 25 is reserved for your system and line 24 is where the various prompts shows up. That leaves 23 lines to scroll up the screen before you get another "More" prompt. If you are running a CoCo you will want to change this to suit you. Otherwise, leave it at 23. If you have a Capture file open and want to defeat all More prompts, then set your L)ines to 0 (zero). The C)ontinuous option at many prompts does the same thing, after you've seen the first screen full. And, you don't have to go to Utilities to do it. See the Caution under U)tilities U)sers R)ecent. ****** M)ESSAGE MARGIN Remember that line of dashes when E)ntering a message? If you enter an M you'll see: SET Right-Margin from 72 TO (8...72)? Eight is ridiculous. Why not fill the screen with 72 characters per line in your messages and C)omments? ****** P)ASSWORD CHANGE You can change your password here. That seems pretty straight forward. Just type in a new password when you are prompted to do so. However, there's a little known feature here, too. The Sysop may have assigned a special password to let the chosen few increase their time on the BBS. The Sysop will let you know, somehow, what the magic word (or number) is. After entering a P you will be prompted to enter the password. Pick the magic one and your old password will remain unchanged. You just get extra time or some other privilege. Otherwise, you will have permanently changed your password. Please remember it! ****** Q)UIT to the Main Functions Q)uit is your only way out of Utilities! Please see Quit in the Main function area. ****** R)EAD Profile (User's preferences/settings) Enter an R and you get: Your PROFILE Novice Text Graphics: None Highlighting On Protocol: None UPPER CASE and lower If you don't like your settings, Line Feeds On change 'em. Nulls Off Prompt Bell Off Skip old Bulletins in logon Check new files in logon TurboKey Off Autodownload Off ****** S)TATISTICS Remember this? It was shown at log-on. RBBS-PC 17.3B Node 1 Caller # 28908 # active msgs: 273 Next msg # 5593 Last msg read: 5573 ****** T)OGGLES The following are all off/on or yes/no toggles. A)utodwnld B)ullet C)ase F)ile H)ilite L)ine feeds N)ulls T)urboKey X)pert !)bell Toggle which options on/off? (Press [ENTER] to quit)? A)uto-download If your commo program supports it or if you are using Zmodem, you won't even have to touch your keyboard after telling the BBS to start a download. It just happens. If you want to experiment, please do it with small files so as not to tie up the BBS too long. B)ulletins This allows you be prompted for only the new bulletins at log-on. Most people set it for Skip (old bulletins). C)ase Change - UPPER to Upper and lower Are you only getting UPPER case letters on your screen? Come here and change it. Of course, there are a few pre-Colombian computers that can only generate upper case. I guess this is for them. ** CAUTION ** If you have somehow asked for H)ighlight or C)olor AND upper case the results may cause your program to hang! The only remedy is to call, using another name, and ask the Sysop to reset your G)raphics to N)one. ANSI code (color) depends on many lower case characters. If you ask the BBS to convert everything to caps, bloowie. You get a lot of darkness. F)iles Do you want to see new files, since your last call, when you log on? This is a Yes/No toggle. Skip or Check. H)ighlight (prompts) Even if you have a monochrome screen, we recommend that you turn Highlighting ON. It highlights the prompts but, it ALSO highlights the "finds" when searching files and messages. If it doesn't work for your setup, you can always change it back to OFF. This depends on your system understanding ANSI code. See G)raphics C)olor. L)ine feeds This tells the BBS whether or not to send a line feed characters at the end of each line. Your communications software probably has the option to supply line feeds, or not. If both you and the BBS are supplying LFs then your screen will be double spaced. If neither is providing LFs then everything is overwritten on the same line and no scrolling occurs. Most users let the BBS send the LFs so, set them to ON here. N)ulls This is REALLY archaic. Somewhere in the world there must still be a "Hard Copy Terminal". They are sort of like the old Teletype printers. No screen! Just a printer. If you have one of these, a few "Nulls" are desirable in order to give the print head time to return to the start of a line. Otherwise, the Null setting should be OFF or things will be just a tad slower. T)urboKey When it's ON, your commands are executed with one keystroke. You are prevented from stacking commands. The recommended setting is OFF. X)pert Again, please see Xpert in the Main function area. !)bell Many people find a Beep at each prompt to be annoying. Come here to decide your preference. ****** U)SER Log - Who's been on the system Upon entering a U the system asks you: List - U)sers, R)ecent callers? If you choose U)sers you will be shown all the registered users of the system. ALL of them, in no particular order. The information is name, their location and the date and time of their last log-on. Thus: SAM DOE AUSTIN, TX 02-15-91 22:13 JIM SOMETHING AUSTIN, TX 03-31-91 12:03 MARY DOE GEOGETOWN,TEXAS 02-14-91 18:52 JAMES DOODAH AUSTIN, TX 04-06-91 22:03 JOE SMITH AUSTIN TEXAS 03-29-91 14:59 If you pick R)ecent callers, the system will list, in descending date/time order, all the Callers for the last few days. Like this: JOE BLACK on at 04-11-86, 01:22 AM from AUSTIN, 2400 BAUD,N,8,1 RICH WHITE on at 04-11-86, 00:39 AM from AUSTIN, TX, 2400 BAUD,N,8,1 DAVID GREEN on at 04-10-86, 11:55 PM from AUSTIN. TEXAS, 9600 BAUD,N,8,1 JEFF BROWN on at 04-10-86, 11:15 PM from AUSTIN,TX, 2400 BAUD,N,8,1 That is the "Callers" file. You will be given the "More" prompt after the first screen full. ** CAUTION ** There is a bug in RBBS-PC. If you have your Lines per page set to zero (0) or ask for a C)ontinuous scroll while seeing R)ecent users, Ctrl-K and Ctrl-X do NOT work. Your only recourse is to hang up! It won't hurt the BBS but, it'll sure mess up your call. The Users file is permanent. Periodically, the Sysop must "pack" the Users file to delete the inactive ones and make room for more. The Callers file, on the other hand, is a record of each caller's activity. It can grow to a size bigger than Houston and must be deleted from time to time to avoid Drive Cram. Happy Modeming! -Coke ********************************** END ************************************ The following is a Bulletin on The Hub. Time on this BBS (or any other) is PRECIOUS. Tired of busy signals? Heed The Hub's Golden Rule: "Make short calls so that many others may make short calls". There are about 500 Group members and only one Hub (300 on The Hub). We ask you to do everything you can to cut your time on line to your absolute minimum. Sure, we know that up/downloads are limited by the speed of your/our modem. There is no remedy for that. However, there's a few, nifty things you can do to help out. First among them is to junk those 1200bps modems. Good, 2400bps modems are widely available for +-$90. Like they say about hard drives; Get one! D)ownloading files: Don't hog time by reading +-1,600 file descriptions while ON-line. Download HUBBF.ZIP and make your selections OFF-line. When you call back in to d/l, use RBBS's command stacking capabilities. They're mighty powerful. From the MAIN menu, try something like: "f d file1 file2 file3 c /g <enter>". F takes you to Files, D is for Download, the default filename extension is .ZIP, C is the protocol of your choice and /G logs you off automatically. Ain't dat sweet? R)eading messages: Send 'em to a file and read 'em OFF-line!!! Open a "Capture (log)" file and then R)ead messages S)ince you last used "R S". When you see the first "More" prompt, choose C)ontinuous and let 'em stream up your screen. They'll all go to your capture file and you can read them OFF-line. E)ntering messages: Messages can be sent as ASCII uploads!!! Compose your message OFF-line so that it says exactly what you want it to say. It takes one helluva lot of time to type while ON-line. Make sure that your word processor (or editor) can save files in pure ASCII (0-127) with no more than 72 chrs/line. The Hub is set for 30 lines/msg. After you have answered the To and Subject prompts and see: [-------------------------...] 1: That's when you start your ASCII upload (not Xmodem, etc). It all squirts up in a few seconds. Hit Enter on the last, blank line and S)ave it.