PCBPack

 This utility should be used to maintain your message bases.  You can delete
 old or received messages and even weed out duplicate messages using PCBPack.
 The interface for PCBoard is done strictly on a command parameter level.  To
 pack your message bases, use the desired command line parameter(s) which are
 described later in this section.  First, you must know the syntax to execute
 PCBPack.

 Syntax

 PCBPACK /parameter /parameter ... /parameter

 /parameter      Refers to one or more command line parameters described
                 later in this section.

 Using A Configuration File

 A configuration file enables you to specify the default command line
 parameters that will be used each time PCBPack is run.  The configuration
 file must meet the following criteria:

  - The config file must be in the current directory and named PCBPACK.CFG
  - PCBPACK.CFG must be a ASCII text file.
  - Each command line parameter must be entered on a separate line in the
    config file.

 An example PCBPACK.CFG may contain the following:

 /AREA:ALL
 /KEEP:45
 /PURGE:7
 /MAXMSGS:500
 /MINMSGS:200
 /KILLBAK

 Using this config file you could enter PCBPACK at the DOS
 command prompt and it will be the equivalent of typing:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /KEEP:45 /PURGE:7 /MAXMSGS:500 /MINMSGS:200 /KILLBAK

 NOTE:  To specify a different configuration file to use when loading
        PCBPack, use the following syntax:

 PCBPACK @FILENAME.CFG

  FILENAME.CFG is the filename you want to use for PCBPack's configuration.

 PCBPACK @C:\PCB\NETMAIL.CFG

 Miscellaneous Command Line Parameters

 /AREA:[conferences]
 This is the only required command line parameter.  Use this to specify the
 conference number to pack.    To specify a range of conferences to pack,
 enter the beginning conference number, followed by a dash and the ending
 conference number to pack (e.g., 3-10).  In addition, you can separate
 conferences and conference ranges with a semicolon.  If you enter ALL, each
 conference on your system will have its message base packed.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL
 PCBPACK /AREA:3-15
 PCBPACK /AREA:1-10;12;18-35

 /CAP:[filename]
 Specifies the filename to use for capturing the results of packing.  Most
 SysOps will pack during their event which may run at odd hours.  By referring
 to a capture file, errors and other information can be monitored.  Replace
 [filename] with the filename of the capture file to create.  If the file
 exists, the new data will be appended to the end of the file.

 The format of the capture file is shown in this example:

 *** Packing Conference (0) -- Main Board ***

 Memory available: 550552 bytes

 10149888 bytes available.

 Number of messages kept      = 0
 Number of messages removed   = 0
 Number of messages processed = 0
 Number of extraneous blocks  = 0

 The following describes the lines that are recorded for each conference:

  - The conference number being packed.
  - Total amount of free space on the drive where the message base is stored.
  - The number of the messages that existed in the message base after it was
    packed.
  - Total number of messages that were removed of packed out of the message
    base.
  - The total number of messages before the message base was packed.
  - Total number of extraneous message blocks found in the messages being
    packed.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:3 /CAP:PCBPACK.LOG

 /CRC:[days]
 In order to kill duplicate messages (/KILLDUP), you must maintain a CRC
 database.  Each message will generate a unique CRC value.  If two messages
 which generate the same CRC value are found in a conference, the latter
 message will be packed out.  Replace [days] with the number of days that the
 CRC database will be maintained.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:33 /CRC:90 /KILLDUP

 /FAST
 Instead of displaying the normal message and packing statistics, display the
 minimum amount of information about each conference. The following shows a
 conference being packed in regular mode:

 while this shows a conference being packed using the /FAST command line
 parameter:

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /FAST

 /FILE:[filename]
 Normally, PCBPack will look for the PCBOARD.DAT file to exist in the
 directory that you run PCBPack from.  If you want to specify where PCBPack
 can find the PCBOARD.DAT file, use this command line parameter.  In place of
 [filename], specify the path and filename where the PCBOARD.DAT you want to
 use can be found.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:32 /FILE:C:\TEMP\PCBOARD.DAT

 /HELP
 This command line parameter will display brief descriptions of the command
 line parameters for PCBPack.

 /INDEX
 If you want to generate only an index for a message base, use this command
 line parameter.    If you suspect that an index has become corrupt, use this
 command line parameter.

 NOTE:  When this parameter is used, PCBPack will ignore all command line
 parameters that will pack the message base.  For example, you cannot use the
 /MAXMSGS parameter with the /INDEX parameter.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:9-12 /INDEX

 /KILLBAK
 When PCBPack processes message bases it creates backup files for each
 conference that is processed.  Should something go wrong with a message base,
 you may want to use these backup files to help rebuild the message base.  If
 you have no desire to leave these backup files on your drive, use this
 command line parameter.  When this parameter is used, the backup files will
 be deleted after each message base is processed.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:10-35;50 /KILLBAK

 /NOCALLER
 When this command line parameter is used, no information about the packed
 message bases will be written to the caller logs. When pack information is
 written to the caller logs, the following format is used:


 *** Packing Conference (0) -- Main Board ***
 *** Packing Conference (1) -- Chatter ***

 Each line written shows the conference number and name that was packed.
 Having this information in the caller logs is most useful when you run your
 events at hours when you are not available to watch it run.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:2-13 /NOCALLER

 /OLDINDEX
 PCBPack will check the PCB environment variable and the conference
 information to determine if it needs to create the old index files (v14.x
 compatible).  To force PCBPack to create the older index files, use this
 command line parameter:

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:32-60 /OLDINDEX

 /QUIET
 This command line switch is identical to the /FAST switch.  See the
 description of that switch for additional details.

 /RENUMBER:[beginning number]
 PCBoard allows you to enter in excess of 16 million messages before you will
 reach a point where you must renumber the message base(s).  If you need to
 renumber the message bases to begin with a new number, enter the new
 beginning message number in place of [beginning number].

 NOTE:  When a message base is renumbered, the user records are not updated.
 If you renumber you message bases, reset the last message read pointers for
 all users affected.  If you do not, your users may miss new messages left in
 the renumbered conference.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:99 /RENUMBER:1

 /REPORT:[filename]
 To help you keep tabs on how active the message base in each conference on
 your system is, use this command line parameter replacing [filename] with the
 filename you want to output the report to.  If the filename specified exists
 on disk, the contents of the file will be overwritten with the new report.
 The following shows the format of the report.

 Conference             High      Low       Active
 =====================  ========  ========  ========
 (    0) Main Board          263      4264      1256
 (    1) Chatter              62       264       125
 (    2) Debate             3325      5634       896
                                            ========
                                                2277
 Each line shows the conference number, conference name, high message number,
 low message number, and total active messages. The last line in the report
 summarizes the total number of active messages in the report.

 If you use this command line parameter with any packing command
 line parameters, the report will be generated for each
 conference before the message base is packed.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /REPORT:PCBPACK.RPT

 /TIMEOUT:[seconds]
 If PCBPack attempts to pack a message base that is currently in use, it will
 normally attempt to access it for 60 seconds before skipping the message
 base.  If you want to change the default wait time, use this command line
 parameter.  Replace [seconds] with the number of seconds you want PCBPack to
 attempt to access a message base.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:1-10 /TIMEOUT:90

 /UPCASE
 This command line parameter will convert the subject of all messages to
 uppercase.  Even though PCBoard is capable of handling messages with mixed
 case subjects, it may be desirable to have all of your subjects in uppercase.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /UPCASE

 /UPDATE
 PCBoard's message base format has remained the same for v14.x and v15.x.
 Both versions of PCBoard use different index files. If you are using
 third-party software which supports the v14.x index files (.NDX), use this
 parameter to update the newer index files (.IDX).  For example, if you are
 using a off-line mail door that imports mail packets but does not update the
 newer index format, use PCBPack with the /UPDATE parameter to update the new
 index files.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /UPDATE

 Command Line Parameters That Delete (Pack) Messages

 One of the primary purposes of PCBPack is to delete or pack messages by
 removing older messages.  The command line parameters described in this
 section will delete messages using the criteria that is specified in the
 description of each parameter.  Regardless of the command line parameter you
 select, messages that have been killed on the BBS will be deleted.

 /DATE:[mmddyy]
 This command line parameter will enable you to delete any messages older than
 the date you  specify.  The date should be specified in mmddyy where mm is
 the month, dd is the day of the month, and yy is the year.  If you want to
 pack all messages that are older than 05-23-94 then you would enter the
 parameter as /DATE:052394.

 Example usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:3-13;39 /DATE:041893

 /DAYS:[number of days]
 This command line parameter will enable you to delete any message that is
 older than the number of days that you specify. For example, if you want to
 delete any messages that are older than 90 days, you would enter the
 parameter as /DAYS:90.

 Example usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:4 /DAYS:60

 /KEEP:[days]
 This command line parameter does not delete messages.  Instead, it prevents
 PCBPack from deleting any message which meet the following criteria:

 The message is newer than the number of days specified.
 The security on the message is RECEIVER ONLY.
 The message has not been read yet.

 Even if the message would normally be deleted, this parameter will take
 precedence.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /MAXMSGS:500 /KEEP:45

 /KILLALL
 If you want to delete every message in the message bases you process, use
 this command line parameter.  You may find this parameter useful for
 restarting one or more message bases.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:100-150 /KILLALL

 /KILLDUPS
 With netmail it is quite possible that duplicate messages may get imported
 into your system.  Rather than manually marking each duplicate message to be
 deleted, you can use this command line parameter.  If PCBPack sees two
 duplicate messages in a message base, the latter message will be deleted.  To
 properly kill duplicate messages, you must use this parameter in conjunction
 with the /CRC parameter.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /KILLDUP /CRC:7

 /MAXMSGS:[number]
 To regulate the maximum number of messages in a conference, use this command
 line parameter.  This parameter is ideal for conferences which have a lot of
 messages entered each day.  By regulating the maximum number of messages, you
 will have a good estimate of the disk space required to store the messages.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /MAXMSGS:500

 /MINMSGS:[number]
 If you want to force PCBPack to keep a minimum number of messages in a
 message base, use this command line parameter. User of this parameter is
 ideal for message bases that do not have a lot of message traffic.  If you
 were to pack using a date or number of days, there may be only a few message
 left for users to read on your system.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:53-69;3 /MINMSGS:100

 /PURGE:[days]
 This command line parameter will delete any message that meet the following
 criteria:

  - The message is older than the number of days specified.  If the number
    of days is not specified, PCBPack will not do any date checking on the
    message.
  - The security on the message is RECEIVER ONLY.
  - The message has been read by the recipient..

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /PURGE

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /PURGE:14

 /RANGE:[low]-[high]
 To delete messages which fall in a given range, use this command line
 parameter.  Any message number between the low and high message number
 specified will be deleted.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:32 /RANGE:100-200

 Diagnostic And Repair Command Line Parameters

 The command line parameters described in this section are used for
 diagnostics and repair.  You should not use these unless instructed to do so
 by the technical support staff.

 /DEBUG:[detail level]
 This command line parameter will produce diagnostic information for
 diagnosing problems with PCBPack.  You should only use this parameter when
 instructed to do so by the technical support staff.  The technician you work
 with will provide the detail level number you should use.

 Example Usage:

 PCBPACK /AREA:ALL /DEBUG:300

 /FIX
 This command line parameter will insure that the message base header is
 accurate.  Use of this parameter will significantly increase the time it
 takes to pack your message base(s).

 /REPAIR
 This command line parameter is identical to /FIX.  Refer to the description
 of the /FIX parameter for additional details.

 Examples

 To delete any message that is older than 30 days but keep unread RECEIVER
 ONLY messages in conferences 1 through 10, enter the following:

 PCBPACK /AREA:1-10 /DAYS:30 /KEEP

 The following example demonstrates the use of several command line
 parameters.  The actions performed are described after this sample command
 line:

 PCBPACK /AREA:1-10;20-100 /MAXMSGS:250 /KEEP /UPCASE

  - Pack the message bases of conference 1 through 10, and 20 through 100.
  - No message base will contain more than 250 messages.  Older messages
    will be deleted first.
  - Keep any message that has not been read by the recipient and is RECEIVER
    ONLY.
  - Convert all subjects to uppercase.