HELP.TXT 881220

1.  My programs are written by me, for me and not for anyone else.

2.  There are bugs in my programs.  If they annoy me, I fix them.

3.  Source code is to be understood only by me.

4.  Some code is optimized for speed, some for RAM usage.

5.  My programs are written for my system.

6.  This is a learning experience, not a software factory.

7.  Money is the root of all evil.

  And BLA BLA BLA!

    Having my fill of writing programs for someone else to sell, I made a
decision to do it my way.  So what you get is an unpolished kludge of
software.  You (anybody) asked for it.   These things run on my system,
and dam little effort was made to have them run on yours.

    This is perhaps an apology for my sloppy code.  There were no examples
to guide me, only years of try it, try something else, and if that doesn't
work then try again.  The remnants of which I am sending you.  Maybe, but
unlikely, in 5 years you may see a presentable version.  So do as you wish
with this code.  Fix it, change it, give it away, throw it away ....
anything but sell it.  

---
MY EQUIPMENT

  AMIGA 1000 with 1 MEG RAM at location 000000 and 2 meg RAM at 200000.
  1 external 3.5" drive, 2 external 5.25" drives, 65meg SCSI ST-277N.

  Kantronics KAM TNC, CTS/RTS handshaking, serial pins 1,2,3,4,5,7 run
         straight thru to Amiga, pins 6 & 20 jumpered on Amiga.
         Also pin 8 (CD) 380 ohm resistor to 21 (+5volts) on Amiga.
         Check Amiga 500 Serial port!  Do NOT run all 23 wires!!
---
TIMEOUTS

  Problem remains.   When sending a large file, Amiga sends file to TNC,
which buffers the whole file.  Amiga waits for input from user, thinking
that file was sent, and times out waiting.  By setting KPC parameters,
you can decrease size of KPC buffers - set NUMNODES to 3 for 3 KA-NODES,
then increase PBBS to largest value, and back off 1 or 2.  Then:

MYNODE CALL-1    like N3ET-1 for KANODE Call
MYPBBS CALL-5    like N3ET-5 for KPC internal BBS

  AmigaBBS polls the KPC with a STATUS command.  KPC returns string such
as "A/V stream - IO #CONNECTED TO" and keys off the "#" to tell
that there are outstanding packets to be sent.

  Timer is 256 seconds, ~4.5 minutes, and will timeout connection even if
AmigaBBS is not running.  This so Amiga doesn't get hung by someone who
connects and doesn't disconnect.

---
FORWARDING

  69 B$  5363 ALL    N3ET   EPA    8811091250 BBS List
>Uses B:FWD and sends as BID type bulletin to all enabled for "EPA",
 must find a valid BID in B:BID file.
  
  65 BN   439 ALL    N3ET   N3DPU  8811071355 A test message
>Uses B:FWD to send to a BBS that handles N3DPU (or direct to N3DPU).

  63 BN   439 ALL    N3ET   EPA    8811071355 A test message
>Will not forward.  Only B$ will work for regions like "EPA"

  60 BF  1526 ALL    K2ADJ         8706261453 EASTLINK radio news
>Will not forward. "F" says already forwarded. "F" put there by BBS.

  59  Y  3342 N3ET   WB3KRN WA3MNT 8706260159 Amiga Newsletter.
>Will not forward. Message was read already.


  BBS does not initiate forwards.  It is a slave to other BBS's.
"F>" cause AmigaBBS to forward (per above) anything in B:DIR file
to other BBS that has not already been forwarded.

---
SOURCE CODE TO RUNNABLE

  Source code is written to be complete in itself.  No INCLUDE files needed.
Do "CD RAM:"  "COPY B:ASM/BBS.ASM RAM:" then do following commands:

  ASMB BBS.ASMB -O BBS.O -L BBS.LIST
             and
  ALINK BBS.O TO BBS

Now AmigaBBS runnable file is in RAM.  But it needs 8k stack or better:

  STACK 8000

Then:

  RUN BBS

---
RUNNING AmigaBBS

  If program just hangs, could be because SERIAL pin 20 (DTR) & 6 (DSR)
are not jumpered on Amiga. Also have pin 8 (CD) & 21 (+5volts) jumpered
via 1k resistor to pull pin 8 high.

  Default BAUD is 9600, type F3 key to change.. 9600,2400,1200,300 BAUD are
available.   It is a borderless window, but CLOSE,DRAG,FRONT/BACK,SIZING
gadgets are always there, just not visable all the time.

  F1 - Toggles CAPTURE file OPEN/CLOSE.  Prompts for filename and defaults
       to Current Directory (CD) if DISK path (DF1:DIR/FILENAME) not used.

  F2 - Toggles SEND file OPEN/CLOSE.  Prompting.

  F3 - Changes BAUD, 9600,2400,1200,300.

  F4 - Nothing

  F5 - Toggles MONITOR MODE.  Kinda cleans up received packets when just
       monitoring activity.  Needs "HEADERLN ON" TNC parameter set.
       Makes monitoring look somewhat like connected mode, Deletes call
       headers, deletes duped lines, deletes trailing spaces.  Saves screen
       and CAPTURE space.

  F6 - Opens NEWCLI.  Useful when you bomb a task.  Remember this key !!

  F7 - Forces a forward after you connect to another BBS.

  F8 - Nothing (a non-working hack at TALK command).

  F9 - Toggles AmigaBBS enable.  Clears "C" connect history from HELP line.

  F10 -Causes exit from program, same as CLOSE gadget in upper left of
       window.  If AmigaBBS is running, will disconnect user and clean
       house.  Press F10 again to exit program.

  HELP- Prints info line in window.
       ^ means someone IS connected to BBS.
       M means in MONITOR MODE.
       B means BBS enabled.
       C means someone connected to you or BBS while you were out.
       XXXX filename=OPEN/CLOSED for capture file status.
       9600 BAUD - obvious.
       XXXX first number is byte count in capture file.
       XXXX 2nd number is line count in capture file.
       XXXX HEX serial status - ignore it.
        NOTE: These numbers are START ADDR and END ADDR of program until
              a CAPTURE file is opened.

Randy Lilly  N3ET @ N3ET
752 S. Carldon st
Allentown, PA  18103    (215) 791-3774