Copyright: Here 1b5 Copyright ® 1995 Everitt Beers


Help Contents for Here
Contents for Here Help

Introduction

Menu Commands

Command Line Parameters

Program Support

Here 1.0 Beta 5 Copyright (c) 1995 Everitt Beers


Introduction

Here is a program that allows you to easily post your ever-changing dynamic PPP or SLIP Internet address to a finger account, thereby allowing others to look up your current Internet address and contact you.

Here also includes an integrated finger client to allow you to easily check the address postings and finger information of others.

Since other users will now be able to locate your current address, you will be able to use talk servers such as WinTalk; FTP servers such as WinQV/Net, Serv-U,  and WFTPD; and HTTP servers such as HTTPD and ZB Server.


Finger

Finger is a standard Internet protocol available on many systems, including most UNIX systems, for retrieving user information.  The information provided usually includes such items as login name, real name, time mail was last received, and time mail was last read.  Also, Finger will normally display the contents of two files kept in the user's home directory, the project and plan files.  Here uses either the project or the plan file to upload and store your current PPP or SLIP address for others to retrieve using the finger protocol.

You can find more information on Finger in your online UNIX manual.  Log onto your UNIX machine and enter man finger.


Menu Commands

Post

Query

Edit

Settings

Help


Post

On

Off

Exit


On

The On command is used to post your currently assigned PPP or SLIP hostname and numeric Internet address to your finger machine for public display.

The On command uploads the current hostname and numeric address of your PPP or SLIP connection and the then current date and time to your finger project or plan file.

The uploaded file has the following format:

HERE ON comserv-d-50.usc.edu 128.125.222.122 Sun Sep 10 23:19:53 1995

Of course, the above is an example.  Your actual date and time of posting and the hostname of your then current PPP or SLIP connection will appear instead of the above sample date, time, and host information.

After posting an On message, the On menu item will have a check mark placed next to it.


Off

The Off command is used to post when you logged off of your PPP or SLIP account.

The Off command posts or uploads an OFF message and the current date and time to your finger project or plan file.

The uploaded file has the following format:

HERE OFF Sun Sep 10 23:22:13 1995

Of course, the above is an example.  Your actual date and time of posting will appear instead of the above sample date and time.

After posting an Off message, the Off menu item will have a check mark placed next to it.


Project and Plan Files

The project and the plan files are two files that the finger protocol displays when queried.  Actually, both file names start with a dot:  .project and .plan.  This makes them hidden files.  To see them in a UNIX directory listing, you can use the ls -a command.  Both files must be located in your home directory in order for finger to be able to find them.

The difference between the two files is that  the project file is limited to one line of information, while the plan file may be of any length.  Here defaults to using the project file.  It was chosen as the default for use in Here so that you can still use your plan file to display permanent information in your finger, such as your name, mail addresses, phone numbers, web home page address, and biographical information.

However, you also have the option of using your plan file to upload Here's information.  This can be useful if your provider's finger daemon fails to display the project file, but does display the plan file.

In order for finger to by able to display your project and plan files, other users must have read permission on the two files, and they must also have execute permission on your home directory.  Normally, your UNIX system administrator will have set up your account so that your project and plan files, and your home directory, will have the correct permissions by default.  However, if not, you can easily add the correct permissions yourself with the chmod command after the files have been created.

To use the chmod command, log onto your UNIX machine and make sure you are in your home directory.  Then add read permission for others to your finger files by entering:

chmod o+r .project .plan

You can then add execute permission for others to your home directory by entering:

chmod o+x .

You only need to do this once.  From then on, each new upload will take on the already existing permissions of the project or plan file that is overwritten.

You can check you permissions by using the ls -al command.

For more information on these commands, you can look in your online UNIX manual by entering man chmod, man ls, or man finger.


Exit

Use this choice to exit or quit Here.

If Auto Post has been activated, Here will automatically upload an OFF posting as it terminates.


Query

Selecting Finger in the Query menu presents a dialog box in which you can enter a finger address whose information you would like to retrieve.  This allows you to easily check the current PPP or SLIP login addresses of others who are also using Here.

Here stores the last twenty-five unique addresses that you have entered.  Instead of typing in a new address, one of the saved addresses can be chosen by clicking on the down-arrow to open the list box and then selecting the desired address, thereby avoiding the retyping of frequently used addresses.

Once you have entered or selected the desired address, click the OK button and the finger information will be retrieved and displayed.

You can cut and paste from the finger display to the Windows clipboard.


Finger Address

Finger addresses have the following format:

username@hostname

For example:

ebeers@girtab.usc.edu

Also, you can either enter just the username to check for a user on the local host, or just the remote hostname preceded by the @ to check for all the users currently logged onto a remote machine.

For example:

ebeers would check for finger information about user ebeers on the local host, that is, on your own PC.  (Note:  You must have a finger daemon, such as Fingerd, running locally on your PC for this to work.)

@girtab.usc.edu would provide a listing of finger information on all users currently logged onto the machine girtab.usc.edu.


Edit

Copy

Clear


Copy

The Copy command allows you to copy selected text from a finger query result to the Windows clipboard for pasting into another application.  For example, you could double click the current Internet address in the finger display to select it, and then copy and paste it into WinTalk's Open Talk Connection dialog box.

You must select the text you would like to transfer using the mouse or Shift + Arrow keys before using Copy.


Clear

The Clear command clears all text from the finger display.


Settings

Auto Post

Time Zone

Upload File

Login

Save Window Position


Auto Post

When you select the Auto Post command, Here will immediately upload an ON posting.  From then on, as long as Auto Post remains activated, Here will automatically upload an ON posting whenever it is started and will then minimize itself to an icon.

In addition, as long as Auto Post remains activated, Here will automatically upload an OFF posting whenever you exit the program.

The Auto Post command is a toggle.  A check mark appears on the menu when it has been activated.


Time Zone

The Time Zone command displays a dialog box in which you can enter time zone information for display by Here in you finger postings.

Since the Internet is a world-wide system, all twenty-four time zones are relevant.  All of these time zones have their own unique names.  Therefore, on the Internet, rather than using the time zone names, which might not be familiar to all users, the convention is to instead show the time offset from Greenwich Meridian (or Mean) Time (GMT).  Greenwich is in England.

Going east from England, positive numbers are used.  For example, France would be +0100 GMT.  Going west from England, the offsets are negative.  For example, Eastern Standard Time (EST) is -0500 GMT.  Using this scheme, the offsets around the world range from -1200 to +1200.

As another example, the GMT offset for Los Angeles, California, USA, with its Pacific Standard Time (PST) would be -0800 GMT.  For Pacific Daylight Time (PDT), the offset would be -0700 GMT.

If you so desire, you can use both the time zone name and the GMT offset.  For example, an OFF message combining both time zone notations could read:

HERE OFF Sun Sep 10 23:22:13 1995 PST -0800 GMT


Upload File

Here originally defaults to using your project file for uploading your posting.  However, by choosing the Upload File command, you can instead upload your postings using the plan file.

Simply click on the appropriate radio button for the file you want to use, and then click on OK to save the setting.


Login

Use this screen to enter your FTP login parameters for the remote machine you are using to post your Here messages.

You need to provide the following information:

Host:  The hostname or Internet address for your finger machine.

User:  Your login name for your finger machine.

Password:  Your password for your finger machine

Check the Save Password box to save your password between sessions.  Otherwise, only the Host and User are saved between sessions, and you will have to enter the Password at the beginning of each new session.

Click on OK to save the information.


Save Window Position

Save Window Position will save the current window position so that the next time Here is started, it will be located in the same screen position.


Help

Contents:  Displays the help table of contents.

Search:  Displays the help search dialog box.

About:  Displays Here's version, author, and copyright information.


Command Line Parameters

Here has two command line parameters:  On and Off.  These parameters can be entered when starting Here from the Program Manager's or File Manager's Run command or as Command Line options in the Properties settings of a Program Item in the Program Manager.  (Case is not significant.)

The command line parameters do the following:

On:  Posts an On message and then terminates.

Off:  Posts an Off message and then terminates.

For example:

here on or here off.

Suggestion:  Make two Program Item icons in Program Manager, one using the On parameter, and the other using the Off parameter.  You can then click on the On icon to start an Internet session, automatically posting your ON message with your current address.

When you are ready to sign off, click on the Off icon.  Here will automatically post your OFF message and terminate.

See the Auto Post command as an alternative to the On and Off command line parameters.


Customer Support
Program Support and Copyright

Send bug reports, questions, or program revision suggestions to:

ebeers@usc.edu