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RRRRRR OOOOO SSSSS RR RR OOO OOO SS SS RR RR OO OO SS RR RR OO OO SS RRRRRR OO OO SSSSS RRRR OO OO SS RR RR OO OO SS RR RR OOO OOO SS SS RR RR OOOOO SSSSS Remote Operating System S Y S T E M O P E R A T I O N S G U I D E Steven Fox Albuquerque, New Mexico Remote Operating System - ROS System Operations Guide Copyright (c) 1985, 1986 by Steven Fox. All rights reserved. You may freely copy and distribute this software and documenta- tion only in its original, unmodified state. Free, public access bulletin boards are welcome to use this system without charge. Systems which assess a fee are considered commercial. The license fee for commercial and govenmental or- ganizations is $35 (an invoice is provided at the end of this document). Commercial distribution and site licenses are avail- able. Other than reasonable copying charges, no remuneration may be accepted by any party other than the copyright holder. Please refer all inquiries and comments about ROS to Sysop Albuquerque ROS (505)299-5974 300/1200/2400 bps, no parity, 8 bit characters, 1 stop bit License fees should be sent to Steven Fox 2112 White Cloud NE Albuquerque, NM 87112 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S 1. HISTORY AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS...............................1 2. MINIMUM SYSTEM.............................................2 3. FILES......................................................3 4. INSTALLING ROS.............................................4 4.1. Message and file area control file - AREA.ROS.........4 4.2. ROS configuration file - CONFIG.ROS...................7 4.3. Troubleshooting the modem interface..................13 4.4. System message file - SYSMTXT.ROS....................13 4.5. Other files used by ROS..............................14 5. USING THE SYSTEM..........................................15 5.1. Logging in the first time............................15 5.2. Status line..........................................15 5.3. When ROS is idling between users.....................16 5.4. Local console commands...............................16 5.4.1. Using ROS locally.............................16 5.4.2. Direct connection.............................16 5.4.3. Delayed disable...............................16 5.4.4. Disable remote I/O............................17 5.4.5. Sysop initiated CHAT..........................17 5.4.6. Signal key....................................17 5.4.7. Twit key......................................17 5.4.8. Shutdown ROS..................................17 6. MAINTENANCE...............................................18 6.1. Sysop Sub-system.....................................18 6.2. <A>udit trail toggle.................................19 6.3. <C>opy file..........................................19 6.4. <D>elete file........................................19 6.5. <E>dit user record...................................19 6.5.1. <D>elete record...............................19 6.5.2. <E>dit record.................................19 6.5.3. <N>ext record.................................20 6.5.4. revious record.............................20 6.5.5. <Q>uit edit session...........................20 6.5.6. <R>egistered record...........................20 6.5.7. <S>elect record...............................20 6.5.8. <V>alidate record.............................20 6.6. <L>ist system files..................................20 6.6.1. <A>ll system files............................20 6.6.2. <L>og file....................................21 6.6.3. <M>essages....................................21 6.6.4. <Q>uit........................................21 6.7. <N>ewin file edit....................................21 6.8. <O> Macro operations.................................21 6.9. urge files........................................23 i 6.10. <R>edirect file.....................................23 6.11. <S>ystem directory..................................23 6.12. <T>oggle printer....................................23 6.13. Other commands available to the sysop...............24 6.13.1. <F>ile Transfer System......................24 6.13.2. <M>essage System............................24 6.13.3. tility System............................24 6.13.4. <G>oodbye (logoff)..........................24 6.13.5. User command enhancements...................24 7. SECURITY..................................................26 8. OTHER VERSIONS OF ROS.....................................27 8.1. ROS Index Builder - RIB..............................27 9. ROS USAGE AND PROBLEM REPORT..............................28 10. INVOICE...................................................30 ii L I S T O F F I G U R E S 4-1: Simple modem initialization command string...............12 4-2: Complete modem initialization command string.............12 6-1: Sysop Sub-System.........................................18 iii L I S T O F T A B L E S 3-1: Files included with ROS-PC................................3 3-2: Files required for conversion from ROS version 3.5........3 4-1: AREA.ROS file (split between columns 62 and 63)...........5 4-2: Positional fields in AREA.ROS file........................5 4-3: Required entries in AREA.ROS..............................6 4-4: Configuration Parameters..................................8 4-5: Configuration Parameters (continued)......................9 4-6: Configuration Parameters (continued).....................10 4-7: Configuration Parameters (concluded).....................11 4-8: Files used by ROS........................................14 iv ROS System Operations Guide 1. HISTORY AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The original SJBBS, written in Xitan Basic by Howard Moulton, was adapted to MBasic by Bruce R. Ratoff. Modifications to this system were made by Bruce Ratoff, James Underwood, Ron Fowler, Brett Berg, and many, many others. James Whorton and Eddie H. Curlin converted RBBS to Turbo Pascal (copyright Borland Interna- tional) in 1984 and called the system TPBBS. ROS version 1.0 (originally released as "TBBS23" but changed to "ROS" to avoid confusion with TPBBS with which it shares no code) was written by Steven Fox using ideas gathered from these systems and from others operating on a wide variety of computers. Ver- sion 2.0 used indexed file support using B+ trees. Version 3.0 incorporated all the communication and file transfer functions to eliminate the need for support from programs such as "XMODEM" and "BYE." Though originally tied to CP/M-80, modified versions were made to run under other operating systems. Version 3.5 was built to operate under PC DOS. Version 3.6 provides improved archive support as well as several new functions for the sysop. ROS would not have been possible were it not for the work of the many individuals dedicated to making the concept of public access telecommunications work. 1 ROS System Operations Guide 2. MINIMUM SYSTEM ROS version 3.6 is designed to operate on an IBM PC, or very compatible computer, with at least 128K of memory. Version 2.0 or later DOS is required. No support programs are required when ROS is running, though file and text managers such as CWEEP, ARC and PC-WRITE are useful for some off-line maintenance functions. ROS has been tested under versions 3.1 and 3.2 of PC DOS and is aware of some multi-tasking operating shells such as DESQview. 2 ROS System Operations Guide 3. FILES Table 3-1 lists the files that are included with this version of ROS. Table 3-2 lists the files that are needed to update pre- vious ROS. These files will also serve as the prototype for conversion from systems other than ROS. ROS.COM Main executable code for ROS ROS.000 Overlay files ROS.001 ROS.002 RIB.COM ROS Index Builder AREA.ROS Sample area file CONFIG.ROS Sample system configuration file MACROS.ROS Sample macro file SYSMTXT.ROS Sample message file RO-PIF.DVP DESQview program information file ROSUSR.DOC User's Guide ROSOPS.DOC System Operations Manual (this document) Table 3-1: Files included with ROS-PC ROS35-36.COM ROS file conversion utility ROS36.NEW Text file describing the changes to ROS Table 3-2: Files required for conversion from ROS version 3.5 3 ROS System Operations Guide 4. INSTALLING ROS ROS is already installed for the display on most IBM and compat- ible computers and does not require a graphics or color adapter. Three text files are used to match ROS to your message and file structure, modem, and personal preferences. The first of these three files, "AREA.ROS" describes the message and file structure, i.e. what message and file areas are avail- able and what access levels are required. "CONFIG.ROS" contains many parameters to set the system limits. The third file, "SYSMTXT.ROS" is the system message file. It contains the mes- sages, bulletins, and menus sent to the user during various phases of operation. Each file is described in more detail in the following sections. The only change that you should have to make to your system is to include the statement "FILES = 20" in your CONFIG.SYS file. This will allow ROS to open all the files it needs to operate. If you already have a "FILES" statement with a value greater than 20, you don't need to change it. Please refer to your DOS manual for more information about the CONFIG.SYS file (not to be confused with the CONFIG.ROS file). 4.1. Message and file area control file - AREA.ROS The message and file area control file, AREA.ROS is used to control access to specific file and message areas. A sample of the area file is shown in table 4-1. Table 4-2 lists each field and the field positions. The entries shown in the table 4-1 are expected by ROS and must be present in the area file. The message area for POST and the directory path to LOGIN and NEWIN may be changed to any value. The access levels for these entries may also be set to any value. Table 4-3 describes each of these entries in more detail. 4 ROS System Operations Guide Column 1 2 3 4 5 6 12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012 MAIL Mail addressed to you SENT Mail and messages you have sent WORLD Public messages from all areas SYSTEM System wide message access POST Trading Post - Buy, Sell, Trade LOGIN Login area NEWIN ** New uploads ** Column 7 3456789012345678 10 0 10 0 10 0 255 0 10 1 10 C:\ROS\LOGIN 20 C:\ROS\NEWIN Table 4-1: AREA.ROS file (split between columns 62 and 63) Area name 1-12 Area description 13-62 Access level required 63-65 Must be blank 66 DOS directory path, or 67-131 Message area number Table 4-2: Positional fields in AREA.ROS file 5 ROS System Operations Guide MAIL When the user logs into this message area, ROS will build a list of the mail addressed to that user. The message area number should be "0" and the access level should be set low enough that unvali- dated users have access. SENT This message area is used to access messages and mail the user has sent. The message area number and access level should be set as in "MAIL." WORLD This is not a single message area but a cross- section of the various message areas to which the user has access, not including "MAIL" and "SENT." The access level is ignored. Instead, ROS uses the access level for each individual message area to determine if the user has access to a message. The message area number should be "0." SYSTEM This message area is special since ALL mail and messages, regardless of the sender and addressee, (including those that have been deleted but not yet purged) will be included. THE ACCESS LEVEL OF THIS AREA SHOULD BE SET HIGH ENOUGH THAT NORMAL USERS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS. The access level defined for "AltSysop" (see CONFIG.ROS) is recommended. LOGIN This is the file area that every user "sees" initially. The access level should be set low enough that new users have access on their first call ("0" is recommended). POST This is the message area that every user "sees" initially. The access level should be set low enough that new users have access on their first call ("0" is recommended). NEWIN This is the file area into which uploads will be placed. The access level of this area may be any value. Table 4-3: Required entries in AREA.ROS 6 ROS System Operations Guide NOTE: AREA.ROS should NOT have extra lines after the last line of information. In addition, unlike the system message file de- scribed in section 4.4, ROS cannot process high-order bits in the text of this file, so an editor must be used which does not use these bits. WordStar, in non-document mode, or other commercial and public-domain editors may be used. 4.2. ROS configuration file - CONFIG.ROS Table 4-4 lists the parameters which tailor ROS for your system. These parameters should be consolidated into the file CONFIG.ROS which will be interpreted during the initial startup - while the signon window is displayed. The file consists of entries with two components: the parameter and the value. In addition, com- ments, starting with a semi-colon (";"), may be freely included in the file. If a parameter is not included in the file, or if the file is not found, ROS will use a default value for each parameter not explicitly described. 7 ROS System Operations Guide Parameter Default Notes SysName Name to be listed in the system directory. HDPark 0 Number of hard disk drives to park (seek to an unused track) when wai- ting for a caller. This value may be set to "0" (to inhibit the park function), "1", or "2" (to park 1 or 2 disk drives). TimeoutShort 60 Short timeout in seconds. This is the period allowed callers to com- plete their login and the length of time to wait for a keystroke during the login process. Since many users will set their modem on auto-dial and leave, it does not need to be very long. TimeoutLong 300 Long timeout in seconds. This is the period ROS will wait for a key- stroke once the user has completed the login process. DefAcc 10 New user access level. This is the access level assigned to first-time callers. RegAcc 11 Registered user access level. This is the access level assigned to the user when the registration informa- tion is completed. ROS does not check for content during the regi- stration process, only that the user at least tried. ValAcc 20 Validated user access level. This is the access level assigned when the <V>alidate user command is se- lected from the sysop sub-system. DirAcc 20 System directory access level. File areas with this access level or lower will be included in the system directory. Normally this will be the same as "ValAcc" (above) but there may be special situations which require this flexibility. Table 4-4: Configuration Parameters 8 ROS System Operations Guide AltSysop 250 Alternate sysop access level. Users with this access level or higher can perform any operation on the system except <C>opy and <D>elete files in the sysop sub-system. PriSysop 255 Primary sysop access level. Users with this access level or higher (255 is the limit) can do anything on the system. LPDAcc 250 The time limit is per day for users below this access level. At or above this level, the limit is per call. DefTime 15 Default time limit. This is the time allotted first time callers. ValTime 45 Time limit for validated users. When users are validated, their access level will be increased to this value. DefChars 80 Default characters per line. This value will be inserted in the user record as the number of characters per line. The user can change this value in the Utility sub-system. DefLines 23 Default lines per page. Similar to "DefChars." DefMsgArea POST Default message area. Until changed by the user, this will be the message area they first see when calling the system. DefFilArea LOGIN Default file area. Similar to "DefMsgArea." ChatStart 19 Chat period start time. From this hour (24 hour clock) until "ChatEnd" ROS will signal the sysop by ringing the console bell when the user re- quests chat from the Utility sub- system. During other hours, ROS will just offer to save a message. ChatEnd 22 Chat period ending time. ChatSignals 10 Number of times to signal local console. Each attempt takes approximately 6 seconds. Fence | Character between directory columns. It can be any printable character, including a blank (" "). Table 4-5: Configuration Parameters (continued) 9 ROS System Operations Guide UnvDays 7 Days to retain unvalidated user. When the sysop function to urge users is selected, ROS will delete all unvalidated users that have not called the system in "UnvDays." ValDays 180 Days to retain validated users. Similar to "UnvDays" but for vali- dated users. For more information, refer to the sysop urge command. ReadDays 10 Days to retain read, undeleted mail (private messages). Mail that has been read but not deleted will be purged this number of days after entry. UnrdDays 90 Days to retain unread, undeleted messages. Any message, public or private, will be purged this number of days after entry. MaxTries 3 Max number of tries for password. If the user cannot enter their pass- word in "MaxTries" attempts, ROS will offer to leave a message and then disconnect. CharMask 7 Text may either be stripped to seven bit characters or left alone. If a text editor, such as WordStar in document mode, is used for SYSMTXT.ROS, "7" bits should be used to prevent sending non-ASCII characters. If eight-bit graphics characters are desired, "8" should be selected. ComPort 1 Port to be used for all modem I/O (either "1" or "2" may be used). ComParity N Parity to set port. The following characters may be used: "N" => None "E" => Even "O" => Odd ComLength 8 Number of bits in characters to be received and transmitted. ComStop 1 Number of stop bits in each character. CmndReset AT Z{ Modem reset string - sent ONCE at startup. RespReset OK Expected response string from modem to indicate successful reset. Table 4-6: Configuration Parameters (continued) 10 ROS System Operations Guide WaitReset 5 Seconds to wait before assuming failure. CmndInit AT E1 H0 Q0 S0=0 V1 X1 { Modem initialization string - sent before EACH call to ensure the modem is ready for the next call. RespInit OK Response if successful. WaitInit 5 Seconds to wait for success. CmndBusy AT H1{ Make line busy. RespBusy OK Response if successful. WaitBusy 5 Seconds to wait for success. CmndLocal ~~~+++ Return modem to local mode (escape code). RespLocal OK Response if successful. WaitLocal 5 Seconds to wait for success. CmndHangup AT H{ Disconnect - hangup. RespHangup OK Response if successful. WaitHangup 5 Seconds to wait for success. RespRing RING Ring signal detected. WaitRing 2 Seconds to wait for success. CmndAnswer AT A{ Answer call - pick up phone. RespAnswer Response if successful. WaitAnswer 5 Seconds to wait for success. RespConnect CONNECT 1200 Connect message. This is the first of three baud rates supported by ROS. In addition to being used for communication with remote users, it will be used for off-line communica- tion with your modem and should usually be the fastest speed the modem can handle. RateConnect 1200 Rate to set the communications port when this message is received from the modem. RespConnect CONNECT Connect message. RateConnect 300 Rate to set for this message. RespConnect CONNECT Connect message. RateConnect 300 Rate to set for this message. WaitConnect 35 Seconds to wait for connect message. RespError ERROR Error in command execution. This is the message sent by the modem when an error is detected. Table 4-7: Configuration Parameters (concluded) 11 ROS System Operations Guide In the modem command strings described in table 4-4, a left brace ("{") is used to send a carriage return to the modem. A tilde ("~") causes a delay for 1/2 second before continuing. For example, "~~~+++" delays for 1 1/2 seconds, and then sends "+++" to the modem. Command strings may be up to 40 characters long, responses may be as long as 12 characters. The simple modem initialization string listed in table 4-4 for "CmndInit" works on many modems. Figure 4-1 gives a description of each element in the string. More sophisticated modems may be able to handle the initialization string described in figure 4-2. |get modem's attention | |modem should echo characters when off-line | | |ensure phone hung up | | | |return result codes ("Resp---") | | | | |disable auto answer | | | | | |verbose result codes | | | | | | |enable extended command set | | | | | | | |command termiator AT E1 H0 Q0 S0=0 V1 X1 { Fig. 4-1: Simple modem initialization command string |get attention | |echo commands | | |ensure phone hung up | | | |return result codes | | | | |disable auto answer | | | | | |time to wait for DCD | | | | | | |return verbose result codes | | | | | | | |extended command set | | | | | | | | |speaker off | | | | | | | | | |command terminator AT E1 H0 Q0 S0=0 S7=15 V1 X6 M0 { Fig. 4-2: Complete modem initialization command string Some modems respond with "OFF HOOK" when issued the command "ATA". Those that do may need the following definition: RespAnswer OFF HOOK Response if successful 12 ROS System Operations Guide 4.3. Troubleshooting the modem interface The single most troublesome area of installation will almost certainly be getting the modem to work properly since "compatible" modems almost never are. Even different models made by the same manufacturer frequently respond differently to com- mands. Sometimes the differences are marked, such as "NO DIAL TONE" instead of "DIAL TONE." More often, the differences are subtle, such as whether the modem returns a CR/LF before and after verbal responses. One modem does on some responses and not on others. Another modem even changes baud rate WHILE IT IS SENDING the response to the computer! ROS is designed to be robust in the way it handles the modem and "hooks" are provided to be able to get to almost everything the modem and ROS need. Nonetheless, experimentation will almost certainly be required to get a new modem operational. Start with the simplest command string that works and add to it if necessary. Usually, the initialization string will require the most work. Except for the reset string ("CmndReset"), all commands should be echoed by the modem so that ROS can verify correct reception. To assist in setting up your modem, the command line parameter "/h" may be used to open a two line window at the top of the screen. In this window, ROS will display all ASCII characters that are sent to and received from the modem. When you are satisfied that ROS and the modem are communicating properly, just start ROS without this parameter. 4.4. System message file - SYSMTXT.ROS SYSMTXT.ROS, the system message file, should be edited for your particular system. A sample file is included as a guideline. ROS can process SYSMTXT.ROS files created by text editors - such as WordStar in document mode - which use the high bit of charac- ters. When ROS is started, it looks for SYSMIDX.ROS. If found, it will be used as an index into the text file. If it is not found, ROS will create it from SYSMTXT.ROS. When you change SYSMTXT.ROS, ROS will detect the changes and automatically re- build SYSMIDX.ROS. Since many messages are used during operation, SYSMTXT.ROS is divided into sections. Each section starts with a colon (":") in column one, followed by a unique two character identifier. Please refer to the sample text file for all the identifiers currently recognized. 13 ROS System Operations Guide 4.5. Other files used by ROS When the area, configuration, and system message files are ready, ROS can be started. If it cannot find the files it expects, it will create them. Table 4-5 lists the files ROS uses and a brief description of their function. AREA.ROS See section 4.1 for a complete description CONFIG.ROS See section 4.2 for a complete description SYSMTXT.ROS See section 4.4 for a complete description SYSMIDX.ROS Index file into SYMSTXT.ROS. LOG.ROS Log of activities on the system. MACRO.ROS This is a text file that may be edited outside of ROS or with the macro functions in the sysop sub-system. Since most communication packages now include scripts, macros, or the equivalent, ROS only supports this feature for the sysop. MESSAGE.ROS This file contains the text of messages and mail. SUMMARY.ROS This file contains the header and subject information for the messages and mail. NEWIN.ROS This file contains the descriptions for files uploaded to the system. It is displayed using the <N>ewin command in the file sub-system and is edited using the <N>ewin command in the sysop sub-system. STATS.ROS This file contains the various counters used by ROS to keep track of users, callers, time usage, etc. USERDAT.ROS These are the user records. To conserve disk space, "SUMMARY.ROS", "NEWIN.ROS", and "LOG.ROS" maintain pointers into this file instead of storing the entire user name. USERIDX.ROS This is the B+ index file into USERDAT.ROS. Table 4-8: Files used by ROS 14 ROS System Operations Guide 5. USING THE SYSTEM ROS expects to find all files in the file area (sub-directory) in which it first starts. It is here that the user files, log file, etc. will be maintained. Since ROS provides the sysop with full control over who has access to this area through access level, two methods protect the ROS system files from users: 1. do not include this area in the AREA.ROS file, or 2. set the access level of this area sufficiently high (such as 250 or higher). In a similar manner, other private areas of the disk system can be protected from users. In the example AREA.ROS file, "ROSRUN" can only be accessed by the sysop. Other users will not even know the area exists. 5.1. Logging in the first time CAUTION: It is very important that you log in using the name "sysop" before making the system available for others to use. Since there are folks out there that will try to log in as sysop, if you have not set your password, they will set it for you and will consequently have full sysop level access! When you run ROS the first time, it will create the files it needs (even if you are converting from a previous CP/M system, ROS will still need to make some files). ROS will signon and let you know what files it is making and then get the modem ready. When the message "ROS ready..." appears on the status line, ROS is in an idling state and is ready for one of two actions: 1. a signal from the modem indicating an incoming call, or 2. a command from the console indicating a local user. To log in locally, press the carriage return (refer to section 5.3.2 for additional information). After the "FIRST name>" prompt appears, enter "SYSOP" as your first name. This is a special name ROS recognizes and will inhibit display of the "LAST name>" prompt. Since this is the first time you have been on the system, ROS will prompt for a password - enter one of your choice. You are now logged into the system. As the sysop, you are automatically assigned an access level as defined in CONFIG.ROS for "PriSysop." 5.2. Status line When a user is logged into ROS, a status line of the following form will be displayed: Name | City, State | Access level:Time on-Time left | Time of day 15 ROS System Operations Guide 5.3. When ROS is idling between users When ROS is idling, i.e. waiting for a call, the CRT screen will be cleared and a "pulse" indicator will flash to indicate that ROS is operational. 5.4. Local console commands The local console has several commands, entered by function keys, that may be used while the system is idling and while a user is logged in remotely. In either condition, pressing function key "F1" will display a list of the commands that ROS will accept. If ROS is idling, pressing this key will display the following on the status line: F10: Shutdown, C/R: Local use If the command line parameter "/d" was included when ROS was started, the following will be displayed instead: F2: Direct, F10: Shutdown, C/R: Local use If a user is logged on remotely, pressing "F1" will display the following on the status line: F3: Delay, F4: Remote, F5: Chat, F6: Signal, F9: Twit These commands are described in the following sections. 5.4.1. Using ROS locally C/R When ROS is idling, pressing the C/R ("Enter") key will take the modem off hook and allow you to proceed as if you were a remote caller. All operations except file transfer are available. In this mode, ROS will assume a connect rate as specified by the first "RateConnect" entry in the CONFIG.ROS file when displaying file transfer times in a file directory. 5.4.2. Direct connection F2 When started with the "/d" command line parameter, ROS will bypass normal modem commands to allow high-speed direct connection to another computer. This command initiates this connection at the rate specified by the first "RateConnect" entry in the CONFIG.ROS file. 5.4.3. Delayed disable F3 This command toggles the system disable function so that when the current user logs out, the modem will be made busy 16 ROS System Operations Guide and the the bell will be sounded to indicate that ROS available for local use. The funtion is helpful in getting control of a busy system. While the user is still logged in, this command may be used to alternately turn the function on and off. 5.4.4. Disable remote I/O F4 This command alternately disables and re-enables the output to the remote system. Disabling the remote I/O is useful since local operations can proceed at full speed without waiting for the relatively slow modem. With the remote I/O disabled, the access level of the system is temporarily set to "AltSysop" level. When remote I/O is restored, the access level is reinstated to its original value. The increased access level is convenient to validate users while they are still logged in, move files that the user could not otherwise get to, etc. 5.4.5. Sysop initiated CHAT F5 ROS will issue a message to the remote user and then enter the chat mode. This command bypasses the time-of-day checks and may be entered at any time (chat hours are restricted to users). 5.4.6. Signal key F6 This command turns off the chat signal without any indication to the user. 5.4.7. Twit key F9 This command will cause ROS to immediately hang up on the remote user. While the previous command is preferred to gain system access, this command is sometimes necessary. 5.4.8. Shutdown ROS F10 When ROS is idling, entering this command will terminate ROS operation and return control to the operating system. ROS will first ask if the modem should be taken off the hook to present a busy signal to users. This is useful when the system will be down for a short time. 17 ROS System Operations Guide 6. MAINTENANCE The sysop(s) should regularly use ROS to read mail, validate new users, and release (or not) the new files uploaded to the system. A check may also be made of other messages and mail to ensure that they are appropriate to the philosophy of the system. Be- ware of messages and mail which contain credit card numbers, computer access codes, or other sensitive information. Since the message file only marks messages as deleted, it should be compressed periodically. A good way to do this is to turn on the printer or the audit trail, list the log and message files, then turn the printer off and purge the files. This way, a hardcopy record is kept of all activity on the system. Not re-using the message space was a conscious design decision to allow the sysop to maintain a history of ALL messages entered on the system. The events surrounding MOGUR demonstrate the need. 6.1. Sysop Sub-system The sysop command system is accessed by typing "X" at a message, file, or utility command sub-system prompt. This command is not available to users below the alternate sysop access level ("AltSysop" is defined in CONFIG.ROS). Figure 6-1 lists the sysop sub-system commands. This menu may be displayed at any time by entering "?" (without the quotes). Subsequent sections describe each command in detail. Sysop Sub-system =============== Functions =============== == System Changes == <A>udit trail toggle <O> Macro operations <F>ile Sub-System <C>opy file urge files <M>essage Sub-System <D>elete file <R>edirect file tility Sub-System <E>dit user record <S>ystem directory <L>ist system files <T>oggle printer <G>oodbye (logoff) <N>ewin file edit Fig. 6-1: Sysop Sub-System 18 ROS System Operations Guide 6.2. <A>udit trail toggle This command allows you to create a standard ASCII text file from any system output. The audit trail file name consists of the system date and a numeric extension - starting with zero. For example, the first time the audit trail is enabled on the 15th of December 1986, the name would be 86-12-15.000. If the audit trail were turned off and then back on later in the same day, the file name would be 86-12-15.001. 6.3. <C>opy file This command is only available to the primary sysop, i.e. the individual with an access level of "PriSysop." It is used to copy a file from the currently logged file area to another speci- fied file area. When the copy is completed successfully, the system will ask if the source file should be deleted. 6.4. <D>elete file This command is only available to the primary sysop, i.e. the individual with an access level of "PriSysop." It is used to delete any file from the currently logged file area. Verifica- tion is requested before the action takes place. 6.5. <E>dit user record When this command is entered the first time, ROS will ask for the name of the user to edit. Subsequent entries of this command will display the record of the last user edited. The selected user record is displayed while ROS waits for a second command. The following sections define these secondary commands. 6.5.1. <D>elete record ROS will prompt to verify that this is the action desired. If so, it will delete the user and any messages addressed to or from that user. 6.5.2. <E>dit record The cursor will be positioned at the name field for editing using commands identical to those used for messages (refer to the ROS User's Guide). All fields except the time of last access are editable. ROS does not require precise entry of the user name to find a record for editing. It will find the record which is equal to OR GREATER THAN the entered name. For example, if you cannot remem- ber how John Smith spells his last name, enter "John" for the first name and "Smith" for the last name. ROS will find a record 19 ROS System Operations Guide even if John spells his last name "Smithe." NOTE: Similar names can result in the display of a record other than the one desired. The sysop should verify that the desired user record is the one displayed. 6.5.3. <N>ext record When this command is entered, ROS will find the next (alphabeti- cally) user record and display it for edit. 6.5.4. revious record When this command is entered, ROS will find the previous (alpha- betically) user record and display it for edit. 6.5.5. <Q>uit edit session When all user records have been edited, enter this command and ROS will return to the sysop sub-system. 6.5.6. <R>egistered record This command will search the user file for the next (alphabetic- ally) user that has requested validation. When the user record is displayed on the screen, all editing commands are again avail- able. When ROS returns to the last user edited or selected, no more records have been found. 6.5.7. <S>elect record When this command is entered, ROS will prompt for a new user name and then display that user for edit. 6.5.8. <V>alidate record This command changes the access level and time allowance for the user being edited to the values defined in CONFIG.ROS ("ValAcc" and "ValTime"). It is more convenient than editing the user and can be performed easily from a remote site. 6.6. <L>ist system files When this command is entered, four secondary commands may be entered to select which file should be listed. The following sections define these secondary commands. 6.6.1. <A>ll system files This command will list both the log and the message files. 20 ROS System Operations Guide 6.6.2. <L>og file ROS maintains a time and date tagged list of most system opera- tions. This command will display this list. From the informa- tion contained in this file, the sysop can determine what kind of activity the system is being used for, what users seem to be having problems, what users are abusing their privileges, etc. 6.6.3. <M>essages All messages after the specified date will be displayed in chron- ological order. 6.6.4. <Q>uit This command will return control to the sysop sub-system. 6.7. <N>ewin file edit ROS hides all uploads from directory display until released by the sysop. It stores in NEWIN.ROS the name of the uploaded file, a short description of the file, the name of the user who sent the file, and the time the transfer was completed. This command allows the sysop to release the file and description for access by normal users, hide the file and description from normal users, delete the description (not the file itself), and edit the de- scription. Until the file is purged (see Purge), all entries may be freely edited by the sysop. For example, when a user uploads a file, ROS will mark it as hidden until the sysop has a chance to review its contents. If appropriate, the sysop can release the file for users. At that time, not only will the file be available in the NEWIN area for downloading, but the description entered at upload time can be seen by other users using the <N>ewin command in the files sub- system. When the file has "aged" in the NEWIN area sufficiently, the delete command will delete the description and mark the file as hidden once again. The sysop file copy command (described later) may then be used to move the file to a permanent file area. 6.8. <O> Macro operations In addition to being able to read characters from either the keyboard or the remote channel, ROS can read from internal char- acter strings called "macros." These strings can be used to execute any sequence of operations as defined by the sysop. Since some of the system maintenance commands can take some time to complete, macros can be very convenient. 21 ROS System Operations Guide For example, the sample macro file included with ROS performs the following operations: Macro #1 p Purge a All files y Yes, really do it n No, don't renumber messages o Macro operations b Begin macro 2 Number 2 ^M Complete number Macro #2 s Build a system directory o Macro operations b Begin macro 3 Number 3 ^M Complete number Macro #3 g Goodbye y Yes, really do it This use of multiple macros is only for demonstration and does not imply that you need to use several macros for this type of operation. In addition to the text editing commands described in the User's Guide, pressing "B" for egin will cause ROS to prompt for the macro number to execute. Since the macro file is a standard text file, most text editors and word processors can also be used to edit the MACRO.ROS file. High bits in the file, as set by Word- Star in document mode, will confuse ROS. WordStar non-document mode is fine. ROS is still monitoring both the local and remote keyboards while processing a macro so the sysop can pause (^S) or cancel (^C) a command, but macro processing will continue until complete. Since a carriage return is used to terminate the entry of a new macro string, a slash (/) may be entered into the macro. When encountered, ROS will convert this character into a carriage return. As shown in the example, control characters may be entered by prefixing a standard letter with a carat ("^"). For example, CTRL-C may be inserted into a macro with the two charac- ter string "^C". 22 ROS System Operations Guide 6.9. urge files This command purges and compresses selected files of deleted entries. It processes four different files, each selectable by a single command, or all four files together. All commands are verified before continuing. Sufficient disk space must be available for these operations or ROS will report an error and terminate. Should this happen, ROS will automatically recover from the old files the next time it is started, but extraneous files may be left on the disk. Purge All - This command purges all four files, i.e. it automatically performs a purge of the log, newin, user, and message files. Purge Log - This command removes all entries from the log file. Purge Newin - This command removes all entries marked "deleted" in the newin file. Purge Messages - As described in the introduction, deleting a message only marks that message for delete. To physically remove the message from the disk, the message files must be purged. Purge Users - This command deletes all users that have not logged in within the times specified at compile time. When a user is deleted with this command, ROS will also delete any messages sent to or from the user. 6.10. <R>edirect file This command moves a file from one area to another using a method that is much faster than copying and deleting, but will only work if both areas are on the same drive. The command syntax is similar to <C>opy, except that after the file has been moved, it will no longer exist in the source area so you will not be asked if you want to delete it. 6.11. <S>ystem directory A directory of all files in areas with access levels of "DirAcc" (defined in CONFIG.ROS) or less is built in the LOGIN file area. This directory can be used by remote users to speed file download operations. 6.12. <T>oggle printer 23 ROS System Operations Guide The currently assigned LST device is alternately enabled and disabled. To prevent inadvertent toggling when no printer is connected, this command is verified before continuing. 6.13. Other commands available to the sysop Naturally, all the user commands are available to the sysop including the ability to return to one of the other three command sub-systems. These commands are discussed below as well as some enhancements to the commands that normal users have. 6.13.1. <F>ile Transfer System This command causes ROS to exit the sysop sub-system and enter the file transfer sub-system. 6.13.2. <M>essage System This command causes ROS to exit the sysop sub-system and enter the message sub-system. 6.13.3. tility System This command causes ROS to exit the sysop sub-system and enter the utility sub-system. 6.13.4. <G>oodbye (logoff) This command terminates the session. 6.13.5. User command enhancements In the message sub-system, after reading a message, the sysop will be given the option of altering the message area or status of the message. The options are as follow: <D>elete mark message as deleted ndividual mark message as private <M>ove move message to another message area (ROS will prompt for the new area number as defined in AREA.ROS) ublic mark message as public <R>ead mark message as having been read In the utility sub-system, after displaying the time and date, ROS will allow the sysop to set these values. When the user list is requested, ROS will allow the sysop to 24 ROS System Operations Guide enter one of four parameters: <A>ll list all users <E>xceptional list users with an unusual access level or time limit, nvalidated list unvalidated users only <Q>uick produces the listing normal users can see 25 ROS System Operations Guide 7. SECURITY The security of a computer system is of paramount importance when that system is readily available through the telephone system. To make ROS robust enough to withstand both incorrect entries and malicious attacks against the system, a simple but effective method is used: an access level, ranging from 0 to 255, is assig- ned to each user with system privileges based upon this number. In general, the higher the number, the greater the privileges the user has. The following access levels are recommended (set in CONFIG.ROS): 0-9 Twit - will be logged off immediately 10-19 Unvalidated user - limited message and files access 11 Registered user - has not yet been validated 20-249 Normal user - full message and files access 250-254 Alternate sysops 255 Primary sysop The use of alternate sysops allows the primary sysop to get help running the system without completely opening it up. While all sysops have access to the sysop sub-system, "PriSysop" access level is required to copy and delete files. The edit command will operate on users of the same or lower access level. This access level structure allows the primary sysop to affect all user records in the system, including his own, but alternate sysops can neither affect nor view the record of the primary sysop. CAUTION: Since the primary sysop can edit any user record, please take care not to lower your own access level! 26 ROS System Operations Guide 8. OTHER VERSIONS OF ROS ROS file update utility - ROS35-36.COM ROS35-36.COM converts version 3.5 data files into the format expected by version 3.6. The original files will still exist but with a file extension of "BAK" (backup). Once you are satisified that the new files operate correctly, the backup files may be deleted. NOTE: ROS35-36.COM will only operate correctly on standard ver- sion 3.5 format files. Attempts to run the program using files from other versions of ROS, including version 3.6 or modified versions of ROS may result in output files full of junk. If this happens, carefully determine which files are correct, the "*.ROS" or the "*.BAK" files. 8.1. ROS Index Builder - RIB RIB rebuilds an existing ROS user index file and recovers from certain types of damage to the user data file. Normally, this program is not needed, but there may be times when it can improve or even restore system operation. For example, while ROS re-uses deleted user records and keeps USERDAT.ROS and USERIDX.ROS as compact as possible, you may wish to use RIB to remove the deleted records from the file. Another situation when RIB is useful is after a long period of activity during which many users have been added to the system and many others have been deleted. Using B+ trees, ROS will always access the user file in alphabetical order, but it may do so with quite a bit of disk activity due to the random nature of the user data file. RIB sorts this file to minimize the disk thrashing needed for sequential access. The third situation in which you may need to use RIB should never occur, but a disk failure or other serious system problem could damage the user data or index file. If you suspect that either of these files may be damaged, RIB should be run. During execution, RIB will display counts of records processed and the supported data files it is working on. 27 ROS System Operations Guide 9. ROS USAGE AND PROBLEM REPORT Your comments and suggestions are important as they help improve and develop ROS. Please feel free to file this report more than once. Thanks in advance for taking the time to complete and send this questionaire. Your name: Date: / / Company: Address: Please give a brief description of how you use ROS: When did you first receive ROS? Version number? What type of computer is it used on? What is your average usage per day? Do you have any experience with similar products, even on other computers? If so, please describe: How long have you been using computers? Using a scale of 1-10 (1=very bad, 10=very good), please indicate your feelings about the following: The system performance: The system operations manual: The user manual: The ease of use: 28 ROS System Operations Guide The practicality or usefulness of this product: Your overall satisfaction: The overall satisfaction of your users: What would you say are the BEST features of ROS? What would you say are the WORST features of ROS? List any extraneous or useless features: List any enhancements you would like to see added: Describe any problems you have encountered, including examples if possible: 29 ROS System Operations Guide 10. INVOICE Steven Fox Date: / / 2112 White Cloud NE Albuquerque, NM 87112 Name, address, phone: Product Quantity Price Each Total ROS license fee ____ @ $35.00 = ______ Total: ______ Please make checks payable to Steven Fox. Retain a copy of this invoice for your records. 30 Retain a copy of this invoice for your records.