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System User's Manual for TP-Board Version 2.0 Copyright (c) 1987 by Jon E. Schneider ================================================================= TP-Board is based on the Pascal Integrated Communications System (PICS), Copyright 1986, 1987 by Les Archambault. This software is being distributed with his knowledge and consent. A large portion of the TP-Board code is an exact duplicate of the PICS code. ================================================================= This document is the User's Manual for TP-Board. In addition to serving as your guide to TP-Board, it should be made available for your remote users use. It's a lot easier to refer them to this manual when they have questions than it is to be continually answering the same questions from new users. The following is a brief synopsis of TP-Boards features. You will find it is as full featured as any other currently available Bulletin Board system for the PC. * Multiple message areas, including support for Fido-Net and EchoMail areas. * Multiple file areas. * Multiple 'Articles'. * 'Type' files online, including 'Squeezed' and individual LBR and ARC member files. * Send and receive files using all the popular protocols. (Xmodem, Ymodem, Ymodem Batch, Imodem, and Zmodem single file). Can even send individual ARC and LBR member files using the Xmodem or Ymodem protocols. * Chat with SysOp. * File directories can be shown using file size or transfer time. * Support for ANSI graphics (user selectable). * Upload a file, and have it automatically read into a conference's message base. * Change user parameters, including page and line length, prompt bell, default protocol, etc. Before I get into the explanation of the way that TP-Board is organized, it is important to learn about the prompts that the system gives you when it is waiting for you to type in a command (at subsystem menus). SYSTEM PROMPTS The system prompt is the line that you see whenever the system is waiting for an input from you at one of the sub-system menus. Prompts consist of several components: A. Your time remaining on the BBS. B. Current Subsystem (Message, Files, or Utilities) C. Current Message Area or File Section. D. Library or Archive name (if one is active) For example: 32-Files NEWIN [press "?" for menu]> ^ ^ ^ A. B. C. The above line indicates that you have 32 minutes remaining on the system, are currently in the files subsystem, and are logged into the NEWIN area. Should you enter an Archive, your prompt might look something like the following: 13-Files NEWIN [VECTOR.ARC]> ^ ^ ^ ^ A. B. C. D. When you are not at one of the subsystem command prompts and the system is expecting you to type in one of several possible commands, you will see something like: Enter your command <A><C><D><Q><?> > Here the possible commands are the letters contained inside the <> symbols. Enter one of these, then a carriage return, and the command will execute. Generally, whenever you see a <Q> the Q may be used to Quit the command presently being executed and return to the previous menu. Using the ? will display an additional line of help for the single letter commands, then re-prompt you for an answer. COMMAND LINE ENTRIES A command line entry is what you type in at the command prompt. A general rule is most commands require a single letter followed by a carriage return (CR) or Enter. The exception is where names are required. For example: 32-Message PC [press "?" for menu]> C;POST;R;S;C |____________| The above string will: CHANGE AREA; POST AREA; READ MESSAGES; SINCE LAST ON; CONTINUOUSLY The delimiter used above was a semi-colon, however a space or a comma is also accepted. (ie. C POST R S C or C,POST,R,S,C will both work). The user may ask for help by typing "?" at any prompt. The commands available for that particular area and their meanings will then be displayed. During most system display operations, TP-Board will respond to Xon/Xoff control, i.e. when ^S (Xoff) is entered, the display will pause until another key is pressed. Usually this will be ^Q (Xon), but any key except ^C (ETX) or ^S will continue the listing. ^C will stop the listing completely and usually return you to the command prompt. FILENAME WILDCARDS TP-Board responds to wildcards in exactly the same manner as DOS. If you are not familiar with their use, I would suggest that you read your DOS manual. COMMAND SYSTEMS Approximately 40 commands are available to users of TP-Board. These commands are grouped into three command subsystems. Within each subsystem is a Menu of commands available. Subsystem Primary Use -------- ----------- Message Subsystem Enter and read messages to/from other users Files Subsystem Send and Receive files Utilities Subsystem Miscellaneous functions Here is a detailed explanation of each subsystem: MESSAGE SUBSYSTEM This is the Message Subsystem menu. A detailed explanation of each command follows the menu. Remember that the commands are represented in the menu by the <A> notation where the command is the letter inside the <> symbols. TPBoard - Message System Menu -------------={ Functions }=--------------- ---={ Other Menus }=--- <A>rticles to read ulletin <F>ile transfer System <C>hange message area <E>nter a message tilities System nfo for new users <O>ther systems list <Q>uick-scan messages <R>ead messages <S>can messages <G>oodbye (logoff) <W>elcome message <A>rticles to read Will display a menu of Sysop selected articles and allow you to make selections for viewing. ulletin This command redisplays the Bulletins that are displayed auto- matically during each caller login. <W>elcome Will re-display the welcome message that you saw when you first logged onto the system. <C>hange message area TP-Board supports multiple message areas, i.e. messages are filed in groups by topic. After typing "C", enter the name of the desired message area or enter "?" and <RETURN> to get a menu of the message areas available. Any message area who's name starts with a '-', i.e., '-TANDY', is an EchoMail conference area. If the entry cannot be found, a short version of the menu will be displayed and the system will once again prompt for the message area. <E>nter a message Until you are validated, this command will automatically enter all messages to the sysop. Use this command to send a message to another user, the sysop, or to all users (like posting a message on a bulletin board). If you enter only a <RETURN> in response to the "FIRST name" prompt, the message will go to all users. If you send to a particular person, the system will verify the recipient name. If the system cannot find the addressee, you will be informed and given the opportunity to try again. At the completion of message entry, you will be asked if you want the message to be Public (available for all validated users to read) or Private (just addressee [and sysop] can read). To send a message to the sysop, enter "SYSOP" as the first name. You will not be prompted for a last name. During message entry, hitting a Return (carriage return) on a blank line (that is, at the beginning of a line) will activate the message editor. This is the way to end messages or stop during the message to correct mistakes. The following commands are then available (can be displayed by typing "?" at the Message Editor "Command>" prompt): <D>elete line <E>dit a selected line nsert line <L>ist current message <S>ave message to disk <Q>uit (DON'T save message) After using the message editor you will be returned to the subsystem command prompt. Remember, if you want the message recorded, use the <S> command instead of the <Q> command. All other commands will return you to the message editor prompt for further editing. There are some minor differences between the message entry functions available while in the normal TP-Board areas, and when in the FidoNet areas. They are as follows; If you are in an EchoMail area, ALL messages are Public. At login, you will NOT be told if there are messages waiting for you in the FidoNet areas. The user base is not searched to see if there is a user by the same name as the person you are sending the message to. You cannot upload text files into the message base. You cannot <Q>uick scan messages (you CAN <S>can them). nformation for new users This short description of the system is displayed the first time you logged in. This command displays it again. <O>ther systems list This is a list of other public Bulletin Board Systems (BBS's) in the local area. <S>can messages This command is similar to quick-scan. In addition to the number and topic, the sender and receiver will be displayed. <Q>uick-scan messages After typing "Q", the system will prompt for the starting message number. If the message number cannot be found, the system will start with next sequential message unless the requested number is outside the range displayed in brackets. In that case, the system will start the scan with the next message after the highest message read the last time you logged in. If the message is addressed to you privately, a "*" will be displayed. If the message is public, a ":" will be displayed between the number and the topic. <R>ead messages After entering "R", this command will prompt for the following information about which messages to read. All commands are just for the Message Area you are currently in. Read Search Option <A><F><T><N><S><Q> [press "?" for menu]> The options translate as follows: <A>ll messages in this area <F>rom you previously entered messages <T>o you <N>umeric similar to ALL but you are prompted for the starting number <S>ince your last call TPB remembers the number of the last message you read. <Q>uit return to subsystem command prompt without reading any messages. After entering "A, F, T, N, or S" the system will respond by displaying the header of the first requested message and then prompt you with: Read <Y><N><C><Q><R> [press "?" for menu]> These commands translate as follows: <Y>es display text of message <N>o skip to next message <C>ontinuous displays all messages from here on with no pauses <Q>uit end message reading and return to subsystem menu prompt. <R>eply to current message even if not addressed to you revious backup to last message If you are the addressee of a message the system will ask you if you wish to reply. Respond with either "Y" or "N". If you reply with "Y" the system will put you into message entry mode with the author and addressee reversed and the subject line will be the same except that the words "Reply to-" will be added. After completion of the message you will be returned to the message read mode where you left off. Whether you replied or not, you will be asked if you wish to delete the message addressed to you. If you are the author of the message or the receiver of a privately addressed message, the system will ask if you want to delete it. Respond with either "Y" to delete the message or with "N" to retain the message on the system. If the message is not the last message, the system will ask if you want to read the next sequential message on file. Respond "Y" to continue with the reading, or with "N" to skip the message. <G>oodbye (logoff) This command is available in all subsystems. It is used to terminate the remote session. You will be given the opportunity to enter any comments or questions to the sysop. When this is done, the system will disconnect. <F>iles Subsystem This command transfers you to the Files subsystem and gives you the command prompt for that subsystem. tilities Subsystem This command transfers you to the Utilities subsystem and gives you the command prompt for that subsystem. FILES SUBSYSTEM The following menu lists the commands available in the files subsystem. Subsequent paragraphs describe each command in more detail. TPBoard - File Transfer System Menu ----------------={ Functions }=--------------- -={ Other Menus }=- <C>hange file area <L>ibrary entry/exit <M>essage System <D>irectory of files <N>ewin list tilities System <F>ind File(s) <Z>Filesize/Time <G>oodbye (logoff) <A>rc entry/exit <R>eceive (upload) a file (you --> TPBoard) <S>end (download) a file (TPBoard --> you) <T>ype a file (or a LBR or ARC member file) <C>hange file section When you first log in, you will be placed in the "LOGIN" files section. (In the Message subsystem, there were Message Areas; here we switch the terminology to Sections.) To access other files sections in the system, use this command. After typing "C", enter the name of the desired file section or enter "?" to get a menu of the file sections available. If the section name cannot be found, you will be shown a list of the section names available and the system will once again prompt for the section name. If you are in a library file (see next description) when this command is entered, the library will be closed before the system prompts for the new section. <D>irectory of files This command alphabetically displays the directory of files for the current section. If you are in a library, only those files in the library will be displayed; otherwise, the Section directory will be displayed. The file size will also be displayed according to the current filesize mode (see filesize description). <F>ind File(s) This command allows you to search through all available file sections to locate a particular file or file group. Standard DOS wildcards are accepted. <Z>Filesize/Time display Initially, the file sizes in the directory display will be shown in "k" (1024 bytes). The system can also display file sizes in minutes and seconds of transfer time (based on the current modem speed). Each time this command is entered, the system will alternate between these two methods. <R>eceive file using default protocol (you --> TP-Board) (UPLOAD) This command allows TP-Board to receive a file from you. The System will automatically respond using whatever protocol you chose as your default. Files will be received in a private area for Sysop approval before being released for others to download. If you are enrolled in a conference section, TP-Board will write files that you send to the conference section directly. They will be visible immediately for other conference members to download. TP-Board will tell you where the file will be written before you send it. To use this command you should first give the <R> command and then the file name if requested. TP-Board will tell you how much disk space is available and that it is Ready to Receive. If there isn't enough for the file that you are sending, type Control X until TP-Board aborts the receive mode and returns to the command mode. If everything is OK at the "Ready To Receive" prompt you should start the send process. After the file transfer has completed successfully, TP-Board will ask for a Section designation and short description of the file. This description will be shown by the <N>ewin command after the sysop reviews the file. Uploads are always welcome. <S>end file using default protocol (TP-Board --> you) (download) Use this command to send files from TP-Board to your computer. After entering "S", you will be prompted to enter the file name of the program you want sent to your computer. If the system can find the file in the current area, it will display the transfer time and then the message "Ready to send..." When the file transfer is complete, the system will return to the Files subsystem prompt. TP-Board uses the default protocol that you have set whenever it performs file transfers. You can change your default at anytime by going to the Utilities menu, or you can change it for the current transfer only by giving the command followed by the protocol letter. For example, if you default protocol was Zmodem, and you wanted to switch to Ymodem Batch for this upload only, you would give the command 'RB' instead of 'R'. <T>ype a file (includes ARC and LBR member files). An Text file is one that contains readable characters rather than machine code. This command may be used to display the contents of these files. You will be asked if you want page breaks which will pause the display at the number of lines per page as set in your user parameters. Xon/Xoff may also be used to pause the display. NOTE: This command may be used to transfer readable files even though your computer does not support the Xmodem protocol. If your machine has a feature to 'Capture' what is printed on your screen, you can use it to get the file transfered. <A>rchive entry/exit Archives are used to place a group of related files in a single file known as an ARChive file. For example, a single archive might contain source code, object or executable code, and documentation for a particular system. Such an archive is actually a single file which contains an invisible "directory" followed by the files. The "directory" is used to keep track of the files inside the archive. In order to simplify archive usage on this system, the "A" command may be used to "enter" an archive. When this is done, the system will prompt for the archive file name and then attempt to open the archive for use. If successful, all subsequent Files subsystem commands will relate to the files within the archive. The other files in the present File Section will not be accessible. If not, an appropriate error message will be issued. If you are already in an archive, entering "A" will cause the system to close the archive and return to normal display of the files in the present File Section. <L>ibrary entry/exit Same as above, except it applies to files with the LBR extension. Libraries are used mostly on CP/M systems. <N>ewin list This command displays, from the newest to the oldest, files that have been uploaded to this system. The three line format is as follows: 1. FILENAME.EXT FILE SECTION UPLOAD DATE NAME OF UPLOADER 2. TIMES DOWNLOADED LAST DOWNLOAD DATE 3. [----------------75 CHARACTER DESCRIPTION OF FILE----------------] The File Section name is entered by the sender to tell the sysop where the file should eventually be stored. If a file is listed as "GAMES SECTION", after upload it will stay in the NEWIN section for a while and then be moved to the GAMES section. (The Section names here are only an example, and may not exist on all systems.) If you are presently in the NEWIN or LOGIN file section, all uploaded file entries (all sections) will be displayed for you. However, if you change to a different file section and use the <N>ewin command, only the files marked for that section will be displayed. All other sections will be ignored. This is so you don't have to wade through all the other section files just to see the one you're interested in. Additionally, there is a file search option in the <N>ewin list command. This will keep you from having to scan the entire newin list just to get a description of a particular file. This search option supports wildcards but will stop searching at the first entry that matches the search arguments. <G>oodbye (logoff) This command is available in all subsystems. It is used to terminate the remote session. You will be given the opportunity to enter any comments or questions to the sysop. When this is done, the system will disconnect. tilities Subsystem This command transfers you to the Utilities subsystem. <M>essage Subsystem This command transfers you to the Messages subsystem. UTILITIES SUBSYSTEM The following menu lists the commands available in the utilities subsystem. Subsequent paragraphs describe each command in more detail. TPBoard - Utility System Menu --------------={ Functions }=-------------- --={ Other Menus }=-- <A>lter user parameters <T>ime and date <F>ile Transfer System <C>hat with sysop ser list <M>essage System <S>ystem use statistics <Y>our statistics <Z>Graphics On/Off rotocol Default <G>oodbye (logoff) <A>lter user parameters This command allows you to set several parameters as listed in the following menu. Subsequent paragraphs describe each command. Alter User Parameter Menu ell after prompt on/off <L>ines per page assword change <C>haracters per line <N>ulls sent after C/R <S>hift lock <#>Phone number <Q>uit All parameters will be retained from one call to the next. ell after prompt on/off This command turns on and off the bell (or beep) used to indicate that the system is ready for your input. <L>ines per page To improve the readability of long displays, TP-Board will pause after a specified number of lines, waiting for a key to be pressed before proceeding. Use this parameter to match the number of lines displayed to your screen size. If you specify "99" as the line count, TP-Board will not pause. <C>haracters per line If you are using a terminal that displays less than 80 characters per line, use this command to alter your setting. It will help some while reading messages, but TP-Board is mainly set up for 80 characters per line. <N>ulls sent after C/R Nulls are sent after a carriage return to allow time for your machine to catch up before any printable characters are sent. Normally this value is set to "0" for CRT (display) terminals, and from 0-9 (try 2) for hardcopy printing terminals. If your display loses characters at the beginning of the line, try increasing this parameter. When you first logged in, you were asked for the number of nulls you needed and whether or not your system could display lower case. If your system changes or you need to change this value for any other reason, use this command. assword change When this command is executed, the system will ask for your current password. If it is entered correctly, you will be asked for a new password in a fashion similar to when you first logged into the system. <S>hift lock (toggle) Some terminals do not know what to do with lower case letters. If you respond "Y", lower case will be sent normally. If you answer "N", lower case letters will be converted to upper case before being sent to your system. <#> Phone number In the event that your phone number has changed since since your last logon, use this command to enter your new number. This completes the Change User Params menu explanation. <C>hat with Sysop During certain hours, the sysop may be available to chat. When this command is entered, the system will try to summon the sysop (if during the chat period). If the sysop is available, you will be notified and a two way conversation may begin. If the sysop is not available or if the current time is outside the hours to chat, you will be given the opportunity to leave a message. <S>ystem use statistics This command displays a bar chart of the percent of system usage by hour. From the information on this chart, you can plan your calls for times when the system is less busy. <Z> Graphics on/off (toggle) This command will toggle the use of ANSI color graphics in TP-Boards menus and help screens. <T>ime and date This command will display the current time and date, the amount of time spent on the system today, and the amount of time remaining today. ser list Alphabetically list all the validated users on the system. This command may be used to check the spelling of a user to whom you wish to send a message. You may start the list with any name or part of name by entering one or more letters at the appropriate prompt. <Y>our statistics This command displays the login statistics that you saw when you first logged in. Login Time/Date User Name Caller Number Access Time Today Access Time Total Last On System Time/Date Last High Message High Message Now Downloads Uploads Account Balance Default protocol rotocol This command will allow you to change the default file transfer protocol that you selected on your first login. You will be prompted for a new protocol, and can hit '?' to obtain a listing of the available protocols. <G>oodbye (logoff) This command is available in all subsystems. It is used to terminate the remote session. You will be given the opportunity to enter any comments or questions to the sysop. When this is done, the system will disconnect. <F>iles Subsystem This command transfers you to the Files subsystem. <M>essage Subsystem This command transfers you to the Messages subsystem.