OS/2 Shareware BBS: 2 BBS/02-BBS.zip/bos2_260.zip/bink_260.doc

Text File | 1996-04-07 | 15KB | 373 lines

                Addendum to BinkleyTerm Documentation

                       Changes and Additions
                   for BinkleyTerm Version 2.60

             Copyright (C) 1996 Bit Bucket Software, Co.

INTRODUCTION

Once again, the documentation for this latest release of BinkleyTerm is
being issued as an addendum to the previous docs.  Information contained
herein should be considered as superseding any previous documentation.

The comprehensive update we have promised is really almost done. Vince had
some last minute fits with the word processor or it would be out.

The new documentation should be out in April 1996. Thanks to Barrie Smith
and Bob Davis for all the work they have done.


Exit/Spawn
----------

External mail exits can now be shelled/spawed, by putting "EXTern spawn"
in your config file. Note: if you enable this option, all external mail
is spawned. The arguments to EXTMAIL are exactly the same as the exit
case, so you can find the "errorlevel" from the command line if you need it.

An external process can now force BinkleyTerm to exit. This is enabled by
putting "ForcExit n" in the config file, where (n) is the errorlevel you
wish to use on exit. Bink will periodically check the flag directory for a
file called FORCEXIT (or FORCEXIT.xxx if task number is set).
When it sees the file, it will delete it and exit with the user
specified errorlevel.

BinkleyTerm will also look in the flags directory for files of the form
BTEXIT??.??. If a file matching the task number in the extension is found,
BinkleyTerm will exit using the hex errorlevel specified in the filename.
(e.g. BTEXIT10.B0 makes BinkleyTerm task 176 exit with errorlevel 16)

Any specific "Exit" can be replaced with a spawn as follows:

    ErrLevelShell <errlevel> <shell command>
        <errlevel>      is an error level for a user exit.
        <shell command> is the command to be executed.

    For example, if the event file had the following:

        Event ALL 08:00 12:00  E4=91,TIC A=60 T=3,10

    and the configuration file had the following:

        ErrLevelShell 91  DOTICK.CMD

    Instead of exiting with an errorlevel of 91 when a TIC file is
    received, DOTICK.CMD will be executed.  If you are using the
    OS/2 or Win32 (NT/Win95) version of Binkley and specify:

        ErrLevelShell 91 Start /I /C "Tick Procssing" DOTICK.CMD

    DOTICK.CMD will be started as a seperate session.



Protocols
---------

BinkleyTerm now supports EMSI. This requires some more config changes:


    NoEMSI disables EMSI
    MyLocation defines nodelist location \
    MyPhone            phone number       \ In nodelist
    MyListFlags        nodelist flags     / format
    MyMaxBaud          max baud rate     /
    PickUpAll          enables all pick ups in EMSI

There also is a script command "NoEMSI" to disable EMSI for one session.

Arjen Lentz' and Joaquim Homrighausen's Hydra protocol is now supported
in the DOS and OS/2 versions. Config lines "NoJanus" and "NoHydra" have
been added. The old "JanusOK" and "JanusBaud" now also control Hydra.
Because of this we added "BiDiOK" and "BiDiBaud" which do the same.

Language file
-------------

BTLNG now supports '\s' for embedded spaces.

File requests
-------------

You can now use your MAXFILES.IDX for file requests. This is accomplished
by putting "MaxAreas <area.dat file name>", "FileSec n", and optionally
"KnownSec n" and "ProtSec n" in BINKLEY.CFG, and "*<maxfiles.idx file name>"
in your OKFILE. The 'n' referred to above is Max-defined, it should be:

    0=Disgrace, 1=Limited, 2=Normal, 3=Worthy,     4=Privil,
    5=Favored,  6=Extra,   7=Clerk,  8=Asstsysop, 10=Sysop,
   11=Hidden,  -2=Twit

The file names should be full paths (e.g. d:\max\area.dat)

BinkleyTerm can send file request responses back in packets, if you
set "pktrsp". This feature requires a flags directory.


Addressing
----------

BinkleyTerm now supports domain kludging to zone numbers. Lines of the form
"DomainKludge ZoneNumber DomainName" (e.g. "DomainKludge 7 alternet.ftn")
will fill in a domain if addresses are without domain specification, either
from local entry or in FidoNet handshaking. These lines must follow the
"Domain" lines, and if you set a domainkludge without having previously
defined a domain, it will not be processed. Here is an example:

Domain fidonet.org fidonet nodex
Domain alternet.ftn alternet nodex
Domain eggnet eggnet nodex

DomainKludge 7 alternet.ftn
DomainKludge 99 eggnet

REMEMBER, THE DOMAINKLUDGE LINES *MUST* FOLLOW THE DOMAIN LINES!


Communications
--------------

BinkleyTerm now supports communications rates up to 115200 baud
on DOS, OS/2 and Win32 platforms. For DOS, this requires a FOSSIL
that can handle these rates (such as X00 1.53A or above), and
"extbaudrates" in BINKLEY.CFG. For OS/2 you need MAXCOMM 2.5 or
above. These rates are native in Win32.

You can use BinkleyTerm/32 to frontend a DOS-based bulletin board on
Windows 95 using WinFOSSIL 1.10 and the "WinFOSSIL" command. Contact
Bryan Woodruff at 1:343/294 for details.


Unattended mode changes
-----------------------

Alt-P in unattended mode creates a .CLO file for polling.

Alt-Z in unattended mode will give you a zoomed view of the
outbound window, with some facilities for changing flavors, deleting,
et cetera.

If BTRESCAN.?? appears in the flags directory BinkleyTerm will rescan the
outbound (e.g. BTRESCAN.40 make BinkleyTerm task 64 rescan)

BinkleyTerm can scan a Squish style netmail message base for unread messages.
To specify a Squish style netmail area, you must prefix the path with a '$'
and add the name of the message base (e.g. "Netmail $C:\Max\Netmail")

The "Recent Activity" window is scrollable now. Set the total scrolling area
using the  "RecentActivityLines <n>" verb. Use the CTRL+(down/up arrow,
pg dn/up, home, end) keys to scroll the area. DOS users should use this with
care since it will cost you memory. NOTE: for some reason, under DOS the
CTRL/UPAR and CTRL/DNAR don't seem to work. You can redefine the keys for
these commands in your language file.


External mailers/FAX
--------------------

Bink can receive Group 2 FAX. Add "FaxInDir <directory name>" to
enable the option. There is also an associated per-event errorlevel
for fax reception, specified as "EF=errorlevel" in the event file.
Fax reception will be considered like received mail if there is not
an explicit errorlevel for FAX.

You can define a FAX using the external mail support in BinkleyTerm
and a "ModemFax" line in BINKLEY.CFG. This allows two modes of operation:

1) Bink receives the fax into a raw file.

        ModemFax <fax connection result>
        FaxInDir <fax directory>

This tells Bink that when it sees this result code, it should
receive the fax into the specified directory.

2) Bink shells out to external program for fax

        ModemFax <fax connection result>
        ExtrnMail <code> <fax connection result>

        (optional)
        Extern Spawn

When Bink gets the fax connection result and FaxInDir is not
set, it will try to find an external mail string and if it
finds one it will dispatch as specified by the user.

BinkleyTerm will set the baudrate to 19200 on a FAX connection unless
you set "FaxBaud x", in which event your specified rate will be used.

BinkleyTerm uses the entire "Connect" line to match for external mailers.

Using "ExtSession <mask> <program-name>" BinkleyTerm can run a program
to do mail for a particular modem type. In this case, BinkleyTerm will
turn off everything and, for every file to send to this system, it
will call "programname full-address tasknumber filename". When BinkleyTerm
regains control it looks for a file in the current directory named
"programname.tasknumber". If it exists the session continues; if not,
it's considered a failure. When the session ends, one way or the
other, BinkleyTerm will restart itself and proceed.

    By way of example: using my nodelist compiler, let's say I define
    my point 2 as having modem flag 64 (0x40). With a private list, I
    could do this by putting a "UGATE" flag on the node, then with
    XLAXNODE, "MODEMTRANS 7 UGATE". I then put

          extsession 40 points

    in BINKLEY.CFG and create points.bat as follows:

          echo %0 %1 %2 %3 >> points.log
          if "%1%" == "1:343/491.2@fidonet" copy %3 m:\point2
          if errorlevel 1 goto end
          touch points.%2%
          :end

    The result: all sessions with my .2 put the mail into m:\point2.

    Note that this mechanism is designed mostly for callout. However,
    you can poll for mail by creating a dummy packet and "sending" it,
    and your batch file can copy files into your inbound.



Sounds
------

Bink can associate sounds with particular events on OS/2 and Win32.
6 new BINKLEY.CFG parameters have been added: "MailSound"
is the sound that BinkleyTerm will play on a E2 mail exit,
"FileSound" will be played on a E3 or user-specified mail exit,
"BBSSound" will be played when BinkleyTerm exits to a BBS,
"EXTSound" will be played on exit to an external (UUCP) mailer,
"StartSound" will be played at the start of unattended mode.
"FAXSound" will be played on a FAX exit.

The parameter looks like this:

             StartSound happy.wav

On Vince's machine, this plays the "Happy Happy Joy Joy" song when
BinkleyTerm starts unattended mode.

This is techie: The ZModem receiver now will send ZFERR for disk-full
situations. The transmitter will treat this as an error. The result
should be that files will no longer be lost in transit due to disk-full.

A new event flag, '$', causes BinkleyTerm to delete all bad-call entries.

The outbound window now contains file counts, if "NoSize" was not enabled.
For lack of real estate, we'll not show domains if this option is on.


Modem handling
--------------

BinkleyTerm now matches modem types exactly rather than using a bitwise
AND. This allows lots more modem types, but requires that you change your
nodelist generation and config stuff (if you're using ModemTrans).

Callout to nodes with a particular modem type can be disabled using
"ModemTrans xxx" (where xxx is the modem type) with no prefix or suffix.
This allows sharing BinkleyTerm between lines with particular modem types.


You can now tell Binkley how to handle various result codes from the
modem: "ModemFailure" for failures; "ModemIgnore" for ignorable codes;
"ModemConnect" for connect string prefixes (the rest is parsed for
connect rate, etc); "ModemRinging" for an INCOMING ring; "ModemIncoming"
for incoming call collision; "ModemFax" for incoming FAX; "ModemRetry" for
a failure that should signal alternate number retry.

The first prefix match will be taken, so ordering the config lines
so that the correct match is taken is important!

Bink will default these to the old hardcoded settings if there is
no user input. The values in BINKLEY.CFG which would produce the
defaults are:

        ModemIgnore RINGING
        ModemIgnore RING RESPONSE
        ModemRinging RING
        ModemConnect CONNECT
        ModemIgnore RRING
        ModemRetry BUSY
        ModemFailure VOICE
        ModemFailure ERROR
        ModemFailure OK
        ModemFailure NO CARRIER
        ModemIncoming NO DIAL
        ModemIgnore DIALING
        ModemFailure NO ANSWER
        ModemIgnore DIAL TONE
        ModemFax +FCO

BinkleyTerm can send a special string to the modem after a connection and
log the response. Specify this using "Aftercall <n> <string>". BinkleyTerm
will send <string> to the modem and log up to <n> response lines. For a USR
Courier "aftercall 16 ATI6|" works well; for a PPI, "aftercall 15 ATI6|".

ARQ string filtering can be disabled by adding "NoFilter <prefix>".
BinkleyTerm will compare the string after the connect rate with the prefix
specified and disable the filtering on a prefix match.

BinkleyTerm now supports retry dialing to another number.  You would use
this if a node you call has 2 or more lines that share the same node number.
Specify them as follows:

    AltNumber <primary number> <alternate number>

        Specifies alternate number to try if the primary number could not
        be reached. The alternate number should be running the same node
        as the primary number.

        For "AltNumber 555-1111 555-2222", if 555-1111 was busy, BinkleyTerm
        would automatically call 555-2222. Multiple alternates to a single
        number may be specified with multiple lines.


Delayed answer (past the first ring) is available using the "RingWait n"
command. This can be used to get Caller-ID info into the log; most Caller-ID
systems will work just fine with a value of 2.



Cost Logging
------------

BinkleyTerm can do cost logging. Enable this by setting the "EuroCost"
command, and making "CostLog <file>" and "CostUnit" settings. US CostUnit
seems to be about 2 and Europeam seems to be 23. Adjust as you need.

We figured it adds value to put this into the history record, so
we did. New structure is:

typedef struct _history
{
    short which_day;    /* Day number for this record        */
    short bbs_calls;    /* Number of BBS callers             */
    short mail_calls;    /* Number of mail calls              */
    short calls_made;    /* Number of outgoing calls made     */
    short connects;        /* Number of outbound call successes */
    short files_in;        /* Number of files received          */
    short files_out;    /* Number of files sent              */
    short last_caller;    /* Type of last call                 */
    ADDR last_addr;        /* Address of last, excl. Domain     */
    char last_Domain[32]; /* Domain of last                  */
    long last_Elapsed;    /* Time of last outbound session     */
    ADDR next_addr;        /* Address of next, excl. Domain     */
    char next_Domain[32]; /* Domain of next                  */
    long callcost;        /* Cumulative of call costs          */
    long size_in;        /* Size of files received            */
    long time_in;        /* Time of files received            */
    long err_in;        /* Errors while receiving files      */
    long size_out;        /* Size of files sent                */
    long time_out;        /* Time of files sent                */
    long err_out;        /* Errors while sending files        */
} HISTORY, *HISTORYP;

BinkleyTerm now logs this information at the end of every session.