OS/2 Shareware BBS: 2 BBS/02-BBS.zip/ci211.zip/ci2.INF

OS/2 Help File | 1995-04-22 | 48KB | 882 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. IBM OS/2 Warp - Get more out of your PC! ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ



This product was created using IBM's OS/2 Warp operating system.  We highly
recommend OS/2 Warp for all computer users, whether the intended use is
corporate networking, software development, or home computing with games for
the kids.

OS/2 Warp is available for under $90.  The product can be found at almost any
software reseller; just look for the box with the above logo.  You can also
call IBM Direct at 1-800-3IBM-OS2 for more information or to place an order.

A professional's opinion on operating systems:

"Although I didn't realize it at the time, before we had OS/2, software
development was incredibly primitive, unorganized, and wasteful.  I would use
my favorite DOS editor to write code, shell out of it to compile, scan for
files, view docs, or even run Telix.  Of course, once I started a download I
could do little more than watch the packets creep in.  I would often need to
shell out of Telix to refer to something on the system, and it was no rare
occasion to run out of memory, then realize that I had shelled three or four
times out of various applications.  I would carefully clean things up trying
not to lose code in the process.  Hopefully, none of the code I had written had
serious bugs.  Under DOS they would hang the system making it a very
painstaking process to debug.

With OS/2 I am moving between applications effortlessly.  The benefits of
multitasking are clear, but OS/2 has improved the system in many more ways.
Now running applications and locating information is much less painstaking, and
the system is more organized in general.  I can devote my time to working on a
problem rather than trying to remember pathnames and trying to manage the hard
drive with clumsy DOS commands.

At first, I didn't see all the great benefits of switching to OS/2.  It took
quite a while to drop my old habits and adopt a new method for getting work
done.  Even after running OS/2 for nearly two years, I continue to make better
use of the system each week.  Now when I try to remember what it was like to
work on a DOS machine, I can hardly believe it ever happened. Although moving
to OS/2 required no effort at all, it would truly be impossible for me to
return to the old ways."

-- Andy Trick, Frontier Technology Corp.

We have recognized the power of OS/2 and think you will, too!  So get
involved... and experience Operating at a Higher Level!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Important Legal Information ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

ΓöîΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö¼ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÉ
ΓöéCopyIt/2 v1.1                      ΓöéFrontier Technology Systems Corp.  Γöé
Γöé for OS/2 Warp v3.0 and PC-DOS     ΓöéPost Office Box 3233               Γöé
Γöéby Andy Trick and Justin Kuntz     ΓöéChampaign, IL 61826-3233 USA       Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéCopyright (c) 1993 - 1995,         Γöé Voice: [phone]             Γöé
ΓöéFrontier Technology Systems Corp.  Γöé   Fax: [phone]             Γöé
ΓöéAll Rights Reserved World Wide.    Γöé  Data: [phone]             Γöé
ΓöéThis software is distributed as    Γöé  FIDO: sysop @ 1:233/19           Γöé
Γöéshareware.  See legal information. Γöé  INET: [e-mail]        Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéCost: $100.00 US  Visa/MC Accepted Γöé   An IBM Premier Developer        Γöé
ΓööΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö┤ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÿ

Frontier Technology Systems Corp. (abbreviated FTS Corp.) operates under the
assumed name Frontier Technology Corp.  Both names are used throughout this
document, and you should realize the two refer to the same company.  Prior to
January 1, 1995 Frontier Enterprises was the official company name.

Please read the following sub-topics:

1.   License

2.   Warranty

3.   Support

4.   Acknowledgements

These sections contain important information about this product.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. License ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Revised 04/21/95

This software is protected by both United States copyright law and
international copyright treaty provisions.  Any disputes relating to this
software will be governed by the laws of the state of Illinois.  The prevailing
party in any action or proceeding brought in connection with this software
shall be awarded reasonable attorney's fees to be paid by the other party.

By using this software you agree to all terms and conditions of this license
agreement.  If you choose not to agree and abide by the terms of this
agreement, you must remove this software from your computer system.

Note:  You agree not to translate, modify, disassemble, decompile, reverse
engineer, or create derivative works based on this software or any portion
thereof.  This agreement automatically terminates without notice if any
provision of this agreement is breached by you.

UNREGISTERED copies of this software can be freely distributed providing that
the original contents are not modified in any way.  Disk duplicators, CD-ROM
distributors, and Bulletin Board System operators are granted the option to
charge a reasonable fee for providing a copy of this software if it is
understood by the purchaser that the fee does not entitle them to a registered
copy of this software.

A REGISTERED copy of this software, however, must be treated just like a book,
except that you may copy it onto a computer to be used and you may make
archival copies of the software for the sole purpose of backing up our software
and protecting your investment from loss.

By saying "just like a book" Frontier Technology Corp. means that a REGISTERED
copy of this software may be used by any number of people, and may be freely
moved from one computer location to another, so long as there is NO POSSIBILITY
of it being used at one location while it is being used at another or on a
computer network by more than one user at one location.  Just as a book cannot
be read by two different people in two different places at the same time,
neither can this software be used by two different people in two different
places at the same time without violating the Frontier Technology Corp. copyright.

A Bulletin Board System is considered to be a single user; you do NOT need to
register a copy of this software for each node.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2. Warranty ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Revised 04/21/95

Frontier Technology Corp. hereby disclaims all warranties relating to this
software, whether express or implied, including without limitation any implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.  Information
in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a
commitment on the part of Frontier Technology Corp.

Frontier Technology Corp. will not be liable for any special, incidental,
consequential, indirect or similar damages due to loss of data or any other
reason.  In no event shall Frontier Technology Corp.'s liability for any
damages ever exceed the price paid for the license to use this software,
regardless of the form of the claim.  The person using this software bears all
risk as to its quality and performance.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.3. Support ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Revised 04/21/95

SUPPORT: If you have problems installing or using this software we will attempt
to help you as much as possible.  Many problems can be resolved easily through
a brief e-mail or fax message.

You can contact us via e-mail by calling our BBS directly or sending a FidoNet
or an InterNet message.  The telephone number and e-mail addresses for our BBS
are listed at the beginning of this document.

If your problem can not be resolved through e-mail or fax communications, then
you can proceed to contact us voice.  As always, we welcome your suggestions
and comments!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.4. Acknowledgements ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Revised 04/21/95

Frontier Technology Corp. acknowledges all trademarks found in this document.
This acknowledgement includes, but is not limited to:

o   International Business Machines' OS/2 Warp, OS/2 for the PowerPC, PowerPC,
    C-Set++, PC-DOS, and OS/2 Premier Developer's Assistance Program

o   Microsoft's MS-Windows

o   Borland International's Borland Pascal and Borland C++

o   Phillip L. Becker Limited's TBBS and TDBS

o   GalactiComm's The Major BBS

o   Clark Development Company's PCBoard

o   Mustang Software's WildCat and QModem PRO


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Registering this Program ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Revised 04/21/95

Because we do not believe in releasing "crippled" software, all of our programs
are fully functional.  If, however, you use this software beyond an initial 30
day trial period YOU MUST REGISTER.  Your support will help ensure future
enhancements as well as promote the development of other applications.

The quickest way to register is to call our support BBS and use the ONLINE
credit card ordering system.  You can also fax your order or send a check
payable to Frontier Technology Corp. to the address listed at the beginning of
this document.  Illinois residents are subject to 6.25% sales tax.

After your order is processed you will be given a key file which will register
your single copy of this software.  You will NOT need to re-configure your
installation.  The key file will, of course, remove the following limitations
placed on unregistered copies:

o   A maximum of 30 requests will be processed by CopyIt/2 each time it is loaded.

Unconditionally, the key file does NOT become your property.  You are obligated
to be responsible for your key file and to ensure no one else can or does
obtain a copy from you.  It grants only you, the original purchaser, use of
this software as outlined in the license section of this document.  Key files
and your license to use this software are not transferrable.

If you fail in these obligations you will not be eligible for upgrades or
technical support and, at our discretion, we may take legal action against you
for any damages incurred by your actions or lack thereof in the case that you
fail to protect your key file from being copied by another person.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Program Overview ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section covers:

1.  The Purpose of this Software

2.  Technical Features

3.  System Requirements


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.1. The Purpose of this Software ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

BBS software developers and operators realized the need for server control
software several years ago as an important step in expanding the capabilities
of BBS systems.  For integrated multitasking BBS systems such as TBBS and The
Major BBS, server control software has almost become a requirement for creating
a versatile system.

Because integrated multitasking BBS programs become the operating system rather
than run on top of it, individual nodes cannot execute PC-DOS programs or
commands.  This severely limits the operations that can be performed by the
BBS; simple things like running PKUNZIP are impossible!  Server control
software overcomes this major limitation.  CopyIt/2 is the premier server
control software for PC-DOS and OS/2.

In its most basic context, CopyIt/2 waits for request files from any CopyIt/2
enabled application.  CopyIt/2 then dynamically schedules current tasks and
sends a response to each application.  There is no limit to the number of tasks
or requests CopyIt/2 can handle at one time.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.2. Technical Features ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

CopyIt/2 is written in C++ and utilizes object oriented programming techniques
exclusively.  This provides for tighter, faster, more manageable, and more
extensible code.  Most importantly, it adds a lot of the "intelligence" to the program.

CopyIt/2 features fully dynamic task scheduling based on the caller's baud rate
and average data transfer rate.  Special objects are used to give priority to
multi-disk changer transfers to minimize disk swapping.

CopyIt/2 is available in 32-bit PC-DOS and 32-bit OS/2 versions.  Because each
take full advantage of 80386+ protected mode instructions, execution is
EXTREMELY fast!

The OS/2 version of CopyIt/2 "sleeps" while it is not processing requests.
This frees your server for other tasks and opens up new doors for one or two
line systems without a network.  Although programs like TBBS and The Major BBS
are not typically designed to run under OS/2, they should operate fairly well
on such low line counts.  More information on OS/2 is provided throughout this document.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4.3. System Requirements ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

CopyIt/2 is an advanced program requiring a modern, but by no means "cutting
edge" system: An 80386sx or better with at least 4 MegaBytes of RAM.  CopyIt/2
also requires access to a video card capable of displaying at least 80x25x16
(columns/rows/colors) in text mode.  Some type of boot device is necessary.  A
hard drive is not required if your network adapter supports Remote Initial
Program Load.

Do not despair if it will be necessary to upgrade your hardware; currently an
80386sx can be purchased mail order for around $60.  RAM can be purchased for
around $30 - $35 per MegaByte through the same channel.

By setting the minimum hardware requirements at the 80386 level, we are able to
produce a faster, more reliable product using 32-bit protected mode technology.
This means both PC-DOS and OS/2 users benefit since we can use a single set of
source code files which allows for faster product development!

So please, don't let your outdated 8088/8086 or 80286 stand in the way of
running CopyIt/2.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Getting Started with CopyIt/2 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section covers:

1.  Setup and Operation

2.  Upgrading from a Previous Version

3.  User Options Available During Execution


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.1. Setup and Operation ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

All files included in this package should be copied to a common directory.  The
program installs itself in this directory when you first run CI2_OS2 or
CI2_DOS.  The external program CDI (CD-ROM Indexer) provides a means of
configuring CopyIt/2 to work with multi-disk CD-ROM changers.  For more
information on CDI, read the section entitled "Configuring multi-disk changers".

Once installed, CopyIt/2 virtually runs itself.  When CI2 is running, it will
scan it's home directory for any files with the extension ".CI2".  The client
application is responsible for creating a properly formatted ".CI2" request
file.  When a request file is found, CI2 schedules the tasks listed in the
file, and executes them as soon as possible.  If you are interseted in how to
interface with CopyIt/2, read the section entitled "Application Programming Interface".

Most CopyIt/2 users will not be concered with the API, but will simply setup
CI2 to run on a spare machine using LAN software.  Typically, the client
application will be part of a bulletin board system.  This application must be
able to write files to the directory where CopyIt/2 is running.  Beyond this
simple requirement, the method of implementing your network is entirely up to you.

The CopyIt/2 user interface is designed to provide as much information about
it's operation as possible.  The columns at the top of the screen dynamically
display information about each loaded request.  The current activity window
shows the most recent commands executed.  At the bottom of the screen are
statistics on the number of requests and tasks received, the number of kBytes
copied, and the number of errors in the last 24 hours.  Other statistics
include the current average rate at which CopyIt/2 is able to copy files, and
the number of events currently loaded.

Note:  (for OS/2 users) When CopyIt/2 shells or spawn another process, the new
process will be in the foreground only if CopyIt/2 was in the foreground.
Since processes have higher priority in the foreground, you will probably want
to leave CopyIt/2 in the foreground whenever possible.  This will allow spawned
processes to run as fast as possible.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.2. Upgrading from a Previous Version ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you are upgrading from a previous version of CopyIt/2, simply copy the files
included in this package into the directory where the previous version is
installed.  Various improvements and additions have been made; however, no work
is required on your part to run the latest version.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5.3. User Options Available During Execution ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Only three user options are available while CopyIt/2 is running:

<ESC> Shutdown - CopyIt/2 should always be "shutdown".  This ensures the
necessary files (including the log file) have been closed.

<C>onfigure - This option lets you change the CopyIt/2 configuration.

o   Log Activity: If activity is logged, everything that is displayed in the
    current activity window will be logged to the file "CI2.LOG".  If you
    choose to log activity, you may want to periodically purge this file
    (before it takes up all of your hard drive).

o   Beep on Request: This options turns on and off sound when CopyIt/2 loads a request.

o   XDisk command: This option is only valid if you have configured a single
    drive letter multi-disk changer.  When CopyIt/2 needs to swap disks on a
    multi-disk changer, it will shell out and run this command replacing
    %DRIVE% with the drive letter of the device and %DISKNUM% with the number
    of the CD that it wants to access.

<E>vents - This option lets you view and remove any events that have been
loaded.  Events must be added using the API.  For more information on events
read the section entitled "Timed events".

Warning: CopyIt/2 will not process requests while you are configuring the
program or managing events.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Gettings Started with CDI ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section covers:

1.  Configuring Multi-disk Changers with CDI

2.  Indexing the Files on Your CD-ROM Drives


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.1. Configuring Multi-disk Changers with CDI ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The only configuration necessary to run CopyIt/2 involves defining the
multi-disk changers currently in use by your system.  The CD-ROM Indexer (CDI)
comes with CopyIt/2 (CI2); this is the program that lets you define CD-ROMs and
automatically builds file indexes.

Note:  You may want to define standard CD-ROMs in addition to any multi-disk
changers; this is not necessary, but the indexes will speed up file copies.

To schedule its tasks, CopyIt/2 must know the size of each file to be copied.
To avoid unnecessary disk-swapping, the information for all files on your
CD-ROMs are indexed in a database by CDI.  These indexes have many applications
outside of CopyIt/2: FTS PRO (our third party TBBS file system) also uses the information.

To configure the CD-ROMs, simply run CDI_OS2 or CDI_DOS (CI2 must be executed
first in order to create the control files); you will be asked to add a drive
letter and disk number.  First you should understand the two types of
multi-disk changer configurations:

1) One Drive Letter Per Disk:

With this configuration, each disk represents a separate drive, and all
swapping is handled automatically.  In this case the disk number field is
invalid and should be left at ZERO.  If you have one six disk multi-disk
changer, for example, the configuration may look like this:

ΓöîΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö¼ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÉ
ΓöéDrive   ΓöéDisk    Γöé
ΓöéLetter  ΓöéNumber  Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéE       Γöé0       Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéF       Γöé0       Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéG       Γöé0       Γöé
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ΓöéH       Γöé0       Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéI       Γöé0       Γöé
Γö£ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö╝ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöñ
ΓöéJ       Γöé0       Γöé
ΓööΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö┤ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÿ

2) Single Drive Letter Devices:

This type of configuration allows several disks to operate as a single drive
letter.  Each MDC (multi-disk changer) acts as a single drive and the disks
must be swapped using a special program.  If you choose this setup, you will
need to supply the program that swaps disks; you can define the system command
used to execute the program from within CopyIt/2; by default, the command is
"XDISK %DRIVE% %DISKNUM%"

For two six disk multi-disk changers you may have these definitions:

ΓöîΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö¼ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö¼ΓöÇΓöÇΓö¼ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓö¼ΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÇΓöÉ
ΓöéDrive   ΓöéDisk    Γöé  ΓöéDrive   ΓöéDisk    Γöé
ΓöéLetter  ΓöéNumber  Γöé  ΓöéLetter  ΓöéNumber  Γöé
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ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6.2. Indexing the Files on Your CD-ROM Drives ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Once your disk changers are defined, CopyIt/2 will index the CD-ROMs the next
time it is executed.  The databases are only built once, and it is EXTREMELY
important that these indexes are correct.  While CI2 is building the databases,
make sure that no one else accesses the disk changers.

If a problem occurs while CI2 is indexing the CD-ROMs, you will have to delete
the invalid database.  The files reside in "DISKINFO\" and the database
filenames are in the form "CDnnnnnn.DBF".  To find out which index corresponds
to a particular CD-ROM, look in the database "CTL\_CDNDX.DBF".  The first
record is the name of the index file; the second is a memo field containing the
root directory of the CD-ROM.  If you want to be safe, you can delete all files
in the "DISKINFO\" directory, but the databases may take some time to rebuild.

If you have a high speed CD-ROM you may want to use this drive to index your
CDs one at a time.  Add the high speed CD-ROM's drive letter to the database in
CDI.  You may want to temporarily delete all other definitions.  Next time you
run CopyIt/2, the disk loaded in the high speed CD-ROM drive will be indexed.
You can then exit CopyIt/2, replace the disk, and repeat the process until all
disks are indexed.

Each time you run CI2, the CD-ROMs that are defined will be automatically
checked.  If you do not wish to have CI2 check the CDs each time it loads, you
must use the "/N" switch (eg. "CI2_DOS /N"). If you just want to index CDs
without entering CopyIt/2, run the command: "CDI_DOS /C" or "CDI_OS2 /C".

Note:  The indexes are selected for each CD-ROM based on the appearance of its
root directory. Since the appearance of the root directory is operating system
dependent, you may have to re-index after switching operating systems.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Notes for use with Specific Programs ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

This section covers:

1.  Extending FTS PRO with CopyIt/2

2.  Using CopyIt/2 with TBBS

3.  TBBS File System Considerations


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.1. Extending FTS PRO with CopyIt/2 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

CopyIt/2 was originally written to expand the functionality of FTS PRO (our
replacement for the standard TBBS file system); however, it was designed with
many potential applications in mind. With FTS PRO, CopyIt/2 enables zero-impact
CD-ROM support, archive extraction, GIF previewing, real-time faxing, and other
features which can only be accomplished with server control software:

CD-ROM: CopyIt/2's most useful feature may be its zero-impact CD-ROM support.
When a user marks files for download on a CD-ROM, those files should be copied
to a hard drive for download.  If the BBS machine is forced to handle many disk
intensive tasks, its performance suffers tremendously.  With CopyIt/2, the BBS
simply sends a message to the server telling it to copy all marked files.  When
enough of the files have been copied, the server will send a message back to
the BBS that it is safe to start the download.

ARCHIVE EXTRACTION: Users can extract any archive format ONLINE as long as the
extraction utility exists on the CopyIt/2 computer.  Users can then view and
download any internal files.

GIF PREVIEWING: Users can view any number of GIF files at one time by
compressing them into a single GIF.

REAL-TIME FAXING: A fax module supplements CopyIt/2.  The CI2FAX module allows
CopyIt/2 to process fax requests from a BBS and provides several fax utilities.

SHELLING: CopyIt/2 can suspend its execution in order to run another application.

SPAWNING: Under OS/2, CopyIt/2 can spawn native OS/2 processes which OS/2
manages simultaneously while CopyIt/2 continues to execute.

Several of CopyIt/2's features have been utilized in our other software
products including RFS and FRS.  Additionally, CopyIt/2's interface
specification is provided in this document for anyone interested in developing
CopyIt/2 enabled software.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.2. Using CopyIt/2 with TBBS ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The TBBS v2.3 native file system provides support for CopyIt/2.  If you wish to
enable this support, TBBS will use CopyIt/2 to copy files from a CD-ROM to a
hard drive prior to starting a file transfer.  This allows safe, fast file
transfers, as well as freeing the BBS machine for other (communications
related) tasks.

To use CopyIt/2 with the TBBS file system, you must choose the appropriate
settings in CEDIT.  Inside the Other menu, choose File Handling Options and
configure the following fields:

Remote Slow/CDROM Drives: When a user marks files for download, TBBS looks at
the drive letter listed in the file directory.  If this drive letter is listed
here, TBBS will send a request to CopyIt/2 intructing it to copy the marked
files to the Remote Staging Directory.  More information on this setting is
provided in the Network Configuration section below.

Remote Request Directory: Enter the directory in which CopyIt/2 resides (as
seen by the TBBS machine).

Remote Staging Directory: Enter a tempoary hard drive directory to which files
will be copied before TBBS transmits them to the user.  This directory MUST be
visible from the CopyIt/2 machine and the TBBS machine!

Remote Staging Method: Number 2 corresponds to CopyIt/2.

Network configuration: The drives listed in the Remote CDROM Drives field do
not necessarily need to be seen by the TBBS machine, unless you want to use
TBBS's internal file management software.  If you do, you will need to make
sure the drive letters on the TBBS machine correspond exactly with those on the
CopyIt/2 machine.  This is done by configuring your CopyIt/2 machine as a
server, and mounting the drives on the TBBS machine so that "DIR {drive}" will
list the same information on both computers.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7.3. TBBS File System Considerations ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You may want to consider some of the advantages of using FTS PRO, our
replacement for the native TBBS file system:

1.  TBBS does not use the CopyIt/2 indexes when checking CD-ROM drives;
    instead, it accesses the drives directly.  This has a devastating
    performance impact on your BBS.  FTS PRO's enhanced file management sytem
    rapidly accesses all CD-ROM information through the CopyIt/2 indexes.
    Also, because of this feature, the CD-ROM drives do not have to be
    accessible over the network, and your CopyIt/2 machine does not need to be
    configured as a server.

2.  TBBS does not use CopyIt/2 to perform archive extractions, although
    CopyIt/2 easily provides this functionality.  FTS PRO takes advantage of
    this possibility, allowing users to view and download files within
    archives; all of the work is offloaded onto the CopyIt/2 machine.

3.  TBBS has no native support for upload verification, FILE_ID.DIZ importing,
    TIC importing, GIF previewing, and other CopyIt/2 based enhancements that
    have been integrated in FTS PRO.

4.  ProSearch, a CopyIt/2 based option module for FTS PRO, offers extremely
    high speed searching of file descriptions.  Unlike searching within TBBS,
    ProSearch has literally no impact on the BBS machine!


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Application Programming Interface for CopyIt/2 ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The CopyIt/2 API allows outside applications to make use of its features.
CopyIt/2 responds to "request" files, and schedules the "tasks" contained in
each request.

REQUEST: The request file is simply an ASCII text file with the extension
".CI2". CopyIt/2 periodically scans its current working directory for a request
file.  Each line of text in the request file must begin with a valid command;
commands either tell CopyIt/2 to perform a task or provide it with information.

The safest way to send a request file is to rename the file to the proper
extension after creating and closing it.  For example, you may create a request
called req01.tmp in the CopyIt/2 path.  After writing all commands to this file
and CLOSING it, you would rename the file to req01.ci2.  Once the file is
renamed with the ".CI2" extension CopyIt/2 will recognize the request.  This
method should be used to avoid possible network conflicts that will occur if
the request file is open (during a copy for example) when CopyIt/2 scans the directory.

TASK: A task refers to the smallest unit of execution that can be scheduled by
CopyIt/2. Tasks currently include: COPY, SHELL, SPAWN, and XDISK.  CopyIt/2 has
"smart" scheduling for COPY commands based on transfer rates, bps rates, and
other critical tasks. The remaining tasks are executed as soon as possible
based on which request has been waiting the longest.  CopyIt/2 has no way to
intelligently manage SHELL/SPAWN tasks because it has no way of knowing how
long the external application will take to run.  For this reason you should
always use "COPY file1 file2" as opposed to "SHELL copy file1 file2".


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.1. Control Commands ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following CopyIt/2 commands are NOT loaded as tasks.  Instead these
commands change the state of the current request object (or CI2 itself) as they
are read from the request file:

BPS - Sets the caller's BPS for the current request object.  Used by CopyIt/2
to schedule COPY tasks and to calculate when to send startdl.flg

Example:

BPS 14400

COMPATH - Sets the communication directory for the current request object.  If
this command is given, CopyIt/2 will send all flags to the directory specified.

Example:

COMPATH X:\TEMP\01\

CHECKFILES - Checks for the existence of the given filespecs before continueing
to load the request.  Each filespec must be separated by semicolons and may
contain wildcards.  If any files matching any of the filespecs are found,
CopyIt/2 will continue to load the request.  If no files are found, none of the
commands following this line will be evaluated.

Example:

CHECKFILES X:\MAIL\IN\*.*;C:\BBS\MAIL.FLG

EVENT - Loads an event into the system.  All commands after this line become
the new event.  Commands that appear later in the file will not be loaded at
this time, but will be stored to execute when the event runs.

The EVENT command accepts two parameters.  The first is the time at which the
event will occur.  The time is specified as hh:mm.  The next time the system
clock hits this time, be it today or tomorrow, the event will run.  If you want
the event to run immediately use the word NOW in place of the time.  It makes
no sense to run an event NOW unless the event repeats itself at some later time.

A second, optional parameter can be added to tell the event to repeat itself at
the given interval.  This interval has the format dd:hh:mm.  If the second
parameter is not included, the event will only run once.

Example:

EVENT 23:00 1:00:00


This event runs every day at 11:00pm.

EVENT NOW 5


This event starts running now and repeats every 5 minutes.

EVENT 03:00


This event will run at 3:00am then remove itself.

Events that repeat will remain in the system until removed through the user
interface, or through the KILLEVENT API command.

KILLEVENT - Removes the timed event with the specified handle.  Each event is
assigned an individual handle in the form of an integer.  When an event is
loaded, its handle is returned to the calling application in the file
event.flg.  It is good programming ettiquette to kill only event handles that
have been generated by your application!

Example:

KILLEVENT 2

Note:  Read more about events in the section entitled Timed Events.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.2. Task Commands ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The following CopyIt/2 commands are loaded as tasks.  They are scheduled by
CopyIt/2 to execute as soon as possible based on other critical tasks.

COPY - Copy a file; the most common task.  Calls the operating system's COPY
command, and performs task scheduling based on the length of the file.

Example:

COPY X:\BBS\FILE.ZIP X:\TEMP\01\FILE.ZIP

To support single drive letter devices, the '@' parameter may be used as follows:

COPY @{disk number} {source} {destination}

Example:

COPY @4 D:\BBS\FILE.ZIP X:\TEMP\01\FILE.ZIP

SHELL - Shell to the command interpreter and run an external program.  Under
OS/2, shell must be used if there is a chance that the external program is not
a native OS/2 application.

Example:

SHELL PKUNZIP -o X:\BBS\FILE.ZIP X:\TEMP\01\

SPAWN - Spawn works the same as the shell command, but in this case the
operating system directly calls the child process without shelling from the
command interpreter. Under PC-DOS CopyIt/2 waits for the child process to
complete before continuing; OS/2, however, spawns the child process in the
background and continues to run simultaneously.

SPAWNING UNDER OS/2:

Under OS/2, SPAWN must call an executable program.  The file extension (ie.
.EXE, .COM) should be specified, although ".EXE" is assumed.  In order to spawn
batch or command files place "CMD.EXE /C" before the file name and arguments:

Example:

1.  SPAWN PKUNZIP X:\FILES\FILE01.ZIP

2.  SPAWN CMD.EXE /C RUNME.BAT ARG1

When a program is spawned under OS/2, it will automatically create a new window
on the desktop.  When CopyIt/2 is shutdown any spawned sessions will also end.

Warning: Under PC-DOS, system integrity is not guaranteed when using SHELL or
SPAWN to load TSRs.

XDISK - Change the disk on a single drive letter device. This command has two
parameters: drive letter and disk number.

Example:

XDISK D 4

When CopyIt/2 receives this command, it runs an external executable as
specified in the configuration.  This executable (usually XDISK.EXE) is an
interface to the CD-ROM device driver that allows single drive letter
operation.  It must be able to change the current disk given a drive letter and
disk number as parameters.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.3. Linked Tasks ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Individual tasks may be linked to ensure sequential processing.  To link a
task, simply place a '+' before the command.  For example, you may want to
extract a file on a multi-disk changer.  You would need to first change the
disk using 'XDISK' then 'SHELL' to the archive program.  Normally, CopyIt/2
would execute the 'XDISK', then check for critical tasks from other requests.
There would be no guarantee that another request does not change the disk again
before CopyIt/2 returns to the first request.  However, when a command is
linked it will be executed immediately after the previous task.  The request
file should look like this:

XDISK D 4
+SHELL PKUNZIP D:\FILES\ARCHIVE.ZIP C:\TEMP\


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.4. Response Flags ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Communication would not be complete without a way for CopyIt/2 to respond to
the application.  If the COMPATH command is present, CopyIt/2 achieves this by
sending flags to the specified communications directory.  These flags are ASCII
text files and contain some information.  The two types of flags are as follows:

startdl.flg - When enough files have been copied for the caller to safely begin
downloading, CopyIt/2 sends this flag.

response.flg - This flag is sent when all tasks in the latest request have been
serviced.  A full report is included; to find out if an error occurred, search
for the string "ERROR:".  A description of the error immediately follows the string.

Note:  When CopyIt/2 is shut down, it generates the noserver.flg file in its
directory to indicate that it is not currently available to process requests.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8.5. TDBS API Example: BBSBAK ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

If you are a TDBS programmer interested in writing a CopyIt/2 enabled
application, you should review the BBSBAK.PRG file included with this software.
It shows the exact steps necessary to communicate safely and efficiently with
CopyIt/2 from a TDBS application.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Timed Events ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Normally, commands sent to CopyIt/2 are executed immediately.  Timed events
allow processing to occur at a specified time.  Another useful aspect of events
is their ability to repeat at given intervals.  This flexible system lets you
use CopyIt/2 to automate almost any task.  For specification on how to create
and manage events see the section in this document entitled Application
Programming Interface.

In order to demonstrate how to use Timed Events, the remainder of this section
describes an example of how one might set up an event to process mail.

First we need to create a request file that can be read by CopyIt/2.  We'll
call the file event.txt and add the following lines:

EVENT NOW 10
CHECKFILES X:\MAIL\IN\*.*;C:\BBS\MAIL.FLG
SHELL RUNMAIL.BAT

The first line tells CopyIt/2 to load the remainder of the request as an event.
The event will run immediately and repeat every 10 minutes.  When the event
runs, CopyIt/2 will look for the existence of either any files in the
x:\mail\in directory or the file c:\bbs\mail.flg (let's pretend that either of
these conditions indicate waiting mail).  If a file is found, CoptIt/2 will
shell to the batch file runmail.bat which we assume will take care of the mail.

Since mail processing should always be active, we want the event to be created
as soon as CopyIt/2 is loaded.  We can start CopyIt/2 using a batch file that
copies our request to a file with the .CI2 extension.  File ci2.bat would have
the following lines:

COPY EVENT.TXT EVENT.CI2
CI2_DOS


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. The CopyIt/2 FAX Module ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The ci2fax.doc file contains:

o   Faxmodem properties

o   Error code descriptions

You should review it to ensure your modem is compatible with the CopyIt/2 FAX
module. Although some modems not listed may function properly, we can not
provide any type of support for them.

The CopyIt/2 FAX module consists of the following PC-DOS executables:

o   CI2FAXTO.EXE - Convert APF to PCX/DCX

o   CI2PRINT.EXE  - Fax Print Program

o   CI2SEND.EXE  - Fax Send Program

o   CI2SHOW.EXE - Fax Display Program

o   CI2TOFAX.EXE - Convert text, PCX, DCX or TIFF files to APF format

It is the programmer's responsibility to interface their application directly
to these programs using CopyIt/2's SHELL or SPAWN command.

To determine the various parameters for each program, simply execute each with
no argument