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Text File | 1997-02-05 | 22KB | 575 lines

VFIDO & VTIC ════════════ VFIDO.EXE is the FIDO network software provided with Virtual Advanced software. It supports FIDOnet, and the many alternative FTS or FIDOnet-based networks. VFIDO is complete -- there is no other mailer or software needed, and set-up couldn't be easier. VTIC.EXE is the TIC processor for Virtual Advanced software. It has been designed to recognize standard .TIC files as received through FIDOnet and other sources. It can also recognize and adeptly handle the Planet Connect ALLTICS.* format. Virtual Advanced features an extremely sophisticated version of VFIDO.EXE which can gate netmail and echomail between FIDOnet and other networks, and other network types. VFIDO can even toss (unpack) mail in the background, so it doesn't tie up a serial port/modem. NOTE: If you intend to receive FIDOnet incoming calls, don't forget to turn on the option "FIDOnet Detect" under VCONFIG Main Configuration. With VFIDO, it's easy to gate email and messages: FIDOnet <--> VirtualNET-type FIDOnet <--> Internet (messages only) FIDOnet <--> QWK (messages only) VFIDO.EXE COMMAND LINE USAGE ════════════════════════════ Note that <ch> refers to Virtual Advanced Channel Number. VFIDO <ch> /U Update and packup any outgoing mail. Automatically called by VME as needed. VFIDO <ch> /R Pull in data received by remote. (Automatically run when data is received after a net call, however you might use this function for special purposes.) VFIDO <ch> /D<full system address> Dial into the specified system. VFIDO /NC [/NL] NETWORKID=<net id> Compile the NodeList for the <net id> given. Compiling the NodeList enables VFIDO to quickly search for phone numbers and the like when handling crashmail and FREQ. If you include the option /NL, then DATA\NETLIST.<net id> will be generated for viewing in the Network Listings function of the BBS. VFIDO /ND NETWORKID=<net id> Process the NodeDiff for the <net id> given. NOTE: Only the /NC and /ND commands require that you supply the NETWORKID= parameter. VTIC.EXE COMMAND LINE USAGE ═══════════════════════════ For standard usage (processing inbound), the following command line is suggested: VTIC /PATH=<Directory to be Processed> For PLANET CONNECT usage (processing inbound), the following command line is suggested: VTIC /PATH=<Directroy to be Processed> /NOT-TODAY The /NOT-TODAY parameter prevents VTIC from processing the current day's ALLTICS.* file, thereby assuring that the receive cycle is complete when the file is processed the following day. A good time of day to run this command line as an event seems to be 1:30 eastern time, though you will want to keep on eye on this until you've verified that the time you've chosen is appropriate for you and your time zone. To process any pending, outgoing TICs: VTIC /U NOTE: For any of the VTIC command line options, if the NETWORKID= parameter is omitted from the VTIC command line, NETWORKID=4 (FIDOnet) is assumed. VCONFIG SET-UP FOR VFIDO & VTIC ═══════════════════════════════ The set-up screen for FIDOnet has been greatly simplified; you manipulate one configuration that controls all of your FIDOnet-type networks. From that point on, VCONFIG, VFIDO, VMB, VME, and NETWORKS.LST do all of the work for you in terms of keeping the multiple FIDOnets separate. When setting FIDOnet using VCONFIG, you will be given the following choices: 1. System Address: This is where you enter your main FIDOnet address. (Example: 1:228/999) 2. Our AKAs: This where you enter one or more same-net or other-net AKAs. 1:228/990 would be an example of a same-net AKA, 56:1/3 would be an example of an other-net AKA. This field is important when setting up multiple FIDO-based networks. You may put multiple entries on this line, listing all of your "secondary" fido-type network addresses. Multiple entries should be separated by spaces. NOTE: Planet Connect users should put in an AKA of 1:3615/51 in order for incoming packets from the Satellite Dish to be recognized as being tossable. NOTE: The software still keeps the networks separate, auto-adjusting by the zone information of the outgoing or incoming packet as needed. 3. Net Directory This setting specifies the directory to be used by this network for storage of outgoing mail, and temporary storage for incoming data. (Example: C:\FIDO) Directories will be created beneath this directory automatically, on an as-needed basis. 4. Use Alternate Zmodem If Disabled, VXY is used. If Enabled, DSZ is used. (DOS Ver Only!) 5. Refeed Pass-Thru If disabled, you will only be able to refeed echos you are actually subscribing to on your BBS. This greatly optimizes processing time if this situation applies to you. You may also use this as a security feature, if you do not intend to allow your "downlinks" to pull echos you aren't actually receiving yourself on your BBS. If enabled, you will be able to refeed anything you receive, whether you subscribe to the echo on your board or not. D. Edit Remote List This choice lets you edit the list of systems you are connected to. For each system, you can set a number of parameters: 1) FIDO Address: The main system address of the remote system. Typically this will be their main FIDOnet address, though it could be an address on an alternative fido-type network. In cases where you will be using EMSI as the primary mail session with this remote system, the address you put here should be the FIRST ADDRESS they present during the EMSI handshake sequence. To see what's actually received during an EMSI handshake, see FIDO.LOG in your DATA directory. 2) Phone Number: The phone number, exactly as it needs to be dialed. PHONE.FID, described below, is used to perform translation on phone numbers when VFIDO needs to automatically look-up a node and add them to the dialing list. 3) The next group a) through f) are Options specific to this Dial List entry: a) EMSI Enable: If disabled, EMSI mail sessions will not be attempted during dialouts to this system. b) YooHoo Enable: If disabled, YooHoo mail sessions will not be attempted during dialouts to this system. c) Default Echo Server: You can use this option to specify that this system is your default EchoMail server. You can enable this option ONLY if all of the following conditions are met: Your are on only ONE FIDO-type network You exchange EchoMail with only THIS ONE other system You must always disable this option, and use the AREAS.BBS set-up described below, if any of following conditions are met: You are on multiple FIDO-type networks You exchange EchoMail with more than one other system You have "downlinks" to refeed d) Default For AREAFIX Pass-Thru Setting this flag to Yes indicates that this site is to be the default site for AREAFIX requests. You may have multiple default AREAFIX Pass-Thru servers, BUT they must be in separate fido-type networks. Put another way, you may have multiple default AREAFIX Pass-Thru servers, BUT no more than ONE per fido-type network. e) Default For ALLFIX Pass-Thru Setting this flag to Yes indicates that this site is to be the default site for ALLFIX requests. You may have multiple default ALLFIX Pass-Thru servers, BUT they must be in separate fido-type networks. Put another way, you may have multiple default ALLFIX Pass-Thru servers, BUT no more than ONE per fido-type network. f) Automatic Dialout Option This controls how VME automatically dials this node for fido-type network calls. The possibilities are: Disabled - No Automatic Polling Daily/LD - Long Distance, Once Per Day Daily/Local - Local Call, Once Per Day Hourly/Local - Local Call, Once Per Hour Note that "Long Distance" implies that dialouts should occur only during cheap long distance periods, such as 11 pm to 7 am. Local calls, on the other hand, are permitted at any time of day, however only once per day or per hour as set by the sysop. 4) Storage Directory: Automatically assigned by VCONFIG or VFIDO. Specifies where files awaiting transmission to this particular system are stored. DO NOT EDIT THIS FIELD FROM ITS DEFAULT ASSIGNED VALUE UNLESS YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC PURPOSE IN MIND, AND UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING: This entry must be an 8-character or less directory name that DOES NOT include drive and/or path specification characters such as ":" or "\". 5) Session Password: Specifies the session password for this connection. 6) Packet Password: Specifies the packet password for this connection. NOTE: In most cases, Session Password and Packet Password should be the SAME. 7) AREAFIX Password: Specifies the AREAFIX password for this connection. If none is specified, AREAFIX requests from this system will be denied. 8) ALLFIX Password: Specifies the ALLFIX password for this connection. If none is specified, ALLFIX requests from this system will be denied. 9) Compression: Specifies the Compression type for this connection. 0 = No Compression 1 = ZIP 2 = ARJ 3 = LZH 4 = ARC (As programmed in ARCS.CFG) T) Their AKA's: Allows you specify other aliases that the other system may be known by. This information is used during netmail routing to ensure that mail to their aliases (same net and alternative net) ends up in the outbound storage directory created for storing packets destined for this remote system. Naturally, mail destined for different zones is still kept in separate packets, with proper packet headers on each. But, by putting all of their packets in one directory, the process of transmitting the mail when they call in (or when you call them) is grealty simplified, stream-lined, and efficient. M) EMSI/Multiple AKA's: Specifies how we identify ourselves when we net into this system for an EMSI session. If this option is left at <Default>, we identify ourselves by our main System Address configured on the main screen, otherwise the identification sent is exactly what you configure here. R. Routing This selection lets you set-up how netmail (EMAIL) is routed. Routing Line Format and Wildcards --------------------------------- The format of each line is: <system address> <destination address of netmail> <system address> is a system listed in your dialing list, that you connect to for netmail exchange. The <destination address of netmail> field may contain the wildcard character "*" to imply "any" or "all." For example, to route all netmail to zone 2 through 1:2/1, you would add the line: 1:2/1 2:*/* To route all netmail for zone 1, net 228, through 1:228/1: 1:228/1 1:228/* To route all netmail, regardless of destination, through your main netmail server (for example 1:10/1): 1:10/1 *:*/* NOTE: The *:*/* wildcard should only be used on the LAST line in your routing set-up. Routing statements are evaluated from top to bottom, and should therefore be arranged from the SPECIFIC (few or no wildcards) to the GENERAL (*:*/*). A Specific Example ------------------ To illustrate this set-up, let us look at a specific example; Let's say your address is 1:100/205. Your Main NetMail Server is 1:100/10. Your Zone-Gate for Zone 2 Netmail is 1:2/1. Your Zone-Gate for Zone 3 Netmail is 1:3/1. Your Zone-Gate for Zone 4 Netmail is 1:4/1. Your Zone-Gate for Zone 5 Netmail is 1:5/1. Your Zone-Gate for Zone 6 Netmail is 1:6/1. Your Zone-Gate for Zone 7 Netmail is 1:7/1. Your also Connect To, and Exchange Netmail with 1:100/204 and 1:100/206, two local nodes in your area. Starting at the most specific: 1:100/204 1:100/204 1:100/206 1:100/206 Then the Zone-Gates: 1:2/1 2:*/* 1:3/1 3:*/* 1:4/1 4:*/* 1:5/1 5:*/* 1:6/1 6:*/* 1:7/1 7:*/* And finally, the most general: 1:100/10 *:*/* ASCII FILES TO SET UP ═════════════════════ All of the files about to be described are to be stored in your FIDO directory, and are to be composed of one or more lines of simple ASCII text. The filenames are AREAS.BBS, TICS.BBS, PHONE.FID, MAGIC.FID, and ORIGIN.x. AREAS.BBS --------- EchoMail Conference Redistribution Set-Up. Format: One entry per line <echomail conference name> <system address> <system address> ... <system address> Example: BBS_CARNIVAL 1:228/998 1:228/997 56:1/3 TICS.BBS -------- TIC Conference Redistribution Set-Up. Format: One entry per line <tic conference name> <system address> <system address> ... <system address> Example: WIN_GAME 1:228/998 56:1/6 PHONE.FID --------- Phone Number Translation File. Format: One entry per line <prefix to find> <replacement> Example: 1-616-399- 399- The above example would translate any phone number starting with 1-616-399- to starting with just 399-, effectively converting a long distance dial to a local dial. MAGIC.FID --------- FREQ Magic Names Set-up. Format: One entry per line <magic name> <path and filename> Example: VDEMO f:\fs\vadvbeta\va1b1.zip ORIGIN.x (x = NETWORKID of FIDOnet type network) -------- SysOp-Definable ORIGIN Line Replaces VFIDO-generated ORIGIN Line. Format: One Line NOTE: It is responsibility of the SysOp to make sure that they configure an ORIGIN line which conforms to the network's rules and guidelines, if they intend to use the ORIGIN.x option. NODELISTs and NODEDIFFs ═══════════════════════ Nodelist and Nodediff files should be placed in your FIDO directory. SETTING UP EMAIL ════════════════ There is nothing extra you need to do, beyond the initial VFIDO set-up described above, to be able to send and receive FIDOnet Email. There is nothing further you must do to be able to GATE email to other networks, either. HOW TO SEND CRASHMAIL ═════════════════════ When you send a "regular" email, by default it is routed via the routing configuration you have set-up. When you send a crashmail, it is delivered directly to the system receiving the email, with your system doing the calling. To indicate that an email should be sent as crashmail instead of as regular (routed) netmail, simply add **C. For example, to crashmail Joe Public @ 1:1/1 you would enter into VA an email address of Joe Public **C @ 1:1/1. HOW TO FREQ ═══════════ FREQ is a mechanism which you can use to automatically download files from another FIDO site, without logging in. FREQ is a lot like crashmail in that your system must do the calling to retrieve files from the other system. To FREQ a file, you simply send a FREQ email to the Sysp of the BBS you want to FREQ files from. To indicate that an email is a FREQ email, simply add **F. The file(s) being requested are put on the SUBJECT line. For example, to FREQ the file EXAMPLE.ZIP from 1:1/1, you would send email to SYSOP **F @ 1:1/1, with a subject line of EXAMPLE.ZIP. SETTING UP FIDONET ECHO'S ═════════════════════════ Echomail Areas can be quickly and easily set-up using the included VMB utility program. Make sure you have ASCII file FIDO-NA.4 installed in your DATA directory for VMB to function properly. An alternative method to echomail set-up is to use VCONFIG to manually set-up/edit each database entry. In this case, you would use the DATABASE CONFIGURATION portion of VCONFIG to display/edit a MESSAGE AREA DATABASE CONFIGURATION ENTRY. At this point, selecting the field "(G) Networks Configuration" would let you manually do what VMB does automatically. A typical echomail name looks like: BBS_CARNIVAL -or- PARADOX To GATE an Echomail Area, you merely set-up its DATABASE COFIGURATION ENTRY to show that the field "(G) Networks Configuration" shows multiple networks -- FIDOnet, and the other network(s) you want to GATE to/from. For example, you might see: FIDOnet=BBS_CARNIVAL VirtualNET=100000 This means that this particular message base is a gateway between FIDONnet's BBS_CARNIVAL Echo, and VirtualNET's message sub number 100000. REMINDER: ECHOMAIL REDISTRIBUTION IS SET-UP USING THE AREAS.BBS FILE MENTIONED EARLIER IN THIS DOCUMENT. SETTING UP FIDONET FILEBONE ═══════════════════════════ Filebone areas can be quickly and easily set-up using the included VMB utility program. Make sure you have ASCII file FILE-NA.4 installed in your DATA directory for VMB to function properly. An alternative method to filebone set-up is to use VCONFIG to manually set-up/edit each database entry. In this case, you would use the DATABASE CONFIGURATION portion of VCONFIG to display/edit a FILE AREA DATABASE CONFIGURATION ENTRY. At this point, selecting the field "(G) Networks Configuration" would let you manually do what VMB does automatically. A typical filebone area name looks like: 1-GAME -or- WIN_GAME For example, you might see: FIDOnet=1-GAME REMINDER: TIC REDISTRIBUTION IS SET-UP USING THE TICS.BBS FILE MENTIONED EARLIER IN THIS DOCUMENT.