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.TOPIC:
Virtual QWK OFFline Mail Utility
VBBS 6.12 Documentation--A-1
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ APPENDIX A VIRTUAL QWK OFFLINE MAIL UTILITY ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
GENERAL OVERVIEW
════════════════
This appendix explains the installation procedures for the
VBBS QWK offline mail utility. This utility allows users to
download messages, bulletins, and file listings from the BBS and
then upload their responses, all without having to tie up the BBS
any longer than it takes to do the file transfers. VQWK is nearly
100% compliant with the QWK format as set down by Mark Herring in
1987.
INSTALLATION PROCEDURES
═══════════════════════
1> Run VCONFIG and select '1. Main Configuration' and switch to
page 2. Select 'I. QWK Message Limit:' and enter a number to
represent the maximum number of messages to be downloadable
in one QWK packet.
2> Select the function block you wish to have the users access
the mail utility and add the following line:
Q 001 4 VQWK %1
Change the key and security level required as needed.
3> Edit the VQWK.CFG file located in the main VBBS directory
with the following configuration information:
Line 1> The location of your BBS
Line 2> The BBS phone number
Line 3> A short BBS tagline (used by some OLMRs)
Line 4> List of archive utilities supported:
A = ARJ ver. 2.30+ P = PAK ver. 2.51+
C = PKPak ver. 3.61+ Z = PKZip ver. 1.10+
L = LHarc ver. 2.13+ G = PKZip ver. 2.04G
Note: To use Zip 1.10 & 2.04 you must use PKUnzip from
2.04. The PKZip for 2.04 must also be renamed as
PKZIP204.EXE and placed in your path or in your
main VBBS directory (the later is prefered.)
Lines 5-9> Maximum # of messages per packet based on caller
speed. These 5 lines must contain a number even
if you do not support the speed.
Line 5> 300 baud Line 8> 9600 baud
Line 6> 1200 baud Line 9> 14.4k+ baud and
Line 7> 2400 baud local callers
VBBS 6.12 Documentation--A-2
Line 10> Drive devices allowed for new file scans:
0 = No file scans allowed via VQWK
1 = Hard drive databases only
2 = Hard drive and CD-ROM databases
Line 11> Bulletin options available to the users:
0 = Users must receive all bulletins
1 = Users can turn off BLT-type bulletins
(see item 4> below for more info)
2 = Users can turn off all bulletins
Line 12> Configuration options in uploaded messages:
0 = Users may only change quick-scan status
for a sub, expert mode, page length, and
their password.
1 = Users may use all of the configuration
commands listed on page I-5.
Any line in your configuration file that begins with an '!'
is treated as a comment line, thus ignored by VQWK, and there
must be an acceptable value on all 12 lines.
4> Edit the VQWKBLTS.CFG file located in the main VBBS directory
with configuration information for bulletins to be included
with the QWK packet. Each line should be in the following
format:
<Bulletin name> = <Path/filename>
<Bulletin name> must be a standard DOS filename of 8
characters or less, plus an optional 3 character
extension. If you wish the bulletin to be a non-
required one then it should have a name in the form
'BLT-x.y' where 'x' and 'y' are replaced by numbers.
All other bulletins will always be placed into the
packet unless you have line 11 set to 2 in the
VQWK.CFG file. Three good standard bulletins that
you might want to have are:
HELLO = The BBS login screen
GOODBYE = The BBS logoff screen
NEWS = System news for your BBS
<Path/filename> must contain the drive letter, path,
and filename with extension for the actual bulletin
file. The two names do not have to match.
There is no limit to the number of bulletins that can
be included in a QWK packet. Any lines that start with
an '!' are ignored by VQWK but it is not recommended
that you have them if it can be avoided.
VBBS 6.12 Documentation--A-3
5> If you wish to restrict email access to a particular network
or piece of a network then edit the QWKNET.CFG file located
in the main VBBS directory. Each restriction needs to be on
a line by itself in the following format:
NOEMAILNET=<net #>[,<allowed routing>]
The <net #> is the network slot number that the restriction
will be for. The [,<allowed routing>] is optional and can
contain a specific network routing that you would like to
allow email in, yet restrict all other email to the network.
Some examples are shown here:
NOEMAILNET=15 (Restrict all e-mail from network 15)
NOEMAILNET=4,1:3816 (Restrict e-mail from FIDOnet except
when addressed to any BBS in 1:3816)
Multiple restrictions for each network are allowed, but be
careful of the order in which they are placed in since VQWK
will send out the message as soon as a restriction line that
will allow a message into the network in question is found.
6> Reload VCONFIG and set up those databases that you wish to be
QWKable by entering a number between 2 and 255 into the field
'QWK Conference:' under the specific database information. Do
not enter numbers into file databases as they are not needed
for VQWK to access them.
7> Place the VQWK.FB file in your VBBS\V directory and edit it
to show the functions that you want. The functions are:
Command - Description
-------- ----------------------------------------------
ARCHIVE - Change the compression type
BULLETIN - Change the bulletin setting
EXIT - Return to the BBS
FILESCAN - Change the # of days to scan for files
LOGOFF - Log off, does not work for local connections
MSGLIMIT - Change the # of messages per packet
QWKRECV - Upload a reply packet
QWKSEND - Download a message packet
QWKSETUP - Select subs to be included in message packet
WHO - Show who is online
The file itself follows the standard rules for function blocks
as described in the main VBBS documentation.
8> Make sure the following files are in your VBBS\TXT directory:
VQWK.MNU : Standard VBBS Heart-Code menu, you can also use
a .ANS/.ASC menu pair instead. (This will also
allow for a RIP menu when it is installed.)
VQWKBLTS.TXT : Text shown when BULLETIN option is selected.
VQWKCMPR.TXT : Text shown when ARCHIVE option is selected.
VQWKFSCN.TXT : Text shown when FILESCAN option is selected.
VQWKLMIT.TXT : Text shown when MSGLIMIT option is selected.
VBBS 6.12 Documentation--A-4
OLMR INFORMATION
════════════════
Offline Mail Readers (OLMR's) are used to access the file
that the user downloads from a BBS. Every OLMR has its own set of
instructions to explain how the user can access the packet, so it
is up to the user to read those instructions before downloading
from a BBS. The one thing that should be noted is the way that
VQWK can handle the addressing of messages uploaded with an OLMR.
Many networks in use today have very long addressing schemes and
so it is very difficult to send mail thru a QWK door since the
standard allows for only 25 characters in the TO: field. In order
to circumvent this limitation VQWK allows the users to insert the
word 'VBBS' in the TO: field in the OLMR and then insert the real
address as the first line of the message. The first line needs to
be in the format:
TO: [Handle/Name]<#User Number>{@Network Address}(*Network Number)
[Handle/Name] = The recipients handle or name on the BBS, this
is an optional field, unless the second field
is not used.
<#User Number> = The recipients account #, this is an optional
field if the first field is used.
{@Network Address} = This is the network BBS address that the email
recipient is located at. If it is left blank
then VQWK assumes it is a local user.
(*Network Number) = The slot number for the target network. This
field is ignored unless there is an address
listed in the third field and then it must be
supplied or the email will not be sent.
When an email cannot be sent because the address has not been
written correctly it will be sent to the sysop account with the
original address inserted as the first line of the message. This
will allow you to send the message back to the user or forward it
to the correct recipient by correcting the address. When a user
tries to send an email to a network address that has been placed
into the QWKNET.CFG file it will be sent back to the sender with a
note stating that email to that address is not allowed.
A user can also change various settings on the BBS if you
have it set in the VQWK.CFG file. To change their settings the
user needs to insert the work 'VQWK' in the TO: field of their
OLMR and then choose one of the following options for the message
subject:
CONFIG ---> This will allow the user to change settings by
entering information into the body of the
message. See below for more information.
ADD ---> This will add the message sub to the user's
message scan. This option will also set the
highest read message pointer to 0.
DROP ---> This will remove the message sub from the
user's message scan.
RESET ---> This will set the user's highest read message
pointer equal to the highest message in the
sub that the post written in.
VBBS 6.12 Documentation--A-5
╔═╗ The ADD, DROP, and RESET options have no effect when
╚═╝ used on private email messages, the message will just
not be saved to the database.
When the subject field is set to 'CONFIG' the user can enter
commands into the body of the message using the format:
<Command> = <New Setting>
The following commands are available when line 12 in VQWK.CFG is
set to 0:
BLTS ---> Accepts values of ON, REQ, or OFF. When this
command is used the bulletins to be downloaded
pointer is set to one of these values, based
on the setting:
ON = All bulletins will be downloaded.
REQ = Only required (non-BLT) bulletins will
be included in the packet.
OFF = No bulletins will be downloaded.
Note that this option will not override the
setting on line 12 of VQWK.CFG, so if the user
selects OFF and you have a 1 on the line then
the value will be set to REQ.
EXPERT ---> Accepts values of ON or OFF. Turns the user's
expert mode for menus on or off.
FILES ---> Accepts a value for the # of days back to scan
for new files. The maximum value is still 730
days, and this option will be ignored if line
10 of VQWK.CFG is set to 0.
MSGS ---> Accepts a value for the number of messages to
be included in a single packet. The maximum
value is determined by the value in VQWK.CFG
on lines 5 thru 9. Any invalid information
will result in the limit being set to the
maximum accepted for the user's baud rate.
PAGELEN ---> Sets the user's maximum # of lines per screen.
The maximum accepted value is 255 and the
minimum is 0 (continuous).
PASSWORD ---> Changes the user's password, this command
will not accept any value with more than
8 characters.
The following additional commands are available when line 12 in
VQWK.CFG is set to 1:
ADDRESS ---> Changes the user's street address. Accepts the
first 40 characters and discards the rest.
CITY ---> Changes the user's city. Accepts the first 32
characters and discards the rest.
VBBS 6.12 Documentation--A-6
BPHONE ---> Changes the user's second phone number entry,
also known as the business phone number.
HPHONE ---> Changes the user's second phone number entry,
also known as the home phone number.
STATE ---> Changes the user's state. Accepts the first 3
characters and discards the rest.
ZIP ---> Changes the user's zip code. Accepts either the
5 or 10 character zip code formats.
One other feature that has been added is the ability to both
recieve files attached to emails and make File Requests via a post.
Files attached to emails are automatically added to the file list
to be downloaded when you select the <D> option from the menu. To
make an actual file request you need to send the message TO: VQWK,
use FREQ as the message title/subject, and then in the body of the
message list all of the files you would like to D/L. List one file
per line and end the file requests with a '---' on alone on a line.
These file requests obey all the standard restrictions on file
accessability on the BBS and you must know the full filename with
extension or the file will not be downloaded. Immediately after
you (U)pload a packet with a file request message you must then
(D)ownload your new packet or the file requests will be lost.
