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- SEA Technical Memorandum #0105, Using SEAdog with RBBS
- Contributed by: Charles R. Lekowski
- Last updated: February 15, 1989
- Copyright 1989 by System Enhancement Associates, Inc.
-
-
-
- Using SEAdog With RBBS
-
-
- This document describes how to interface RBBS-PC version 17.1 with the
- SEAdog network mail system.
-
- Beginning with version 15.1C, RBBS-PC is capable of supporting the use of
- NetMail. By using netmail, a sysop can open a whole new world to his users
- that they never dreamed was possible. Now BBS's numbering over 3000+ can
- connect their systems over a vast electronic mail network all across the
- world.
-
- SEAdog is a full-featured electronic mail system based on the personal
- computer and using standard telephone lines. It is a sophisticated store-
- and-forward mail system which can be configured in a virtually unlimited
- number of network topologies (more on this later). Unlike some networks,
- the end user never need concern himself with network routing as it all
- happens automatically. The user just enters and retrieves messages, SEAdog
- takes care of the details.
-
- The hardware necessary to run RBBS-PC is sufficient to run SEAdog. The
- heart of SEAdog is the network mail server, MAILER.EXE. This is the program
- that places and receives phone calls, handles message routing, and so
- forth.
-
- SEAdog may be invoked in one of two ways. The first, and most preferred
- method is to have SEAdog load RBBS-PC. This way parameters such as Time and
- Baud rate are passed to the batch file that loads the BBS. These parameters
- will adjust the time that a user usually gets on the system to allow for an
- upcoming mail event as well as telling the BBS the baud rate of the caller.
-
- To set RBBS-PC up in this manner, two parameters must be changed in the
- RBBS-PC.DEF configuration file. The first option is to tell RBBS-PC how it
- will recycle after a caller logs off. Parameter 163 is where you would
- define this option. The default for this would be set to "INTERNAL" where
- RBBS would return back to the sysop menu screen. If you specify "SYSTEM",
- then RBBS-PC will exit to DOS and will re-invoke SEAdog. The second option
- is to let RBBS-PC drop to DOS at a time when telephone costs are lower and
- invoke the mailer so that it begins placing phone calls to other SEAdog
- systems to pass them your outgoing mail and receive incoming phone calls.
- Parameter 261 allows the sysop to specify what time of day that RBBS-PC is
- supposed to drop to DOS.
-
- Parameter 262 is used to allow RBBS-PC to handle "store-and-forward" mail
- of messages and files. This option is set to "SEADOG" to tell RBBS-PC that
- a front end mailer is being used in conjunction with RBBS-PC.
-
- This document is not intended to replace the SEAdog manual, but rather to
- provide information that an RBBS sysop would find useful when configuring
- RBBS-PC to run with SEAdog. A separate program, such as SMLNET.EXE by
- Darwin Collins or NETMAIL.EXE by Rod Bowman, is required for the BBS users
- to be able to read and enter the netmail/echomail messages, since the
- SEAdog message base format is not yet compatible with RBBS-PC.
-
-
- The SEAdog mailer must be told to pass non-mail callers (i.e. humans) to
- RBBS. This is done with the BBS statement in the CONFIG.DOG file, like so:
-
- BBS RBBS-PC 1 RBBS-PC.DEF /*T /*B
-
- This tells the SEAdog mailer to load RBBS directly. This is the simplest
- method, but it does not allow for doors or for sysop drop-to-DOS functions.
-
- Doors ard remote sysop functions can be handled by using a batch file, like
- this:
-
- :Loop
- CD/RBBS
- If exist Rctty.Bat del Rctty.Bat
- RBBS-PC /%1 /%2
- If not exist Rctty.Bat goto EXIT
- Rctty.Bat
- Goto LOOP
- :Exit
- CD/MAIL
-
-
- If this batch file is named RBBS.BAT, then the following statement must be
- in your CONFIG.DOG file:
-
- BBS C:\RBBS *T *B
-
-
- SEAdog's default banner states that it is a private mail system, and asks
- the caller to hang up. You will want to change this. You can use either
- or both of two methods. The first is the BANNER statement in your
- configuration file. Whatever follows the word "BANNER", up to the end of
- the line or a semicolon, is displayed instead of the default banner. A
- typical example might be:
-
- BANNER SEAboard system -- stand by for RBBS
-
- You can also create a text file named BANNER.DOG, which will be displayed
- instead of the banner string to any callers outside of mail events. This
- file may contain anything you like, and may be as long as you like, but we
- recommend that you keep it short, as SEAdog banners cannot be interrupted.
-
-
- RBBS-PC is copyrighted by Tom Mack, and is distributed by the Capitol PC
- Users Group.
-