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- .TOPIC:
- Questions & Answers
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation -- F-1
-
-
- ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
- ║ APPENDIX F QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ║
- ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-
- New SysOp's frequently have many questions about VBBS and
- getting it set up properly; these are usually handled in the var-
- ious support subs. There are, however, questions that keep crop-
- ping up again and again as new SysOp's come online and into Vir-
- tualNET. The following is a continuing compilation of the most-
- asked questions about VBBS, taken from the file MOSTASKD.DOC on
- the author's "Virtual Technologies" BBS; other material has been
- added as needed.
-
- ═══════════════
-
- Q: VBBS seems to be reinitializing the modem every 5 minutes.
-
- A: VBBS checks to see if it needs to dial out for network trans-
- fers every so often. The interval is defined under the MAIN
- Configuration screen of VCONFIG. The default is 300, which
- is 5 minutes. You may wish to adjust this option to better
- suit your needs.
-
- ═══════════════
-
- Q: I've added new networked subs, but they don't seem to be get-
- ting out, or anything coming in.
-
- A: Make sure you run "Compile Network Info" from the DATABASE
- Configuration screen in VCONFIG every time you make changes
- to the way your subs are networked.
-
- ═══════════════
-
- Q: I have trouble getting VBBS to answer the phone; The modem
- picks up for 2 seconds, and then hangs back up before a con-
- nection can be made.
-
- A: Make sure S0=0 and E0 are part of your VBBS modem init string.
- Q: I have trouble getting VBBS to answer the phone; The modem
- picks up, but when the connection is made, and the modem
- passes the result back to VBBS, VBBS hangs up.
-
- A: This problem tends to be more frequent with some of the newer,
- low-cost V32/V32bis modems, but it can be easily fixed through
- proper configuration of the modem.
-
- Some of the newer, low-cost V.32/V.32bis modems have different
- ways of returning result codes. The key is telling the modem
- to report the correct format which is compatible with VBBS.
-
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation -- F-2
-
-
- For example, one of the modems I have here can be told to re-
- port the connect results 3 different ways:
-
- 1) CONNECT <DTE Rate>
-
- In this format, VBBS connects OK, but the modem reports
- the wrong baud rate back to the computer. The DTE rate is
- the rate at which the computer talks to the modem, and in
- most cases, this never varies.
-
- 2) Super Extended Result Codes
-
- This format isn't compatible with anything. In this for-
- mat, 3 or 4 separate lines are displayed, in a format like:
-
- CARRIER <DCE Rate>
- CONNECT <DTE Rate>
- PROTOCOL <Error control>
-
- 3) CONNECT <DCE Rate>
-
- This is the one we want. The DCE rate is the speed of the
- modem-to-modem connection, which is what we want. When
- this format is used, VBBS will work just fine.
-
- To configure my modem to use the correct format (#3), I send it
- ATW2. The proper command for your modem may vary. Check the
- modem manual.
-
- ═══════════════
-
- Q: I've added new topic areas, but they don't show up when I
- try to list them from the BBS.
-
- A: Line 2 of every FB file (Function Block) controls what topics
- (database groups) are enabled at the current FB prompt.
-
- For example, line 2 of the default START.FB that comes with
- VBBS looks like:
-
- A
-
- It enables topic A only. If you added message-base topics
- B, C, and D, your line 2 should look like:
-
- ABCD
-
- Line 2 of the default FILES.FB that comes with VBBS looks like:
-
- F
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation--F-3
-
-
- It enables topic F only. If you added more file-base topics,
- for example G, H, and I, your line 2 should look like:
-
- FGHI
-
- ═══════════════
-
- Q: When I try to display a network listing, it doesn't print
- anything.
-
- A: Each network interface utility (VNET, VWW4, VUUCP, VFIDO) is
- responsible for generating network listings for its type of
- network. Normally, generation of these lists is automatic,
- whenever a new BBSLIST or NODELIST is received. However, new
- installations may need to "jump-start" their network listings
- as follows:
-
- VNET: Use the command
-
- VNET /A NETWORKID=#
-
- VWW4: Delete file BBSDATA.IDX in your WWIVnet DATA directory
- and use the command
-
- VWW4 B NETWORKID=#
-
- VUUCP: Not applicable.
-
- VFIDO: Use the command
-
- VFIDO /A NETWORKID=# (normally 4)
-
- "#" in the above examples refers to the networks ID #, as
- given in the NETWORKS.LST network masterlist file.
-
- ═══════════════
-
- Q: The call-back verifier refuses to verify.
-
- A: The file that MUST be set up in order for the callback veri-
- fier to work is called ALLOWED.CBV, and it should be located
- in the VBBS \DATA directory.
-
- The format for the file is ASCII, one entry per line, as fol-
- lows:
-
- XXX-YYY Z
-
- where XXX is the area code, YYY is the prefix, Z is a "speci-
- fier" that tells the CBV how to dial this area code-prefix com-
- bination.
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation -- F-4
-
-
- Specifier Type of Call How Dialed
- ───────── ──────────── ──────────
-
- + Local YYY-????
- - LD within Area Code 1-YYY-????
- $ LD outside Area Code 1-XXX-YYY-????
- / Local outside Area Code XXX-YYY-????
-
- RESTRICT.CBV specifies the list of RESTRICTED phone numbers that
- may not be dialed; it is not essential that this file be set up,
- but if you're going to use the CBV, you NEED to set it up. The
- individual SysOp's who use the CBV are responsible for any char-
- ges incurred by its use.
-
- ═══════════════
-
- Q: I want to make a neat tagline for my BBS. How do I do it?
-
- A: First of all, keep in mind the limits on system taglines in
- VirtualNET:
-
- 1) Maximum of 3 lines
- 2) Maximum of 300 bytes
- 3) Heart-code ANSI colors ONLY
-
- Go into an ANSI drawing program (like TheDraw) and draw the
- tagline you want; block-save it in ASCII format. Then, en-
- ter VBBS and use the [E]dit Any File option from the SysOp
- Menu to bring the tagline file into the FSE. There, you can
- use the [Ctrl-P] color-change feature to add color to the
- tagline. Once you're satisfied with it, save the file.
-
- Because the FSE saves the heart-codes for ANY color changes
- you make inside it -- even experimental color changes -- you
- should bring the tagline back into the DOS 5.0 editor or some
- other text editor, where the heart-codes will become visible.
- Delete any unnecessary color-change codes. Save the file
- again.
-
- To check to see if the tagline meets the byte limit, use the
- trusty DIR command:
-
- dir <tagfilename>
-
- If the size of the file is greater than 300 bytes, you need
- to edit it down some.
-
-