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- .TOPIC:
- Main Configuration - Screen One
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation -- 2-A-1
-
-
- ╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
- ║ CHAPTER TWO ANNEX A 1. MAIN CONFIGURATION -- Screen One ║
- ╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
-
- 1) BBS Name
- ════════
- This is where you enter your BBS' name, so that VBBS can
- display it as needed.
-
- 2) Sysop Name
- ══════════
- This field contains your name or handle, or the name or
- handle of the primary system operator.
-
- 3) Timeout
- ═══════
- This numeric value determines how long a user may remain
- inactive (not typing anything) before being automatically
- logged off the BBS. The value is expressed in seconds,
- and the user will receive a "beep" warning at the midpoint
- of the interval.
-
- For example, a setting of 360 would allow for 6 minutes of
- inactivity; the user would receive a warning after 3 min-
- utes, and would be logged off after 3 more minutes of in-
- activity.
-
- 4) Start-Up Script
- ═══════════════
- This is the first script that is run after a user logs on.
- For the default VBBS setup, this is START, which reflects
- the small START.V script included in the VBBS archive.
-
- 5) PAUSE string
- ════════════
- This allows you to customize your "press any key to con-
- tinue" prompt.
-
- 6) Idle Modem
- ══════════
- This setting defines what, if anything, to do with the
- modem when the BBS is busy doing certain offline func-
- tions, such as unpacking network mail, running external
- events, doing daily maintenance, etc. The choices are
- "Modem Off-Hook" and "Do Nothing".
-
- If you select "Modem Off-Hook", then VBBS will "busy out"
- your phone line as needed for offline functions. When the
- offline function is completed, VBBS will re-initialize the
- modem and resume servicing callers. Note that setting the
- MODEM off-hook does NOT set an attached PHONE off-hook; if
- a call comes in while the modem is off-hook, the phone
- will still ring (and this can be QUITE annoying).
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation -- 2-A-2
-
-
- 7) Registration #
- ══════════════
- This is where you enter your VBBS registration number,
- when you get one. The only way to get a valid registra-
- tion number is to register VBBS with Virtual Technologies.
- Please note that registration numbers are different for
- the DOS and OS/2 versions.
-
- 8) New User Password
- ═════════════════
- In this field, you may specify your system's new-user
- passowrd. Leaving this field blank disables the new-
- user password entirely. The presence of a password in
- this field will require that a first-time remote caller
- actually know what the password is.
-
- 9) Blank WFC Screen
- ════════════════
- This setting configures the VBBS automatic WFC (Waiting
- For Call) screen blanker. Like the "Timeout" option,
- this value is expressed in seconds; a value of 300 in
- this field would blank out the WFC screen after 5 min-
- utes. A value of 0 in this field disables screen blan-
- king entirely.
-
- A) Reserve Space
- ═════════════
- This setting, expressed in kilobytes (KB), instructs VBBS
- to reserve some of your hard-drive space so that suffi-
- cient space to operate the BBS is always available on your
- hard drive. When the free space on your upload drive
- drops below this value, uploads will not be allowed onto
- the board; this is for your protection.
-
- A value of 0 in this field disables this feature.
-
- B) Using WATCH.COM
- ═══════════════
- WATCH.COM is a small shareware utility that senses unan-
- swered telephone rings to your system and will reboot the
- computer after so many rings, or arbitrarily every few
- hours.
-
- This is a YES or NO setting; if YES, VBBS will issue com-
- mands to WATCH.COM as needed. If NO, the feature is dis-
- abled.
-
- C) Allow Handles
- ═════════════
- This setting determines whether a user's primary means of
- identification on your system is a "handle" or his real
- name. Note that some networks and networked message bases
- do not allow the use of handles.
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation -- 2-A-3
-
-
- D) Daily Clean-Up
- ══════════════
- This setting specifies the time VBBS will run automatic
- database cleanup. The time must be entered in HH:MM for-
- mat using military time. A setting of 00:00 disables
- this feature, but this is not recommended unless you make
- some provision for some kind of cleanup utility as an ex-
- ternal event.
-
- ╔═╗ Not setting a cleanup time is a common mistake among new
- ╚═╝ sysops; if you notice the messages piling up and your
- hard-drive space diminishing rapidly, this is a good place
- to start looking for the source of the problem.
-
- E) Allow 255 Remote
- ════════════════
- This feature may be used as an extra security measure to
- prevent someone from ever gaining sysop access via remote.
- If you need to access the sysop functions of your BBS re-
- motely, or wish to give a co-sysop or other individual
- that privilege, then choose YES for this setting.
-
- F) System Password
- ═══════════════
- This field contains your system password and is an op-
- tional level of security. All users with a security level
- (SL) of 255, or sysop security, will be prompted for the
- system password when logging in.
-
- G) Registration Code
- ═════════════════
- When you register VBBS with Virtual Technologiesr, you
- will be sent a letter with your registration code. Enter
- that code in this field EXACTLY as it is shown on the card.
- Put the letter in a safe place where you'll KNOW where it
- is.
-
- The combined entry of a valid registration number and your
- registration code "unlocks" your copy of VBBS and enables
- full operation (see "Registration" for details).
-
- H) Use FOSSIL Driver
- ═════════════════
- This setting lets you tell VBBS to use a FOSSIL driver.
- FOSSIL drivers are especially useful in certain multi-user
- applications of VBBS, although they are not required. If
- this is set to NO, VBBS will use its own internal COM rou-
- tines.
-
- ╔═╗ The internal serial routines in VBBS are preferred to
- ╚═╝ the use of fossil drivers.
-
- VBBS 6.12 Documentation -- 2-A-4
-
-
- I) Sysop Page Control
- ══════════════════
- This option allows you to select between two different
- methods of detecting sysop availability. The most popular
- choice is to let the lighted [Scroll Lock] key toggle sys-
- op availability. Sysops with non-standard keyboards may
- set this to toggle by hitting the [A] key at the WFC
- screen. Note that the [Scroll Lock] key may be toggled
- at any time anywhere in the system.
-
- J) WFC Drive List
- ══════════════
- This is the list of hard drives you want displayed on the
- WFC screen. The drive letter, size, free space, and per-
- centage of space free will be displayed; if free space
- drops below a particular percentage, that display line
- will change color.
-
- K) # Active Channels
- ═════════════════
- This setting lets you optimize VBBS for the number of si-
- multaneous online users (active ports) that you are set up
- for on your multi-user VBBS installation. If you have two
- lines running into your multi-user VBBS, set this to 2; if
- you have four lines, set it to 4, and so on.
-
- Single-line VBBS installations should set this value to 1.
-
- L) Log Detail Level
- ════════════════
- This defines the level of detail that VBBS maintains in
- its BBS.LOG file. There are two settings: NORMAL, which
- shows the typical actions of a user (logon time, door
- calls, etc.); and EXTENDED, which also shows the indivi-
- dual keystrokes the user makes at the various menus within
- the system.
-
- ╔═╗ The EXTENDED level is useful for tracking users' progress
- ╚═╝ within the BBS; it can be particularly helpful in identi-
- fying users who head straight for the game or transfer
- sections.
-
- Z) SCREEN TWO
- ══════════
- Takes you to the second screen of MAIN configuration.
-
-