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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Wildcat! 4 User Guide .............................1
Logging On ........................................2
Hello, my name is . . . ........................2
User ID numbers ................................2
Quick Logon ................................ 2
Local logons ................................ 3
New Users ......................................4
Hello screens, Bulletins, and other system
information .......................................5
Reading new bulletins ..........................5
Downloading bulletins ..........................5
Reading the Newsletter .........................5
Viewing the Hello screens again ................6
System statistics ..............................6
Getting help ......................................7
Help screens ................................ 7
Sending a comment to the Sysop .................7
Changing your settings ............................8
Doors ............................................12
Questionnaires ................................ 13
Looking for other users ..........................14
Who's on-line ................................ 14
List users ....................................14
Find a user ................................ 14
Chatting with other callers ......................15
Paging the Sysop ..............................15
Sysop chat ....................................15
Paging other users ............................15
Multi-user chat ...............................16
Messages .........................................21
Off-line mail with wcMAIL .....................21
Reading mail on-line ..........................28
Sending mail on-line ..........................32
Joining conferences ..............................40
Files ............................................41
Listing .......................................41
Marking .......................................41
Information on a file .........................41
Searching .....................................42
Viewing .......................................42
GIF Thumbnails ................................43
New Files .....................................43
Uploading & Downloading .......................43
Protocols .....................................45
File ratios ................................ 48
Logging Off ......................................49
Other menu commands ..............................50
1
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
This chapter is an introduction to the various features
of Wildcat! BBS. It is also provided as a text file
called WCUSER.TXT on the installation disks. Please
feel free to customize the file to match your own menu
and command structure, and distribute it to your
callers as a user's guide to Wildcat! BBS.
Logging On
When you log on to a BBS or on-line service, you have
to provide information to the computer that uniquely
identifies you. This normally includes your first and
last names, a user ID number, and a password.
Hello, my name is . . .
When you connect with the BBS, whether you are logging
on locally or with a modem, Wildcat! will ask you for
your name and password. You can enter your full name
plus your password, separated by spaces, at the "First
name" prompt.
Let's assume your name is Elvis Presley, and your
password is Memphis. Here's how you would enter that
information to log on.
What is your first name? Elvis Presley Memphis
User ID numbers
On large BBSs, there may be other users with the same
name as yours. If the Sysop allows duplicate user
names, Wildcat! will list all the users whose names
match yours with their user ID numbers and locations,
and you can select your own from the list.
You can also log on with your user ID number instead of
your name. Wildcat! will not ask you to confirm your
name and location so long as you enter your password on
the same line with your name or user ID.
Quick Logon
Depending on how the BBS is configured, you may be able
to add a special character before your name or user ID
number when you log on. The first special character,
the * (asterisk or splat), is a quick logon. Wildcat!
will skip the hello screens, bulletin menu, new mail
scan and any other display files or questions, and send
you directly to the main menu.
The second type of quick logon character is the !
(exclamation mark or bang). Just as with the * quick
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
logon, Wildcat! will skip all the introductory screens,
but instead of going to the main menu prompt, it loads
wcMAIL so you can upload and download off-line mail
packets.
Both quick logon functions are set by security profile
in the system configuration, and are intended mainly to
provide quick access to those using automated dialing
scripts.
Local logons
You can log on to the BBS from the keyboard on the PC
that is running Wildcat!, or from a PC connected to a
Local Area Network (LAN) if Wildcat! is installed on
the network.
The long way
To log on locally, change to the drive and directory
where Wildcat!'s program and support files are
installed. This is usually C:\WILDCAT.
Then type
CAT <Enter>
to start Wildcat!. Press <Alt><L> to log on locally
from the "idle screen", and enter your name and
password at the prompts. If you're the Sysop, press <F1>
and enter your password at the prompt.
The short way
You can start Wildcat! with a command line switch that
bypasses the idle screen and goes directly to the logon
prompt. To do this, change to the Wildcat! drive and
directory and type
WILDCAT /LOCAL <Enter>
For Novell NetWare users only . . .
An even faster logon for Novell users will look up your
user information in your NetWare account, and skip the
name and password prompts completely.
To use this, you or your system administrator should
enter your full name the way it appears in your
Wildcat! user record, in the "Full Name" in your
NetWare user account information. Bindery Emulation
must be turned on for NetWare 4 users.
3
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
You can then start Wildcat! like this:
WILDCAT /NOVELL <Enter>
New Users
If this is the first time you have called this BBS then
you are a new user. The system operator (Sysop) will
probably want to know a little about you to set up your
user account -- things such as your voice phone number,
mailing address, your preferred language, screen
colors, protocols, and so on.
The Sysop will probably also take the opportunity to
show you some information about the BBS you are calling
-- policies and house rules, the focus or specialty of
the BBS, and subscription charges for varying levels of
service.
If you make a mistake entering any of this information,
don't worry. You will have a chance to correct it
later, by editing your user settings or by leaving a
message to the Sysop.
4
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Hello screens, Bulletins, and other system information
Hello screens are the screens you see while you are
logging on. Sysops often take great pride in the
appearance of these screens, and appreciate your
comments and feedback.
Bulletins are text files you can read by selecting them
from the Bulletin Menu. When there are new or important
bulletins to read, Wildcat! will show you the bulletin
menu automatically.
You can stop any display file from scrolling by
pressing <Spacebar>.
Reading new bulletins
Type the number of the bulletin you want to read at the
Bulletins prompt, or type N to view only the bulletins
that have been updated since your last call.
Downloading bulletins
You can download bulletins for reference later on. Type
D, then select the bulletins by number that you want to
download. You can select a range of bulletins like
this:
Download [1-8], [ENTER] to continue? [1, 4-6, 8]
Wildcat! then copies your bulletins to a temporary
directory, then when you exit the bulletin menu, it
packs the bulletins into an archive for you. You will
have the opportunity to download your bulletin file
right away, or mark the file to download later.
You can look at the bulletin menu again any time by
selecting the main menu command "Bulletin menu".
Reading the Newsletter
The newsletter is another text file you can read on-
line. If the Sysop has added new information to the
newsletter, Wildcat! will automatically ask you if you
would like to read it. You can look at the newsletter
any time by selecting the main menu command "Display
Newsletter".
5
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Viewing the Hello screens again
You can look at the hello screens again at any time by
choosing the main menu selection for "Show HELLO
Screens".
System statistics
The main menu command "Display statistics" shows
information about the BBS. The display can be as simple
as the one shown above, or as detailed as the screen
below. The actual information file is several pages
long.
6
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Getting help
Help screens
Press the ? (question mark) at almost any menu command
or prompt to see a help screen. If nothing happens
right away, press <Enter> once.
Sending a comment to the Sysop
If you need more assistance using the BBS than the help
screens can provide, you can send a message to the
Sysop. The main menu command "Comment to Sysop" lets
you type a message and save it, and Wildcat! will
automatically address your message to the Sysop.
You can find out more about using the message editor
later on in this chapter.
7
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Changing your settings
You can change many of the options you selected during
the newuser questionnaire the first time. Use the main
menu command "Change user settings" to view and edit
your preferences.
Setting Notes
Computer type Describe your computer here if you would
like other callers to see this information
when they choose the main menu "list users"
command.
Phone number Enter your voice phone number here.
Wildcat! uses your phone number for
security verification, so you may be asked
to explain the reason for the change. Your
phone number is visible only to the Sysop,
not to other callers.
Birth date Enter your date of birth here. As with
Phone Number, Wildcat! uses this
information for security verification. Your
date of birth is visible only to the Sysop,
not to other callers.
Screen length The normal value here is 23 lines. Wildcat!
will automatically insert screen pauses
when you view files on-line so you can see
a page at a time.
Screen display mode No color: Black and white screens only. If
your terminal software can respond to
Wildcat!'s ANSI detection, you will be able
to use the full-screen message editor,
otherwise you can use the line editor only.
Color ANSI: Use this if you want to see
color screens along with full ANSI
animation, and the full-screen message
editor.
RIP Graphics: Use this only if your
terminal software offers RIPscrip emulation
(QmodemPro for DOS and Windows, for
instance, or RIPterm). Wildcat! is fully
graphical and mouse-compatible in this
mode.
Auto Detect: This is the best possible
choice. Wildcat! will detect what kind of
terminal capability you have every time you
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
log on, and offers the best possible screen
display mode. Use this if you want the
flexibility of being able to use whatever
terminal emulation you like.
Erase prompt Wildcat! normally erases the "Continue"
prompt by sending backspaces. If this
causes problems on your system, try
changing this option to "No".
Hot keys With hot keys turned off, you can "stack"
commands, that is, you can enter several
single letter commands separated by spaces
or semicolons, and the BBS will act on all
of them as soon as you press <Enter>.
Change this option to "Yes" if you would
like to execute commands with a single
keystroke, without having to press <Enter>.
Quote on reply When you reply to messages, it's considered
good form to quote a portion of the
original message so your readers can
remember the context of your reply.
If you would like Wildcat! to feed the
message you're replying to into the message
editor automatically, with -> quote symbols
in the left column, change this option to
"Yes".
Sorted listings Change this option to "Yes" if you would
like Wildcat! to sort file area and
conference names alphabetically instead of
numerically.
Read message mode Scroll: Wildcat! does not clear the screen
between messages. New messages appear, with
their message headers, at the end of the
previous message, and scroll from bottom to
top.
Clear screen: Wildcat! clears the screen
between messages. New message headers and
their text always appear starting at the
top of the screen.
Keep header: Wildcat! scrolls the message
text, but keeps the message header on
screen.
Default editor Line editor: Always use the non-ANSI line
editor when you enter messages on-line.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Full screen editor: Always use the ANSI
full screen editor when you enter messages
on-line.
Select each time: Select which editor to
use whenever you enter a message on-line.
Note: You can always switch between the
line editor to the full screen editor while
you are entering a message, at the "Edit
Message" prompt.
File display mode Single line: List download files with line
number, file name and description on one
line.
Double line: List download files with line
number, file name, size, date, number of
downloads and estimated download time along
with file description.
Full listing: List each file on a full page
with full information including date/time,
size, uploader, short and long descriptions.
Help level Novice: Show full menus and command prompt.
Regular: Show command prompt with option
letters.
Expert: Show command prompt only, no option
letters.
Default protocol If you're sure you want to use the same
protocol every time you upload or download
a file, select your favorite here. If you
prefer to view the list of available
protocols every time you transfer a file so
you can make your selection based on your
baud rate and line conditions then choose
Select.
Calling from Enter your location here if you would like
other callers to see this information when
they choose the main menu "list users" or
"Who is on-line" commands.
Current language If this BBS offers a choice of languages,
select your preference here.
Alias name Some conferences require you to use an
alias name or "handle" to post messages.
10
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Enter your alias name here.
Chat status If you do not want other callers to be able
to page you to request private or public
on-line chat sessions, answer "No" to
change this setting to "Unavailable".
11
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Doors
Doors are external programs you can run from the BBS.
Depending on what kind of programs the Sysop has made
available, you might be able to play a variety of
games, or look up information in a database.
If doors are available on the BBS, you can run them by
selecting the "Door menu" command.
12
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Questionnaires
The Sysop can create on-line questionnaires and make
them available from the main menu command
"Questionnaires" and in other parts of the BBS. These
questionnaires can be used for on-line order entry,
opinion polling, and gathering of demographic
information.
Questionnaire answers can be yes/no, multiple choice,
text, or numeric -- if an answer requires a particular
kind of input, that's the only kind it will accept.
13
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Looking for other users
You might be curious to see who else uses the BBS.
There are three ways to search for other users.
Who's on-line
If the BBS is a multi-line system, several people can
use it at the same time. The main menu command "Who is
on-line" shows a list of active nodes, with the name
and location of each caller currently logged on.
List users
You can list all the users on the BBS with the main
menu command "List users". This list shows name,
computer type, the last logon date, and location for
each user on the BBS.
Find a user
You can find information about a specific user with the
main menu command "Find a user". Enter all or part of
the user name you'<End> like to find, and Wildcat! will
list all users who match the name you entered.
14
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Chatting with other callers
While a single line system will only let you page and
chat with the Sysop, there are several chat and paging
options available on multi-line systems.
Paging the Sysop
If the Sysop is available for paging at the time you
are logged on, you can request a chat with the main
menu command "Page Sysop".
The Sysop's computer will beep for about 30 seconds,
and flashes a message that you are requesting a chat
If the Sysop answers your page, you will be able to
type back and forth to each other until the Sysop ends
the chat session.
If the Sysop is not available for paging, you will see
a message inviting you to leave a comment instead. Use
the Sysop Page function with discretion, and only when
the question you have is important enough to interrupt
the Sysop's other work -- few people appreciate being
paged by a caller whose only reason for chatting is to
say "just checking to see if this thing works" or "how
old are you?"
Sysop chat
The Sysop Chat screen is normally divided into two
windows. Your typing appears in the top window, while
the Sysop's typing appears in the bottom window. You
can both type at the same time without typing over top
of each other's messages.
When you're chatting with someone in real time, it's
courteous to let them know in some way that you've
finished typing and you're ready for their response.
The simplest way is to hit your <Enter> key an extra
time after your last sentence to leave a blank line on
the screen. This signals the other person to go ahead
and start typing.
When the Sysop has finished chatting with you, the chat
screen will go away, and you'll return to where you
left off on the BBS.
Paging other users
You can use the global menu command "Page User" to send
a short message to another user on the BBS, unless the
other caller is currently in a door or transferring a
15
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
file. Wildcat! will send the message as soon as it can,
without interrupting what the other caller is doing.
All of Wildcat!'s usual message editor commands are
available while you are typing your message.
Multi-user chat
Wildcat!'s multi-user chat lets you type on-line to
other callers, as they type to you. You can join a
public chat channel and take part in a group
discussion, or join private channels of your own, and
invite other callers to join you. You can even have a
one-on-one private conversation with another caller.
The chat system is like a CB Radio with a number of
channels. When you go into wcCHAT, you start out in the
main channel. Depending on how the Sysop has set it up,
there may be other public channels, where anyone can
go.
Everyone on the BBS also has a private channel of their
own, where they can invite other callers. You cannot
enter someone else's private channel without an
invitation.
Finally, a caller can invite another caller into a
private conversation, where only those two callers can
type to each other.
Joining chat
The menu command "Run wcCHAT" puts you in the main chat
channel. Your screen will look something like this:
Chat commands
Most of the time, the text you type is sent
automatically to everyone else in the same channel as
soon as you press your <Enter> key.
The chat system recognizes certain words as commands.
With these commands, you can see who else is on-line,
page other callers to join you in your channel, and
invite another caller into a private conversation.
There are many other chat commands -- you can see them
all by typing
/HELP <Enter>
or
/? <Enter>
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Almost all commands you send to the chat program must
begin with a / (forward slash). The only time you don't
need to use the / character is when you type "action"
words. Action words are converted to a humorous comment
which can be seen by others in the same chat channel.
You can direct an action word at another individual,
for instance "HUG MARY", or at nobody in particular,
for instance "SIGH".
To see a list of action words, type
/ACTION <Enter>
You can abbreviate almost all commands, names and
aliases to the minimum number of characters necessary
for wcCHAT to distinguish them. You could type "/UNIG
UserName" to un-ignore a user, but you could not type
"/UNI UserName" as the "/UNINVITE" command also starts
with these three letters.
Join or set-up a private channel
The "/JOIN" command puts you in your own private
channel. From there, you can "invite" another user or
the entire chat group to join you. You can also change
the topic of your private channel by typing "/TOPIC"
followed by the new topic. The new topic will show up
next to your private channel name on the list of
channels.
If you want to join someone else's private channel, you
must first be invited. Type "/JOIN" followed by the
channel name to respond to an invitation.
Private chat
You can send comments privately to another person in
your chat channel by typing a forward slash followed by
the name of the user, then the message you want to
send. For instance, John and Cassie are in a public
channel, but want to correspond privately without
leaving the channel.
User "Cassie" would type
/Peter Do you want to meet at lunch time?
The user "Peter" would respond with
/Cassi I'd love to Cassie.
17
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
[Cassie]
//Would the garden be a good place to meet?
[Peter]
//Let's walk down to the lake instead.
A special private chat
The "/TALK" and "/RESPOND" commands are considered very
private and cannot be monitored even by the Master
Sysop. You and the person you are "talking" with can
carry on a "instant" chat where each can see what the
other is typing, as it is being typed.
To leave group or private chat and go into a one-on-one
talk session, type /TALK followed by the name of the
user you want to talk to. For instance, if Steve wants
to talk to Laurie, Steve types
/TALK Laurie
Laurie would respond like this:
/RESPOND
Laurie would see a list numbers followed by names of
people who have invited her for a private conversation.
Laurie then types the number next to the name of the
person she wants to talk with, then she and her
confidante leave the main chat system for a private
one-on-one conversation.
To leave private chat and return to the channel you
were last in, type /END or <Ctrl><X>.
Moderated chat
The owner of a private channel can use the "/MODERATE"
command to control the conversation. Users who join
must "/ASK" to speak, and their request will be placed
in a queue. The moderator controls the queue and allows
each user-in-turn to air their views or comments. The
moderator can skip a person in the queue if it is felt
they are hogging the "/ASK" requests.
At the discretion of the moderator some users may be
granted "Speaker" status by the "/GUEST UserName"
command. The guest can then talk at any time without
18
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
the need for the moderator to pass the conversation
over to them by way of the "/ASK" queue.
You can see other wcCHAT commands by typing /HELP or /?
Keyword Chat type Explanation
/ACTION Private List the available action
words.
/ACTION [ON | OFF] Private Turn the use of action words
on or off.
/CHANNEL Global Display a list of available
channels.
/CLS Global Clear the screen.
/EXIT Global End the chat session and
return to the BBS. The same
as /QUIT.
/GUEST <Name> Moderated The <Name> user is granted
freedom to "talk" at any
time.
/HILITE <Name> Global Show the user's text in a
contrasting color. Type
/HILITE again to turn it
off.
/IGNORE <Name> Private Ignore all messages from
<Name>.
/INVITE ALL Private Invite everyone into your
private channel.
/INVITE <Name> Private Invite <Name> into your
private channel.
/JOIN Private Create a private channel.
/JOIN <Channel> Global Join a public or private
channel if invited.
/LIST Global Display all users and
channels.
/MODERATE Moderated Start and stop moderated
chat.
/NAME <Alias> Global Change your name to <Alias>.
19
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
/NEXT Moderated Give the next user their
turn to talk.
/PAGE <Name> Global Page a message to a user on
the BBS.
/QUIT Global End the user's chat session
and return to the BBS. The
same as /EXIT.
/RESPOND <Name> Global Respond in privacy to a
/TALK request from another
user.
/SKIPNEXT Moderated Skip the next user in the
/ASK queue.
/TALK Global Talk to a another user in
privacy.
/TOPIC <TopicSubject> Private Change the channel topic.
Available only to the owner
of the channel.
/UNIGNORE <Name> Global Turn on messages from a user
you previously ignored.
/UNINVITE ALL Private Kick all users out of your
private channel.
/UNINVITE <Name> Private Kick <Name> out of your
private channel.
/USERS Global Same as "Who is on-line",
for the BBS.
/WHOAMI Global Display who you are and your
node.
/WHONEXT Moderated Show to the moderator who is
next in line in the /ASK
queue.
/<Name> <Message> Global Send <Name> a message.
//Message Private Continue the private chat
set up with the
/<SenderName/ReceiverName>
sequence.
<ActionWord> <Name> Global Execute an action word to
<Name> user.
20
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Messages
Off-line mail with wcMAIL
The most efficient way to read BBS mail is to ask the
BBS to prepare a mail packet which you can download and
read after you've disconnected from the BBS.
This is called "off-line mail", and it has a number of
advantages over reading mail on-line. Here are just a
few:
. You're not running up long distance charges while you
read mail.
. You can take as long as you want to research, compose
and polish your messages.
. You can use your favorite text editor or word
processor to type your messages.
. You can save and print messages for later reference -
- even after the messages have expired on the BBS.
The most popular off-line mail program for Wildcat! is
called wcMAIL, and it is part of every Wildcat! BBS
package. If the Sysop has decided to install wcMAIL on
the BBS, and has made it available for callers, you can
select the message menu command for wcMAIL to download
your mail.
Selecting conferences
Most BBSs are organized into "conference areas". Each
conference area consists of messages on a particular
topic such as "product support" or "debate" or
"technical help", along with file areas, bulletins,
questionnaires, doors, and so on.
wcMAIL only retrieves mail in conferences areas you
have selected and skips the rest. So, to receive any
mail at all, you must first select some conferences. To
do this, select the wcMAIL menu command "Your
settings", then "Select conferences to scan".
wcMAIL will show you a list of all the conferences you
have access to on the BBS.
Notice that you can sort the conference list
numerically or alphabetically with the "Sort" command.
You can also search for conference names with the
"Find" command. To select a conference, type the
21
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
conference number at the prompt. This is the number in
the far left of the column.
wcMAIL will give you four choices: all new messages,
mail to you and mail to ALL, mail to you only, and no
mail. When you select a conference, you would normally
want to receive all new messages in that conference, so
the correct answer in most cases here is "Yes".
What if I only want my own mail?
You may not be interested in reading everyone else's
public messages. There are two ways to filter out
messages for other people so that you only see your own
mail. You can read your own mail only, or you can
select mail addressed to you and public messages
addressed to "ALL".
So many messages, so little time . . .
You can then select the message number to begin
reading. Some conferences that have been active for a
long time have a large number of messages in them. If
you're selecting a conference like this for the first
time, you probably don't want to download hundreds of
old messages, so try setting your high message number a
few messages back from the highest number in the
conference.
When you have finished setting up each conference,
wcMAIL returns you to the conference list so you can
select more. Notice how the display changes when you
select conferences:
You can always go back and change your settings later
if you don't like the results. Type Q for "Quit" when
you have finished.
Other settings
Besides conference selections, there are several other
settings you can customize.
Packet format
Off-line mail packets are prepared in a special format
designed for QWK packet mail readers such as Off-Line
Xpress. You cannot read these packets with an ordinary
text browser or word processor. QWK-compatible mail
readers are available for many types of PCs, including
Macintosh and Amiga.
If you are unable to use a QWK packet mail reader on
your computer, you can receive messages as ASCII text.
22
Wildcat! 4 User Guide
You will not be able to enter replies off-line and
upload them to the mail door if you select text file
packets, nor will you be able to do off-line file
requests.
Packer
The many files that go into a mail packet are
compressed, or packed, using a utility such as PKZIP
This saves disk space and transfer time, and make it
possible to send several files in a single "envelope".
For most people, the correct setting here is Z, for
PKZIP Archive. If you cannot use PKZIP for some reason,
select a packer format that is compatible with the one
you use.
New files
wcMAIL will send you a list of new files on the BBS
with your mail packets, if you like -- just set the
"include new files list" option to "Yes". The "new
files date" is updated automatically by Wildcat! every
time you list new files or download a mail packet. You
can change it here by entering a different date.
Bulletins
If you want to include new bulletins in your mail
packets, change the "Include new bulletins" option to
"Yes".
Maximums
Depending on the capabilities of your mail reader, your
baud rate, and the amount of time you can use the BBS
per call, you may want to change the maximum number of
messages per conference and per packet.
Some mail readers cannot handle large packets, or more
than 200 messages per conference, so keep these
limitations in mind if you decide to change the per-
packet and per-conference maximums here.
Attachments
You can choose whether or not to receive files attached
to messages automatically in your mail packets. There
are two options to select here: "All attachments"
(messages addressed to anyone), and "Your attachments
only" (only messages addressed to you). A second option
allows you to set the maximum size file attachment that
will be included in your packet.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
If a message has an attachment that was not included in
your packet (it was either too big or you chose to
receive only attachments on messages addressed to you),
you can request the attachment by sending a control
message to wcMAIL in your next reply packet. We'll show
you how a little later on.
Mail from you
Some people like to get their own messages back when
they download a mail packet, some don't. If you want to
receive copies of messages you've sent in your next
mail packet, change this option to "Yes."
Scripting
Since off-line mail removes all kinds of time
constraints on your BBS usage, there's really no need
for you to even be at the keyboard when your computer
is picking up mail from the BBS. Many people like to
use scripts or automated "robot mail" programs that
call the BBS in the middle of the night when rates are
low and the phone lines are least likely to be busy.
Two options help you make the most of your automated
mail runs. The first is to use "enhanced script
prompts". This option sends a standard set of text
prompts in addition to the customizable prompts the
Sysop may have added to wcMAIL. This way, you can use
the same scripts on many different BBSs and mail doors,
with very little modification.
The second option is "Good-bye after upload". If you
upload reply packets with a large number of messages
(net status Sysops take note), you may not want to wait
around while wcMAIL unpacks and inserts your replies.
If you answer "Yes" to this option, wcMAIL will
automatically disconnect 10 seconds after it gets your
reply packet, and will import your replies after it
logs you off.
Downloading messages
When you download messages, wcMAIL scans all the
conferences you have selected, and shows on the screen
how many messages it finds. When it has finished
scanning for messages, wcMAIL will ask you if you'd
like to receive the packet. You also have the option to
disconnect when the download is complete.
Reading off-line
Now that you've got your QWK mail packet, what do you
do with it? You'll need a QWK-compatible mail packet
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
reader. You can find test drive or shareware versions
of many different QWK readers on most BBSs.
We encourage you to try Off-Line Xpress Test Drive, the
QWK compatible mail reader from Mustang Software, Inc.
(the authors of Wildcat! BBS). It's easy and fun to
use, and works with any QWK-compatible mail door.
The dog ate my mail packet. How can I get my messages back?
One of the files in your QWK mail packet is a message
pointer file, which contains your high message numbers
for each conference on the BBS. If you lose a mail
packet, try extracting the pointer file from another
recent packet from the same BBS, then upload it to
wcMAIL.
Here's how to do it for a mail packet named MUSTANG.QWK
with PKZIP and PKUNZIP as your archive choice. Type
these commands at the DOS prompt in the directory where
your mail packets are stored:
PKUNZIP MUSTANG.QWK MUSTANG.PTR <Enter>
If you use some other type of packer, substitute the
proper command.
Now, copy the .PTR file to the "upload" directory for
your communication program. Log onto the BBS, get into
wcMAIL , go to "Your Settings", "Update message
pointers", and select the command "Upload MUSTANG.PTR
File". Send the file you just extracted from the
packet. When wcMAIL has received the file, it will ask
you whether you want your high message numbers set to
just before or just after the settings for the packet
belonging to the .PTR file.
If you don't have a message pointer file, you can still
reset your high message numbers. The "Your Settings"
menu command "Reset all message pointers" lets you
reset each conference to give you a certain number of
messages below the top, or all messages after a certain
date.
Resetting message pointers by date takes longer than
resetting message pointers by number.
How to send Fido Netmail messages and Internet Email
E-mail messages destined for other systems require
special addressing to reach their destinations
properly. When you enter Email messages on-line,
Wildcat! will prompt you for the correct address, and
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
stores it automatically in the message information.
When you enter messages off-line, however, you must add
this information to the messages yourself.
The correct way to address a Fidonet Netmail message is
to put the addressee's zone, net, node and (if
necessary) point number on the first line of the
message, like this:
->1:210/17
Don't forget the "->" routing symbol for Fidonet
messages.
Internet E-mail addresses and subjects are often too
long for the maximum character space allowed in the
"To" and "Subject." fields of a message in QWK packet
format. You can put long internet addresses in the
first two lines of the message like this:
To: j.r.bob.dobbs@ultimate.slack.org (J.R. "Bob" Dobbs)
Subject: Am I really a sub-genius or not?
Uploading replies
When you are finished entering messages off-line, exit
from your mail reader and let it pack up your replies
into a "REP" packet. Log onto the BBS, go into the
wcMAIL program, and type U for "Upload replies". When
wcMAIL prompts you to begin the upload, use the command
in your communication program to send the file.
wcMAIL will unpack the reply file you sent, and you can
watch as it inserts each message into Wildcat!'s
message conferences. Don't forget to delete the reply
packet from your disk after you've uploaded it, so you
don't keep sending the same old messages each time you
upload more replies.
Requesting files
Some messages have files attached to them. If the
message text indicates that the attachment was not
included with the message (because you have not
configured wcMAIL to send message attachments or the
attachment was too large), you can request the attached
file in your next mail packet.
Some mail readers allow you to request file attachments
automatically, with a single command or mouse click.
This creates a special "control message" which tells
wcMAIL to include the attached file in the next mail
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
packet. You can then ask the mail reader to
automatically copy the attachment from the packet onto
your disk.
If your mail reader does not handle file attachment
requests automatically, you can create a control
message to do it yourself. Enter a new message and
address it to wcMAIL. The subject of the message should
be REQUEST, followed by the message number with the
attached file you want. The conference for the request
should be the same conference as the message with the
attachment.
You can also request other files from the BBS, so long
as the files are recorded in Wildcat!'s file database.
Your control message has the same format as the message
attachment requests, but in this case the subject line
is REQUEST, followed by the name of the file.
If the same file name exists in more than one file area
on the BBS, you need to specify the file area number
after the file name. Here's an example of how you would
request the test-drive version of Off-Line Xpress in a
message addressed to wcMAIL:
You cannot request password-protected files with an
off-line message, or files in areas you don't have
access to.
Off-line configuration with control messages
Besides file requests, there are several other things
you can do with control messages. You can add and drop
conferences from your message scans, and you can reset
the high message number in a conference.
The manual or on-line help for your mail reader will
tell you how to do this.
Using wcMAIL on a LAN
If you use Wildcat! on a Local Area Network, you can
run wcMAIL directly from your DOS prompt without having
to log on to the BBS. To do this, change to the network
drive and subdirectory where Wildcat! is installed, and
type wcMAIL, followed by your user name on the BBS. You
can upload and download messages locally just as if you
were connected by modem.
The wcMAIL program normally expects to find QWK and REP
packets in your "node work" directory. If you prefer,
you can use a different directory, for instance your
local hard drive, for mail packets. If you add the
command
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
SET WCMLOCAL=C:\OLX
to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, wcMAIL will automatically
create your mail packets, and look for your reply
packets, in a directory called "OLX" (for Off-Line
Xpress) on your C: drive.
To change the default work directory, add
SET WCMTEMP=Drive\path
This allows you to use a local drive or a RAM drive for
wcMAIL processing, if this would be faster than using a
network drive.
Reading mail on-line
You can also read mail on-line, if you prefer. Wildcat!
offers many options for reading, searching and marking
messages.
Selecting conferences to scan
You can of course read messages on-line by joining each
conference you want to read, and reading the mail in
that conference, then joining another conference and
reading, and so on.
To save you time when you read mail in several
conference areas, you can select the conferences you
want to read on a regular basis. That way, you can read
the conferences you're interested in, skip the ones
you're not interested in, and do it with a single
command.
To select your favorite conferences, use the message
menu command "Update scanned confs".
Selected conferences have a "*" between the conference
number and name. To select a conference, type the
conference number at the prompt. You can type several
numbers on the same prompt line, separated by spaces,
and you can select a range of conferences. The
following command entry turns on conferences 1, 2, 9
through 13, and 42:
1 2 9-13 42
You can de-select conferences the same way. If a
conference is selected, type the conference number at
the prompt to turn it off.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Checking for mail
If you skipped the personal mail scan when you logged
on, you can still check for personal unread messages
later on. Use the message menu command "Check for
mail". Wildcat! will scan all conferences you have
access to, and will list any unread mail addressed to
you.
To read your unread personal mail, select the message
menu command "Read messages", then select "Unread
personal", and choose All conferences, Selected
conferences or Current conference.
Reading
Wildcat! keeps track of the number of messages you've
already read on the BBS so you don't have to reread old
mail or guess where to start reading new mail.
When you select the message menu command "read
messages", Wildcat! will give you several choices:
Read type Notes
Starting from If you want to start reading at a specific
message number, type the number here.
Marked Read messages you marked with the "search"
command
New mail Read only new messages that you haven't
already read.
Search Search for messages containing specific
information
Unread personal Read only new messages addressed to you
Join Join another conference
If you choose to read mail by number, new mail, or
unread personal, Wildcat! will then ask if you want to
read mail in the current conference, selected
conferences, or all conferences. The default is
selected conferences.
At the end of each message, you will see a list of
commands. You can read forwards or backwards, or jump
to a particular message number. The table following
this illustration shows you all the end of message
commands you can use, depending on your security level.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Command type Notes
Read mode Informational only. Shows current message
number, read direction, and mode: all,
selected, search, thread, and so on.
Msg Read [# - #] The numbers are the lowest and highest
message number in the current conference.
Enter the message number to jump to a
specific message.
+ Read forward from low to high message
numbers.
- Read backward from high to low message
numbers.
Edit Loads the current message into the
message editor so you can modify it. This
prompt only appears if you wrote the
message originally, or you have message
Sysop access.
Forward Sends a copy of this message to someone
else.
Kill Deletes the current message. This prompt
only appears if the message was sent to
you or written by you, or if you have
Sysop access.
Nonstop Shows all messages without screen pauses.
Press the spacebar to stop.
Write Send a new message in the current
conference.
Print Copies the current message to the
printer, or your choice of file names.
This option only appears if you're logged
on locally.
Quit Quit reading messages and return to the
message read prompt.
Reply Reply to the current message. Your
message is automatically addressed back
to the sender of the message you are
replying to.
Thread Read the next message with the same
subject line. Add a "--" to read
backwards by subject.
Sysop Shows additional message commands: toggle
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
public/private, move, copy, lookup user,
access file database and undelete. This
prompt only shows up if you have Sysop or
message Sysop access.
Enter = next Read the next message in numerical order.
Direction depends on read mode, + for
forward, - for backwards.
Searching for messages
There are two ways to search for messages. Both methods
let you search for specific information in a message:
the name of the sender or recipient, subject, message
number, and text within a message. Depending on the
kind of text you search for, it can take some time for
Wildcat! to find all messages matching your search
request. You can abort the search at any time by
pressing <Spacebar>.
Searching and marking message headers
The first method is the message menu command "Search
messages". This method finds and lists all messages
listing your search criteria. Only the message header
information is shown: message number, from, to, and
subject.
Each message header is shown with a line number in the
left-hand column of the screen.
You can mark the messages you want to read by typing M
then the line number at the prompt, and continue
searching until all the matching messages are found. To
read your marked messages, select the "Read messages"
command, and select Marked.
Searching for full message text
You can also use the Search command from the "Read
Messages" prompt. Enter your search information in the
same way as the previous example. Wildcat! will show
you the full text of each message it finds.
Search type Notes
From / To Finds messages to or from anyone whose name
matches the full or partial name you put
here.
Subject Finds messages whose subjects match the full
or partial subject in this field
Msg Body Finds messages containing this text anywhere
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
in the message body
Number Begins your search at this message number
Direction Default searches from oldest to newest
message in conference. Change this to search
backwards.
Conference Search in current, selected or all
conferences
Sending mail on-line
To send a message on-line, you create your message by
typing it into one of Wildcat's two message editors:
the Line Editor or the Full-Screen Editor. The line
editor is a simple line by line editor anyone can use,
regardless of your computer type or terminal emulation.
The full-screen editor requires an ANSI-compatible
terminal emulation.
You can select your editor preference from the main
menu command "Your Settings" so Wildcat! won't ask you
what editor to use every time you enter a message --
you can always switch from one editor to the other
while you're entering a message.
Line Editor
You can enter one line of text at a time using the line
editor. The only editing key you can use to correct
mistakes on the current line is the backspace key. The
line editor wraps long lines to the next message line
automatically, or you can press <Enter> to go to the
next line.
If you see a mistake you want to fix, press <Enter>
twice to get to the "Edit Message" prompt, and select
Edit. Wildcat! will ask you for the number of the line
to edit.
Wildcat! will then ask you what text to change. For
example, if the message line reads:
this is a message to shw how to use th Edit command.
Obviously we need to change two errors, the word "th"
for "the" and "shw" for "show". To perform the search
and replace action the Line Editor uses the syntax of
OldString;NewString. The OldString is the string of
characters that will uniquely identify the item to be
changed and the NewString is the data to replace the
OldString. So let's fix "shw" by using the command
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
shw;show
This command will scan for the word "shw" and replace
it with "show". Now the harder correction. Notice that
the first occurrence of the incorrect text "th" is
actually a part of correct text "this" in the first
word. Therefore you cannot simply use the command
th;the
If you did then the new message would read "theis is a
message..." The correct method is to broaden the
OldString search to include additional unique text such
as
use th;use the
Notice that we can replace any number of letters even
with a shorter or longer NewString.
You can make more corrections, if needed. Press <Enter>
on a blank line to get back to the Edit Message prompt.
Full Screen Editor
The full screen editor lets you move the cursor around
the editing page using cursor keys and <Home>, <End>,
<PageUp> and <PageDown> keys, very much like many word
processors. This editor uses ANSI codes to tell your
cursor where it should move on the screen, so you
should use some kind of ANSI terminal mode in your
communications program.
Some of the Full Screen Editor keys are not available
as standard ANSI codes and require additional emulation
modes to operate properly. These keys include function
keys and the "gray" editing keys such as <PageUp> and
<PageDown>. If your communication program supports
Doorway mode, you can use these extended editing keys
in the full screen editor without them being
interpreted as commands by your COM software.
You can turn on Doorway mode in most communication
programs by typing <Alt><=>. Without Doorway mode, only
the cursor keys, <Insert>, <Delete>, <LeftArrow>
(backspace), arrow keys and the <Ctrl> keys will be active.
Type <ESC> or <Ctrl><Z> to leave the fullscreen editor.
Here are the other keys you can use to edit and move
text:
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
ANSI-BBS DOORWAY OPERATION
<Ctrl><A> <Ctrl><LeftArrow> Cursor word left
<Ctrl><B> Format paragraph
<Ctrl><C> <PageDown> Page down
<Ctrl><D> <RightArrow> Cursor right
<Ctrl><E> <UpArrow> Cursor up
<Ctrl><F> <Ctrl><RightArrow> Cursor word right
<Ctrl><G> <Delete> Delete character at
cursor
<Ctrl><H> Backspace Backspace (destructive)
<Ctrl><I> <Tab> Tab
<Ctrl><J> Join lines
<Ctrl><K><D> Delete to end of line
<Ctrl><K><B> Begin marked block
<Ctrl><K><K> End marked block
<Ctrl><K><V> Move block
<Ctrl><K><C> Copy block
<Ctrl><K><H> Hide block (remove
marking)
<Ctrl><K><Y> Delete block
<Ctrl><K><F> Display message
<Ctrl><L> Re-draw screen
<Ctrl><M> <Enter> New line
<Ctrl><N> Split line
<Ctrl><P> <End> Cursor end of line
<Ctrl><Q><Y> Delete to end of line
<Ctrl><R> <PageUp> Page up
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
<Ctrl><S> <LeftArrow> Cursor left
<Ctrl><T> Delete word right
<Ctrl><U> Escape
<Ctrl><V> <Insert> Toggle insert mode
<Ctrl><W> <Home> Cursor to start of line
<Ctrl><X> <DownArrow> Cursor down
<Ctrl><Y> Delete line
<Ctrl><Z> Display help
Note that the full screen editor displayed on the local
host system will show the last few line numbers wrapped
on a single line above the user record screen, if
displayed. This is normal operation and does not affect
the remote display.
Because ANSI escape sequences are used to control
cursor movement within the editor, you cannot upload
ANSI files into messages. Wildcat! will strip the ESC
character from any ANSI text files uploaded to the
message editor.
Importing text into a message
You can easily import the contents of a prepared text
file directly into a message. The text file must exist
in the message database path for the current
conference, and must have the extension .IMP (for
"IMPort"). These text files can be any length, and
Wildcat! will translate any color codes or @-macros
when the file is displayed.
The file itself is not stored in the message, only the
special import symbol "<<" and the filename. The import
characters must be located at the beginning of a line,
immediately followed by the text file name:
1: Here are a few suggestions:
2: <<HELP.IMP
You can include as many import files as you want in a
message, and you can mix import files with typed text,
so long as each is on a separate line.
Although this feature is available to anyone entering a
valid import filename, it is usually used only by the
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Sysop or other local logon users who have access to
place .IMP files in the message directory.
Message Commands
When you escape from the full screen or line editors,
you will see a prompt line at the bottom of your screen
that looks something like this:
Command Notes
Continue Returns to the line editor for additional
message entry
Insert Inserts additional lines between existing
lines in the line editor
View Shows the text of your message, with
header, as it would appear to someone
reading it on-line.
Save Save the message you just wrote
Abort Discard the message you just wrote,
without saving
Carbon Saves the message and sends a carbon copy
of the message to another user or users
Subject Change the subject line of the message
you just wrote
Full screen Returns to the full screen editor for
additional message entry
Delete Deletes the lines you specify from the
message
List Lists the text of the current message,
with line numbers
Command Notes
Quote Import quoted text from the message you
are replying to
Attach Attach a file to this message
Spelling Check the spelling of all text in the
message you just wrote
Word replace Replace the word you specify with another
word throughout the message
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Upload Upload prepared text into the message,
using a file transfer protocol
Edit Allows you to edit text in a specific
line in the line editor
Distribution lists
You can send a copy of a message to a group of people,
without having to address carbon copies to each one
individually, by addressing the message to a
distribution list.
A distribution list is a file listing the names of
people who should receive your message, one name per
line. The file must be named GROUP###.LST, where ### is
a number from 1 to 999, and it must be located in the
display file path for Conference 0.
For instance, to send the members of GROUP1.LST a
message, address the message to GROUP1. Wildcat! will
automatically send a copy of the message to each person
whose name is in the list.
Although this feature is available to anyone entering a
valid distribution list file name, it is usually used
only by the Sysop or other local logon users who have
access to place group files in the display file
directory.
Attaching a file to a message
If the conference configuration allows it, you can
attach a file to a message, and make both the message
and the file available to anyone who has access to read
it. A private message can be read and its attachment
downloaded only by the sender, recipient, and the
Sysop, whereas a public message and its attachment are
available to anyone who has access to the conference.
The file attachment can be in any format -- text, data,
executable program, archive, or anything else. To
attach a file, create your message first in the line
editor or full screen editor, then exit from the editor
and press T to attach a file.
Wildcat! will then ask you to type in the file name.
This can be any legal DOS file name, and it does not
necessarily have to match the name of the file you will
actually be sending.
If you are logged on locally, Wildcat! will ask you for
the actual drive, path, and file name for the
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
attachment; if you are logged on over a modem
connection, you will be prompted to begin your upload.
When Wildcat! has received the file, it will be saved
as part of the message. The recipient of the message
can download the attachment by typing D at the prompt
at the end of the message.
Quoting
When you reply to a message, it is considered helpful
to quote some of the text you are replying to, so the
recipient of your message can easily see the context of
your reply. The easiest way to do this is to select
"auto quote replies" in your user preferences, from the
main menu command "Change user settings".
Wildcat! will automatically load the text of the
message you're replying to, with quote prefixes. You
can delete the lines you don't want to keep in your
reply, then go ahead and type your message.
You can still quote from a message even if you have
this setting turned off. Use the Quote command to list
the message you're replying to, and select the range of
line numbers containing the text you want to quote.
Wildcat! will copy the lines you select into your new
message. You can do this as many times in a message as
you like.
Spelling Checker
Wildcat! has a built-in spelling checker in the message
editor. This allows you to proofread your messages
before you save them, and correct any spelling mistakes
using a 120,000 word dictionary.
When the spelling checker finds a word that is not in
its dictionary, the word will be highlighted, and you
will see the following prompt:
If you know the correct spelling, press E to edit the
word, and type in the correct spelling. If you know the
highlighted word is spelled correctly (perhaps it is a
proper name), select S to skip checking the same word
again. A Master Sysop can add words to the user
dictionary, or suggest alternate spellings for the
highlighted word.
Select the correctly-spelled word by number, to replace
the misspelled word.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Type N for Next word to continue checking, or Q to
quit.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Joining conferences
You don't have to join a conference just to read mail
if you use the "selected" or "all" commands while
reading. You may need to join a specific conference,
however, if the Sysop has defined conference-specific
doors, file areas, bulletins or questionnaires. You
will stay in any conference you join, even after you
log off, until you change conferences again.
To change conferences, use the "Change conference"
command. Enter the conference number at the prompt if
you know it, or type L to list all the conferences
available.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Files
If you're like most BBS users, the file section is
probably your favorite part of the BBS. Wildcat! makes
it easy for you to list, find and download files. You
can even preview GIF files before you download them.
Listing
Most BBSs organize their file download areas by topic.
That makes it easier to find the files you are looking
for. You can view a list of file names by selecting the
file menu command "List available files". If you press
<Enter> now, Wildcat! will start showing you all the
files on the BBS, starting from the first file area you
have access to.
If you want to narrow down your selections, type L
again to list file areas. You can then mark the file
areas you want to list by typing each file area number
at the prompt. A "*" character will show next to each
file area you have selected. You can unmark file areas
the same way.
You can select as many file areas as you like. When you
are finished with your selections, press <Enter> to
begin listing files.
Marking
The easiest way to select files to download is to mark
them in the file listing, then download your list of
marked files when you have finished selecting from the
list.
Type M to mark files, then type in the line number of
the file or files you want to mark. You can mark one
file, many files, or a range of files on each screen.
Information on a file
The normal one-line or two-line file listings show only
basic information about each file. If you want to see
more information, for instance the uploader's name, an
extended description, keywords and more, press I for
"Information".
From this screen you can write a message to the
uploader, and if you uploaded the file, you can edit
the file description and other information if the Sysop
has configured the BBS to allow this. If you have Sysop
or file Sysop access, some additional commands are
available.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Searching
The quickest way to find the files you are looking for
is to search for them. By choosing search keywords
carefully, you can get a list of the files you want,
without the files you don't want.
Wildcat! recognizes the standard punctuation symbols &
for "And", | for "Or" and ! for "Not", as well as the
literal text "and", "or", "not", plus parentheses to
group search items together. Here's how you would enter
search keywords for all files about diet and fitness,
but not weightlifting:
diet & fit ! weight
The command
diet and fit not weight
will produce the same search results.
Notice that we shorten the keywords to the minimum
length required to distinguish the topic, to take into
account differences in the way the words might be
entered in the file descriptions.
To find all files about modems or communications, for
Windows or DOS but not OS/2, try this search pattern:
(windows | DOS) & (modem | comm) !OS/2
The search may take some time if a large number of
files match your search pattern. When Wildcat! has
finished its initial search, it will display the number
of possible matches it found, and ask if you want the
listing sorted or unsorted -- unsorted listings are
faster. Press <Enter> to see the list of files matching
your search pattern.
You can mark, view and download files from this
listing, just as you can from the other file listing
formats.
Viewing
Before you download a file, you may want to view its
contents if it is an archive, or read it on-line if it
is a text file. There are two ways to select a file for
viewing.
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Reading a text file
If the file is uncompressed ASCII text, Wildcat! will
display it on screen, with screen pauses for each page.
You can page forwards and backwards in the file while
you are viewing it.
Viewing a compressed file
If the file is a compressed archive containing one or
more files, you may see just a listing of the files
within the archive, or you may have the option to
extract and view individual files. What you see depends
on how the Sysop has configured the file viewing
function.
GIF Thumbnails
You can preview a selection of GIF files in "thumbnail"
format, like a proof sheet, before downloading them.
After viewing the "thumbnail" picture, you can then
download only the files you want. To do this, list then
mark the files you're interested in, then select the
file menu command "Download".
Select "Thumbnail" from the Download menu, then select
the screen resolution you would like. The higher the
resolution, the longer it will take to transmit the
thumbnail file, and the more detailed the thumbnail
pictures will be.
Notice that the file name is displayed on each picture.
You can edit the download list to remove any pictures
you don't want to receive, then download the full-sized
versions of the ones you have selected.
New Files
You may be interested in seeing all of the files that
have been posted on the BBS since a certain date. To do
this, select the file menu command "New files since".
You can specify an explicit date to begin searching, or
a number of days backwards from today. Wildcat! will
store your last "new files" date for you, so the next
time you list new files, you will see everything posted
since your last new files listing.
Uploading & Downloading
Uploading and Downloading mean copying files between
computers over a modem connection using a transfer
protocol. When a caller sends a file to the BBS, the
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process is called "Uploading", when the caller receives
a file from the BBS it is called "Downloading" .
You can also upload and download files over a Local
Area Network connection without a modem. The only
difference is that Wildcat! copies the files for you
between the network drive and your local drive.
Upload
To upload a file, you must first request the upload on
the BBS, so it is ready to receive the file you are
about to send. The usual command to upload a file in
Wildcat! is "U", on the File Menu. Wildcat! will then
prompt you to select a transfer protocol. Depending on
the protocol you selected, you might be asked to type
the name of the file you wish to send, along with other
information about the file transfer.
When you have finished entering this information,
Wildcat!. will prompt you to begin uploading the file.
You then tell your communications software (for
instance QmodemPro) to begin sending the file. In
QmodemPro, select "Upload" from the "Files" section of
the QmodemPro main menu, or press the <PageUp> key.
Then enter the name for each file you want to transfer.
When transferring files, both the sending and receiving
computers must use the same file transfer protocol.
This means that if you select Xmodem-1k on the BBS, you
also must select Xmodem-1k from the protocol selection
window in your communications software.
Download
Downloading is much the same as uploading. First, you
request the download from the BBS, specifying the names
of the files you want to receive, and the transfer
protocol to use. When the BBS signals it is ready to
begin sending the file, select the "Download" in your
communications software, select the protocol to use
(the same one you selected on the BBS, of course), then
enter the destination file name and directory if
necessary, and begin the download.
Batch downloads
You can queue up as many files as your security level,
download ratio, and available time permit, and download
all the files in one batch. All Wildcat! file download
protocols support batch transfers, even those that
normally can only send a single file at a time.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
For single-file protocols such as Xmodem, you will need
to start each file download when Wildcat! prompts you,
by typing in the destination file name and beginning
the transfer with your communication software.
For batch protocols such as Ymodem and Zmodem, all you
need to do is start the first file downloading, then
sit back and wait for all the files to be transmitted.
If you like, you can let Wildcat! log you off
automatically when the last file has been received --
select "Logoff after download" instead of "Yes" when
you begin a batch download. You will have 10 seconds to
abort the logoff when the last file has been sent.
Edit marked list
You can add and remove files from your download queue
with the file menu command "Edit marked list". This
command will show you a list of all the files you have
queued up, with estimated download times for each file,
and a total estimated download time for the entire
batch.
You can remove individual files from the list, or clear
the list and remove all the files from your download
queue. You can add files directly to the download list
if you know the file name -- if you don't know the
name, try searching for the file, then mark it.
Protocols
A transfer protocol is a set of signals and responses
combined with the data being transferred. Protocols
provide error checking and correction, and monitor the
progress of the file transfer.
Wildcat! already contains some of the most popular,
efficient, and reliable transfer protocols. These are
called "Internal Protocols", since they form part of
the Wildcat! program.
Other transfer protocols can be added as "external"
protocols, and one or more may be available depending
on how the Sysop has configured the BBS.
ASCII
protocol is used primarily for on-line text
The ASCII
transfers. It does not support transferring binary data
such as programs or compressed files.
ASCII does not perform any error-checking, which makes
it very sensitive to line noise. Bursts of phone line
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
interference will introduce stray characters that are
not part of the data being transmitted. For this
reason, ASCII transfers are not recommended unless they
are used for specific purposes where that protocol is
needed.
Xmodem
There are two Xmodem protocols presently in use. The
original Xmodem uses a Checksum method to insure that
the data received is the same as that which was sent.
Checksum is a very simple error-detection method with
an accuracy rate of 99.6%. Xmodem Checksum transmits
128-byte data blocks. This is not a particularly
efficient protocol, since it must pause for
acknowledgment between each block it transmits.
Xmodem CRC
Xmodem-CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Checking) is similar to
Xmodem-Checksum, but uses a far more reliable error-
detection algorithm (99.9969%.). If you accidentally
select Xmodem Checksum at one end and Xmodem CRC at the
other, Wildcat! will use the correct protocol
automatically, rather than aborting the transfer.
Like Xmodem Checksum, Xmodem CRC is slow and
inefficient, and is definitely not suitable for high
speed connections unless you have no other option.
Xmodem-1k
Xmodem-1K is a modified version of Xmodem CRC, which
uses 1024 byte blocks as opposed to Xmodem's 128 byte
blocks. Because it transmits larger blocks of data, it
pauses less often during the transfer, so it is
considerably more efficient than its 128-byte-block
cousins.
Ymodem
Ymodem is the true implementation of the Ymodem batch
protocol and is sometimes called Ymodem Batch. This
protocol supports the transfer of multiple files within
a single session, without user intervention.
True Ymodem and Ymodem/G batch protocols include Header
Records in the uploaded or downloaded data. These
records contain file-dependent information such as
name, size, and date/time stamps. Ymodem, like Xmodem
1K, sends 1024 byte blocks, and is a reasonably fast,
efficient protocol.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Xmodem-1k/G & Ymodem/G
These two protocols are similar to their non-/G
counterparts. /G protocols do not perform any error
correction and rely on the error correction features of
the modems. Modems equipped with internal protocols
such as MNP, LAP-B, and X.PC help assure that
communications are error free. You must enable hardware
handshaking via the CTS/RTS signal lines with such
modems.
/G protocols will not be available unless the following
is true:
. CTS checking is enabled in the Device configuration.
. The two modems report an error-free connection during
logon.
Make sure the modem does not always force the CTS
signal ON. This will cause a modem buffer overflow
resulting in an aborted transfer.
Xmodem-1K/G and Ymodem /G cannot re-send bad data
blocks. In theory, there should be NO bad blocks of
data in an error-free connection. If errors occur, they
are likely to be caused by an improper setup either in
the hardware or in the communication software
Zmodem
This is the popular streaming protocol put into the
public domain by Telenet. Zmodem uses a variable sized
block to transfer data over even the noisiest phone
lines. Zmodem was designed as a Batch transfer
protocol. As such, it shares the same transfer windows
and allocation methods that the Ymodem protocol uses.
Should errors occur, Zmodem can tell the sending end
exactly where to restart. Zmodem does not require a
high-speed or error-correcting modem with MNP or V.42
to be effective. While it is not as fast as Ymodem /G or
Xmodem-1K/G, it does perform well enough to have become
a "standard" in the industry.
One of the benefits of Zmodem is Crash Recovery. This
allows an aborted file transfer to be restarted later,
without having to re-transmit the already received
portion of the file. Wildcat! checks first to make sure
the partial file has not changed. If it hasn't, then it
picks up where it left off. If it has, then the file
transfer restarts from the beginning.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Kermit
This protocol's main claim is not speed, but rather its
ability to interact with many types of computers from
mainframes to micros. It can cope with systems limited
to seven-bit characters even when the data to be
transmitted is in eight-bit form. All characters are
translated into standard printable characters and
reconstructed on the receiving end.
While not very efficient, Kermit is sometimes the only
way to transfer data between different types of systems
and terminals. It is not recommended for PC to PC
transfers unless there is no other choice.
Yes, the Kermit protocol really was named after a frog.
Local uploads and downloads
You can upload and download files even when logged on
locally. Rather than offering a selection of transfer
protocols for a local file transfer, Wildcat! prompts
you to enter a DOS drive, path and file name for the
source of a file to upload (wildcards are allowed), or
the DOS drive and path name for the destination of a
file to download.
File ratios
Your Sysop may choose to impose file download ratios on
callers. The ratio can be based on number of files,
number of bytes, or both. For instance, if the file
download ratio is 20:1, after you have downloaded 20
files you will have to upload one file to be able to
download any more files. If the byte ratio is 20:1, for
every 20 kilobytes you download, you will have to
upload 1 kilobyte of files.
Sysops who impose download ratios are generally
interested in uploads of new shareware files they don't
already have. A good way to lose your downloading
privileges completely is to try to cheat the system by
uploading files the Sysop already has, or uploading
"junk" files the Sysop has to throw out.
Checking your ratio
You can check your file ratio status any time with the
file menu command "Personal file statistics".
This screen shows the files you have downloaded today,
and since your first call, and computes your file and
byte download ratios.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Logging Off
When you log off, Wildcat! will close its files and
update your user information, then it prepares to wait
for the next caller.
The polite way to disconnect from a BBS is to type G
for "Good-bye". You cannot hurt Wildcat! by hanging up
(dropping carrier), and in some cases it is unavoidable
-- if your PC locks up, for instance, or you're stuck
somewhere and don't know how to get out.
Some external programs and doors do not recover as
gracefully as Wildcat!, however, and may cause problems
for the Sysop if you make a habit of dropping carrier
instead of logging off properly. If you have a problem
that causes you to disconnect abruptly, why not leave a
polite note to the Sysop explaining the situation on
your next call.
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Wildcat! 4 User Guide
Other menu commands
You may find other menu commands on the BBS that aren't
described here, or you may find some of these commands
on different menus. These additional commands may
provide shortcuts to some of the procedures we have
shown you in this section, or they may provide
additional functions through Wildcat!'s programming
language wcCODE.
Additional commands are usually self-explanatory -- ask
your Sysop for help with any options you don't
understand.
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