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Text File | 1993-01-28 | 32KB | 609 lines

What's new with Qmail 1stReader? ─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DATE: 01-28 23:00 This release coincides with the 7th anniversary of the STS-51L "Challenger Accident". Dick Scobee, Michael Smith, Judy Resnik, Ron McNair, El Onizuka, Greg Jarvis and Christa McCauliffe. Routines added to the 01-27 release would cause the carrier to drop if you downloaded twice during the same call. Fixed. Thanks Page Hite If you tried to call a system without mail packets on file or basically do *anything* to a system that didn't have mail packets on file, the system wouldn't work right producing anything from messed up screens to lockups. Fixed. Thanks Bart Flint, Sue Moore and Matt Waldron If you tried to delete a BBS the system would hang. Fixed. Thanks Bart Flint When the reader encounters a message containing ANSI graphics, it will now display a dialog box and ask you if you wish to display the message as a picture. If you click on YES then the message is displayed as picture, otherwise it is displayed as a message. This new feature kind of does away with the "ANSI message display" switch but I added it because many users were complaining that there is no easy way to know who the ANSI art message is from. Introducing the dialog box gives you a 'pause' that lets you inspect the message header before you view the message. If this isn't a good idea I'll remove the feature, but consider the benefits of seeing who the message is from when thinking about it. Included a new ETUNZIP.EXE that checks to see if the archive was created using PKZIP 2.04. If so then ETUNZIP will display a warning on the screen and ask you to press any key to return back to 1stReader. DATE: 01-27 20:00 You can now tag multiple systems to call from the opening menu. Just press the SPACE BAR while the system is highlighted in the menu and a "" character will appear to the left of the system. To untag the system just press SPACE BAR again. When you press ENTER or select "Get new mail" with systems tagged 1stReader will call these systems in order for you automatically. DATE: 01-27 12:00 This release coincides with the 26th anniversary of the Apollo One fire. Astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White and Roger Chaffee died in 1967 when their Apollo One spacecraft caught fire during a countdown demonstration test that was deemed "non-hazardous". Their deaths were not in vain but rather allowed Project Apollo to get back on track and accomplish the lunar landing in 1969. You can now select "Get new mail" and "Call" from the opening screen instead of having to go to the mail packets screen to select them. This makes it a bit easier to call a system by peforming fewer keystrokes. The ANSI screens were not getting initialized with the correct display attribute. This meant that if the last file you displayed as blinking text, the next file you viewed would also blink. Fixed. While in terminal mode you can press ALT+S to send a file, ALT+R to receive a file, and ALT+L to turn logging capture ON or OFF. ALT+C will also clear the screen for you. DATE: 01-26 21:00 So much has been changed in this release that 1.02 just doesn't cut it. I've renumbered this release to 1.10 since many new features have been added and the new release number indicates that to users. A new QSZ.EXE is included in this release. The code has been modified so it will pick up filenames from the Zmodem stream rather than from the command line. You will need to make changes to the QSZ commands used by 1stReader. At the 1stReader main menu select "SETUP" and then "COMM". Change your Zmodem commands so they read: Zmodem download command: QSZ portx %4 rz %3 Zmodem upload command: QSZ portx %4 sz %3 Enter these commands *exactly* as shown. Thanks Rob Kittredge Added "phone books" to the system. You can now group your systems into phone books and save different setups with a seperate phone book for each setup. For example, I keep a LOCAL.SET handy here for local QWK systems that I call and 1ST.SET keeps the national systems in its own phone book. You can enter the name of the phone book by selecting "SETUP" from the opening menu and then select "EDITOR" from the setup menu. Added support for the "/FON" command line switch. If you wish you can override the phone book specified in the setup file by using this command. Example: 1ST /FON: LOCAL.FON Massive number of additions made to the ANSI emulation commands. 1stReader can now use the following commands from inside text files *or* messages to do the following commands. Use only one command per line. $BLINK ON/OFF - $BLINK OFF will let 1stReader use high intensity backgrounds in ANSI messages. $BLINK ON turns this capability off and turns blinking back on. $MUSIC ON/OFF - Turns music ON or OFF. Note that this switch DOS NOT change the switch in SETUP that controls ANSI music. That switch MUST be turned on for these commands to work. These commands reset the internal ANSI emulator's music flag so if the user pressed ESC to turn music off the file can reset the switch, or turn it off. $TOP xx - These commands set the top, $BOTTOM xx bottom, left and right margins $LEFT xx for ANSI screens. Note that $RIGHT xx you must not exceed the margins for the physical screen. $LSET xx <string> - These commands will $RSET xx <string> take <string> and set it $CENTER xx <string> into a blank string that is xx characters long. $LSET will set <string> to the left side of the blank string. $RSET sets <string> to the right side of the blank string. $CENTER will center <string> into the blank string. $LOCATE row,col - Positions the cursor to row,col on the screen. Added support for PC-Pursuit. Copy the file $$PCP.SCR into your \1ST\SCRIPTS subdirectory and you will need to create a text file named PCP.CFG inside the \1ST subdirectory. This text file contains the following information: Local PCPursuit access number Your PCPursuit user ID Your PCPursuit password This file will be created by the installation routine but for now you must create it. This release also adds a "PC Pursuit ID" field for each bulletin board system. It is in this field you need to enter the City ID for the the BBS. For example, if the BBS is located in Atlanta you need to enter "GAATL". If you do not use PC Pursuit then you do not need to use this feature. Added support for the #1TUTOR text file. If 1stReader detects that the user is using 1stReader for the first time, it will display #1TUTOR. The reader will look for #1TUTOR.CLR (for color systems) or #1TUTOR.B&W (for monochrome systems). If neither is found then #1TUTOR is used. 1stReader can now display VERY long messages. If the reader finds that a message is longer than 200 lines in length it will display the text 18 lines at a time and pause for a keystroke to continue. This means 1stReader can handle messages as large as 32,640 bytes in size. Added support for @x?? in the reader. If "??" is used then 1stReader uses the current color attribute on the screen at the point where the text is going to be displayed. DRASTIC changes have been made in the ANSI emulator. You'll find that the terminal mode in 1stReader can now keep up with your keystrokes. No longer will the system drop characters between keystrokes. Also, when 1stReader played ANSI music and you pressed the ESC key to stop the music, it would take a few seconds for 1stReader to recongize the keystroke. Now, 1stReader responds instantly to the keystroke and stops the music from playing. When view ANSI messages the reader will pause every 24 lines and display a "More" prompt. Also, while viewing ANSI messages inside the reader, you can press the '4' key and get 43 character ANSI mode. The '5' key will switch you to 50 character ANSI mode (of course, your system must be EGA (for 43 line mode) or VGA (for 50 line mode) in order to work. The '2' key switches you back to 25 line mode. NOTE! Messages are still read in the 25 line mode. 1stReader, like DeLuxe², responds to ANSIART (in brackets) to automatically display ANSI. This release also adds support for ANSI43 and ANSI50 (enclosed by brackets). These keywords work just like ANSIART but tell 1stReader to switch automatically into 43 or 50 line mode. Changes were made in the way 1stReader opens and closes the serial ports. Removed support for the internal archiver utility. With PkZip 2.04 already out it doesn't make much sense to keep the code internal. If you wish to use PkZip 2.04 or another archiver, 1stReader still includes the code for the archiver and it must be 'carried around' even though it is not used. Starting with this release, we'll be including an external PKZIP 1.10 compatible system licensed from EllTech named ETZIP. If a user wishes to use PKZIP in its place then all they need to do is to change "ET" to "PK" in the command line arguments for the packers. In order to do this select "SETUP" from the opening menu and "Pack" from the setup menu. Change "PKZIP" to "ETZIP" and "PKUNZIP" to "ETUNZIP". This new archiver also lets 1stReader unzip archives created with PKZIP 1.02 or before, something the internal archiver could not do. Removed the "ANSI Emulator" switch inside 1stReader since the requires requires too much information from the emulator to work with DOS ANSI.SYS. Instead, this switch now determines if the BBS names should be sorted in order by those having mail packets on file, alphabetically, and then the other systems without mail packets on file, alphabetically. If this switch is turned OFF then system names are sorted in alphabetical order, but no regard is given to place those with mail packets first. Since we've removed support for the internal archiver that switch now control a "Terminal alarm" that is sounded when you connect to a system or after you finish a Zmodem file transfer. Thanks Daniel Diachun Added support for the NEWS.LST file in 1stReader. After displaying the BBS news, 1stReader will look for this file and read it. The file contains other filenames that should be displayed to the user. It can also contain DOS commands if the entries begin with the string "DOS:". This works well for new user setups - the sysop can even include programs that give the user a guided tour of their system automatically using Qmail Door. You could not delete a mail packet that was sitting in the FILES subdirectory. Fixed. If you used the F7 key to call up $$1ST.CMD (a menu file) and you called up multiple items from that menu, the menu box would grow out two characters at a time. Fixed. If there were more than one screenful's worth of mail packets on file the mouse cursor would be positioned against the right side of the screen. The cursor is now positioned in the middle of the screen. If you pressed CTRL+ENTER while at the mail packet screen (or you had no mail packets on file and selected READ) the reader would ask you if you wanted to insert a bookmark when you quit. Fixed. You can now clear out all keyboard entries on a screen by press the CTRL key first, and while holding it down pressing the ESC key too. This feature was added so it is easy to clear out existing keyword phrases in the ZIPPY scan screen, but it works everywhere. You can now display xxxx.BIN and .B1N files when popping up menu files (pressing the F7 key). The files must use the same name as the CMD files themselves (for example, $$1ST.BIN is displayed when $$1ST.CMD is loaded). This lets OEMs customize menu screens inside 1stReader. Made a change in the way 1stReader restamps the date and time of a mail packet after reading it. We've had reports from European users that the mail packet dates get changed to MM-DD instead of DD-MM. This release changes the method used and it should retain DD-MM. DATE: 01-13 18:00 Changed the way 1stReader handles SuperShell. Let's see if this helps out those having problems with SuperShell. 1stReader now consults the serial port base addresses internally to make sure they are correct. Since we're starting to get more customers who are using TBBS' new QSO module this release of 1stReader is a bit more compatible with QSO. 1st now correctly interprets the %color variables used by TBBS. We're using a new internal ANSI emulator that fixes certain display problems some TBBS users have reported. It also speeds up keyboard entry in the terminal section of the program. The next release should include internal ANSI music in the driver itself and if so that will speed up the terminal section by QUITE a bit. You cannot select the Folders conference if you do not have folders on file. 1stReader will now locate QWK mail packets that have been downloaded into the FILES subdirectory. Usually, this happens when you manually download the mail packet by pressing the PgDn key. Added support for the $$CHECK.BAT file. This batch file is used to run any virus checking software you might like to use when you unpack a file from the file manager. Only one argument is passed to the batch file from 1stReader - the location of the subdirectory containing the unpacked files. 1stReader would find mail packets for SBBS.QWK and HSBBS.QWK for the same system even though they came from different systems. Fixed. Thanks Kerry Hanson If 1stReader detects a packet or ZIP created using the new PKZIP 2.04 system it will default to external unpacking no matter what. So you need to make sure you have updated to PKZIP 2.04 so you can handle packets created by the new release. We've included a new QSZ.EXE module for 1stReader. This is QSZ 1.04 and it should work better than the 1.03 included in the previous beta. The autoZmodem download string has been moved from the code to record #309 inside the 1STTEXT file. This lets you change the string to work with HS/Link (or any other protocol) you wish. DATE: 11-12 18:00 Added support for two command modifiers to be used in the DOS shell calls. "/NULL" tells 1stReader to add ">NUL" to the DOS command line so that it will not echo to the screen. "/NONULL" does the exact opposite - it will remove any ">NUL" added to a DOS command. This lets you shell to programs that use BIOS output and lets you see the output. Added support for the DOS command line 'include' files. The syntax to use is: 1ST @<filename> If <filename> is found then 1stReader will load the *first* line of the file and use it for it's command line switches. Great for commands that require more space than DOS allows or for 'front ends' to 1stReader. Thanks Mark Devlin You can press CTRL+ENTER when you are at the list of mail packets on file and 1stReader will immediately go into the reader section of the program without unpacking a mail packet. This works just like selecting the 'Read' button without having mail packets on file. Expanded the number of taglines on file from 200 to 1000 taglines. Added support for the "/CURSOR_OFF" DOS command modifier. This command can be used inside *.DOS files to change how 1stReader shells to DOS. If found, 1st will not turn the cursor on when shelling to DOS. Added support for the "/DISPLAY" DOS command line modifier. This command can be used inside *.DOS files to display a dialog box while shelling to a program from 1stReader. Any text following this switch is displayed inside a dialog box on the screen as you shell to DOS. 1stReader now leaves 'Fido-compatible' taglines if you reply to a message that contains a Fidonet address in the tagline. No longer do you have to set the Fido tagline switch or use the #FIDO@ variable unless you wish to use them when replying to a Fido message. Of course, you *do* need to use these features when you ENTER a new message into a Fido conference. This release of 1stReader now supports the automatic Doorway codes as defined by Marshall Dudley. Thanks Marshall Dudley DATE: 11-03 18:00 This is *the* final private test release of 1stReader before we go 'wide-beta' tomorrow night. I've included a brand-new NEWFILES.EXE system that is completely finished. Give it a shot - you can make a download request of any file here on this system. If you tried to view a 'UUENCODED' message from Usenet inside 1stReader it would lock up. Fixed. Thanks Rick Sheridan The USENET.HDR file wasn't working 100% of the time due to the way 1stReader was identifying a Usenet sourced message. Fixed. Thanks Eduardo Torres DATE: 10-27 00:00 This release makes major changes to the way the file requests are handled. The reader will look for ATTACHED.LST and automatically edits the file to remove files included in the mail packets and removes files requests that were in error on the BBS. This archive also contains an updated NEWFILES program that will process the requests. You need this release to handle file requests on our system. We'll be going wide-beta with 1.02 before full release, but I want full release by Friday! DATE: 10-16 02:00 Added support for five new script commands. These are: #API$(xxx)="value" #API&(xxx)=value #API(xxx)=value #SWITCH(xxx)=value These commands let the scripts modify the 1stReader API. The basic reason behind it is to begin work on support for PCPursuit, although 1.02 is not expected to support PCPursuit in this release. Added support for #API(156). If this switch is turned OFF then 1stReader will not use $$DIAL.SCR even if it is on file. It's a good way to disable $$DIAL.SCR once it has completed it's job. Added enhanced support for #FIDO@. Now you can even include this variable in your taglines. If you maintain multiple taglines or signatures, this works great! If you are inside a script you will need to press the ALT+X keys in order to exit the script. The ESC key will now function normally in a script. Required for systems that use 'front-ends'. Thanks David Pottier If you were using an external editor and entered a message, then used "Ooops" to return back and delete the last two lines of the message, when you returned back to 1stReader, you would still see the previous two lines. Fixed. Thanks Mark Devlin DATE: 10-14 00:00 This release marks the initial test of 1stReader 1.02. 1.02 will be a 'minor' release but it contains two rather signficant changes. First, the stack space in this reader has been doubled (due to a bug in the RTLink linker that has since been fixed by Pocketsoft) and string space has been increased by 2k as well. Second, this release also lets you make file requests to a Qmail Door system. File requests are moved up to the door through the reply mail packet and the files are included in the QWK packet as it is bundled up. The reader will then automatically move the attached files into the FILE download area where they can be examined by the 'MANAGE' function. BTW, this method is also 100% compatible with TBBS' new QSO offline mail door so we'll work with them as well. I know that predicting the time needed to work out a release is an art, not a science. But I think we could aim for release of this code by October 23rd. A new HELP.DAT and 1STTEXT file has been included to provide for prompts and help when moving attached files. Ooops! The TRANSMIT; command never worked. Fixed! Added support for the /MLIST command line switch. If this switch is used then whenever you join a conference 1stReader will immediately place you in the list messages screen. Thanks Douglas Howell A new QSZ has been provided by Rob that fixes mostly cosmetic items. It will not die if an invalid path is specified in the DSZLOG environment variable. Thanks Rob Kittredge Included the NEWFILES file tagging system. It's not mouseable right now, but give it shot. BTW, you CAN tag and download new files listed here on this system.