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DataMail Sysop's Manual Version 1.1 RA11-1 Remote Access 1.1 Addendum ====================================================================== Pre-Installation Notes ====================== While DataMail requires the use of the DOOR.SYS file created by the BBS software, please note the DOOR.SYS format generated by Remote Access is not, repeat NOT, the generally accepted format produced by all the other BBS software which supports DOOR.SYS. You still require the "real" DOOR.SYS format, but DO NOT USE THE DOOR.SYS CREATED BY RemoteAccess! You need to use the DORINFO1.DEF file, and convert it to the "real" DOOR.SYS format. To do this, you will need an auxiliary program that can perform this conversion for you. There are many such programs available. One example would be "QDOOR" by James Fair. Make certain that you obtain one of these conversion programs before trying to use DataMail. It bears repeating, so, DO NOT USE THE DOOR.SYS THAT RemoteAccess WILL CREATE FOR YOUR DOORS!!! Use DORINFO1.DEF and a conversion program which will create the "real" DOOR.SYS file! Perhaps future versions of RemoteAccess will create a "real" DOOR.SYS. If that comes to pass, you may then dispense with the conversion program (e.g., QDOOR) and use the DOOR.SYS created by RemoteAccess. However, until such time as this becomes true, you must use DORINFO1.DEF and a conversion program. Installation: Step 1 ==================== First, you should decide what disk and subdirectories you will be using. I recommend subdirectories \DATAMAIL and \DATAMAIL\FILES on whatever drive you have the most available space. \DATAMAIL is where you will install the software; \DATAMAIL\FILES is where your Users' files will be stored when they upload. Go ahead and establish those directories now. For example purposes, I will assume you have chosen D:\DATAMAIL and D:\DATAMAIL\FILES. Make D:\DATAMAIL your default Drive:\Directory by typing D: and then CD \DATAMAIL. Into D:\DATAMAIL, unpack the contents of DMEXES.EXE, DMXFER.EXE, and DMDATA.EXE. Next unpack DMRA11.EXE into D:\DATAMAIL. DataMail RA11-2 Version 1.1 Sysop's Manual Remote Access 1.1 Addendum ====================================================================== Check the contents of D:\DATAMAIL. You should have: DATAMAIL.EXE DataMail Door Program DMCONFIG.EXE DataMail Configuration Program DMUTIMSG.EXE DataMail UTI Message Formatter/Invocation DMREPORT.EXE DataMail Database Reporter DMCHECK.EXE Determines if any Downloads Waiting DMUSRBLD.EXE User Database Builder/File Purge DM01CDB.DBD Database Definition File DM010005.KEY Skeleton Database Key file, Global Parms DM010005.DAT Skeleton Database Data file, Global Parms DM010006.KEY Skeleton Database Key file, Sec-Levels DM010006.DAT Skeleton Database Data file, Sec-Levels DMXFER1.BAT Sample File-Transfer Batch file 1 DMXFER2.BAT Sample File-Transfer Batch file 2 DMXFER3.BAT Sample File-Transfer Batch file 3 DMXFER4.BAT Sample File-Transfer Batch file 4 DMXFER5.BAT Sample File-Transfer Batch file 5 DMXFERS.TXT Sample User-Prompts for File-Transfers Now, run DMCONFIG. First, you need to define the Path and Filename for your BBS software's User Master File. Select Configure Global Parameters, and then BBS User File. Type in the complete Drive, Path, and Filename of your BBS software's User Master File. This will be C:\RA\USERS.BBS for most Remote Access 1.1 installations, although you may be using a different Drive: or \Path\. However, the filename to use is definitely USERS.BBS. Now, return to the entry menu for DMCONFIG. Select Rebuild User DataBase. This should trigger DMUSRBLD to execute. For now, ignore the Warning that DMUSRBLD displays about not supplying a Node number. Note: DMUSRBLD should exit with a return code of zero. If it does not, you are either using the wrong DMUSRBLD.EXE program for your BBS software, you mistyped the Drive, Path, and Filename to your User Master File in the previous step, or you do not have enough memory. In the latter case, you can exit DMCONFIG and run DMUSRBLD by itself, but you are going to have problems getting DATAMAIL.EXE to run if you don't have enough memory for just the DMCONFIG and DMUSRBLD programs. In either of the former cases, exit DMCONFIG and, if they exists, delete the files DM010000.KEY/.DAT. Then locate the proper DMUSRBLD.EXE program for your BBS software, and make sure you have everything in D:\DATAMAIL. Make sure that D:\DATAMAIL is your default Drive and Directory. Then repeat these last two steps (specifying the Drive:\Path\Filename of USERS and running DMUSRBLD). Do not get discouraged if DMUSRBLD takes a while to run. Under normal circumstances, DM010000.KEY/.DAT are only "refreshed", and the process is very quick. However, the initial creation of DM010000.KEY/.DAT can take anywhere from a few seconds to several minutes, depending upon how many Users you have and how fast/slow your CPU and hard drive is. DM010000.KEY/.DAT only needs to be recreated whenever you mark Users as locked-out, deleted, reduce their security DataMail Sysop's Manual Version 1.1 RA11-3 Remote Access 1.1 Addendum ====================================================================== to 0, or "pack" your User Master File. Day-to-day operation only requires a "refresh" of DM010000.KEY/.DAT, and this process is much faster that a complete rebuild of the files. Now, exit DMCONFIG and run DMREPORT 1. That's "DMREPORT 1". Make sure you specify the "1" after "DMREPORT". You should see a 2-up listing of your Users and their security levels. If things look correct, you have finished the first phase of installation. If you get garbage, or names and security levels don't align properly in their columns, you have a problem. Delete DM010000.KEY/.DAT, make certain you are using the correct DMUSRBLD.EXE program for your BBS software, and that you have specified the full Drive:\Path\Filename to your BBS's User Master File. Installation: Step 2 ==================== You have just completed the first major hurdle in getting DataMail setup. The next step is to decide how many transfer protocols you wish to allow (maximum 5 each for upload & download), and what you will call the batch files that handle these transfers. I recommend batch files DMXFER1.BAT through DMXFER5.BAT, but you can call them anything you like. You must also decide where on your system you will place these batch files. You can place them on any drive in any directory, but it will be much easier if you place them in D:\DATAMAIL with the rest of your DataMail files. Note that the sample batch files (DMXFERx.BAT), DMXFERS.TXT, and the contents of DM010005.KEY/.DAT for file-transfers are already set- up to handle Zmodem, Zmodem MobyTurbo, HyperP, Xmodem, and Ymodem-G. If these are the protocols you want to use, then you may skip this step. Otherwise, please continue reading... Run DMCONFIG once more. Select the Alter Global Parameters, and then, in turn, each of the five Batch File Transfer options (options 5 through 9). NOTE: to keep the command-line arguments to under 128 bytes when these batch files are executed, I recommend NOT putting a full Drive:\Path\ specifier in front of the batch filenames IF you are going to put those batch files in D:\DATAMAIL. If you place your batch files in some other directory, you need to specify the complete Drive: and \Path\ to those files, along with the filenames. If you do not wish to support all five possible protocols, enter the literal NONE for the ones you do not want supported. For example, if you do not wish to have but three protocols available, enter NONE for options four and five. NOTE: In this example, you could just as easily enter NONE for any two of the five options (say, two and four), but you will probably find it much easier if you place your unused protocols at the bottom of the available five, and place your usable protocols at the top of the available five. DataMail RA11-4 Version 1.1 Sysop's Manual Remote Access 1.1 Addendum ====================================================================== Now, exit DMCONFIG and start your text editor. Locate file DMXFERS.TXT and edit it under the following rules: 1) No line my exceed 77 characters in length. 2) There must be at least ten lines, even if some are blank. 3) Odd-numbered lines are for Download Protocols 1 through 5 4) Even-numbered lines are for Upload Protocols 1 through 5 5) The text on each line should describe the Protocol type. Here's an example. Suppose you have run DMCONFIG and only specified three active protocols, and those are 1, 2, and 3. You configured protocols 4 and 5 as "NONE". Let's say your choices for 1 through 3 are DMXFER1.BAT, DMXFER2.BAT, and DMXFER3.BAT. Each of these handles ZMODEM, XMODEM, and YMODEM, respectively. Your resulting DMXFERS.TXT file could look like: ZMODEM w/ crash recovery, 32-bit CRC ZMODEM 32-bit CRC XMODEM CRC XMODEM CRC YMODEM YMODEM not used not used not used not used This is how DataMail uses DMXFERS.TXT: During a download, DataMail only looks at lines 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9. During an upload, DataMail only looks at lines 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10. Further, DataMail will only examine any of the 5 lines it looks at, if and only if, you have specified something other than "NONE" for each of the protocols available in DMCONFIG. Lines 1&2 are for your first batch file. Lines 3&4 are for your second, etc. In the above example, the literals "not used" are not of any importance. Since you told DMCONFIG that protocols 4 & 5 use a batch file called "NONE" (i.e., you do not want to support protocols 4 & 5), DataMail will not display lines 7&9 or 8&10 to the User. So the contents of lines 7 through 10 are unimportant, AS LONG AS THERE IS SOMETHING THERE - EVEN IF IT'S JUST BLANKS. You must have at least 10 lines in DMXFERS.TXT. More than 10 is OK (extra lines are never read), but under 10 will cause DataMail to crash! Use lines 11 through ? to document this file if you like. OK. The last part of this process is to actually define the batch files you specified to DMCONFIG. Sample files are included if you would like to use them (either intact, or as guidelines for creating your own). One note on these batch files. Unlike a lot of other doors available, DataMail does NOT make you keep 10 batch files around (5 for uploads and 5 for downloads). DataMail uses the same batch file to handle BOTH uploads and downloads. The trick to this is the first argument passed to your batch file. If the argument is an "R", you should "goto" the receive-label. If the argument is an "S", DataMail Sysop's Manual Version 1.1 RA11-5 Remote Access 1.1 Addendum ====================================================================== you should "goto" the send-label. The sample batch files document each parameter, and provide a good foundation for setting up your own batch files. Not to confuse the issue (if it isn't already), but just as an aside for those Sysops who feel adventurous; There is no reason why DMXFER1.BAT must handle ZMODEM in both it's upload and download modes. It is entirely acceptable to use, say, ZMODEM for uploads, and SEALink Derived for downloads in DMXFER1.BAT. Just be aware of two things. First, make sure your DMXFERS.TXT file says "ZMODEM" on line 1, and "SEALink" on line 2. Second, you are making life miserable for yourself! It would be easier to remember your set-up if you make DMXFER1.BAT do ZMODEM transfers only (both uploads & downloads). If you want to support SEALink, put that in a different batch file (say, DMXFER2.BAT) and make the upload & download in that batch file exclusively SEALink. Now, except for actually testing your batch files, this part of the installation is finished. Installation: Step 3 ==================== Run DMCONFIG once more. Select Configure Global Parameters, and then Path to UTI Programs. You need to tell DataMail where your UTIIMPRT.EXE program can be found. If you run echo-mail on a network, more than likely you already have these files installed somewhere on your hard disk, possibly something like D:\PCRELAY or C:\UTI. If you do not already have your UTI programs installed, you may place them in your D:\DATAMAIL directory along with all the DataMail programs and files. Please refer to the documentation that comes with your UTI programs for instructions on installing your UTI. Note that DataMail will run just fine without accessing your UTI programs, so if you do not have them, you can still use DataMail. The only draw-back is that there will be no mail notification to the uploaders and downloaders of DataMail. The UTI programs are used to import DataMail messages into your Remote Access Message Bases so senders and receivers can be automatically notified of events which occurred inside DataMail. A UTI is available for Remote Access from Mark May, Mythical Kingdom Software P.O. Box 24808 Huber Heights, OH, 45424 FIDONet: 1:110/290 RIME: ->MYTHKING Program Name: MKUTI DataMail RA11-6 Version 1.1 Sysop's Manual Remote Access 1.1 Addendum ====================================================================== With all that explanation out of the way, you must now tell DataMail where your UTI programs are located. Do not enter a filename; just the Drive:\Path\. If you have your UTI programs in D:\PCRELAY, then that's exactly what you should enter at this time. Installation: Step 4 ==================== Run DMCONFIG and select Configure Global Parameters, then Location of DataMail Files. You need to tell DataMail the Drive:\Path\ to where your Users will be uploading files (and from where other Users will be downloading). If you chose to go with my recommendation, this will be D:\DATAMAIL\FILES or C:\DATAMAIL\FILES. Make sure this directory is defined! Do so by typing (from the DOS command-line) MD D:\DATAMAIL\FILES (or MD C:\DATAMAIL\FILES). Installation: Step 5 ==================== This last part of installation will vary depending upon how many "nodes" your BBS has, and whether or not you use a dummy node (0) for local operations. For now, let's just assume you only have one node (node 1), or if you have more, you will only run DataMail from node 1. Once you see what is needed here, you should have no trouble setting up for a second, third, etc., node... You need to establish a batch file to actually run the door. I recommend DM1.BAT for node one (DM2.BAT, etc., for other nodes, and DM0.BAT for your local "dummy" node if you want one - more on that in the main part of the Sysop's Manual). DM1.BAT should accomplish the following: {run conversion program to create DOOR.SYS from DORINFO1.DEF} D: CD \DATAMAIL DATAMAIL {Drive:\Path\}DOOR.SYS [PORT:aaaa:i] (all of the following are optional) IF EXIST DMESSAGE.1 DMUTIMSG DMESSAGE.1 {Msg-Base} IF EXIST DMEXIT0.1 {action for normal exit} IF EXIST DMEXIT1.1 {action for dropped carrier} IF EXIST DMEXIT2.1 {action for inactivity/timeout} IF EXIST DMEXIT3.1 {action for Sysop-Forced exit} IF EXIST DMEXIT4.1 {action for allotted time expired} IF EXIST DMEXIT90.1 {action for SHARE violation} IF EXIST DMEXIT99.1 {action for Configuration error} DataMail Sysop's Manual Version 1.1 RA11-7 Remote Access 1.1 Addendum ====================================================================== All of the above are explained in detail later on, but just for a quick run-down: {Drive:\Path\} is the Drive: and \Path\ to your BBS's DOOR.SYS file; if you run Remote Access on drive C:, this will likely be C:\RA\DOOR.SYS. THIS IS REQUIRED! [PORT:aaaa:i] is optional. You need this only if you are NOT running a standard COM1, COM2, etc., port for your BBS Node. The "PORT" and colons (:) are literals; they should appear exactly as typed. The "aaaa" is intended to be replaced with the address of your port's UART. The "i" is intended to be replaced with the IRQ number required for that UART address. The "[" and "]" are NOT intended to be typed; they are there to show you that this field is optional. Most Sysops will never need this optional parameter. For those that do, an example would be: DATAMAIL C:\RA\DOOR.SYS PORT:03F8:5 This tells DataMail to use IRQ5, and to use the UART address for what is normally considered to be COM2 on most DOS machines. If your hardware is such that you have these "oddball" configurations due to a lot of different COMM ports, then you may need to provide this optional parameter to DataMail so it can properly communicate with the remote caller. Note that this has no effect when you run DataMail in "local" mode, so this optional parameter may be left off. The test for DMESSAGE.1 is there in order to call the UTI Message Formatter so that any messages generated by DataMail will appear in your BBS's Message Base. Note that, depending upon the User's actions, there may not be any messages, so that is why an "IF EXIST" is supplied; sometimes the file DMESSAGE.1 won't be available. The remaining "IF EXIST" lines test for the reason DataMail exited. Most Sysops will find this of little use, but for those that need to know, DataMail catalogs exactly one of these files upon exiting. In all cases, the extension ".1" refers to "node 1". If you setup DM2.BAT for your second node, all references to ".1" should be changed to ".2". Now you need to tell RA that DataMail is available to be executed as a door, and how it should go about starting-up DataMail when a Caller Opens the door. You accomplish this by: - Create a Type 7 in the Menu File of your choice. - In the Optional Data field, you need to call the batch file which will be run when a User selects this Menu Choice. If you are using the suggested defaults, this will be *C /C C:\DATAMAIL\DM1.BAT *M DataMail RA11-8 Version 1.1 Sysop's Manual Remote Access 1.1 Addendum ====================================================================== Installation: Wrap-up ===================== You are all done with the initial, basic installation! A little complicated, but that is because DataMail offers you complete flexibility in defining your own desired Paths and filenames. To test your installation, start Remote Access and type "L" to logon locally (as Sysop, or whatever name you use). If you are using the standard Remote Access commands, select the menu option you just configured to open your DataMail door. If you have defined DataMail to your BBS properly, and if you have setup the DataMail batch file correctly, DataMail should run and show you a prompt asking for Upload, Group Maintenance, etc. If not, either you have not properly configured DataMail, your batch file is not making the default directory D:\DATAMAIL, you are missing some files in your D:\DATAMAIL directory, or you have not properly told Remote Access how to get DataMail running. Go back and check your installation. (Note that the problem may also be due to lack of memory if you are running DesqView or Windows, etc. In this case, you will need to allocate more memory to the current window). Select "x" to exit DataMail. You should be returned to your BBS session. Exit Remote Access and take a look at your D:\DATAMAIL directory. You should see two new files; DMLOG.1 and DMEXIT0.1. DMLOG.1 is an audit trail (it should show that you entered DataMail, and then exited normally). DMEXIT0.1 is cataloged if you care about how the User exited DataMail (in this case, by selecting option "x"). If you don't care about this, simply ignore DMEXIT??.1 whenever these files are created (they are deleted when DataMail starts, and exactly one of them will be created when DataMail exits). If you have gotten this far, your installation is correct and complete. All that remains is to actually test your file-transfer batch files (sorry, you'll have to verify that via remote access, or watch a caller logon and use them), setting up the individual security level parameters and global overrides to them, and verification that your UTI Drive:\Path\ is correct and your UTI programs are working.