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FASTMAIL.DOC
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1991-02-27
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18KB
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FASTMAIL - A DOOR for GT Systems
REVISION HISTORY.
5/10/90 - BETA #1 - Initial release
10/10/90 - BETA #2 - fix bug when current msg < first msg
fix bug on empty area
change .OPT file name to avoid conflicts
add user option to d/l changed bulletins
various cosmetic changes
remove spurious messages
11/10/90 - BETA #3 - fixed a nasty memory management problem
fixed a bug in the FASTMAIL.CTL update
added logging to the GT.LOG
added FORCED bulletin options
added d/l times
added max bag size
added keyboard timeout
added LOCAL mode - if it is a local logon there
will be no file transfer
15/10/90 - BETA #4 - added "novice screen" to display settings
(unless the user in in EXPERT mode in GT)
- improved the error reporting - runtime errors
are now logged to STDOUT
- fixed a problem with the PRIVATE ONLY message
areas (those with the $ in the GTMDIR.BBS)
- fixed a couple of minor cosmetic problems
18/10/90 - BETA #5 - FASTMAIL now uses a SPECIFIC directory name for
work files - this help save those who don't read
the docs from clobbering stuff <grin>.
- FASTMAIL also now sets the "read" flag for any
messages addressed TO the user
15/11/90 - BETA #6 - fixed a problem with the date in the control
file (I hope!)
- fixed a bug on FASTMAIL-selected areas that had
LESS messages than the system maximum (it tried
to read message MINUS xxxx!!!)
- added support for > 9 PID IDs - this has also
meant the NAME of the work directory has changed
from F_WORK_x to F_WRK_xx (where xx is the PID
number for that node).
- added the user name to several screens (mainly
to help the SYSOP.
04/12/90 - BETA #7 - Fixed a bug in the user defaults display
- Added messages to the Select/Deselect/Reset so
you know what it is doing
- FASTMAIL now checks that the user has enough
time to d/l the mailbag
- Added letter commands to the menus
- REMOVED the /P and /C command-line options. The
defaults are now ZIP and Zmodem.
10/12/90 - BETA #8 - Make message posting INTERNAL
- Add NETmail facilities
- Add upload/download credits
- fix time calculation error
- add name display for select/deselect
- optimized area scanning
- added line # to start L)ist from
- add Ctl-Z scan
- use screen length as defined in USER.CTL
24/12/90 - BETA #9 - add error logging to GT.LOG
- add error report to user
- add RESTRICT option to DSZ
- add bad file transfer retry
- add J option to L)ist
- fixed bug in log time
30/12/90 - RELEASE - add Y)our Areas to sel/desel menu
- add registration requirement
- add area numbers to header (for GTREAD)
22/1/91 - v3.01 - remove LJ command (replaced by Y)
- fix bug in that if you upload replies then
d/l you would get a large number of dud headers
in any area(s) you uploaded replies
- add tagline option
| 25/1/91 - v3.02 - Change command prompts
|
| 25/2/91 - v3.10 - Fix bug in reply (random failures)
| - change access method for reply files
| - Change First/Last prompt to Next/Last
| - Add extract for ALL personal mail
| - add counts to Next/Last message
| - add ANSI
| - add /M (force mono)
| - fix bug in sysop extract
******************************************************************************
* *
* ********* W A R N I N G W A R N I N G ******** *
* *
* THIS PROGRAM RUNS UNDER GT v16.00 *ONLY* *
* *
******************************************************************************
******************************************************************************
* *
* ********* IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT ******** *
* *
* THERE HAVE BEEN A NUMBER OF *MAJOR* CHANGES *
* TO FASTMAIL IN THIS RELEASE. *
* *
* *
* PLEASE READ THIS DOCUMENT FULLY!!!! *
* *
******************************************************************************
WHAT FASTMAIL DOES.
FASTMAIL is designed to ease the task of users in reading
message areas.
FASTMAIL scans the message bases defined in the GTMDIR.BBS
and extracts any UNREAD mail for the user found in the
GTUSER.BBS, collects it into one file, compresses
the file, and then initiates the download.
It also allows users to UPLOAD replies and posts them to
the correct areas.
ONLY areas that the user has access to are processed
and FULL message privacy is maintained.
FASTMAIL fully honours the users session time limit and
scheduled events.
If a file transfer is aborted FASTMAIL allows the
user to restart or abort it.
Aborted file transfers will *NOT* update the "last
read" pointers or log the transfer to the GT.LOG
All the files sent to/from FASTMAIL are pure ASCII.
FASTMAIL uses the GT "last read" pointers. This means
you can renumber/delete messages without affecting the
operation of FASTMAIL.
| Version 3.10 onwards supports ANSI colour - the colours
| are determined by the GT.LOG.
|
| Version 3.10 onwards also allows a user to extract ALL
| mail addressed to him in an area even though he may
| only be extracting a few messages. See the FASTHELP.BBS
| for full details.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS AND LIMITATIONS.
FASTMAIL expects to find a valid GTPATH= in the environment
as well as the GTMDIR.BBS, GT.CNF, GTUSER.BBS, DSZ.COM,
SCHEDULE.BBS, and FASTHELP.BBS files in the
directory nominated by the GTPATH= variable.
********* IMPORTANT ********
FASTMAIL also uses an environment variable to inform
DSZ of the COM port in use!!
you *MUST* place the statement
SET DSZPORT=p
where p is the COM port that GT is using (1,2,3 etc - or
if using a NON standard COM port use the portx value -
e.g. 03E8,5 - see the DSZ doc for more details)
in you AUTOEXEC.BAT for FASTMAIL to work correctly!!
********* IMPORTANT ********
FASTMAIL REQUIRES the following programs to be in the DOS path.
PKARC
PKXARC
PKZIP
PKUNZIP
LHARC
PAK
DWREDIR (part of DOORWAY)
FASTMAIL has a limit of 200 active message areas
You *MUST* have a copy of DSZ.COM in your LAN PATH directory
(if you have defined one in the GT.CNF).
If you have NOT defined a LAN PATH then you *MUST* have a
copy of DSZ.COM in the directory defined by the GTPATH.
COMMAND-LINE PARAMETERS
FASTMAIL has NINE OPTIONAL command-line parameters.
| /M - force Monochrome mode,
|
| If you use this parameter FASTMAIL will ignore the
| GTUSER.BBS and display in Mono only.
|
/T - add a tag line.
If this parameter is specified FASTMAIL will add a
simple tagline to each UPLOADED message to identify
it as coming from an offline source. The tagline is
##FASTMAIL vx.yy
where x.yy is the version of FASTMAIL used.
/Cxx:yy - Upload credit parameters.
This parameter can be used to "reward" those
users who participate in the message areas by
using FASTMAIL.
It will MULTIPLY the Kbytes of UPLOADED mail
(i.e. replies) by the value of xx and will
DIVIDE the Kbytes of DOWNLOADED mail by the
value of yy and add these together to give a
"credit" Kbytes which is added to the users
Upload Kbytes in the USER.CTL.
as an example using the parameter /C05:10
If the user uploaded 3k of replies and
downloaded 200k of mail, FASTMAIL would
multiply the 3k by 5 (giving 15k) and divide
the 200k by 10 (giving 20k). This would give a
total of 35k which is then added to the
USER.CTL upload Kbytes.
/Lxxxx - Maximum numbers of messages per area.
Specifies the maximum number of messages
to extract from EACH message area. If not
specified defaults to 50 messages.
/D - DOORWAY Mode.
If you are running FASTMAIL via DOORWAY you *MUST*
add the /D parameter otherwise your DSZ transfers
will fall over in a BIG way!!
/B - Force bulletins.
If this parameter is used FASTMAIL will ALWAYS
include changed bulletin files.
/Q - Quiet mode.
If specified this parameter causes FDASTMAIL NOT to log
to the GT.LOG.
The default IS to log FASTMAIL files transfers to
the GT.LOG.
/Sxxx - Maximum mailbag size.
If specified this sets the maximum COMPRESSED file
that a user can transfer in a session. The size is
specified in Kbytes.
If NOT specified there is NO limit on the maximum
mailbag size.
/Kxxx - Keyboard timeout.
This specifies a keyboard timeout (in minutes).
If NO key is struck within this time FASTMAIL will
return to the BBS.
The default is 5 minutes.
This timeout was added to counter a nasty trap
when using DOORWAY - it seems that DOORWAY was
being a little too smart for its own good!
If you were doing a DSZ transfer and the carrier
was lost DOORWAY would quite correctly terminate
DSZ - BUT LEAVE FASTMAIL RUNNING WITH CARRIER
MONITORING DISABLED!!
Without the timeout FASTMAIL would sit there
FOREVER waiting for a key.
ERRORLEVEL EXITS.
FASTMAIL uses the DOS errorlevel to indicate any
problems that may arise.
If you are using DOORWAY this will reflected in the
DWSHELL.ERR file.
All errors EXCEPT 1, 9 or 14 are reported in
the GT.LOG.
ERRORLEVEL MEANING
1 No GTPATH found
2 Error accessing GTUSER.BBS
3 Error accessing USER.CTL
4 Error accessing GTMDIR.BBS
5 Error accessing MESSAGE.CTL
6 Error accessing USER_MSG.CTL
7 Error accessing a .MES file
8 Error accessing FASTMAIL.CTL
9 Error accessing GT.CNF
10 Error accessing MAILxxxx.TXT
11 Error accessing SCHEDULE.BBS
12 Error deleteing files
13 Error accessing bulletins
14 Error accessing GT.LOG
15 Keyboard timeout
16 No F_WRK_xx directory found
17 Error executing DSZ.COM
CONTROL FILES.
FASTMAIL has ONE control file - the FASTMAIL.CTL.
This file is created/maintained by FASTMAIL in either
the LAN path or GT path.
Do NOT "fiddle" with this as it used to keep the default
settings for each user of FASTMAIL!
USING FASTMAIL.
Please see the enclosed .BAT for a DOOR file
to run FASTMAIL - you shouldn't have to change much
(if anything!) the run it (apart from changing the
name of the .BAT to GTDOORxx.BAT)
********* YOU MUST HAVE A SPECIAL WORKING DIRECTORY FOR FASTMAIL ********
The working directory for FASTMAIL *MUST* be unique
as FASTMAIL itself will delete ANY files found in it!!
FASTMAIL uses a FIXED DIRECTORY NAME.
This name is F_WRK_xx where xx is the PID number (as
defined by the LN= parameter of the GT.CNF). If NO LN=
parameter is found xx defaults to 0.
xx *MUST* be 2 digits (00-32)
THIS DIRECTORY *MUST* EXIST - FASTMAIL will NOT create
it.
You only have to change to the correct DRIVE (i.e.
the drive where the FASTMAIL working directory(s) are
located).
REGISTRATION.
FASTMAIL is an OZnet package and therefor requires a CRC
to be installed to enable all functions.
If FASTMAIL is *NOT* registered you will not be able to
upload replies, and FASTMAIL will not keep track of the
users "last read" pointers.
For registration details please see the enclosed
"readme.now" file.
| It does NOT cost anything to register this program, but
| if you like FASTMAIL a donation would be appreciated!
|
| The easiest method would be to send me a NETMAIL message
| with your Visa/Mastercard details and what YOU think the
| program is worth. Please note that I can ONLY accept
| Visa or Mastercard from locations outside Australia as it
| costs me $6 to have a foreign cheque cashed!
FURTHER INFORMATION.
May be obtained from the author -
Ken Thompson
164 Lyons Rd.
Drummoyne N.S.W.
Sydney Australia 2047
+61-2-81-4751
or I may be contacted via my BBS
The Black Hole
GT Net/Node 302/003
Modem +61-2-719-8161
Modem +61-2-719-8491
Modem +61-2-719-8304