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PCBDAT.REF
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1989-04-14
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Introduction:
The following sections define the data formats of the file PCBOARD.DAT
for both PCBoard version 12.1 and version 14.0. There are many items in
this file, all of which are defined in the same order of their occurrence
in each of the two formats. The kinds of data entries in this file are
either a text string, like a filename or path, or a numeric value, like
the amount of time to wait for a keyboard timeout, or a 'boolean' value,
which is a true/false value that is saved in the file as a '-1' for 'true'
and a '0' for 'false'. These may also be refered to in either a yes/no or
on/off (as I list them in here) notation, respectively. For a more
in-depth description of these data fields, you should consult the
documentation for the respective version of PCBoard. This file is only
supposed to serve as a kind of 'quick reference'.
Although I did much of my work using reference material from various files
relating to PCBoard, including the docs and file format references, as
well as obtaining information from some very helpful PCBoard Sysops, I
can not make any guarantees as to the acuracy or validity of the
information contained herein. This text is not to be interpreted as an
'official' reference to these file formats nor should it be completely
relied upon. But I did go to great pains to make it as good as it could be.
I did a final review of all the information in this file from the
documentation to PCBoard 12.1 and for PCBoard 14.0. As of this writing,
I believe the information to be more-or-less 'current'. But keep in mind,
this information is subject to change without notice by Clark Development Co.
PCBoard ver. 12.1 file format.
Header.
The header of this file is a line of text consisting of the following:
*** PCBoard Version 12.1 data file ***
This is all that there is, there is no more.
Sysop's display name.
This is the name of the Sysop as he/she wishes to be known on his/her
board. It is the local sign-on name used by the BBS when the Sysop
logs on locally at the console. It must be one word only. The
default is the word 'SYSOP'.
Sysop's local password.
This is the password of the Sysop used for local logons at the
console. This field may be left blank if so desired
Switch for local ANSI mode.
This is a true/false value representing the current status of the
ANSI graphics mode for the local screen. This only affects the
screen display for the local logons by the Sysop.
Sysop security levels.
These are the security levels assigned for certain Sysop-level
functions. A user with the proper security level will be able to
perform the function with a matching (or lesser) level. There are 12
functions defined in this section. These levels usually range from
level 100-110, but some functions are defined as 'Sysop-only' by
PCBoard and would then have a level of about 120.
Sysop security function definitions.
Sysop Function 1 - View caller log.
The access level needed to view and print the caller log.
Sysop Function 2 - View user summary.
The access level needed to view and print the user summary.
Sysop Function 3 - Pack & renumber message bases.
The access level needed to pack and renumber the message bases.
Sysop Function 4 - Recover killed messages.
The access level needed to recover deleted messages.
Sysop Function 5 - View message headers.
The access level needed to view the message headers.
Sysop Function 6 - View a text file.
The access level needed to view a system text file.
Sysop Function 7 - User maintenance.
The access level needed to perform user maintenance.
Sysop Function 8 - Pack USERS file.
The access level needed to pack the USERS file.
Sysop Function 9 - Remote exit to DOS.
The access level needed to exit to DOS remotely.
Sysop Function 10 - Execute a DOS command.
The access level needed to execute a DOS command from within PCBoard.
Sysop Function 11 - View other nodes.
The access level needed to view the status of other nodes on the board.
Sysop Function 12 - Logoff alternate node.
The access level needed to log off an alternate node of the board.
Messages file name.
This is the filename of the Messages file. The normal name of this
file is 'MSGS' and is located in the '\MAIN' directory . This is
the main board's message file. The name must not be more than 8
chars. max.
Caller file name.
This is the filename of the Caller file. The normal name of this
file is 'CALLER'. This file is an activity log of the BBS usage for
the BBS or a particular node (if on a multi-node system). The name
must be a max. of 6 characters long since it may have a node number
attached to it on multi-node systems.
Caller file path.
This is the path to the Caller file. A standard path would be
'\PCB\MAIN' on the main drive. This is where all Caller files should
go on multi-node systems in order for the Sysop function to view them
to work. Leaving it blank will default to the '\MAIN' directory.
Welcome file name.
This is the filename of the Welcome file. The normal name of this
file is 'WELCOME'. The maximum length of this name is 7 chars.
This is the welcome screen for the BBS and is displayed to all users
as they log on to the board. There should also be a color version
in 'WELCOMEG' for those who choose to use ANSI. These should go
into the '\GEN' directory.
New User file name.
This is the filename of the New User file. The normal name of this
file is 'NEWUSER'. This is the New User bulletin that newcomers see.
This file should be in the '\GEN' directory.
Users database file name.
This is the filename of the Users file. The normal name of this
file is 'USERS'. This is the user database of all the current callers.
The name must be 8 chars. or less. This file is to be put in the '\MAIN'
directory.
Conference data file name.
This is the filename of the conference data file. The normal name of
this file is 'CNAMES'. This is the control file that defines the
various conference areas in use. This file should go into the '\MAIN'
directory.
File Security file name.
This is the filename of the File Security file. The normal name of
this file is 'FSEC'. This is the control file that defines the
security authorizations of certain kinds of files that get downloaded
For instance, a file ending in .ARC may have a low security since
those are the standard kind to be transferred, but a file with a .EXE
or .COM extension may have higher security since they may be sensitive
files that are not allowed to be transferred by just 'anyone'. This
file should be put in the \MAIN' directory.
Password file name.
This is the filename of the Password file. The normal name of this
file is 'PWRD'. This file defines the user access abilities and
security levels. This information includes time allocations, download
ratios and logon passwords. This file should be put in the '\MAIN'
directory.
Trash Can file name.
This is the filename of the Trash Can file. The normal name of this
file is 'TCAN'. This file defines unwanted names and words that may
appear in the logon names (first and last). Each word must be on
it's own line and in upper case. Logon names with these words in them
are denied access. This file should be put in the '\MAIN' directory.
Remote file name.
This is the filename of the Remote file. The normal name of this
file is 'REMOTE'. This file should be put in the 'default' drive
and path from which the board was run. This is the batch file executed
when the Sysop exits to DOS remotely. It starts out with a .SYS
extension but is renamed with a .BAT when the exit occurs. The name
can be up to 8 characters. This file should be put in the '\MAIN'
directory.
Answer file name.
This is the filename of the Answers file. The normal name of this
file is 'ANSWER'. This is the place where the answers to the script
questionnaires are stored. The filename can be up to 6 characters long
since the name is modified inside PCBoard by appending the number of the
questionnaire onto the end of the name and, if in a conference, the first
letter of the conference on the beginning of the name. This file should
be put in the '\MAIN' directory.
New Registrations file name.
This is the filename of the New Registrations file. The normal name of
this file is 'NEWREG'. This is used if you choose to run a 'closed'
board but still allow for new user registration by keeping the 'NEWASK'
file. Answers to the questions in 'NEWASK' go into this file. This file
should be put in the '\MAIN' directory.
Doors file name.
This is the filename of the Doors file. The normal name of this file
is 'DOORS'. This file is the list of doors that are currently available.
The name can be up to 6 characters long because there may also be a
color version with a 'G' on the end. And if you have different door
menus for certain conferences, the first letter of the conference name
is appended onto the beginning of the name. This file should be put
into the '\GEN' directory unless it was for a particular conference,
then it would be put in the conference directory.
News file name.
This is the filename of the News file. The normal name of this file is
'NEWS'. This file is the main bulletin that is displayed just after
logon or after joining a conference. The name can be up to 6 characters
long since a 'G' may be appended to the end for the graphics version and
the first letter of the conference (if it's in a conference) is appended
onto the beginning of the name. This file should be put in the '\GEN'
directory unless it was for a particular conference, then it would be put
in the conference directory.
Usernet.dat file name & path.
This is the filename and path for the Usernet file. The normal name
and path of this file is '\PCB\MAIN\USERNET.DAT' on the main drive.
This file is used on multi-node systems to hold information on the
activity status of the nodes (name and location of the user on that node,
and what they're doing). The PCBOARD.DAT files of all nodes on these
systems must point to the same file for inter-node activities to function.
Download log file name & path.
This is the filename and path of the download log file. The normal
name and path of this file is '\PCB\MAIN\DOWNLOAD.TXT' on the main
drive. This is a log of all the downloads made by the users. It
includes the filename, protocol used, number of errors and average CPS
for the transfer.
Upload directory path.
This is the path for the Uploads directory. A standard path would be
'\PCB\UPLOADS' on the main drive. This is where all uploads to the
main part of the board go until the Sysop moves them elsewhere. Each
conference may have it's own upload directory associated with it. If
there isn't one assigned to it, the main upload directory is used.
General directory path.
This is the path for the General directory. A standard path would be
'\PCB\GEN' on the main drive. This is where the system text files
go, such as menus, bulletins, file directory listings, welcome
screens, script questionnaires, etc. Most importantly, the PCBTEXT
file goes in this directory.
Main directory path.
This is the path for the Main directory. A standard path would be
'\PCB\MAIN' on the main drive. This is where the data files go, such
as the 'USERS' file and index files for it, the 'MSGS' file, the 'FSEC'
and 'UPSEC' files, the 'PWRD' file, the 'CNAMES' file, answers to the
questionnaires and registration info from new users, log files, etc.
Help directory path.
This is the path for the Help directory. A standard path would be
'\PCB\HELP' on the main drive. This is where all the command help
files go. There are 28 help files, one for each menu command A to
Z, OPEN & DOOR, NODE & CHAT. These files describe how to use those
commands.
Upload listings directory path.
This is the path for the upload listings file. A standard path would
be '\PCB\GEN' on the main drive. This is where the upload descriptions
go (both public and private) for the main board. The public listing of
uploads are stored in a 'DIRx' file where x is the highest directory
number listed on the board (the upload directory is considered the last
one in line from the rest of the directories). If only private uploads
are allowed, the 'DIRx' file should be put in the '\GEN' directory and
the 'PRIVATE' file (where private upload descriptions are stored) is put
here.
Node Chat directory path.
This is the path for the Node Chat files. A standard path would be
'\PCB\MAIN' on the main drive. This is where the files from a chat
between nodes goes. A user on one node says something, it gets stored
in special files in this directory for the other node(s) to read, and
then is displayed to the other user(s) on the other node(s). Since
these node chats may involve a one-to-one chat or a 'group' chat, the
files used may vary depending on the nodes involved because the
filenames are made up from the node numbers or 'GROUP.CHT' if a group
chat is in effect.
Download directory list.
This is a path list of download directories. An example path list
might be 'C:\DOWN1;C:\DOWN2;C:\UPLOADS'. This is a list of directories
where the files available for downloading are. Each directory in the
list must be separated by a semi-colon (;) in this list. This list does
not include any download directories specific to the conferences. They
are specified separately in the conference area definitions. There is a
maximum of 50 directories that can be specified here. The directory
paths specified in this list MUST match the the directory paths listed
in the 'FSEC' file definitions.
Carrier timeout duration.
This is the amount of time, in seconds, to wait for a carrier detect
from the modem after detecting a 'ring'. After this time, if the board
doesn't get a carrier signal from the modem telling it that the caller
has connected, it recycles back to the point where it waits for a
'ring' from the modem.
Modem initializing string.
These are the command codes sent to the modem to initialize it and set
it up to begin receiving calls.
Modem off-hook string.
These are the command codes sent to the modem to put it 'off-hook' (ie.
busy the line so no calls can come through). This might be used during
local logons, recycling the board, etc.
Comm port in use.
This is the device descriptor of the comm port to be used during
operation. Either COM1:, COM2:, or NONE are valid. A value of NONE
is used mostly when first setting up the BBS and testing it out. You
usually want to run 'local' tests without using the comm port. The
colon is necessary in the COM designators.
Comm port opening speed.
This is the baud rate at which you would default the BBS to use when
opening the comm port. It is usually the highest speed your modem can
go up to as well. A value of '19200' means you are using a fixed DTE
(computer-to-modem speed). This is usually done if you have a 9600-baud
modem such as the USRobotics HST or the Hayes V-Series 9600 baud modems.
Such usage is capable of increasing the throughput of the data transfer.
Switch to allow 300 baud.
This is a true/false value representing the current status of allowing
or disallowing 300-baud callers. If set to 'on', the board will allow
300-baud callers. If set to 'off', no 300-baud calls are allowed.
300 baud access start time.
This is the time, in HH:MM format, of when to start allowing 300-baud
callers into the system (assuming it's allowed). The time is in
24-hour 'military' format.
300 baud access stop time.
This is the time, in HH:MM format, of when to stop allowing 300-baud
callers into the system (assuming it's allowed). The time is in
24-hour 'military' format.
User security levels.
These are the security levels assigned to the use of each of the menu
options. These menu options are the commands 'A' through 'Z', 'DOOR',
'OPEN', 'NODE', and 'CHAT'. The normal user's security level usually
ranges from 1 to 99, therefore the access levels of these commands also
have this range. However, a value of 0 will allow ALL users to use that
function. You must assign a security level to each of these according
to what level of user you want using that command. If, for instance,
you want user A to use the <B>ulletin command and that user has a level
10, this command should be set at 10 or less. If it is set at 11 or
higher, that user will not be able to use this command. The OPEN/DOOR
and NODE/CHAT commands are not available in versions of PCBoard that do
not support those respective functions.
New user security level.
This is the security level given to new users of the system who have
completed the logon registration.
Unregistered user level.
This is the security level given to new users to the system who have
NOT completed the logon registration. If you specify a 0 here, these
users are logged off automatically if they refuse to register.
Number of main bulletins.
This is the number of main board bulletin files currently in effect.
It may be set to 0 if none are in use. The maximum number of
bulletins allowed is 99.
Number of conferences.
This is the number of conference areas currently in operation. It may
range from 1 to 9. A value of 0 means no conferences are in operation.
Number of main dirs.
This is the number of main board file directories that are currently
in use. This number includes the upload directory. There may be
additional directories in use inside conferences. These are each
numbered in sequence after the last main board directory. The maximum
number of directories is 99. This includes any file directories added
by conferences.
Switch to enforce a daily time limit.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to enforce a daily time limit. If not, then the user gets a full
allotment of time for each call, which may be as many times a day as
they want. Otherwise, they are restricted to a fixed amount of time
per day based on their security level.
Switch to make uploads private.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
allow private uploads. If set to 'on', all uploads are made private
with their descriptions being placed in the 'PRIVATE' file. If set to
'off', all uploads except those with descriptions prefixed by a '/' are
made public and are available immediately for downloading.
Switch for password-only user info updates.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to allow updates to the user information (name, password, city/state,
etc.). If set to 'on', they can only update their password. If set
to 'off', they can update all their user database info.
Switch to indicate a closed board.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not the
board is being run as a 'closed' board, ie. no one is allowed on unless
the Sysop enters their user information into the 'USERS' file. If this
switch is set to 'off', new users can enter into the board and their
registration information (name, password, city, state, etc.) is put into
the 'USERS' file automatically. If this is set to 'on', their info is
written to the file 'NEWREG', but only IF the registration questions
file 'NEWASK' exists. Otherwise, they are not allowed in at all and are
shown the file 'CLOSED' telling them why.
Switch to disable ANSI graphics mode.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to use ANSI graphics on the system. This enables/disables ANSI
graphics support for the whole system, local and remote. With this
switch set to 'on', no <M>ode changes to graphics are allowed.
Public conferences.
This is a string of 9 numbers that define which of the 9 available
conferences are public. Each number in this string references the
corresponding conference and represents the number to be used when
accessing that conference.
Switch to recycle BBS through DOS.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
recycle the BBS through DOS after a caller has logged off. This means
that PCBoard will exit completely after the caller hangs up and the
system will be in whatever batch file or other such DOS condition when
the board was first started up. You might want to do this if you had a
batch file controlling several things that needed to be done after the
caller logged off. After it did those things, it would cycle back to
load up PCBoard again. When using this option, you MUST have the
controlling batch recycle such that the BBS is run again.
Switch to show event is active.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
the event is active. If the event is active, it is run at the time
specified in the following field. The time allowed to a caller is
adjusted if they should call up and their normal time allotment would
take them past the time of the event. When the event time comes up,
PCBoard exits to DOS and the batch file that controls the board then
runs the event batch file 'EVENT.BAT' (normally 'EVENT.SYS' which
PCBoard renames when the batch is to be run). Many things can be done
in the event, like maintenance, NetMail, or other programs or routines
that need to be run once a day or so. You can even copy a different
PCBOARD.DAT with a different event schedule in it over the current one.
This would allow you run multiple events in one day. If you set this
to 'off', no event is run.
Time of event.
This is the time of the daily event in HH:MM format. If the event is
active (as set by the previous option field), it will be run at this
time each day. The time is in 24-hour 'military' format.
Maximum lines per message.
This value is used to determine how long a message can be. It sets
the maximum number of lines allowed in the message. The range
should be from 17 to 99 lines per message.
User input color intensity.
This is the ANSI code used to either highlight or not highlight user
input. The value may be either '00' for normal intensity or '01' for
high intensity. This setting only applies to the user input either
locally or remotely.
User input color code.
This is the ANSI code the defines the color of the user input text
either from the local or the remote user. This code is the standard
ANSI color code. The range is from 31 to 37. This is combined with
the intensity code above to define how the input text will look on the
local screen and, if graphics mode is 'on' for the user, on their
screen. Some BBS messages are also displayed in this color.
Switch for running under a network.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
the BBS is being run under a network. This is only used in the
multi-node versions of PCBoard (either '/E' or '/U' versions). If
you set this to 'on', files are opened in 'share' mode, so you must
also have a copy of 'SHARE.EXE' loaded.
Node number of the board.
This is the node number of the board. In a multi-node system, this
may be any number up to the number of nodes on the system. On a single
node system, this is '1'. The maximum number of nodes available is 99
(on the '/U' version). This number must be unique for each node
defined (and therefore each copy of PCBOARD.DAT). A caller can not be
logged onto more than one node, but the Sysop can.
Switch to disable upload drive size check.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable the upload drive size check. If this is set to 'off', this
check is done to make sure that enough space exists on the upload drive
to allow uploads. If not, then uploads are denied until the Sysop can
move some files off of the upload drive to make room. If this is set
to 'on', no checks are made and uploads are allowed regardless of space.
But, in this case, you would be able to use the SUBST command instead
of a drive spec.
Shift-Fn macro key definitions.
These are the definitions of the Shift-Fkey macros. There are ten
definitions, one for each of the function keys 1-10 while 'shifted'
(pressed while holding down the 'shift' key). Each of these macros
is 72 characters long. They can contain anything the Sysop wants to
put in them, like a 'signature' or a certain sequence of commands.
Comment to Sysop prompt.
This is the prompt line displayed when the user chooses to leave the
Sysop a comment using the 'C' command. A 'yes' or 'no' answer decides
whether or not the function is carried through (default is 'no').
The comments are left in whatever message base the user happens to be
in at the time.
BBS name.
This is a simple one. It's the name of your BBS.
Printer number.
This is the number of the printer port to use on this node. It may be
from 1 to 3. On multitasking systems running more than one node, you
may have several printers running at once, each node with a different
printer.
Switch to update 'last message read' pointer after message leave.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to update the 'last message read' pointer after leaving a message.
When reading and replying to messages in the message bases, the
'last message read' pointer may be updated in one of two ways, after
reading a message and leaving replies to it (and also entering
messages or the <C>omment to Sysop) or only after reading messages.
In the first case, the pointer is updated for each message you read
and if you leave a reply or a new message, the pointer is updated to
point to that message. This would be useful for people who enter a
lot of messages and don't want to have to read through them later on.
In the second case, it would only be updated for each message you
read. If you set this to 'on', the pointer is updated when reading
and replying/leaving messages. If set to 'off', the pointer is only
updated when reading messages.
Maximum number of messages in Main.
This value represents the maximum number of messages allowed in the
main base. This value is represents 'blocks' of 1024 messages, so a
value of '2' in this field would mean a maximum of 2048 messages is
allowed in the main base. The actual number of messages may vary since
this number includes active AND inactive messages in the control file.
This number represents the difference between the high and low message
numbers. The value may range from 1 to 32 and defaults to 32.
Switch to allow ESC codes in messages.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
allow escape codes (in ANSI codes, usually) in messages and chats (Sysop
and node). Some people like to 'upload' a message into a base. This
message might be an ANSI graphics 'add' for another BBS or something.
If you do NOT want any ANSI codes or other escape sequences in messages,
set this to 'off'. This will filter out all ESC characters (ASCII 27)
thus leaving a very messy ANSI message. If you set this to 'on',
PCBoard will pass all ESC codes through. Note, however, that certain
ANSI sequences can redefine your keyboard!
Switch to allow carbon-copy messages.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
allow 'carbon-copy' messages. When sending a message to someone,
PCBoard allows for the ability to send 'carbon-copies', or duplicates,
to other users besides the one it is originally addressed to. If you
want to allow this, set this switch to 'on'. Otherwise, turn it 'off'.
When set to 'on', the command 'SC' is displayed to users on the
message option menu along with the standard 'S' for a normal save (as
well as the other commands). This command is only displayed for users
if they have 'expert' mode on. It will still work properly if expert
mode is off, however.
Switch to validate 'TO:' user in messages.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to validate the existance of the user addressed in the 'TO:' field of
the message header. If you set this to 'on', then when a user writes
a message to someone and that person does not exist in the 'USERS'
file (or, if in a conference, if that person is not a member of it),
this function will notify them about it. The user still has the option
of saving the message, however. If this is set to 'off', the user is
NOT notified if the receiving user of the message does not exist.
Switch to disable the 3-min screen blank.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable the screen blanking feature. Normally, the screen will be
cleared if no calls are received during a 3-minute period after the
previous caller has logged off. This serves to prevent excessive wear
on the screen, also known as 'burn-in', while waiting for the next caller.
Setting this switch to 'on' will disable this feature.
Switch for using a 'slow' modem.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not you
are using an older modem that is slow in recycling.
Switch for resetting modem during recycle.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
reset the modem during a recycle of the BBS. If 'on', the modem is
reset with an 'ATZ' command before being sent the modem init. string
when the board recycles. Otherwise, it is just sends the modem init.
string. Having this 'on' will make the board take longer to recycle.
So, unless it HAS to be done, you should probably set this to 'off'.
Number of upload buffers.
This is the number of 128-byte upload buffers to be used during the
board's operation. The value may range from 4 to 128 and defaults to 8.
These buffers are where the uploaded file data is stored during the
upload. Once this area is filled, PCBoard writes it to disk and prepares
for more data to put in here. This can reduce the number of actual disk
writes that need to be done and can improve performance with high-speed
modems. It is also nice to use when running under a network when the
drive usage is high.
Switch to disable registration edits.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable edits of the user registration information. If set to 'on',
edits will be made to this information to make sure of it's validity.
Otherwise, none will be made. As such, letters could be entered into a
phone number field, etc.
Switch to answer on true ring detect.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
answer the modem when it detects a ring signal from it or with the
word 'RING'. Normally, you would set this to 'off' since you would only
need to answer when the word 'RING' came in. But in those cases where
you HAVE to use the ring signal from the modem, you would turn this 'on'.
Switch to disable the 5-min keyboard timeout.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable the keyboard timeout. If this is set to 'off', then if no
keyboard activity has occurred, either locally or remotely, for 5
minutes, then a timeout will occur which will logoff the user. If this
is set to 'on', then no timeouts will occur. This might be useful if
you have a 'dumb' node which you wish to stay online at all times.
Switch to put user's location in Node Chat display.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to include the user's city and state information stored in their user
record in the node chat request display.
Switch to eliminate snow on CGA.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
eliminate the snow that usually shows up on CGA screens when doing
direct screen writes. If you are using a CGA, you would need to turn
this setting 'on'. Otherwise you would turn it 'off'.
Switch to disable the high ASCII filter.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable the high-ASCII filter. If turned 'off', the filter will
remove most ASCII characters above decimal 127. This might include
'garbage' characters caused by line noise. If turned 'on', all
characters are allowed in. This way, the special foreign language
characters can be used to support non-English languages.
Switch to disable the CTS check.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
check for the CTS signal when sending data. If this is set to 'on',
no checks are made for the CTS signal from the modem. This means you
won't be able to use any 9600 baud modems since they require CTS
checking to be active.
Switch to slide the event.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
allow the event to be postphoned if a caller should happen to call in
just prior to it. If this is set to 'on', the event will not
automatically adjust the caller's time to make sure it runs. Instead,
if a caller logs on just before the event was going to run, it will be
postphoned until after the current user logs off. You might set this
to 'on' if the event is not critical to run at a specific time.
Minimum upload free space in K.
This is the minimum amount of free space on the upload drive, in K
(1024-byte blocks), that is needed before allowing any uploads. If
the amount of space is less than this value, no uploads are allowed.
You can set this to '0' if you have a lot of disk space and don't want
any checking done.
Switch to disable the quick logon.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
allow the 'quick logon' feature. If this is set to 'on', the caller,
upon logging onto the system or into a conference, will be displayed
the appropriate 'NEWS' file. If this is set to 'off', the 'NEWS' file
is not automatically displayed to the user, thus allowing for a faster
logon/conference join.
Switch to disable the DOS return password.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable the check for a password when returning from DOS. If this is
set to 'on', no check is made for a password after returning from DOS.
This makes for a smoother return to the board. But this also means that
you must take more responsibility for your system's security.
Network timeout in seconds.
This is the maximum amount of time, in seconds, to allow for network
retries before timing out and returning an error. It ranges from 1
to 99 and defaults to 20 seconds. If this timeout occurs, the function
that caused it will abort. If you are running on a slow network, you
may want to increase this value to allow for it.
Switch to make Main board messages private.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
have the message security for the messages in the Main area to default
to 'private'. If this is set to 'on', all messages left in the Main
area, unless otherwise specified, will be made private so that only the
sender, receiver and Sysop can read them. Otherwise they will be made
public so everyone can see them.
Switch to indicate running a subscription BBS.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not the
board will be run in 'subscription' mode. This should be set to 'on'
even if you don't intend to run a subscription BBS since then the
board would be set up with certain information that you would need if
you ever DID decide to run a subscription BBS. If this is set to 'on',
when a new user logs on, the board sets up the new user record with
default expiration times (one year from the current date), conference
and security settings. When the expiration date draws near, within 30
days, a 'WARNING' file is displayed to the user telling them their time
is running out. If the subscription runs out, an 'EXPIRED' file is
displayed to the user and should tell them of how to renew the
subscription. If you choose not to run in subscription mode, create
'null' files for these two messages and it will appear to the user to
be a normal board. But the user record will still have the information
in it whereas it would not if you set this to 'off'. If you were to
set this to 'off' and later on decide to run it in subscription mode,
you would have to manually insert the dates and security levels yourself.
User prompt.
This is the prompt for the first of two comments a user gives in the
registration when they log on the first time. It may ask for certain
kinds of information you may need for registration, or whatever.
PCBoard ver. 14.0 file format.
Header.
The header of this file is a line of text consisting of the following:
*** PCBoard Version 14.0 data file ***
This is all that there is, there is no more.
Sysop's display name.
This is the name of the Sysop as he/she wishes to be known on his/her
board. It is the local sign-on name used by the BBS when the Sysop
logs on locally at the console. Max. size is 25 chars.
Sysop's local password.
This is the password of the Sysop used for local logons at the
console. Max. size is 12 chars.
Switch to use the Sysop's real name.
This is a true/false value representing the current status of whether or
not to use the Sysop's real name (as entered in the Sysop record of the
USERS file) in addition to 'SYSOP' when scanning for messages. It will
also use the Sysop's real name when writing messages. Unless there's
some reason why you do not want your real name used in these scans, you
would normally set this to 'on'. Otherwise, turn it 'off'.
Switch for local ANSI mode.
This is a true/false value representing the current status of the
ANSI graphics mode for the local screen. This only affects the
screen display for the local logons by the Sysop.
Sysop security levels.
These are the security levels assigned for certain Sysop-level
functions. A user with the proper security level will be able to
perform the function with a matching (or lesser) level. There are 18
functions defined in this section.
Sysop security function definitions.
Level to read all comments.
The access level needed to read all comments to the Sysop.
Level to read all mail except comments.
The access level needed to read all mail except comments to
the Sysop.
Level given when F1 pressed.
The access level given when the F1 key is pressed (temporary
Sysop level grant). This only lasts as long as the current
call or until F1 is pressed again.
Level to move messages between areas.
The access level needed to move messages between message areas.
Sysop Function 1 - View caller log.
The access level needed to view and print the caller log.
Sysop Function 2 - View user summary.
The access level needed to view and print the user summary.
Sysop Function 3 - Pack & renumber message bases.
The access level needed to pack and renumber the message bases.
Sysop Function 4 - Recover killed messages.
The access level needed to recover deleted messages.
Sysop Function 5 - View message headers.
The access level needed to view the message headers.
Sysop Function 6 - View a text file.
The access level needed to view a system text file.
Sysop Function 7 - User maintenance.
The access level needed to perform user maintenance.
Sysop Function 8 - Pack USERS file.
The access level needed to pack the USERS file.
Sysop Function 9 - Remote exit to DOS.
The access level needed to exit to DOS remotely.
Sysop Function 10 - Execute a DOS command.
The access level needed to execute a DOS command from within PCBoard.
Sysop Function 11 - View other nodes.
The access level needed to view the status of other nodes on the board.
Sysop Function 12 - Logoff alternate node.
The access level needed to log off an alternate node of the board.
Sysop Function 13 - View alternate CALLER.
The access level needed to view the caller log from an alternate node.
Sysop Function 14 - Drop alternate node to DOS.
The access level needed to drop an alternate node of the board to DOS.
Path to Help files.
This is the path for the Help directory. A standard path would be
'\PCB\HELP' on the main drive. This is where all the command help
files go. There are help files for each menu command A to Z, OPEN
& DOOR, NODE & CHAT and LANG. These files describe how to use those
commands.
Path to Security messages.
This is the path for the Security directory. A standard path would be
'\PCB\GEN' on the main drive. This is where all the security
messages to specific levels of users go.
Path to Node Chat files.
This is the path for the Node Chat files. A standard path would be
'\PCB\MAIN' on the main drive. This is where the files from a chat
between nodes goes. A user on one node says something, it gets stored
in special files in this directory for the other node(s) to read, and
then is displayed to the other user(s) on the other node(s). Since
these node chats may involve a one-to-one chat or a 'group' chat, the
files used may vary depending on the nodes involved because the
filenames are made up from the node numbers or 'GROUP.CHT' if a group
chat is in effect.
Path to PCBTEXT files.
This is the path to the PCBTEXT files. The normal path for these files
would be the '\GEN' directory. These are the message files used by
PCBoard for the various system messages that may be generated during
normal operations. There may be more than one file by using different
filename extensions as defined for multilingual operations.
Path to User file index.
This is the path to the Users index files. The normal path for these
files would be the '\MAIN' directory. These are 26 'quick index' files
for the 'USERS' database file that PCBoard uses to look up entries in.
Path and file name of Users database file.
This is the path and filename of the Users file. The normal name of
this file is 'USERS' and it would normally be put in the '\MAIN'
directory. This is the user database of all the current callers.
Path and file name of Caller files.
This is the path and filename of the Caller file. The normal name of
this file is 'CALLER' and it would normally be put in the '\MAIN'
directory. This file is an activity log of the BBS usage for the BBS
or a particular node (if on a multi-node system). The name must be a
max. of 6 characters long since it may have a node number attached to
it on multi-node systems.
Path and file name of Conference data file.
This is the path and filename of the conference data file. The normal
name of this file is 'CNAMES' and would normally be put in the '\MAIN'
directory. This is the control file that defines the various conference
areas in use.
Path and file name of Password file.
This is the path and filename of the Password file. The normal name of
this file is 'PWRD' and would normally be put in the '\MAIN' directory.
This file defines the user access abilities and security levels.
This information includes time allocations, download ratios and logon
passwords.
Path and file name of File Security file.
This is the path and filename of the File Security file. The normal
name of this file is 'FSEC' and would normally be put in the '\MAIN'
directory. This is the control file that defines the security
authorizations of certain kinds of files that get downloaded. For
instance, a file ending in .ARC may have a low security since those are
the standard kind to be transferred, but a file with a .EXE or .COM
extension may have higher security since they may be sensitive files
that are not allowed to be transferred by just 'anyone'.
Path and file name of Upload Security file.
This is the path and filename of the Upload Security file. The normal
name of this file is 'UPSEC' and would normally be put in the '\MAIN'
directory. This is the control file that defines the security
authorizations of certain kinds of files that get uploaded. For a better
description of this security system, see the description for FSEC.
Path and file name of Trash Can file.
This is the path and filename of the Trash Can file. The normal name of
this file is 'TCAN' and would normally be put in the '\MAIN' directory.
This file defines unwanted names and words that may appear in the logon
names (first and last). Each word must be on it's own line and in upper
case. With this version, you can also include two-name entries which
are compared with the whole logon name. Logon names with these words
in them are denied access.
Path and file name of Welcome file.
This is the path and filename of the Welcome file. The normal name of
this file is 'WELCOME' and would normally be put in the '\GEN' directory.
The maximum length of this name is 7 chars. This is the welcome screen
for the BBS and is displayed to all users as they log on to the board.
There should also be a color version in 'WELCOMEG' for those who choose
to use ANSI.
Path and file name of New User file.
This is the path and filename of the New User file. The normal name of
this file is 'NEWUSER' and it would normally be put in the '\GEN' directory.
This is the New User bulletin that newcomers see. There may also be a
color ANSI version called 'NEWUSERG'.
Path and file name of Closed file.
This is the path and filename of the Closed file. The normal name
of this file is 'CLOSED' and it would normally be put in the '\GEN'
directory. This file is used on a 'closed' board that does not allow
new users (or users with a high enough security level) in to use that
node. It explains this fact to callers when they try signing on. A
color ANSI version called 'CLOSEDG' may also be used.
Path and file name of Warning file.
This is the path and filename of the Warning file. The normal name of
this file is 'WARNING' and it would normally be put in the '\GEN'
directory. This file is a message to users on a subscription BBS that
their subscription will be running out soon. It is displayed to them
during the last 30 days of their subscription. A color ANSI version
called 'WARNINGG' may also be used.
Path and file name of Expired file.
This is the path and filename of the Expired file. The normal name of
this file is 'EXPIRED' and it would normally be put in the '\GEN'
directory. This file is a message to users on a subscription BBS that
their subscription has run out and should tell them how to go about
renewing it. A color ANSI version called 'EXPIREDG' may also be used.
Path and file name of USERNET.DAT file.
This is the path and filename for the Usernet file. The normal name
and path of this file is '\PCB\MAIN\USERNET.DAT' on the main drive.
This file is used on multi-node systems to hold information on the
activity status of the nodes (name and location of the user on that node,
and what they're doing). The PCBOARD.DAT files of all nodes on these
systems must point to the same file for inter-node activities to function.
Path and file name of Conference menu.
This is the path and filename of the Conference menu file. The normal
name of this file is 'CNFN' and it would normally be put in the
'\GEN' directory. This is the listing of conferences currently
available. The name can be up to 7 characters since there may also
be a graphics version that will have a 'G' appended onto the end of
the name.
Path and file name of Registration Questions file.
This is the path and filename of the Registration Questions file. The
normal name of this file is 'NEWASK' and would normally be put in the
'\GEN' directory. This file has the questions asked of new users for
the registration as stored in the 'NEWREG' file. It is used on a
'closed' board that still allows new users to call up and fill out the
registration.
Path and file name of New Registrations file.
This is the filename of the New Registrations file. The normal name of
this file is 'NEWREG' and would normally be put in the '\MAIN' directory.
This is used if you choose to run a 'closed' board but still allow for
new user registration by keeping the 'NEWASK' file. Answers to the
questions in 'NEWASK' go into this file.
Path and file name of Protocol file.
This is the path and filename of the Protocol file. The normal name of
this file is 'PCBPROT.DAT' and it should be put in the default directory
(ie. the directory that PCBoard was started from, or '\PCB'). This file
defines the various file transfer protocols used on the board. It
defines the protocol selection letter, whether it's internal or external,
block size and the description for it on the menu.
Path and file name of Download Log.
This is the path and filename of the download log file. The normal
name and path of this file is '\PCB\MAIN\DOWNLOAD.TXT' on the main
drive. This is a log of all the file transfers made by the users. It
includes the user's name, date & time of the transfer, whether it was
an upload or a download, filename, protocol used, number of errors and
several other items of information about the transfer.
Path and file name of Logoff Script.
This is the path and filename of the logoff questionnaire file. The
normal name and path of this file is '\PCB\GEN\SCRIPT0' on the main
drive. This file is displayed to the user at logoff and can optionally
be used to ask questions like the regular script questionnaires. There
may also be a color ANSI version called 'SCRIPT0G'.
Path and file name of Logoff Script Answers file.
This is the path and filename of the Logoff Script Answers file. The
normal name of this file is 'ANSWER0' and would normally be put in the
'\MAIN' directory. This is the place where the answers to the logoff
script questionnaires are stored.
Path and file name of Multilingual info.
This is the path and filename of the Multilingual file. The normal
name of this file is 'PCBML.DAT' and would normally be put in the '\GEN'
directory. This file defines the file extension(s) of the multilingual
support files used in place of many of the normal system text files as
well as a menu selection for each. This is used if you intend to
support more than one language on your board. Each different language
would use a different extension on the files, like a french version
set of files would use the extension of '.FRE', a spanish version would
use '.SPA', etc.
Path and file name of Group Chat Topic file.
This is the path and filename of the Group Chat Topic file. The normal
name of this file is 'GROUP' and would normally be put in the '\GEN'
directory. This is the topic file for a Group Chat and can hold the
topic of the current chat, rules of conduct or whatever. It's usually
used to put up the time and date of the next scheduled Group Chat and is
displayed to the caller when they enter the Chat.
Carrier timeout duration.
This is the amount of time, in seconds, to wait for a carrier detect
from the modem after detecting a 'ring'. After this time, if the board
doesn't get a carrier signal from the modem telling it that the caller
has connected, it recycles back to the point where it waits for a
'ring' from the modem.
Comm port in use.
This is the device descriptor of the comm port to be used during
operation. Either COM1, COM2, or NONE are valid. A value of NONE
is used mostly when first setting up the BBS and testing it out. You
usually want to run 'local' tests without using the comm port.
Comm port opening speed.
This is the baud rate at which you would default the BBS to use when
opening the comm port. It is usually the highest speed your modem can
go up to as well. A value of '19200' means you are using a fixed DTE
(computer-to-modem speed). This is usually done if you have a 9600-baud
modem such as the USRobotics HST or the Hayes V-Series 9600 baud modems.
Such usage is capable of increasing the throughput of the data transfer.
Switch to lock in opening baud rate.
This is a true/false value representing the current status of locking
the comm port speed to the current baud rate. This would be used with
a USRobotics HST, a Hayes V-Series modem or other such modems that are
capable of using a fixed computer-to-modem speed. Using a fixed speed
can improve throughput.
Modem initializing string.
These are the command codes sent to the modem to initialize it and set
it up to begin receiving calls.
Modem off-hook string.
These are the command codes sent to the modem to put it 'off-hook' (ie.
busy the line so no calls can come through). This might be used during
local logons, recycling the board, etc.
Switch to disable usage of the CTS/RTS signals.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
use the CTS & RTS signals when sending/receiving data. If this is set
to 'on', these signals are not used during the board's operation. This
means you won't be able to use any 9600 baud modems since they require
these signals to be used by the board.
Switch to show if using a Hayes V-series 9600-baud modem.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
you are using the Hayes V-Series 9600 baud modem. You would turn this
'on' if you are using such a modem. The reason being is that if you
are using a fixed computer-to-modem speed of 9600 or 19200 baud, other
modems stay at that speed regardless of the incoming call's speed. The
Hayes only keeps this fixed speed if the caller is using another
V-Series error-correcting modem and they connect using the error-
correction protocol. Otherwise, it will auto-baud down to the speed of
the caller and the program must match that speed.
Switch for using an old EVI/Fastcomm modem.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
you are using an older EVI or Fastcomm modem that only return a
'CONNECT 9600' or 'CONNECT 19200' result instead of using the '/REL'
extension to these when connected via an error-corrected protocol. If
you are using one of these older modems, then you would set this to
'on'. Otherwise, turn it 'off'.
Switch for resetting modem during recycle.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
reset the modem during a recycle of the BBS. If 'on', the modem is
reset with an 'ATZ' command before being sent the modem init. string
when the board recycles. Otherwise, it is just sends the modem init.
string. Having this 'on' will make the board take longer to recycle.
So, unless it HAS to be done, you should probably set this to 'off'.
Switch to put modem off-hook for recycle.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
put the modem 'off-hook' during the board's recycle. If your board
takes a while to recycle, ie. it does certain routines after each caller,
then you might want to put the modem off-hook (busy the line) so no one
calls during the time it's recycling.
Switch to show if running on a Packet Switched Network (PAD).
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
the system is being run on a Packet Switched Network (PAD). If you
are running the board under a Packet Switched Network, or PAD for
short, you would set this to 'on'. Under these conditions, PCBoard
opens the comm port and the chosen speed but does not send any modem
init. commands. The PAD, when receiving a call, raises the Carrier
Detect signal which makes PCBoard begin it's logon sequence. To
disconnect the caller, PCBoard drops the DTR signal and the PAD
'hangs up'.
Switch to answer on true ring detect.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
answer the modem when it detects a ring signal from it or with the
word 'RING'. Normally, you would set this to 'off' since you would only
need to answer when the word 'RING' came in. But in those cases where
you HAVE to use the ring signal from the modem, you would turn this 'on'.
Switch to allow callers with settings of 7-E-1.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
allow callers using the comm port settings 7-E-1 (7 data bits, even
parity, 1 stop bit). Normally, the system only allows the comm port
settings 8-N-1 (8 data bits, no parity, 1 stop bit). These are the
standard settings to use on most boards. They allow for the
transmission of 8-bit data, such as graphics characters, foreign
language chars., etc. The usual operation of the file transfer
protocols also requires these settings. So this would normally be set
to 'off'. However, a few users are limited to terminals that can not
support those settings, thus they have to use the settings 7-E-1. If
you wish to allow for this, then set this to 'on'. You may set up
the kermit protocol to support these settings, but the others (except
for ASCII) are disabled and the <M>ode command is disabled.
Switch to allow 300 baud.
This is a true/false value representing the current status of allowing
or disallowing 300-baud callers. If set to 'on', the board will allow
300-baud callers. If set to 'off', no 300-baud calls are allowed.
300 baud access start time.
This is the time, in HH:MM format, of when to start allowing 300-baud
callers into the system (assuming it's allowed). The time is in
24-hour 'military' format. The hours of 00:00 and 24:00 are not
allowed.
300 baud access stop time.
This is the time, in HH:MM format, of when to stop allowing 300-baud
callers into the system (assuming it's allowed). The time is in
24-hour 'military' format. The hours of 00:00 and 24:00 are not
allowed.
Switch to disable the message scan prompt.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
display the message base scan prompt. If this is set to 'off', the BBS
will ask the newly logged on user if they want to scan for new messages
to them. If this is turned 'on', they just go in and have to find their
own mail.
Switch to disable the 3-min screen blank.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable the screen blanking feature. Normally, the screen will be
cleared if no calls are received during a 3-minute period after the
previous caller has logged off. This serves to prevent excessive wear
on the screen, also known as 'burn-in', while waiting for the next caller.
Setting this switch to 'on' will disable this feature.
Switch to disable registration edits.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable edits of the user registration information. If set to 'on',
edits will be made to this information to make sure of it's validity.
Otherwise, none will be made. As such, letters could be entered into a
phone number field, etc.
Switch to disable the high ASCII filter.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable the high-ASCII filter. If turned 'off', the filter will
remove most ASCII characters above decimal 127. This might include
'garbage' characters caused by line noise. If turned 'on', all
characters are allowed in. This way, the special foreign language
characters can be used to support non-English languages.
Switch to disable the quick logon.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
allow the 'quick logon' feature. If this is set to 'on', the caller,
upon logging onto the system or into a conference, will be displayed
the appropriate 'NEWS' and 'WELCOME' files. If this is set to 'off',
the user could stack a 'Q' command and bypass the logon files during
the initial logon and joining a conference, thus allowing for faster
logons and conference joining.
Switch to disable the DOS return password check.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable the check for a password when returning from DOS. If this is
set to 'on', no check is made for a password after returning from DOS.
This makes for a smoother return to the board. But this also means that
you must take more responsibility for your system's security.
Switch to enable multilingual mode.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
Enable the support of multiple languages on the system. If this is set
to 'on', the board will allow the use of multiple sets of files that
each support a different language. These sets have extensions to show
which language they are for, like a '.SPA' is a spanish version, or a
'.FRE' is a french version.
Switch for password-only user info updates.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to allow updates to the user information (name, password, city/state,
etc.). If set to 'on', they can only update their password. If set
to 'off', they can update all their user database info.
Switch to indicate a closed board.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not the
board is being run as a 'closed' board, ie. no one is allowed on unless
the Sysop enters their user information into the 'USERS' file. If this
switch is set to 'off', new users can enter into the board and their
registration information (name, password, city, state, etc.) is put into
the 'USERS' file automatically. If this is set to 'on', their info is
written to the file 'NEWREG', but only IF the registration questions
file 'NEWASK' exists. Otherwise, they are not allowed in at all and are
shown the file 'CLOSED' telling them why.
Switch to disable ANSI graphics mode.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to use ANSI graphics on the system. This enables/disables ANSI
graphics support for the whole system, local and remote. With this
switch set to 'on', no <M>ode changes to graphics are allowed.
Switch to recycle BBS through DOS.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
recycle the BBS through DOS after a caller has logged off. This means
that PCBoard will exit completely after the caller hangs up and the
system will be in whatever batch file or other such DOS condition when
the board was first started up. You might want to do this if you had a
batch file controlling several things that needed to be done after the
caller logged off. After it did those things, it would cycle back to
load up PCBoard again. When using this option, you MUST have the
controlling batch recycle such that the BBS is run again.
Switch to put user's location in Node Chat display.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to include the user's city and state information stored in their user
record in the node chat request display.
Switch to eliminate snow on CGA.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
eliminate the snow that usually shows up on CGA screens when doing
direct screen writes. If you are using a CGA, you would need to turn
this setting 'on'. Otherwise you would turn it 'off'.
Switch to indicate running a subscription BBS.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not the
board will be run in 'subscription' mode. This should be set to 'on'
even if you don't intend to run a subscription BBS since then the
board would be set up with certain information that you would need if
you ever DID decide to run a subscription BBS. If this is set to 'on',
when a new user logs on, the board sets up the new user record with
default expiration times (one year from the current date), conference
and security settings. When the expiration date draws near, within 30
days, a 'WARNING' file is displayed to the user telling them their time
is running out. If the subscription runs out, an 'EXPIRED' file is
displayed to the user and should tell them of how to renew the
subscription. If you choose not to run in subscription mode, create
'null' files for these two messages and it will appear to the user to
be a normal board. But the user record will still have the information
in it whereas it would not if you set this to 'off'. If you were to
set this to 'off' and later on decide to run it in subscription mode,
you would have to manually insert the dates and security levels yourself.
Switch to allow ESC codes in messages.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
allow escape codes (in ANSI codes, usually) in messages and chats (Sysop
and node). Some people like to 'upload' a message into a base. This
message might be an ANSI graphics 'add' for another BBS or something.
If you do NOT want any ANSI codes or other escape sequences in messages,
set this to 'off'. This will filter out all ESC characters (ASCII 27)
thus leaving a very messy ANSI message. If you set this to 'on',
PCBoard will pass all ESC codes through. Note, however, that certain
ANSI sequences can redefine your keyboard!
Switch to allow carbon-copy messages.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
allow 'carbon-copy' messages. When sending a message to someone,
PCBoard allows for the ability to send 'carbon-copies', or duplicates,
to other users besides the one it is originally addressed to. If you
want to allow this, set this switch to 'on'. Otherwise, turn it 'off'.
When set to 'on', the command 'SC' is displayed to users on the
message option menu along with the standard 'S' for a normal save (as
well as the other commands). This command is only displayed for users
if they have 'expert' mode on. It will still work properly if expert
mode is off, however.
Switch to validate 'TO:' user in messages.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to validate the existance of the user addressed in the 'TO:' field of
the message header. If you set this to 'on', then when a user writes
a message to someone and that person does not exist in the 'USERS'
file (or, if in a conference, if that person is not a member of it),
this function will notify them about it. The user still has the option
of saving the message, however. If this is set to 'off', the user is
NOT notified if the receiving user of the message does not exist.
Switch to update 'last message read' pointer after message leave.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to update the 'last message read' pointer after leaving a message.
When reading and replying to messages in the message bases, the
'last message read' pointer may be updated in one of two ways, after
reading a message and leaving replies to it (and also entering
messages or the <C>omment to Sysop) or only after reading messages.
In the first case, the pointer is updated for each message you read
and if you leave a reply or a new message, the pointer is updated to
point to that message. This would be useful for people who enter a
lot of messages and don't want to have to read through them later on.
In the second case, it would only be updated for each message you
read. If you set this to 'on', the pointer is updated when reading
and replying/leaving messages. If set to 'off', the pointer is only
updated when reading messages.
Switch to enforce a daily time limit.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
to enforce a daily time limit. If not, then the user gets a full
allotment of time for each call, which may be as many times a day as
they want. Otherwise, they are restricted to a fixed amount of time
per day based on their security level.
Switch to display only new 'NEWS'.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
display the 'NEWS' file only if changed since the last logon of the
caller. If this is set to 'on', when the caller logs on and the board
checks for the 'NEWS' file, if the file has been changed/updated (as
noted by the file's date stamp), then it will be displayed to the
caller. Otherwise, nothing is displayed to them. Callers with a Sysop
level are not shown any 'NEWS' files.
Switch to disable the CTS drop during disk I/O.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
drop the RTS signal when writing data to disk. If this is set to 'on',
the RTS signal to the modem is not dropped. This would allow the other
modem to continue sending data. You would use this if you were NOT
using a 9600 baud modem or MNP modem. Otherwise, if this is set to
'off', the RTS signal is dropped while data is being written to the disk.
This would stop the other modem from transmitting data, when a user is
uploading a file, until the board was ready for it. 9600 baud and MNP
modems require RTS control to be active.
Keyboard timeout in minutes.
This is the amount of time to wait, in minutes, before a keyboard
timeout occurs. If no keyboard activity has occurred, either locally
or remotely, for this amount of time, then a timeout will occur which
will log the user off. If this value is set to '0', no timeouts will
occur. This might be useful if you have a 'dumb' node which you wish
to stay online at all times.
Switch for running under a network.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
the BBS is being run under a network. This is only used in the
multi-node versions of PCBoard (either '/E' or '/U' versions). If
you set this to 'on', files are opened in 'share' mode, so you must
also have a copy of 'SHARE.EXE' loaded.
Node number of the board.
This is the node number of the board. In a multi-node system, this
may be any number up to the number of nodes on the system. On a single
node system, this is '1'. The maximum number of nodes available is 99
(on the '/U' version). This number must be unique for each node
defined (and therefore each copy of PCBOARD.DAT). A caller can not be
logged onto more than one node, but the Sysop can.
Network timeout in seconds.
This is the maximum amount of time, in seconds, to allow for network
retries before timing out and returning an error. It ranges from 1
to 99 and defaults to 20 seconds. If this timeout occurs, the function
that caused it will abort. If you are running on a slow network, you
may want to increase this value to allow for it.
Node Chat delay in seconds.
This is the time, in seconds, to wait between Node Chat requests while
the user is 'idle'. If the caller is entering commands, the requests are
made at predetermined points in the code, like at 'More' prompts and main
menu prompts. The default is 5 seconds, but you can cut down the amount
of network activity by increasing this value.
BBS name.
This is a simple one. It's the name of your BBS.
Path and file name of compressed file view batch file.
This is the filename of the batch file used to view the contents of
'compressed' files, such as .ARC or .PAK files, using the 'F V'
command. This entry must also include the full path to the file in
order to specify exactly where the file is. Without this filename
entry, the 'F V' command is disabled.
Compressed filename extension.
This is the extension to be used for all 'compressed' files on the
system when using the 'F V' function to view them. You can only
specify one extension.
Shift-Fn macro key definitions.
These are the definitions of the Shift-Fkey macros. There are ten
definitions, one for each of the function keys 1-10 while 'shifted'
(pressed while holding down the 'shift' key). Each of these macros
is 72 characters long. They can contain anything the Sysop wants to
put in them, like a 'signature' or a certain sequence of commands.
Public conferences.
This is a string of 40 'X's that define which of the 40 available
conferences are public. Each 'X' in this string references the
corresponding conference and represents whether that conference is open
or not for that user's level. The Main area is considered as area '0'
and the conference areas go up from there starting at '1' and ending at
39. There should always be an 'X' in position 1 (area '0') to
activate the Main area.
Number of conferences.
This is the number of conference areas currently in operation. It may
range from 0 to 39. A value of 0 means no conferences are in operation.
Maximum lines per message.
This value is used to determine how long a message can be. It sets
the maximum number of lines allowed in the message. The range
should be from 17 to 99 lines per message.
User input color code.
This is the ANSI code the defines the color of the user input text
either from the local or the remote user. This code is the standard
ANSI color code. The range is from 31 to 37. This is combined with
the intensity code above to define how the input text will look on the
local screen and, if graphics mode is 'on' for the user, on their
screen. Some BBS messages are also displayed in this color.
User input color intensity.
This is the ANSI code used to either highlight or not highlight user
input. The value may be either '0' for normal intensity or '1' for
high intensity. This setting only applies to the user input either
locally or remotely.
Switch to show event is active.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not
the event is active. If the event is active, it is run at the time
specified in the following field. The time allowed to a caller is
adjusted if they should call up and their normal time allotment would
take them past the time of the event. When the event time comes up,
PCBoard exits to DOS and the batch file that controls the board then
runs the event batch file 'EVENT.BAT' (normally 'EVENT.SYS' which
PCBoard renames when the batch is to be run). Many things can be done
in the event, like maintenance, NetMail, or other programs or routines
that need to be run once a day or so. You can even copy a different
PCBOARD.DAT with a different event schedule in it over the current one.
This would allow you run multiple events in one day. If you set this
to 'off', no event is run.
Time of event.
This is the time of the daily event in HH:MM format. If the event is
active (as set by the previous option field), it will be run at this
time each day. The time is in 24-hour 'military' format.
Event buffer time in minutes.
This is the amount of time, in minutes, to 'buffer' before the event is
to occur. This 'buffer' will take the board down for the specified
amount of time before the actual event time to make sure the system is
ready for it. If a caller logs on prior to this time limit, and the
'Slide Event' switch is 'off', their time is adjusted accordingly.
Switch to disable uploads before event.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable uploads before a scheduled event. If this is set to 'on', then
if the caller logs on prior to when an event is to occur and their time
has to be adjusted to allow the event to take place, uploading will be
disabled so that they don't take up so much time that they would cross
into the time for the event. Otherwise, they will be able to upload
files. If, while uploading, they pass the event time, then after being
logged off, the event will run.
Switch to slide the event.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
allow the event to be postphoned if a caller should happen to call in
just prior to it. If this is set to 'on', the event will not
automatically adjust the caller's time to make sure it runs. Instead,
if a caller logs on just before the event was going to run, it will be
postphoned until after the current user logs off. You might set this
to 'on' if the event is not critical to run at a specific time.
Number of upload buffers.
This is the number of 128-byte upload buffers to be used during the
board's operation. The value may range from 4 to 32 and defaults to 8.
These buffers are where the uploaded file data is stored during the
upload. Once this area is filled, PCBoard writes it to disk and prepares
for more data to put in here. This can reduce the number of actual disk
writes that need to be done and can improve performance with high-speed
modems. It is also nice to use when running under a network when the
drive usage is high.
Switch to disable upload drive size check.
This is a true/false value representing the status of whether or not to
disable the upload drive size check. If this is set to 'off', this
check is done to make sure that enough space exists on the upload drive
to allow uploads. If not, then uploads are denied until the Sysop can
move some files off of the upload drive to make room. If this is set
to 'on', no checks are made and uploads are allowed regardless of space.
But, in this case, you would be able to use the SUBST command instead
of a drive spec.
Printer number.
This is the number of the printer port to use on this node. It may be
from 0 to 3. On multitasking systems running more than one node, you
may have several printers running at once, each node with a different
printer. If this is a '0', no printer functions are performed, even
if by accident.
Minimum upload free space in K.
This is the minimum amount of free space on the upload drive, in K
(1024-byte blocks), that is needed before allowing any uploads. If
the amount of space is less than this value, no uploads are allowed.
You can set this to '0' if you have a lot of disk space and don't want
any checking done. This is ignored if the 'Drive size check' switch
above is turned 'on'.
User security levels.
These are the security levels assigned to the use of each of the menu
options. These menu options are the commands 'A' through 'Z', 'DOOR',
'OPEN', 'NODE', and 'CHAT'. The normal user's security level usually
ranges from 1 to 99, therefore the access levels of these commands also
have this range. However, a value of 0 will allow ALL users to use that
function. You must assign a security level to each of these according
to what level of user you want using that command. If, for instance,
you want user A to use the <B>ulletin command and that user has a level
10, this command should be set at 10 or less. If it is set at 11 or
higher, that user will not be able to use this command. The OPEN/DOOR
and NODE/CHAT commands are not available in versions of PCBoard that do
not support those respective functions. There's also a command 'LANG'
that is used for setting the language to use on multilingual systems.
This commnad has no security level, so anyone can use it.
New user security level.
This is the security level given to new users of the system who have
completed the logon registration.
Unregistered user level.
This is the security level given to new users to the system who have
NOT completed the logon registration. If you specify a 0 here, these
users are logged off automatically if they refuse to register.
