BBS Toolkit/BBS Toolkit.iso/gt_power/mme010.zip/MM_EDIT.DOC

Text File | 1990-12-09 | 7KB | 225 lines

                      ┌──────────────────────┐
                      │ MM_EDIT Rev 0.1 beta │
                      └──────────────────────┘

MM_EDIT is intended to be used as a MMENU entry in GT16, where it will
allow a caller with appropriate permission to *edit* the current message.

MM_EDIT performs the authorisation, administration and replacement
of the edited message.  It uses an external editor, theoretically allowing
you some freedom of choice in choosing the editor and in redirecting the
output to the com port.

However, for the moment it comes only with sufficient instructions to get
it to work with RQ.EXE, a configured version of Qedit c 2.08 from Semware,
and Marshal Dudley's Doorway.


Notes

a)      MM_EDIT requires features of GT16.  It will *not* work with earlier
        releases of GT.

b)      This is a beta test copy.  Please watch it carefully.  In
        particular, you should be ensure that your editor does not grant
        unintended facilities to callers, the most likely of which are
        described later.

c)      You will also require, if you do not already have them :

        i)     Qedit 2.08 from Semware
        ii)    Marshal Dudley's Doorway
        iii)   Stackey

        most of which you probably already have or will easily find
        on one of your local GT boards.


┌──────────────────────┐
│ Security Limitations │
└──────────────────────┘

A caller without SY permission (ie, an ordinary caller) is permitted to
edit a message with mm_edit if, and only if :

a)      The caller can read the message (since, when set up as described,
        only GT's "current" message can be edited).

b)      The message originated on your own board, or in a message area
        which you sponsor, and the caller wrote the message.

c)      The message has not already been received or bagged.


MM_EDIT will permit anybody with SY permission to edit ALL messages.
In most cases, this will apply only to yourself as sysop.



┌────────────────────────────┐
│ Configuring GT for MM_EDIT │
└────────────────────────────┘

First, study the description of the MMENU entry as described in the
GT16 revision document.

The command ME is suggested, for uniformity, but you can choose any
2 character code.  Similarly, it is suggested that you call the batch
command MME.BAT.

If you have no other MMENU entries, possible entries in SYSOP.BBS are :

Line 97:    "\r(S)can  (Q)uit (T)hread (ME)MsgEdit  Msg(number)"

Line 220:   "MMENU=[ME]mme"


Note 1:     The sysop.bbs line numbers might change with future releases.

Note 2:     When you have mm_edit working, you may find you have enough
            space to avoid overlays, ie :

                "MMENU=[ME]mme;&"

            See GT16 docs for information.


┌─────────────────┐
│ Creating RQ.EXE │
└─────────────────┘

You will not find RQ.EXE available anywhere, but you can make it yourself
from by configuring Qedit version 2.08, using the files and procedures
described here.

The configuration files as delivered will probably NOT work with versions
of Qedit other than 2.08.

a)      Make the directory where you have unzipped these files the current
        directory.

b)      Ensure that you know where Qedit's Q.EXE can be found and that
        QCONFIG.EXE is either in the current directory or somewhere in your
        DOS path.

c)      Execute RQ_GEN.BAT with a single argument specifying the directory
        containing Q.EXE, eg :

                rq_edit c:\bin

The result should be a file RQ.EXE which should be moved to a convenient
directory for execution.

You can if you wish reconfigure the colours by running QCONFIG again
manually.  But you should verify that the results look sensible on
both colour and mono screens.


┌──────────────────┐
│ The MME.BAT file │
└──────────────────┘

In this file, you have to :

a)      perform redirection

b)      execute mm_edit with appropriate parameters.

If DOORWAY is used, then redirection and editing can be performed with a
single command.

You may need to edit the example, which assumes that GTPATH is on drive C
and all files are in a MME subdirectory of GTPATH containing :

        MM_EDIT.EXE     The program enclosed
        MME.INI         A text file to display to the caller
        RQ.EXE          As you created it above.

Typical contents would be :

c:
cd %gtpath%\mme

if "%1" == "local" goto mmelocal
if "%1" == "LOCAL" goto mmelocal

doorway COM%2 /S:* /G:ON /V:D^Z /I:mme.ini /p:mm_edit.exe %3 %4 rq.exe $m mme.jot

goto mmedone

:mmelocal

mm_edit.exe %3 %4 rq.exe $m mme.jot

:mmedone

Note:   It is desirable to modifiy the /S parameter to add a time limit to
        the edit.  This is done by running DRWYUTIL.


┌─────────────────┐
│ The GTLOGON.BAT │
└─────────────────┘

Some people may finds their way into mm_edit's jotter, so it is desirable
to include a command in your GTLOGON.BAT file :

        del %gtpath%\mme\mme.jot

It goes in the logon batch rather than mme.bat so they can carry forward
its contents from one message to the next, and even between message bases,
during the same call.  But it has to be deleted here so that each caller
begins with an empty jotter.


┌───────────────┐
│ Other editors │
└───────────────┘

In practice, your freedom in choosing an editor is *severely* limited.  You
must be very careful that an alternative editor does NOT :

a)      have any command which gives the caller access to the DOS shell
        or the ability to execute arbitrary DOS commands, eg DEL *.*.

b)      allow the caller to read any files other than those specified on
        the command line, eg GTPASSWD.BBS.

c)      allow the caller to rename the current file to something else,
        eg \autoexec.bat.

d)      prompt for an alternative filename if it is unable to save the
        file.

Obviously, an editor with any of those features would allow the caller to
walk over your system in one way or another, and since most editors are
intended for local users where no such security is required, most editors
do NOT fulfill the above requirements.


┌─────────┐
│ Testing │
└─────────┘

Even if you use the RCONFIG.DAT and RQ_GEN.BAT files, I suggest you give it
a thorough test to ensure that none of the above features have been
enabled, before letting users loose on it.

You should also check that it is not allowing the wrong messages to be
edited, and that a lost carrier while in the editor will exit gracefully
with no hangups or other adverse effects.


┌─────────┐
│ General │
└─────────┘

Copyright of the material in this Zip belongs to Harry Green, GT Net
050/003, but may be freely used by registered GT16 sysops at their own
risk for beta testing purposes.

Any problems, please let me know either by netmail or via the MMR beta
echo, E02/355.