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1992-03-14
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Last Few Callers (LFC) v2.0
Copyright 1992 Ernie Johnson
All Rights Reserved
About LFC
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LFC is my answer to a bulletin creator to report the "last few
callers" on my BBS. I've looked over many bulletin generators of
this type, but never found one I really liked - one of them came
close, and I ended up registering it.
As time went on, I found the desire for a better caller generator,
one with the features that I wanted, and so I ended up writing my
own callers bulletin generator based on one that one of my users was
making an attempt to write.
LFC Features
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You are probably wondering what makes LFC different from the other
last caller bulletin generators on the market. Here is a list of
features in version 2.0:
- Sysop customizable bulletin "header"
- Sysop customizable bulletin "footer" (registered version only)
- Sysop customizable colors using PCBoard @-codes
- Sysop customizable number of entries to keep in the bulletin
- Works after the user logs off - don't tie the user up any longer
than necessary during logins
- LFC generates a new bulletin even if the user logs off from in a door
- Includes a field in the bulletin showing how long a user was online.
Great for finding out who "hogs" the system time!
- Is up to date - why have a "who called yesterday" bulletin, when you
can keep track of the last person on the system today?
- Low registration cost - why pay more for less?
Shareware
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LFC - Last Few Callers - is Copyrighted, Shareware software. It is
not free to use, but rather an evaluation copy of the program which
you are free to use for a trial period not to exceed thirty (30)
days, after which you must discontinue use of LFC, or send in a
modest registration fee.
When you register LFC, you will be allowed to define your own
bulletin "footer" message and the "unregistered" line will be
removed from the bulletin.
How to Register LFC
----------------------------------------------------------------------
You may register LFC with one of three different registration
options outlined below:
1) Basic, least expensive registration: $ 7.00
This gets you a letter of appreciation with the necessary
information on how to add your registration "key" file to LFC so
it knows you are a registered user.
2) Program upgrade/key file inclusion: $ 10.00
This gets you the latest version of LFC on disk along with the
necessary "key" file so LFC knows you have registered the
program. If there hasn't been a program update, you will get
the current version and when a new version/update becomes
available you will receive it on disk mailed to you.
3) Unlimited program updates: $ 15.00
This gets you the same options as registration option 2, BUT you
will receive all major updates to LFC as they are released on
disk, mailed directly to you.
Please make your check or money order payable to Ernie Johnson
and mail to:
Ernie Johnson
EPIC Information Systems
P.O. Box 607
Wingham, Ontario
N0G 2W0 - Canada
If you have any questions, please write to us at the above address,
or call our support BBS. Our BBS numbers are:
(519) 357-1943 1200-> 2400 baud, v.42 ATI 2400etc
(519) 357-2952 1200->38,400 baud US Robotics Dual Standard HST
On receipt of payment, your registration information will be sent,
and the latest version of LFC on diskette (optional).
To make things easier for registering, simply print out the
ORDER.FRM file in the archive, complete it, attach a check or money
order and mail to to the above address!
Order form as found in ORDER.FRM file
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Last Few Callers v2.0 Order Form
NAME: ____________________________________________________
COMPANY: ____________________________________________________
ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
CITY: ________________________
STATE/PROV: __________________ ZIP/POSTAL CODE: ________________
PHONE: ____________________________________________________
WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE LFC? ____________________________________
COMMENTS: ____________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Item Price
----------------------------------------------------------------
LFC v2.0 Unlimited Updates........................... $15.00
Unlimited program updates mailed to you along
with your registration information!
LFC v2.0 Latest Version.............................. $10.00
We will mail the latest version of LFC and your
registration information to you.
LFC v2.0 Download Registration...................... $ 7.00
We will mail the registration information for
LFC to you. Latest versions of LFC will be
available on our support BBS.
Total Amount
Enclosed _______
Specify disk format [ ] 5.25, 360K or [ ] 3.5, 720K
Mail checks/money orders/inquiries to:
Ernie Johnson or phone (519) 357-1941 voice, or
P.O. Box 607 (519) 357-1943 BBS
Wingham Ontario for more information.
N0G 2W0 -- Canada
Setting Up LFC
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LFC absolutely requires PCBoard version 14.5a. It will not work on
PCBoard 14.5 or other earlier versions. LFC may, however, work on
other BBS software packages. These have not been tested and you are
proceeding at your own risk if you attempt to use LFC on
non-PCBoard 14.5a BBS software!
Included in the LFC distribution archive are sample $$LOGON.BAT and
$$LOGOFF.BAT files.
Here are break downs of each file, explaining what they do:
$$LOGON.BAT
-----------
J:\LFC\LFC LOGON 3 J:\LFC\LFC.CFG
J:\LFC\LFC - runs LFC from my J: drive, in the LFC directory.
LOGON - indicates BBS logon mode
3 - node number
J:\LFC\LFC.CFG - drive, path & name of configuration file
You do not need to use the above format for running the LFC program
with the exception of the command line. The following is valid and
will work correctly:
J:
cd\LFC
LFC LOGON 3 J:\LFC\LFC.CFG
Note the command line arguments are position specific, meaning that
you must enter them in the order shown.
Argument 1 is the mode of operation, either LOGON or LOGOFF
Argument 2 is the node number
Argument 3 is the drive, path & name of your configuration file
$$LOGOFF.BAT
------------
J:\LFC\LFC LOGOFF 3 J:\LFC\LFC.CFG
This is very similar to the $$LOGON.BAT file, with the exception of
the mode argument. When the user logs off, LFC needs to know this.
The secret to getting LFC to handle time used online AND work when a
user logs off from within a door is based on running LFC twice -
once when a user logs in, and again when the user logs off the
system.
The next step should be to add the bulletin entry to your PCBoard
BLT.LST file. Start up PCBSETUP and select the Main board
configuration. Next, edit the bulletin list file to include the
drive, path and name of the file you set in your configuration file
(below).
If you were to use the sample, you would add a new bulletin and for
a drive, path and name use: J:\LFC\CALLS
Detailed instructions for editing the BLT.LST file can be found in
the PCBoard manual.
LFC Configuration file (LFC.CFG)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Most options in the configuration file will be adequate for most
sysops, but the file drive, path & filename information will not
likely match your setup. Here is a listing of a sample
configuration file (LFC.CFG) and a line by line breakdown of what
they are used for and what they can be changed to:
C:\PCB\PCBOARD.SYS
J:\PCB\MAIN\USERS
J:\LFC\CALLS
0
100
@X0A
@X0E
@X0F
@X0C
@X0B
@X09
@X0D
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Line 1: drive, path & name of pcboard.sys
Line 2: drive, path & name of users file
Line 3: drive, path & name of bulletin file
Line 4: 0=all calls, 1=no local, 2=no sysop, 3=no local/sysop
Line 5: # of callers to keep in the bulletin file
Line 6: PCBoard color of callers name
Line 7: PCBoard color of callers city
Line 8: PCBoard color of baud rate
Line 9: PCBoard color of date
Line 10: PCBoard color of start time
Line 11: PCBoard color of minutes used
Line 12: PCBoard color of node number
If your system has PCBOARD.SYS files in different locations for some
or all nodes, you will need to create configuration files for each
node. Using different configuration files for each node, you can
also create different "color" combinations for the lines used on
each node. One of my beta test sites changes the color of the node
number for node 1 and node 2 - a great idea! To keep it simple,
name each configuration file as LFC1.CFG LFC2.CFG (etc) the number
representing the BBS node number.
Even though LFC has been written to handle disk access as fast as
possible, while providing maximum file sharing support, it does take
time to re-create the bulletin file. On fast hard disk systems it
may take a second or less, others might find it takes several
seconds. LFC has been tested with 100 last callers in the bulletin
file on a hard disk with 16ms access time on a 386-16SX computer -
the bulletin create time is under a second in most cases. Some
sysops may opt for less, some more - since the user has logged off
the system when LFC does its work the time involved in creating long
bulletins should not be of much concern to most sysops.
LFC Customization
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LFC is almost entirely sysop customizable. The LFC archive should
have all the files needed to run LFC, with adequate defaults already
set up.
Here are the files that should be in the archive, and what they do:
LFC.EXE -> The executable program
LFC.DOC -> This file (documentation)
LFC.CFG -> LFC Configuration/color information
LFC.KEY -> .KEY file for registration information
LFC.HED -> Header file for the bulletin
LFC.TAL -> Footer/Tail file for the bulletin
$$LOGON.BAT -> Sample logon batch file for PCBoard 14.5a
$$LOGOFF.BAT -> Sample logoff batch file for PCBoard 14.5a
FILE_ID.DIZ -> PCBoard style file description
DESC.SDI -> Same as FILE_ID.DIZ
ORDER.FRM -> Order form for LFC
SOURCE.DOC -> How to reach the author of LFC
The LFC.KEY file is necessary to prevent an error message from
appearing even on unregistered versions of LFC - so don't delete it.
If you have registered LFC, simply copy your new KEY file over top
of this one.
The LFC.CFG file is the configuration file - see the section above
on the configuration file - LFC.CFG
The LFC.HED file is a header, which is the start of the last few
callers bulletin. It can be modified as you wish, but it is
currently set up with the proper character spacing. You will likely
only ever need to change the colors. Note that the colors need to
be in PCBoard @-code formation - DO NOT use ANSI codes as your
bulletin will be in ANSI only! You will find the necessary @ code
color chart in the back of the PCBoard manual.
The LFC.TAL file is a "footer" and is only available to registered
users of LFC. The default file contains a brief message stating the
program name, and copyright information. Unregistered users will
have a message stating that LFC is currently unregistered and for
evaluation purposes only. Note that the colors need to be in
PCBoard @-code formation - DO NOT use ANSI codes as your bulletin
will be in ANSI only!
Temporary Files
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LFC creates several temporary during the time its used, and during
the time a user is logged into your BBS.
The 2 types of temporary files are:
1) The bulletin temporary file - after a user logs off, the
temporary bulletin file is put together - basically it is exactly
like the existing bulletin, with the new user added to it. LFC then
deletes the existing bulletin, and renames this temporary file to
the bulletin file. It is very rare where the BLT.TMP file exists on
your machine unless LFC is processing on a node, or in the
background. Do not delete this file, LFC will handle it on its own.
2) x.$$$ - the 'x' is a node number 1 to your maximum number of
nodes. This file contains information about the caller that is
extracted from the PCBOARD.SYS file when he/she logs in to your BBS.
It is extracted and stored first because some doors remove the
callers information from the PCBOARD.SYS file if a user logs off
from within a door. These files are never deleted, but over written
when LFC operates.
Do NOT delete any of these files when a user is logged into your
BBS. You may delete the x.$$$ files if nobody is logged into your
BBS, but it is not necessary as LFC overwrites them when it needs
to.
Multi node usage
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LFC has built in multi-node/sharing violation support. You don't
need to set anything special up to prevent LFC from being run on 2
nodes at the same time.
If LFC is in use on two nodes at the same time, the node that last
started LFC will go into a waiting mode for the file sharing locks
to be released on the files LFC requires. If the file sharing locks
are not released in a certain time period (about 20 seconds) the
program (LFC) will abort and not update. Note that it is possible
for this to happen, but I have yet to see it happen unless something
seriously happens, or a user is online viewing a lengthy last few
callers bulletin.
LFC has been extensively tested on a three node PCBoard system and I
have yet to have it fail. I am not guaranteeing that it will never
stop (and hang your system) with a file sharing error, but simply
stating that I have had it running on my BBS and on a beta test BBS
with no problems for several weeks. (This was a major concern as
the callers bulletin generator I previously registered always
crashed with file sharing errors when two (or more) people logged in
at the same time - and even though it sounds like a one in a million
chance, it did happen quite often!)
Known "bugs"
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The only known "bug" in LFC is really based on the way PCBoard
handles its files. If a caller is in the middle of reading a
bulletin and he/she drops carrier or logs off, the file locking on
the bulletin file is NOT released until the BBS software resets.
Since this happens after the $$LOGOFF.BAT file has executed, LFC
will detect a file sharing error when trying to update the bulletin
file and eventually abort to DOS without updating the last caller.
Unfortunately, because of some of LFC's features, we can't yet get
around this inconvenience. It is a very rare occurrence so it is not
likely to happen - but it can happen and LFC is fully network
shareable and needs to deal with it just the same. Future
version(s) of LFC will most likely address this problem and provide
a way to work around this inconvenience.
Warranty & Guarantee's
----------------------------------------------------------------------
LFC is in no way warranted to be free of defects, bugs, etc. It
has, however, gone through extensive testing on my BBS, and I have
not seen any adverse effects. I am not responsible for any adverse
effects it has on your system (just in case). You should take any
steps to avoid virus infection and scan the file for viruses before
using it on your system.
Comments and suggestions for improvement are more than welcome.
Please send them via one of the methods listed in the "How to
Register LFC" portion of this document.
I hereby disclaim any and all warranties or guarantees either
expressed or implied within this documentation. As with any new
software, you should be cautious when first using it and make any
necessary backups or virus scans. If you receive a version of LFC
that does not function properly (or at all) please call our support
BBS and provide us with information as to where you received LFC.
You may also download an authentic version of LFC directly from our
support BBS system.
The Future of LFC
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There isn't a lot more to add, but here is a list of ideas already
on the "drawing board".
- omissions user file - create a list of users that you don't want
listed in the bulletin
- omissions security file - create a list of access levels you don't
want listed in the bulletin (ie; new users, sysops, co-sysops, etc)
- ANSI/ASCII bulletin support (not just PCBoard @ codes)
- other fields in the bulletin with sysop customizable fields
- faster bulletin generation
- solution to the "known bugs" list
- any other reasonable idea(s) by users of LFC
Contacting the author of LFC
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Write to: Phone (voice): Phone (bbs):
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Ernie Johnson (519) 357-1941 (519) 357-1943 2400 v.42
P.O. Box 607 7pm to 10pm EST (519) 357-2952 38.4 HST
Wingham, Ontario (evenings) 24 hours, 7 days/week
N0G 2W0 -- Canada
OR:
---
On CompuServe, leave a message to Ernest W Johnson [70751,2567]
On City2City netmail services, leave a message to Ernie Johnson
in the Shareware conference.
Note that leaving a message on our support BBS is the fastest
way to obtain support - even faster than a voice phone call in some
cases!
Thanks
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks to my BBS users - even though they may not know it, every one
that called my BBS helped me in my alpha/beta test stages!
Give EPIC a call at (519) 357-1943 (2400 baud) or
(519) 357-2952 (38400 baud USR Dual Standard)
Also thanks to Phil and David at Knightec BBS who provided me with a
second beta test site.
Call Knightec BBS at (519) 940-0007 or (519) 940-0008.
Program History
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 0.01 - program idea, concepts to generate/obtain bulletin
information
Version 1.00 - read necessary information from PCBoards CALLERx log
files - this worked well, until users with more than 2 names signed
up (ie; first middle last) - also figured this would be too much
more work to allow use on other BBS software
Version 2.00 - changed to reading PCBOARD.SYS and USERS files, added
file sharing support over the network, improved bulletin generation
speed, custom color support, sysop/local logging options, etc.
End of LFC Documentation
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for giving LFC a try, and don't forget to send in your
registration!