BBS Toolkit/BBS Toolkit.iso/qbbs/qdoc_265.zip/QNEW.DOC

Text File | 1990-03-15 | 6KB | 106 lines

                     QNEW_264.ZIP - Documentation

                * READ THIS ENTIRELY BEFORE PROCEEDING *

Welcome to QuickBBS!  I decided to take this afternoon and dedicate it to
creating a basic set of menus and text files that will allow brand new
QuickBBS sysops the ability to get up and running in just a few minutes,
and established users the chance to see how I handle some basic QuickBBS
functions.  Also in this archive is a set of .ASC files that match the
ones in the 2.64 documentation; the various system files are now plug-
and-play, with slight mods to suit your personal taste and system needs.

For those completely familiar with QuickBBS, feel free to use the .ASC
files on your system, modify them, whatever.  This document will deal
primarily with setting sysops new to QuickBBS up in a minimum amount of
time.

So here we go.  The first thing you need to do is to install QuickBBS on
the system you intend to use -- the directions will be found in the
QuickBBS documentation.  Second, open this archive into a temporary
directory, to allow you to see what is inside before possibly overwriting
anything of importance on your current system.  The basic items I have
included are:

* Menus.  This basic set of menus allows for half a dozen message bases
  (controlled by security level and one by a flag setting), a file
  transfer area, user options and system information, bulletins, new
  users, and logoff.  Two surveys are included.  The menus go into the
  path you have specified in Qconfig for menu files -- BUT BE WARNED
  that at least the top menu will be replaced by the one I have included
  here.

* Text files.  These files are placed in the Text Files Path you have
  entered in Qconfig, and are the basic operating files that sysops can
  modify to taste.  Also included is a set of Bulletins (BULLET*.ASC)
  that you can change; the type 6 option (which in the docs is called
  "Selection Menu" or "Bulletin Menu") is not often used, and I think
  it is due to people not realising its flexibility.  Some of these text
  files are ones that you will not need due to the way you have your
  system set up; if you're hurting for drive space, pick and choose the
  ones you want online carefully.

* Surveys.  These go into your QuickBBS main directory (where QUICKBBS.EXE
  is) and are called by the type 12 ("Questionnaire" or "Survey") menu
  options.  Here's an interesting note on one specific questionnaire file:
  if you rename the NEW_USER.Q-A file to NEWUSER.Q-A, it will automatically
  be accessed after the NEWUSER2.ASC file is displayed.  If you want that,
  make sure to change the NEW.MNU to reflect the new name, or take it out
  of that menu entirely.

* Config.BBS.  This is a basic configuration file, with the message bases
  already configured.  I would recommend taking a look at it, BUT BACK UP
  YOUR OLD CONFIG.BBS!  For safety reasons, I have renamed this file to
  CONF_NEW.BBS; simply copy it over your old Config.BBS or delete your old
  one and rename Conf_New.BBS to Config.BBS to make it yours.  Once you do
  that, all you need to do with this demonstration Config.BBS file is
  to enter your system and sysop name, change the file paths to where your
  QuickBBS and support files areas are, and double-check the rest of the
  info to make sure it is the way you want it.

The basic system I have created here has five levels of access:

10 - New user (no access save to the new user menu).
20 - Registered user (access to messages but not files).
50 - File-registered (access to messages and files).
100 - Cosysop (access to messages, files, and an extra cosysop msg base).
32000 - Sysop (total control).

Security levels are considered a bare minimum; if you have an option set
to require level 50 access, anyone with level 50 or higher can access it.
In this manner, a new user (level 10) cannot access the file area (which
requires level 50 to access).

I have used two configuration flags as well.  These are Yes/No options
(with X meaning "Yes" and - meaning "No") that allow you to restrict
certain areas to people, regardless of their level.  The "Country Club"
base is a good example, as is the new user procedure:

A1 - Access to Country Club.
D1 - New user.

The Country Club message base is restricted in Qconfig to people with a
certain security level AND the A1 flag set; they must meet the level of
security needed for this area, AND have the A1 flag set.  This lets you
have private areas that special users can access.

The New User option in the main menu is extremely useful.  Take a look
at the TOP.MNU file, and you will see a smiley face for the key that
needs to be pressed to access the new user menu.  The smiley (Control-A
if you want to try it causes Quick to call that option as if a key was
pressed, IF the level and flag criteria are met.  It will pass anyone
with a D1 flag set (and I've set D1 to X for new users in Qconfig's
page 2) to the New user menu, without allowing them to use the main
board (until you raise their level and remove the D1 flag, whether
online or with QUFE).  This lets you funnel users into specific areas,
and just about run many different BBSes under the same phone number.

These menus and text files are simply a base for you to build upon;
use these as a starting point, not as your complete system.  QuickBBS
has incredible potential for creativity and uniqueness, but it is up
to the individual sysop to customise his or her system.

Mac Druaidh
Administration
The QuickBBS Group Inc.