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INTRODUCTION 1-1
1. INTRODUCTION
---------------
RBBS-PC is a Remote Bulletin Board System for the IBM personal computer,
hence the name RBBS-PC. RBBS-PC's primary application is a "host"
communications package. This allows a System Operator (SysOp) to control a
system that lets "remote" callers use the host computer for many functions,
including:
- the dissemination of news and bulletins
- electronic mail between users
- exchange of programs and data
- taking surveys and placing on-line purchase orders
- or playing games.
RBBS-PC is a "full featured" bulletin board system that not only supports a
broad range of functions, but runs "multi-user" under networks and
multi-taskers. RBBS-PC can also run as a "local" application in which the
"user" does not connect through a telephone line, such as on a local area
network.
1.1 The Philosophy Behind RBBS-PC
---------------------------------
RBBS-PC is given away freely, with source code. Its authors and
contributors neither ask for nor receive any money for their work. RBBS-PC
is "Userware", meaning that it is supported and enhanced by the community
of people using it, who believe that what is shared becomes better than it
was. It is hoped that RBBS-PC will be used as a catalyst for the free
exchange of information, an educational example of communications
programming, and an irrepressible political force that puts the power of
information in the hands of the many.
1.2 Distribution of RBBS-PC
---------------------------
Each new version of RBBS-PC is initially sent to the CPCUG's Software
Exchange for distribution. CPCUG is a Maryland Corporation whose "legal
name" is the Capital PC User Group, Inc. The CPCUG is an all-volunteer,
non-profit organization according to Section 501C3, Social Welfare, of
federal law. All revenues are re-invested in and applied toward CPCUG's
education programs.
There is no fee at all for using or distributing RBBS-PC. Indeed, no one
can charge for its use or distribution, though user groups and commercial
distributors of software can recover their costs but not charge anything
for RBBS-PC itself.
RBBS-PC can also be downloaded from hundreds of bulletin boards across the
country. If the BBS you are calling is running RBBS-PC, chances are good
they will also have the files in their library.
1.3 The "Contributions" Requested for RBBS-PC
---------------------------------------------
RBBS-PC lives and dies by the unremunerated contributions of it's user
community. Four types of "contributions" are requested for RBBS-PC:
A. Modifications to RBBS-PC, itself, that are documented and
distributed as .MRG files against the "base-line" source code that
other SysOps might elect to incorporate into their version of RBBS-PC.
Remember that RBBS-PC can be distributed in modified form only with
permission. Distributing a modified EXE (executable) file without
RBBS-PC 17.3A TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL 1-2
permission violates both the RBBS-PC copyright and the limited license
granted with it's use.
B. Publicly distributable software. It can either be "public domain"
(i.e. software which the author has relinquished all rights and which
may be appropriated by anyone for use in any way), or publicly
distributable software (i.e. software in which the author has retained
the rights and which may only be used according to the conditions
under which the author has designated).
C. Equipment or services. If you or your organization can donate
equipment, software, supplies, or services to support the RBBS-PC
development effort, feel free to do so. Contact any of the authors
(listed on the title page of this document) if you wish to discuss
equipment donations.
D. Money - the last level of "contribution". Money is the one
commodity that we are willing to exchange without first having
obtained the respect or consideration of the other party. It is
perhaps the easiest to give as it exonerates us from the other levels
of "contribution." RBBS-PC development is an all volunteer effort, so
money is never plentiful. However, when equipment donation is not
possible, spare cash can often buy a piece of hardware that requires
experimentation before RBBS-PC can support it. Remember, money is not
the best or even the second-best type of "contribution" you could
make.
Independent of any donations of enhancements to RBBS-PC, publicly
distributable software, equipment, services, supplies, or money, please
consider becoming a member of CPCUG. Simply send your name, address, and
phone number along with $35 to CPCUG, 51 Monroe Street, Plaza East Two,
Rockville, MD 20850 or call their membership hot line at (301) 670-1737.
If in the final analysis you feel that you can do none of the above,
- remember those who have,
- enjoy what they have nurtured, and
- keep the faith with those who have gone before you.
RBBS-PC is what it is today only because of the freely donated time and
work of many contributors. Contributions have included suggestions,
software fixes, significant enhancements, improved documentation, and
utilities. Some of the individuals named here have continued their
contributions to RBBS-PC even to the current release. Others have gone on
to pursue different interests. But whether mentioned below or not, their
contributions live on in RBBS-PC. In their contributions to RBBS-PC's
on-going growth, each has paused to give of themselves without hope of
reward by practicing RBBS-PC's fundamental principle -- "users helping
users."
INTRODUCTION 1-3
While we have met very few of these people personally, those names we
remember are:
Doug Azzarito Ray Horton Harvey Pierce
Jeff Batdorf Gary Howrith Danny Plunkette
Rod Bowman Charlie Innusa Lee Pollard
Matthew Briggs Loren Jones Jeff Porter
Randy Brodersen Larry Jordan James Reinder
Mike Brown Robert Jueneman Joel Ricketts
Sam Brown Vern Kallegin Kurt Riegel
Mike Button Dave Kleinschmidt Jacques Rodrique
Vince Castelli Steven Kling Dick Rohradnz
Rob Cecchino Kim Kodde Rich Schinnell
Tom Collins Blaine Korcel Mark Seiden
Drew Commins Ronald Koridon Rosemarie Siddiqui
Ezra Conger John Krytus Andrew Silber
Ed Copley Mark Lautenschlager Carl Slaughter
Richard Couture Steve Lieber Samuel H. Smith
Bob Cramer Steven Linhart Gregg Snyder
Dave Crane Joseph Lionelle Robert Snyder
Daryl Damon Scott Loftesness Carl Spencer
Everett Delano Harry Logan David Staehlin
Francis Dorer Gene Lowry Stan Staten
Peter Eibl James Ludwick Terry Steichen
Warren Fox Kevin Lutz Dorn Stickle
John Friel D. Thomas Mack Randy Sun
Jim Fry Robert Mahoney Terry Taylor
Asa Fulton Matt Malden Jan Terpstra
Kent Galbraith Carl Margolis Arnold Thomsen
Mitch Geier Sidney Markowitz Daan van der Weide
John German Jon Martin Rick Wadowski
Read Gilgen Louie McCaw Clark Walker
Ken Goosens Wes Meier Kim Wells
Ray Gwinn John Morris Bob Westcott
Dave Hacquebord Bill Newkirk Robert White
Steve Harrison Jeregen Nordhausen Yew Seng Tan
Gary Hoff Vince Perriello
Special thanks goes to SysOps who helped sponsor enhancements to RBBS-PC,
including Ken Rogers of the United States Department of Commerce ECONOMIC
BULLETIN BOARD who encouraged configurable identification and
individuation, Loren Jones of The Center for Law and Computers at the
Illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago-Kent College of Law who
contributed to subscription support, John Rittwage of the American College
of Obstetricians and Gynecologists who helped support submenus and the
programmable user interface, and Brian Kelly of National Credit Appraisals
and Reporting, whose special needs prompted the development of personal
downloading.
To those whose names have not been mentioned -- apologies are extended.
Take comfort in knowing that you live on in the work that you have wrought.
In an age of cynicism, RBBS-PC and the Userware concept represents an
opportunity for each of us to give back to the world something a little
better than when we found it, and is something that the authors of RBBS-PC
believe in strongly. To each of the contributors to RBBS-PC, we would like
to say personally, "We are very proud of the company that RBBS-PC keeps."
RBBS-PC 17.3A TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL 1-4
1.4 How to Send Improvements
----------------------------
RBBS-PC continues to evolve and be "debugged." The following coding
conventions have been helpful in the past and you are requested to observe
them in the future:
Updates consist of two types of ASCII files. One called *.MRG which are
the BASIC source statements for the particular base-line source code
component of RBBS-PC to be updated. The lines that have been modified are
indicated as being so modified with a comment beginning in column 70 in the
format as follows:
4330 CALL QuickTPut("This line has been changed!",1) ' DA091402
The comment in column 70 consists of the changer's initials, the month and
day of the change, and a sequence number. Thus, the comment DA091402 means
Doug Azzarito made this change on Sept 14th, and it was the second change
he made that day.
These .MRG files can be applied to the base-line source code via Ken
Goosens' Batch Line EDitor utility program (BLED). The BLED utility can
easily create .MRG files as it has both a file compare and file merge
function that is specifically geared to the new BASIC compiler's
capabilities that allow lines of source to be unnumbered.
The second file type is called *.DOC. It describes on a line-by-line basis
the specific functions added or bug that was fixed. The .DOC file is what
allows us to integrate several .MRG files and resolve whatever conflicts
that may exist.
Each incremental release of RBBS-PC beyond 17.3 will include updates to the
base-line documentation. When possible, these updates will be in the form
of replacement pages to be inserted in the baseline documentation.
The RBBS-PC naming conventions of 99.9X are roughly as follows:
1. If a significant change to source code or logic occurs, the first two
digits of the release level will change (i.e. 14.1 was followed by 15.1).
Such changes usually include system file format changes requiring a
"reconfiguration."
2. If a new feature or enhancement is added the digit following the
decimal point is incremented by one (i.e. 17.2B was followed by 17.3).
These changes usually do NOT require "reconfiguration."
3. If a "bug" is being fixed, the letter at the end of the version number
is incremented (i.e. 17.2A was followed by 17.2B). These "maintenance"
releases contain no new significant features, but often fix troublesome
bugs in the previous version. With each maintenance release, a .MRG file
name such as 17-3A.MRG and a corresponding 17-3A.DOC file will describe the
changes. The first maintenance version is always "A".
4. As bugs are reported and fixes found for the current release of RBBS-
PC, the source code corrections are distributed via an RFIXmmdd.ZIP file.
This contains the necessary files to apply the "temporary fixes" against
the released version of the source code and re-compile the source code.
The recompiled .EXE files are distributed via a file named RFIX-EXE.ZIP.
INTRODUCTION 1-5
The purpose of these conventions is to allow everyone to know what RBBS-PC
level they are running under and understand the logic behind the
changes/fixes as they occur so each SysOp can evaluate them for his own
needs. When you logon to RBBS-PC the version will be displayed.
If you have comments or fixes, please let us know so that they can be
reflected in the RBBS-PC program and shared with all other users. You can
do that by sending your changes by mail to:
Ken Goosens
5020 Portsmouth Road
Fairfax, Virginia 22032
or uploading the changes to Ken Goosens' BBS at 703-978-6360.
All comments and suggestions are welcome, but those that are come with
source code changes carry more weight.