Offline QWK is a offline mail generator for Hermes. It will allow your users to download packets of messages to read offline. It downloads messages in the QWK format which is supported by most offline mail readers. It supports compression of mail packets using Stuffit, Zip or a built-in compression scheme. This is a DEMO of the external and will only run for a few days. I you would like to use it longer than that please register it.
Installing it.
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Offline QWK consists of both a user and sysop external. To install it put Offline QWK and the folder "Offline QWK Files" in the externals folder and restart. The "Offline QWK Files" folder must have a folder for each node on your BBS called "Node #" where # is the number of the node. I have included two of these in the "Offline QWK Files" folder. If you have more than two nodes you should duplicate one of these and give it the proper name for that node. Each Node # folder should contain 3 files "Backgrounder", "Compression" and "Decompression". Each folder should have all three files. These files are explained below in the section on compression.
Setting it up.
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Customizing of Offline QWK is done from the sysop external. From the sysop external you can customize Offline QWK to suit your needs. From here you can set the security level and restriction code that determine who can use it. This is done using the 'Soser' standard that Sam Shafritz has proposed. Special thanks to Sam for setting up such a standard.
The Max messages item allows you to set the maximum number of messages that can be included in a packet. The only real reason to limit messages is that if you have a slow system. Scanning message bases and compressing large files is rather processor and disk intensive. Offline QWK is set to be very multinode friendly but it still can take a long time if you have a slower machine.
The other settings determine what sort of compression users will be able to use. See the section on compression for the details of each option. The options you set will be presented to the user once they have created a packet. If you don't chose at least one of the options then users will not be able to download their messages.
The 'Registration' button will allow you to enter your board information. This is only available for registered users.
Running it
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I think most of Offline QWK is self-explanatory. Instructions are given as you go along. You can chose which areas will be scanned and whether to include all messages, new messages or new messages to you. At the end you will be asked to pick a compression technique. Once the packet has been compressed you then choose a protocol for the download. The packet will then be downloaded in the normal manner.
Compression
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Several compression options are available with Offline QWK. Each has it's own advantages. This is a brief outline of the issues related to each compression type. Please read this information carefully before choosing a compression technique.
*Stuffit. The Stuffit option requires you have the Stuffit Engine which is part of the Stuffit Deluxe package. The Stuffit Engine must be in the Extensions folder. You will not be able to chose this option unless you have the Stuffit Engine installed. Stuffit is the most reliable of all the options. It takes very little memory and is relatively quick. It does have one major limitation in that it is completely modal. This means that while the messages are being compressed nothing else can take place on the BBS. This really means that Stuffit is only really suited for one node BBSs. You could use it on a multinode BBS if you limited the max messages to a small number and have a faster processor it wouldn't be that bad. 50 messages on a 030 machine only takes a few seconds. Stuffit is also a universal format on the Mac and their is also a decompressing Stuffit application for DOS.
*Zip. The Zip option requires you have ZipIt by Tommy Brown. You should have version 1.1.1 or higher and must be registered to work properly. ZipIt can be installed anywhere on the same drive that Hermes is installed on. In order to use it, ZipIt must NOT be running and you must have enough memory for ZipIt to launch in the background. ZipIt has a default memory allocation of 700K. I haven't messed with trying to decrease that, but it might be possible. ZipIt is normally also modal so it will tie up your BBS while it compresses messages but I have given you the option of checking the "Background" box next to the Zip option. If you check this then other nodes will still be able to continue as ZipIt is compressing the messages. In order to use the background option you must have a copy of the file "Backgrounder" in the folders for each node that will be running it. Backgrounder will take up an additional 30K of RAM when running. Only one user can use ZipIt at a time so if it is in use when a user chooses it they will be given the option of waiting for ZipIt to finish or choosing another option. On a slow machine ZipIt does slow things down considerably so it is really best on one node or faster machines. Zip is the best compression of the three options and is supported on most types of computers. The disadvantage is that it is a little slower and requires a lot of memory.
*Built-in. The built-in option does not require any other package. It is the fastest of the three options but does not compress messages nearly as much. Although I originally added this options as a final resort if you didn't own ZipIt or Stuffit Deluxe, I now think it may be the best option for multiple node setups. It only compresses messages by 50% but it is really fast, only uses about 100K of RAM while compressing and can be used by more than one node at a time. To use this option you must have a copy of both the "Compression" and "Decompression" files in each node's folder inside the "Offline QWK Files" folder. You also need to have about 100K free for each copy. The RAM is only used when the compression is actually being used. The built-in compression is only really possible for Macintosh users because the file it creates is a self extracting archive (.sea).
Limitations, problems etc
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The biggest problems I see will be related to compression. Please read the section on compression for details. On a single node I see no problems. On slower machines mulitnodes may be a little slow but there really isn't anything to do about it. If you do notice anything else let me know.
Future plans
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Depending on the response to this, I will be adding the following:
-- Support for reading and writing personal mail offline
-- Replies to messages read offline
-- New file scans included in the packet as a new file list
Let me know if you have any other suggestions.
The plea.
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Offline QWK is SHAREWARE. I think this is a really useful product. I am more than willing to support it but new versions are of course dependent on interest and interest is dependent on feedback and the best feedback is registration. I have written a few shareware applications and it is getting discouraging, not to mention financially hard, to justify all the time. If you use it please register your copy. I feel that shareware has fallen into the same trap as the commercial system it is supposed to be an alternative to. Authors ask for such large fees because so few people actually send them in. This in turn causes fewer people to send them in, which makes authors feel they need to ask for more, which…you get the picture. I have intentionally made the price so reasonable you don't have any excuse not to pay the shareware fee. If you don't think the external is worth $20 then DON'T USE IT.
Registration info
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To register send $20, *and* the registration form below (the form does make things easier) to Chris Owen, PO Box 1471, Garden City, KS 67846 (before August 1994 you can send it to me at 27 Bishop St #2R, New Haven CT 06511 for faster registration).
If you have any questions or comments about Offline QWK, I would appreciate hearing them. I can be reached on Olympus or at the addresses below. For fastest registration please include an address that is reachable by Internet (i.e. AOL, Compu$erve, Fidonet, etc.). Otherwise I will have to mail your registration back to you.)
Chris Owen (#681 on Olympus)
owen-christopher@yale.edu <-- I prefer this address
Mulligan's Valley ("official" support board) 203-772-4485 (2400)
BBS ID _________________________ * [BBS name in 8 letters or less, all caps]
Sysop name _____________________ *
Olympus user number ______ (I will not leave the registration here though)
And to help cut down on my long distance bills:
Mezzanine user number_____ Fidonet address__________________
AOL name ______________________ CIS number_________________
Internet address _________________
* This information will go into all packets and is used by the offline reader so write them clearly and exactly as you want them used in the packets. The BBS ID should be the BBS name but must be 8 letters or less (ie for Mulligan's Valley I used MULLIGAN). This is to comply with the QWK format for filenames.
