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Text File | 1993-12-30 | 15.4 KB | 368 lines

USING THE GI BBS - AMIGA TUTORIAL Your first log on is over. From now on you will immediately see the system screens telling you where the files are located. The first session can be trying on your patience. We will try to make this a pleasant and profitable experience for you! First take the time to read our tutorial and then make your first download the Term3.4 program. Our tutorial explains our BBS and modem procedures to follow in most term programs but none matches the Term 3.4 program as far as configurabillity or ease of use. It offers the most user friendly set up and offers the novice to advanced modem user the advantage of settings up their own custom configuration. We will get you started with the most basic settings now and as you learn you will be able to customize to your tastes. Follow the tutorial one step at a time for all settings and you should be properly set up for telecommunications to anywhere. TERMINAL SETTINGS: Go to the WORKBENCH and open the Prefs drawer. Open the serial preferences. The settings should be: Handshaking RTS/CTS Parity None Bits/Char 8 Stop Bits 1 Baud Rate (Depends on your modem speed) 2400 should be set to 2400, 14.4 can be set to 31,250 (High speed modems have transfer protocols that can send information using compression at speeds faster than what the modem is rated for. Term3.4 settings: Set all the parameters listed below one pull down menu at a time and you will be setting up Term3.4 to be extremely easy to upload and download with. These settings make all the location assignments for uploads, downloads and text capture automatic so that all you need do is keep hitting the return bar to activate the necessary sequences for uploads & downloads. When you are ready to quit Term3.4, saving your buffer text capture is as easy as pulling down the save buffer menu and saving by naming the text. SETTINGS PULL DOWN MENU: *Serial: settings should be the same as Workbench prefs. Duplex: Full Serial Device: Select the driver Icon to select from the drivers within the DEVS directory. Internal modems use their driver which is shipped with the modem software. Place the modem driver into the DEVS directory if you haven't already done this. Example would be modem0.device. This indicates an internal modem within a slot. External modems use the Serial.device which indicates the serial port of the Amiga. *Screem settings: Select your display mode: which can be high res, high res interlace, low res etc. I use the High Res mode. Colour: 2,4,8,16 colors - We recommend 8 color ANSI which duplicates the CNET output. Blinking (OFF) *Capture Settings: Text buff. file path - select where you wish to save the capture buffer text file contents. Anything you do on line is captured to the buffer automatically and you can save the entire session for later review by saving the buffer as a text file to some location. This will be the default path where all buffer captures will be saved to so select a harddrive partition or drawer rather than a ram location. Max. text buff.size - set to 0. This will allocate ram as needed to write to the capture buffer. This will give you unlimited capture size so you won't accidentally lose any of your session. Many programs can limit the amount of ram used for the capture buffer, and this would automatically cut your text file and overwrite the first parts if you did exceed the buffer size limits. By setting to 0 you have no physical buffer limits other than how much ram is on your system. Text buff.enabled - place check in box. Text buff.file path - select the harddrive partition and drawer location you wish to save your file to at the end of your term session. This is the automatic file path location you are assigning for the capture buffer text. *Path Settings": Configuration Storage Dir - select a location to save a file named config with all the preference settings for the term program. Term, on bootup, uses this config file to set everything for communication to the serial or internal port. Save this config file within the TERM drawer with all other term associated files. EX: Dh0:Term/config, Work:Term/config Default binary upload path - select the location you wish to place all upload files. EX: DH0:, Work:, DH1: Default binary download - select the location you wish to save all downloaded data. EX: DH0:, Work:, DH1: Both of these areas should contain enough space to accept your files without filling up and aborting your transfer. Select a hard drive partition with space. *File Transfer Library Preferences: Binary Upload Library - xprzmodem .library Binary Download Library - xprzmodem.library The xprzmodem library comes with the term program and should be placed into the libs directory of workbench. This is the default transfer protocol for CNET and Term3.4. Everything else not mentioned works fine in the default mode so if I didn't mention it, don't play with it until you have more experience with the program. WHERE NOW? Log onto the system. The prompt (Main:) is the highest level. This is where all activity starts from. To get back to the main prompt at any time, use the "q" character. A word of caution, if you hit the "q" too many times, it will back you off the system and cut your call off. Remember "q" will move you back towards the main prompt (or first screen). WHERE ARE THE FILES? The files are located in the sub-directories Gfiles & Uploads. The main screen will bring up a prompt which looks like the following. (Base, Feedback, Gfiles, Off, Pfiles, STatus, Time, Uploads, ?=Menu) ___________________________________________________________________________ Base (b) is currently empty. Feedback (f) Is to leave messages for the SysOp, ask questions, or make suggestions) ___________________________________________________________________________ Gfiles (g) contains all the text files, tutorials, and the order form. 1. BackupProgram.txt 2. ExtractRunFiles.Txt 3. FreeOffer 4. GIElectonicOrder Form 5. GIReadMe 6. Tips&Tricks 7. BBS-Tutorial To read the text files, type the number of the file and hit return. The text file will read to the screen. Use your capture buffer to copy all of the text for future reading of the file off line. On Term3.4 the capture buffer is always on so you will capture all the text screens you see while on line. After you get off the BBS line and before you close the Term3.4 program, select the Buffer pull down menu, save Buffer as: name the captured text and the directory location you want it. It will write the entire session as an ASCII file to be read later. Use a text editor like EdWord to read the file. This is an excellent way to read file names and numbers for future downloading. The next time you will be able to go to areas of interest quickly and without getting lost. This works for any BBS! ____________________________________________________________________________ Off (o) Logs you off the system. Constantly pressing "q" will do the same thing. Pfiles (p) Currently not used. STatus (st) Text screen containing information concerning your account. Time (t) Gives you the time. ___________________________________________________________________________ _ Uploads (u) This area contains all the programs, text files, tutorials, picture upload area, & sample pictures. 1. PUO (Picture Uploads Only) 2. (Dir) Utilities 3. Text Files & Tutorials 4. Sample Pictures Type 1,2,3 or 4 to gain access to these areas. ___________________________________________________________________________ 1. PUO - To upload your picture files to Graphic Impressions Your prompt will say (1) Picture Uploads Only> To Upload files type the letter "u" at the prompt In Term3.4 continue to hit return through all the questions, approx 8, and a window will pop up to select Text or Binary transfer. Select Binary and hit return. You will then see a requestor screen asking what files to upload and what location they are in. Select your files and location path of the files and hit return. The transfer will commence. At the end of each transfer you will need to give a short description of each file. I recommend your name and a number in sequence. After the description hit return and .s and return again to save the description to the file. This is a text editor you are writing in and .s will save the information you typed in and return you to the next upload. To save time you can lha the entire bundle of files as one larger lha (compressed) file, then transfer the larger lha file. You only have to name one file rather than a whole group of files one at a time. PICTURE UPLOADING: Locate all of your files into a drawer on your hard drive with the Electronic Order Form TOTALLY FILLED OUT. This order form must accompany your upload for us to process your order. It contains all necessary information about you with billing/shipping instructions. We have taken great pains to make this system work smoothly and the order form is a necessity to completing your order on time. Speed of the actual transfer will vary with the speed of your modem, the standards you support and the level of the line noise on the telephone line. Our system will adjust for the linenoise, decreasing for heavy noise and increasing when the noise level is low. Most modems do not have this capability. They reduce their transfer rates and stay at the slower speeds to guarantee good transfers. Transfers can take place any time of the day or night since our BBS is on 24 hours a day. If when you are on line and need help type, "c" for the chat mode and see if the SysOp is available to assist you. To exit PUO and move towards the main screen type the letter "q" __________________________________________________________________________ 2. (Dir) Utilities - To gain access to all BBS shareware Type 1 for Amiga Utilities or 2 for MS_Dos Utilities 1. Amiga Utilities 2. MS-Dos Utilities Your prompt will say 1. Amiga Utilities> This directory contains the listed shareware programs: 1. ABackUp4.01 (HDbackup Program with 2.0 user interface) 2. AIBB6.0 (System Performance Check) 3. ArchiveInt (Archiving program with 2.0 user interface) 4. Bars&Tone (Sample Color bars/1000 hz tone) 5. DirWork1.62 (Directory Utility 2.0 user interface) 6. DrawMap4.1 (Draws maps-countries/states/etc.) 7. EdWord 2.2 (Text editor with 2.0 user interface) 8. FindIt (Search utility with 2.0 User interface) 9. FontViewer (Views all fonts in directory-2.0 interface.) 10. GIDemo (Self running demo using TVShow) 11. TurboImploder (Crunches executable programs to decrease the size on hard drive) 12. InTime (Places a counter/frame number on video scenes as a reference number for editing) 13. lha (Compression program for file storage or modem transfers) 14. Lhasfx (Creates self extracting lha files called .run files. Many of our programs are in this format) 15. MuchMore (Improved reader utility for C or Utilities drawers, reads text files.) 16. SnoopDos (Diagnostic tool to show all dos commands and any failures) 17. SysInfo (System performance monitor and comparison) 18. Term3.4-030 (Terminal program for accelerated machines) 19. Term3.4 (Same program for unaccelerated machines) 20. ViewTek2.0 (Picture viewer does GIF, Jpeg, IFF etc.) 21. BBSTutorial (Text file explaining how to use BBS) 22. PNET (Parallel Network to connect multiple Amigas) Most of these programs work with the 1.3 operating system but you will not be able to use certain features of the 2.04, 2.1 or 3.0 operating systems. Go get OS2.1, it offers you many slick interface options and refinements to make using your programs more effortless and productive. To view the list of files in this directory use the letter "s". It will scan all files in the directory. If a file has an extended explanation you can type "r" and the file number to read it on screen. Example "r6". The larger readme files contain more in-depth information that could not fit in the five line explanation. To download any of these files, record the number of the file while you are scanning the entire list. When you come to the end of the list the main prompt will reappear. Type the letter "d" and the number of the file. You can do multiple downloads by typing "d1, d2, d3" etc. This will download the entire group of files selected. Just hit return until the transfer window opens. You need not answer any of the questions if all of the settings in the tutorial are set right. Your files will be written to your default binary download path location. 2. MS-Dos Utilities: Contains a smaller number of files and readmes until I can get more support for the Dos Side. Additions I would like are picture viewers and practical utilities like we use on the Amiga. If you have any send them up. To exit Amiga or MS-Dos Utilities and move towards the main screen type the letter "q" ____________________________________________________________________________ 3. Text Files and Tutorials- Gains access to all text files & tutorials Your prompt will display: (3)Text Files and Tutorials> To scan all files in this sub type the letter "s" and all text files with 5 line descriptions will write to screen. Hit the space bar for more. Using the letter "r" and the number of the file will allow you to read the extended text file for more detailed information if it exists for that file. You may download any of these files using the same procedures as downloading the shareware programs in the Amiga Utillities section listed above. TIP: Use the capture buffer since it is on all the time in term and read all text screens as fast as you can hit the space bar. All text will be written to the buffer which you can save and read later. To exit Text Files and Tutorials and move back towards the main screen type the letter "q" ____________________________________________________________________________ 4. Sample Pictures - Gains access to any picture samples Your prompt will display: Sample Pictures> Sample pictures, slide and negative templates for designing graphics and showing safe areas to draw in. You may download any of these files using the same procedures as downloading the shareware programs in the Amiga Utilities section listed above. To exit Sample Pictures and move back to the main screen type the letter"q" ____________________________________________________________________________ HELP: ?=Menu (Will display several screens showing you the commands available for you to use within the system to upload, alter your information, leave feedback, download, chat with SysOp etc. These commands are used by more advanced terminal users to alter files. ABOUT THE BBS: Our system uses CNET Zmodem for uploads and downloads. We are currently running CNET 2.63 for our BBS on a USRobotics 14.4 Courier HST dual standard Modem. Our modem will seek the best speed for the line conditions and seek the highest speed your modem can send. PURPOSE OF THE BBS: We wish to support our customers and offer another way to speed up the process of creating slides & negatives from Amiga files. The files on line for downloading are items we feel are equal to commercial software and will help you be more productive. If you have comments about our service, ways we can improve the service, or about files we do not have, please leave us feedback.