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──══ Galaxy 5 ══── Help With Doors ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This file explains how to setup a door, and the use of fossil drivers, and related topics. It is primarily for those who are not yet familiar with the setup of doors on their BBS (new SysOps). If you already know how to setup doors, then you do not need to read this file. It starts from the basics of door setup. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Please keep in mind that I run a Wildcat! 4 system, and will be giving many examples using the Wildcat! doors setup. If you are running BBS software other than Wildcat!, then setup points referred to in this file, may differ slightly, or greatly. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── DOOR SETUP ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── When you first install a door, you should read any documentation on the setup of that particular door. Most doors are similiar in setup, but alot have their own requirements on setting up. Sometimes door authors will include a SYSOP.DOC file with their door. This file usually contains everything you need to know on how to setup the door. If there is no SYSOP.DOC file, look for one or more of these files, SYSOP.TXT README.TXT READ1ST.TXT README.1ST INSTALL.TXT INSTALL.DOC SETUP.DOC SETUP.TXT If you see any of these files (especially the README files), you should refer to them immediately before attempting to install the door. If none of the above files are included, then look for a .DOC or .TXT file with the same name as the door. Such as GALAXY5.DOC for Galaxy 5. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── First, if necessary, run the setup program that comes with the door (or any install programs needed, or both if necessary). If you need to edit a .CFG file, then do that also. In some setup programs, and/or .CFG files, you will be asked where the door can find your BBS drop file. Drop files have different names for different BBS platforms, and some use the same drop files. Here is a list of a few of them, DOOR.SYS DORINFO*.DEF CALLINFO.BBS PCBOARD.SYS SFDOORS.DAT Among many others. Many new SysOps ask the common question, "I don't have a DOOR.SYS file! Where is mine?" Or whatever drop file your BBS uses. The answer is simple, there isn't one! These files are temporary files created when a user uses a door on your BBS. The door then reads this drop file to gather caller information such as name, security level, time left on BBS, COM port info, etc. After the door exits, and your BBS returns, the drop file is erased. So you will not see a door drop file at any given time, unless you are in another "window" in a multi-tasking environment, looking in the drop file directory while a caller is using a door. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Sometimes the door configuration will ask for your drop file type. This is where you either use the file name of the drop file your BBS creates, or a special abbreviation or other code the door uses for each different type of drop file (the config file or setup program will usually inform you of the code to use if any). Then you may be asked for the directory where to find this drop file. A Wildcat! single node system would use the C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE1 directory (replacing C:\WILDCAT with your home Wildcat! directory). And sometimes the door configuration will ask for the full path and file name of the drop file. A Wildcat! single node system would use, C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE1\DOOR.SYS (again replacing the C:\WILDCAT with your home Wildcat! directory). ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── SETTING UP THE BATCH FILE(S) ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The most important thing you probably need to look for, in the documentation, is how to set up the batch file(s) for the door. The batch file(s) to run the door, are ran from your BBS software. In a Wildcat! 4 setup, these batch files have the .BAT extension, and are placed in the WILDCAT\BATCH subdirectory. Here is a basic example of a batch file used to run a door when the BBS is setup to "shell" to doors instead of terminating (the recommended setting), @ECHO OFF D: CD\DOORS\DOORNAME DOORNAME FILENAME.CFG Here are explanations of each command --------------------------------------- @ECHO OFF - This turns of echoing these commands to your screen. It is not really a necessary command, but is used by many SysOps (including myself!). D: - This is only needed if your doors are located on a different drive than your BBS software. It will change to that drive before executing the door. CD\DOORS\DOORNAME - Changes to the directory containing the door about to be executed. Most of the time, this is necessary for the door program to be able to find its program files. If you use a command like, D:\DOORS\DOORNAME\DOORNAME.EXE FILENAME.CFG, then if the door needs to use any external program files, it will not be able to find them, because you are actually running the door from your drop file directory this way, instead of the doors own directory. DOORNAME FILENAME.CFG - Executes the door using the configuration file as the command line (if needed). Here is where door batch files usually get tricky. Many doors use many different command line parameters (the command line parameter in this case is the FILENAME.CFG command) to initiate the door. You will have to find out what command line parameters you need to use to execute each door from your BBS batch file, in one of the documentation files explained earlier. Most doors need the name of the config file as the only parameter, but this is not always the case, so you really should look at the docs to find out what parameters you need to use. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Case is not important in your batch file(s). Upper or lower case can be used anywhere in the above commands. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Sometimes you will need to change back to your drop file directory after the door is run (if required by your BBS software). If so, then you will have to add the "CD" command again to the end of the batch file. If you changed to another drive letter at the beginning of the batch file, then you will need to first change back to your BBS drive before changing back to your drop file directory. Here is an entire batch file example, with Wildcat! being on the C: drive, and the doors being on the D: drive, and changing back to the drop file directory after the door is run, @ECHO OFF D: CD\DOORS\DOORNAME DOORNAME FILENAME.CFG C: CD\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE1 As far as I know, Wildcat! does not require you to do this, but I do it myself anyway. I know from experience that it WILL work properly without changing back to the drop file directory at the end of your batch file. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── SETTING UP THE DOOR IN YOUR BBS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Now you will need to tell your BBS software about the door. I honestly have no idea how to do this in any other BBS software besides Wildcat! So I will explain how to do it in Wildcat!, and maybe you can relate the info to your BBS software if you run any other than Wildcat! Note that this is Wildcat! 4 setup, and that I plum forgot how to do it in Wildcat! 3, since its been so long! ;> 1) Run MakeWild, and choose the "Doors" main menu option. 2) Move your highlight bar to the very last door (which is empty), and press ENTER (or double click on the empty one). 3) It will ask you something like, "Clear door access for this door?" Select Yes. 4) You are then editing the doors info. The first box asks for the door description. Enter the name of the door here (this can be worded however you wish). Next is the door batch file. Enter here whatever you named the batch file for this door (usually named to match the door it is for). You should have already placed this batch file in your WILDCAT\BATCH subdirectory. In the next box you enter the display file you want shown to users upon choosing to enter the door (I do not currently use this feature myself, it is optional if you wish to use it). The next one is the "Door Multi User?" flag. If the door allows more than one caller to use the door at the same time, then change it to Y, otherwise, leave it at N. The next one, "Small DOOR.SYS," I have never had to answer Y to this one yet, so unless the door you are installing needs a small DOOR.SYS, leave this one at N. "Use Alias Name" This one is up to you. If you set it to Yes, then the real name of the caller will not be passed to the door in the DOOR.SYS file, only his/her alias. I have so far, always left this at No. "Terminate On Door." This one if set to yes, Wildcat! will terminate, and then execute the door instead of "shelling" out to it. I have not explained the use of terminating on doors instead of shelling. So if you wish to continue using this file as your guide for now, leave this at N. I do not terminate on my doors, as I have not had the need to. 5) After filling in all of the fields, press F3 (or double click on it), and select all security levels who are allowed access to the door. Then press F4 (or double click on it), and select all of the conferences this door is available in. I always select all conferences for every door, but this is up to you, and how you want to set up your doors on your system. 6) Press F10 to save it. 7) Load WCdraw, and add the door to your DOORS.BBS display file. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── As I mentioned before, if you are not running a Wildcat! system, then you will have to set up your doors in your BBS however you are supposed to do so according to your particular software. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── MULTI NODE SETUP ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If you are running more than one node on your BBS, and want to set up doors, it gets a little more complicated, but once you understand it, its really not that hard to comprehend (unless the door you are installing is not very multi node friendly). Most doors are set up for use by one caller at a time. If this is the case, then you can still set up the door on all of your nodes, but will have to "disallow" more than one person from using it at the same time. Most BBS platforms allow you to do this when setting the door up in your BBS configuration program. For instance, Wildcat! has a flag for each door in the door setup called "Door Multi User?" If the door cannot be used by more than one caller at a time, then you must set this to NO. On the other hand, if the door you are installing is multi node aware, and allows more than one player to use it at a time (such as Galaxy 5), then set this to YES for that/those particular door(s). ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── I can explain multi node door setup to the best of my ability, as most doors must be set up differently for multi node use. What I can do, is explain the configuration file use for multi node doors. For example, a door that asks for the config file on the command line to run the door (DOORNAME FILENAME.CFG), you can create separate config files for each node that you have, using the setup particular to each node. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Lets say we are setting up DOORNAME under two nodes, nodes 1 and 2. First we create a configuration file (used by the door) named NODE1.CFG. In this config file, we show the door where to find the drop file for node one, and if asked for, the com port number for the modem on node 1, and/or the IRQ number for node 1 (if asked for), and anything else specific to node 1 that the config file asks for. So our Wildcat! setup under node one, would point the door to the drop file in the C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE1 directory (replacing C:\WILDCAT with your home Wildcat! directory). And if the modem that node 1 uses is on COM 4, then we would put 4 on the line that asks for the COM port number (if it asks for it), etc. We save the file, then copy it to NODE2.CFG (or start a new one), and edit this one to point the door to the C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE2 directory (again replacing C:\WILDCAT with your home Wildcat! directory). And the COM port number the modem that node 2 uses is on (if asked for), etc. etc. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Now comes the trickier part. Wildcat! systems (among others) can use a "Node ID" variable to determine the node number for each different node. In Wildcat!, this variable is WCNODEID and is set in the batch files that you start each node from like this, SET WCNODEID=1 for node 1, and SET WCNODEID=2 for node 2, etc. If you use (or are going to use) the Node ID variables, then you need only make one batch file to run the door with, and place it in your WILDCAT\BATCH subdirectory (or the batch file directory for your particular BBS software). Now in this batch file, you will need to call the appropriate config file for the node being ran. Here is an example batch file for a multi node door using the WCNODEID variable, @ECHO OFF D: CD\DOORS\DOORNAME DOORNAME NODE%WCNODEID%.CFG Notice the NODE%WCNODEID%.CFG in the above example. If node 1 was running the door, then this command would be passed to DOORNAME, DOORNAME NODE1.CFG. And if node 2 was running the door, then the above statement would be passed looking like this, DOORNAME NODE2.CFG. Anywhere you place %WCNODEID% (case is not important) in your batch file(s) for running doors, it will be replaced with the proper node number being ran, as long as you use the SET WCNODEID=? command in your batch files that start each of your BBS nodes replacing ? with the proper node number. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If you are not using the Node ID variables, then for Wildcat! systems, you will need to use separate .RUN files instead of one .BAT file. These .RUN files are batch files with a .RUN extension, and must be placed in your NODE directories. Here is an example .RUN file for node 1, @ECHO OFF D: CD\DOORS\DOORNAME DOORNAME NODE1.CFG This file must be placed in the C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE1 directory, instead of the C:\WILDCAT\BATCH directory (replacing C:\WILDCAT with your home Wildcat! directory). Here is node 2's example, @ECHO OFF D: CD\DOORS\DOORNAME DOORNAME NODE2.CFG This file must be placed in the C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE2 directory, instead of the C:\WILDCAT\BATCH directory (replacing C:\WILDCAT with your home Wildcat! directory). ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Wildcat! always first looks for the .RUN version of your door batch files in the node directories when executing a door. If not found, then it uses the .BAT file in the BATCH directory. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── LOCKED BAUD RATES ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── It is recommended that you lock your baud rate for each node. How you ask? Anywhere in any setup pertaining to your BBS or doors that asks for the locked baud rate, enter a locked baud rate. If you have a 14400 modem or slower, first try locking it at 38400. If you have a 19.2 or higher, use 57600. Locking your baud rate increases the speed at which text is sent over the modem, and is much more effecient. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── To lock your baud rate, you must first do so in your BBS setup program. In Wildcat!, this is located under "Modem Settings" in the MakeWild program. Then, when setting up a door, if it asks anywhere for your locked baud rate, you must enter the same value there as you did in your BBS setup program. It is not wise to use a locked baud rate under one program and not the other! ;> This also applies to front end mailers if you use one (Front Door, D'Bridge, etc.). ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── FOSSIL DRIVERS ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Alot of doors can use a fossil driver if you are using one. Whats a fossil driver you ask? A fossil driver is a TSR that runs your COM ports for you. They are more effecient than regular COM routines, and are recommended, especially in a multi node environment. By far I have found the best fossil driver to be BNU by David Nugent. As far as I am aware the most current version is 2.02. BNU works well under DESQview, and Windows as well as DOS (I am not sure about OS/2). I am currently running BNU v2.02 under Windows 95 with beyond satisfactory results. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── By far the easiest way to setup BNU (in my opinion), is to use the BNU.COM version, instead of the BNU.SYS (both are included in the archive when you obtain it). The BNU.COM version can be loaded via batch files, or directly from the command line. The BNU.SYS version must be loaded via your CONFIG.SYS file. The main reason I use the .COM version is because I like to unload the fossil driver when I take the BBS down. By using the BNU.SYS version, the fossil is always resident in memory until you reboot (to my knowledge anyway). Refer to BNU's documentation (if you decide to use it) for more complete informatin on the fossil driver. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── BNU can be used to control all of your COM ports. Be it one or four modems, maybe more, I'm not sure, as I said before, refer to BNU's documentation for full information on this. If you use the .COM version, I personally recommend creating a batch file called FOSSIL.BAT (or whatever you wanna name it), containing the full command line to load BNU for your system. This way, you can CALL FOSSIL.BAT from the batch file(s) that load your BBS (or front end mailer if you use one), instead of calling the entire command line that BNU must have. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Another important factor when using a fossil driver, is telling your BBS software to use the fossil driver. For example, in a Wildcat! system, under "Modem Settings," there is a field that asks for "Type of Serial Port." If you are using a fossil driver, then you must use "Fossil Driver" in this field. Also, you must set the field "Determine Ringing Using" to "Ring Result." Then set the "Determine Baud Rate Using" field to "Result Code 2." ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Here are the basic settings to get you started using BNU.COM. If you are unfamiliar with BNU, try these settings first (replacing the appropriate info where necessary). Of course, in order to use BNU, you should first place the BNU.COM file somewhere in your path statement. The example used below, is for one modem (one node) where the modem is connected to COM port 1, and is equal to or faster than 14400. If these settings do not work for you, then tweak them as you need to. BNU /P:1 /L0:57600 /F+ /Z0 /M- /T:3072 /R:3072 /O Here is an explanation of the above switches used --------------------------------------------------- /P: = Tells BNU how many ports to enable. (/P:2 enables 2 ports). /L0 = Tells BNU what baud rate to lock the specified COM port at. The COM port specified in this case is 1. Notice that a 0 is used instead of 1. When refering to the actual COM port number in BNU, you must decrease the value by one. For example, COM 2 would be /L1, COM 3 would be /L2, etc. /F+ = Enables fast screen writes. To disable fast screen writes, use /F-. /Z0 = This is used if you have a 16550 FIFO buffer. I believe this is in your modem specifications. Most modems that are 14.4 and faster, and do not require any software drivers to run, do have 16550 FIFO's. If you have problems with BNU, try either removing this command, or changing it to /Z5 which disables 16550 FIFO buffering. /M- = Disables the BNU initialization message. Normally BNU shows its loading stats to the screen, you can disable it with this switch, or enable it by removing this switch, or changing it to /M+. /T: = Sets the transmit buffer size. In this case the value is set to 3072. This shouldn't normally have to be changed. If you do need to reduce it however, change it to /T:2048. /R: = Sets the receive buffer size. This is also set to 3072. If you need to reduce it for some reason, change it to /R:2048. /O = This switch is used to enable "compatible" operation of BNU in situations where either X00 or Opus!Com worked (other fossil drivers), but BNU didn't. It should be used by default at all times unless you can get away with omitting it. ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NOT ENUFF ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If the above information does not help you out enough, feel free to contact me with your question(s) regarding what it is you need help with. I am always glad to help, and will give you all the info I can to help you get started setting up doors on your system! ;> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── BBS : The Last Call BBS! (313) 295-6284 Fido : 1:2410/903 Internet : Thomas.Smith@wland.ack.mi.org ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── I also frequent the following echos on FidoNet, LORD LORD_SYSOP SHAREWRE SHAREWARE_SUPPORT DOORGAMES ON_LINE_GAMES ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Hope this helped! Good Luck! ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── ■ END OF FILE ■