QRZ! Ham Radio 8/QRZ Ham Radio Callsign Database - Volume 8.iso/pc/files/f6fbb/filsrv26.exe/REQFIL.DOC

Text File | 1994-07-07 | 20KB | 472 lines

                 REQFIL & REQDIR, DIR & GET for the F6FBB BBS
                          Version 2.6  July 6, 1994
                        (C) 1994 by Dean R. Madsen, KE0WO
                        KE0WO @ KE0WO.#NWIA.IA.USA.NA
                        Internet: [e-mail]

        This file contains a BRIEF overview about how to install and run
the REQDIR, REQFIL, GET & DIR programs.


        REQFIL & REQDIR are file servers that allow users to upload and
download files are well as receive directories and directory listings (as
set up by the Sysop).  These servers are intended to mimic the FILEX server
(that is a part of the W0RLI BBS) and make it easier for users to access
files by not having to deal with manuvering through FBBDOS or worrying about
pathes.  Another advantage to these servers is the Sysop defines and labels
the file areas.  This prevents users from wandering through your hard disk
and allows directories to be labeled (max 80 characters).  The servers also
use the R: routing lines to find the home BBS of the originator of the
message to the server.  Other features of these servers are:

- A message to the SysOp when an upload is received stating who uploaded the
  file, where it is located and when the upload occured.

- Credit is given at the beginning of a file to the person who uploaded it.

- Users will receive various messages for:  successful uploads, duplicate file
  names (for uploads), inexistant directories, etc.

- The configuration file is simular to the portion of the file that
  configures the file sections on the W0RLI BBS (last time I looked).

- The text used in responses from the server can be easily changed allowing
  for customization/other languages.

- Variables are available to include variable info into the reply messages.

- When requesting a directory listing, it is possible to set a filter using
  wildcards such as *.TXT.

- The servers do not use as much memory as they used to.

- There can be practically an unlimited number of files in a directory.
  Previously there was a limit of about 1000 or less.

- Long replies can be split into a Sysop settable number of lines.  Using the
  R95 Split format.

- GET and REQFIL no longer need a subdirectory letter when downloading, just enter
  the name of the file you want.

- Drives/directries not set up in the .CFG file are accessable for download.
  (Sysop settable with multiple security levels).

--------------------------- Getting Started ----------------------------------

First copy the REQFIL.EXE and REQDIR.EXE files to the \FBB\BIN directory.
Make sure to delete the REQFIL.COM and REQDIR.COM that came with the FBB
program.
Then copy  DIR.EXE and GET.EXE to the \FBB\PG directory.

Now the REQFIL.CFG file needs to be configured.  This file HAS to be in the
\FBB directory.

The REQFIL.TXT and REQDIR.TXT files need to be copied to the \FBB directory.
They may be edited as you like.

------------------------C:\FBB\REQFIL.CFG------------------------------------


The First line of this file is the call of the BBS the servers are being run
on.

The second line is the callsign of the Sysop (This is the call that will
receive messages when an upload is received).

The third line is the call/alias that you want all messages from REQFIL and
REQDIR to be from.  At this time both REQDIR and REQFIL use this call,  in the
future I might change this to allow two different aliases.  I recommend either
the call of the BBS (without SSID) or the alias SERVER.

The fourth line is the size in bytes for the directory listing in each
REQDIR reply.  (a value of 0 disables reply splitting)

The fifth line is the size in bytes for the chunks of the file to include each
in each REQFIL reply.  (a value of 0 disables reply splitting)

The sixth line is the security level for REQFIL and GET.  This sets up who
can use GET and REQFIL to access all directories/drives in your hard disk.

**** If you don't want someone to have C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT as their message to
     REQFIL and download your AUTOEXEC pay attention to this parameter!

Value of:

4096      disables everyone from retrieving files outside the file directories
          defined in \FBB\REQFIL.CFG

2048      Allows ONLY requests from the callsign on the first line to retrieve
          files outside the file areas.

0         Allows anyone and everyone to retrieve files outside the file
          sections.  (for my beta testers that didn't have the option of
          setting a security level there was no problem.)

Now here is where the numbers are a little different.  These numbers allow you
to set multiple requirements setup by the EU command.  For example you can
set the file server to only allow those marked as Sysop with see-all messages
status with pagination enabled with modem access with expert user status that
are local and are excluded from the BBS to download stuff outside the file
directories (granted, no one would probably want to set it this way, but it is
possible to do it).

You add numbers corresponding to the flag that you want potential downloaders
to have before they can download outside the file structure.  This is just like
the INIT.SRV setting the Masque given to users when they login for the first
time before the INSTAFBB program was used.

1       Excluded       (basically a useless option that didn't take take much
                        more coding to add, so I did).
2       Local

4       Expert

8       Sysop           This is the most useful option.  Only those marked
                        as Sysop in FBB will have access.

16      BBS             Great way to give neighbor BBS stations a way to
                        look at your system files to see how it is done if
                        you happen to be the local expert on FBB.

32      Pagination      Same case as the number 1

64      Guest           See above

128     Modem           Another way to narrow the scope of those who have
                        clearance.

256     Read all msgs   "

512     Uproto list     "

1024    OM featur on    case 1 again


example:  a value of 392 will limit it to sysops who have read all status and
          have modem access (8 + 256 + 128 = 392).




The next lines are for setting up your file sections.  Each entry is made up
of 3 lines.
The first is the character that identifies the directory.  The next is the path
to the directory on your HD (you have to have the \ as the last character!).
The last of the 3 lines is the name (80 characters or less) of the file
section.

Also there are no blank lines nor comment lines allowed anywhere in the
REQFIL.CFG file.

------------------------------REQFIL.TXT format------------------------------
GET and REQFIL use the text found in the \FBB\REQFIL.TXT for the response
messages to be sent to the user.  Since this is an ASCII file, it can be
customized to suite your taste, or re-written in another language.

Note that each section must be separated with a line that has #; as the first
two characters.  There are 8 sections total.  I have added a comment in the #;
line that should tell you what each section is for, so I will not repeat it
here.

Variables are allowed to include variable information in responses from the
server.  ALL variables are preceded with a $ and are in lower case.  This is
a must!

Variables valid for REQFIL.TXT are:

$command                :       Command entered.
$thisbbs                :       Callsign of the BBS as found in REQFIL.CFG
$towho                  :       The callsign the reply message is going to/
                                the person who made the server request.
$ident                  :       File section identifier.
$path                   :       DOS path of the file directory.
$dateusa                :       Current date in the MM/DD/YY format as used in
                                the USA.
$dateeu                 :       Current date in the DD/MM/YY format as used
                                everywhere else.
$time                   :       Current time as shown by the computer's clock.
$file                   :       Name of file requested.
$homebbs                :       User's homebbs as determined by R: headers by
                                REQFIL.  GET returns $thisbbs since there are
                                no R: headers for that program to process.


------------------------------REQDIR.TXT format------------------------------
DIR and REQDIR use the text found in the \FBB\REQDIR.TXT for the response
messages to be sent to the user.  Since this is an ASCII file, it can be
customized to suite your taste, or re-written in another language.

Note that each section must be separated with a line that has #; as the first
two characters.  There are 6 sections total.  I have added a comment in the #;
line that should tell you what each section is for, so I will not repeat it
here.

Variables are allowed to include variable information in responses from the
server.  ALL variables are preceded with a $ and are in lower case.  This is
a must!

Variables valid for REQDIR.TXT are:

$command                :       Command entered.
$thisbbs                :       Callsign of the BBS as found in REQFIL.CFG
$towho                  :       The callsign the reply message is going to/
                                the person who made the server request.
$ident                  :       File section identifier.
$path                   :       DOS path of the file directory.
$dateusa                :       Current date in the MM/DD/YY format as used in
                                the USA.
$dateeu                 :       Current date in the DD/MM/YY format as used
                                everywhere else.
$time                   :       Current time as shown by the computer's clock.
$filter                 :       Directory filter used.
$homebbs                :       User's homebbs as determined by R: headers by
                                REQDIR.  DIR returns $thisbbs since there are
                                no R: headers for that program to process.

--------------------- To Install the Servers in FBB -------------------------

Edit the \FBB\INIT.SRV file to have line simular to the following at the end
in the server setup section:

REQDIR        REQDIR        Request file directories
REQFIL        REQFIL        Download/Upload files



If you are upgrading from a previous version of my server, you will need to
delete the entries for it in the BBS.SYS, CRON.SYS and FORWARD.SYS files.
This new version of the server doesn't need that.


--------------------------- Operation ---------------------------------------

To get a list of file sections:

Send a message to REQDIR  (SP REQDIR),  then enter W followed by a Return or
strike of the Enter key as the title of the message.  Then end the message
with a CONTROL-Z.

To get a directory of a certain file section:

Send a message to REQDIR  (SP REQDIR), then enter Wx followed by a Return or
strike of the Enter key where x is a single character that identifies the
desired file area as the title of the message.  Then end the message with a
CONTROL-Z.

You may also specify a filter to be used when getting the directory of a
file spection.  The subject of the message to REQDIR would be Wx *.TXT to
see all the files that have the extension TXT in the x file section.

Note: that you may now have multiple directory requests in one message to
REQDIR.  Just put one request in the subject of the message and additional
requests in the text part of the message, one per line.

To download a file:

Send a message to REQFIL  (SP REQFIL), then enter Dx filename.ext followed by
a Return or strike of the Enter key where x is a single character that
identifies the desired file area and filename.ext is the file you wish to
download as the title of the message.  Then end the message with a CONTROL-Z.

Note:  Additional downloads may be requested in the body of the message.  Be
       careful not to request too many files at one time!

If you just put the name of the file, REQFIL will assume it is a download and
search the defined subdirectories for the first occurance of that file and then
send it if found.  No wildcards allowe, sorry.


To upload a file:
Send a message to REQFIL  (SP REQFIL), then enter Ux filename.ext followed by
a Return or strike of the Enter key where x is a single character that
identifies the desired file area and filename.ext is the name you want to
assign the file that you are uploading as the title of the message.  Then end
the message with a CONTROL-Z.

*** Note:  The server is looking for the first character of message title as
           the command to either Upload or Download, the second character as
           the character identifying the file section and the fourth character
           as the start of the file name (in the case of REQFIL).  Spaces ARE
           IMPORTANT:

These WILL work:               (assuming the specified directories are valid)

SP REQDIR
W
CTRL-Z

SP REQDIR
WD
CTRL-Z

SP REQFIL
UD THISFILE.TXT
CTRL-Z

SP REQFIL
DD THATFILE.TXT
CTRL-Z

SP REQDIR
W D
CTRL-Z

SP REQFIL
U D FILENAME.EXT
CTRL-Z

These WILL NOT work:

SP REQDIR
 W
CTRL-Z

SP REQDIR
 WD
CTRL-Z


SP REQFIL
 UD FILENAME.EXT
CTRL-Z

SP REQFIL
UDFILENAME.EXT
CTRL-Z

SP REQFIL
UD  FILENAME.EXT
CTRL-Z

etc...   (You get the idea)


---------------------- Briefly how it works --------------------------------

After you receive a message to REQFIL or REQDIR the server will be run.
Any replies generated will then be placed in the \FBB\MAIL.IN file to be
imported into the BBS.  The BBS is supposed to check for and import the
MAIL.IN file every minute at which time it will import the messages.


-----------------------------DIR & GET--------------------------------------
DIR and GET are PG programs made to run on systems using the KE0WO version
of REQFIL  & REQDIR.

Set up of these programs are simple.  Copy DIR.EXE and GET.EXE into your
\FBB\PG directory.  All other setup has been previously taken care of through
the set up of REQDIR & REQFIL.  DIR is basically the REQDIR program modified
to run as a PG program.  This program is to allow stations connected to
access the file sections defined in REQFIL.CFG without having to wait for the
BBS to forward into a file and then for CRON.SYS to be called to process the
file.  By typing in PG DIR the a connected station will receive the same
information that would be put into message form by sending a message to REQDIR
with a message title of W.  This program's output is then sent to the user who
ran it.  FBB's paging option (if selected by the user) will work with the output
of this program.  To get a directory of the B file section one would type:
PG DIR B .  To get a directory of all the files beginning with B and ending
with the extension of TXT in the B section one would type: PG DIR B B*.TXT .


GET is the PG program equivalent of REQFIL, with the exception that GET does
not support uploading.  The use is just like REQFIL.  To use GET you type in:
PG GET x filename.ext  where x is the character designator that filename.ext
is in.

*** NOTE:  I found that I could type in the DIR <arguments>  and
GET <arguments> and run the appropriate PG program WITHOUT have PG preceeding
the commands, which is a feature of the FBB 5.15 program.  Those running older
versions of the program may have to include the PG command infront of the
program name.
-----------------------------Tricks/Tips------------------------------------

        With FBB 5.15 it became possible to replace built in BBS commands
with external PG programs.  This being the case, you can now replace the
FBB W command that give you a DOS directory with the DIR program by copying
DIR.EXE \FBB\PG\W.EXE.

-----------------------------Conclusion-------------------------------------

1. This software is freeware to the amateur community. It may not be sold
   (but if you really want to exchange money for the program, send it to the
   author's home address as listed below :-).  It may be freely copied and
   distributed in its original form, but at no charge exceeding the medium
   and shipping.

2. No warranty is expressed or implied and incidental damages resulting from
   the use of this software are solely the responsibility of the user. While
   the software works fine, and I am willing to give it to the amateur
   community, I am not willing to assume any liabilty for it crashing your
   computer or its peripherals. (It has not done that on any machine we have
   run it on...this is just legal junk to prevent someone from holding me
   responsible for being generous enough to give this server away as a
   service to the FBB community.)

3. Feedback on desired features, changes, bugs, etc. is encouraged.  (If I
   don't receive any feedback, I might make the conclusion that it is
   perfect and no other development is needed).

4. I expect that my release will be UNALTERED.  If I connect to a board and
   find this file server package, I expect it to be unchanged and named
   FILSRV26.EXE.  I don't want to see it as FILSRV26.ARJ or FILSRV26.ZIP.
   If I take the time to maintain and release this software, the least
   you can do is not change it.



Good luck and 73,
Dean - KE0WO


US Snail - Home:     Dean R. Madsen, KE0WO
                     P. O. BOX 303
                     Storm Lake, IA  50588

US Snail - College:  Dean R. Madsen, KE0WO
                     Wallace 7348 Lancelot
                     Iowa State University
                     Ames, IA  50013

Packet:    KE0WO @ KE0WO.#NWIA.IA.USA.NA

Internet:       [e-mail]    (preferred)
                [e-mail]     (forwarded to the above account)

(Internet E-Mail will give you the 2nd fastest reply time, with phone
 being 1st)



Phone:

Voice:     (712)  732-2021  -  Your dime.  Your best chances of catching me at
                               home are weekends & holidays.
           (515)  296-9471  -  The number for my dorm at Iowa State Univeristy
                               I am  usually around in the evening Sunday
                               through Thursday.  I am usually up until
                               12:00am central time (about 05:00Z to 06:00Z)

Data :    (712)  732-3767  -   14400,N,8,1 .   Enter your call at the prompt,
                               then type Y to proceed.
                               Latest KE0WO servers/utilities in the SERVERS
                               subdirectory of my file section in FBBDOS.


Internet FTP:                  I will have my latest stuff available on my
                               my Internet FTP site for those that want the
                               latest works, or would like to test beta
                               software that I may be working on.
                               FTP vincent.iastate.edu   and login as
                               anonymous.dmadsen  then sent your email
                               address as your password.  I will try to
                               set up some sort of logical directory
                               structure in the near future.  I plan to have
                               my servers in the directory ke0wo and beta
                               versions in the beta directory.

                               I will also try to get my servers to
                               FTP.FUNET.FI somewhere in the
                               /pub/ham/packet/bbs/f6fbb subdiretories.