Amiga Plus Extra 1997 #5/AmigaPlus_Extra-CD_5-97.iso/online-tools/mail/q-blue2.3/readme

Text File | 1997-03-02 | 10KB | 192 lines

Thank you for trying out this freely distributable copy of version 2.3 of
Q-Blue.  Q-Blue is an offline electronic mail reader which can handle mail
packets in QWK format or Blue Wave format.  It is shareware.  This version
may be freely distributed by any means, so long as nothing is changed or
removed.

If you are already a user of an earlier version of Q-Blue, please review the
material below reviewing new features and configuration settings.  If you
have registered in the past, you may be able to get an upgrade free by
uuencoded email; see the "How-to-order" file.

This version, since it is freely distributable, is restricted to encourage
people to register.  The main restriction is that it cannot put more than
four new messages into any one upload packet.  The registration price is
twenty (20) United States dollars.  See the file named "How-to-order" for
complete information on how to register.  If you use shareware programs but
do not pay for a registered copy, then in the long run programmers will not
be able to offer low cost software that you can try before buying, and we all
lose.

Q-Blue can be started from a CLI prompt or from the Workbench.  Command line
and tool type options are described in the manual, "Q-Blue.doc".  Commonly,
none are needed.  When started from a CLI, it automatically detaches itself
to run in the background, so you get your command prompt back right away.

Before running the program, you should double-click on the included "Install"
script icon, especially if you do not have suitable IBM fonts in your FONTS:
drawer.  It will describe several included fonts and let you select which
ones to install.  If you are using fonts from an older release of Q-Blue, you
should run this script and install the latest set.  This release includes
some fonts that use the Amiga's regular ISO character set, with the same
"look" as the IBM fonts.  For each IBM font there is an ISO font of matching
size and similar name, except for those IBM fonts that match the built-in
topaz 8 and topaz 9 fonts (newcleanibm 8 and wideibm 9).

The most complex part of using the program is setting it up for the first
time, but even that is, in many ways, easier to do than to describe.  The
process is explained in complete detail in the user manual.  Once Q-Blue is
set up, most of its operation is intuitively obvious.  Those who are using an
older version of Q-Blue should note that many of the default commands for the
supported archiving programs have been changed.  You may wish to alter your
configuration to use the new commands, detailed in sections 5.2 and 5.4 of
the user manual.

If you have version 1.0 or older of Q-Blue, it is especially recommended that
you change the Zip compression command from "Zip -jkr @A @D" to "Zip -k @A
*", or if you have a version of Zip older than 2.0, "Zip -k @A @F".  If your
Zip command is "Zip -k @A @F", as is likely if you have Q-Blue 1.9 or newer,
you should change it to "Zip -k @A *", again except in the case of a very old
version of Zip.  Note also that there are now two Zip command settings: one
for normal use, and one for use with outdated software compatible with PKZIP
1.x; the Zip 1.x version uses "Zip -0k @A *" as its compression command, and
"50 4B 03 04 0A" as its pattern.  (Decompression is identical.)  New commands
for the LZX compressor have also been added to the default set: the command
for decompression is "LZX -m -X0 x @A", for compression is "LZX -X0 a @A #?",
and the pattern is "4C 5A 58".

If you have been using Q-Blue version 2.0 or 2.1, the most important new
features in Q-Blue 2.3 are Internet email and newsgroup handling, and support
for new offline configuration features found in Blue Wave 3.x doors.  For
these new features, see sections 6.10 (on setting up email for QWK packets
and systems that use Fidonet gating), 10.8 (on writing email and, with BW
3.x, newsgroup posts), and 11.2 through 11.5 (on BW offline configuration).
Some new setup options are discussed in sections 4.1, 6.3, and 6.8; section
6.9 on QWK netmail also reflects some changes, and should especially be
reviewed if you want to set up Fido gated email in QWK packets.

If you have previously tried the public beta release 2.2, there are no major
new features.  There are, however, quite a few bugfixes, especially in
handling Internet messages.  Most of the bugs were found by a single user:
Petar "Norge" Cuckovic.  If you find Q-Blue useful for email, he gets much of
the credit.  One feature that is new is that BBS pointer files are now saved
automatically in the context directory.  This is explained in section 8.3 of
the manual.  Also, the "save message" command, when used on a bulletin file,
now makes an accurate binary copy instead of doing things like adding a
header and stripping out ANSI codes.  The above-mentioned changes in the
default compression commands are also new since the 2.2 beta release, so they
are worth reviewing.

The manual is formatted for printing on US letter or European A4 size paper.
The margins are set up on the assumption that printing begins up to one half
inch (12 mm) below the top edge of the paper.  Each page of the document
contains 60 lines including headers and footers, so if your printer has
vertical margins or a perforation skip feature, the page length should still
fit.  It is 146 pages long.  It contains ANSI underlining codes, so printing
it through your regular Amiga printer driver will underline various things if
your printer is capable of doing so, as most are.  The underlining will also
show if it is viewed with most text viewers such as More.

The following is a copy of the shareware distribution license from the title
page of the user manual in the file "Q-Blue.doc".  Read it before using the
program.

       The computer program "Q-Blue, release 2.3" is copyright (c) 1992-
       1997 by Paul Kienitz, with all rights reserved except as stated
       here.  Q-Blue 2.3 exists in two forms, an "evaluation" version and
       a "registered" version.  The former may be copied and distributed
       freely; the latter may not be.  Selecting the "About Q-Blue"
       pull-down menu item when the program is running will display a
       message that declares whether that copy is registered or not.  The
       evaluation version may be used by any person for occasional use,
       or for as long as needed to decide whether to use the program
       routinely.  Permission is not granted to use that version
       routinely for longer than thirty days.  Routine use is defined as
       two or more uses per week.  The evaluation version may be copied
       and distributed by any means, so long as the set of files
       comprising the software package, including this manual and the
       file called "How-to-order", is kept complete and unmodified.

       The registered version may be purchased directly from the author,
       Paul Kienitz.  If you have purchased the registered version, you
       are licensed to make unlimited use of the software, on one machine
       at any one time, so long as you abide by the terms of this
       license.  A group of people who share one computer may use a
       single copy, as may an individual who uses two or more computers,
       so long as it is not running on two computers at the same time.
       Copies of the registered version are not to be distributed to
       other users by any means, except by the author or his designated
       agents.  See the file "How-to-order" for information on how to buy
       a registered copy.

       Q-Blue, like most software, is provided "as is", with no warranty
       of any kind.  The author cannot assume liability for any damage
       caused by the software.  Anyone who willfully violates the terms
       set forth in this license, such as by distributing copies of the
       registered version to those who have not paid for it, will be
       deemed to have forfeited all rights and permissions granted here,
       including the right to make any use at all of Q-Blue.  If you
       cannot abide by the terms of this license, do not use the program.

Here is a list of all of the files included in this public beta distribution
of Q-Blue, archived inside a drawer called "Q-Blue2.3":

    Q-Blue                      the program itself

    README                      this file you're reading
    Install                     script that installs fonts and taglines
    How-to-order                information on how to buy a registered copy

    Q-Blue.doc                  the user manual

    Taglines                    sample file for use with the tagline feature
    Liberal-taglines            additional taglines, with a political bias

    fonts/newcleanibm.font      four fonts using the IBM character set
    fonts/newcleanibm/8
    fonts/tallibm.font
    fonts/tallibm/11
    fonts/tallibm/12
    fonts/tallibm/14
    fonts/stretchibm.font
    fonts/stretchibm/12
    fonts/wideibm.font
    fonts/wideibm/9
    fonts/wideibm/12
    fonts/wideibm/14

    fonts/talliso.font         three fonts using the ISO character set
    fonts/talliso/11
    fonts/talliso/12
    fonts/talliso/14
    fonts/stretchiso.font
    fonts/stretchiso/12
    fonts/wideiso.font
    fonts/wideiso/12
    fonts/wideiso/14

    c/Future                    a little utility for adjusting file dates

    c/IsADir                    four small programs used by Install script
    c/XSkip
    c/RequestChoice
    c/RequestFile

    Q-Blue.info                 icons
    README.info
    Install.info
    Q-Blue.doc.info
    How-to-order.info
    Taglines.info
    Liberal-taglines.info
    fonts.info

Also included in the archive, outside of the "Q-Blue2.3" drawer, are the
drawer icon "Q-Blue2.3.info" and the file "file_id.diz", which contains a
description suitable for BBS file listings.  Other files may have been added
by distributors of the archive.  The "Q-Blue2.3" drawer is temporary and can
be deleted after you have run the install script and dragged the program and
the user manual (Q-Blue.doc) to the drawers where you will keep them.