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1999-01-25
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
/ \
/ Searchlight BBS Changes Summary \
/ \
| Copyright (c) 1988-1999 Searchlight Software, Inc. |
| Portions Copyright (c) 1994-1999 TeleGrafix Communications, Inc. |
| All Rights Reserved |
\ /
\ Version 5.1ß Rev.2 /
\ /
-----------------------------------------------------------------
January 25, 1999
-------------------------------------------------------------------
YOU SHOULD READ THROUGH THIS FILE, OR AT LEAST SKIM THE HIGHLIGHTS.
THERE IS VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION IN HERE ABOUT SEARCHLIGHT v5.1!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.0 ..... Introduction
1.1 ... Important New Information
1.3 ... Using DOS Version Under Windows
1.4 ... Version number changes
2.0 ..... Summary of Changes in 5.1 (UPDATED 01/25/1999)
3.0 ..... Windows vs. DOS
3.1 ... Windows 95/NT and Utility Programs
3.2 ... Startup
3.3 ... Clipboard
4.0 ..... Searchlight and Telnet
4.1 ... Setting Up Telnet
4.2 ... Using Telnet
4.3 ... Telnet and RIP
4.4 ... Telnet and Doors
4.5 ... Troubleshooting
5.0 ..... Miscellaneous Issues
5.1 ... Events
5.2 ... RIP File Browser
5.3 ... Qmodem Pro Problem
5.4 ... File Directories
5.5 ... Default Search Strings
5.6 ... Default File List Format
5.7 ... Default Directory Search
5.8 ... Files System Commands
5.9 ... Upgrading from Version 1.x
6.0 ..... RIPscrip Graphics and Version 5.1
6.1 ... Creating Your Own RIP Graphics
7.0 ..... Acknowledgements
8.0 ..... Run-Time Error Messages (NEW 01/25/1999)
8.1 ... DOS Error Messages
8.2 ... I/O Error Messages
8.3 ... Critical Error Messages
8.4 ... Fatal Error Messages
9.0 ..... Sales and Support
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 1.0 - INTRODUCTION |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Probably one of the biggest changes to Searchlight BBS in version 5.1 is the
takeover of Searchlight by TeleGrafix Communications, Inc. - the inventors of
RIPscrip graphics. The crew over at Searchlight Software have decided that
they would like to go off and do other things. Not wanting the product to
die, they have allowed us [TeleGrafix] to carry on their torch. We wish the
Searchlight crew the very best for whatever they choose to do in the future.
Our hats off to you all for creating a great product.
-------------------------------
1.1 - Important New Information
-------------------------------
For registered users of 5.02 and earlier editions of Searchlight - the serial
number/registration system for Searchlight has been completely re-done! Sorry
to have to spring this on everybody, but anybody who has a 10 or 11-digit
registration code provided by Searchlight Software will have to obtain a new
serial number from TeleGrafix. I can already hear the >groans< of
displeasure out there. The new system though will work out better for
everyone though.
Let me take a minute to explain. Like the older Searchlight scheme, your new
16-digit TeleGrafix serial number will determine the node count of your BBS.
Searchlight's method only allowed for 1-line, 3-line, 10-line or
unlimited-line scenarios. If someone had a 3-line license, and wanted to add
one more line, they'd have to buy "up to" the 10-line license - thus spending
money for what he doesn't need (e.g., 6 extra lines). With TeleGrafix's
system, you can buy only what you need. What's even better, you could
upgrade your line count anytime, 24-hours a day. All you need is a web
browser, and a credit card. You can still buy lines with a check if you mail
it in, etc.
What's more, the new version 5.1 of Searchlight is both a demo edition, and
the fully registered edition all in one. If you don't run the REGISTER
program, or key in your new 16-digit serial number during install, then the
software will act as a demo copy - letting you play with up to 2 nodes, and
up to 3 user accounts (SYSOP and GUEST count as two of those - but you can
always delete GUEST if you want). That's it. Enough to let you determine if
you want to purchase Searchlight, but not enough to run a real system. Once
you buy a copy and get your serial number, just run REGISTER and voila, the
software becomes fully unlocked. This means - no more diskettes that have to
be shipped out. You can just download your copy at any time, and be up and
running in minutes, not days. And think of this - no more patch files!
-------------------------------------
1.3 - Using DOS Version Under Windows
-------------------------------------
We do not recommend using the DOS edition of Searchlight under Windows (i.e.,
SLBBS.EXE). You should use the Windows 95/NT version included with this
package (i.e., SLBBS32.EXE).
If you do try to use the DOS version under Windows, you must make sure that
Windows is configured to use EMS memory. Without this, the software will
crash and possibly cause Windows to become unstable.
See Section 3.1 below for information on configuring Windows to utilize EMS
memory.
NOTE: You do not have to do this for the Windows version of Searchlight.
----------------------------
1.4 - Version Number Changes
----------------------------
With beta versions starting on 01/22/1999, the version number system reported
on the main console (new feature) has changed. The information displayed in
the title of the screen will vary depending on what "build" of Searchlight
is being run.
If a release is being worked on that has the same version number, but is to
be released to the public after the main version was put out, a "Rev.#" will
be added after the version number where "#" is the new release number for
that version. In this case, we're working on v5.1 Rev.2.
Furthermore, if the version being put out is a Beta edition, the symbol 'ß'
will be added to the version number (e.g., v5.1ß Rev.2). Also, for alpha and
beta editions, a legend will be added identifying the date of the build along
with the build number for the day (e.g., "v5.1ß Rev.2 01/22/1999.1" indicates
that the version is v5.1ß, revision 2 created on 01/22/1999, and it is the
first version released on that day. If more than one beta editions are
released to testers on the same day, the number after the date will be
incremented (e.g., "v5.1ß Rev.2 01/22/1999.2" for the second build for the
day.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 2.0 - SUMMARY OF CHANGES IN 5.1 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
v5.1ß Rev.2 01/25/1999.1
------------------------
- 01/25/1999: Enhanced the installation program a little bit. Option C from
the main menu has traditionally created a default set of Searchlight data
files (i.e., .SL2 files). Now when you choose this option, the
installation program allows you to go through a couple brief questions to
help configure the system more closely to your particular needs. The
questions are simple and straightforward. If you don't want to go through
the questionaire, you can simply accept the default settings and let
install do the rest -- it's up to you though to go into the configuration
program and custom tailor things yourself.
v5.1ß Rev.2 01/22/1999.1
------------------------
- 01/22/1999: Found a bug that had been eluding detection. There was a
bug in SLBBS.EXE that was causing the BBS to crash with a message "Runtime
error 000" whenever a caller was online and the SysOp shelled to DOS with
ALT-D. This could also quite easily have explained reports of sporadic
crashes with the same error in the File Library. Sorry about not finding
this one sooner. It took a very long time to reproduce the problem
"in-house". Once we did, we found it pretty quickly. Thanks to Paul
Casey and Craig Johnson for their patience in trying to track this one
down in the field.
- 01/22/1999: Made a couple minor changes to the main console. The title
of the "call waiting" screen now knows if BBS is in the system name, and
no longer tacks " BBS" onto the end if it's already there. Secondly,
the phrase " (Searchlight vXXX) is added to easily identify the version
that is being run. For beta editions, additional information is added to
describe the date that the version was created and the build number on
that day.
v5.1ß Rev.2 01/21/1999.1
------------------------
- 01/21/1999: Fixed a bug with the main console windowing procedures
introduced on 01/11/1999.1 where in some cases, a blank line appeared in
the border of some windows.
v5.1ß Rev.2 01/11/1999.1
------------------------
- 01/11/1999: Fixed a minor display glitch in the DOS-based main console. In
prior versions of v5.x, the lower-right corner of the main console window
was being displayed in the upper-left corner -- most annoying.
- 01/11/1999: Fixed a bug in local RIP mode. If you login as a Sysop, and
you say that you don't want to be visible, the invisibility status of your
login session is now properly maintained and recognized on the status line.
- 01/11/1999: Fixed a bug in the CONFIG program. The option to change a
user's name in earlier versions could screw up the Last 75 Callers log.
The caller log database doesn't store the actual name of the last
callers, but rather, their user database record number. The act of
renaming a user will inevitably change the user's record number. So, if
a new user logs on, they will probably have their user record stored in
the location of the old "renamed" user's location. This would make the
last caller log show the new user in place of the renamed user in the
call log. Now, CONFIG properly goes through the last caller log and
changes the references to the renamed user appropriately.
5.1 Rev.1 01/16/1998.1
----------------------
- 09/29/1998: Fixed a minor bug with the new message scan function. If you
are a Sysop who is invisible (via ALT-I on the main console), when you
read new messages, you will no longer have to scan them again the next
time you logon. I don't know if this was considered a feature before or
not, but sure appears to be something undesired so it's been considered a
bug and fixed.
- 09/28/1998: Fixed a small problem with memory consumption. Earlier beta
editions of Searchlight required a little bit more memory (conventional)
than 5.02 and earlier releases. Consequently, some testers were getting
crashes when performing quoting (^KG) in the message editor. This was
fixed by their increasing their conventional memory size by approximately
10K. Since then, we have managed to reduce the memory requirements of
Searchlight BBS pretty close to what they used to be.
If you get an error 203, you've run out of memory. Free up more memory
and try the system again. In the case of Searchlight, a couple of K can
make all the difference in the world.
- 09/28/1998: If you login as "invisible", Searchlight now properly activates
the "I" indicator on the status line to indicate that you're invisible.
- 09/28/1998: Updated status line in RIP local console for the new status
line displays.
- 09/28/1998: When you logoff as an invisible person, you are no longer
prompted to enter a quote. If you left a quote, people would know you
were on the system - thus defeating the invisibility feature. The last
user's quote remains untouched.
- 09/26/1998: Fixed a bug introduced in previous beta of 9/25/1998 where the
arrow keys (among others) would not function correctly in any version of
Searchlight (i.e., DOS or Windows). Sorry folks - silly mistake.
- 09/26/1998: Fixed a final bug with logoff quotes (phew). If a user simply
hits <ENTER> when asked for a quote, it now resets the last user's quote
to "None".
- 09/26/1998: Fixed the install. It seemingly locked up, but actually it
was wanting to overwrite a file, and was asking "Are you sure [Y/n]?", but
the display was hidden so nobody could know.
- Could not duplicate the "Reply quoting crash bug in RIP mode". I suspect
it had to do with the arrow key bug above (it could have done nasty things
all over the place).
- 09/25/1998: Fixed a bug in the Sysop chat module. If the cursor hits the
end of the line, and no spaces were present in the line between columns 55
and 80, then when the line should normally word wrap, it would simply be
erased from column 55 to the end of the line. Now version 5.1 properly
word wraps (i.e., breaks) the line in an appropriate place (in this case,
column 55).
- 09/25/1998: Fixed a rather important bug in the Windows version of
Searchlight. In the Windows edition, none of the ALT-key commands
normally available on the main console would work (e.g., ALT-X, ALT-H,
etc.) Now they work. This apparently has been a bug in the code since
5.0 was released initially.
- 09/25/1998: The Windows version of Searchlight now automatically
maximizes its window (thus eliminating those pesky scroll bars).
- 09/24/1998: Added a slight safety factor to the Options/Info command.
If a user decides to go in there and change his password, Searchlight will
no longer allow the user to switch to a totally idiotic password. Of the
passwords not allowed are the user's NAME or ALIAS, as well as passwords
like "GOD", "ASDF", "ABC", ".", "-" and others. Also, a user is not
allowed to set a blank password. Only the SysOp can make these kinds of
changes via the 2-Sysop/Options/Info command. If this new change proves
to be a serious inconvenience for SysOps, let us know at
support@telegrafix.com and we'll make this a configuration option in
CONFIG.EXE and WSLBBS.EXE.
This change required a new text string to be added to the DEFAULT.LNG
file. It is message 1600! Be sure to rebuild any customized string
libraries. Sorry 'bout this folks, but hey, it's only a single message :)
- 09/24/1998: Added two new status line displays to the main console. The
first one, displays the user's name, alias (if applicable) and their
location. The second displays their security profile (i.e., their
security attributes, and their security levels).
- 09/24/1998: Minor change to the 2-Sysop/Option/Access command. When the
credits field is highlighted, it now displays the allowable credit limits
from the values (0-32768). Earlier editions allowed a negative number of
credits which didn't make much sense.
- 09/24/1998: Fixed something that could be considered a bug. In this
programmer's mind, it was a very serious one. At the login prompt, the
user used to be able to hit <ENTER> indefinitely, thus tying up the BBS
ad infinitum. This is no longer the case. A <ENTER> is now considered
to be an invalid logon attemp, of which there are only four before the
offensive user gets the boot.
- 09/24/1998: Minor glitch with logoff quotes. If on a multinode system,
one node has logoff quotes enabled, and another disabled - a user logging
off of the "disabled" system should clear the last logoff quote, not leave
it pending. In earlier versions, it was left pending and the last user
from the "disabled" system could appear as the user who left the last
logoff quote.
- 09/23/1998: Fixed a bug with new user signup found during beta. It was
discovered that a user couldn't sign up as a new account due to a bug
introduced just prior to beta testing. This is now fixed.
- A bug was found with the new \%Q last user's quote message macro. In
earlier beta editions of 5.1, it was claimed that this macro would bomb
the BBS when used in a conference/email message. Thanks to the diligent
work of Paul Casey and Craig Johnson, it was determined that if the last
quote was longer than 50 bytes, it would crash. This was a bug that
has existed for a very long time, but until the last user quote macro
was added, there was no way to know that the bug was there. It is now
fixed.
- It was reported that the last user's quote wasn't being properly reset
by the next caller. This should be resolved.
- Fixed a small bug with user quotes. The last quote that the user entered
was being erased by the very next incoming caller - immediately after it
was displayed on the greeting screen. It should remain valid until the
next person logs off of the system.
- Added the ability to change the system's console colors. There is a new
menu option in the "General Config" menu of CONFIG called "Console Colors".
In WSLBBS, there's a new tab in the node properties page that offers the
same configuration changes to the console colors.
- Modified the default console colors to something a little less harsh, and
to colors that won't burn the monitor as quickly.
- Fixed a year-2000 bug in the Sysop editor under the security section. The
user expiration date wouldn't permit you to enter dates beyond Jan-31 2001.
This was a bug discovered after 5.02 was released, but fixed before
TeleGrafix took over Searchlight.
- Discovered a number of undocumented Message Macros that weren't defined in
the user manual. These were present in v5.02, but nobody but Searchlight
new about them:
\%D ... Current File Directory (mis-documented as \SB)
\%E ... External port number
\%H ... Current Confierence (mis-documented as \FD)
\%J ... User's alias name with spaces replaced by underbars
\%R ... Effective baud rate
\%X ... Login-ID of current user
\%Y ... Login-ID of current user with spaces replaced by underbars
\%I ... Current user's alias name
- Added some new Message Macros thanks to Craig Johnson:
\%Z ... Today's date in long format (e.g., "May 5, 1998")
\%V ... Current time (e.g., "11:24 am" - obeys 12/24-hour setting)
\%W ... Current date (e.g., "08/12/1998" - obeys USA/Euro setting)
\%? ... Date of current user's last logon
\%# ... Total number of calls to the system to date
\%Q ... Last caller's quote (or "Disabled" or "None")
\%& ... Total number of calls the current user has made
\%$ ... Last caller's name
\%@ ... Last caller's alias
- Fixed a bug with two of the documented Message Macros. As per the manual,
the \SB and \FD macros were supposed to be available to display the
current conference and file directory, but in reality, they only worked in
RIPscrip mode. Now they work in ANSI mode as well.
- Fixed a bug with the message macro "\%L". This variable was always leaving
its answer in 24-hour format regardless of the current 12/24-hour setting
in CONFIG. This option now displays in 12-hour format if requested to do
so.
NOTE: Anybody using this in menus might need to do a tiny bit of
reformatting of your menus if the length of the value was important.
- Fixed an error in the manual that had been there for quite some time. In
Appendix G of the Internal Command Reference chapter, command #190 --
Sysop Function was incorrectly documenting the available parameters. The
parameters do not require slashes (/) before them. Putting them in just
makes the command not work correctly. The documentation has been
corrected. Here is the correct parameter listing:
A Adjust user options
V Validate user
I View/change user info
P View/change user preferences
S View user stats
C View/change user access levels
R Read user's mail
E Send mail as a particular user
L List user's mail
N View user's new mail
F Find message in user's mailbox
Q Inquire function
G Mail purge function
- Documentation is now available electronically in two formats. For people
with access to a Microsoft Windows machine with a printer, there's a
Windows manual that can be used to view and print high-quality, manual
style pages. For those with dot matrix printers, or not using Windows,
the manual is also provided in a print-ready ASCII format.
- Updated the default screen colors for new and demo installations. This
should not affect users with existing Searchlight installations. This was
done to provide first-time Searchlight users with a brighter first
experience; the original colors were dark and dim and gloomy in this
programmer's humble opinion.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 3.0 - WINDOWS VS. DOS |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This version of Searchlight includes separate executables for Windows
and DOS. To start the DOS version of Searchlight, type SLBBS. To start
the Windows version, type WSLBBS or SLBBS32. See your manual for more
information. The Windows version requires Windows 95 or NT.
If you run the Windows version of Searchlight, pay particular attention
to how you install Door programs. Some old DOS door programs will not
function under the Windows version of Searchlight. Use the following
guidelines:
1) For door programs that use Searchlight's BIOS or DirectVideo support,
no changes are required. These programs will run essentially the same
was as they do under previous versions of Searchlight.
2) The recommended method of running any other door program is to use
Searchlight's FOSSIL emulation feature. Configure the door program
to use a FOSSIL driver and set the Communications Support option in
Searchlight to 'Fossil'. This is preferable to using other Fossil
drivers or direct communications with a COM port.
3) If a Door program has built-in DigiBoard support, set the door
program up as a FOSSIL application, even if you are using a DigiBoard.
DOS programs that have DigiBoard support rely on DOS DigiBoard
drivers, which aren't available in Windows. (Do not attempt to load
the DOS DigiBoard driver under Windows; install their Windows driver
instead).
4) If a Door program has no other option except direct COM port access,
you may or may not be able to use that door under Windows. In
particular, Windows NT users will find that Door programs are blocked
from independently opening a COM port while Searchlight is running
on the same port. Such Door programs are best avoided. Most modern
door programs have Fossil support.
5) The 'REBOOT' method of program termination is not supported under
Windows. For door programs that are set to REBOOT, the Terminate
method is used instead.
We recommend using Direct Video mode rather than BIOS mode when running
command prompts or utility programs that do not specifically require BIOS
mode. The command interpreter in Windows 95 does not support all the BIOS
video functions when running in a window, hence some programs might not
provide correct screen displays in this mode.
----------------------------------------
3.1 - Windows 95/NT and Utility Programs
----------------------------------------
We strongly recommend that if you're running under Windows, that you use the
32-bit Windows executables (e.g., SLBBS32 and WSLBBS). If you need to use
any of the utility programs like NETMAIL or SLMAIL, you'll need to enable
EMS memory support under Windows.
For Windows 95, edit your CONFIG.SYS file and add the following lines to
the file:
DEVICE=C:\Windows\himem.sys
DEVICE=C:\Windows\emm386.exe
This will provide EMS memory to programs running in DOS mode, like
Searchlight's utility programs.
-------------
3.2 - Startup
-------------
If you start the Windows version of Searchlight from a batch file or from a
DOS-based front end mailer program, you should use the MS-DOS START command
with a /W switch to prevent Searchlight from starting as an independent
background task. For example:
START /W SLBBS32 <BaudRate> <TimeLimit> /C
In most cases, you will want to do this so that your mailer does not
resume operation until Searchlight has exited.
---------------
3.3 - Clipboard
---------------
The Windows version of Searchlight makes intelligent use of the Windows
clipboard for cut-and-paste operations. Although you can still use the
cut and paste icons on the console toolbar for crude cutting and
pasting, Searchlight offers several new ways for moving data to and from
other Windows applications:
- To paste text from the clipboard into Searchlight, press CTRL-V instead
of using the "Paste" icon in the console toolbar. This will allow you
to paste large portions of text into the message editor much faster than
you can using the icon. This is also an intelligent paste; if you try
to paste a large block of text into a small input field (like the
subject of a message), Searchlight takes as much text as will fit and
then discontinues the paste operation.
- In the message editor, you can also access the Paste function by typing
ESC and then selecting "Paste" from the menu.
- There are several ways to copy text from Searchlight to the clipboard.
If you want to copy a message or an entire message thread to the
clipboard, read the message (or any message in the thread) and select
Other/Forward/Message/Clipboard (or Other/Forward/Thread/Clipboard).
The text is copied to the clipboard, and you can paste it into another
Windows program such as a word processor.
- To copy any other kind of listing or screen display to the clipboard,
press ALT-P. This command opens a clipboard log; you'll see the "L" on
the status line turn from lowercase to capital. Provide whatever
commands are needed to generate the list or output you're interested in,
and then press ALT-P again to close the log and copy the text to the
clipboard. You can now paste the clipboard log into another Windows
application. Notice that you can use this procedure to copy listings
that are larger than the physical screen size.
- If you want to copy a small portion of text that's visible on the
screen, you can also use the Copy icon in the toolbar (the square
outline icon). Click the icon, then highlight the desired text with
your mouse, and press Enter to copy it to the clipboard. This procedure
is limited to the amount of text that fits on the physical screen.
Note: Copy and paste operations only work during a local login and are
designed primarily for moving data between Searchlight and other
Windows applications. Remote callers do not have access to clipboard
operations.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 4.0 - SEARCHLIGHT AND TELNET |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Windows version of Searchlight BBS lets you perform Telnet hosting on a
Windows 95 or Windows NT platform. The telnet feature allows telnet clients
on the internet (or on any TCP/IP network) to connect to your Searchlight
BBS system using the telnet protocol, rather than via modems. (Note that
Searchlight is a telnet host, rather than a client. It gives you the
capability to create a telnet service on the internet, not the ability for
your callers to access outbound telnet services through your BBS).
-----------------------
4.1 - Setting Up Telnet
-----------------------
To enable the telnet feature, you need to be running Searchlight BBS on a
computer with TCP/IP networking installed. It is recommended that you enable
telnet only if your computer has a permanent, reliable connection to the
internet and a static IP address. It is possible to use telnet if your
internet connection is via a modem with a dynamic address, but it is
generally impractical to do so since users need to know your IP address or
computer name in order to connect with your system.
To enable telnet connections, run the WSLBBS configuration program and edit
the properties for your first node by double-clicking on the node number.
If you run a multiuser BBS, telnet can be enabled or disabled individually
for each node, so make sure you make the telnet settings for all node(s)
which you desire to be accessible via telnet.
On the Communications tab, find the option labeled "Accept Telnet
connections?" and toggle it to Yes. In the following field, "Telnet IP
address", enter the IP address on which you wish to receive telnet
connections.
IMPORTANT NOTE: For Telnet to function properly, you must shut off the
default modem configuration of Searchlight by setting the
"COM Port Number" to "0". If you do not do this,
Searchlight will not accept Telnet connections!
If your computer runs Windows 95, you have only one IP address, which you
can find by examining your TCP/IP protocol properties (right-click on the
Network Neighborhood icon, then select Properties, then double-click on
TCP/IP in the list). An IP address is four numbers separated by periods; for
example, "207.54.137.11".
If you run Windows NT, your computer may have more than one IP address. In
this case, enter the IP address on which you desire to receive telnet
connections for that node.
There is no limit to the number of Searchlight nodes that may be configured
to accept telnet connections from the same IP address, so if you run a
multiuser BBS, you can configure two or more nodes on one computer with the
same IP address. (If you run Windows NT, it is possible to have multiple
nodes answering on different addresses, but this is seldom necessary).
If your internet connection is through a dialup SLIP/PPP service which
issues a different IP address each time you connect (called Dynamic IP
addressing), you can leave the IP address field blank. If the field is left
blank, then Searchlight will automatically connect to whatever IP address is
available at the time it is launched. (Note that if your dialup connection
is dropped and reestablished with a new IP address while Searchlight is
running, telnet connections may not work until you exit and restart
Searchlight).
If you configure a node to accept a telnet connection, you should disable
that node from accepting modem connections. To do that, enter a 0 for the
Com Port Number on the Communications setup tab.
------------------
4.2 - Using Telnet
------------------
Once your BBS is configured to accept telnet sessions and the appropriate
node(s) are launched, you can connect to your BBS via any telnet client by
typing your host system's IP address or computer name (if you computer is
registered on a domain name sever). Once connected, you use Searchlight just
as you would use it via a modem connection.
There are several issues you should be aware of when using Searchlight BBS
via telnet. The TCP/IP protocol over which telnet rides is packet-oriented;
that means information is transmitted in blocks. As a result, you may notice
that screens tend to display in blocks rather than as a continuous stream of
data; you may also notice short delays between when you type a letter or
command and when the results of your typing are visible. This is normal
behavior for telnet operations.
Telnet performance may be limited by the capabilities of the telnet client
you use. Some telnet clients do not provide the same level of ANSI graphics
support as leading terminal programs. For example, the default telnet client
included with Windows 95 supports ANSI, but does not support color codes or
high ASCII characters. If you wish to use ANSI mode with a telnet client,
remember to set the screen size (buffer size) to 24 lines. If you encounter
a lot of display problems on a telnet client in ANSI mode, try switching to
non-ANSI mode. Be sure to set your telnet client to ôfull duplexö mode, if a
setting is available.
Some telnet clients (such as the Windows 95 default client) do not support
file transfers, and are thus incapable of uploading or downloading files.
For best results, try to use a more advanced telnet communications package.
Newer versions of Windows 95 HyperTerminal support telnet operations and
file transfers, and work well with Searchlight BBS. There are a number of
other shareware telnet clients that can be used with Searchlight, as well as
a number of commercial communications packages (Procomm, Qmodem, etc.)
--------------------
4.3 - Telnet and RIP
--------------------
RIP graphics are available via telnet if you use a RIP-compatible telnet
client. The best way to use RIP over a telnet connection is to run
TeleGrafixÆ RIP telnet client. For more information about the RIP telnet
client, check the TeleGrafix home page at http://www.telegrafix.com.
In some cases, you can telnet to a Searchlight BBS with an older RIPterm
program indirectly (by dialing a Unix host or other type of host that has
outbound telnet features). In many cases, RIP graphics will be available via
this route, but file transfers may not work due to the 7-bit nature of many
telnet connections.
----------------------
4.4 - Telnet and Doors
----------------------
Door programs that rely on Searchlight's BIOS or Direct Video communications
support can be used with a telnet connection and will normally not require
any modifications.
For best results with other types of doors, set the Communications Support
option in Searchlight to "Fossil", and configure the door program such that
it uses Fossil driver function calls for communication.
Doors that install their own serial communications drivers or which attempt
to write directly to a serial port will not work with telnet connections.
---------------------
4.5 - Troubleshooting
---------------------
If you configure Searchlight for telnet support but you cannot connect,
check to make sure that the IP address you entered in the configuration
screen is correct. You must know your computerÆs IP address or registered
computer name in order to connect to Searchlight via telnet. Contact your
network administrator or internet service provider if you are not sure.
If you connect to Searchlight but you see two characters for every key you
type, your telnet client is probably set for "echo mode" or "half duplex"
mode. Most clients have a configuration screen in which you can disable this
mode.
Many clients also have a "line entry" mode. If you see nothing until you
press Enter, your client may be in line mode. Line mode wonÆt work properly
with Searchlight BBS. Again, you should be able to disable this mode via a
configuration screen on your client.
If file transfers fail, or if screens with high ASCII characters donÆt look
correct, your client may be set to 7-bit mode. Searchlight works best in
8-bit mode. Most clients can support 8-bit mode, but a few cannot.
If ANSI displays look correct except for the last line, check to make sure
your client is set to display 24 lines rather than 25 lines or some other
number of lines.
If you are trying to use Searchlight with an older telnet client, or with a
unix-based client, you may be able to obtain best results by selecting the
Monochrome or None graphics options when you connect.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 5.0 - MISCELLANEOUS ISSUES |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
This section attempts to document miscellaneous issues that didn't make it
into the manual before production.
------------
5.1 - Events
------------
When Searchlight 5.0 for Windows executes an event, it enables its FOSSIL
driver emulation feature. That means events can call FOSSIL driver functions
for communications. If you are running an event that requires communications
(such as a UUCP poll), configure your software so that it communicates via
FOSSIL driver. (If you are running FXUUCICO, place the command "driver:
fossil" in your UUCICO.CFG file).
----------------------
5.2 - RIP File Browser
----------------------
The Files, New and Zippy command support a parameter, /R, which allows these
commands to work in RIP mode the same way they work in ANSI mode (ie. the
commands do not invoke the file browser).
The Files command asks "Search all directories? Y/N". You can override this
with an /A or /N switch: /A searches all directories without asking, and /N
searches only the current directory without asking. You can add this switch
if you prefer the file browser to start with a list of files in the current
directory instead of a list of directories.
File tagging is quicker if you click on the first column of the display.
Files, New and Zippy commands can take as a menu name as a parameter by
specifying "/M<Menuname>". When provided, this menu is scanned to determine
whether commands like Upload, Copy, Xproto, etc. appear in the browse window
(if the commands are on the specified menu, they are included).
------------------------
5.3 - Qmodem Pro Problem
------------------------
Qmodem Pro for Windows contains a bug with certain 256 color VGA drivers
that causes reverse-video highlight bars to appear as solid white bars.
This bug affects Searchlight's file and message browser features. If you
experience this problem, try running Qmodem with a different VGA driver.
----------------------
5.4 - File Directories
----------------------
Searchlight 5.0 requires that there be at least 1 file directory available
at all times. If you are installing Searchlight for the first time, the
INSTALL program will create a directory called 'UPLOADS'. If you are
upgrading, make sure your installation includes at least 1 available
directory at all times and for all access levels.
----------------------------
5.5 - Default Search Strings
----------------------------
The Files command (internal command 300) and Zippy command (internal 305)
may be provided with a default filename or wildcard (for command #300) or
default search string (for command #305) by placing the desired text on the
parameter line below the command in the menu structure. For example:
11. Command Number (1) ............ 305
12. Command Parameters (1) ........ JONES
This command would perform a Zippy search using the search key "JONES". The
user is not prompted to enter a search key in this case.
The files command (#300) can also be provided with a parameter which is
either a filename or a wildcard. A filename with no wildcard characters
provides a list of the current directory from that filename onward. A
wildcard provides a list of filenames which match the wildcard (ie. *.ZIP or
ABF??.TXT).
------------------------------
5.6 - Default File List Format
------------------------------
Internal commands 300 and 305 can be made to skip the "Display Long File
Descriptions?" prompt by adding a parameter to the command which defines the
desired behavior:
/L Forces long file descriptions
/S Forces short file descriptions
/P Forces the Yes/No prompt to appear
Using /L, /S or /P overrides the user's default setting.
Example:
11. Command Number (1) ............ 305
12. Command Parameters (1) ........ JONES /L
This command does a Zippy scan using the search key "JONES" and always
displays long file descriptions.
------------------------------
5.7 - Default Directory Search
------------------------------
The "Search All Directories?" question can be eliminated from internal
commands 300 and 305 by using the following parameters:
/A Search all directories
/N Do not search all directories (search current directory only)
Example:
11. Command Number (1) ............ 305
12. Command Parameters (1) ........ JONES /L /N
This command does a Zippy search on the keyword "JONES", always displays
long descriptions, and searches only the current directory. All three user
prompts (search key, display long descriptions, search all directories) are
eliminated; therefore the listing appears immediately when this command is
executed.
The "Default Directory Search" and "Default File List Format" switches (used
with commands 300 & 305) now also work with the New Files command (command
number 303).
---------------------------
5.8 - Files System Commands
---------------------------
In older versions of Searchlight BBS, the file oriented commands were
distributed as a separate executable program, FILES.EXE. One of the
limitations of that design was the fact that an explicit command (internal
command 153) was needed to load the files program, and only files system
commands - those with command numbers 300 and above - could be used on file
menus. For example, in Searchlight 2.25, it was impossible to put a Download
command on the same line as a command to send mail to the Sysop.
Searchlight 3.0 and later combines file commands and main commands into one
program, eliminating this limitation. If you used previous versions of
Searchlight, you may notice that there is no longer a FILES.EXE program
distributed with Searchlight; instead, all files functions are contained in
the main program, BBS.EXE.
As a result, menus in Searchlight 5.0 can contain any internal commands.
File commands, like the commands to list directories, download files, etc.
may be freely placed on any menu wherever they are desired. No special
command is needed to start the files program before executing a files
command, and no special command is needed to exit the files program.
However, Searchlight 5.0 still supports the old command sequences (command
153 to enter the files area, and command 330 to exit the files area).
Instead of loading a new program, Searchlight 5.0 emulates the actions of
the old FILES.EXE program. Therefore, all existing menus are compatible with
Searchlight 5.0, and no changes to your menus are required unless you want
to take advantage of the new capability to have files and regular commands
on the same menu.
If you do decide to create combined menus, a few notes are in order:
* Searchlight's internal command 153 performs a few special actions:
it checks to see if a custom directory list for the current
conference exists, and loads it if available. It also changes the
area name that appears at the top-right hand corner of the screen to
the current directory name, and tells the menu display programs to
search for help files ending in ".FH" instead of ".MH" if help is
requested. If you load a files-oriented menu directly, without
executing command 153, the commands will still work, but you should
be aware that the above actions will not take place. (You can load
conference lists yourself using the new internal command 201,
outlined in your manual).
* Should you execute an internal command 153 which loads a particular
*.DIR file with a list of available directories for the current
conference, be aware that this directory list remains in memory as
the list of available directories until another 153 command is
executed. This is important if you use internal command 153 in some
places but not in others.
* Command 330 (return from files area) performs the following actions
in Searchlight 5.0: it changes the help file suffix back to ".MH",
sets the on screen area name back to the current conference name,
and returns to the menu where the previous command 153 was executed.
Use this command only if you used command 153 to enter a files menu
(otherwise, just return to the previous menu with internal command
number 1).
--------------------------------
5.9 - Upgrading from Version 1.x
--------------------------------
If you have any version of Searchlight older than 2.15 and you want to
retain your messages and users after upgrading, you need our 1.x upgrade
utility. You can download the upgrade program free of charge from
Searchlight's Web site (http://www.searchlight.com/bbs) or BBS
(540-678-4053).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 6.0 - RIPSCRIP GRAPHICS AND VERSION 5.1 |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Version 5.1 supports RIPscrip 2.x graphics for remote callers. The DOS
edition of the software has RIPscrip 1.54 display capability for the main
console. This means that the sysop will see RIP 1.54 style graphics on the
main system. At the current time however, if the sysop is viewing a caller
who is accessing the system via RIPscrip 2.0 graphics, the sysop may not see
the same images due to major differences between RIPscrip 2.x and versions
1.54.
Future versions may enhance the main console RIPscrip support to support
RIPscrip 2, and even higher.
The Windows edition of Searchlight does not currently support RIPscrip
display on the main console. This will be changing in future editions of
Searchlight.
6.1 - Creating Your Own RIP Graphics
------------------------------------
You can create your own RIPscrip graphics for your system by using RIPaint
from TeleGrafix Communications, Inc. You may download a demo copy of this
drawing package from http://www.telegrafix.com.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 7.0 - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
We would like to take the time to acknowledge the assistance of our
Searchlight Beta testers. In particular, Paul Casey and Craig Johnson for
their in-depth crash testing (literally), and for their abilities to kick
the tires on this buggy. Sure, we blew a few tires along the way, but
without your help and support, it might have gone out on the road with bald
tires. Our hats off to you guys, you did a great job!!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 8.0 - RUN-TIME ERROR MESSAGES |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Under normal operations, Searchlight should run for a long time, and should
not crash. If however, something goes wrong for whatever reason, it is
helpful to know what the error messages you might see are.
If Searchlight (or one of the utility programs) crashes, you will most likely
see a message similar to the following:
Runtime error XXX at YYYY:ZZZZ
The important information is the run-time error number (i.e., XXX). This
will tell you what type of error was encountered. The value YYYY:ZZZZ is
the location in memory Searchlight was currently executing when the error
occurred. The memory location YYYY:ZZZZ could be useful to TeleGrafix
Technical Support. If you report a run-time error to TeleGrafix after
coming to the conclusion that there's a bug in the software, please provide
the complete run-time error message, and if possible, describe the situation
that caused the error to occur.
The folowing sub-sections describe the various run-time errors that can
conceivably occur with Searchlight, and describes any helpful information
that might illustrate what could cause it.
8.1 - DOS Error Messages
------------------------
DOS error messages generally describe a situation that are often caused by
an incorrectly configured Searchlight system, or problems with the DOS
configuration on the computer. These are the possible DOS errors that can
be reported by Searchlight:
000 ... Insufficient memory
This error should never occur under normal situations. It has
been observed in beta editions of v5.1. If you receive this
error, please report it to TeleGrafix.
001 ... Invalid function number
Searchlight made an invalid operating system request. This
could happen if you are running Searchlight with an old version
of DOS. Searchlight requires DOS v3.3 or later. If this error
persists, contact TeleGrafix.
002 ... File not found
This error is self explanatory. A file that Searchlight
required wasn't found where it should be. Check your
file directory settings in the configuration program.
003 ... Path not found
A directory defined in the Searchlight configuration program
is probably not defined correctly. Double-check them and try
again.
004 ... Too many open files
The FILES= statement in your CONFIG.SYS file is not high
enough. We recommend that you have a statement of at least
FILES=40 in your CONFIG.SYS file. If you run disk-intensive
door programs like database doors, you may need to increase
this value.
005 ... File access denied
This should only occur on networked drives where SHARE or
some other suitable file sharing mechanism is installed.
Check your file access rights, or check with your network
administrator. This could also occur under rare occasions
when more than one Searchlight node is trying to access the
same file. For example, if you're performing a mass update
on your Searchlight data files, this error might occur. When
performing system maintenance, it's usually a good idea to
shutdown all nodes on your Searchlight system. This can also
occur if files are mistakenly set as "Read-only", or if a
directory exists with the name of a file that Searchlight
wants to read.
006 ... Invalid file handle
This error should never occur under normal circumstances.
Generally it means that memory is corrupted and the computer
must be rebooted. If you get this error often, check to make
sure that you don't have some kind of memory resident program
or device driver that is causing your system to become
unstable. After eliminating all operating system causes,
contact TeleGrafix to report the trouble.
012 ... Invalid file access code
This generally means that there is an error in Searchlight's
program code. Please report this error to TeleGrafix if you
receive it.
015 ... Invalid drive number
This shouldn't occur under normal circumstances. This could
conceivably happen if you're running Searchlight and one of
your drives (e.g., hard drives, CD-ROMs, ZIP/JAZZ drives, etc.)
somehow go "off-line".
016 ... Cannot remove current directory
This error should never occur.
017 ... Cannot rename across drives
This error should never occur.
8.2 - I/O Error Messages
------------------------
I/O errors are problems that occur while trying to read or write to files on
the hard drive. Searchlight tried to catch these problems internally and
handle the situation as appropriate. Generally the occurrence of one of the
errors could indicate a Searchlight bug (i.e., that Searchlight didn't
detect the problem), but almost always indicates a serious problem on the
BBS computer that caused the error in the first place.
NOTE: If you get one of these errors, check to make sure that there's
nothing wrong with your DOS file system (i.e., insufficient disk
space, bad sectors, etc.) 99% of the time these are the causes of
the problem!
100 ... Disk read error
This generally means that Searchlight tried to read past the
end of a file. It could also mean that your hard drive has
developed errors and should be scanned by some suitable
utility program like Norton Utilities, or SCANDISK.
101 ... Disk write error
This generally means that your hard drive has become full. It
could also mean that your hard drive has developed errors and
should be scanned by some suitable utility program like Norton
Utilies, or SCANDISK.
102 ... Drive not assigned
This error should never occur. If it does, please contact
TeleGrafix.
103 ... File not open
This error means that a file couldn't be opened successfully.
The most common causes for this error are incorrect directory
settings in the Searchlight Configuration program. Check all
settings and try again. Under worst-case situations, you might
need to re-create your Searchlight configuration files with
Install. If the problem persists, contact TeleGrafix.
104 ... File not open for input
This error should not occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
105 ... File not open for output
This error should not occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
106 ... Invalid numeric format
This error should not occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
8.3 - Critical Error Messages
-----------------------------
Critical errors are low-level operating system errors. They often indicate
something is wrong with the computer, not necessarily a problem with
Searchlight itself. If you receive one of these messages, you should check
your computer to make sure everything is alright.
150 ... Disk is write-protected
This error typically occurs with floppy drives, CD-ROMs,
ZIP/JAZZ drives and removable hard drives when the disk is
set to be write protected. If it occurs on a hard drive,
something is seriously wrong.
151 ... Unknown unit
This error should never occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
152 ... Drive not ready
This error typically occurs with floppy drives, CD-ROMs,
ZIP/JAZZ drives and removable hard drives when no disk is
installed in the drive. If it occurs on a hard drive,
something is seriously wrong.
153 ... Unknown command
This error should never occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
154 ... CRC error in data
This error should never occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
155 ... Bad drive request structure length
This error should never occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
156 ... Disk seek error
This error could indicate that there is an equipment failure on
one of your disk drives. If it's a removable drive, the disk
itself could be faulty, or it could indicate a bad drive.
157 ... Unknown media type
This typically indicates that the disk drive being accessed
isn't formatted properly, or that the drive is configured
incorrectly.
158 ... Sector not found
This error usually occurs on a drive that has developed bad
sectors, or on drives that aren't formatted. It can sometimes
happen on drives where the cable is partially or completely
removed. Check the drive, disk(ettes), and connections before
trying again.
159 ... Printer out of paper
This error should never occur. Searchlight does not access the
printer in any way.
160 ... Device write fault
Something went seriously wrong while trying to write data to
a disk drive. This could indicate that the drive has developed
bad sectors. Diagnose the problem with the drive with Norton
Utilities or SCANDISK.
161 ... Device read fault
Something went seriously wrong while trying to read data from
a disk drive. This could indicate that the drive has developed
bad sectors. Diagnose the problem with the drive with Norton
Utilities or SCANDISK.
162 ... Hardware failure
This error indicates something has seriously gone wrong with
your computer. This could indicate just about anything. In
either event, you should consult a computer technician.
8.4 - Fatal Error Messages
--------------------------
A fatal error is a condition that Searchlight cannot handle. They generally
indicate a serious situation that caused Searchlight to fail, and exit back
to the operating system.
These errors could occur for a variety of reasons.
200 ... Division by zero
This error could under two situations:
a) If this error occurs immediately when you try to run one
of the Searchlight programs from DOS, it indicates that
the program can't run on your computer. The reasons are
rather technical, but in a nutshell it means that your
computer is too fast for the software. TeleGrafix
discovered this problem early in v5.1 beta testing when
customers tried running Searchlight on 200 MHz or faster
Pentiums. The manufacturer of the development tools
TeleGrafix uses for Searchlight has made some fixes for
this, which have been incorporated in beta editions of
Searchlight v5.1. It is unclear if this error could
happen for VERY fast machines (ones which haven't been
created yet). If you get this message, please contact
TeleGrafix.
NOTE: This error does not occur for the Windows versions
of Searchlight (i.e., only MS-DOS versions).
b) If this error occurs after the software has been running
for a while, it probably indicates a bug in Searchlight.
Please contact TeleGrafix and report the circumstances
under which this error occurred.
201 ... Range check error
Searchlight tried to access an invalid data object, or tried
to assign a number to a variable that couldn't hold the value.
TeleGrafix tests Searchlight "in-house" with Range Checking
turned on to "trap" programming errors. It is turned off for
"official releases". If you receive this error message with
an official release of Searchlight, please contact TeleGrafix.
202 ... Stack overflow error
This error generally represents a serious programming error in
Searchlight. It could also be caused by corrupted system
memory. If you receive this message, please contact
TeleGrafix.
203 ... Heap overflow error
This message indicates that your system ran out of conventional
memory. Try freeing up some additional memory. If this
problem persists when you have over 500K of memory, contact
TeleGrafix.
204 ... Invalid pointer operation
This message could indicate a programming error, or corrupted
system memory. If the problem is reliably reproduceable,
please contact TeleGrafix to report the possibility of a bug
in Searchlight.
205 ... Floating point overflow
This indicates that Searchlight tried to compute a number that
was too large to store by Searchlight. This should not occur
in practice, but if it does, contact TeleGrafix.
206 ... Floating point underflow
This error should never occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
207 ... Invalid floating point operation
This indicates that Searchlight attempted to perform an illegal
mathematical operation. If you receive this message, please
contact TeleGrafix.
208 ... Overlay manager not installed
Searchlight is a large program -- much larger than could
normally be stored in 640K. With this in mind, Searchlight
loads some of its program code into EMS memory, or loads it
from the disk drive when it is needed. If this message occurs,
something went wrong with the built-in overlay manager in
Searchlight. Contact TeleGrafix to help isolate the problem
with your configuration.
209 ... Overlay file read error
This error occurs when there was an error reading the overlay
file from the disk (i.e., a file with a .OVR extension). This
could mean a corrupted overlay file, or errors on your hard
disk drive. Try testing your drive for errors with Norton
Utilities, or SCANDISK. If no errors are reported, try
re-installing Searchlight. If all else fails, contact
TeleGrafix.
210 ... Object not intialized
This error should never occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
211 ... Call to abstract method
This error should never occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
212 ... Stream registration error
This error should never occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
213 ... Collection index out of range
This error should never occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
214 ... Collection overflow error
This error should never occur. If it does, contact TeleGrafix.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
| 9.0 - SALES AND SUPPORT |
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
TeleGrafix may be reached during normal business hours Monday through Friday,
east coast time at the following numbers:
Support: (540) 678-4050
Sales: (540) 678-4051
Fax: (540) 678-4052
BBS: (540) 678-4053
Or over the Internet at:
Web: http://www.telegrafix.com
FTP: ftp.telegrafix.com
Telnet: telnet.telegrafix.com
Email: info@telegrafix.com
sales@telegrafix.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
# # #
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