ftp.wwiv.com/ftp.wwiv.com.zip/ftp.wwiv.com/pub/PPPBCKP/PPP15B26.ZIP/CHANGES.DOC

Text File | 1997-05-04 | 14KB | 316 lines

Beta-26

    - Fixed bug which caused binary groups to get sent into the bit bucket
during retrieval.  Self-inflicted wound in Beta-25 with addition of alpha
subtypes.

    - Changed CONTACT.NET update to a new method.  CONTACT.NET is now
updated for each system for whom the program prepares a packet.  In this
manner, it now reflects what gets sent to each system uniquely.

    - Tweaked the routines which read/write WATTCP.CFG.  This should get rid
of any problems associated with that, including creating 0 byte files and
inability to create WATTCP.CFG at runtime.

    - Forced a newline at the beginning of each newsgroup article.  This
ensures that the text of a message doesn't begin on the same line as the
RE:.

Beta-25

    - I didn't get all the changes/enhancements into this beta which I'd
hoped.  There are a great deal of functional changes below, and the todo
list is a bit smaller, but there's still work before the release of
version 2.  Please report any problems you find.

    - First stab at "AUTHINFO" directive used by NNTP to validate username
and password.  I could find no governing RFC, so a lot of this is in the
blind until I can set up an NNTP host which supports it.  If your news host
requires a Userid and Password for login (such as GTE), add the following to
the [NEWS] section of NET.INI:

        NEWSNAME = <username>
        NEWSPASS = <password>

The initial feedback is that this function is working properly, but it may need
fine-tuning.

    - The trailing '.' on each Internet email message is now bypassed in email
retrieval, so it won't be displayed to users viewing it on the BBS.

    - Nailed down the stacked "RE: RE: RE:" found in newsgroup responses.

    - Added "Continued in next message..." as the final line in newsgroup posts
which exceed 32K (and become split into multiple parts) and "Continued from
previous message..." on trailing parts.

    - Fixed the news and mail time/byte entries in NET.LOG, so each is
maintained uniquely now.  If you use ONECALL in NET.INI, you will get two
entries (one for @32767 and the other for the system you called), each with
its own bytes and time.

    - Added definable maximum cross-posts before newsgroup article is skipped.
New entry to NET.INI in [NEWS] section reads:

        XPOSTS = nn

where 'nn' is a number between 1 and 99.  (Setting this to '1' will reject any
message crossposted to another newsgroup.)

    - Added support for the PPPURGE utility which cleans up the SENT directory
externally.  By adding "PURGE=N" to the [GENERAL] section in NET.INI, you can
bypass packet cleanup during normal network routines.  You must then add
"PPPURGE <days>" to your external event batch file to kill SENT files.

    - Tweaked internal stack size which seems to stabilize problems resulting
from line noise (modem), lost connections during transfers, etc.  Need more
feedback on reliability of these changes, so we don't introduce new bugs!

    - Overrides net validation for newsgroup posts received from the Internet,
but leaves normal validation intact for other methods.  This is useful for
anyone who gates newsgroups with netval, as it lets the Internet stuff flow
through unimpeded but still validates BBS-originating posts.

    - Added internal support for the FWDNAME and FWDDOM parameters from
NET.INI.  If defined in the [GENERAL] section, these will be used for the
headers of email and newsgroup posts.  This is helpful for anyone using a
forwarding service, such as bigfoot.com, as their BBS mail host.

    - Fixed a problem in the UUDECODE routines where the output file was
not being deleted if an error was detected during processing.  This would
cause the partial file to be processed by the remaining NETWORK routines,
which could result in crashes.

    - Added support for individual ADDRESS.* files.  ADDRESS.1 and up are
maintained by the GC's.  ADDRESS.0 is a local file, which can be used to
limit callouts to particular systems.  To force a normal (modem) callout to a
system, create ADDRESS.0 in the following format:

        @node -      (the minus sign indicates use direct call)

    - Added another check for returned packets.  If the packet "from:"
name matches the name and domain defined in the INI file, the packet is
assumed to be a returned packet as well.  Apparently not all ISP's use the
standard "mailer-daemon" approach for identifying returned packets.

    - Changed the sleep() call in NETWORK.EXE to a delay() call used when
the socket is being established.  Some systems appear to hang using the
sleep() call.

    - Added the KLOSV146.ZIP file to the archive.  These are the latest PPP
drivers from KLOS, patched to remove the Windows detection code.

    - Added support for alpha subtypes in NEWS.C (defined in NEWS.RC).

    - Fixed routines to clean up after a file is received via Internet mail.
Copies are no longer saved in CHECKNET and SPOOL.

    - Added PURGE option to [GENERAL] area, intended to be used with new
PURGE.EXE utility.  PURGE.EXE will clean out your SENT directory as part of
the external event (and not when the program runs).  Set PURGE=N in NET.INI,
then add PURGE.EXE to your external batch file.

    - Added support for '_' in CALLOUT.NET to indicate non-Internet system.

    - Added support for user-definable anti-spam originating address.  If
'SPAMCONTROL=Y' is defined in NET.INI, you can also add:

        SPAMADDRESS=[e-mail]

If SPAMADDRESS is not explicitly defined, the anti-spam address now reads:

        [e-mail] (Username)

    - Cosmetic modification to NET.LOG entry when nothing is sent.  Adds a
comma (,) to conform to the normal network software method.

    - Now auto-trims NEWS.LOG, keeping a maximum of 800 lines (about three
days worth) of NEWS entries.  Trim is accomplished at the last full session
entry (a complete news session) at or above the 800 line mark.

    - Supports random signature files for newsgroups and email.  Naming format
for the signature files is:

        I<subtype>.Txx

where 'xx' is a number between 0 and 99.  For example, to create random
tags for subtype "12345", create files "I12345.T01", "I12345.T02", etc.  If
no random tags are found, "I12345.TAG" will be used, as before.

    - Now properly removes BBS tagline indicators (the ^Dx prefix for each
line in a BBS or personal tagline).  Note that these will be preserved, in
addition to the I*.T* signature files.

Beta-24

    - Added hook to EXP to call after network packets/mail are received, so
any Internet mail is processed immediately after receipt.

    - Count transfers (sending/receiving packets) in 512 byte increments vice
1K now... cosmetic.

    - Encoding and transfer of packets is now kept on a single line vice
scrolling down the screen... again, cosmetic.

    - Tweaked import() routine in EXP to narrow down scrambled headers
reported by some systems.

    - Added total files/bytes detail to display after successful packet
transfers.

    - Added SSMs to be sent to the #1 account upon receipt of archive
files or bad packets moved into CHECKNET.

    - Added file-sharing, timeslicing routines to EXP.

    - Added board-specific tagline file support.  File should be in the
BBS DATA\ directory and be named I<subtype>.TAG, for example on subtype
10001 file would be I10001.TAG.

    - Fixed logic when an invalid newsgroup is requested and server returns
501 response.  It now skips the group and removes the invalid group name from
NEWS.RC automatically.

    - INSTALL.C/EXE is in here now.  It needs some work before broader
release, though.

Beta-23

    - Messed up parsing logic in EXP when comparing against name fields with
an underscore replacing the space.  Fixed, I hope.

    - Various tweaks to socket code.  I hope these address the problems some
folks have been having with the modem falling asleep.

    - Included POP.DBG in this archive to show dialog between you and your
servers and help in the debugging process.  Copy POP.DBG to POP.EXE before
installing.

Beta-22

    - Implements controls for Waterloo TCP socket inactivity across modules,
SOCK_DELAY and SOCK_INACTIVE.  By default, these are set to 30 and 60 seconds,
respectively.  They may be defined in NET.INI, as follows:

; Time from sending an IP packet to response from DNS.
SOCK_DELAY = 30
; Max time without socket activity.
SOCK_INACTIVE = 60

    - The sockets are now malloc() on the far heap again (as Goose properly
had them before).  I thought this may have been the culprit in the lost
activity timer.  When I fixed the item above, it actually crashes the client
when trying to free them from the near heap!

    - Removes WWIV heart color codes from titles and originator names.

    - Implemented ONECALL=Y/N in NET.INI to retrieve messages and newsgroups
on a single call.

    - Added timeslicing routines in POP and NEWS.  Would appreciate feedback
from anyone using "activity meters" to see if this helped anything, although
I suspect I have to use a different buffered I/O routine aside from fprintf()
to accomplish anything.

Beta-21

    - Urgent fix for dial-out problems to modem users.  Beta-20 was showing
"must specify phone number" because of the way I was constructing the
commandline.

    - Various other tweaks/enhancements which will be detailed better in the
next beta.  (It's late!)

Beta-20

    - Urgent fix for a problem in news retrieval where it wasn't finding the
NEWS.RC, I hope!

    - NET.INI addition:

; Will retrieve mail and newsgroups on single call
ONECALL = Y

Beta-19

Additions to NET.INI (for now, grab Quixotic Quest's FAQ for a full NET.INI
and meanings).  Under [NEWS] tag, add:

; If defined, puts a bogus originating address on newsgroup posts.
SPAMCONTROL = Y
; If defined, uses file as a signature file to all newsgroup posts.
SIGNATURE = D:\WWIV\GFILES\INTERNET.TAG

Various code changes:

    - POP now receives messages to an INBOUND directory under the network data
directory instead of syscfgovr.tempdir.  This will help in case of lost
connections... received packets will remain in the INBOUND area until cleaned
out by other routines (UU, etc.)

    - Waterloo wasn't returning from the macro for sock_err:.  Tweaked quite a
bit, including allocating the tcp sockets on the near heap (again!).  I wish
we could return(x) from sock_err: but return values vary among different
functions... consistency is something for a future release.  If this doesn't
clear things up, we can exit(x) from the macro and allow the OS to do its own
cleanup for file handles, memory and such.

    - parse_ini() in network.c wasn't toupper() on s[0] properly, so lower
case 'y' and 'n' parameters weren't being honored.

    - Places ^D0R before header lines on received email.  These lines are
suppressed on display to user on the BBS, but may be extracted to provide
routing info.  Required changes both to POP and EXP, in order to detect/skip
^D0R when comparing strings.

    - Uses underscore between multiple parts of user name on exported mail
(e.g. The_Great_White_Whale).  For backward compatibility, it matches both
space and underscore when comparing against user list.

    - Detects bounced mail by comparing originating address (from: line)
against known mail-bouncers, including "Mailer-Daemon", "Administrator", etc.
Bounced packets are named as BAD*.UUE and will remain in INBOUND for review,
as they're skipped during UU decode routines.  To recycle a packet, rename it
from BAD*.UUE to PKT*.UUE.

    - Displays 20 characters of packet originator while receiving (purely
cosmetic).  Tracked that for the above item, so figured we'd display it.

    - "SPAMCONTROL=Y" in NET.INI [NEWS] tag uses a bogus originating address
("[e-mail]") to prevent email scoopers from finding a good address.
Also when defined, the "Reply-To:" field is omitted but a correct return
address is prepended as text to the body of message.

    - Supports a "signature" file defined in NET.INI [NEWS] tag, as described
above.  Format is: "SIGNATURE = [path/filename]".  Contents are read into
outbound mail during export, so length is unlimited.  If it finds ANSI, it'll
choke!  If a SIGNAURE is not defined or the file doesn't exist, it uses the
previous "Origin: * blah" tagline.

    - If mh.toUserName is "ALL" (ie. a first post on topic), skips the
"Responding to: ALL" in body of message... seemed redundant.

    - NEWS now skips the following messages during retrieval:

      - messages cross-posted to more than 10 newsgroups on the assumption
        that they're spammed across multiple groups.  The figure 10 is an
        arbitrary but hard-coded for now into NEWS.

      - any message cross-posted to another group defined earlier in NEWS.RC,
        e.g. if you define comp.games and comp.games.adventure in NEWS.RC, it
        will skip messages on comp.games.adventure which were cross-posted to
        comp.games.

      - any message which originated from your system as indicated by the
        "Organization:" field appended during export.

    - NEWS now allows you to hit <space> to skip to the next group defined in
NEWS.RC.  It doesn't "catch-up" lastread pointers for the skipped group, but
simply writes the current message pointer to NEWS.RC for your next run.  If
there's reason for a "catch-up" key, let's discuss it.

There are probably others, but you'll find them as you go.

Frank