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Subject: Waffle Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Newsgroups: comp.bbs.waffle,comp.answers,news.answers From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Comp.Bbs.Waffle FAQ) Date: 22 Nov 1994 00:00:00 -0700 Archive-name: waffle-faq Original-Author: vds7789@aw2.fsl.ca.boeing.com (Vince Skahan) And-Then: fenner@cmf.nrl.navy.mil (Bill Fenner) Comp-bbs-waffle-archive-name: faq Posting-Frequency: biweekly Last-modified: 1994-11-19 Waffle Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) ======================================== Table of Contents: Disclaimer Introduction Let's create a waffle replacement! General information Licensing Availability Support mechanism Mail Files section Externals Editors News Administering a usenet site Communications Aftermarket add-ons Miscellaneous Waffle bugs Transition to 1.65 Waffle and OS/2 Waffle and wwivedit Waffle and kermit Getting waffle files via mail-based archive servers Getting waffle files via anonymous uucp Making waffle menu-driven What can i do about uuxqt/rnews hanging on long Path: headers? Why do i get Error 5 deleting call file? What is the difference between access level and privelege level? ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Disclaimer From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca Read at your own risk. The current, previous, or original authors make no claim as to fitness for any purpose or absence of any errors, and offer no warranty. Do not eat. use of the first person (`I') in this document may be remnants of earlier authors' comments. please check this before assuming that the current maintainer wrote everything herein (I didn't). ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Introduction From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca The intent of this document is to assemble, in one place, a general list of Waffle-related Frequently Asked Questions. It is not intended to be all-inclusive, since no one document can replace the 400KB or so of documents that come with Waffle. Rather than repeat material maintained in other newsgroups, other periodic postings, or the \waffle\docs directory, this document will attempt to point the reader to the right place for information that is either too complicated to describe here, or is kept up to date elsewhere. In particular, lists of software packages available, their authors, and their ftp locations are kept in the comp.os.msdos.mail-news FAQ. This document includes information for the current official release of Waffle (v1.65, released 8/1/92). In many cases, the answer to a FAQ might be something along the lines of "you can't at v1.64 or before". Version-specific answers are indicated whenever possible. At this time, this document primarily addresses the DOS version of Waffle, but feel free to submit unix-Waffle FAQs to the address above for inclusion in the next posting. Comments, additions, and corrections are welcomed (via e-mail please). This FAQ should probably be split. at least it's now a minimal digest. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Let's create a waffle replacement! From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca well, ok, if you must. but the best group to discuss this, unless you're planning on just a waffle clone (and why bother? it's already available) is probably NOT comp.bbs.waffle -- comp.os.msdos.mail-news was created in part to get this discussion OUT of comp.bbs.waffle. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: General information From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. What is Waffle ? Waffle is a USENET-compatible BBS system which supports UUCP mail, UUCP, and USENET news. In addition, there is a built-in editor, file upload/download, and the ability to hook in external programs and gateway to (or from) other packages. DOS Waffle supports (but does not require) external Fossil drivers to allow use of high speed modems and allows an MSDOS PC to be a fully RFC compliant USENET node. It also provides the UUCP-based transport mechanism that generally comes with unix systems. Unix Waffle provides just the BBS functionality and requires the 'traditional' unix communications, mail, and USENET-news software for those functions. See \waffle\docs\readme, unix.doc, and dos.doc for more details. 2. What operating systems does it run on ? IBM-PCs and compatibles running MSDOS (which includes Microsoft Windows, DR-DOS, and OS/2 if you have enough memory). Many variants of unix. In particular, configuration options are already in place for: NeXT, BSD 4.2/4.3, A/UX, SUN, LINUX, IRIS, Ultrix, XENIX, Interactive 386/ix, HP/UX, Altos 2000. If you have one of these environments, Waffle should just drop in with no problems. 3. When is the next version coming out? No one knows. Tom Dell has been very busy at work for quite a while, and that has to take priority over working on waffle. The jump from 1.64 to 1.65 took a year and a half, and it's now been over two years since 1.65 came out. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Licensing From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. Is Waffle free ? In a word, no. The DOS version is shareware that is made available in binary form at many locations so you can `try before you buy'. The UNIX version is available as source code only, and there is no provision to `try before you buy'. However, the look and feel of the two versions are almost identical, so the DOS version serves as a `try' version. 2. OK, so what's it cost ? For non-commercial sites, DOS Waffle costs $30.00 (US) for binaries and $120.00 (US) for sources. The unix sources are $120.00 (US) for non-commercial sites. Contact the author, Tom Dell <dell@vox.darkside.com> for info about purchasing Waffle, or see \waffle\docs\register.doc from the DOS distribution for more details. Sending him a cheque is probably best. Mail is seldom returned. 3. What if I bought DOS binaries and I now want sources ? You pay the difference between the binary fee you've paid already and the cost of the source code. 4. Once I'm registered, can I upgrade to new versions for free ? Yes, although you might have to download a copy rather than expecting a floppy to come in the mail. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Availability From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. How can I get Waffle by ftp ? Anonymous ftp: ------------- Waffle (DOS version) is available via anonymous ftp from SimTel and its various mirror sites as follows: oak.oakland.edu pub/SimTel/waffle/waf165.zip wuarchive.wustl.edu 128.252.135.4 /pub/mirrors/msdos/waffle/waf165.zip There are other SimTel mirror sites. See the periodic postings in comp.archives.msdos.announce and news.answers for more details. In addition, ftp.halcyon.com has a large waffle-related FTP area: ftp.halcyon.com /pub/waffle/waffle/waf165.zip halcyon mirrors (keeps a current copy of) the simtel waffle files, the simtel offline-mail files, and the tau-ceti fx suite. it's your one-stop waffle ftp site. be sure to send mail to `ralphs' thanking him for donating the resources, and to `hpage' for being the ongoing archivist. 2. What if I'm not on the Internet ? From the author's BBS: --------------------- The Dark Side of the Moon BBS 1.408.245.SPAM (7726) (Tom Dell) From SimTel and mirrors via mail-based-archive-servers: --------------------------------------------------------- A number of sites run archive-servers to give non-Internet folks the ability to do the equivalent of ftp-by-mail. If you do not have FTP access to SimTel, files may be ordered by mail from: Internet-style: listserv@vm1.nodak.edu listserv@vm.ecs.rpi.edu UUCP-style: uunet!vm1.nodak.edu!listserv uunet!vm.ecs.rpi.edu!listserv Send this command to the server to get its help file: GET PDGET HELP NOTE: remember that if you request items from an archive-server via mail, that your traffic goes through every system between the server and you, and adds such load on each system. Be courteous. There are a number of periodic postings in news.answers that tell how to get software via mail in far more detail than what is provided here. From other BBS sites: --------------------- Via mail: questor.wimsey.bc.ca (Steve Pershing): mail with text `help' to username `MailServer' Available for downloading: THIS INFORMATION IS OLD -- IT MAY NOT BE CURRENT The Heart of Gold BBS +1 814 238-9633 300-2400/v.32/v.32bis/ZyXEL 16.8k, free download on first call look in /file/ibm/bbs/waf*.zip [The Heart of Gold will be disappearing soon; if it's after May 1993 don't be surprised if it's gone. Yup, I got a job.] New Life Forum +1 503 335-3053 2400/v.32/v.32bis, free download on first call Wafflemania Unlimited +1 503 335-9600 2400/v.32/v.32bis/HST 16.8k, free download on first call ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Support mechanism From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. How can I get questions answered ? First, read everything in \waffle\docs. Then read them about 3 more times. Then read them again. Running a USENET site is not difficult, but it's also not trivial. Running Waffle is not always immediately self-evident either. The docs will help... a lot. Yes, there is a lot to read, and yes, it seems ponderous, but most of your questions are answered either in the docs or in this FAQ. Use of a version of `grep' to scan all the documents for keywords is highly recommended, or looking in 1.65's new \waffle\docs\index. 2. Is there a USENET newsgroup for Waffle ? Yes, comp.bbs.waffle (also known as `c.b.w'.) Don't be shy, there's a lot of expertise in c.b.w. That's what it's there for. However, be sure that you have looked through all the documentation before posting your question; you will likely get flamed if you ask a question that is clearly answered in the documentation (or in the FAQ, for that matter.) 3. Can I get in touch with the author of Waffle ? Yes. [Updated answer: unless you have a cheque, no] Tom Dell reads comp.bbs.waffle, though he doesn't generally post too often since he's busy `doing good' for us all :-) He's also reachable via e-mail at dell@vox.darkside.com. Be aware that Tom gets *LOTS* of mail, so replies usually take a while. [sometimes an eternity] In general, normal questions to comp.bbs.waffle will get quite a few responses in a very timely manner. There probably aren't too many questions you can't get answered in c.b.w. 4. How many Waffle sites are there currently? It's hard to say since there are sites that are unregistered, not in the UUCP maps, and/or are mail-only and do not exchange news. Occasionally, someone counts how many Waffle sites have posted to USENET in the past 2 weeks. Bill Fenner, and now Alan Brown: 921029 930116 930216 930416 940816 1.61: 2 1 2 1 0 1.63: 9 8 9 5 0 1.64: 81 44 57 46 18 1.65: 266 266 280 286 240 --- --- --- --- --- 358 320 348 339 258 ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Mail From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. How can I route domainized mail for my uucp neighbor directly to them ? Domain-based mail goes to your smarthost (as defined in static) unless you override that route with an entry in paths. If you mail to `friend@hostname.domain' and you're directly connected to them via UUCP, you can force a direct delivery with a /waffle/uucp/paths entry of : hostname.domain hostname 2. What should I do with my headers? Not a lot unless you know what you're doing. In general, you want your `netmail' and `netnews' parameters in static to result in valid headers, so that people can reply to you. If you can do so, get into a domain and domainize all your headers. It'll make your life easier and will do the same for people who exchange mail with you. The important thing to remember is that if you put a domain-style address out without being domainized, people will probably not be able to reply to your mail. Just because an address looks good doesn't make it valid. Most notably, `user@host.host.uucp' is invalid. 3. I'm not in a domain. What should my headers look like ? The work you put into getting a real domain address may easily be less than the work you put into trying to figure out why people from mismanaged or poorly-equipped sites can't reach you. In general, you want to have an address that is a known-good route from a known site. Some possibilities are: All bang-path ===> some_known_host!your_site!you (i.e. mailfrom: psuvax1!%u!%A or mailfrom: psuvax1!%n!%A) mixed format ===> you%your_site.uucp@some_internet_site (i.e. mailfrom: %A%%%n@psuvax1.cs.psu.edu) your_site!you@some_internet_site (i.e. mailfrom: %u!%A@psuvax1.cs.psu.edu or mailfrom: %n!%A@psuvax1.cs.psu.edu) (All of the examples above assume something like: node: hogbbs.UUCP uucpname: hogbbs in your static file) The actual format that works best for you depends on who you're connected to and what their mailer can handle. Note that the all bang-path format is not reccomended for news; sites running B News will mangle your article in such a way that downstream sites running newer software will drop it on the floor. 4. I'm a single-user site. Should I register in the UUCP maps? Yes, or get a domain name. (FQDN==fully qualified domain name) The bottom line is that if people try to mail to you, you want your address to be reachable. From Internet, you want to get domainized and get a MX record if you can. From UUCP-only sites that don't touch Internet, you need a map entry (or a header that routes you through somebody with a map entry you can trust). Also, you shouldn't put anything in your Path: header between the `!'s other than a FQDN or your _registered_ uucp name. if you like the name `foo' but don't register it, don't send out news that says: `Path: foo!user' since the person who actually did the _right_ thing and registered foo won't ever see your news -- and neither will the sites beyond that site, probably. not to MENTION mail getting mixed up. 5. Can I display something other than the sender when listing mail ? Yes, as of 1.65 you can specify the header you want to see when you do a list of messages via the `listmail' item in static. Unfortunately, this is not configurable per-user, only per-site. 6. Does Waffle support mail folders ? Yes, as of 1.65. If you have no new mail in your mailbox, you can say `mail *' to get a list of mailboxes to read. 7. Can I use (my favorite mail program) ? Some people have had luck with `readmail' for reading only, and at 1.65 either mush or pc-elm should work for read/write. Version 1.65 has MMDF-style mailboxes with messages separated by four control-A's, so mush and pc-elm should be able to read/write these messages, though you'll have to reindex your mailbox with `makebox' or the like if you write to it. 8. Can I keep a record of all mail that comes into the system ? Yes, create a file called `inbox' in \waffle\admin and all incoming mail will be copied there. You can stash this file elsewhere via the rr.inbox variable in the static file. See rmail.doc for more information... 9. Can I get FidoNet Netmail on my Waffle? See question 12 under NEWS, for information about Erin/Amanda. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Files section From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. How can I set the prompt in the files section ? Use the `fileprom' static file parameter. Try `fileprom : [$f] :' as an example. (it was undocumented before v1.65) 2. I use a Fossil driver and a 16550 UART with FIFOs enabled. After someone transfers a file, why does it seem as if characters are not being transmitted? If you use DSZ, it directly accesses the UART, and uses the FIFOs. By default, it turns them OFF when it finishes. Since Waffle doesn't reset the Fossil driver, it tries stuffing characters into a buffer that's turned off. The fix is to use the `F' flag on DSZ's command line in \waffle\extern\_send and _receive: Z /command="C:\waffle\bin\dsz F port %d est 0 %b sz -m %i", or to use the new (as of 1.65) /reset flag on the extern to make Waffle reset the FOSSIL: Z /command="C:\waffle\bin\dsz port %d est 0 %b sz -m %i" /reset This can also affect file transfers using the built-in editor. 3. People with priv 9 can access the file section fine, but people with normal access get `Validation is required to use the FILES section.' Check your /waffle/system/dirs file. This error occurs if the user does not have access to the root file directory (`files:' in the static file). A sample from hogbbs's (working) configuration: /waffle/system/static: files: f:/file /waffle/system/dirs: 1 /dir="f:/file" /access=1 ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Externals From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. How do they all work ? Simple. There's \waffle\extern\_system for the normal commands, and you can add any command you want with any access you want by adding a corresponding file to the \waffle\extern directory. The file that you create corresponds to the name of the new command. Be very careful regarding security, though, as externs can be the least secure part of Waffle. 2. I use 4DOS, yet Waffle shells out to DOS, not 4DOS... You need to change the command interpreter in \waffle\extern\_system to use 4DOS rather than command.com 3. If I implement Waffle as a door from another BBS, how can users exit from Waffle without dropping carrier? First, disable the `exit' command in Waffle by adding the following line to your static file. disable: exit Then provide an external implementation of the exit command by creating extern\exit with the following contents. /access=0 /logout=exit /log /exit=81 This causes Waffle to exit, without dropping the modem connection, with errorlevel 81 (or whatever level you want to specify). The /access=0 ensures that all Waffle users can get back out once they get in. Then you just trap errorlevel 81 in the batch file that started Waffle to go back to the other BBS. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Editors From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. What editors can I use ? Locally, any editor your little 'ol heart desires that works in pure ASCII (ie, you could use WordPerfectOffice, but not WordPerfect itself since that saves in a non-ASCII format normally). Remotely, you have to be careful to use an editor that is ANSI oriented and that doesn't do direct DOS screen I/O. Some editors that are frequently used (and are available on SimTel and other fine archive sites) include: MEANSI - MicroEmacs compiled to use ANSI mode. BBStevie - vi clone FSED - a very configurable editor that can be made to look like just about any editor you want WWIVEDIT - the editor for WWIV Be aware that if you set up external editors for your remote users, you might have a security risk on your hands. Be sure that you know whether your editor will let a remote user shell out to the operating system or not, and that you're giving exactly the privileges you mean to give out. BBStevie in particular is designed to be configurable so that you can prevent folks from getting to the shell (if you want) and you can use the same binary to ALLOW some other folks shell access if you want to do that, based on their Waffle access level. 2. How can I use different local and remote editors ? At 1.65, you can define different local and remote editors from within Waffle, so it's simple. The STATUS command does not let you edit your local editor, however; you have to ADMIN T <you>. Prior to 1.65, you should modify /waffle/extern/_editors to run a batch file which gets passed the baud rate, and decides based on that whether to run a local or remote editor. 3. Why does (insert editor here) work locally, but not remotely? If you try BBStevie locally and it's fine, yet you get a blank screen when you use it remotely, make sure that you do not have an ansi driver loaded. Some people have luck using PC Magazine's ansi.com, which can be loaded and unloaded as part of a batch file around your `waffle local username' command, so that there's no ansi driver loaded by default for remote users. Version 3.0 of BBStevie can use a FOSSIL driver to do its own modem i/o, so that you can use a local ANSI driver to handle local use and remote use will take care of itself. 4. How come STATUS / EDITOR still says there are no editors on the system, when I just added stuff to /waffle/extern/_edit? You need to manually edit /waffle/menus/editors to reflect the editors that are available on your system. Make sure to include that the user can select `none' to get back to the internal editor. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: News From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. Can I keep a copy of all posts ? Yes, look in static.doc and the USENET file distributed with Waffle for /spy=monitor. basically just have `DEFAULT /spy=monitor' at the top of your waffle/system/usenet file, and you'll probably be ok (unless you drastically changed your `forums' static file entry). 2. Can I gateway mail to news ? Absolutely. You need to set up an alias in `aliases' that looks something like the following: newsgroup-name | post newsgroup.name To go the other way, add newsgroup.name /mod="submission-address-of-mailing-list". For example, I have the Pink Floyd mailing list gatewayed on hogbbs to mail.echoes . I got the list maintainer to send the mailint list to echoes-list@hogbbs.scol.pa.us, and have the following entry in `aliases': echoes-list | post mail.echoes My definition for mail.echoes in my USENET file looks like: mail.echoes /name="The Pink Floyd Mailing List" /mod=echoes@fawnya.tcs.com (That should all be on one line; it was split for inclusion in the FAQ.) 3. Does Waffle provided threaded newsreading ? Not at this time. See the section on AFTERMARKET ADD-ONS for info on external newsreaders which do provide threaded newsreading. 4. Does Waffle support kill files ? Not at this time. Meanwhile, check the section on AFTERMARKET ADD-ONS, as above. 5. Why do I see multiple copies of the same article ? Because Waffle has no `real-news'-like history mechanism at this time. Waffle considers an article to be a duplicate only if the local site is already in the path. If you get a newsfeed of the same newsgroup from several Waffle sites into your DOS Waffle, expect to see lots of duplicates :-( History mechanism is currently planned (rumored) for v1.66. It is available now through Waffle C News (on halcyon). Also, if you read two groups, and a message is crossposted to both groups, the builtin newsreaders will show it to you twice. There are several third-party solutions - see the section on Aftermarket add-ons. 6. Why do my local postings not make it to USENET ? Check your /waffle/system/feeds file. Is there an entry for your feed there, saying to send all newsgroups there? If you have a /batch= flag in that feeds entry, did you forget to run the `batch' command to take the list of articles to go out, assemble them, compress them, and queue them up for transmission. You should call `batch' from your poll.bat or from cron via the schedule file. a simple `feeds' file for a leaf that connects to othersite is: othersite /batch=compress * 7. Can I edit the newsgroups line when making a post ? Not directly, but you can `followup groupA groupB' and get the same functionality. Same goes for mailing a reply to somebody and also kicking your reply to somebody else. also, check some of the third-party readers 8. Can I effectively read and followup to saved news messages ? Not really at this time. If you're at the console, you could use `readmail' to read them reasonably efficiently, though you couldn't respond via mail or followup. (this may change with the new, reply-capable version of readmail) There are also a myriad of relatively ugly workarounds available in 1.65 making creative use of makebox.exe, perl, etc. to make the saved messages into a mail folder. Being able to have saved news articles as a mail `folder' and use the mail program to read/follow/reply to saved news has been suggested to Tom for a future release. 9. In `rn', how can I mail an article to somebody other than the author? Hit `:m username' Same idea for saving a message to a specified filename. In that case you want to hit `:s filename'. Think of it like hitting `:' to get to command mode in vi. Be careful, though, if you're at a `More' prompt - at the `More' prompt, a `:' just gets you to the `What next?' prompt, so you have to hit two colons. 10. I get `write/text: No such file or directory, D:\NEWS/monitor/1' when posting a message. You must create the monitor newsgroup manually. monitor and local newsgroups are the only ones that must be created manually; rnews will create directories for groups in your FORUMS file as needed. this is _not_ a `/' vs. `\' problem. people who write third-party newsreaders: please have your package create the directory, and save grief all around. thanks. 11. My users want to use their QWK offline reader to read their netnews. Does Waffle support this? There is a .QWK door for Waffle, called WafLineMail, which was written for 1.64 . It will sort-of work with 1.65 if you use the `explode' utility to unpack your 1.65 mailbox; it works OK with news in 1.65 still. Unfortunately, WafLineMail 1.0 is the sort of program that works perfectly on some machines and doesn't work at all on others and nobody can ever figure out why. There is a beta of WafLineMail 2.0 floating around, which knows about 1.65's mailbox format, and may or may not be more reliable. WafLineMail 1.0r is available as `wafm10.zip', and the beta that I saw was on ftp.halcyon.com:/pub/waffle/wlmb5.zip . As far as I know, development work on WafLineMail has been dropped. If you want your messages to not have their headers stripped to fit inside the old QWK format, look in the group alt.usenet.offline-reader to see what software there is available. both solar and zipnews are available as packers for waffle sites, and a handful of packages for various machines handle reading/writing their formats. solar uses the SOUP (formerly HDPF/HPF/SLNP) format, while zipnews has its own, slightly different, format. 12. Can I get FidoNet echoes on my Waffle BBS? There is one package, Amanda, written by David Douthitt (rat@ruth.fullfeed.com) to process Fidonet news packets for MSDOS Waffle v1.65. Amanda is on simtel. There is another package, Erin, written also by David Douthitt, which will handle Fidonet mail packets for MSDOS Waffle v1.65. However, this package is not yet released. Information on Erin will be released through the amanda-l mailing list as it becomes available, and will be available there first. Both Amanda and Erin require MSDOS Waffle v1.65 (complete), and a Fidonet mailer such as FrontDoor or BinkleyTerm. 13. What hosts should I put in my `backbone:' static file entry? The sites currently maintaining these lists are given in the following list. Pick the one that is `closest' to your site and use it in your `backbone' format string: ames.arc.nasa.gov beaver.cs.washington.edu cis.ohio-state.edu decuac.dec.com decwrl.dec.com eddie.mit.edu kddlab.kddlabs.co.jp linus.b.mitre.org math.waterloo.edu mcnc.org ncar.ucar.edu rutgers.edu tektronix.tek.com ucbvax.berkeley.edu ucsd.edu uflorida.cis.ufl.edu uunet.uu.net wrdis01.af.mil ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Administering a usenet site From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. What books should I buy ? There are several that no USENET admin with a book fetish be without. From O' Reilly and Associates: Administering UUCP and USENET - widely recommended, Unix-based, might be helpful A Directory of Electronic Mail Addressing and Networks - possibly interesting if you're doing weird mail things, but not a uucp-specific book by any means From `The Waite Group' Unix Communications - obviously, Unix-based. can't find my copy right now. 2. What other stuff should I read ? Read USENET news, particularly some or all of the following groups: comp.bbs.waffle comp.mail.uucp news.admin.misc news.answers news.newusers.questions There is a FAQ posted to news.admin.misc,news.announce.newusers and news.answers called `How to become a USENET site', which includes lots of useful information about finding your initial connection. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Communications From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. What settings do I use for my Telebit modem ? That's far too complicated a question to answer here. In general, turn compression off, and turn uucp `spoofing' on. This can all be done on the fly by sending register settings as part of your send-expect sequence when you call out, or you can do so as part of your modem initialization string in static. Some Telebit modems don't save the register settings. You might have to set the registers in both the init string and in the calling sequence. Also, grab a FOSSIL driver to control the port if you are running a 9600 baud modem or above. BNU and X00 seem to be the most popularly used fossils according to the folks in c.b.w. Don't forget to set the driver to `fossil' in the static file. Remember: there is a `trailblazer-faq' posted to news.answers 2. What's the best throughput I can expect ? Throughput is a function of a variety of things, including (but not limited to): - the speed and load of both systems - the speed of both modems - line noise on the phone line - the size of the batches being transferred - whether or not you are using a FOSSIL driver With a 2400 baud modem, you should get anywhere between 200 and 220 cps unless you're transferring very small batches. V.32 (9600 bps) should get anywhere between 700 and 1020 cps. With a Telebit Trailblazer Plus, you should expect something on the order of 800 to 1400+ characters/second to a similar modem. Watch your \waffle\admin\net file for details regarding your average characters per second. A drop off from what's `normal' could indicate hardware problems or line problems. To summarize your DOS net file easily, grab a copy of `netsum' from the Waffle directory on one of the archive sites.. It can generate a variety of reports that can answer things like `based on 11 cents/minute, how much DID I spend to uunet so far ?' 3. What are the special characters recognized by the chat script ? See \waffle\docs\network.doc or `Managing UUCP and USENET' for details. 4. How can I stop my connection from timing out while switching speeds ? Use uu.time in static to set a default delay or use the -t parameter in your uucico command to override the default. See network.doc for more details. Also, make sure your modem will wait for a carrier at least as long as the uu.time you specify. If your modem uses the AT command set this is probably the S7 register setting. Lastly, if you talk to a Telebit modem and you have a non-Telebit modem (that talks just fine to anything else), you might want to ask your feed to put PEP tones last. Initial PEP tones can confuse non-Telebit modems quite a bit. 5. What does this error mean? See \waffle\docs\network.doc, `Managing UUCP and USENET', or Ian Taylor's UUCP Internals FAQ, posted to news.answers, for details. 6. I have a high speed modem. After saying [Connect 14400], Waffle complains [14400 unsupported]! Why can't Waffle handle high speed connections? Just bump the speed to 19200, a `standard' serial speed. You have locked your FOSSIL, without telling Waffle about it. This is a no-no. Put `locked: xxxx' in your static file, and Waffle will shut up about `unsupported'. It actually doesn't matter what speed you use in the locked: parameter, if you have locked using the FOSSIL. 7. Waffle keeps saying `[ Echo should't be on - waaah! ]' when initializing the modem. This message is basically harmless and can be safely ignored. For Waffle to not complain about this, echo must be in a consistent state - either always on, or always off. If you want it to be always off, put E0 in your default profile. If you want it to be always on, put E1 in your default profile, and E1 (MUST be uppercase, `e1' won't cut it) in your init: static file entry. Note that if you occasionally get the error message, then you're probably starting up Waffle after having echo on (in your terminal program, for example), and not resetting your modem. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Aftermarket add-ons From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. What add-on products are available for Waffle ? Lots...and I mean lots. When in doubt poke around the Waffle directory on SimTel or a mirror site for the list of stuff that's purely Waffle related. Also, keep your eyes open in the Waffle newsgroup for information related to utilities that might not have been uploaded to Simtel. ftp.halcyon.com, on the Internet, has a huge anonymous ftp section, in /pub/waffle, which was (but is no longer) mirrored by remote.halcyon.com for anonymous UUCP. There is an anonymous UUCP list posted frequently to c.b.w -- see later. Also, grep for `waffle' in the comp.os.msdos.mail-news FAQ. Lastly, look in \waffle\docs\third.doc in 1.65 2. I don't like Waffle's user interface. Is there another program that I can use to access news? Current ftp locations and author addresses, as well as a complete list of known packages, should be obtained from the comp.os.msdos.mail-news FAQ. Any of the MS-DOS readers should be easy to hook into Waffle 1.65's Chrome hook - in RUN.BAT, instead of running CHROME, run the reader that you like. Under 1.64, if you don't find yourself using `p' to poll often, you could put it there. There are several third-party news readers that can be used with Waffle. Here are just a few of the longest-lived ones, and comments written by a previous FAQ maintainer. it is likely that this entire section will be replaced with a pointer to the comp.os.msdos.mail-news FAQ. Package Author -------------- -------------------------------------- NWREADER sreck@rebox.in-berlin.de (Stefan Reck) RusNews russell@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Russell Schulz) rnf daniel@blackhl.hacktic.nl ZipNews Reader jkilday@nlbbs.com (Jack Kilday) For Windows: HellDiver rhys@cs.uq.oz.au (Rhys Weatherly) I have never used NWREADER, so I know nothing about it, but it was described by the author in his original posting of the program as an `offline full screen mail and newsreader'. Look for nnXXX.zoo or nn386XXX.zoo to run on 386 machines. A companion mailer, RWMAIL, is available as rwmXXX.zoo. They should be available from ftp.FU-Berlin.DE in /pub/pc/uucp . RusNews is written in pascal, and offers an `nn-like' interface, where you select which articles or threads to read in one screen and then go read all that you selected. RusNews has a limited kill file facility. RusNews also works online, if you want to offer it for your users as well. Look for rusn-*.zip . I have never used rnf, and have heard nothing about it. The ZipNews Reader is pretty speedy once it creates its indexes (which can sometimes take a while if you have large newsgroups). It can `accumulate' its indexes, if you can spare the disk space, for more complete threading. I have never used HellDiver, but from what I have seen about it on comp.bbs.waffle, if you're using Windows anyway, you definitely want to give it a try. Look for helld*.zip . 3. Duplicate message killers checkdup - by russell@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Russell Schulz) Must be run in each newsgroup directory seperately -- good if you're only getting a few groups duplicated. limits of 4000 articles/group, and 80 chars in a Message-ID: header. you must use a unix-like find (such as `stuff') to handle many groups. nscu11 - by chorn@eastwind.mcds.com (Christopher Horn) Runs through whole directory tree, good if you get lots of dupes. Also resequences articles, so that your users don't get to see weird article number jumps. NSCU compares CRC's and not full Message-ID's, so should be faster than the others. dupweed - by kjhoule@iowegia.uucp (Kevin Houle) Provides approximately the same functionality as nscu, but compares full Message-ID strings. Limited to 750 articles per newsgroup, and 40 subdirectories per directory. history - by dawson@(?) (Willard Dawson) (?) ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Miscellaneous From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. How can I set my mail and news signatures to be different ? It's built-in already. The mailsig file is for mail, the sig file is for news. The \waffle\system\sig file gets inserted if it's there and you don't have a personal sig or mailsig file. If you want to be able to pick which sig goes on which message, try Roy Silvernail's APPSIG.ZIP . 2. Why doesn't /waffle/system/mailsig work? The different names are only for the user's personal signature. If you have a system default signature, /waffle/system/sig, it is applied to *all* messages. 3. Can I use 16-bit compression ? Sure, if you have enough memory and can find a 16-bit compression program. One is provided with 1.65 and there are a variety of add-in 16-bit compress programs for 1.64 and earlier available on SimTel. If you use 16-bit compress, be sure you have the `compress' flag in the static file set correctly for the compress you're using. See \waffle\docs\comp16.doc . 4. What are all those files in \waffle\* anyway ? See \waffle\docs\roadmap.doc for descriptions of almost every file that comes with the software. 5. What document in \waffle\docs contains what ? \waffle\docs\index.doc has the table of contents of each of the other documents. Use a text editor or something similar to look for keywords in index.doc, then it will point you to which file to look in. If you have a version of the UNIX utility `grep', it's best to do something like `grep keyword \waffle\docs\*', to find even obscure references to things. You'll find a lot of neat but obscure references in HISTORY.DOC. 6. Can I alter my headers after composing a message ? Some of them are editable in 1.65 via the `alter' static parameter. Don't put `To:', `CC:' or `Newsgroups:' in `alter'; it won't work. Of course, third-party packages tend to not have these restrictions. 7. Does DOS Waffle support control messages ? Other than cancelling a message you posted that hasn't been batched up yet, no. You might want to look at the contents of the control newsgroup once in a while to see what control messages you received that Waffle didn't process. There's a program called procc, `PROCess Control' which will handle control messages for you. Look for procc-NN.zip where NN is the version number. There's also wafctl, Waffle Control, which does more than procc. It will create files for nwreader to use to present users with notices of new groups when the control messages come in. 8. What does this `Splash file before login' flag do? I can't find it in the docs. If a user logs in with the `Splash file before login' flag, and a file exists in /waffle/text named after that user, it will be displayed (`splashed') immediately after the user enters their password correctly. Example: user falken has `Splash file ...' set in his profile: hogbbs!login: falken Password: [this is /waffle/text/falken] (> Greetings, Professor Falken. Would you like to play a game? [this is /waffle/text/welcome, which everyone sees] Welcome to the Heart of Gold ... ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Waffle bugs From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca As with any large system, Waffle has bugs. Since the source is available, some users have fixed some of the bugs that have cropped up. In this section, the notation `Patch: <user>' means that the mentioned user has a patch to the source code available that will fix the problem. You need to already have the source code for this to be useful to you. `BPatch: <user>' means that the mentioned user has a binary patch available, which anyone should be able to use. `Fixed: 1.xx' means that the bug is fixed as of the mentioned version. `Workaround:' means that there is a way to avoid the bug in normal operation. 1. When I mail to a | post alias from within Waffle, it only posts the headers. This is a bug having to do with external editors. Workaround: use the internal editor when mailing to such an alias. Patch: fenner@cs.psu.edu Fixed: 1.66 2. When I mail to a | post alias from within Waffle, it only works the first time, the second time it doesn't do *anything*. Workaround: none known. Patch: fenner@cs.psu.edu Fixed: 1.66 3. I configured my modem to work with FAX, but Waffle keeps saying [Hayes code -2] and hangs up. This occurs if you have Auto-ATA: in your static file. Workaround: make your modem answer the phone (no Auto-ATA: in the static file and ATS0=1 in the initialize string). Patch: fenner@cs.psu.edu Fixed: 1.66 4. I have personal aliases for `mom' and `dad', and when I type `mail mom dad' Waffle complains `No such user', even though I can type `mail mom' or `mail dad' and it works fine. Waffle's implementation of personal aliases isn't complete. Workaround: put the aliases in /waffle/system/aliases WARNING: This makes your aliases available to all users, so *be* *careful* with what you put there. 5. I have `finger_ok: 3' in my static file but anyone can use the FINGER command. Apparently, this check got lost somewhere; Waffle completely ignores the finger_ok: static variable. Workaround: None, save writing an extern to duplicate the functionality that you want, and controlling access to that via the extern files. 6. uux -b gives me garbage uux -b doesn't work. try to use uux -i (if the files are on the same physical drive, ugh) or get a replacement uux. one is ruux, hopefully on halcyon. 7. rmail messes up headers with more than one space after the `To:' it doesn't hurt delivery, just makes the headers ugly ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Transition to 1.65 From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. I updated my config files, but they didn't work. Some of the config files, notably `paths', moved in 1.65 to the new \waffle\uucp directory. Make sure you aren't editing the file in the old 1.64 location. 2. I'm going to run makebox. Anything I should know ? Yes. Makebox deletes the old mail files after it assembles the new mailbox. If you're paranoid, you might want to zip up your 1.64 mail messages before running makebox if you're not sure you'll stay at 1.65. If you mess up, try to find a copy of `explode.zip' (it's on ftp.halcyon.com in /pub/waffle/mail); it will take a 1.65 mailbox back to 1.64 format. 3. 1.65 sure seems scary, why should I bother? Lots of reasons. See history.doc and release.165 for details. Of course, if you're happy with the version you run, there's not a lot of rush to get updated, though most of the c.b.w readers keep at the current version and you'll get better help from c.b.w by staying current. In addition, there are increasingly many utilities that will only work with version 1.65 . However, there are still some Waffle sites at v1.61, so obviously old versions still work) ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Waffle and OS/2 From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca ==begin FAQ caption== From: harrison@hedgehog.darkside.com (Harrison Page) Newsgroups: comp.bbs.waffle Subject: Re: Waffle and OS/2? Message-ID: <RVRZPc1w165w@hedgehog.darkside.com> Date: Sun, 24 Jul 94 16:46:14 PDT I've had good experiences with OS/2 and Waffle, through I am not running a bulletin board system - just a site for news, mail, and a mail-based archive server. I use the scheduler built into a Shareware utility for OS/2 called FILEBAR (works great) and the stock UUCICO that comes with Waffle. Here's what I've gathered from comp.bbs.waffle over the last few months: tas@dadstoy.jpunix.com (Terry Stockdale) wrote: > I similarly use Waffle for polling, but FXUUCICO under Waffle, and an > external cron (cron213.zip) to handle rnews and rmail, as well as > administrative tasks. I'm using RNF (now v.77beta9) and am very pleased > with it. Plus, it can keep my Waffle "join" file in sync with its > rnfjoin file. I've had good experience with Ray Gwinn's SIO/VSIO/VX00 > comm drivers (now sio126e.zip). ka6etb@GRAFex.sbay.org (KA6ETB Steve Harding) wrote: > Setting up Waffle in OS/2: > > Follow these steps to get Waffle to work in one window: > > 1. Change the shell entry in your ~/waffle/extern file to read: > > shell /command="x:\OS2\MDOS\COMMAND" > > where x: is the drive holding your OS/2 directories. > > 2. If you are using a fossil driver, turn it off. > > 3. Migrate Waffle to OS/2, and test. > > If you are using a CRON utility, migrate it, and test. There are CRON > utilities available for OS/2. > > Once Waffle passes the test, you can begin to tweak. > > o Install the SIO driver, available wherever fine OS/2 shareware > is found. > o Test. > o If you must have a fossil, install VX00.SYS from SIO. > o Test. > o Set IDLE_SENSITIVITY to 3 for your waffle window and your > CRON window. > o Test. > o Install OS2SPEED. This will force Waffle to be more multitasking > aware. Available wherever fine OS/2 shareware is found. > o Test. > > Once all tests are passed, create a shadow app of Waffle (and your CRON), > and place it in your Start Up folder. ==end FAQ caption== ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Waffle and wwivedit From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca ==begin FAQ caption== From: hannibal@iastate.edu (M. Hannibal Toal) Newsgroups: comp.bbs.waffle Subject: WWIVedit for Waffle FAQ (long) Message-ID: <hannibal.775732078@vincent1.iastate.edu> Date: 1 Aug 94 09:07:58 GMT Hi there, I promised this information some time ao, I apologize for the delay, but gee, I've been busy :) Sorry it's so long, I wanted it to be complete... If anyone would like further help or pointers let me know via email. I heard there was a new version of WWIVedit? Want to send it to SimTel? hannibal cut here --- FAQ for implementing WWIVedit as an external editor for Waffle 1.65 This works for me. This is exactly how I have it configured right now. Your mileage, however, may vary. Note the inclusion of directory and file listings, you should have no problems setting it up and putting everything in its place. The WWIVedit .DEF file and dirs included here are the ones I use to configure the editor for remote use by my users on my BBS, so it won't let users include files, or drop to DOS or other silly things like that. For local applications, consult the documentation for information on how to set your preferences. I hope people find this information to be useful. Please let me know if there is anything that can be included/further explicated/improved. Hannibal SYSTEM 0PERATOR CLU 'Puternet BBS 515-232-7631 Output from "C:\>tree c:\waffle" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Directory PATH listing for Volume 'PUTERNET Volume Serial Number is 3A55-1CDC C:\WAFFLE +---ADMIN +---BIN +---DOCS +---EXTERN +---HELP +---INFO +---MENUS +---SYSTEM +---TEXT +---UUCP +---VOTE +---WORDS +---WWIVEDIT +---CONFIG +---DICT +---DOC Note this is exactly the same as suggested in the docs, with the exception that WWIVedit is under the WAFFLE directory, not the WWIV directory. Contents of C:\waffle\extern\_editors: (unwrapped; 4 lines of text) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ fsed /access=0 /slash /screen /command="c:\waffle\bin\fsed.exe -h21 +c:\waffle\bin\wordstar.cfg +c:\waffle\bin\vt100.cfg %i" wwiv /access=0 /screen /command="c:\waffle\wwivedit\wwivedit.exe %i 80 24 100 -key:default -set:default" ted /access=9 /screen /local /command="c:\util\ted.com %i" wwivedit /access=9 /screen /local /command="c:\waffle\wwivedit\wwivedit.exe %i 80 24 100 -key:local -set:local" [wrapped here for the FAQ for those with 80-column problems] fsed /access=0 /slash /screen /command="c:\waffle\bin\fsed.exe -h21 +c:\waffle\bin\wordstar.cfg +c:\waffle\bin\vt100.cfg %i" wwiv /access=0 /screen /command="c:\waffle\wwivedit\wwivedit.exe %i 80 24 100 -key:default -set:default" ted /access=9 /screen /local /command="c:\util\ted.com %i" wwivedit /access=9 /screen /local /command="c:\waffle\wwivedit\wwivedit.exe %i 80 24 100 -key:local -set:local" Contents of C:\waffle\wwivedit\config\default.def ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ; this is the default configuration for remote users. ; I have a local.def for use on the console, with appropriate settings. ; You can figure out default.key for yourself, just be sure to wipe ; out definitions for include file and shell, leave their definitions ; "empty" ; hannibal ; ; The default settings -- These work for WWIV 4.21a & WWIV 4.22 ; See CONFIG.DOC for a complete description LOCAL: [N] Whether this is a local definition SETUP: [0] 0=None, 1=CHAIN.TXT, 2=EDITOR.INF (WWIV 4.21a) RESULT: [0] 0=None, 1=RESULT.ED, 2=FEDIT.INF (WWIV 4.21a) REPLY: [0] 0 = Never Ask User 1 = Ask User if E-Mail and user wants to be asked 2 = Ask User if user wants to be asked TAG: [1] Disable User Tag Lines (if 1 or Y) BBSTAG: [N] Disable BBS Tag (if 1 or Y) COLORS: [0-7] Legal Color Range (See CONFIG.DOC for format) MCI: [] Characters treated as MCI chars as per Merlin's Mod LINES: [100,100,100,100,100,100,100,100,100,100,100] KEYBOARD: [2] 0=XT, 1=AT, 2=Attempt to Auto-Detect MONO: [0] CGA/EGA/VGA, 1=MONO, 2=Auto-Detect first use, 3=Always Aut o CHATKEY: [] L=Left Shift, R=Right Shift, C=Control, A=Alt LR=Both shifts, CA=Control-Alt, Etc DOSKEY: [] Same Format as ChatKey DIVIDER: [] Filename of the file that contains Tagline divider NOTAG: [] File that contains list of bases to exclude BBS tag from NOPERSON: [] File that contains list of bases to exclude User Tag From WARNTIME: [90] Number of seconds before user is beeped at (0=Never) ABORTTIME: [180] Number of seconds before message auto-aborts ESCTICKS: [350] Increase this if [A [B [C etc starts appearing remotely WWIVEDITMACROS:[N] Whether or not WWIVEdit (MACROS.LCL) macros are allowed QUOTER: [0] 0 = None, 1=Goose's Quote 3.01 or greater, 2=WWIV 4.21a PERSONALDICT: [N] Whether or not personal dictionaries should be kept COLORTITLE: [N] Whether or not Color Changes are allowed in the title MOUSE: [N] Y=Allow Mouse Locally DIRECTVIDEO: [N] Must be set to 0/N for Remote use SCROLL: [N] Smooth Scrolling (won't work remotely); BBSDISABLE: [0] If Disable Taglines is set in boardedit, and this is 1, then User taglines will still work. If set to 2, user taglines wont work, but bbs taglines will. ; The following shouldn't be modified unless you know what you are doing! COMPORT: [0] Set this to 0 for local and WWIV definitions FOSSIL: [0] 1=Use fossil driver if Comport > 0 BBS: [4] 0=None, 1=WWIV (hannibal says note the 4 for waffle! RTFM) DESCRIPTION: [The default key bindings for WWIVEdit] ESCAPED_KEYS: [#27] LOCALONLY: [0] MINSL: [0] ==end FAQ caption== ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Waffle and kermit From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca ==begin FAQ caption== From: gordon@torrie.org (Gordon Torrie) Newsgroups: comp.bbs.waffle Subject: Re: Is it possible to use MSKERMIT? Message-ID: <Fc7Fqc1w165w@torrie.org> Date: Tue, 02 Aug 94 21:20:14 -0400 Well I am using the real thing, MS-Kermit 3.12. I've posted this before but I guess it is time to do so again. To begin--I am using MS-DOS 5.0 on an 80386, Waffle 1.65 and MS-Kermit 3.12 at patch level 12. The ~\WAFFLE\BIN\RUN.BAT file begins with this line: SET KERMIT=ROLLBACK 0 This minimizes the amount of memory that MS-Kermit will use (by setting the amount of memory used for the display rollback buffer to zero). The static file has the following: device: 2 speed: 38400 driver: native The /waffle/extern/_receive file has the following one-line entry in it for Kermit (it is presented here in two lines) K /command="C:\KERMIT\K312\KERMIT def waf take C:\KERMIT\_WAFFLE.TAK, DO WAF R %d %b %i" The /waffle/extern/_send file has an almost identical line: K /command="C:\KERMIT\K312\KERMIT def waf take C:\KERMIT\_WAFFLE.TAK, DO WAF S %d %b %i" The Kermit script file, _WAFFLE.TAK, looks like this: ===================================================================== ; This is a Kermit script which will be used when the user wants ; Waffle to send or receive files and has selected the Kermit protocol. ; The first argument should be either the letter R or S. ; ; R - Receive a file ; S - Send a file TAKE C:\KERMIT\K312\MSKERMIT.INI SET PORT \%2 SET SPEED \%3 OUTPUT {MS-DOS Kermit: 3.12 25 Sept 1992 patch level 12\13\10} SET ERRORLEVEL 1 ; Indicate failure (in case we don't succeed) IF EQUAL \%1 S GOTO SND IF EQUAL \%1 R GOTO RCV SET ERRORLEVEL 4 ; Indicate failure EXIT :SND SEND \%4 IF SUCCESS SET ERRORLEVEL 0 ; Indicate successful EXIT ; and return to DOS :RCV RECEIVE IF SUCCESS SET ERRORLEVEL 0 ; Indicate successful EXIT ; and return to DOS ===================================================================== With this I could send and receive files using Kermit or Zmodem and found, as has already been pointed out, that one must tell Waffle the exact name of the file to be sent or received if Waffle is to report the file transfer as successful. ==end FAQ caption== ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Getting waffle files via mail-based archive servers From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca ==begin FAQ caption== From: jgostin@eternal.pha.pa.us Newsgroups: comp.bbs.waffle Subject: Monthly Posting: Waffle MBAS List v1.5 Message-ID: <gate.775714098$5@eternal.pha.pa.us> Date: Mon, 01 Aug 94 00:08:18 EDT ==end FAQ caption== the list keeps being updated -- this caption is not the most recent. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Getting waffle files via anonymous uucp From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca ==begin FAQ caption== From: jgostin@eternal.pha.pa.us Newsgroups: comp.bbs.waffle Subject: Monthly Posting: AnonUUCP List v2.3 Message-ID: <gate.775714097$4@eternal.pha.pa.us> Date: Mon, 01 Aug 94 00:08:17 EDT ==end FAQ caption== the list keeps being updated -- this caption is not the most recent. ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Making waffle menu-driven From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca ==begin FAQ caption== From: jhart@h5.avcnet.org (Jim Hart) Newsgroups: comp.bbs.waffle Subject: Putting a menu interface on Waffle Message-ID: <857A20C2E46@h5.avcnet.org> Date: Fri, 22 Jul 1994 09:32:32 -0400 Here it is, for what it's worth. :-) ==================== Q: Is there any way for Waffle to have a menu-driven interface? Is, how? A: Yes. Here it is: **Disclaimer: Tom recommends against using the command aliasing capability extensively. I don't know why. Nevertheless, use of these ideas is at your own risk. It works on _my_ machine, with _my_ setup, _so far_. I make no claims of reliability beyond that. Here are the steps I followed and text I used: 1. Make a file in the WORDS subdirectory, called MENU with these contents: ...1) Mail ...2) News ...q) Quit ...?) List of commands 2. Make two files in the EXTERN subdirectory named "1" and "2". "1" contains one line: /waffle /command="mail" /then=menu "2" contains one line: /waffle /command=news 3. Make a file in the MENUS subdirectory, called NEWS, which contains 9 lines, including a blank line at the top, and no RETURN at the end of the last line: 1 Edit my newsgroup subscriptions (New users: the first time, this will subscribe you to a default set of newsgroups) 2 Read New news messages 3 Read All news messages q Quit Choice? 4. Now, make another file in the EXTERN directory, also called NEWS, which contains: 1 /waffle /command=join /then=menu 2 /waffle /command="help scan" /then=newsn 3 /waffle /command="help scan" /then=newsr q /waffle /command=menu 5. Make another file in the EXTERN directory, called NEWSN, containing: /waffle /command=new /then=menu 6. Make another file in the EXTERN directory, called NEWSR, containing: /waffle /command=read /then=menu 7. Now, you can either add an instruction to your welcome message like: "To have a menu-driven interface, type the command MENU." or, you can put a file called WAFFLE in each user's home directory which contains the single line: menu or, you can do both. This concept can be extended to make your menus as extensive as you want. The features which make this work are: 1. in externs, you can call Waffle commands, not just external programs 2. calling Waffle commands from an extern goes through the same sequence of steps as if the user had typed the command; i.e. the WORDS and EXTERN subdirectories are checked for matches 3. externs can contain multiple commands, using a matching file in the MENUS subdirectory to prompt the user; this is the part that makes submenues possible Caveat: the thing we can't do is make DOS Waffle's mail and news readers menu-driven; their function is built into the code. Still, hopefully, this is a big improvement for new users. ==end FAQ caption== ==begin FAQ caption== Date: Tue, 16 Aug 1994 21:28:29 -0600 From: jhart@h5.avcnet.org (Jim Hart) Subject: Re: Waffle Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) To: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Comp.Bbs.Waffle FAQ) Message-Id: <859350982A6@h5.avcnet.org> I think this should be added to the FAQ or my writeup on making Waffle menu-driven should be edited. I now use this technique for the main menu on my board. ---------------------------- Vlaad Thunarsson wrote: > a really neat way to do this is to make a short menu and put it in your > zippy quotes..(waffle\system\zippy - j.h.) then you copy the menu about > 5 times or so in that same file so it will actually work. <a problem > with the random thing needing several entries in order to function> You > then put a %z ... in your prompt string somewhere.. guess what? Now the > user sees a short menu every time they get a prompt.. Neato, huh? Try > it.. You'll LIKE it. ----------------------------------------- I do like it, very much, and there is no limit to the menu length, near as I can tell, because the zippy entries are delimited by the "pipe" character. ==end FAQ caption== ==begin FAQ caption== From: jhart@h5.avcnet.org (Jim Hart) Subject: Re: stack overflow Message-Id: <85B34A4654C@h5.avcnet.org> Date: Sat, 17 Sep 1994 19:38:02 -0600 There has been a little discussion on c.b.w regarding use of this technique. It turns out that too much of calling externs with externs results in a "stack overflow" error, thus bombing Waffle. I have been trying to find ways around the problem. I will write up and post my findings, along with info from others on the issue, as soon as I can find the time. In the meantime, perhaps the next issue of the FAQ should mention that overuse of the technique I suggested results in the aforementioned error. Reliability is, therefore, suspect, since the sysop has no control of how much jumping around from menu to menu that a user will do. ==end FAQ caption== ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: What can i do about uuxqt/rnews hanging on long Path: headers? From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca 1. move to waffle cnews, or some other package which doesn't scribble all over memory on long headers cnews-dos simtel:waffle/wcnw105c.zip 2. run batscan (or use the -b switch in ruuxqt) ==begin FAQ caption== -- Roy M. Silvernail roy@sendai.cybrspc.mn.org Keeping Waffle Irons hot since 1989 Run Waffle? Rnews locking up? You need BSCAN! echo /get /pub/waffle/bscan26.zip | rmail file-request@cybrspc.mn.org ==end FAQ caption== batscan ftp.halcyon.com:/pub/waffle/news/bscan26.zip ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: Why do i get Error 5 deleting call file? From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca ==begin FAQ caption== From: jorge@laser.satlink.net (Jorge Cwik) Newsgroups: comp.bbs.waffle Subject: Re: UUCICO - Error 5 deleting call file. Message-ID: <FB78qc1w165w@laser.satlink.net> Date: Thu, 18 Aug 94 00:12:26 -0400 > When I poll him, no problems occur. However, when he polls me, some > information goes across and then we end up in a loop. The UUCICO file > continually says: Error 5 deleting call file, nnnnnn.cmd. It's a known bug (should be in the FAQ). Unload SHARE if possible, or switch to FX uucico. ==end FAQ caption== ------------------------------ Subject: waffle: What is the difference between access level and privelege level? From: cbwfaq@alpha3.ersys.edmonton.ab.ca AccessLevel controls one thing. PrivelegeLevel controls another. From an account with AccessLevel 9 and PrivelegeLevel 0, you can not do things that would compromise security (e.g., mess with other users' files, get a DOS command prompt, use the admin command). Do not give your users high PrivelegeLevels unless you really, really trust them. Repeat: be careful with PrivelegeLevel.