Die Speccy' 97/Die Speccy' 97.iso/amiga_system/the_aminet/comm/bbs/wwbbs31_source.lha/WWBBS/Docs/WWBBS.doc

Text File | 1995-07-22 | 14KB | 543 lines

World Wide BBS 3.1 (22.7.95)
Copyright ⌐ 1995 Arthur Choung
---
Main Features:

     o Is a commodity.

     o Has nice GUI, thanks to triton.library.

     o Everything runs through stdio, so every program you can run through
       the shell you can run through the BBS.

     o Supports HydraCom for bidirectional transfers.

Requirements:

     o Kickstart 2.04, but the higher the better.

     o ARexx

     o triton.library

Optional:

     o OwnDevUnit.library


Installation
---

     Double-click on the Install icon.

     If you are upgrading from an older version, please read the file
History.doc to brief you on the program's changes.


Using WWBBS
---

     Double-click on the WWBBS icon.  It has all the properties that a
commodity has.

     On the top-left is the node list.  You can double-click on a local
node to logon, and on a remote node when a user is online to open a viewing
console.

     On the top-right is the action list.  You can click on an action, and
it will execute that command.  You can also pass along the currently
selected node to that command.  This is configurable through the tool
types.  For every action to add, put in this line in this format:

     ACTION=<Name>,<Command>

          Name=Name of action to put in listview
          Command=Full path of command to execute.  If you would like to
                  pass along the node, substitute a "%s" (including quotes)
                  and it will pass along the node's id.

     Note that when you click on the close window gadget, it does not quit
the program because it is a commodity.  Also when doing substition type
arguments such as in Command above, always include quotes unless otherwise
noted.


Using BBSPrefs
---

     Double-click on the BBSPrefs icon.  It is a normal program.  Note that
some of the windows opened in this program are pretty big so you may need a
larger screen if the window won't open up.  If you are having problems
getting a window to open, try switching to a proportional font, such as
Helvetica/11.  That will allow all of them to open on a 640x200 screen
except for NodePrefs, which needs a taller screen.  For that you can try
switching to PAL or LACE, or you could make a virtual screen.

     There are eleven sub-prefs.  They include:

          Access Groups
               These are the access groups you can select for a
               user.

          Archivers
               These are the archivers that the user can choose from.

          Door Variables
               All of these variables are set as local environment
               variables that the can be read by the programs run from the
               bbs.

          Editors
               These are the editors that the user can choose from.

          File Bases
               These are the file bases.

          Menus
               This is the menu tree.

          Message Bases
               These are the message bases.

          News
               These are the news file to inform the user of any changes.

          Nodes
               These are the node configurations.

          Protocols
               These are the protocols that the user can choose fom.

          System
               These are options that configure the entire system.

     There are basically two types of prefs.  One has a list of items you
can edit, and the other allows you to create a tree, as in sub-directories.
File Base Prefs, Menu Prefs, and Message Base Prefs fall into the latter
category.  You can use the arrow keys to navigate the tree.  System Prefs
is different from all the other prefs in that there are only options to
set, and no list.


Using AccessGroupPrefs
---

These are the fields:

     Access Level
          This is the access level of the user.  0 is equivalent to being
          banned from the bbs, 1 is a new user, and 255 is the almighty
          sysop.

     Session Time Limit
          In minutes.

     Inactivity Time Limit
          In minutes.

     Ratio Byte
          Byte ratio for the file base.  0 is no ratio.

     Ratio File
          File ratio for the file base.  0 is no ratio.

     Days
          Number of days of inactivity before being deleted by UserMaint.


Using ArchiverPrefs
---

     Extension
          Archiver extension so it can be identified.

     Add Command
          Full path of command to run, substituting "%a" for the archive
          and %f for the file(s) to be added.

     Extract Command
          Full path of command to run, substituting "%a" for the archive
          and %f for the file(s) to be extracted.

     View Command
          Full path of command to run, substituting "%s" for the archive.

If you're writing a program that uses these configurations, you must make
sure you enclose quotes around the filename(s) you substitute for %f if
they have spaces in them.


Using DoorVarPrefs
---

     String
          Sets the variable specified by its name to whatever is in this
          string.

          Note that the following variables can be used in string:

               @BAUD
               @NODENAME
               @USERNAME
               @REALNAME
               @UUCPNAME
               @HOMEDIR
               @ACCESSLEVEL
               @BYTERATIO
               @FILERATIO
               @SCREENWIDTH
               @SCREENHEIGHT
               @EDITOR
               @PROTOCOLSEND
               @PROTOCOLRECEIVE
               @ARCHIVERADD
               @ARCHIVEREXTRACT
               @ARCHIVERVIEW

          For example, putting @BAUD in string will be set to whatever the
          current baud rate is.

     You can use these variables with the DOSCOMMAND command.  Simply add a
     $ in front of the variable name.  For example,

          DOSCOMMAND C:Echo $USERNAME

     will echo the current user's name.

     You can actually use these variables anywhere, since they are DOS
     environment variables.  For example, if you are running a script from
     within the BBS, one line could be:

          $EDITOR T:editor_file

     which would run the current editor with T:editor_file as the argument.


Using EditorPrefs
---

     Type
          Standard is any normal editor which runs through the shell and
          does not need ANSI.  Visual is like standard but for editors that
          need ANSI.  Graphical is for local users so you can run your
          favorite editor.

     Command
          Full path of command to run.  The file name will be appended to
          the end of the string, unless you insert a "%f" (including
          quotes), at which point it will substitute the filename in place
          of the "%f".

     Stack
          Stack size to give command.


Using FileBasePrefs
---

     Access Range
          Range of access levels to accept, using commands and dashes.  For
          example, 1-255 means everything between 1 and 255, including 1
          and 255, 1-5,255 means one through five and 255, etc.

     Group
          ID name of group.  Try to keep these simple, no spaces and
          only lowercase letters.  Try names them with a usenet style
          heirarchy.
          For example, util, util.disk, util.wb, etc.

     Directory
          Directory to use for this group.

     Disk Space Required
          Disk space required for upload in kilobytes.

     Days
          How many days of inactivity before deleting files by FileMaint.

     Read Only
          No uploading.

     Auto Join
          Automatically join this group for new users.


Using MenuPrefs
---

     Access Range

     Character
          Character of the command.

     Default
          For menus with sub-menus.  When you press return this command
          will be executed.

     Number
          For menus with sub-menus.  When you press a digit this command
          will be executed and the digit will be passed along.

     Prompt
          For menus with sub-menus.  This is the prompt to print.  You can
          use \e to pass ESC, \t for TAB, \b for BS, \n for newline, \f to
          clear screen, and %t for time remaining.  No quotes are needed.

     Command
          For normal menu items.  You can specify ABBEREXX commands and
          System commands.

     When displaying a menu, WWBBS will first search for
"WWBBS:Menus/{menu name>.<ascii|ansi>", and if it exists, it will display
it.  Otherwise it will just show the standard menu.  For example, an ansi
user in the main menu will see "WWBBS:Menus/Main.ansi", if it exists.
    When creating custom menu files, you can add keycodes to hide certain
menu items from users according to their access level.  At the beginning of
a line, put:

          @<accesslevel range>@

For example, @1-128,255@ will show this line to users with accesslevels in
the range of 1 to 128, and 255.


Using MessageBasePrefs
---

     Access Range

     Group
          ID name of group.  No spaces are allowed.  Try to use only
          lowercase letters, and try to name them with a usenet style
          heirarchy.
          For example, computer_talk.amiga, computer_talk.ibm.

     Quote Header
          Quote header for replies.  Substitute %d for date and %n for
          name.

     Read Only
          No posting.

     Auto Join
          Automatically join this group for new users.


Using NewsPrefs
---

     Access Range

     File
          File to show user.

     Date


Using NodePrefs
---

     Access Range

     Type
          Local is for use locally.  Remote is for remote use.

     Device
          For remote nodes only.  Device to use.

     Unit
          For remote nodes only.  Unit of device to use.

     Buffer Size
          For remote nodes only.  Buffer Size to allocate.

     Baud
          For remote nodes only.  Baud rate.

     Handshaking
          For remote nodes only.  RTS/CTS handshaking.

     Auto Baud
          For remote nodes only.  When answering call, should you change
          baud rate to match?  For error-detecting/compression modems, you
          should not set this.

     Front End
          For remote nodes only.  Use StartSession to start a session from
          TrapDoor or UUCICO.

     Command
          Command to execute for each session.  Remember that anything that
          runs through shell can be used here.  You should provide a delay
          of about three seconds on remote nodes to allow other side to do
          whatever it needs to do.


Using ProtocolPrefs
---

     Send Command
     Receive Command
          Command to execute.  Substitute:
               "%d" for device name.
               %u for device unit.
               "%l" for unique log file name.
               "%F" for input file list.
               "%f" for file name.
               "%n" for user name.

     Batch
          Protocol handles batch transfers.

     Bidirectional
          Protocol handlers bidirectional transfers.


Using SystemPrefs
---

     Display Mode
          Display mode of console.

     Font
          Font of console

     Only Real Names
          Don't allow aliases.

     Header Color
     Input Color
     Output Color
     Prompt Color
     System Color
          String for <fill> color.  Send \e for ESC, \t for TAB, \b for BS,
          \n for newline, \f to clear screen.


Using Editor
---

     Simple editor.  Usage:

          Editor <file name>


Using ForceLogOff
---

     Run by WWBBS as an action.  Usage:

          ForceLogOff <node id>


Using LogMaint
---

     Run it to trim logs.

     The template is:

          LogMaint Days/N

     Where `Days' is how old the logs have to be before deleting them.


Using LogViewer
---

     Figure it out.


Using BBSRx
---

     This runs .rexx files while interpreting ABBEREXX, System, Email,
MsgBase, and FileBase commands...see the appropriate doc files for a list
of commands.

     The template is:

          BBSRx File/A


Using StartSession
---

     Use this in conjunction with TrapDoor and GeTTY.  Usage:

          StartSession <node> [-BAUD <baud>]

     The node that you use it with must be denoted as a `Front End', and
     you must open the serial.device in shared mode from within whatever
     program you are using.


Using UserEditor
---

     See LogViewer.


Using UserMaint
---

     Just run it to trim users.


Using MessageMaint
---

     Just run it to delete old messages.


Using FileMaint
---

     Usage:

          FileMaint <directory>

     When you run this all old files will be moved to the specified
     directory.


Using XPR
---

     This tool handles XPR transfers.  Usage:

          Command/R,D=Device/K,U=Unit/N,L=Library/K/R,I=Init/K,Log/K,
          FL=FileList/K,FN=FileName/K,ID=UserID/K,RES=Resume/S

     Where:

          Command:  S=Send or R=Receive
          Device:   serial device, default is "serial.device"
          Unit:     unit, default is 0
          Library:  xpr.library
          Init:     init string, if not specified, will use ENVARC:
          Log:      name of log file (DSZ-style)
          FileList: name of file list for batch send*
          FileName: name of file for single file send
          UserID:   use with resume
          Resume:   if result is supported, all aborted files (receive)
                    have a id tag attached to them.  otherwise they are
                    deleted.

     * A file list is a text file with one filename per line.


Author
---

     World Wide BBS is now shareware.  If you use this program, I request
     that you send me a donation of US$30.  In return I will send you all
     updates.  Only registered users will have access to updates, unless
     there is a silly bug that prevents users from evaluating this program.

     If you would like to contact me:

          Internet: [e-mail] or [e-mail]
          US Mail: 10324 Chestnut Street, Bellflower, CA 90706 USA