OS/2 Professional

home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search

/ OS/2 Professional / OS2PRO194.ISO / os2 / com / bbs / lora / lora.doc < prev next >

Wrap

Text File | 1994-01-08 | 337.4 KB | 10,825 lines

██╗ ██████╗ ██████╗ █████╗ ██║ ██╔═══██╗ ██╔══██╗ ██╔══██╗ ██║ ██║ ██║ ██████╔╝ ███████║ ██║ ██║ ██║ ██╔══██╗ ██╔══██║ ███████╗ ╚██████╔╝ ██║ ██║ ██║ ██║ ╚══════╝ ╚═════╝ ╚═╝ ╚═╝ ╚═╝ ╚═╝ ██████╗ ██████╗ ███████╗ ██╔══██╗ ██╔══██╗ ██╔════╝ ██████╔╝ ██████╔╝ ███████╗ ██╔══██╗ ██╔══██╗ ╚════██║ ██████╔╝ ██████╔╝ ███████║ ╚═════╝ ╚═════╝ ╚══════╝ Lora Bulletin Board System and Electronic Mail Interface Version 2.34 (DOS and OS/2) Copyright (c) 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 by Marco Maccaferri All rights reserved SYSOP OPERATION MANUAL CopyRight (c) 1989-94 by Marco Maccaferri All rights reserved LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 1.0 - Introduction ===================================================================== Lora was born in an unknown day of 1988, when the only local BBS entered Fidonet, using the best software of those days, namely Opus- CBCS. The initial target was indeed that of to imitating Opus, and in this way increasing my knowledge of personal computers (I bought an 8 MHz XT clone just before) and of programming as well. The result has been Lora v1.00, a nearly perfect Opus clone. Lora had a Opus-Like behaviour until version 1.11, that ended the first period of Lora development. Due to the many bugs caused by a bad knowledge of C language with which the program has been written, I decided to change everything and to "build" Lora again from the beginning. The 2.00 version was published in the first days of 1992, after nearly an year of work, in which I rewrote completely the source code and the 90% of its beheaviour. Now that one year and two upgrading realeases have passed since the "new era", Lora experiences a new esthetic metamorphosis, and has become the program I planned on a school desk in autumn 1988. - 2 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 1.1 - Main features --------------------------------------------------------------------- - Both DOS and OS/2 release available. - Supporting up to four different message bases at the same time (with no differences seen by the users). Presently Lora supports the standard Fido-Base (*.MSG), the QuickBBS (also known as Hudson message base), the PIP-Base and the new Squish-Mail<Tm> made by Scott J. Dudley. - Supporting a virtually infinite number of message/file areas. - Hyper-Scan function for fast user and message/file areas search. - Compatible built-in Front-End Fidonet Mailer, FTSC-0001, WaZOO and full EMSI capable. - Supporting three and four dimension points at the same time. - Supporting Aka's and ZoneGates. - Supporting Janus bidirectional protocol for mail transfer. - Supporting multitaskers, leaving not used time to the active task, and local networks. - Supporting many tasks with one directory and one configuration file only. - Integrated multiline chat. - Supporting up to twenty different languages, for a full international system. - Memory swap in EMS, XMS or disk during the execution of external doors (leaving in memory only 1.6K for the recovery code, DOS version only). - Supporting AVATAR/0+ protocol in alternative to ANSI-BBS - Userlist features 12 access levels and 32 configurable flags. - Support for RemoteAccess 1.11, Maximus CBCS 2.00 and SuperBBS 1.16 compatible Embedded Commands. - Built-in TimeBank, FileBank and BBS List doors. - Support for off-line mail readers compatible with the QWK packet format, as well as human readable ASCII format. - Remote clock synchronization in WaZOO and EMSI sessions. - Automatic clock synchronization with an Atomic Clock, compatible with the Galileo Ferraris Institute of Torino, Italy. - 3 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 - User limits (such as on-line time, download limits, etc.) overrides in a single user basis. - Exclusive ZModem auto-upload feature, your users can upload files at any menu prompt. - Support for new 16800 baud, 19200 baud, USRobotics V32terbo (21600 baud), V.FAST (28800 baud) connection speed and FAX modems. - Support for ISDN connection speed (38000, 56000 and 64000 baud). - Integrated ANSI/VT100 and Avatar terminal emulation, awareness of downloading and uploading files using all the protocols, including external protocols. - IEMSI (Interactive EMSI) for user's automatic login and parameter settings. - Supporting internet mail (not newsgroups) areas. - Supporting external file transfer protocols, such as Omen Technology's DSZ and GSZ. - 4 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 1.2 - Multiline systems --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lora is perfectly able to manage multiline systems that use multitaskers or LANs. Every temporary file created by Lora contains also the task number in its name, so to avoid contemporary access to the same files. If the system uses multitaskers like DesqView, DoubleDOS or Multilink, Lora is able to recognize the environment by itself and to release the CPU time, if not used, to the other active tasks. On the command line it's possible to set both the task number and the log file to be created. These two parameters replace the default parameters set in the configuration file. It's possible also to omit these parameters in the configuration file and to set them on the command line only. If you don't use external programs that don't support multitask usage, it's not necessary to create a work directory for each line. Anyway, if you want different directories for each task, it's possible to tell to Lora where to find its configuration file, using the LORA environment variable. Lora looks for the configuration file in the current directory, then in the directory specified by the command line parameter -C, and then in the directory set by the LORA environment variable. If you load SHARE.EXE before executing your multitasker or if the multitasker supports the file sharing mode by itself, you must set the READ ONLY attribute for LORA.EXE and LORA.OVL, otherwise you may experience sharing violation errors because the overlay manager keeps open the executable files. - 5 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 1.3 - The compressed message base --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lora introduces for the first time the concept of the compressed message base in the Bulletin Board System world. It's a new kind of message storing technique, aiming at optimizing the disk space needed to contain a great volume of messages. The PIP Base, planned and realized by Roberto Piola and supported in a BBS program by Lora 2.00, is the first effective result toward the development of this technique. All the messages are stored in a unique file (with different files for each area) and the text is compressed using the letter frequency method. Actually, the most used letter is reduced to a single byte, and expanded again in the reading phase. This method allows an average 35% compression of the normal text. That means, considering a typical message base of 10 MBytes, a saving of 3.5 Mbyte. To use the compressed message base with Lora it's sufficient to change the 'Storage' parameter of the message areas setup menu, until 'Pip-base' is displayed. Make sure to configure the 'Pip-base path' (General / Paths menu) field to reflect an existing directory. - 6 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 1.4 - Acknowledgements ===================================================================== I would like to thank all the Beta-testers, for the help given in developing Lora, and particularly: Marcello Ardini, for supporting with his patience (and his programs) the bugs of the software and the crashes of the system in Alpha-test. Mario Battacchi, for the translation of this manual and for his unfailing support even in the worst moments. It's only Mario who up until now has supported the bugs of Version 1.11 of Lora. Roberto Piola, for giving me the source code of his PIP-Base, the new Italian compressed message base. Alfonso Martone, for his hundreds suggestions and hints in the development of the software. He gave me also part of the source code to help me in the implementation of the new features required. Andrea Borgia, for having beta-tested the Lora 4d point management. Riccardo DeAgostini, for the development of the RPN calculator source code. Giovanni Fasano, for the source code related to the Squish's personal mail scanner. Special thanks to all the people who registered and will soon register Lora. I'm sorry if I forgot somebody, please don't worry, but feel you free to inform me, so that I can insert you in the next documentation. 1.4.1 - Translator Notes --------------------------------------------------------------------- This manual has been translated from Italian to English, and may contain errors. If you find some of them, feel free to send me a message, so that I can correct them in next versions. Mario Battacchi (2:332/403.1@Fidonet.org) (MCI-ID 5271667) - 7 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 1.5 - Credits --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following products and names are the copyrighted material and or trademarks of their copyright and or trademark holders respectively. QuickBBS The QuickBBS Group, Inc. DESQview Quarterdeck Office Systems BinkleyTerm, Janus Bit Bucket Software FidoNet Tom Jennings MS-DOS Microsoft Corporation X00, VX00 Ray Gwinn BNU David Nugent Dr.Comm Rocco Rionero IBM, OS/2 International Business Machines Opus, WaZOO Wynn Wagner III RemoteAccess Andrew Milner SuperBBS Aki Antman and Risto Virkalla Maximus-CBCS, Squish Scott J. Dudley EMSI Johaquim Homrighausen HS/Link Samuel H. Smith Puma/MPT Matthew Thomas GoldEd Odinn Sorensen Wedit Franco Schinco Pip-base Roberto Piola Mercurio Giovanni Lopes Pegna DSZ, GSZ Omen Technology - 8 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 2.0 - User's License ===================================================================== LoraBBS E-mail System, from now Lora, is not a public domain program, but belongs to the category of programs called "shareware". The distribution of the program is limited to this user licence. You are free to use Lora for a restricted period of time (up to 30 days) to evaluate it's features, and to decide if it fullfitts your needs. When this period is expired, if you want to go on using it, you have to register following the instructions described later. Lora is not a a life-limited program; it will work also without registration, but some secondary features will remain disabled. For registration, you must send a postal order or a not transferable check to the address written later. The amount of the fee depends on your particular configuration. The registration alpha-numeric code you receive will work also on later releases. Anyway the author has the right of changing the key coding at any time, and (if necessary) of asking a new registration, at his judgement only. No guarantee of any kind is given on the functioning of Lora. If you want to use it you will do it at your own risk. Due to the particular method of software distribution, the author is not obliged to refund partially or entirely your registration fee if you suffer a damage in your system that may be caused by a proper or not proper use of Lora. You are encouraged to distribute the original archive of Lora without limits only if the money you receive is just what is necessary to cover postal and diskettes costs. It's strictly forbidden to distribute the personal registration code. The source code of this and later versions of Lora will not be distributed. For any inconvenience, you can reach the author at FidoNet node 2:332/402.1 (Internet: macca@arci01.bo.cnr.it). We have little time, but sooner or later everybody will receive an answer. - 9 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 2.1 - Registration ===================================================================== To register Lora, you must send a postal order or a not transferable check to Marco Maccaferri (the address is shown above); the amount depends upon your particular configuration. Site license and group discounts are available, write to Marco Maccaferri at the address below (via paper mail or electronic mail) for more informations. If you register Lora you will have the following additional features: - Keyboard lock by password. The local use of the keyboard will be possible, but all functions like Alt-X, Dos Shell, etc. will be disabled. - Possibility of disabling the internal front-end mailer to use Lora with other programs (FrontDoor, D'Bridge, BinkleyTerm, etc.). - More than 2 remote lines allowed. Without registration it's possible to use only task 1 and 2 for remote operations, other task numbers will drop in a local logon. - Memory swap during external doors (DOS version only). - Possibility of using the internal Areafix and Raid (TIC manager) alike functions for the automatic management of echomail and file links. - Possibility of including key sequences in the internal keyboard buffer during the execution of BBS commands. - Possibility of using file-semaphores for certain operations in multitasking environments. - Access to the beta releases. - 10 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 2.2 - Registration fees --------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Special FidoNet Sysop (DOS) ................ Lit. 60.000 ($46) Special FidoNet Sysop (OS/2) ............... Lit. 60.000 ($46) Special FidoNet Sysop (DOS + OS/2) ......... Lit. 80.000 ($60) Special FidoNet Sysop (Crossgrade) ......... Lit. 30.000 ($23) Software will work up to 2 telephone lines. [2] 5 Lines (DOS) .............................. Lit. 100.000 ($76) 5 Lines (OS/2) ............................. Lit. 100.000 ($76) 5 Lines (DOS + OS2) ........................ Lit. 140.000 ($106) 5 Lines (Crossgrade) ....................... Lit. 50.000 ($38) [3] 10 Lines (DOS) ............................. Lit. 150.000 ($116) 10 Lines (OS/2) ............................ Lit. 150.000 ($116) 10 Lines (DOS + OS/2) ...................... Lit. 210.000 ($162) 10 Lines (Crossgrade) ...................... Lit. 75.000 ($58) [4] Unlimited Lines (DOS) ...................... Lit. 250.000 ($190) Unlimited Lines (OS/2) ..................... Lit. 250.000 ($190) Unlimited Lines (DOS + OS/2) ............... Lit. 350.000 ($260) Unlimited Lines (Crossgrade) ............... Lit. 125.000 ($95) [5] Point registration (DOS) ................... Lit. 35.000 ($30) Point registration (OS/2) .................. Lit. 35.000 ($30) Point registration (DOS + OS/2) ............ Lit. 45.000 ($40) Point registration (Crossgrade) ............ Lit. 17.500 ($15) The software works completely on a single telephone line, does not accept incoming calls, and the BBS section works only in local mode. [6] Upgrades from a number of lines to a greater one ........................... Prices difference Forwarding expenses: Foreign check .............................. Lit. 13.000 Italian, Eurocheques or Money Orders ....... Lit. 3.000 - 11 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 2.3 - Registration form --------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------- Contribuite a migliorare la qualita' del software shareware registrandovi. Grazie per il supporto ! --------------------------------------------------------------------- Mail to: Marco Maccaferri via Ferrara, 9 40139 Bologna - ITALY Qty. Description Single Total ____ LoraBBS 2 Lines ......................... L. _______ ________ ____ LoraBBS 5 Lines ......................... L. _______ ________ ____ LoraBBS 10 Lines ........................ L. _______ ________ ____ LoraBBS Unlimited Lines ................. L. _______ ________ ____ LoraBBS Point ........................... L. _______ ________ Forwarding expenses .................................... L. ________ TOTAL L. ________ Name: _______________________________________________________________ Address: ____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________ (please print) Operating System to register: ( ) DOS ( ) OS/2 ( ) Both ( ) Crossgrade Where did you receive Lora? ( ) Friends ( ) Shareware collection ( ) BBS ( ) User Group ( ) Other _________ Key forwarding method: ( ) FAX __________________ ( ) Netmail to ___________ ( ) Paper mail The registrations must be payable in Italian Lire. Foreign currency and credit cards not allowed. The netmail forwarding method needs a valid Fidonet node number or an answering system capable of handling Fido-Technology Mail sessions. - 12 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 2.4 - Support and registration sites --------------------------------------------------------------------- Australia: Lindsay Blume O.I.S. Australia (Online Information System) +61-9-250-3148 FidoNet : 3:690/634 Austria: Christian Kvasny The Fright Night BBS +43-2243-80348 (00:00-24:00) FidoNet : 2:313/16 AdultNet: 690:3956/1000 United Kingdom: Barry Kingston-Wyatt Spartacus BBS +44-373-451737 (21:00-08:00 GMT) FidoNet : 2:255/27 Credit cards allowed United States: David Huges PO Box 6592 Colorado Springs, CO USA 80934-6592 Goldmill BBS +1-719-632-2657 FidoNet : 1:128/67 Internet: david@oldcolo.com Italy and other country: Marco Maccaferri Arci Computer Club +39-51-6331730 FidoNet : 2:332/402 AmigaNet: 39:102/304 VirNET : 9:391/105 Internet: macca@arci01.bo.cnr.it - 13 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 2.4.1 - Getting support You can get support and the latest releases from the above support and registration sites and from the support-only sites listed below. In addition, there is an echomail conference open to everyone interested in discussing Lora (both registered and not already registered) called LORA. It may be available from your international echomail backbone, if not, please contact the support site near to you to get the area linked. As you noticed there isn't the author's voice number available, this is because there isn't a voice phone support line for Lora. The support is made entirely through electronic or paper mail. This may not be true for other support sites, please contact the support site directly to know if he/she allows voice phone support for Lora. - 14 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 2.4.2 - Support-only sites The following people are acting as support sites-only and not as registration sites. Belgium: Maurice Derden OS/2 Inter-Soft Bbs +32-16-640395 FidoNet : 2:292/606 United Kingdom: Mike Corby The Cats Board +44-628-824852 FidoNet : 2:252/27 USA: Vanyel Ashkevron The Herald's Haven OS/2 FidoNet : 1:163/534 - 15 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 3.0 - Installation ===================================================================== To install Lora you need a PC/XT/AT computer with at least 512K of free RAM, DOS 3.30 or later versions, at least one free serial port and 3 MBytes of Hard disk space. The OS/2 release needs OS/2 2.x or later installed, one free serial port and at least 3 MBytes of Hard disk space. Here is the right procedure to install Lora in your system: 1. Create a directory called C:\LORA and uncompress inside it the original archives, LORA234D.ZIP (LORA234S.ZIP for OS/2). 2. Run LORA234D.EXE (LORA234S.EXE for OS/2). The program will create all the necessary directories and will copy the files inside them. If you have installed Lora in C:\LORA, you can begin using it with the sample message and file areas configuration; if not, you have to change all the references at C:\LORA using the configuration program LSETUP. Lora (DOS version) needs a FOSSIL driver for serial communications in order to work. If you have not yet got it, you can find a FOSSIL driver in the nearest BBS (on node 2:332/402 you can find the newest versions of the available FOSSIL drivers). Lora has been successfully tested with the BNU 1.70 FOSSIL driver Dr.Comm 0.4 and X00, but it can work also with different kind of drivers. With the operating system OS/2, Lora has been tested with Ray Gwinn's SIO drivers (version 1.11) using the VX00.SYS driver in the DOS window. The OS/2 release doesn't need a FOSSIL driver. It has been tested with the standard serial port drivers and with Ray Gwinn's SIO drivers (version 1.11). - 16 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 3.1 - Upgrade from previous versions --------------------------------------------------------------------- Here is the right procedure to upgrade Lora in your system: 1. Create a directory called C:\LORA and uncompress inside it the original archives, LORA234D.ZIP (LORA234S.ZIP for OS/2). 2. Run LORA234D.EXE (LORA234S.EXE for OS/2). 3. Run UPDATE.EXE. The program will upgrade the files that are changed with this release. If you are using two or more configuration file (for two or more lines), you can specify the name of those configuration files on the command line. For example: UPDATE config1.dat config2.dat The upgrade can be made even from a DOS installation to a OS/2 installation and vice versa. If you have already installaed the DOS version, you can upgrade to the OS/2 version by simply get the OS/2 package and follow the upgrade procedure. If you are upgrading a Lora version older than 2.30, part of the configuration must be made again. Use LSETUP to insert the configurations you put in the LORA.CFG file. Anyway, to update the binary files, the LSETUP program must be run following the new format. From Version 2.30 you don't need to keep the LORA.CFG, SYSTEM.CFG, SCHED.CFG and NODES.CFG files, as well as LORACOMP.EXE. Each configuration can be done using the LSETUP program. - 17 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 3.2 - Package contents --------------------------------------------------------------------- The compressed file contains the following files: README - Main features and the installation chapter. LORA234D.EXE - Installation program (self extracting). WHATSNEW.TXT - News about the current release. FILE_ID.DIZ - Archive comment, for BBSes that supports it. With the OS/2 release the installation program is named LORA234S.EXE and it's an OS/2 text mode application. After executing the installation program, you will found the following files and directory structure: INBOUND - Network's inbound files directory. OUTBOUND - Network's outbound files directory. MSG - Message base directory. OLR - Offline reader temporary directory. FILE - Storage of the example's file areas. TMP - Temporary path. IPC - InterProcess Comunications directory. MISC - Miscellaneous text files directory. NODES - Nodelist directory. LANG - Menu and language files directory. AXEL_F.DAT - Chat music file. BRASIL.DAT - Chat music file. CHANGE.DAT - Chat music file. COUNTRY.DAT - Chat music file. CUCARACH.DAT - Chat music file. ENTRTAIN.DAT - Chat music file. GHOSTB.DAT - Chat music file. GIOCHIPR.DAT - Chat music file. LARRY.DAT - Chat music file. MARYP.DAT - Chat music file. OSOLEMIO.DAT - Chat music file. PHONE.DAT - Chat music file. THEWIND.DAT - Chat music file. CONFIG.DAT - Configuration file. SYSFILE.DAT - File areas configuration file. SYSMSG.DAT - Message areas configuration file. PAGE.DAT - Chat music file (used by Lora). LORA.DOC - Documentation. LORA.EXE - Program's loader. LORA.OVL - Main executable file. LSETUP.EXE - Lora's configuration program. LMSG.EXE - Message areas maintenance program. LUSER.EXE - Users maintenance program. USERED.EXE - Users editor. LNETMGR.EXE - Network manager. - 18 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 LTOP.EXE - TOP 10 users generator. FILEIDX.EXE - File request index generator. LANGCOMP.EXE - Language files compiler. L2WORLD.EXE - External doors interface (DOS application). LORA.ICO - OS/2 icon file for Lora. LSETUP.ICO - OS/2 icon file for LSETUP. LORA_API.ZIP - Structures of Lora's data files and examples on how to use it for developers. - 19 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 4.0 - Configuration ===================================================================== LSETUP is the program used for Lora's configuration. The pull-down menus allow you to set all the options available, including BBS menus, mail-session nodes, and so on. LSETUP accepts only one optional parameter in the command line, i.e. the filename of the configuration file to be used. If you omit it, the CONFIG.DAT file will be used. If the configuration file does not exist, it will be created using standard parameters (the phisical creation will be done exiting from LSETUP). If you run LSETUP from within Lora, (see later), the configuration filename will be automatically passed. Let's see now which are the menus and the options available: 4.1 - File --------------------------------------------------------------------- This menu covers everything concerning the interaction between LSETUP and the external world. The options available are: Registration --------------------------------------------------------------------- Shows a window in which it is possible to insert your registration code (if owned). Write AREAS.BBS --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to export to a text file the configuration of the echomail message areas (those areas marked with the echomail flag and for which an echotag has been defined). By default, LSETUP uses the AREAS.BBS file defined in the Mailer / Areafix menu (see later) or in the current directory, if not defined, but it can be changed at any time. The file uses a standard format, so that it can be used by an external program supporting the standard. Example of the AREAS.BBS generated by Lora: Man at Work - Lora Developer's site ! Marco Maccaferri ; $C:\Lora\Msg\Cartoni CARTONI.332 2:332/402 $C:\Lora\Msg\Chat400 CHATTER.400 2:332/402 $C:\Lora\Msg\Cine400 CINEMA.400 2:332/402 124 BBS_SOFT.ITA 2:332/402 71 CINEMA.ITA 2:332/402 - 20 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 41 ECHOSER.033 2:332/402 42 ECHOSER.332 2:332/402 !136 FIDO_STYLE.ITA 2:332/402 C:\MSG\PRIVAT PRIVAT.400 2:332/402 ; ; Created by LSETUP v.2.33 ; The first three areas are in Squish format, the others in Hudson format. Areas beginning with a '!' are Pip-base message areas. The last area is a Fido *.MSG area. Write ROUTE.CFG --------------------------------------------------------------------- Creates a routing file based on the present configuration. Please note: this option works only if 4d point addresses are inserted using the Global / Address menu. Moreover, the routing file will be created for 4d point addresses only. Import AREAS.BBS --------------------------------------------------------------------- This option imports a standard AREAS.BBS file in the Lora echomail areas configuration. The existing areas will be updated using data contained in the imported file, the non-existing areas will be created with the data contained in the imported file. Import TIC.CFG --------------------------------------------------------------------- This option allows you to import your existing TIC (file echo) configuration file into Lora's configuration files. Following is an example of valid TIC.CFG file: ; AREA C:\LORA\TMP\ LORA 2:332/402 MARVEL *D ; AREA C:\LORA\TMP\ LORA_OS2 2:332/402 MARVEL *D ; Please refer to the Tick documentation for more informations about the meaning of those lines. Lora imports the file area's definitions and forward informations only. No other informations are imported from the configuration file, - 21 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 even the passwords aren't imported and should be configured manually inside the Manager / Nodes menu. Dos Shell --------------------------------------------------------------------- Makes an operating system shell. It works even under OS/2, but keep in mind that OS/2 is a multitasking operating system, so that it's better to open another OS/2 Window instead of shelling from a program. Quit --------------------------------------------------------------------- Exits from LSETUP. If the configuration has been changed, LSETUP will ask if you want to save it. - 22 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 4.2 - Global --------------------------------------------------------------------- This menu contains the global options for Lora. The options available are the following: Site Info --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to insert the data related to the system and its operator. In the window you can insert the system name, the sysop name (requested for the registration), the town where the system resides, the telephone number and flags (used for mail sessions with other similar systems). Directory/Paths --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to declare the directories used for the Lora configuration files. Main Directory - Directory in which Lora will search for every common file, in a multiline system, such as messages and files areas configuration. Normal inbound Know inbound Prot inbound - They are three directories uses in the mail sessions with other BBS for file reception. The Prot inbound area is used with password-protected nodes. The know inbound is used with nodes that are not password- protected but known (namely present in a nodelist that Lora knows). The normal inbound area is used for all the other connected systems. Outbound - It is a directory used in mail sessions in which the files to be sent are stored. Important! This area must have no extension: Lora automatically adds a numeric extension for the files directed to BBS whose zone number is different from the main one. Netmail messages - Here the netmail (mail directed to specific nodes) messages are stored. That one message area only points to this directory is advisable. Bad Messages - Here the messages that can't be imported in echomail/netmail areas for safety reasons (such as coming from unauthorized nodes or destined to wrong areas) are stored. Duplicate messages - Here the messages recognized as duplicates (already previously imported by Lora) are - 23 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 stored. Lora memorizes the dupes for the last 1000 messages in each area. Quick Directory - Here all the files of the Hudson message base (MSG*.BBS) are stored. If the files don't exist, Lora will create them when needed. Pip-Base path - Here all the files of the Pip message base are stored. If the files don't exist, Lora will create them when needed. IPC Path - Here the files for the information interchange between the system tasks are stored. To improve performances, it's better to create this directory in a RAM disk. Nodelist - Here the files related to other BBSs connections are stored. Temporary path - Here every temporary file is stored. To improve performances, it's better to create this directory in a RAM disk. Filebox path - This directory is used as the main directory for the users' filebox creation. Fileboxes, as will be explained later, are like mailboxes, but are related to file exchange between users. Addresses --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define the addresses by which your system is identified in your network. If you belong (or want to) to networks like Fidonet, Amiganet, or similar, the node number must be assigned by the local coordinator of the network. You can define up to 20 addresses. The first address (marked 'Main') is your default address and is used whenever requested (netmail and echomail forwarding, TIC processing, and so on) if no other address is specified. General --------------------------------------------------------------------- General options for the system running: CGA "snow" checking - By setting this flag on, you will eliminate the annoying flickering made by some CGA cards when programs write directly on video memory. Monochrome - Allows you to see the differences between colors, even in monochromatic cards, like Hercules. - 24 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Direct screen writes - By setting this flag on, you will improve the program performances, since it will write directly on video memory, without using BIOS functions. This option may cause some problems in multitasking system that virtualize video memory. Lora internal routines allow direct video memory writing also in systems using DesqView in 286 processors. Blankout timer - Defines after how many inactivity minutes the screen blanker (also known as screen saver) will be active. A 0 input deactivates the screen blanker completely. Line number - Defines the task number in multiline systems. In monoline systems it must be set to 1. Multiline system - By setting this flag on, Lora is allowed to create on disk all the semaphores necessary for a correct multiline running. When using a monoline system and a slow disk it's better to keep this flag off. Time Adjustment --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define the parameters for the automatic synchronization of the system clock with other nodes and with the Turin-based Galileo Ferraris Institute. Init - Defines the modem initialization command. Dial prefix - Defines the call command. It will be sent to the modem before the phone number. Dial suffix - This command will be added after the phone number. Usually it is a | (pipe), that is the same as a carriage return (CR) character. Number - Defines the number to be called. The Galileo Ferraris phone number is +39-11-3487892. Please note that you need to add the code for international calls from your country. Use DST - Allow the synchronization of the PC clock always using the solar time. If turned to Yes, the clock will be synchronized with the daylight saving time or the solar time based on the year's moment. If turned to No it will be synchronized always with the solar time, even if the daylight saving time is acting. Nodes - Defines the BBS node numbers with which the system clock can be synchronized. Internet gateway --------------------------------------------------------------------- - 25 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Allows you to specify an Internet mail gateway to automatically address Internet mail to. You can define a message area as 'Internet mail' (see the message definition section). Gateway Name - Defines the gateway user name. Address - Node address of the gateway. - 26 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 4.3 - Mailer --------------------------------------------------------------------- With this menu you can set every option related to Lora Mailer, the interface between your BBS and a Fido Technology Network. Miscellaneous --------------------------------------------------------------------- Several options for the internal mailer and mail processor management are available: Banner - The sentence filling in this field will be shown at the connection onset, before entering the real BBS. The banner will be shown after the mailer identification string and before the "Press <ESC> twice to enter the BBS" sentence (See Enter-BBS option). Mail-Only - The sentence filling in this field will be shown in the place of that defined in the Enter-BBS option, when the mailer does not accept human calls, due to a system event. Enter-BBS - The sentence filling in this field will be shown to inform the user that the system is ready, and ask him to press <ESC> twice or wait 30 seconds to enter it. For these three options it's possible to specity a text file to be shown, putting the filename preceded by an AT (@). For example: @BANNER.TXT. Events file - Specifies the event filename to be used. WaZOO - Allows the mailer to make/receive calls using the WaZOO handshaking. This method is a little obsolete, since allows the systems to pass only one address per call. EMSI - Allows the mailer to make/receive calls using the EMSI handshaking. This method is the last product of the Fidonet technology development; it allows the systems to pass may addresses with the same call, and a lot of other information. If both the methods are flagged No, the most obsolete (but still compulsory) Fidonet method will be used, the FSC-0001. The information passed to the remote system are actually few, and the file transfer is made using SEAlink protocol, an X-Modem variant. Janus - Allows the mailer to use the bidirectional Janus protocol for the file transfers between systems. Lora automatically disables the Janus protocol in HST connections, since the HST protocol does not allow the bidirectional trasmission at the fastest speed. - 27 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Random redial time - With this option set on, the redial time will be calculated randomly, keeping the redial time set for the current event as the average time between each call. For example, if you set a redial time of 20 seconds, each call will be placed after 10 to 30 seconds. Secure - Each time the mail processor imports a message from a mail packet, it controls the sender's address, to see if he is allowed to write in that particular message area. If this condition is not satisfied, the message will be stored in the directory set as Bad-Messages directory. Keep netmail - With this option set on, the mail processor will delete no message from the netmail area, even if they are marked Kill/Sent. Flashing mail - Enable or disable the flashing "MAIL" word in the lower right screen corner when unread netmail messages are present. Track netmail - This flag activates, if set to Yes, the built-in message track utility. The message track acts whenever a new netmail message is tossed from a mail packet or packed from the netmail directory, checking for the originating and destination nodes. If the destination node doesn't exists in your nodelists, then the netmail will be bounced back to the originating address with a little explanation of what happened. If the originating node doesn't exists in your nodelist, then a little header explaining that the recipients should not answer to that message through your system (or it will be bounced as undeliverable) will be added. Log --------------------------------------------------------------------- These options are related to the log generation, namely the file in which each system activity is reported. Name - The filename to be used for system logging. Style - Specifies the log format to be used. The Terse format appears as follows: ---------- Mon 23 Nov 92, LoraBBS v2.21.3b : 08:26:54 STATS: 290K used, 295K available : 08:26:56 C: 4.2 of 61.8 Mb free, 6% : 08:26:57 Starting Event 2 - 28 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 * 08:27:08 Processing 2:332/402 -- ARCI Computer Club/Lora BBS Suppo : 08:27:08 Dialing 6331730 + 08:27:36 Connect 14400/Arq * 08:27:44 Arci BBS - Oltre l'immaginazione... (2:332/402.0) : 08:27:44 Aka: 39:102/304.0 * 08:27:44 Remote Uses LoraBBS Version 2.21.3a/14380 Here is an instance of Verbose format: + 22 Nov 22:48:08 LORA Begin, 2.21.3b, (task 1) : 22 Nov 22:48:09 LORA STATS: 290K used, 130K available : 22 Nov 22:48:09 LORA C: 4.3 of 61.8 Mb free, 6% + 22 Nov 22:48:19 LORA Connect 2400 * 22 Nov 22:48:26 LORA LoraBBS Developer's Site (2:332/402.1) : 22 Nov 22:48:26 LORA Aka: 39:102/304.2 2:332/403.13 * 22 Nov 22:48:26 LORA Remote Uses LoraBBS Version 2.21.3b/49459 As you can see, the information is the same, but in the Verbose format month and day are repeated on each line. Choose the format you prefer, but you should consider the eventual compatibility with log scanning programs. The Verbose format is Maximus, Opus and BinkleyTerm compatible, the Terse one is Frontdoor compatible. Log flags - With this option set to yes, the creation/deletion of the mailer flags (*.BSY) will be logged in the system log file. Set this option to no if you own a slow hard disk. File Requests -------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define the file request privileges for other BBSs calling your system. Request list Request list (Secure) Request list (Know) - Allows you to define a file and/or directory list from where files can be requested. The tipical format of these lists is the following: C:\File\BBS\PROVA.ZIP !TEST C:\File\LORA\*.* @BETALORA C:\File\LORA23B5.ZIP $C:\Lora\FILES.IDX The first line indicates a password-protected file, the second one indicates that every file in the C:\File\Lora directory can be requested, the third one indicates a 'magic name'. A magic name is an arbitrary name to be used for requesting the last version of a given program. In the example shown, if a BBS - 29 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 requests BETALORA, the LORA23B5.ZIP will be sent. The last line (the one beginning with the dollar symbol) allows you to specify one or more file indexes to considerably speed up the file request search, expecially on CD- ROMs or other slow devices. The file indexes can be created with the FILEIDX utility, and can be password protected like any other file. The three entries specify the file list available respectively for unknown nodes, for password-protected nodes and for nodes present in a nodelist known by Lora. About - Filename to be sent if the ABOUT file is requested. Usually this file contains information about your system, like opening hours, characteristics, magic names available, and so on. File List - Filename to be sent if the FILES file is requested. Usually this file contains the complete list of available files. Max size Max size (Secure) Max Size (Know) - They define the maximum Kilobytes number to be downloaded from, respectively, unknown nodes, password-protected nodes, and nodes present in a nodelist known by Lora. Max match Max match (Secure) Max match (Know) - They define the maximum number of files to be downloaded from, respectively, unknown nodes, password-protected nodes, and nodes present in a nodelist known by Lora. Areafix --------------------------------------------------------------------- This menu allows you to configurate the Areafix function, described later in this manual. Areafix active - Turns the internal areafix function on and off. Help file name - Filename to be sent with the %HELP command. Since the file is sent in a message form, it's better to keep it as short as possible. Creating nodes - List of nodes that can create message areas on your system. When the mail processor imports a message in - 30 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 an unknown area, it controls if the sender's node can create any area. In the positive case, it will create a Fido *.MSG area in the current directory called NEWAREA.xxx (where xxx is a progressive number) and will add that area to the AREAS.BBS file. In the negative case, the message will be stored in the bad message directory. Autolink nodes - List of nodes that will be automatically linked to the new areas created by Areafix. Alert nodes - List of nodes that will receive a copy of the answer messages generated by Areafix. The information request messages (%LIST, %QUERY, %UNLINKED and %HELP commands) will not be forwarded. Use AREAS.BBS - If this parameter is set to Yes, allows Lora to consider the informations found in the AREAS.BBS file when importing or exporting echomail messages. Update AREAS.BBS - If set to Yes, allows to update the AREAS.BBS file whenever an Areafix's message changes the echomail forward structure. Allow rescan - If set to Yes, allows the rescan procedure on one or more echomail areas to be performed through an Areafix's message. Note that some areas can generate extremely huge packets, so it may be safe to keep this parameter set to No and perform the rescan manually. Change TAG level - Defines the privilege level that a node must have to change the tag of an echomail area through an Areafix's message. It is suggested that the level must allow only the Sysop or his/her co-workers to use this command. Remote maint. - Defines the privilege level that a node must have to send commands as another node through an Areafix's message. It is suggested that the level must allow only the Sysop or his/her co-workers to use this command. Check zones - If set to Yes enables the zone check on every Areafix's operation, to allow the link of echomail areas with the same zone number. TIC Processor --------------------------------------------------------------------- This menu allows you to configurate the Raid (automatic echo file area manager) function, described later in this manual. TIC active - Turns the internal Raid function on and off. - 31 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Help file name - Filename to be sent with the %HELP command. Since the file is sent in a message form, it's better to keep it as short as possible. Creating nodes - List of nodes that can create file areas on your system. When the TIC processor imports a file in an unknown area, it controls if the sender's node can create any area. In the positive case, it will create a directory called FNEWAREA in the current directory, then create another directory named as the tag of the file area and add it to the file areas configuration file. In the negative case, the TIC file will be renamed as BAD. Autolink nodes - List of nodes that will be automatically linked to the new areas created by the TIC processor. Alert nodes - List of nodes that will receive a copy of the answer messages generated by Raid. The information request messages (%LIST, %QUERY, %UNLINKED and %HELP commands) will not be forwarded. Change TAG level - Defines the privilege level that a node must have to change the tag of an echomail area through a Raid's message. It is suggested that the level must allow only the Sysop or his/her co-workers to use this command. Remote maint. - Defines the privilege level that a node must have to send commands as another node through a Raid's message. It is suggested that the level must allow only the Sysop or his/her co-workers to use this command. Check zones - If set to Yes enables the zone check on every Raid's operation, to allow the link of file areas with the same zone number. External Processing --------------------------------------------------------------------- In this menu it's possible to specify the filenames of the programs to be called for external maintenance routines. Before import - The command in this field is executed after the arcmail unpacking, and before the message importing. After import - The command in this field is executed after the message importing in the echo areas, and before the message area scanning. Before export - The command in this field is executed before the message areas scanning. After import and before - 32 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 export are executed together if the mail processing is automatically carried on. After export - The command in this field is executed after the message area scanning and before the netmail scanning and arcmail packing. Before pack - This command is executed before the netmail message area scanning. After pack - This command is executed after the netmail message area scanning and outbound pack. Automaint - The command in this field is executed every day after some internal maintenance routines. In a 24 hours system, it will be executed soon after midnight. BBS Batch - The command in this field is used to call an external BBS program. You can specify the following parameters at the command line: *B - Connection speed reported by modem. In local connections it will be forced to 0. *C - Fully COMMAND.COM path. *H - Deactivates the FOSSIL driver (DOS version only). The OS/2 version translates this parameter to the com port file handle. *M - This parameter allow registered users to free almost the full conventional memory, leaving only 15k in memory, for the recovery code (DOS version only). *N - Active task number. *P - Active serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc.) *T - Time, in minutes, before the next system event execution. *W - Activates the FOSSIL watchdog function. When the carrier drops, the FOSSIL driver resets computer. This option is rarely used, and is present for completeness only (DOS version only). Message Editor --------------------------------------------------------------------- Defines the DOS command to call the local message editor from inside Lora. Lora can work well with a wide variety of message readers/editors, suggested are GoldEd, Mercurio and WMail. Mail Processing --------------------------------------------------------------------- In this menu are the mail processing options. Method - Defines the method of mail exporting. You can choose between 'Separate netmail', for which the netmail will be exported - 33 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 in different packets (*.PKT) than the echomail (but always within the same compressed packet) and 'Netmail and echomail together' (default) for which the netmail will be appended to the existing echomail packets. Save Sysop Mail - If enabled (Yes) allows to save in a separate directory the messages addressed to the Sysop coming from every echomail or netmail areas. The messages are saved in the *.MSG format with every information untouched (even the AREA:<tag> line). Sysop Mail Path - Defines the directory to same the messages addressed to the Sysop. Flashing flag - Allows to enable or disable the flashing "PERSONAL" word in the lower right screen corner when new uread messages addressed to the Sysop are present. Replace Tear Line - Defines if and how replace the tear line (the line immediately above the origin line in an echomail message) within a message written locally with the Lora's tear line. You can choose: 'Always' to always replace (default for the unregistered versions), 'Never' to not replace at all, 'Link (limit to 35 char.)' to add the tear line to the existing one if the resulting line is not above the 35 character limit, 'Link (unlimited)' to add the tear line without verify the resulting line length. The Lora's tear line shows as follow: --- Lora v.2.31+ Added to the tear line of a message written with GoldED (for example), it shows as follow: --- GoldEd v.2.41+ / Lora v.2.31+ Tear line - Allows you to define a custom tear line for your own pleasure. The sequence %1 will be replaced by the version number, so that a tear line like this: Lora-OS/2 v%1 will be replaced with: Lora-OS/2 v2.33 Please note that the leading dashes (--- ) aren't required. This option is available for registered users only. Import empty msgs. - Allows you to prevent the mail processor from importing messages without text lines inside it. - 34 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Messages like this are the ones generated by file requests or file attaches robot. Force INTL line - This option allows you to force the mail processor to put an INTL line inside every netmail message exported, even if it isn't really necessary. This option should be set to No, unless your netmail uplink have some problems handling intra-zone netmails. Mail-only password --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows to specify a password that allows the Sysop and his/her co- workers to log in the BBS event if it is busy in a mail event that doesn't accept human callers. The password must be written when Lora shows his 'Mail only' banner immediately after the connection. If the password is recognized (there isn't an echo on the terminal) the BBS is activated. The password is case sensitive. - 35 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 4.4 - BBS --------------------------------------------------------------------- Here all the option for the BBS settings, from areas definition to user's levels definition are collected. Messages --------------------------------------------------------------------- Message area definition. The options available are explained in a following chapter of this manual. Files --------------------------------------------------------------------- File area definition. The options available are explained in a following chapter of this manual. QWK setup --------------------------------------------------------------------- QWK internal door definition. Work dir - Directory in which every temporary file necessary for a QWK packet creation will be stored. Packet name - Filename of the packet (without .QWK extension) to be created. Lora will send to the user a packet called <packet name>.QWK, and will wait for a packet called <packet name>.REP. Max messages - Maximum number of messages that can be packed in a QWK file. If the user exceeds the limit, the message scanning will stop, and the packet will be sent to the user. The limit is checked after each area scan. This means, for example, that if the limit is set to 500 and a given area contains 1000 messages, all those 1000 messages will be packed, and then the scan will stop. New users --------------------------------------------------------------------- Definition of the new users' options. New user sec. level - The access level assigned to new users. We suggest you to assign the LIMITED level. If you don't want new users to join your system, assign them the HIDDEN level. New user A flags - 36 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 New user B flags New user C flags New user D flags - Flags assigned to new users. Ask birthdate - Put this flag on if you want the system to ask new users their birthdate. Ask voice phone number - Put this flag on if you want the system to ask new users their voice phone number. Ask data phone number - Put this flag on if you want the system to ask the users their data (or office) phone number. Ask IBM character set - The system will ask new users if they want to see the IBM extended ASCII character set. Lora is able to remap them if the user is not able to visualize them. Ask alias name - Put this flag on if you want the system to ask new users a nickname. The alias can be used in some message areas decided by the sysop. Ask default protocol - Put this flag on if you want the system to ask new users their default download protocol. Ask default packer - Put this flag on if you want the system to ask new users their default packer to be used in the QWK internal door. FileBOX default - If set to Yes, every new user have their file-box flag set, so that they can receive private files through the file-box commands. Every user can send files to a file-box, but only enabled users can own a file-box. More prompts - If you set here the flag "yes", the system will ask the user to press Enter to see next page at the end of each scroll; if you set the flag "no", the system will not stop scrolling up until the end of the text, if you set the flag "ask", the system will ask new users their choice. Mail check - If you set here the flag "yes", the system will scan for user's personal mail at each logon, if you set the flag "no" the scan will never be performed automatically, if you set the flag "ask", the system will ask users if they want to scan mail areas. New files check - The same option of the mail check, but with regards to new files since user's last logon. Screen clears - If you set here the flag "yes", the system will send the clear screen codes, if you set the flag "no", the clear codes will never be sent, if you set the flag - 37 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 "ask" the system will ask new users if they want to have clear screen codes. Hotkeys - As above, the flag "yes" means that hotkeys (commands will not need a CR to be executed) are always active, the flag "no" that they will never be active (this means that users can put more than one command on the same line), "ask" means that the system will ask to new users if they want hotkeys. Ansi Graphics - As above, the flag "yes" means that ANSI graphics will always be active, "no" means that they will never be active, "ask" means that the system will ask new users if they want ANSI graphics. Avatar Graphics - As above, but related to AVATAR graphics, more efficient and fast than ANSI. Full screen editor - As above, the flag "yes" means that the full screen editor will be used to write messages, the flag "no" that the line editor will be used, "ask" means that the system will ask new users if they want the full screen editor. Rookie calls - Defines the number of calls after which a user is no longer considered an apprentice. For these users displaying special notes with instructions and hints for the system usage could be useful. Random birthdate check - If you put the flag on, the system will ask, randomly, the user's birthdate. General options --------------------------------------------------------------------- Users file - Defines the filename and path of the users' database. You don't need to specify any extension, Lora will automatically add the .BBS or .IDX extension when needed. Menu dir - Defines the directory to be searched for the menu files to be shown to the users. General text dir - Defines the default directory to be searched for the text files to be shown. It's possible to define a different directory for each language, so that it's possible to translate the files into each language supported by your system. The general text dir will also be used to find a file not found in a different language directory. Full scr. editor - It defines the path and filename of the external full screen editor to be used by users (please note that this editor is not the sysop's editor - 38 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 defined in the Mail / message editor menu). It's possible to specify other special commands used to pass useful information to the editor. The commands are following: *0 - Current file area path. *1 - Current message area path. *B - Baud rate (0 in local mode). *F - User's first name. *G - 0=No graphics, 1=Ansi, 2=Avatar. *H - Disables FOSSIL driver before calling the editor (DOS version only). With the OS/2 version, it will be translated to the COM port file handle. *L - User's last name. *M - This parameter allows registered users to free conventional memory almost totally, leaving only 15k in memory, for the recovery code. *N - Task number. *P - Serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc.). *R - User's position inside the users database (record number). *S - Lora will not read LORAINFO at the end of the called editor. *T - Time left for the current call. *W - Activates FOSSIL's watchdog. When the carrier drops, FOSSIL will reboot the computer. *X - The LORAINFO.T?? file will not be created, before calling the editor. *! - Stops time during the editor call. At the end of the program, the user will have again the same time he had before calling the editor. *# - Disables the 'Wants chat' flag. Useful to correctly manage external chat programs. To be compatible with Scott Dudley's Maximus-CBCS 2.00, the following commands have been added: %A - User's first name, in capital letters. %b - Baud rate (0 in local mode). %B - User's last name, in capital letters. %c - Calling site. %C - Last answer to the questionaire ^OR command (see the EMBEDDED COMMANDS sections, for more details). %d - Current message area number %D - Current file area number %E - Lenght, in lines, of the user's screen. %f - User's first name. %F - Current file area path. %g - 0=No graphics, 1=Ansi, 2=Avatar. %G - User's daily download limit. %h - User's voice phone number %H - User's Kbytes downloaded in the present day. - 39 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 %i - Total download. %I - Total upload. %j - Lenght (in minutes) of the present call. %k - Task number. %l - User's last name. &L - In remote mode, this command is substituted with the '-pX -bY' string, where X is the serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc.) and Y is the speed (in baud). In local mode, this command is substituted with the '-k' string. %M - Current message area path. %n - User's first name. %N - System name, as defined in the configuration file. %p - Serial port (0=COM1, 1=COM2, etc.). %P - Serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc.). %q - Current message area path, without the final backslash. %Q - Current file area path, withour the final backslash. %s - Sysop's last name. %S - Sysop's first name. %t - Time left for the present call, in minutes. %T - Time left for the present call, in seconds. %u - User's number. %U - Substituted by underscore '_'. %v - Upload directory path. %V - Upload directory path, without the final backslash. %Z - User's full name, in capital letters. Quote header - With this field you can define the sentence that will be put as the first line when a user replies to a message using the full screen editor. You can specify the following special characters: @ - Expands into the person's name to which the original message was addressed. # - Expands into the person's name who posted the original message (the one being replied to). ` - Expands into the date that th eoriginal message (the one being replied to) was posted. ~ - Expands to the time that the original message (the one being replied to)w as posted. For example, if the following reply header was specified: In a message originally to @, # said: Would expand to: - 40 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 In a message originally to All, Joe User said: Ansi at logon - Definition of the ANSI displaying method at logon. "Auto" allows Lora to automatically recognize whether the user's terminal is able to display ANSI graphics; "Yes" forces Lora to send the ANSI file; "No" forces Lora to send the ASCII file; "Ask" means that the system will ask the user whether he wants to see the ANSI or the ASCII file. Puma/MPT protocol - Activates / deactivates the internal Puma/MPT protocol management. The executable file must be in a directory defined by the PATH environment variable. HS/Link protocol - Activates / deactivates the internal bidirectional HS/Link protocol management. The executable file must be in a directory defined by the PATH environment variable. Snoop on-line user - Activates / deactivates displaying of everything the user is doing on the system. Aftercaller exit - Errorlevel with which Lora will exit after an user call. 0 menas that Lora will not exit to DOS after an user call, and will load itself automatically, without needing a batch file to manage the loop. Areachange keys - Definition of the letters for the change areas commands: they are for previous area, next area, list areas commands, respectively. Date format - Definition of the date format in the messages, the available parameters are the following: %D - Displays day number. %B - Displays month number. %C - Displays month abbreviation (Jan, Feb, Mar, etc.). %Y - Displays the year's last two digits (92, 93, etc.). For the international format use the %C-%D-%Y parameters. Time format - Definition of the time format in the messages. The available parameters are the following: %A - Displays "am" or "pm" in 12 hours format. %E - Displays time in 12 hours format. %H - Displays time in 24 hours format. %M - Displays the minutes number. %S - Displays the seconds number. - 41 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 For the international format use the %H:%M:%S parameters. Download counter - Allows to enable the files download counter. The counter will be put at the beginning of the description within two selectable delimiters. Example: TEST.ZIP ( 3) Counter Example Counter limits - Defines the delimiters to be used for the download counter. Normally are used square brackets. Uploader name - Allows to add the uploader's name to the file description (that allows you to know if anyone uploads viruses or trojans). Login check city - If set to Yes Lora asks the users to verify the calling city before enter the password at login time. It's useful to prevent that a user with the same name as another must call two times to log in your system. Inactivity timeout - Defines the number of minutes that a user can spend online without doing anything before the system hangs the phone. 20 seconds before the logout Lora displays a warning message to the user. IEMSI logins - Set this option to yes to allow your users to log in your board using the IEMSI (Interactive Electronic Mail Standard Interface) handshake. Terminal programs capable of such handshake are: Lora's built-in terminal program, Terminate and FrontDoor's built-in terminal program. Interactive EMSI (IEMSI) is a protocol which can be used by communications software programs to establish certain parameters for an interactive session, for example, a user logging on to a bulletin board. From within the IEMSI terminal's setup program, the user can define a number of user profiles, each of which includes a user name, handle, password, telephone number, location, etc. When IEMSI is enabled from within the terminal and the user calls a Lora BBS, the user's information is sent to the BBS automatically, enabling the user (the client) to log- on to a BBS (the server) without even touching the keyboard. The IEMSI terminal and Lora will automatically exchange information such as software name and version number, screen parameters and local time. - 42 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 One particularly useful feature is the ability of the server to temporarily modify the user's display parameters for the current session only. Typically, when a user calls a BBS, the user's screenlength setting is used to determine when page pausing is to occur. However, on one occasion the user may activate the IEMSI terminal in 50 line mode. Lora will recognize this and set the screen length to 50 lines for the current session only, restoring it to the original setting when the user disconnects. In addition, Lora will automatically activate whatever terminal emulation that it, as well as the client, supports. Show missing files - If this option is set to yes, the missing files (files that are described in the FILES.BBS file but aren't present in the file area's directory) will be displayed to the user with the 'MISSING' word istead of the file size and date. ZModem protocol XModem protocol 1K-XModem protocol SEAlink protocol - This options allows you to enable (yes) or disable (no) the internal protocols ZModem, XModem, 1K-XModem and SEAlink respectively. You can replace one or more of this protocols with an external one, using the external protocol setup menu. Min. upload space - This option allows you to disable any upload made by the users when the free space on the upload directory is less than the amount specified (in kbytes) in this field. Valid ranges are 1 to 32000 kbytes, 0 means no checks for the free space. Input date format - This option allows you to choose the date format for every date input field. Available formats are: DD-MM-YY (most European country), MM-DD-YY (USA) and YY-MM-DD (Scientific format). Limits --------------------------------------------------------------------- This menu allows you to define the BBS accesses for each user level. The levels available are eleven: Twit, Disgrace, Limited, Normal, Worthy, Privel, Favored, Extra, Clerk, Asst. Sysop and Sysop. You can define, for each level, the following parameters: Time Limit per Call - Minutes available for each call. - 43 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Time Limit per Day - Minutes available in 24 hours. If this limit is higher than the Call Limit, the user will have the time defined here per day, but he will not be able to spend more than the time defined in Call limit for each call. Example: Call limit -> 30 Day limit -> 45 This means that the user will have 30 minutes available for the first call. If he spends 20 minutes in the BBS, he will have 25 minutes available for the second call. Minumum Logon Baud - Minimum speed with which users of this level can logon. If the sysop has a 14400 baud modem, it's better, for security reasons, to limit the Sysop level at 14400. 0 means no limits. Minimum Download Baud - Minimum speed necessary to download files. 0 means no limits. Download Limit (KB) - Maximum number of KBytes that can be downloaded in 24 hours. Limit at X baud - Maximum number of KBytes that can be downloaded in 24 hours, differentiated by connection speed. 0 means that Lora will use the value defined in the Download Limit entry. Download/Upload Ratio - It defines the maximum download/upload ratio necessary to download files. 10 means, for example, that users must upload 1 KByte for each 10 Kbytes downloaded. Ratio Start - It defines the number of download available before the Download/Upload ratio begins its check. Login Limits --------------------------------------------------------------------- Minumum sec. level - It defines the mininum level needed to access the system. Useful for multiline BBSs in which some tasks are reserved for particular users. Minumum A flags Minimum B flags Minimum C flags Minimum D flags - They define the flags that must be active to access the system. Useful for multiline BBSs in which some tasks are reserved for particular users. Minumum age - It defines the minimum age a user must have to access the system. - 44 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Time to login - Defines the time (in minutes) given to the user to complete the login procedure. Within this time is included the new users questionnaire if it is put on a file that will be showed only to the new users. By default the login time is set to 10 minutes. Paging hours --------------------------------------------------------------------- With this menu you can define when you are available for chat. For each week day you can specify the starting and the ending time of your availablity. Usually this option can be used to preserve users to call your for a chat in the middle of the night. When a user try to call you outside the available paging hours, the file NOTAVAIL will be displayed. You can write inside this file the correct paging hours. Language --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define up to 15 languages available for users. For each language you must define the following parameters: Filename - Filename, without extension, for menus and sentences related to one language. Lora will add the extension .MNU for the menus, and .LNG for the sentences. Description - Language description. The first character will be used as hot key for the language selection. Textfiles path - Directory in which Lora will search for the text files to be displayed. If the file is not found in the directory defined here, Lora will look for it in the directory defined in the BBS / General Options /General text dir. menu. Ext. protocols --------------------------------------------------------------------- This menu handles the configuration of the external protocols. Lora cam handle a virtually infinite number of external protocols, that responds to the DSZ standard. However the DSZ standard is required only for the log file, since the other options can be configured using this menu. The keys available are the following: PgUp/PgDn - Move through the protocols database one item at a time, up and down. - 45 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 E - Edits the item displayed on the screen. A - Adds a new item to the database. D - Deletes the item displayed on the screen from the database. Following are the parameters that can be configured for each external protocol: Active - Allows you to temporarily disable one or more protocols. It must be set to Yes to be usable by the users. Name - Name with which the protocol is displayed to the users. Hotkey - Command key that the user must type to select that protocol (must not be the same as an internal or external protocol). Download command - DOS command to call the external protocol to initiate a download request. The following parameters can be specified: %1 - Name of the file to download (only one file at a time). %A - User's first name, all capital letters. %b - Baud rate (0 if in local mode). %B - User's last name, all capital letters. %c - The place of the call. %d - The number of the current message area. %D - The number of the current file area. %E - Length, in lines, of the user's screen. %f - User's first name. %F - Path of the current message area. %g - 0=No graphics, 1=Ansi, 2=Avatar. %G - User's daily download limit. %h - Voice phone number of the user. %H - Kilobytes number downloaded today. %i - Total download. %I - Total upload. %j - Connection time for the current call. %k - Task Number. %l - User's last name. %L - In remote calls the flag is replaced with the '-pX -bY' string, where X is the serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc.) and Y is the baud rate. In local calls the flag is replaced with the '-k' string. %M - Path of the current message area. %n - User's first name. %N - BBS name, as defined in the configuration file. %p - Serial port (0=COM1, 1=COM2, etc). %P - Serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc). - 46 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 %q - Path of the current message area, without final backslash. %Q - Path of the current file ares, without final backslash. %s - Sysop's last name. %S - Sysop's first name. %t - Time left for the call, in minutes. %T - Time left for the call, in seconds. %u - User's number. %U - Substituted with the underscore '_'. %v - Path of the upload directory. %V - Path of the upload directory, without the final backslash %Z - User's full name in capital letters. Upload command - Same as the above, but the command must calls the external protocols for an upload request. The same parameters available for the 'Download command' are available here too. Log file name - Name of the log file created by the external protocol. This file must be compatible with the DSZ log format. The same parameters available for the 'Download command' are available here too. Control file - This file will be created by Lora before calling the external protocol, and contains the download/upload requests made by the user. Each line contains the requests in the format specified by the 'Download string' or 'Upload string' parameters. The same parameters available for the 'Download command' are available here too. Download string - Specifies the download command string that must be put in the 'Control file' above. The parameter %1 will be replaced by the fille path and file name of the file to download. Upload string - Same as the above, except that this is for the upload requests. Download keyword - Specifies the keyword needed to identify a successful download from the log file. This keyword must be located as the first word on each log file row. Upload keyword - Same as the above, but identify a successful upload. Filename word Size word CPS word - These parameters allows you to specify at which word position Lora can find the filename, size in bytes and CPS efficiency for each successful upload or download from the log file. Each row of the log file - 47 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 will be split in words separated by spaces (ASCII 32). The first word (the upload/download keyword) assumes the number 1. Batch protocol - If set to Yes, the protocol can do batch downloads and can send the file names on upload, so that Lora don't asks the user for the name of file when uploading. Disable FOSSIL - If set to Yes, Lora disables the FOSSIL driver before calling the external protocol. This is useful to avoid possible conflicts between the FOSSIL and the protocol's serial port handler. Change to UL dir - Since some external protocols can receive files only in the current directory, if this parameter is set to Yes, Lora will change to the uploads directory before calling the external protocol. - 48 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 4.5 - Terminal --------------------------------------------------------------------- This menu allows you to define the options related to the built-in terminal emulator. Miscellaneous --------------------------------------------------------------------- Various options for the terminal emulator. Init - Modem initialization string. Download - Directory in which the downloaded files will be stored. Upload - Directory from which the emulator will take the files to be uploaded. Avatar - Activates / deactivates the Avatar/0+ emulation. Auto Zmodem - Activates / deactivates the zmodem download auto- recognition. IEMSI Profile --------------------------------------------------------------------- Within this menu you can defines the parameters related to the IEMSI (Interactive Electronic Mail Standard Interface) handshaking for the terminal emulator. With IEMSI you can log in a BBS that supports IEMSI without any user intervention. The IEMSI detect is completely transparent to the user. IEMSI On - Allows you to enable or disable the IEMSI autologin. Info time - Defines the amout of time (in seconds) for which the IEMSI server informations must be shown on the screen. Password - Defines the default password to use with a BBS. Handle - Defines an optional handle to be used with certain BBS. Hot keys - Enables the hot keyed menus. You aren't requested to confirm every command with ENTER to execute them. Quiet - Enable the "do not disturb" flag, with a multiline BBS prevents other users to send message to you during the call. Pausing - Enable the pause at the end of each screen page. By default the terminal screen will be set to 80x24 characters. Editor - Selects the full-screen message editor. - 49 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 News - Allows you to view (if set to Yes) the bulletins of the called BBS. New mail - Enables the personal mail check at login time. new files - Enables the new files scan at login time. Screen clear - Allows the BBS to send the screen clearing codes. - 50 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 4.6 - Modem --------------------------------------------------------------------- Defines the options relater to the modem hardware. Modem port - Serial port on which the modem is installed. 1 means COM1, 2 means COM2, etc. Maximum baud rate - Defines the speed with which Lora talks with the modem. Usually it's the maximum speed supported by modem, but it must be set to 38400 (or 19200) with hi-speed modems (V32 / V32bis) featuring error correction and data compression. Lock port - Activates / deactivates the serial port lock at the speed defined in Maximum baud rate. To be used only if the modem is configured so that it doesn't change the serial speed during connections. Terminal - When this flag is on, Lora assumes that a terminal instead of a modem is connected with the serial port. In this case you need to press Enter twice to begin connection. The terminal must be configured at the same speed defined in Maximum baud rate. FAX message - Defines the string returned by your Modem/FAX when another FAX machine is connected. By default Lora recognizes the "CONNECT FAX" string. FAX errorlevel - Defines the errorlevel with which Lora exits to DOS after a FAX connection has been extablished. Note: The Modem/FAX support is limited to incoming fax connections. Presently there is no support for fax trasmission. Strip dashes - If set to Yes Lora can strip every dashes (-) from the commands sent to the modem (particularly from the phone numbers). Dialing timeout - Defines the number of seconds to wait for the connection with another modem during a call. By default the time is set to 60 seconds. Carrier mask - Defines the carrier detect bit mask. Usually this is set to 128 but you can change the value to your likes. Refer to the FOSSIL documentation (Interrupt 14H, service 03H) to know what serial line signals can be monitored with this setting. Usually you can monitor the following signals: 16 - Clear To Send (CTS) 32 - Data Set Ready (DSR) 64 - Ring Indicator (RI) 128 - Data Carrier Detect (DCD) - 51 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 You can combine the values above to monitor multiple signals (for example the value 160 = 128 + 32 monitors both the DCD and DSR lines). The default value, if left 0, is 128 (DCD). DCD drop timeout - Defines the time to wait before hangup when the carrier is lost. This option is useful when the line noise causes the loss of the carrier for few instants. Command strings --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define every command for the necessary modem management. Init - Modem initialization command. There are some special characters that can be used to perform various tasks (valid for every modem command described in this section): | (pipe) - Translates to a CR (0x0D, 13) character. ~ (tilde) - 1 second pause. ^ (caret) - Set the DTR line to ON. v (lowercase V) - Sets the DTR line to OFF. ` - 1/2 second pause. Dial prefix - Command to be sent to the modem before the phone number. Dial suffix - Command to be sent to the modem after the phone number. Offhook - Command to be sent to the modem to keep the line busy. Lora sends this command when it can't answer calls. Dial X - This table allows you to define 10 alternative call commands to be used instead of the main one. Useful if you need to set a particular initializations for given modems to be called. Answer control --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define how and when Lora can answer incoming calls. Manual answer - If you set this flag on, Lora answers an incoming call with the command defined in Answer command. Be sure that your modem sends a RING<CR> string on incoming calls, if you want to use this option. If you set this flag to off, then your modem must automatically answer the phone. - 52 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Answer command - Command to be sent to the modem to make it answer incoming calls. Limited hours - If you set this flag on, Lora will answer calls in the break between "Starting time" and "Ending time" only. Starting time - Defines the hour after which Lora is able to answer calls. Ending time - Defines the hour after which Lora will answer calls no longer. Nodelist flags --------------------------------------------------------------------- With this menu you can defines the dialing command to send to the modem with the system calls certaing nodes, based on the Fidonet nodelist flags. On the first column, under the 'Flag' sentence must be specified the flag to be checked (HST, H14 or ZYX, for example), on the second column, under the 'Prefix' sentence must be specified the dialing command (ATB1DT, for example). The flags verify is done sequentially starting from the first, if a node has both the V32B and HST flags and in the list the commands for HST and V32B appears in that order, the HST command will be sent. - 53 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 4.7 - Manager --------------------------------------------------------------------- This menu collects every system management option. Events --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define the system events. These options will be explained later in a following chapter. Nodelist --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define the filenames containing nodelists in St. Louis format. In the "Nodediff" field you can specify the filename containing differences between any nodelist and the next one. If you don't put any extension, Lora will look for the file with the highest extension. Note: To apply differences to the nodelist correctly, the nodediff file must be already unpacked in the full nodelist directory, and the number of its extension must be the full nodelist extension plus 7. Example: a nodediff called NODEDIFF.135 can be applied only to a nodelist called NODELIST.128 Translations --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define the international and national prefix codes, as well as phone costs for each time interval. The following commands are available in the costs table: PgUp/PgDn - Allow you to move along the costs file. E - Allows you to edit the cost table for the currently displayed country. This option will be explained later. A - Allows you to add a new country. The system will automatically put the new country in the right alphabetical place, regardless where you are when you add the country. L - Allows you to list the defined countries, and to select one of them with the cursor keys. D - Allows you to delete the currently displayed country. The system will ask confirmation before deleting. - 54 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 C - Allows you to copy the current costs table. The system will ask you the country name, the prefix contained in the nodelist, and the prefix Lora must dial. Location - Defines the country name related to the current prefix. Presently it is used in this menu for reference only. Prefix - Defines the international prefix. It must be the same as the one contained in nodelist. Translate to - Defines the national prefix. Lora will change the code defined in "Prefix" with this one when dialing a node. The following table allows you to insert the phone costs relative to week days and time intervals. Note: a COST.DAT file relative to italian call prices is contained in the Lora package. You need to build ex-novo the file for your country. S M T W T F S - Define the week days on which the inserted prices have validity. Respectively: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Press space on the corresponding letter to deactivate a given day, any other key to activate it. Start - Defines the beginning time of the current price interval. End - Defines the ending time of the current price interval. Cost / Seconds - Defines the cost per seconds relative to the current time interval. The first pair of values represents the answer price, that is the price computed at the beginning of the conversation. The second pair of values represents the price for the following seconds (after the seconds defined in the first couple). Note: Lora will always add 20 seconds to each call to approximate (by excess) the time before the remote modem answer and the CONNECT string. Packers --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define the packers to be used to pack and unpack mail. Don't change the packer order, since it's internally coded. You must specify the %1 and %2 parameters for the packing command; they will be substituted, respectively, by the archive name and by the file to be archived (wildcards included). If you experience some problems like not enough memory to run the packer/unpacker, you can tell Lora to swap itself out of memory by adding the + (plus) character before the packer/unpacker commnd. - 55 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 For example: ZIP +PKZIP -ma %1 %2 PKUNZIP -o %1 You must specify the %1 command only for the unpacking command. Presently Lora supports the ZIP, ARJ, LZH (LH1), LHA (LH5), ZOO, ARC packers, recognizing automatically the archive format of the file to be unpacked. Please note that the unpackers are position-sensitive, so that the order showed above must be preserved to avoid malfunctions. Nodes --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to create a personal list of the nodes with which you have mail or file transmission on a regular basis. You don't need to build an external nodelist for these nodes, since Lora consideres these nodes as known nodes, even if they are not present in the St. Louis nodelist. The following commands are available in the nodes table: PgUp/PgDn - Allow you to move along the node file. E - Allows you to edit the current node. This option will be explained later. A - Allows you to add a new node. The system will automatically put the new node in the right numerical place, regardless where you are when you add the node. L - Allows you to list the defined nodes, and to select one of them with the cursor keys. D - Allows you to delete the currently displayed node. The system will ask confirmation before deleting. You can edit the following parameters when editing a node (i.e. adding a new one or modifying an existing one): Address - Full node address. Note for point nodes: you must insert the address in the format used for echomail forwards. If the point uses fakeaddress, you need to insert the fakeaddress, otherwise you must insert the full 4d address. Lora will automatically sort the database in a node number order. Sysop Aka - They represent two names of the same person. The internal remapper tests both names to send netmail messages to points. - 56 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Level - Areafix uses this value to decide whether the node is allowed to link given areas (see the corresponding value in the message area definition). Packer - Packer to be used for mail directed to this node. When unpacking mail, Lora will recognize automatically the archive format, ignoring this value. Session Pw - Password to be used in mail sessions. Packet Pw - Password to be used in mail packets to validate origin. If the wrong or missing, the packets will not be imported. They will be stored as BAD_PKT.???, where ??? is a progressive number. Areafix Pw - Password the node uses to send messages to areafix. Phone - Node phone number. Fill in this field if you want to dial a number dirrerent from the one present in nodelist, or if the current node is not present in nodelist. Dial prefix - Command to be sent to the modem to call the current node. Usually Lora uses the ATD command, but you may need to use other commands to improve performances (for example, to deactivate the MNP5 compression for already compressed file transmission). Echomail aka - This option allows you to set with which aka send the outgoing mail to this node with. The 'Default' statement chooses the aka defined for each echomail area. Capabilites - Allows you to activate / deactivate some functions for the current node. "Remap to point" allows Lora to send messages addressed to "Sysop" or "Aka" to the address specified in the "Address" field. The other flags (WAZOO, EMSI and Janus) are used to deactivate these protocols for the current node. Menu --------------------------------------------------------------------- Allows you to define the menus for the BBS part of the program. The options will be explained later. Users --------------------------------------------------------------------- This option allows you to change the user's parameters and add or delete users from the database. The options that can be changed are self-explanatory, following are the keys that can be used from within the users editor: - 57 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 PgUp/PgDn - Allow you to move along the user records. E - Allows you to edit the current user. A - Allows you to add a new user. The system will put the new user as the last record in the users database file. L - Allows you to list the users in alphabetical order, and to select any one of them with the cursor keys. D - Allows you to delete the currently displayed user. The user isn't physically deleted from the database unless you issue a LUSER -P command to explicitly delete any marked record. O - Allows you to switch between the first and the second option page. - 58 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 5.0 - Message area configuration --------------------------------------------------------------------- The message area configuration is made using the BBS / Message menu inside LSETUP. The displayed window shows the first defined area. If no area has been yet defined, every field is empty. You have the following commands available: PgUp/PgDn - Allow you to move along the areas file. E - Allows you to edit the current area. This option will be explained later. A - Allows you to add a new area. The system will automatically put the new area in the right numerical place, regardless where you are when you add the area. Lora puts new areas at TWIT level, and the maintenance value at 200 messages (Max messages), 14 days (Message age), 0 days (Age received). L - Allows you to list the defined areas, and to select any one of them with the cursor keys. D - Allows you to delete the currently displayed area. The system will ask confirmation before deleting. 5.1 - Message area parameters --------------------------------------------------------------------- This chapter lists every command that can be edited in a message area. After one area has been fully edited, you must press ESC to display the all the other areas. If something has been modified, LSETUP will ask if you want to save it before exiting. Number - Area number. It will be used in the area selection menu and to sort areas as a reference. QWK Name - A short name to be used instead of the title, if present, for the QWK packets creation and as an alternative in the area selection menu. Name - Name of the area to be shown to users. Type - Area type. It can be: Netmail, Echomail, Internet (mail addressed to an internet mail gateway), Passthrough (the messages will be deleted after export) and Local (no echomail information will be added and exporting area to other systems is not allowed). - 59 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Echo-Tag - Area tag to be used when forwarding messages to other nodes. Flags - Flags related to message management: Public only (messages are compulsory public), Private only (messages are compulsory private). If none of the above flags is active, Lora will ask to the user if he wants the message to be public or private. The messages will also be forced during echomail import. Allow alias (the user's nickname is allowed) and Group restricted (access is allowed to given group members). Afx level - Areafix level needed to access the current area. A node can be linked to this area with the areafix function only if his access level is equal or higher than the one defined in this field. Storage - Message storage method. The following message bases are supported: Fido (*.MSG), QuickBBS (also known as Hudson base), Pip-Base (compressed message base created and developed by Roberto Piola) and Squish (message base created by Scott J. Dudley). Please note that 'Netmail' and 'Internet' supports only the Fido *.MSG message format. Group - Group of the area. It can be a number from 0 (no group) to 255. Path/Board - It contains either the directory used to store messages (Fido), or the board number (QuickBBS and Pip-Base) or the basic nome of the file to be used (Squish). Aka - Node number to be used when exporting messages. The selection menu will show you the node numbers defined in the special field only. Origin - Sentence to be added at the end of echomail messages. By default the node number will be used, but you can specify any sentence. The node number will be automatically added. Max messages - Maximum number of messages to be contained in the current area (used by LMSG for maintenance). Message age - Maximum age expressed in days of the messages contained in the current area (used by LMSG for maintenance). Age received - Maximum age expressed in days of messages received by addressee contained in the current area. Used by LMSG for maintenance. Read level - Minimum user's level needed to access the current area and to read messages. A Flag B Flag C Flag - 60 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 D Flag - Minimum user's flags needed to access the current area and to read messages. Write level - Minimum level necessary to be able to write messages in the current area. Lora will not display the "Edit new message" and "Reply to message" commands to users without the proper level. A Flag B Flag C Flag D Flag - Minimum flags necessary to write messages in the current area. Lora will not displat the "Edit new message" and "Reply to message" commands to users without the proper flags. Forward 1 Forward 2 Forward 3 - These fields allows you to define the node numbers to send the echomail messages to. You can write the node numbers with the verbose format (2:332/402 2:332/403) or with the short format (2:332/402 403 404). - 61 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 6.0 - File area configuration --------------------------------------------------------------------- The file area configuration is made with the BBS / Files menu inside LSETUP. The displayed window shows the first area. If no area has been yet defined, every field is empty. The following commands are available: PgUp/PgDn - Allow you to move along the area file. E - Allows you to edit the current area. This option will be explained later. A - Allows you to add a new area. The system will automatically put the new area in the right numerical place, regardless of where you are when you add the area. Lora puts new areas at TWIT level. L - Allows you to list the defined areas, and to select any one of them with the cursor keys. D - Allows you to delete the currently displayed area. The system will ask confirmation before deleting. - 62 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 6.1 - File area parameters --------------------------------------------------------------------- This chapter lists every command that can be edited in a file area. After one area has been fully edited, you must press ESC to display all the other areas. If something has been modified, LSETUP will ask if you want to save it before exiting. Number - Area number. It will be used in selecting area from the menu and in sorting areas as a reference. Short Name - A short name to be used instead of the area number, for area selection. Name - Name of the area to be shown to users. Download - Name of the directory containing downloadable files. Lora needs a file called FILES.BBS in the current directory containing filenames and descriptions. The format of this file must be as follows: <filename> <description> LORA233D.ZIP LoraBBS-DOS v2.33 (Official release) >Lora is a complete mailer front-end, >mail processor and BBS system, >compatible with any Fido Technology >Network. Lines beginning with a space (ASCII 32) are treated like comments, and displayed as is. If the character following the space is the > character, then the line is treated as a multiline description: the rest of the line will be wrapped at the description position in the user's display. The example above will be displayed as follows: LORA233D.ZIP 743600 08-12-93 LoraBBS-DOS v2.33 (Official release) Lora is a complete mailer front-end, mail processor and BBS system, compatible with any Fido Technology Network. Upload - Name of the directory in which the files uploaded by users in the current directory will be stored. File list - Filename to be read as a file and description list instead of the FILES.BBS file. Used for areas that resides on CD-ROMs or other read-only devices. Access priv - Minimum user level to access area and to read the file list. A Flag B Flag C Flag - 63 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 D Flag - Minimum user's flags needed to access the current area and to read the file list. Download - Minimum level necessary to be able to download files from the current area. Lora will not display the "Download" command to users without the proper level. A Flag B Flag C Flag D Flag - Minimum flags necessary to download files from the current area. Lora will not displat the "Download" command to users without the proper flags. Upload - Minimum level necessary to be able to upload files to the current area. Lora will not display the "Upload" command to users without the proper level. A Flag B Flag C Flag D Flag - Minimum flags necessary to upload files to the current area. Lora will not display the "Upload" command to users without the proper flags. TIC Level - Minimum level necessary to be able to link this area as a TIC file area. A Flag B Flag C Flag D Flag - Minimum flags necessary to be able to link this area as a TIC file area. Group - Group of the area. It can be a number from 0 (no group) to 255. Flags - Generic flags for area management: F (No download limits) the download limits will not be considered for the current area. G (Group restricted) members of the current group only can access this area. S (No global search) the current area will be excluded from any global search (new files, locate files by keyword). D (No file date) the file date will not be displayed in file lists. N (Unknown can request) Every node can request files from this area, even if they are not listed in the current nodelist. K (Known can request) Only the nodes listed in the current nodelist can request files from this area. - 64 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 P (Prot can request) Only nodes that are listed in the current nodelist and have a session password can request files from this area. C (CD-ROM) This area physically resides on a CD- ROM drive or on a read-only device. This prevents Lora from searching new files fron this area. TIC Tag - Name of the TIC area that's being received in this directory. Lora can use tag names up to 20 characters wide, but for compatibility to other TIC processors they can be kept less or equal than 8 characters wide. Forward 1 Forward 2 Forward 3 - These fields allows you to define the node numbers to send the TIC files to. You can write the node numbers with the verbose format (2:332/402 2:332/403) or with the short format (2:332/402 403 404). There are some flags that can be used to specify if a certain node can act as a receive only or transmit only node: 2:332/402 - The node can transmit and receive files in this area. >2:332/402 - The node is a receive only node. Files sent from this node aren't processed. <2:332/402 - The node is a transmit-only node. Files sent from this node are processed, but files sent from other nodes aren't sent to this node. - 65 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.0 - Menu configuration ===================================================================== Lora is using a menu system that requires to be build up from scratch. (Although an easy installation program with some simple menus is included). You will have to setup all menus and external screens. Lora does include it's own menu program, which has all options available. There are several ways to setup a menu system for your BBS. The most used one looks like this: -------------- Message menus | Main menu ------------------- File menus | -------------- Other menus Another method is to set up your menus by item: Main menu ------------------- Lora file & message | |------------- Modem file & message | -------------- Graphics file & message Either way, plan your menu structure carefully. Users like a menu structure which is easy to follow. Building a menu can be done in two ways. You can either build the whole menu with the menu editor, so text is displayed if needed, or you can start your menu with an ANSI/ASCII/AVATAR display option (with Hot-key) which will display the menu and have all the commands in the menu file. Both have advantages and disadvantages. Using an ANSI/ASCII/AVATAR file as menu gives you the advantages that you can use more colours on one line, use graphics and even animation. Disadvantage is that all menu options will be visible to all callers, whatever security level they have. You need to setup a display file option with the automatic flag set, which means the command will be executed automatically. Using the normal menu has the advantages that you can hide several options from other security levels. Disadvantage is the limited use of colour per line. It will be up to you which way you choose. Be sure to check your menu files at every security level you have set up. Strange things can happen if you make mistakes. Building a menu is simple, building a complex menu with many different options for different security levels is more difficult. Take your time is a good advice. You can create or modify your BBS menus by using the LSETUP "Manager / Menu" menu. - 66 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 First of all you need to select one of the 15 available menus to be modified. Note: You can't add menu files at this point. Each menu file is associated to one language, so you need to use the "BBS / Language" menu for additions or deletions. After selection of the file, LSETUP will list the already defined menus. The last one, called "< New menu >" allows you to add another menu. Press ENTER on the "< New Menu >" field to create a new one. Choose the proper menu to modify it. You need to delete every command inside the menu to delete it. The file update routine will delete every menu with no commands inside. After a selection is made, LSETUP will display a window with all the item options. You have the following commands available: PgUp/PgDn - Allow you to move along the item file. E - Edit a menu item. After this command, an inverted-color bar will allow you to choose the option to be modified. The available options are as follows: Display - Text to be shown to the user. The '^' character marks the beginning and the end of highlighted texts, the '~' character is replaced by the minutes left for the call. Spaces must be represented by and underscore character (_). The underscore character can be used only if preceded by a backslash character (\_). A semicolon character (;) will be substituted by a CR/LF sequence. Some embedded commands (listed later) can be inserted in the text to be shown to the user. The embedded commands cannot always be inserted, since some of them are useful for questionnaires only or are useless inside menus. The following embedded commands are available inside menus: ^FC - Displays the CPS of the last file transmitted. ^FD - Displays the phone number of office/data. ^FE - Displays the phone number of home/voice. ^FF - Displays the date, without time, of the last login. ^FG - Displays the time of the last login. ^FH - Displays the percentage efficiency of the last file transmitted. ^FI - YES/NO IBM character set. ^FL - Displays the netmail credit. ^FM - Displays the number of the last personal message read. - 67 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ^FN - Displays the number of the last message read in the current area. ^FO - Displays the user's privilege level in verbal form. ^FQ - Displays the number of files sent. ^FR - Displays the number of kbytes sent. ^FS - Displays the number of files received. ^FT - Displays the number of kbytes received. ^FV - Displays the number of screen lines set by the user. ^FX - YES/NO ANSI toggle. ^FY - YES/NO end of page toggle. ^FZ - YES/NO formfeed code (ASCII 12) toggle. ^F0 - YES/NO full screen editor toggle. ^F2 - YES/NO hot keyed menu. ^F3 - Displays the user's handle. ^F4 - Displays the first login date. ^F5 - Displays the user's birthday. ^F6 - YES/NO mail check at login. ^F7 - Displays the user's registration. ^F8 - YES/NO AVATAR/0+ toggle. ^F9 - Number of upload/download ratio in the format 1:x. ^F! - YES/NO colors toggle. ^F^A - Displays the next quote reading it from the file defined in the configuration file (^FA also). ^F^B - Displays the user's full name. ^F^C - Displays the user's city (^FB also). ^F^D - Displays the current date. ^F^E - Displays the number of calls made by the user (^FP also). ^F^F - Displays the user's first name (^FW also). ^F^G - One second pause. ^F^K - Displays the total on-line time of the day (counting all the calls made during the day). ^F^L - Displays the on-line time of the present call (^FU also). ^F^O - Displays the time left for the current call. ^F^P - Displays date and onset time of the connection. A CR/LF character is added. ^F^Q - Displays the number of different users who called on that day. ^F^R - Displays the net download of the user so far made (download - upload). ^F^T - Displays current time. ^F^W - Displays the number of Kbyte sent. ^F^X - Displays the number of Kbytes received. ^F^Y - Displays the received/sent kBytes ratio in x:1 format (^F: also). ^F[ - Download remaining for today. ^F\ - The user's selected language. ^F] - Displays the comment field of the user's record (currently not implemented but available). ^F; - YES/NO full screen message reader. ^F% - Shows the default file transfer protocol. - 68 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ^F" - Shows the default compressor. ^KA - Total number of calls to the system (all the lines). ^KB - Name of the last user who called the current line. ^KC - Displays the number of the current message's child (answer to this message). ^KD - Number of the first message (this command has been introduced for compatibility, and is always set to 1). ^KE - Number of the last message in the current area. ^KG - Displays the day of the week. ^KI - Displays the current time in the form hh:mm:ss. ^KJ - Displays the current date in the form dd mmm aa. ^KK - Minutes on-line so far for the current call. ^KM - Number of personal messages found in the message base. ^KO - Time left for the current call. ^KP - Displays the number of the current message's parent (message that this message is an answer to). ^KQ - Time limit for each call. ^KR - Baud rate of the connection. ^KT - Daily download limit. ^KU - Number of minutes still available before the next forced or non BBS event. ^KW - Number of the line. ^KY - Title of the current message area. ^KZ - Title of the current file area. ^K0 - Number of messages in the current area. ^K1 - Number of the currently active message area. ^K2 - Number of the currently active file area. ^K5 - Name of the currently active message area. ^K7 - Displays the user's time bank account. ^K8 - Displays the user's file bank account. ^K9 - Number of messages contained in the current message area. ^K[ - Download remaining for today. ^K\ - Delete the line from cursor to the end. Type - Allows you to select, through a pop-up menu listing, the action type of the current command. The available actions that Lora recognizes are listed in the following paragraph. Data - Optional parameters needed by some kind of actions (see later). Hot-key - Key to be pressed to activate the current command. You can use every ASCII character between 32 and 127. Automatic - When this option is active, the command will be immediately executed during the menu display, with no need to press the key defined in "Hot-key". Useful to - 69 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 display any file before the menu, or to execute a given action, depending on user's level and flags. First time - When this option is active, this item will be visible, and usable, only the first time the menu is shown. Hide display - When this option is active, the "Display" field will not be shown to users. Color - Normal color of the text to be displayed. The color can be changed in the "Display" field also, by means of the internal color change codes. Hilight - Hilighted color of the text to be displayed. The text to be hilighted must be included between two ^ symbols (i.e.: This ^text^ is hilighted). Security - Minimum user's level needed to see and to execute the current command. Flags-A Flags-B Flags-C Flags-D - Minimum user's flags needed to see and to execute the current command. A - Adds a new command. LSETUP adds the new command after the currently displayed one. Normal color, hilight color and command level will be the same as the currently displayed one. L - Lists commands. You can choose the one you like with the cursor and Enter keys. D - Deletes current command. Lora will ask confirmation before deleting. S - Shows menu. The menu will be displayed as it appears to users. The access levels and flags will not be considered. The control codes like CTRL-C will be shown as printable characters (i.e.: ^C). You can fill in the "Data" field with additional parameters related to specific commands. The available parameters are following: /K=<keys> - Puts the characters defined in <keys> into the internal keyboard buffer. Useful to realize "short keys" for given operations. This option is available in registered versions only. /AGE=<n> - Defines the minimum age that a user must have to view and issue certain command. <n> must be in years. It's possible to display every option of the menu by operating with the /C<count><op><value> switch (see also the menu type 104), where: - 70 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 <count> - Number of the counter, from 0 to 3. <op> - Command to be executed. Presently are available = (equal), < (smaller), > (bigger), ! (different). <value> - Value from 0 to 255. I. E., /C1=10 displays that particular option only if the counter is equal to 10. - 71 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.1 - Menu types --------------------------------------------------------------------- In this chapter all the menu types (executable actions) allowed by Lora will be described. For sake of clarity, menu types are described in an order based on the arguments. Missing numbers are related to internal functions only. 7.1.1 - Moving between menus --------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 - Clear Goto menu Has the same function as the "Goto menu" command, but the menu stack is erased before executing the command. There is a clear screen code before entering the menu. If you don't want it, you have to insert the /NS parameter in the "Data" field. 15 - Clear gosub menu Has the same function as the "Gosub menu" command, but the menu stack is erased before executing the command. There is a clear screen code before entering the menu. If you don't want it, you have to insert the /NS parameter in the "Data" field. 16 - Return to MAIN menu Erases the menu stack and goes back immediately to MAIN, the first menu of the tree. 21 - Goto menu Makes a GOTO function (the name of the current menu is not put in the stack) to a general menu. It's possible to give a password protection to this menu, with the /P=xxxx option, where xxxx is the case-insensitive passwoed, asked to the user who tries to enter this menu. Optionally it's possible to specify the default file and message area using the /M[=n] and /F[=n] switches. If the area number is not specified, the last area visited by the user will be assumed. There is a clear screen code before entering the menu. If you don't want it, you have to insert the /NS parameter in the "Data" field. - 72 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 61 - Gosub menu Makes a GOSUB function (the name of the menu is put in the stack) to a general menu. It's possible to give a password protection to this menu, with the /P=xxxx option, where xxxx is the case-insensitive password, asked to the user who tries to enter this menu. Optionally it's possible to specify the default file and message area using the /M[=n] and /F[=n] switches. If the area number is not specified, the last area visited by the user will be assumed. There is a clear screen code before entering the menu. If you don't want it, you have to insert the /NS parameter in the "Data" field. 66 - Return to previous Goes back to the previous menu, taking it from the internal stack. If the current menu is the first one, it has no effect. 67 - Clear menu stack Erases the internal menu stack, without going back. - 73 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.1.2 - Message Areas --------------------------------------------------------------------- 19 - Kill message Allows users to kill their messages (written by or sent to his/her). The Sysop can kill every message. 40 - Edit new message Allows the user to write a new message. The menu name for the line editor must be set in the "Data" field. Calls to this menu are made by a "Gosub menu" command. It's possible to set the following switches, to let the user write essential data, on particular circumstances: /T="<to>" - Message receiver. /S="<subj>" - Message subject. /A=<n> - Number of the area in which the message will be saved. /L - After saving the message, the user will be logged off immediately. 41 - Reply to message Like the previous command, but it replies to the last message read, changing automatically receiver and subject. The menu name for the line editor must be set in the "Data" field. Calls to this menu are made by a "Gosub menu" command. For the external full screen editor, Lora creates a file containing the original message the user is replying to. 53 - Short message list Lists the messages in the selected area on one line only (short mode). The information displayed is: message number, sender, receiver and subject. 54 - Read next message Reads the next message. Messages that are missing or unavailable to the user (i.e.: private messages to someone else) will be automatically skipped. 55 - Read previous message Reads the previous message. Messages tha are missing or unavailable to the user (i.e.: private messages to someone else) will be automatically skipped. 56 - Read message non-stop - 74 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Reads all the following messages, after the last read, without stopping at the end of any message or page. The full screen reader is temporarily ignored. 57 - Read parent message Reads the current message's parent (the message that this message is an answer to). The item with this menu type is available and is displayed only if the current message has a valid parent message number. 58 - Read child message Reads the current message's child (the answer to this message). The item with this menu type is available and is displayed only if the current message has a valid child message number. 59 - Check mailbox Checks the user's personal mail, and if the user has personal mail not yet read, makes a "Gosub menu" command to the menu name set in the "Data" field. 64 - Read individual message Reads a message specifying the number. Please note that the hot key used to activate this menu type is the first digit of the message number; other digits, if there are, are taken from the input buffer. It's suggested to add the digits from 0 to 9 to this menu type, to allow the user to read any message simply by enteringthe corresponding number. 89 - Verbose message list Displays the list of messages in the area, showing sender, receiver, subject, the flags, date and time at which the message was written (detailed mode). 118 - List areas w/new messages Executes a "Change area" command (see later), and lists only the areas with new messages since user's last messages read (i.e, messages arrived after the last one read by the user). 119 - Write message to disk Exports the last message read to a disk file or device (i.e: PRN: or LPT1:). Lora will ask the filename to be created. - 75 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.1.3 - File areas --------------------------------------------------------------------- 22 - File list Displays the list of files in the current area. The files present in FILES.BBS only, contained in the current directory, will be displayed. Lora will not display any file which, even though present in FILES.BBS, is not physically present in the current directory. 23 - Download file Enables the user to choose a transfer protocol and download one or more files. If the user has a valid default download protocol, Lora will not ask for it. It's possible to specify the following parameters the "Data" field: /NOREM - Ignores the files tagged for later download (by default Lora asks the user if his/her can download the selected files). /F=<filename> - File name (wildcars allowed) to send to the user. With this parameter only the transfer protocol will be requested. This parameter is useful for BBSes that put the latest releases of certain programs downloadable with a single command. If you specify a filename in the "Data" field, the limitations like maximum Kbyte limit, Upload/download ratio, etc. will be ruled out. Only the maximum connection time limit will be considered. 24 - File display Displays an ASCII file contained in the current area. Files displayed with this command can't contain control codes or embedded command (see another chapter of this manual). 25 - Raw directory Displays the dos Directory of the current area. This command lists all the files in the current directory, including orphan files (files present in the directory, but not listed in FILES.BBS). 65 - Tag files Allows the user to select one or more files for a later download. This command is useful to select multiple files from multiple areas and download them all in one time (is a batch protocol is used). - 76 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 68 - Locate files Allows the user to find one or more files in any area, specifying a keyword. Setting the /F parameter in the "Data" field, the search will be done in the current area only. 69 - Upload file Allows the user to send a file using one of the available transfer protocol. If the user has a valid default download protocol, Lora will not ask for it. If the user chooses a protocol that does not transmit the filename (i.e.: XModem and 1k-XModem), Lora will ask the filename to be uploaded. When the upload is finished, Lora will search every area to see if the uploaded file is already present. If he finds it somewhere, Lora will delete the uploaded file. If not, Lora will give back to the user the time spent for file transmission. 72 - Override path Allows the user to set a different path to the current area. It's useful if you want to send or to receive files in any directory of the hard disk. CAUTION! It's suggested to give access to this command to SYSOP or trustworthy people only. 73 - New files list Displays the list of files arrived after the last user's login, or after a date specified by the user. Setting the /F parameter in the "Data" field, the search will be done in the current area only. 102 - Archive contents Displays the content of compressed files. Lora is able to display the content of the files archived by means of ARJ, ZIP, ARC, LZH and LHA (Amiga also). 122 - Upload to filebox - 77 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Permette ad un utente di mandare un file ad un altro utente con la filebox attivata. Viene chiesto il nome dell'utente. 123 - Download from filebox Il contenuto della filebox viene visualizzato all'utent e se sono presenti dei files, viene chiesto se li si vuole prelevare. E' possibile dire a Lora che si intende cancellare il file una volta prelevato con successo. 127 - Kill from filebox Allow a user with an active filebox to delete their files without downloading them. 128 - List filebox Allow a user with an active filebox to list their contents without asking for download. 129 - List/Remove tagged files Allows a user to list or remove, as specified on the "Data" field, the files selected for later download. If the "Data" field is empty, the command lists the selected files, if the /R parameter is present, after the file list the system asks to remove one file. - 78 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.1.4 - Users configuration --------------------------------------------------------------------- This group has been divided into two selection menus: "User configuration 1" contains all the commands up to "77 - Set full screen reader", and "User configuration 2" contains all the other ones. 27 - Set password Allows the user to change his password. 29 - Set nulls Allows the user to set a number of null characters (ASCII 0) to be sent after each CR/LF sequence. Useful for very slow computers. 30 - Set screen length Allows the user to set the number of lines to be displayed before a "more?" request. 32 - Set 'more?' question Allows the user to enable or disable the end-of-page pause. 33 - Set screen clear Allows the user to enable or disable the clear screen code (ASCII 12). In Ansi emulation, the code is automatically expanded in the correct sequence. 34 - Set editor Allows the user to enable the full screen editor (only if Ansi or AVATAR graphics are active) or the line editor. 35 - Set location Allows the user to set or change the city from which he calls. 36 - Set mail check at logon Allows the user to enable or disable the personal mail check at logon. - 79 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 37 - Set Avatar/0+ Allows the user to enable or disable the Avatar/0+ emulation for graphics and colors. 38 - Set ANSI Allows the user to enable or disable the ANSI/VT100 emulation for graphics and colors. If the user deactivates both Avatar and ANSI graphics, the full screen editor (if active) will be deactivated also. When ANSI is active, Avatar will be deactivated. Lora uses Avatar as an ANSI alternative, not as a complement. 39 - Set color Allows the user to enable or disable the color sequences. Useful if the user has an ANSI terminal with a B/W monitor. 70 - Set signature Allows the user to set his personal signature. This sentence will be inserted automatically at the bottom of each message, just before the tearline for echomail messages, and at the last row of echomail and local messages. 77 - Set full screen reader Allows the user to enable or disable the full screen reader for the messages. To enable it, it's necessary to have ANSI or AVATAR/0+ emulation set on. 99 - Set alias Allows the user to set his nickname. By default, the alias is the same as user's name. 100 - Set voice phone Allows the user to set his voice phone number. 101 - Set data phone Allows the user to set his office or data phone number. - 80 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 106 - Set hot-keyed menu Allows the user to set the menu hot keys. With hot-keyed menus is no longer necessary to press the ENTER key to confirm a command. 117 - Set IBM characters Allows the user to enable or disable the display of ASCII charachers higher than 127. When disable, Lora will remap the upper 128 characters of the ASCII code (from code 128 to 255), to a more standard character set that is readable by any personal computer using a standard ASCII set. It's possible to define a translation table for each language. 121 - Set user group Allows the user to select which group he wants to belong to. You can specify in the "Data" field the /M switch to select the message group, or the /F switch to select the file group. Lora displays tp the user the file MGROUP.* for the message areas, or the file FGROUP.* for the file areas, then waits for a number. The user now can select the group number. This number will be recorded in the users file, so that it dont needs to be set at every call. 124 - Set birthdate Allows the user to insert his own birthdate. Lora will use this information to display the text file containing the happy birthday wishes and to make random user checks. 125 - Set default protocol Allows the user to choose the default transfer protocol. 126 - Set default archiver Allows the user to choose the default packing protocol to be used with the offline reader. - 81 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.1.5 - Line editor --------------------------------------------------------------------- 42 - Save message Saves the message text. If the /RET parameter is set in the "Data" field, a "Return to previous menu" function will be executed. If you omit the /RET parameter, your users can post carbon copies of the same message to more than one receiver. They have just to change the receiver name, then save the message again. 43 - Abort editing Aborts the message creation. A "Return to previous menu" function is executed. The text deletion is operated only by this command. 44 - List message text Displays the text of the message just written. 45 - Edit line Allows the user to edit one line of the message. The original line will be displayed before the prompt for the new text. 46 - Insert line Allows the user to insert a line inside the text. 47 - Delete line Allows the user to delete one or more lines from the text. 48 - Continue editing Allows the user to go on writing the message, starting from the line after the last written. 49 - Change 'To' field Allows the user to change the message receiver. If the /RET parameter is not specified in the "Save message" command, it can be used to send the same message to more than one receiver. 50 - Change subject - 82 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Allows the user to change the message subject. - 83 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.1.6 - Personal mail --------------------------------------------------------------------- The commands for personal mail allow the sysop to create a personalized menu for this option also. By default, Lora looks for a menu called "READMAIL", that must be always present. 74 - Read next mail Reads the next personal message, or the first one, if the user has read none so far. 75 - Read previous mail Reads the previous personal message. 76 - Read mail non-stop Reads all the messages without stopping at the end of any message or page. The full screen reader is temporarily ignored. 82 - List mail Displays the list of personal messages not yet read by the user, showing message area, sender, receiver, subject, flags, date and time at which the message was written. 85 - Read individual mail Reads a message specifying the number. Please note that the hot key used to activate this menu type is the first digit of the message number; other digits, if there are, are taken from the input buffer. It's suggested to add the numbers from 0 to 9 to this menu type, to allow the user to read any message simply by entering the attached number. - 84 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.1.7 - Multiline chat --------------------------------------------------------------------- 78 - Send online message Allows the user to send a one-line message to another user connected on a different line of the system. This is a quite rudimental multiline chat. It' s the only way to send a message to users not connected with CB CHAT SYSTEM. 81 - Users online Displays the list of users currently connected to the system. When one line is busy in mail transfers with other nodes, Lora will show "Mail with <node>" to users. 95 - Who is where Displays the list of CB Chat System channels that are currently active, and the users connected to each channel. This command is the same as the /a command in Chat System. 96 - CB-chat system Sets the multiline chat with a 40 channel transreceiving simulation. The user is automatically 'tuned' on channel 1. In the "Data" field it's possible to set the channel number to which the user will be tuned when entering the chat. The following commands are available inside the CB chat: /a - Displays who is connected on each channel, from 1 to 40. /c<num> - Allows the user to change channel. <num> ranges from 1 to 40. /q - Exits the CB chat. /w - Displays who's connected on the current channel. - 85 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.1.8 - Offline reader --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lora supports a built-in QWK and ASCII offline mail packer. This feature allows callers to log on, pack up messages from one or more message areas, and download a compressed mail bundle for off-line reading and reply. This packer is fully integrated with the main BBS, so the packer will automatically adjust itself as areas are added to or deleted from your system. Following are the menu types that allows you to set up a menu that allows you users to pack and download new messages, as well as upload their replies. 86 - Tag areas Allows the user to define the message areas where Lora must keep the pointer to the last message read. During the export of messages in QWK and ASCII format only these areas will be considered. When asking the list of areas (with the question mark) the "@" character will be associated to the marked areas. A maximum of 50 areas can be marked. 87 - ASCII download Allows the user to download the new messages present in the marked areas in ASCII format. Lora will ask which packer (Zip, Arj or Lharc) and which transfer protocol must be used. This method is offered as an alternative to QWK for those users who don't have (or don't want to install) a QWK reader. No control is kept of the dimension of the file to be downloaded, except for the one regarding the transfer time, that must not be longer than the time left for the current call. The proper option inside the "BBS / QWK setup" menu allows you to limit the number of messages per packet. 88 - Resume download Allows the user to resume the download of the message packet, if it has not yet been completed. 112 - QWK download - 86 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Allows the user to download the new messages present in the marked areas, in QWK-compatible format. Lora will ask which packer (Zip, Arj or Lharc) and which transfer protocol must be used. To use this option the user needs to have a QWK reader installed. Presently many readers, more or less powerful, exist for a lot of common systems. No control is kept of the dimension of the file to be downloaded, except for the one regarding the transfer time, that must not be longer than the time left for the current call. The proper option inside the "BBS / QWK setup" menu allows you to limit the number of messages per packet. - 87 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.1.9 - Built-in doors --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lora includes a few common doors internally built, so that it's possible to use external doors for unusual reasons only (like games). Presently Lora includes a QWK compatible mail processor, a time and file bank, and a BBS database. The menu types related to these doors will now be presented, as well as a brief general description of the doors. 91 - Show account Allows the user to see the amount of time and kbytes in his account at the BBS time/file bank. 92 - Deposit time Allows the user to deposit a certain amount of time left for the current call in the BBS time bank. The deposited time will be automatically subtracted from the time left for the current call and from the daily total time. 93 - Withdraw time Allows the user to withdraw time from the BBS time bank. The minutes added are usable only for the current call. If for any reason the current call ends, all the time withdrawn will be lost and at the next call only the time left before withdrawing will be available. 114 - Deposit Kbytes Allows the user to deposit a certain amount of kbytes left for today in the BBS file bank. The deposited kbytes will be automatically subtracted from the kbytes left for today. 115 - Withdraw Kbytes Allows the user to withdraw kbytes from the BBS file bank. The kbytes added are usable only the current day. 107 - Add to BBS-list Allows the user to add a record in the BBS database included in the program. Lora will ask for the data that are needed for the BBS identification. - 88 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 You can specify up to 10 BBS lists using the /L=<number> switch. Each BBS list will have a separate file database named BBSLIST<number>.BBS. If you don't specify the /L= switch, the default file database named BBSLIST.BBS is used. 108 - Short BBS list Displays the BBS database contents in short format (one BBS per line). Unlike the "Long BBS list", the user cannot enter a string to search for. You can specify up to 10 BBS lists using the /L=<number> switch. Each BBS list will have a separate file database named BBSLIST<number>.BBS. If you don't specify the /L= switch, the default file database named BBSLIST.BBS is used. 109 - Long BBS list Displays the BBS database contents in detailed format, showing all information introduced by the "Add to BBS-list" command on many lines. The user can also enter a search string to limit the listing only to a restricted group of BBSes. You can specify up to 10 BBS lists using the /L=<number> switch. Each BBS list will have a separate file database named BBSLIST<number>.BBS. If you don't specify the /L= switch, the default file database named BBSLIST.BBS is used. 110 - Change BBS list Allows the user to modify the data of one or more BBS present in the database. Lora will ask the name (even partial) of the BBS to be changed. You can specify up to 10 BBS lists using the /L=<number> switch. Each BBS list will have a separate file database named BBSLIST<number>.BBS. If you don't specify the /L= switch, the default file database named BBSLIST.BBS is used. Caution: everybody can change any record of the BBS database, no control of the user who selects this command is being kept, unless you use the /R switch that allows only the users at SYSOP level and the user named as the BBS's Sysop to change the data of that BBS. 111 - Remove BBS list Allows the user to delete one or more BBS present in the database. Lora will ask the name (even partial) of the BBS to be deleted. - 89 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 You can specify up to 10 BBS lists using the /L=<number> switch. Each BBS list will have a separate file database named BBSLIST<number>.BBS. If you don't specify the /L= switch, the default file database named BBSLIST.BBS is used. Caution: everybody can delete any record of the BBS database, no control of the user who selects this command is being kept, unless you use the /R switch that allows only the users at SYSOP level and the user named as the BBS's Sysop to change the data of that BBS.. 120 - Download BBS-list Allows the user to download the BBS list database in readable ASCII format. Lora asks for the default protocol only (if the user has not made any choice). You can specify up to 10 BBS lists using the /L=<number> switch. Each BBS list will have a separate file database named BBSLIST<number>.BBS. If you don't specify the /L= switch, the default file database named BBSLIST.BBS is used. - 90 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 7.1.10 - Other commands --------------------------------------------------------------------- This group has been divided into two selection menus: "Miscellaneous 1" contains all the commands up to "51 - Press enter to continue", and "Miscellaneous 2" contains all the other ones. 0 - Display only This command does absolutely nothing but display the 'Display' field to the user. 3 - Logoff Stops the connection displaying the LOGOFF.* file to the user. No confirmation is asked. If you want to request confirmation to the user before logging him out, you have to create a proper menu. 5 - Display text files Displays any text file. You must specify the name of the file, path included, to be displayed in the "Data" field. If no extension is specified, Lora looks for the following: .AVT, .BBS, .ANS (if ANSI is active) and .ASC. The files may contain the internal special commands. By default a clear screen code is sent before displaying the file. If you don't want it, you have to specify the /NS command in the "Data" field. If you specify the /R flag in the "Data" field, Lora issues a 'Press [Enter] to continue' message after the file is displayed to the user. If you specify the /P flag in the "Data" field, the file will be sent to the user 'as is' without interpreting the embedded commands inside it. 6 - Yell at sysop Allows the user to call the sysop for a chat. Lora displays a window with the commands available to begin the chat or to stop the user's request. When the user asks for this function, Lora looks in the current directory for a file called 'PAGE.DAT', containing the notes of the music that is played in the wait of the sysop's answer. The file is a normal ASCII text; each line may be a comment (if the first character is ';' or '%'), or a tone/length command, or a pause - 91 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 command. Please look at the sample file for a clear explanation about music composition. In the "Data" field it is possible to specify the following parameters: /T=<sec> - Duration (in seconds) of the music (default untile the end of the file). /F=<file> - Music file to use instead of the default PAGE.DAT. /NL - Do not log this request both in the log file and on the status line. /A="<s>" - Advertisment to display to the user instead of the default string found in the language file (the quotes are mandatory). 7 - User status Displays a coded internal page related to the present configuration of the on-line user. All the shown parameters are also available as embedded commands. If you specify the /R flag in the "Data" field, Lora issues a 'Press [Enter] to continue' message after the status page is displayed to the user. 8 - User list Displays the BBS' users. Allows also to find somebody by specifying a part of the name. It's possible to set the following switches in the "Data" field: /L[=x] - Displays only the users who called in the last x days. If the command is given in the short form /L, the user may specify the number of days. /T[=x] - Displays only the users who called at least x times. If the command is given in the short form /t, the user may specify the number of times. /H - Displays the user's alias, instead of their real names. /S - Swap the first and last name of the users displayed. /F - Displays the users with an active filebox only. 9 - Version information - 92 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Displays the program copyright and version number, and much additional information, like the processor type, the free memory in the heap (variable's space in Borland C), free disk space, etc. 10 - Run external program Executes an external program in a dos shell. The full name of the file to be executed must be set in the "Data" field. It's possible to execute also batch files. It's possible to set other special commands to give some additional information to the called program. The commands are the following: *0 - Path of the current file area. *1 - Path of the current message area. *B - Baud rate (0 if in local mode). *F - User's first name *G - 0=No graphics, 1=Ansi, 2=Avatar. *H - Disables FOSSIL driver before executing the program. *L - User's last name. *M - Swap of the total memory occupied by Lora, leaving only 1.5K for the recovery routines. *N - Task number. *P - Serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc.). *R - User's position inside the user's database (record (number). *S - Don't read the LORAINFO file after the end of the external program. *T - Time left for the current call. *W - Actives the FOSSIL watchdog. If the carrier drops, FOSSIL driver reboots the system. *X - Prevents the creation of the LORAINFO.T?? by Lora. *! - Stops time during the door execution. The user will be allowed as much time as had before entering the door. *# - Disables the 'wants chat' flag. Useful for external chat programs. For compatibility with Scott Dudley's Maximus-CBCS 2.00, the following command are available: %A - User's first name, all capital letters. %b - Baud rate (0 if in local mode). %B - User's last name, all capital letters. %c - The place of the call. %C - The last answer to the questionnaire ^OR command (see the EMBEDDED COMMANDS section for more details). %d - The number of the current message area. %D - The number of the current file area. %E - Length, in lines, of the user's screen. %f - User's first name. %F - Path of the current message area. %g - 0=No graphics, 1=Ansi, 2=Avatar. %G - User's daily download limit. - 93 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 %h - Voice phone number of the user. %H - Kilobytes number downloaded today. %i - Total download. %I - Total upload. %j - Connection time for the current call. %k - Task Number. %l - User's last name. %L - In remote calls the flag is replaced with the '-pX -bY' string, where X is the serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc.) and Y is the baud rate. In local calls the flag is replaced with the '-k' string. %M - Path of the current message area. %n - User's first name. %N - BBS name, as defined in the configuration file. %p - Serial port (0=COM1, 1=COM2, etc). %P - Serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc). %q - Path of the current message area, without final backslash. %Q - Path of the current file ares, without final backslash. %s - Sysop's last name. %S - Sysop's first name. %t - Time left for the call, in minutes. %T - Time left for the call, in seconds. %u - User's number. %U - Substituted with the underscore '_'. %v - Path of the upload directory. %V - Path of the upload directory, without the final backslash %Z - User's full name in capital letters. 11 - Bulletin menu Displays the file set in the ARGUMENTS field, in the same way as menu type 5. At the end of the display the user must write a suffix of 8 - <filename length> characters. The file whose name is made out of the "Data" field name plus the characters entered by the user is displayed, in the same way as menu type 5. For example, if the BULLET name is set in "Data" field, the BULLET.AVT (or ANS, ASC, BBS) file is displayed. Then the user enters two characters; if the user digits "1B", the BULLET1B.AVT (or ANS, ASC, BBS) file will be displayed. To stop the command the user has to press Enter on an empty line. 13 - Show quotes Displays a sentence taken from the text file called QUOTES.BBS, in the directory specified in the "Textfiles path" field of the current language. Each quote must be separated by a blank line. - 94 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 17 - Change area Displays the list of areas (message of file area depending on the currently active section) in one column and allows the user to choose one of them. Valid optional parameters for the "Data" field are: /M - Lists message areas. /F - Lists file areas. /2 - List areas on two colummns, /3 - Lists area on one column, with the area "Short name" after the number. Selection is possible using the short name also. /4 - List areas on one column, with the are "Short name" instead the area's number. If the short name field is empty, the area's number is displayed. Selection is possibile using either the area's number or the short name. /G[=<n>] - Limits list to the areas belonging to the group specified by <n> only. If /G only is specified, the default user group will be shown. 51 - Press enter to continue Displays the message 'Press [Enter] to continue' and waits for the user to press the Enter key. It is possible to set the text to be shown in the "Data" field instead of the default message defined in the language file. 83 - Comment to next caller Allows the user to leave a message to the next user calling the system. The message will be displayed after the WELCOME.* file, then killed. To write the message the user has to use the line-oriented editor, (even if he choose the external full screen editor). In this way about 70 lines of 80 characters each are available. The utility developers for Lora should note that the name of the file created is NEXT<n>.BBS, where <n> is the current task number. The file is in the Fido format message (*.MSG). 90 - Time statistics Displays a few statistical lines related to the current user. 97 - Display system file - 95 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Reads and displays a file from the directory set by "Textfiles path" of the current language. In the "Data" field you must set the filename, without path. If no extension is specified, Lora looks for the following: .AVT, .BBS, .ANS (if ANSI is active) and .ASC. The file can contain the special internal commands. By default a clear screen code is sent before displaying the file. If you don't want it, you must insert a /NS commands in the "Data" field. If you specify the /R flag in the "Data" field, Lora issues a 'Press [Enter] to continue' message after the file is displayed to the user. 98 - Display last callers Displays the list of calls received in the last 24 hours on every BBS line. 104 - Set counter Inside the users' database, four counters, ranging each from 0 to 255 are available for particular application. This menu type allows you to change the contents of these parameters. In the "Data" filed you must set the counter number and the action to execute, with the following switches: /C<n> - Counter number from 0 to 3. /R<n> - Set the <n> value to the counter. /D<n> - Decrease the counter by <n>. /I<n> - Increase the counter by <n>. 105 - Usage graphic Shows a vertical bar graphic with the average usage percentage of the BBS in the 24 hours. Computation is made from the first system activation. - 96 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 8.0 Areafix and Raid functions ===================================================================== Since Lora can provide a built-in support for echomail and TIC files processing, Lora provides the tools that allows your downlinks to maintain their echomail and TIC links too, without manual intervention and without relying on external utilities. Two "robot" answers at the "Areafix" and "Raid" names, they are the managers for echomail and TIC file processors respectively. I have choose these names because of their popularity over the Fidonet community. 8.1 Areafix function usage ===================================================================== The Areafix function allows remote nodes to link and/or unlink message areas of the system by means of netmail messages. A tipical message to Areafix is as follows: From: Marco Maccaferri (2:332/402.1) To: Areafix (2:332/402) Subj: PASSWORD ==================================== -CARTONI.332 +CARTONI.ITA %LIST --- The calling node must be authorized to use Areafix on your system. The receiver must be Areafix (case insensitive) with your system address. In the 'subject' field the password of the sender's node must be inserted. The message text contains commands that Areafix will execute following the order. In the previous example, the CARTONI.332 will be unlinked, the CARTONI.ITA will be linked, and a available area request will be answered. Areafix will answer the sender with one or more messages for operation confirmation. Lora's areafix function interpretes the following commands (compatible with Fabiano Fabris' standard proposal FSC-0057.002): [+]AREATAG - Link an area (+ is optional). -AREATAG - Unlink an area. %-ALL - Unlink every area. %+ALL - Link every area. %LIST - Send a list of the available areas. %QUERY - Send a list of the already linked areas. %UNLINKED - Send a list of the available and not yet linked areas. - 97 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 %RESCAN - Exports every message contained in the echomail areas specied on the following lines to the node that has requested the command. %PWD <pwd> - Allows the change the password to be used with Areafix. %SESSIONPWD <pwd> - Allows to changed the mail session password. %PKTPWD <pwd> - Allows to change the password to be put on the mail packets headers. %PACKER <type> - Select the default packer. <type> must be the word under the ID column specified in the Manager / Packers menu. #OLD : NEW - Allows you to changed the tag of an echomail area from OLD to NEW. To use this command a node must have an access level grater or equal to that specied in the Mailer / Areafix menu. %FROM <node> - Allows the user to make changes for another node. The following lines are traded as if originating from the node <node>. To use this command the node must have an access level greater or equal to that specified in the Mailer / Areafix menu. %HELP - Send a help message to use Areafix. For compatibility with other areafix programs, if the subject contains a '-q' switch, Areafix will send a list with the linked areas in the same message as well as the operation confirmation, and the '-r' switch enable the rescan of the echomail areas linked. - 98 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 8.2 Raid function usage ===================================================================== The Raid function allows remote nodes to link and/or unlink file areas of the system by means of netmail messages. A tipical message to Raid is as follows: From: Marco Maccaferri (2:332/402.1) To: Raid (2:332/402) Subj: PASSWORD ==================================== -SDSRA +LORA_OS2 %LIST --- The calling node must be authorized to use Raid on your system. The receiver must be Raid (case insensitive) with your system address. In the 'subject' field the password of the sender's node must be inserted. The message text contains commands that Raid will execute following the order. In the previous example, the SDSRA file area will be unlinked, the LORA_OS2 file area will be linked, and a available area request will be answered. Raid will answer the sender with one or more messages for operation confirmation. Lora's Raid function interpretes the following commands (compatible with Fabiano Fabris' standard proposal FSC-0057.002): [+]AREATAG - Link an area (+ is optional). -AREATAG - Unlink an area. %-ALL - Unlink every area. %+ALL - Link every area. %LIST - Send a list of the available areas. %QUERY - Send a list of the already linked areas. %UNLINKED - Send a list of the available and not yet linked areas. %RESCAN - Exports every message contained in the echomail areas specied on the following lines to the node that has requested the command. %PWD <pwd> - Allows the change the password to be used with Raid and the TIC processor. #OLD : NEW - Allows you to changed the tag of an echo file area from OLD to NEW. To use this command a node must have an access level grater or equal to that specied in the Mailer / TIC processor menu. %FROM <node> - Allows the user to make changes for another node. The following lines are traded as if originating from the node <node>. To use this command the node must have an access level greater or equal - 99 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 to that specified in the Mailer / TIC processor menu. %HELP - Send a help message to use Raid. For compatibility with other Raid programs, if the subject contains a '-q' switch, areafix will send a list with the linked areas in the same message as well as the operation confirmation. - 100 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 9.0 - External programs ===================================================================== In this chapter we will describe the external programs included in the Lora Package, and how they can work with different programs. 9.1 - LMSG Message area maintenance --------------------------------------------------------------------- LMSG is the message base maintenance program; criteria especially defined for each area are used. Be sure to have configured each area properly before using LMSG. If LMSG is run with no parameters on the command line, some helpful information on the available commands will be shown. Message base limits --------------------------------------------------------------------- The Fido message base (*.MSG), PIP-base and Squish have no "logical" limits of number and dimensions of the messages; the only limit depends on the space available on the hard disk. The Hudson message base (QuickBBS) is limited as far as the file dimension and the number of the messages are concerned. That is due to its internal structure. The number of messages that can be stored is about 16000. You can configure LMSG so that this limit will never be crossed. The Hudson base is also limited with regard to the internal number of messages, that cannot be higher than 32767. It's suggested to renumber the messages (better by night) to be sure that this limit will never be crossed. Command list --------------------------------------------------------------------- -I INDEX (Options: U, R) This command rebuilds the message base indexes (QuickBBS and Pip-base only) by rewriting the MSGIDX.BBS, MSGTOIDX.BBS and MSGINFO.BBS files. For the Pip-base the files involved are MPTRxxxx.PIP and DESTPTR.PIP. During the operation, you can choose to delete the messages stored in unknown boards (boards that have no corresponding area defined in the MSGINFO.DAT file). With Fido *.MSG message areas, this command creates a file named MSGTOIDX.DAT used by the personal mail scanner to find out the mesages waiting in the Fido *.MSG areas. - 101 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Setting the R option LMSG will also renumber the messages. -P PACK (Options: K, R) Packs the message base by physically overwriting the deleted messages and their text (QuickBBS, Pip-base and Squish only). Deleting messages (e. g. by the -K command), doesn't' mean that they are removed from the base. They are simply marked as deleted. You have to pack the base to free the space occupied by these messages. The pack command allows also to delete messages following the directions selected in the configuration file (like the -K command, but which, however, does not pack the message base) and to renumber the messages (like the -R command). In this way you can make all the standard maintenance with a single command. -K Purge messages This command deletes the messages according to the directions selected in the area configuration. In the QuickBBS, Squish and PIP- base, the messages are not physically removed (you must use the PACK command to do it), whereas in the Fido base they are physically eliminated from the directory. -R Renumber messages Renumbers the QuickBBS and Fido *.MSG message bases. The PIP-base and Squish don't needs to be renumbered. -L Link messages Reply-link the messages using the subject field. You can then easyly follow the threads using the reply-link navigation commands of the BBS and/or of your message editor. -X Exclude (Options: S, Q, F, P) This switch allows you to exclude one or more message bases from the current operation. The options means for Squish, QuickBBS, Fido *.MSG and Pip-base. For example, if you want to renumber all the Fido message areas, but not the hudson message base, you can use the following command: LMSG -R -XQ Note that Pip-base and Squish dont needs to be renumbered. - 102 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 9.2 - LUSER Users maintenance --------------------------------------------------------------------- LUSER is the program that performs the normal maintenance for the users' database. It not only physically deletes the users marked for deletion, but also allows the System Operator to delete all the users who have not called the BBS for an extended period of time as well as sorts the database by first name or last name. LUSER must be run from the directory that contains the users' database files. A list of available command line switches is shown below: -P Packs the user database by physically removing all the deleted records. -S Sort the users by last name. -SP Sort the users by access level (higher first) and by last name. -D[n] Deletes the users who have not been calling your system for [n] days. Please note that this command involves a database packing. -M[s] Tells LUSER not to delete users with an access level greater or equal to the one specified by [s]. [s] must be the first letter of the privilege level: T - Twit D - Disgrace L - Limited N - Normal W - Worthy P - Privel F - Favored E - Extra C - Clerk A - Asstsysop S - Sysop - 103 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 9.3 - LTOP Users statistics --------------------------------------------------------------------- LTOP is a statistical bulletin maker related to the users' database. On the command line what type of statistics will be generated and the resulting file name must be specified. LTOP must be followed by the name of the file to be created (with full path name and extension) and one or more of the following switches: -U<n> - Number of uploads -D<n> - Number of downloads -S<n> - Number of download Kbytes -R<n> - Number of upload Kbytes -C<n> - Number of calls -M<n> - Number of written messages For all the available switches, n stands for the number of users to be included in the statistic. As a result you have the top <n> users related to the specified data. LTOP always creates the specified file, even if it already exist. If more than one switch is specified, the result of each statistics is appended in sequential order, with a pause after each result. - 104 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 9.4 - FILEIDX File request index --------------------------------------------------------------------- This program allows you to create the file requests index file, useful to speed-up the file search during a file request. - 105 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 9.6 - External door support --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lora can invoke external doors by means of embedded commands or menus. In both ways, it's not possible to shell to DOS with errorlevel. Each door is executed from inside Lora main program, that can only be temporarely "removed" from memory while leaving 1.5k for the recovery code. Before calling a door, Lora creates a file called LORAINFO.Txx, where xx is the line number, in hexadecimal form. The file contains the user's record and much other useful information. Please look as the Lora Application Program Interface (LORA-API.ZIP) in the original package, for more details on this file format. Since it is a non standard file, not so many doors support it. Anyway, a program called L2WORLD by Marcello Ardini is distributed together with Lora. This program creates a lot of standard files from the LORAINFO file. The compatibility with most of the doors for BBS is granted. Coming back from the door, the LORAINFO.Txx is read again and deleted. All the parameters, except for time (if it's not changed) and the access level are updated. For the programs that don't accept the alphanumeric form of Lora access levels, the equivalences are here listed: TWIT 16 DISGRACE 32 LIMITED 48 NORMAL 64 WORTHY 80 PRIVIL 96 FAVORED 112 EXTRA 128 CLERK 144 ASSTSYSOP 160 SYSOP 176 HIDDEN 192 - 106 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 9.6.1 - L2WORLD External door interface --------------------------------------------------------------------- This is the most powerful and useful utility distributed with Lora. With this utility, written by Marcello Ardini of 2:332/402.2, Lora can to be used with a very big number of door programs, written for other BBS software. L2WORLD is able to create the files needed to use the doors written for Opus 1.03, Opus 1.10, Opus 1.70, RemoteAccess 1.01, QuickBBS 2.64. It can also create the DORINFO1.DEF and DOOR.SYS files (Doorway compatible). Following is the command line format to use L2WORLD: L2WORLD I|E <door type> [<options>] I - The <door type> format should be imported inside the Lora's own drop file. This may be useful when you are using external doors that changes the user's parameters, such as timebanks, lottery. E - The <door type> format should be exported. This is the normal usage mode for L2WORLD. This option allows you to create a wide variety of drop file formats to use most doors currently not available for Lora. <door type> - Is the drop file format to be used. It may be one of the following: LO110 - Lora 1.11 (LORAUSER.BBS) RA100 - Remote Access v. 1.0x (EXITINFO.BBS) RA111 - Remote Access v. 1.1x (EXITINFO.BBS) DI - QuickBBS (DORINFO1.DEF) DW - Doorway mode 1 (DOOR.SYS) DW2 - Doorway mode 2 (DOOR.SYS) OP103 - Opus 1.03 (LASTUSER.BBS) OP110 - Opus 1.10 (LASTUSER.DAT) MI - Message information (MSGED.BBS) <options> - The following options may be specified: -D - The directory where the drop file should be created (usually the door's path name). By default the current directory will be used. -I - The path where the Lora's drop file (LORAINFO.Txx) should be read. Usually this is the Lora's main directory. By default the current directory will be used. -T - Specifies the task number. -B - Overrides the baud rate written to the drop file. -X - Insert the task number in the drop file (such as DORINFO2.DEF, DOOR3.SYS). -O - Overrides the baud rate written to the drop file using the configured maximum baud rate. - 107 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 -S - Log style format: 1-Opus, 2-Telix, 3-Mirror, 4- Frontdoor). -M - Automatically writes the MSGED.BBS file (Message information) when using DORINFO1.DEF or Doorway drop files. -Q - Operates quietly. -E - Writes in the log file the errors only. -P - Insert the real password (not the Lora's encrypted one) in the drop file. -C - Overrides the COM port. Note for OS/2 users: this is a DOS program even with the OS/2 package, due to technical reasons we cannot recompile it as a native OS/2 program. - 108 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 10.0 - The Terminal Emulator ===================================================================== Although Lora was designed primarily as an e-mail and BBS system, it also features a powerful terminal emulator. The terminal emulator features very accurate and efficient terminal emulation and file transfer protocols, and several other features found in expensive and/or complex communications packages. The terminal emulator is invoked by pressing ALT-T from the Lora's main menu, or by specifying TERMINAL on the command line when it is started. Most functions of the terminal emulator are reached by holding down the ALT key and pressing a key, A through Z. Each function and menu of the terminal emulator will now be described. Download files (PgDn) - Receive one or more files from the remote system. Upload files (PgUp) - Transmit one or more files to the remote system. O.S. Shell (ALT-J) - Invokes a temporary operating system shell. Type EXIT and press [Enter] to return to the terminal emulator. Leave terminal (ALT-X) - Depending on how the terminal emulator was invoked, this will return you to the Lora's mailer screen or to the operating system. Change baud rate (ALT-B) - Allows you to change the current DTE baud rate, regardless of the 'Lock baud' option set. Expand CR to CR/LF - Determines how a received CR character should be processed. If set to No, no expansion is made, If it is set to Yes, all received CR characters will be expanded to CR/LF. Local echo (ALT-E) - If the service you are connecting to do not echo the characters you type, it may be necessary to enable this option to see what you are typing. If the service echoes the characters you type and you are using this option, you will get duplicate characters, like "AATTZZ". Auto-ZModem download - If the terminal emulator detects the special sequence a ZModem transmitter sends when a ZModem file download is started, it will automatically start the ZModem receiver. If you disable this option, you must use <PgDn> to receive files. - 109 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Capture (ALT-L) - Allows you to capture the characters received to a disk file or to a printer. The terminal emulator automatically filters the ANSI and Avatar sequences, they will never appear in a capture file. Hangup (ALT-H) - Disconnects the current call and displays the elapsed time. Initialize modem (ALT-I) - Transmit the modem init string as configured in the Terminal / Miscellaneous menu. Reset timer (ALT-R) - Resets the on-line timer. The timer is automatically reset when a new connection is made. Clear screen (ALT-C) - Clears the screen and moves the cursor to the upper-left screen corner. Dialing directory (ALT-D) - Brings up the dialing directory manager. - 110 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 10.1 - The dialing directory --------------------------------------------------------------------- The dialing directory allows you to define up to 100 phone numbers. The terminal emulator keeps the dialing directory in a file named PHONE.DAT located in the Lora's main directory. The informations stored for each system are the following: Name - System's name. Location - City and country where the system is located. Phone - Phone number. The number can be written either in the international format (such as 39-51-6331730) or in the local format (such as 6331730). The phone cost calculation is made only if the phone number is written in the international format, unless you have changed the default cost table (Manager / Costs menu) to work even with your local phone format. Password - The password to be used with this system (shown as dots for security reasons). Download path - Where the files downloaded from this system should be kept. Auto capture - This option allows you to automatically open the capture file when a connection to this system is made. The capture file is always open in append mode. Capture - The capture's file name. IEMSI - Allows you to automate the login to this system using the IEMSI (Interactive Electronic Mail Standard Interface) protocol. Local echo - Tells the terminal emulator that each character typed should be written to the screen, because the remote system does not echo the characters typed. Strip high bit - If set, this option automatically resets the 7th bit of each character received. When the dialing directory is invoked, it shows a list of the stored entries and allows you to choose what system must be called. The bottom line of the list's window shows you the available keys: ESC - Closes the dialing directory and return to the terminal screen. ENTER - Dial the highlighted entry. INS - Adds a new entry to the directory. The new entry is automatically saved to disk when you exit the editing window by pressing the ESC key. - 111 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 E - Edit the highlighted entry. The modifyed entry is automatically saved to disk when you exit the editing window by pressing the ESC key. DEL - Delete the highlighted entry (the system requests a confirmation before deleting the entry). When dialing a system you may see a window with the following information: attempt number, timeout for the current call, name, location and phone number of the called system, and the modem's response. The following keys are available: ESC - Aborts the dial and return to the terminal screen. SPACE - Retry to call the system (if the phone is busy and your modem does not recognizes the busy signal). A - Add 15 seconds to the timeout. This option should be used if the remote system answers the phone few seconds before the timeout expires. - 112 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.0 - Miscellaneous ===================================================================== This chapter collects the arguments that don't belong to a specific chapter. 11.1 - Keyboard commands --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lora can execute certain operations by a particular key sequence. Usually it's a ALT + <key> combination. The function associated to each key changes across different situations. The available situations are the following: waiting for a call, online user, terminal emulation. 11.1.1 - Waiting for a call --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following commands can be executed: ESC - It activates the pull-down menus (see later). ALT-A - Manual answer. It forces the modem the answer an incoming call by sending the answer string specified in the Modem / Commands menu. ALT-C - It calls LSETUP in Lora shell. Each modification executed (except for those related to the users and the event scheduler) will be available when coming back to Lora. ALT-D - It forces an immediate call. Lora will call the first node to be called immediately, without waiting for the time specified for the current event. ALT-E - This command invokes the local message editor, in a Lora shell. ALT-I - It sends the modem initialization command. ALT-J - Executes a DOS shell. ALT-K - Local connection. Login is made exactly like in remote connections. Lora puts off-hook the phone line before entering the BBS. ALT-L - It locks the keyboard with a password (needed for activation). In locked mode, the ALT-K command only will be available. To re-enable keyboard, you need to type the right password when Lora waits for a call. To completely disable the keyboard locking, the "Password" field must be left blank. - 113 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ALT-M - It makes a calling entry for a specific node. Lora will ask for the node number to be called and calling priority. If you specify "Immediate", Lora will immediately call the node; any other flag will be processed according to the current event. ALT-P - It forces mail processing. This command makes an IMPORT from the directory defined for the current event, an EXPORT of every echomail message, and a netmail and outbound packets PACK. TIC files are processed too. ALT-Q - It makes an outbound scan, updating the node window. ALT-R - It makes a file request from a specific node. Lora will ask for the node number to be called, the file(s) to be requested, and calling priority. If you specify "Immediate", Lora will immediately call the node; any other flag will be processed according to the current event. ALT-S - It makes a file attach to a specific node. Lora will ask for the node number to be called, the file(s) to be attached, and calling priority. If you specify "Immediate", Lora will immediately call the node; any other flag will be processed according to the current event. ALT-T - It activates the internal terminal emulator (see later for specific commands). ALT-X - Exits to DOS. Lora puts off-hook the phone line before exiting. Down/Up arrows - Node scrolling inside the window. 11.1.2 - User online --------------------------------------------------------------------- While there's a user on-line, the following commands are enabled: ALT-F - Allows you to change user's flags. ALT-H - Disconnects the user immediately. ALT-J - Makes a DOS shell. ALT-L - Disconnects the user immediately, and reduces his level to 0. A 0-level user can't connect the system any more. ALT-N - Toggles the "Nerd" flag for the current user. If the nerd flag is on and the user wants a chat, no sound will be produced. The user does not understand that he's not calling anybody. ALT-S - Allows the sysop to modify the user's access level. - 114 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 F1-F4 - They display a few stats about the on-line user and the previous call. F9 - Displays a short list of available commands. ALT-F1 - ALT-F10 - They display a file called ALTFxx.*, where xx ranges from 10 to 100 depending on the kunction key pressed (ALT-F1 exits with errorlevel 10, ALT- F2 exits with errorlevel 20, and so on). The file must be stored in the "textfiles" directory specified for the current user language. Grey Plus - It rises user's level by 1 unit (i.e. from Normal to Worthy). Grey Minus - It lowers user's level by 1 unit (i.e. from Worthy to Normal). Up/down arrows - They add/remove 1 minute to/from the current user's time left. 11.1.3 - Terminal emulator --------------------------------------------------------------------- The keys available for the internal terminal emulator are the following: ALT-B - Permette di cambiare la velocita' di collegamento, scorrendo in sequenza tutte le velocita' possibili. ALT-C - Clears the screen and puts the cursor in the upper left corner. ALT-D - Starts up the dialing directory selection menu. You can dial an entry, inser new entry, edit or delete existing entry. ALT-H - Hangups the call. ALT-I - Sends the terminal initialization string to the modem. Please note that this string is different from the one used when Lora waits for a call. ALT-J - Makes a DOS shell. ALT-L - Activates/deactivates the capture from the modem. When activating, Lora will ask for the file in which the information will be stored (by default, TERMINAL.CAP). ALT-P - Permette di cambiare il formato della parola da inviare al modem da N81 (nessuna parita', 8 bit di dati, 1 bit di stop) a E71 (parita' pari, 7 bit di dati, 1 bit di stop). Di default la parola e' N81. - 115 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ALT-R - Resets the time-online counter (displayed in the lower right corner). ALT-X - Exits from terminal mode and goes back to "waiting for a call" mode. ALT-Z - Activates the pull-down menus. PgDn - File download: Lora will ask for the protocol to be used and, if necessary, the destination filename. PgUp - File upload: Lora will ask for the protocol to be used and the filename to be uploaded. The file must be in the upload directory defined in LSETUP. - 116 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.2 - Command line --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lora accepts command line parameters, that allow you to manage many lines with a single configuration file. -B<speed> - Connection speed: This parameter indicates there's a user online, so that the BBS is immediately loaded. If the carrier detect is down, Lora exits immediately with the errorlevel specified for every call. -C<file> - Sets the configuration file to be read instead of CONFIG.DAT. If the file doesn't exist, LSETUP will be automatically run, allowing you to create the configuration file. -F<string> - Passes to Lora the flags reported by the modem. I.E.: Arq/Hst/Hst/V42bis. -I<string> - Tells Lora the modem initialization string to be used instead of the string defined in the configuration file. Useful for multiline systems with different modems. -L - Sets Lora to be run in local mode. -M - Disables the internal front-end mailer. After connection, the user will immediately enter the BBS, with no need to press ESC twice. -N<num> - Determines the task number. This parameter has priority upon the same command in the configuration file. Evaluation copies (not registered) can't define a number different from 1. -NB - Prevents Lora from executing the before/after import/export/ pack commands. Useful if you want to toss, scan or pack the mail without any other processing made by the before/after commands. -O<address> - Tells Lora that the <address> node is online, and that your system generated the call. -P<num> - Sets the serial port to be used. This command has priority upon the same command in the configuration file. -R<file> - Sets the log file name to be written. This parameter has priority upon the same command in the configuration file. IMPORT - Unpacks the mail packets an toss the messages in the echomail/netmail areas. The command 'TOSS' means the same thing. EXPORT - Esports the messages from the echomail areas to the linked nodes. The command 'SCAN' means the same thing. - 117 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 NODELIST - Starts the nodelist compilation and, if applicable, the nodediff update feature. When all the nodelist available are compiled Lora exits back to the DOS prompt. PACK - Exports the netmail messages to the addressed nodes and packs the mail accordingly to the route rules. POLL - Immediately polls the node specified after the keyword (for example: POLL 2:332/402). If the poll fails, Lora exits with errorlevel 1, if succedes it can process the mail received or exit with the errorlevel defined for the current event as the 'Aftermail exit'. TERMINAL - Brings up the terminal emulator. The terminal then will exits directly to the DOS prompt. TIC - Processes the inbound TIC files, tossing them in the appropriate file areas and forwarding them to the receiving nodes. - 118 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.3 - External support files --------------------------------------------------------------------- We will now list all the files that Lora displays to users for any communication. The files must be stored in the "textfiles path" directory defined for the current user language. 1ATATIME - Shown to the user who tries to connect himself to more than one line with the same name at the same time. APHORISM - Shown by Menu type 13, before displaying the current quote. APPLIC - Shown to the new users after the name confirmation and before asking them the calling site. ALIASASK - Shown to the user before asking him if he wants to use a nickname, or the real name. BADPWD - Shown when a user inserts a bad password too many times, before logging him out. BIRTHDAY - Shown if the current date is the user's birthday. BFAILED - Shown to the user who gives a wrong answer to the birthday check. BVERIFY - Shown to the user before asking him his birthday for validation. CB_HELP - Help file for the multiline chat (CB Chat system) COMPHELP - Help file for the available packers. CHGPWD - Shown when a user wants to change his password. DAYLIMIT - Shown when a user has already spent all his available time for today. DEFCOMP - Shown, if exists, instead of the internally coded packer list. This file is concerned with the default packer selection only. DEFPROT - Shown, if exists, instead of the internally coded protocol list. This file concerns the default protocol selection only. FGROUP - Shown by Meny type 121, when the user has to choose the file group. Usually if contains the list of the available groups. FILEAREA - Shown, if exists, instead of the internally coded file list. - 119 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 FSHELP - Help file for the internal full-screen message editor. This file can not include any embedded command for pausing, color change, etc. LEAVING - Shown to the user, before executing an external door. Usually used to inform the user to wait for a little time. LESSBAUD - Shown when the current baud rate is lower than the previous one. LOCKOUT - Shown when the sysop hits ALT-L to avoid next calls from the on-line user. LOGO - Shown at the beginning of a call, before asking the user's full name. LOGOFF - Shown at the end of a call, before dropping the line. LOGONSEC - Shown to the user if his access level is not high enough to access the system. LOGONFLA - Shown to the user if his active flags are not enough to access the system. LOGONAGE - Shown to the user if his age is not high enough to access the system. MGROUP - Shown by Meny type 121, when the user has to choose the message group. Usually it contains the list of the available groups. MOREBAUD - Shown when the current baud rate is higher than the previous one. MSGAREA - Shown, if exists, instead of the internally coded message list. NEWS - Sysop's news bulletin. Displayed before entering the main menu. NEWUSER1 - Shown after the environment question sequence, before the new password request. NEWUSER2 - Replaces the rookie file at the first login only. NOTAVAIL - Shown when the user try to yell at the Sysop outside the paging hours defined in the BBS / Paging hours menu. NOTIME - Shown when the user has not enough time to complete a download. PAGED - Shown to the user after the yell to the sysop stops. - 120 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 PREDNLD - Shown to the user after selecting the download command, and before asking him the download protocol and filename. PREREG - Shown when a new user tries to enter a system that does not allow new users (see the LOGON LEVEL parameter in the LSETUP configuration program). PREUPLD - Shown to the user after selecting the upload command, and before asking him the upload protocol. RATIO - Shown when a user who exceeded the down/up ratio tries to begin a download. RETURN - Shown to the user when coming back from an external door. ROOKIE - Used to give help to the new users and to let them get to know the system. You can choose how many times this file has to be displayed in the LSETUP program. SEC# - Displayed before the mail checker, only if the file exists. The # character represents the user's access level in numeric form. See external doors chapter for more details. SECALL - Shown to the user if the sec#.* related to the online user's level does not exist. SHELLBY - Shown to the user when the Sysop makes a DOS shell while he's online. SHELLHI - Shown to the user when the Sysop comes back from a Dos Shell. STARTCHT - Shown to the user at the beginning of a user-sysop chat. ENDCHT - Shown to the user at the end of a user-sysop chat. TIMEWARN - Displayed when the time left to the user overflows to a forced or non BBS event. The time is adjusted automatically. TODAYK - Displayed when the total file dimension exceeds the daily limit as defined for the users' access level. TOOSLOW - Displayed when a user tries to connect himself at a too low baud rate. TRASHCAN - Displayed if a user tries to use a name that is not allowed in this system (listed in the file TRASHCAN.DAT, described below). TRASHPWD - Displayed if a user tries to use a password that is not allowed in this system (listed in the file TRASHPWD.DAT, described below). - 121 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ULSPACE - Shown where there isn't enough free disk space in the file area's upload drive, as defined in the BBS / General options menu, 'Min. upload space' field.. WARNPWD - Shown when somebody tried (with no success) to force the current user's password (see BADPWD file). WELCOME - Shown after the password introduction by the user. Usually it contains a welcome message. WHY_ANSI - Help file for the question about ANSI graphics. WHY_AVT - Help file for the question about the AVATAR codes transmission. WHY_COL - Help file for the question about color. WHY_FULR - Help file for the question about the full screen message reader. WHY_IBM - Help file for the question about displaying extended IBM character (>127). WHY_NEW - Help file for the "Did you write the name exactly?" question. WHY_OPED - Help file for the question about the full screen ANSI editor. WHY_PVT - Help file for the question about private messages. XFERHELP - Help file for the file transfer protocol selection. The following files are used for special tasks and must be created in the main directory of Lora: TRASHCAN.CFG - Contains all the unusable users' names, or part of users' names, in ASCII format. No one is allowed to enter the system if his name contains any word listed in this file. If someone tries to do so, the file TRASHCAN.??? will be displayed, then logged off. TRASHPWD.CFG - Same as the TRASHCAN.CFG, but for the password field. If a user tries to enter a password that contains a word listed in this file, the external file TRASHPWD.??? will be displayed, then logged off. NAMES.CFG - This file contains the names and node numbers of people you are writing often from your BBS. The format of the file is as follow: <Name>, <Address> Marco Maccaferri, 2:332/402.1 - 122 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 When a user enters a netmail message to <Name>, Lora automatically fills the destination address field with <Address>. This avoids possible mismatches AREAS.BBS - This file is used by the echomail processor, as an alternative to the definitions made using LSETUP, for the echomail import/export operations. Following is an example of a valid AREAS.BBS file: Arci Computer Club Bologna ! Marco Maccaferri ; C:\MSG\CLANG CLANG.ITA 332/403 22402/1 2 3 332/402.5 130 FIDO_STYLE.ITA 332/403 $C:\MSG\LORA LORA.400 332/403 418 419 !2 MSDOS.400 332/403 332/402.5 .6 ## HELP_ARC 332/418 22402/2 ; The first line is ignored by Lora but is required by other mail processors and/or areafix handlers. The following lines are examples of how to specify the message base for each echomail area: CLANG.ITA is a Fido *.MSG area, FIDO_STYLE.ITA is an Hudson (QuickBBS) board, LORA.400 is a Squish<tm> area and MSDOS.400 is a Pip-Base area. HELP_ARC is a special area called Pass- through, messages sent to this area are exported immediately to the destination nodes, then deleted. The following are flag files, i.e. special files that Lora look for in the current directory while waiting for a call. The features described here are reserved to registered users only. RESCAN.NOW - If this file exists Lora rescans the outbound directory. Useful if you use an external mail processor in a multitasking environment. ECHOMAIL.RSN - This file signals Lora to perform an attempt at exporting new echomail messages. Usually used with a message editor like Golded or WEdit, to immediately process the messages written. NETMAIL.RSN - This file signals Lora to perform an attempt at exporting the netmail messages. LEXITxx.yyy - If Lora found in the current directory a file named LEXIT<num>.<err> (like, for example LEXIT1.15), then Lora configured with the line number <num> terminates the current call (if - 123 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 any) and exits to DOS with the errorlevel <err>. In the example above the line #1 will exit with the errorlevel 15. VIRSCAN.BAT - This batch file, if exists in the current directory, will be executed after each upload and allows the Sysop to check the files for viruses. Lora put four parameters on the command line: %1 - The full file name with the drive and the path (C:\File\Uploads\FOO.BAR). %2 - The destination directory with the trailing backslash (C:\File\Uploads\). %3 - The file's name without the extension (FOO). %4 - The file's extension with the leading period (.ZIP). The batch file must move the file (and eventually flag it on the log file) if it is not allowed on the system. RCVFAX.BAT - This batch file is called when a FAX call is received by the mailer section and the 'FAX Errorlevel', in the Modem / Hardware menu, is set to 0. Lora put three parameters on the command line: %1 - The serial port number (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc.). %2 - The modem connection speed (always set to the 'Maximum baud rate' value). %3 - (OS/2 version only). The serial port file handle. The batch should call the FAX receiving software with the appropriate parameters, then return to the BBS. If the carrier is still high, Lora automatically hangup the modem. If FAX messages are succesfully received, the batch can create a file called RCVFAX.FLG in the Lora's system directory. This flag allows Lora to display a flashing "FAX" in the bottom-right corner of the mailer screen, informing you that new FAX are received. - 124 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.4 - Embedded commands --------------------------------------------------------------------- Each file displayed by Lora may contain the control code sequences listed below. They can be used for status file creation, or for questionnaire generation. These commands are compatible with those available in Opus 1.72, RemoteAccess 1.10 and Maximus 2.00. In case of conflict between homonymous commands, the Maximus 2.00 standard has been preferred. 11.4.1 - Single commands --------------------------------------------------------------------- ^A - Stops the output and wait for the user to press the Enter key. If followed by another ^A, then the message 'Press [Enter] to continue' will be displayed. ^D - Enables the pause at the end of each screen page, even if the user has disabled this setting. ^E - Disables the pause at the end of each screen page, even if the user has enabled this setting. ^G - The computer emits a beep. ^H - Backspace ^I - Tab. ^J - Line feed ^K - If the character following isn't present on the character set show in the 'Compund commands with ^K' then prevents the user to stop the scrolling with a ^C. ^L - Clear the screen (it will be translated to the correct emulation sequence or in a CR/LF sequence if the user hasn't either the ANSI or AVATAR emulations). ^M - Carriage return ^Q - Used for XON/XOFF controls. Unavailable. ^S - Used for XON/XOFF controls. Unavailable. ^V - Avatar commands. ^X - External door execution. The lines will be treated as a DOS command and interpreted accordingly. The following parameters can be spcified: *0 - Path of the current file area. *1 - Path of the current message area. - 125 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 *B - Baud rate (0 if in local mode). *F - User's first name *G - 0=No graphics, 1=Ansi, 2=Avatar. *H - Disables FOSSIL driver before executing the program (DOS verions only). The OS/2 version translate this parameter to the serial port file handle. *L - User's last name. *M - Swap of the total memory occupied by Lora, leaving only 1.5K for the recovery routines (DOS version only). *N - Task number. *P - Serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc.). *R - User's position inside the user's database (record (number). *S - Don't read the LORAINFO file after the end of the external program. *T - Time left for the current call. *W - Actives the FOSSIL watchdog. If the carrier drops, FOSSIL driver reboots the system (DOS version only). *X - Prevents the creation of the LORAINFO.T?? by Lora. *! - Stops time during the door execution. The user will be allowed as much time he was before entering the door. *# - Disables the 'wants chat' flag. Useful for external chat programs. For compatibility to Scott Dudley's Maximus-CBCS 2.00, the following command are available: %A - User's first name, all capital letters. %b - Baud rate (0 if in local mode). %B - User's last name, all capital letters. %c - The place of the call. %C - The last answer to the questionnaire ^OR command (see the EMBEDDED COMMANDS section for more details). %d - The number of the current message area. %D - The number of the current file area. %E - Length, in lines, of the user's screen. %f - User's first name. %F - Path of the current message area. %g - 0=No graphics, 1=Ansi, 2=Avatar. %G - User's daily download limit. %h - Voice phone number of the user. %H - Kilobytes number downloaded today. %i - Total download. %I - Total upload. %j - Connection time for the current call. %k - Task Number. %l - User's last name. %L - In remote calls the flag is substituted with the '-pX -bY' string, where X is the serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc.) and Y is the baud rate. In local calls the flag is substituted with the '-k' string. %M - Path of the current message area. %n - User's first name. %N - BBS name, as defined in the configuration file. - 126 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 %p - The DOS version translate this parameter to the serial port number (0=COM1, 1=COM2, etc). The OS/2 version translate this parameter to the serial port file handle (0 for local mode). %P - Serial port (1=COM1, 2=COM2, etc, 0 for local mode). %q - Path of the current message area, without final backslash. %Q - Path of the current file ares, without final backslash. %s - Sysop's last name. %S - Sysop's first name. %t - Time left for the call, in minutes. %T - Time left for the call, in seconds. %u - User's number. %U - Substituted with the underscore '_'. %v - Path of the upload directory. %V - Path of the upload directory, without the final backslash %Z - User's full name in capital letters. ^Y - Repeats the first character after the command, as many times as specified by the second character after the command. For example to send out 5 underscores, type the following: ^Y_^E. ^Z - End of File (not to be used). - 127 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.4.2 - Compound commands with ?F --------------------------------------------------------------------- Commands preceded by ^F are related to the data of the on-line user and allow to create information text to be shown at the beginning of the connection. ^FC - Displays the CPS of the last file transmitted. ^FD - Displays the phone number of office/data. ^FE - Displays the phone number of home/voice. ^FF - Displays the date, without time, of the last login. ^FG - Displays the time of the last login. ^FH - Displays the percentage efficiency of the last file transmitted. ^FI - YES/NO IBM character set. ^FL - Displays the netmail credit. ^FM - Displays the number of the last personal message read. ^FN - Displays the number of the last message read in the current area. ^FO - Displays the user's privilege level in verbal form. ^FQ - Displays the number of files sent. ^FR - Displays the number of kbytes sent. ^FS - Displays the number of files received. ^FT - Displays the number of kbytes received. ^FV - Displays the number of screen lines set by the user. ^FX - YES/NO ANSI toggle. ^FY - YES/NO end of page toggle. ^FZ - YES/NO formfeed code (ASCII 12) toggle. ^F0 - YES/NO full screen editor toggle. ^F2 - YES/NO hot keyed menu. ^F3 - Displays the user's handle. ^F4 - Displays the first login date. - 128 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ^F5 - Displays the user's birthday. ^F6 - YES/NO mail check at login. ^F7 - Displays the user's registration. ^F8 - YES/NO AVATAR/0+ toggle. ^F9 - Number of upload/download ratio in the format 1:x. ^F! - YES/NO colors toggle. ^F^A - Displays the next quote reading it from the file defined in the configuration file (^FA also). ^F^B - Displays the user's full name. ^F^C - Displays the user's city (^FB also). ^F^D - Displays the current date. ^F^E - Displays the number of calls made by the user (^FP also). ^F^F - Displays the user's first name (^FW also). ^F^G - One second pause. ^F^K - Displays the total on-line time of the day (counting all the calls made during the day). ^F^L - Displays the on-line time of the present call (^FU also). ^F^N - Stops the connection. ^F^O - Displays the time left for the current call. ^F^P - Displays date and onset time of the connection. A CR/LF character is added. ^F^Q - Displays the number of different users who called on that day. ^F^R - Displays the net download of the user so far made (download - upload). ^F^S - Displays the user's signature (sentence to put at the end of each message written, like a signature on a paper). ^F^T - Displays current time. ^F^U - Forces the user to answer a question. - 129 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ^F^V - Allows the user to answer with a blank line. ^F^W - Displays the number of Kbyte sent. ^F^X - Displays the number of Kbytes received. ^F^Y - Displays the received/sent kBytes ratio in x:1 format (^F: also). ^F[ - Download remaining for today. ^F\ - The user's selected language. ^F] - Displays the comment field of the user's record (currently not implemented but available). ^F; - YES/NO full screen message reader. ^F% - Shows the default file transfer protocol. ^F" - Shows the default compressor. - 130 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.4.3 - Compound commands with ^K --------------------------------------------------------------------- These commands are related to the general situation of the system, and have been introduced for compatibility with RemoteAccess 1.01. ^KA - Total number of calls to the system (all the lines). ^KB - Name of the last user who called the current line. ^KC - Displays the number of the current message's child (answer to this message). ^KD - Number of the first message (this command has been introduced for compatibility, and is always set to 1). ^KE - Number of the last message in the current area. ^KF - Displays the rest of the line only if the date and time of the last modification of the file specified after the command is greater or equal to the user's last call date. ^KG - Displays the day of the week. ^KI - Displays the current time in the form hh:mm:ss. ^KJ - Displays the current date in the form dd mmm aa. ^KK - Minutes on-line so far for the current call. ^KM - Number of personal messages found in the message base. ^KO - Time left for the current call. ^KP - Displays the number of the current message's parent (message that this message is an answer to). ^KQ - Time limit for each call. ^KR - Baud rate of the connection. ^KT - Daily download limit. ^KU - Number of minutes still available before the next forced or non BBS event. ^KW - Number of the line. ^KX - Stops immediately the connection. ^KY - Title of the current message area. ^KZ - Title of the current file area. ^K0 - Number of messages in the current area. - 131 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ^K1 - Number of the currently active message area. ^K2 - Number of the currently active file area. ^K5 - Name of the currently active message area. ^K7 - Displays the user's time bank account. ^K8 - Displays the user's file bank account. ^K9 - Number of messages contained in the current message area. ^K[ - Download remaining for today. ^K\ - Delete the line from cursor to the end. - 132 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.4.4 - Compound commands with ^O --------------------------------------------------------------------- These commands are related to the user-BBS interaction, and allow the creation of questionnaires, or the execution of programs needing particular parameters. It's also possible to execute batch file with the command described later. ^OC - Executes an external program. Everything written after the C character is passed to DOS exactly as it is. LASTUSER.BBS, LORAUSER.BBS and DORINFO1.DEF are created. ^OD - If the current file terminates for any reason, the file specified after the command will be displayed to the user. ^OE - The rest of the line is displayed only if the user has the ANSI or AVATAR graphics enabled. ^OF - Declares the file name to be displayed at the end of the current file (no matter in what way). ^OM - Saves the last answer given to the ^OR command in the answer file (if it has been opened), with the comment written after the M character. ^ON - Asks the user to write a line. If an answer file has been opened (see ^OO command), the line will be recorded with the comment written after the N character. ^OO - Opens or creates a file in which the answers to the questionnaire will be recorded. The filename must follow the command. Example: ^OOC:\Lora\Answer.Txt. ^OP - Saves the essential data of the on-line user (name, city, last time call) in the answer file. ^OQ - Ends the file. If another file has ben defined with the ^OF command, the control passes to that file. ^OR - Allows answers. After the R character the list of letters constituting a valid answer must be inserted. The file execution will continue only if the user answers with one of the letters specified above. ^OS - The control passes to the file set after the S character. ^OT - Makes a 'GOTO beginning of file' function (to be used cautiously because there's no way to terminate the file execution without the ^OQ command). ^OU - Immediately after the U character, a capital letter must be written. All the line will be displayed (or executed) only if the last answer to the ^OR command was the same as that of the specified letter. - 133 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ^OV - Makes a 'GOTO offset (number of bytes from the beginning of file)' function, in digit form. To be used cautiously and with programs that can compute the offset with precision. - 134 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.4.5 - AVATAR commands --------------------------------------------------------------------- The AVATAR commands (Advanced Video Attribute Translator And Recreator) allow to change the remote video attributes in an intelligent way. That means that, if the user cannot see ANSI graphics or his terminal is unable to receive directly the ANSI codes, they will be ignored (color codes) or transformed into TTY sequences to be displayed on simple terminals. ^V^A - Changes video attribute. The immediately following character represents the attribute to be changed. The bit meaning is equivalent to the attribute byte of the video card Please note that if the attribute is CTRL-P, it has to be repeated twice. (^V^A^P -> ^V^A^P^P). Following are the color codes that can be changed with the ^V^A command: Foreground Background Colours ------------------ --------------------- 0 - Black 0 - Black 1 - Blue 1 - Blue 2 - Green 2 - Green 3 - Cyan 3 - Cyan 4 - Red 4 - Red 5 - Purple 5 - Purple 6 - Brown 6 - Brown 7 - White 7 - White 8 - Grey 9 - Bright Blue A - Bright Green B - Bright Cyan C - Bright Red D - Bright Purple E - Bright Yellow F - Bright White 0 - Flashing Black 8 - Black 1 - Flashing Blue 9 - Blue 2 - Flashing Green A - Green 3 - Flashing Cyan B - Cyan 4 - Flashing Red C - Red 5 - Flashing Purple D - Purple 6 - Flashing Brown E - Brown 7 - Flashing White F - White 8 - Flashing Grey 9 - Flashing Bright Blue A - Flashing Bright Green B - Flashing Bright Cyan C - Flashing Bright Red D - Flashing Bright Purple E - Flashing Bright Yellow F - Flashing Bright White - 135 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Examples: 43 - Red foreground on a Cyan background. 01 - Blue on a black background. FB - Flashing Bright White on a Cyan background. ^V^C - Cursor toward the top of the screen. ^V^D - Cursor toward the bottom of the screen. ^V^E - Cursor toward left. ^V^F - Cursor toward right. ^V^G - Deletes the current line from the cursor position to the end. ^V^H - The two following bytes represent the x and y coordinates in which the cursor will be moved. ^V^Y - Repeat the specified string a given number of times. The complete format of the command is ^V^Y<len><s><n>, where <len> is the length of the string to be repeated, <s> is the string itself, <n> is the number of times the string <s> has to be repeated. - 136 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.4.6 - Compound commands with ^W --------------------------------------------------------------------- Some of the following commands have been already presented. They've been added for compatibility to Maximus-CBCS 1.02. ^W^A - Displays the last login date. ^W^B1 - The rest of the line will be displayed only if the baud rate is equal to, or greater than, 1200 baud. ^W^B2 - The rest of the line will be displayed only if the baud rate is equal to, or greater than, 2400 baud. ^W^B9 - The rest of the line will be displayed only if the baud rate is equal to, or greater than, 9600 baud. ^W^C - Displays the board's name as defined in the system configuration file. ^W^D - Displays the sysop name, as defined in the system configuration file. ^W^E - Displays the last string written with the ^ON command. ^W^FA - Displays the number of the current file area. ^W^FN - Displays the title of the current file area. ^W^G - Only local ring beeps. ^W^MA - Displays the number of the current message area. ^W^ML - Displays the number of the last message read. ^W^MN - Displays the title of the current message area. ^W^MH - Displays the number of the last message. ^W^M# - Displays the total number of messages present in the current area. ^W^NB - The same as ^NC. ^W^NC - Displays the user's netmail credit. ^W^ND - Since Lora does not consider the netmail debit, this command returns 0. Included for compatibility. ^W8 - The rest of the line will be displayed only if the user's screen has 80 columns or more. ^WA - Put the last answer to a ^ON command in the log file. - 137 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ^Wa - Send the last answer to a ^ON command to all the users currently on-line as a broadcast message. ^WB - Toggle capitals letters on/off. ^WcA - The rest of the line is sent only if the user is connected locally (not via modem). ^WcR - The rest of the line is sent only if the user is connected to the system with a modem. ^WD - Deletes the file set after the D character. ^WGA - Displays the number of the current file area. ^WGN - Displays the title of the current file area. ^WIL - The rest of the line is sent only if the user is connected locally (not via modem). ^WIR - The rest of the line is sent only if the user is connected to the system with a modem. ^WkF - Turn off the flags specified after the command. ^WkI - Displays the rest of the line only if the user flags match with the flags specified after the command. The flags are separated from the rest of the line with a single space character. ^WkO - Turn on the flags specified after the command. ^WkT - Toggle on/off the flags specified after the command. ^WpD - Lowers the user's access level by one unit. ^WpU - Rises the user's access level by one unit. ^WL - Link the current file with another. After completion of the other file, the control is returned to the calling file. ^WP - Displays the voice phone number. ^WR - Displays the user's handle. ^Ws - Gives to the user the level indicated after the s character. ^WW - Writes the rest of the line in the questionnaire answer file. ^Ww - Displays the current on-line users. ^WXD - The same as XR (implemented for compatibility). ^WXR - Executes an external program (the same as ^OC). - 138 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 The ^W command, used alone, stops file reading for half second. - 139 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.4.7 - Compound commands with ^P --------------------------------------------------------------------- These commands are related to the actions to be taken accordingly to the access level of the on-line user. The access levels must be specified with the initial letter (Twit, Disgrace, Limited, Normal, Worthy, Privel, Favored, Extra, Clerk, AsstSysop, Sysop). ^PB - The rest of the line is displayed only if the user's level is equal to, or lesser than, a specified level. ^PL - The rest of the line is displayed only if the user's level is equal to, or greater than, a specified level. ^PQ - The rest of the line is displayed only if the user's level is equal to a specified level. ^PX - The rest of the line is displayed only if the user's level is different from a specified level. By setting only the level letter after the ^P character, file reading will go on only if the user's level is equal to, or greater than a specified level. - 140 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.4.8 - RPN commands (compound commands with ^R) --------------------------------------------------------------------- RPN Engine for Lora (LRPN) is a set of command internal to the Lora's text files that accomplishes the following functions: - Mathematical calculations: additions, subtractions, etc.; - Bitwise operations: NOT, AND, OR, XOR; - Logical operations: NOT, AND, OR, XOR; - Comparisons: equals, less than, greater than; - User's flags handling; - User's parameters handling; - Cursor position and color codes handling; - ... (and many others...) Starting with LRPN --------------------------------------------------------------------- LRPN is based on a stack, a series of numbers (initially empty) from which is possible to extract the number in reverse order only (like a First-In-Last-Out stack). For example, if the stack contains the following values: 12 <--- Top of the stack 100 -6 43 <--- Current position The next value extracted will be 43. The numbers contained in the stack can be results from previous calculations, or can be inserted directly as constants, variable values (see below), user's flags, etc. The values can be used to make further calculations and/or comparisons or put in variables, etc. The current position is named ACCUMULATOR. The accumulator is like a pre-chamber to the real stack and don't loose its contents when it is put on the stack, so it is possible to put the same value two or more times. For example if the stack contents is like the above, to insert 3 times the value 459 you can use the following sequence: 459,,, Where the digits forms a number inside the accumulator and the colon means "put the accumulator's contents on the stack". LRPN interprets the characters with the following effects: Character : 4 5 9 , , , Stack : 12 12 12 12 12 12 100 100 100 100 100 100 -6 -6 -6 -6 -6 -6 43 43 43 43 43 43 4 * 45 * 459 * 459 459 459 459 * 459 459 - 141 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 ( * = accumulator ) 459 * 459 459 * As you can see, the accumulator acts like a normal calculator display and, for who knows the RPN calculators, the colon acts like the [Enter] key. It's important to note that the blanks are ignored by LRPN, so writing 123 or 12 3 or 1 2 3 means the same thing, and if there isn't digits before the 1, the accumulator contains the value 123 at the end of each sequence. If the sequence ends with a digit and the following sequence begins with a digit, it will form a single number. Data types --------------------------------------------------------------------- Normally LRPN uses 16 bit integers with sign, the values can range from -32768 to 32767. If an operation exceed this range no error is generated but the results are unpredictable. Some data used by LRPN (such as the user's flags) are bit type and can be 1 or 0, if you put a value to a bit type other than 0, by default it will be set to 1. Variables --------------------------------------------------------------------- LRPN can use up to 200 variables numbered from 0 to 199, to which you can register the calculations results or data that can be preserved from a text file to another. At the start of every connections to the BBS every variable will be zeroed. User's flag --------------------------------------------------------------------- Are the flags from 0 to 9 and from A to V, there numberd from 0 to 31, so the flag #11 corresponds to the B flag. Counters --------------------------------------------------------------------- There are 10 counters, numbered from 0 to 9, that are the same used by Lora with the other embedded commands. The counters are saved in the user's configuration file so that their value can be preserved across multiple calls of the same user. The counters are bytes, so their values can range from 0 to 255. When an assignment is made to a counter, only the least significant byte is considered. User's data --------------------------------------------------------------------- - 142 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Are saved in the user's configuration file and can be of various types and the numbers are not sequentially. Following is the list of the data available and their means: 1 - (bit) 1 IBM character set 2 - (bit) 1 screen clearing codes sent 3 - (bit) 1 colour codes sent 4 - (bit) 1 ANSI graphics enabled 5 - (bit) 1 AVATAR graphics enabled 6 - (bit) 0 the TABs are translated to spaces 7 - (bit) 1 More? prompt enabled 8 - (bit) 1 hot-keyed menus 21 - (bit) 1 logon mail check enabled 22 - (bit) 1 full screen mail reader enabled 23 - (bit) 1 full screen mail editor enabled 24 - (bit) 1 view message's kludge lines 41 - (bit) 1 if the user is hidden from the users list 42 - (bit) 1 if the user cannot be deleted by LUSER 43 - (bit) 1 if the yell from this user is ignored (nerd) 44 - (bit) 1 if the user has unlimited download 101 - (intero) User's selected language 102 - (intero) Screen length (rows) 103 - (intero) Screen width (columns) 121 - (intero) Default file transfer protocol 122 - (intero) Default compressor 123 - (intero) Message areas group 124 - (intero) File areas group 141 - (intero) Access level (from 0 = Twit to 12 = Hidden) 142 - (intero) NetMail credit Using LRPN's commands --------------------------------------------------------------------- When Lora encounters a ^R character inside a .BBS file, the remaining of the text row will be interpreted as an LRPN sequence. Note: - Every unrecognized character will be skipped - All commands ARE CASE SENSITIVE; the lower case letters have opposite means as the upper case letters. Example : ^R12V2+12v4c10>!10f (or) : ^R 12 V 2 + 12 v 4 c 10 >! 10 f Add 2 to the variable #12 the copy the value in the counter #4, then set the user's A flag if the result is greater than 10, else resets the flag. - 143 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 LRPN commands --------------------------------------------------------------------- - DIGITS from 0 to 9 Inserts a number on the accumulator. It works like a calculator keyboard, if a digit follows an operation, it replaces the contents of the accumulator, that is automatically put on the stack. The only exception is the insert operation (the colon). IF a digit follows another digits, it is put on the accumulator without any other effect. Note: When the digits causes the value on the accumulator to be grater than 32767, the value will be forced to 32767. - STACK OPERATIONS , (colon) - Inserts the value in the accumulator on the stack. @ (at sign) - Get the value on the stack and put it in the accumulator. The previous value is lost. " (virgolette) - Exchanges the accumulator with the value on the stack. - ONARY OPERATORS Acts on the accumulator, replacing the value with the result of the operation. LRPN recognizes the following operators: _ (underline) - Sign exchange $ (dollar) - Absolute value ' (NOT `) - Sign (-1 if < 0, 1 if > 0, 0 if 0) # (pound) - Integer to bit conversion (1 if <> 0, 0 if 0) ~ (tilde) - Reverse all bits (one complement) ! - Logic negation (0 if <> 0, 1 if 0) - BINARY OPERATORS Acts on the last number put on the stack AND on the accumulator: the first number will be get from the stack and teh result replaces the contents of the accumulator. LRPN recognizes the following binary operators: + - Addition (acc = st + acc) - - Subtracktion (acc = st - acc) * - Multiplication (acc = st * acc) / - Division (acc = st / acc) Note: 1) As a division between integers, the result is rounded to the nearest to zero integer. So: 7 , 4 / (acc = 7 / 4) the result is 1, and 7 _ 4 / (acc = -7 / 4) the result is -1 - 144 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 2) If the accumulator is 0, the result will be: 32767 if the stack is greater than or equal to 0. -32768 if the stack is less than 0. % - Remaining of the division or module (acc = st MOD acc). Note: 1) The result's sign will be positive if the signs of the operands are both positive or negative, negative if one operand is negative and the other positive. 2) If the divisor is 0, then the result will be 0. L - Left shift. The result will be equal to the last number on the stack with the bits shifted to the left by accumulator positions. R - Right shift. The result will be equal to the last number on the stack with the bits shifted to the right by accumulator positions. & - Bitwise logical AND. | - Bitwise logical OR. ^ - Bitwise exclusive OR. = - Equal (1 if st = acc, else 0). < - Less than (1 if st < acc, else 0). > - Greater than (1 if st > acc, else 0). - MISCELLANEOUS OPERATORS W - Word assembler (the high byte will be take from the stack, the lower byte from the accumulator, the result will be put on the accumulator). w - Word disassembler (the higher byte of the accumulator will be put on the stack, the lower byte will be kept on accumulator). - LOADING AND RECORDING V - Loads the accumulator with the value on the the variable numbered by the accumulator. Example: 12V loads the value on the variable #12 on the accumulator. Note: Il the accumulator is less than 0 or greater than 199, the result always is 0. v - Put the value on the stack on the variable numbered by the accumulator. The value on the accumulator is kept as is. Note: Il the value on the accumulator is less than 0 or greater than 199, nothing is memorized but a number is take from the stack. F - Gets a flag, like the V command, but the flags are limited to 31. f - Sets a flag, like the v command, but the flags are limited to 31. The flag is reset to 0 if the accumulator is 0, else will be set to 1. C - Gets a counter. Like the V and F commands, but the number of counters is limited to 9 and the value range is from 0 to 255). c - Sets a counter. U - Gets a user's parameter (see the user's parameter table above). u - Sets a user's parameter. - 145 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 P - Load the accumulator with the last terminal's cursor position. The row is put on the higher byte, the column on the lower byte. p - Move the cursor at the position specified by the higher (row) and lower (column) byte of the accumulator. C - Loads the accumulator with the last screen attribute set. c - Changes the color attribute using the lower 8 bits of the accumulator. The relationship between colors and numbers is reported on another chpater of this manual. Usage examples --------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's examine the following sequence followin a ^R character in a generic text file: P w " @ 102 U " W p | | | | ||| | | | | +--|--|--|--|||--|--|--|--|---> Reads the cursor position... | | | ||| | | | | +--|--|--|||--|--|--|--|---> ...split it in 2 bytes. Now on the | | ||| | | | | accumulator we have the column and | | ||| | | | | on the stack the current row. | | ||| | | | | +--|--|||--|--|--|--|---> Exchange (now the accumulator has | ||| | | | | the row and the stack the column) | ||| | | | | +--|||--|--|--|--|---> Get the column (the row will be lost) ||| | | | | +++--|--|--|--|---> Put the accumulator (the column) on | | | | the stack and replaces it with the | | | | number 102. | | | | +--|--|--|---> Replaces 102 with the USER'S DATA | | | #102 (number of rows). | | | The stack still holds the column.. | | | we can recombine it to form the new | | | cursor position... | | | +--|--|---> ...but after a position exchange. | | +--|---> OK, now recombine the values in a | single word... | +---> ...done, the cursor is on the last terminal row. Even simpler: to move the cursor in the lower left terminal corner, we can use the following command sequence: 102 U , 1 p The best thing to learn LRPN is the practice: how can we keep the current cursor position and colors set and display a message on the last terminal row with blue background and white foreground ? It's - 146 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 possible to create a pull-down menuing system with LRPN and the other embedded commands ? (Yes, I wrote LRPN for that thing...). - 147 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.5 - Events definitions ===================================================================== With the Manager / Events menu is possible to defines some periods of time to execute the external maintenance programs or calls other BBSes for mail exchange. In the event's viewing mode (default mode when entering the Manager / Events menu), the following commands are allowed: PgUp/PgDn - Allow you to move along the event file. E - Edit an event item. After this command, an inverted-color bar will allow you to choose the option to be modified. Add New Event - Allows you to add an event. The event saving method provides to put the new event in the right position, so that you can add an event everywhere. List - List the events actually presents (one event per row) allowing a speed search. Delete - Allows to delete an event from the file. The system ask for a confirmation before phisically erase the event. Copy - Copy the current event in a new slot. The system asks for the days and execution time. 11.5.1 - Events editing --------------------------------------------------------------------- Using the commands "Edit" and "Add New Event" you can change the following parameters, valid for any event: Title - This field will be used as a "comment" regarding the task accomplished by the event. If present it will be put on the log file when the event is executed. Days - Defines the days in which the event is active. The letters are the initial of the english week days and means when the evnt is active. Start time - Event's starting time. Stop time - Event's ending time. To execute any event, Lora must be in the "waiting for a call" status in the time between the start and the end of the event. Forced - Defines a forced event, an event that must be executed absolutely that the starting time. The user's time limit will be adjusted accordingly. Example: if a user normally has 30 minutes time limite and calls your system 10 minute s before a forced event, Lora give them only 10 minutes. - 148 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Allow humans - Allows a human caller to log in your system. Normally this option should be set to Yes only when the system must do mail calls to other BBSes. Errorlevel - Defines the errorlevel to exit to DOS with when the event starts. If 0 Lora doesn't exits to DOS. Clock adjustment - Defines that within this event Lora must call the Galileo Ferraris Insititute of Torino (Italy) to sinchronize the PC clock. Receive only - This parameter enables the system to receive calls only and prevents to make outbound calls. The nodes that are eligible to call are then marked "Temp.hold". Max try - Defines the maximum call retry number for each node that can be called in this event. Max failed - Defines the maximum falied calls retry number before the node is marked as undialiable. It's suggested to keep this number low (3 or 4), it counts the failed calls but with and answer from the remote system (the remote system can not exchange the handshaking). Retry delay - Defines the delay between a call and the following. If the 'Random redial time' option in the Mailer / Miscellaneous menu is set to Yes, this value will be the medium time between each call. Forced poll - If set to Yes, forces to call the node defined with the parameter below even if there isn't outbound mail waiting. If set to No, the call will be placed only if there is outbound mail for that node. Reserved for node - Defines an event reserved for a specified node, mail exchange with other nodes isn't allowed. Mail behavior - Defines the parameters related to the inbound and outbound mail. In the "Mail behavior" menu you can defines the following parameters: Allow file requests - Allows other nodes to request files from this node. Make file requests - Defines an event that allows outbound file requests. Send to CM systems only - Defines an event to call nodes with outbound crash mail packets (*.CLO and *.CUT) only. Send to non-CM systems only - Defines an event to call nodes without any outbound crash mail packet only. - 149 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Import normal mail - Allows the import of mail packets from the unknown nodes inbound directory (unknown nodes are nodes not present in any nodelist defined). Import know mail - Allows the import of mail packets from the know nodes inbound directory (know nodes are nodes present in the nodelist but without a session password defined). Import prot mail - Allows the import of mail packets from the protected nodes inbound directory (protected nodes are nodes with a session password defined). Export mail - Allows the export of echomail and netmail messages after the import procedure. Import at start of event - If set to Yes, the system imports the mail packets from the directory defined above at the start of this event. Export at start of event - If set to Yes allows the export of mail messages at the start of this event. Dynamic - Defines an event that can end before the time defined in the "Stop time" parameter. For example: if the system must call the node 2:332/403 at 2:30, you can define a forced dynamic event from 2:30 to 3:00, as soon as the system calls succesfully the node (for example at 2:35) the event ends and the system can take care of the next event available. Route TAG - Defines the routing file portion to execute within this event (see the commands related to the echomail/netmail routing). AfterMail exit errorlevel - Defines the DOS errorlevel to exit with if the system receives inbound mail packets from another node. The exit to DOS is made before the mail processing so that with this option active you cannot use the internal mail processor automatically, but you can use the command line options to call the mail processor. Process TIC files - This parameter enables the internal processing of the received TIC files (echo file areas). - 150 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 11.6 - Echomail/Netmail routing commands --------------------------------------------------------------------- The echomail/netmail routing is the procedure that allows the system to send the messages addressed to certain nodes through other systems, to economize on the phone bills, either because the messages are compressed (using the most popular compressors) and because multiple messages addressed to many distant nodes can be sent through a single node, that provides to send the messages to the respective adressee. In this chapter we will see the commands that can be put in the ROUTE.CFG file (that must be present in the Lora system directory). Note: even if there the 'echomail route' is mentioned, Lora doesn't support the routed echomail, the echomail addressed to a node different than ours, but it's possible to generate routed echomail using the route commands. Pay attention and be sure that the addressee of the mail packet supports routed echomail. The mail packets that are subjects to the route commands are only the packets with the .OUT extension. The built-in mail processo automatically generates this type of packets when exporting messages. The nodes can be specified with the short format, the following examples are equivalent: 2:332/402 2:332/403 2:332/404 2:332/404.2 2:332/402 403 404 404.2 402 403 404 .2 (if the zone and net of your primary address is 2:332). If possible to specify a group of nodes and/or points with the "ALL" keyword, as follows: 2:332/ALL - Every node of the net 2:332 2:ALL - Every node in the zone 2 2:332/402.ALL - Every point of the node 2:332/402 Following are the commands allowed for the echomail and netmail routing: Tag <name> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Defines the start of a commands block that will be executed only at certain hours (see the relative option in the events configuration). The end of the block can be another "Tag" line or the end of the file. Every commands not preceded by a "Tag" line are always executed. Poll <flag> <nodes> --------------------------------------------------------------------- - 151 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Force the system to call one or more node. Flag can be "Crash" (creates a *.CLO file), "Normal" (creates a *.FLO file) or "Direct" (creates a *.DLO file). Send-To <flag> <nodes> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Compresses the outbound mail directly to the nodes specified in <nodes>. <flag> can be "Crash", "Normal", "Direct" or "Hold". This command can be shortened out with "Send". Change <flag1> <flag2> <nodes> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Changes the priority flag of the nodes specified in <nodes> from <flag1> to <flag2>. <flag1> and <flag2> can be "Crash", "Normal", "Direct" or "Hold". Leave <nodes> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Temporarily hides the mail addressed to the nodes listed in <nodes>. The files assumes the *.N?T extension (for the *.?UT files) and *.N?O extension (for the *.?LO files). The mail packets with this extension aren't recognized so are virtually hidden. UnLeave <nodes> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Execute the operation opposed to the command above, it will rename the files the recognizable extension. Route-To <flag> <dest> <nodes> --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sends the mail addressed to nodes listed in <nodes> to the node spcified in <dest>, with the flag defined in <flag>, that can be Crash", "Normal", "Direct" or "Hold". This command can be shortened out with "Route" - 152 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 12.0 - Explaining the terminology ===================================================================== 12.1 - The Nodelist --------------------------------------------------------------------- The nodelist is Lora's telephone directory and is used for several purposes. Among these are to allow you to retrieve information about remote systems, such as the maximum supported baudrate, modem flags, and system capability flags, to check if a remote system is known to your system or should be treated as an unlisted system. The Mailer requires that a nodelist be present whereas the BBS and the Terminal can both be used without one, if so required. The typical FidoNet nodelist contains over 20.000 systems and has a fairly straight forward structure as follows. Zone Usually a large geographical area, such as North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, etc. At the time of the release of this package, the following FidoNet Zone numbers have been allocated: 1 North America (including Canada) 2 Europe 3 Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand 4 Latin America 5 Africa 6 Asia Region Usually a somewhat smaller geographical area, such as a country or part of a (large) country. A collection of regions make up one zone. Net Usually a collection of systems local to each other. Typically a city and in some cases including its suburbs. A collection of nets make up one region. Node A single system within a net. Point A single system belonging to a node. Typically, a point is similar to a user logging on to a BBS system using his/her terminal program, with the main difference being that a point performs most of his/her activities offline and use smart software to collect and transit his/her mail. - 153 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 12.1.1 - Hosts and hubs --------------------------------------------------------------------- The coordinator of a net is called the host or NC for Network Coordinator. The host is responsible for maintaining the nodelist segment for his/her net and to act as an inbound NetMail gateway for the systems in his/her net ("host routed mail"). In a large net, it is quite common that "sub-hosts", called hubs, are set-up to aid in mail distribution within the net. In other words, a hub has the same function for systems in a network that a host has for (remote) systems outside the same network. Before Lora can use the information in a nodelist, it must be compiled with the built-in nodelist compiler. The nodelist that Lora needs to process is often referred to as the raw nodelist. It should not have been processed by Xlatlist, Parselst or a similar utility; but only be the nodelist you receive each week (if you are a FidoNet node) from your host. Grab a somewhat recent version of a nodelist and decompress it. Place the resulting file (such as NODELIST.228) in the General / Directory/Path / Nodelist directory. To compile your nodelist, type LORA NODELIST and press <Enter>, or let Lora handle this by simply running LORA. When Lora is started, it will compare the date of the raw nodelist and its index files. If the dates match no compilation will be made. If you want to force compilation, run LORA NODELIST. 12.1.2 - Points and pointlists --------------------------------------------------------------------- A point is similar to a user logging on to a BBS system using his/her terminal program, with the main difference being that a point performs most of his/her activities offline and use smart software to collect and transit his/her mail. A point system is addressed by specifying the BOSS system's address followed by the point number. E.g. 2:332/402.1 is point one of 2:332/402. The BOSS system is called point zero (2:332/402.0), but the .0 is normally left out. Lora is a point smart software package and fully supports the "four- dimensional" (zone, net, node, point) addressing method. Lora also supports the "two-dimensional" point approach used by some software. This is often called the "fakenet" or "pointnet" method. "Fake" because the software uses a non-existent network number to identify its "pointnet" and uses the node field for the point number. The maximum number of points any system can have is 65,535, not counting the BOSS, or point zero. - 154 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 A pointlist is similar to a normal nodelist, with the exception that all entries are considered point systems. Add the pointlist file name to the Manager / Nodelist menu to send mail directly to point systems. Here is a sample pointlist: Boss,2:332/402 ,1,Lora_Development,Bologna,Marco_Maccaferri,-Unpublished-,9600 ,2,U.T.M.,Lugo_(RA),Marcello_Ardini,-Unpublished-,9600 As you can see, a point list looks very much like a raw nodelist. The last field contains nodelist flags (HST, MO, CM, etc.) and if more than one flag is present, they are separated by commas. Points can not be added to systems in the master nodelist using the POINT keyword. - 155 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 12.2 - Modems and FOSSIL drivers --------------------------------------------------------------------- Lora works with most "Hayes-compatible" modems, including US Robotics HST and HST/DS, Telebit's Trailblazer, ANC, Everex, ZyXEL and Hayes. The general rule is that the modem must be able to send alphanumeric result strings. For most low-speed modems, the basic configuration is all that is required. For high-speed modems such as the US Robotics HST, a few extra settings are necessary. To utilize high-speed modems in the most efficient way, it must be properly configured for use with Lora. Some high-speed modems are incorrectly configured for use with Lora when they leave their factory. Lora require that your modem can return verbal result codes, such as "CONNECT 2400" and "NO CARRIER". In addition, if you want Lora to answer the telephone on inbound calls, the modem must be able to return a verbal code indicating a ring signal, such as "RING". The modem must not have DCD (carrier detect) forced. It should support disconnecting by lowering DTR (data terminal ready), but it is not necessary. DTR must, however, not be forced. For high-speed modem users, it is usually recommended that you lock the DTE (computer <> modem) speed to the highest possible baudrate, which is usually 19200, 38400, or 57600 BPS. The current version of Lora does not support manually operated modems with constant DTE speeds since most of them do not send any type of messages to the terminal (program). A FOSSIL (Fido/Opus/SEAdog Standard Interface Layer) driver is a memory resident program (TSR) that works as a layer between the application program and your computer's hardware. Lora requires a FOSSIL driver to function. One of the advantages of the standard FOSSIL interface is that programs can be ported easily to other machines and/or operating systems, or to communicate with devices that do not normally function like a "Hayes compatible" modem, such as ISDN cards. There are several FOSSIL drivers available. Lora has been tested with X00, and BNU with good results. X00 and BNU will be described here. BNU BNU, written by David Nugent, comes in two flavors. One is a device driver, the other is a .COM file, loaded from AUTOEXEC.BAT or another batch file. For a detailed description of the BNU driver, please refer to the documentation included in the BNU distribution archive. [AUTOEXEC.BAT] BNU /R=1024 /T=512 /L1:38400 - 156 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 If you are not using a high-speed modem the above example may not be what you want. The most common command line for BNU is: BNU /R=1024 /T=512 X00 X00, written by Ray Gwinn, is a device driver (later versions can also be loaded as an executable from AUTOEXEC.BAT), it is loaded from your CONFIG.SYS file when your machine is started. For a detailed description of the X00 driver, read the documentation included in the X00 distribution archive. [CONFIG.SYS] DEVICE=X00.SYS E 1 B,1,38400 T=512 R=1024 If you are not using a high-speed modem the above example may not be what you want. The most common command line for X00 is: DEVICE=X00.SYS E 1 T=512 R=1024 - 157 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 12.3 - The TIC processor --------------------------------------------------------------------- The TIC is a program which does for files what echomail does for messages. When TIC operates, it looks for inbound files with the extension TIC. These are "control" files which tell the program what the name of the "real" file is, the echo area it is to go to ,and what systems have already seen the file. The information is checked against the configuration files, and if passwords match and the area exists, the file is tossed to the "destination directory" established when the AREA was set up. (The file is moved to the destination directory by renaming it if it is possible, or by copying and deleting the original if it is not possible). The FILES.BBS in that directory is appended with the description (again, part of the TIC file). If there are other nodes listed for that echo, TICK will then create new TICs for them, and will create FLO files to those nodes in the outbound. The attaches will send the new TIC and the "real" file to the other nodes. This does NOT happen if that node is already listed in the seenby line of the original TIC. The TIC processor can be called automatically when new TIC files are received in the inbound directory or can be called in your batch file using the command line parameter TIC (see the command line chapter for more informations). - 158 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 13.0 - Examples ===================================================================== We will now show some batch file and routing examples, that could be useful for the initial configuration of you system. Examples cover "normal" situations; for particular situations it's better to carefully read the manual. 13.1 - Routing examples --------------------------------------------------------------------- We will now show some mail routing examples for common situations: single point, multiple BBS point and HUB (mail sorter). 13.1.1 - Single point configuration --------------------------------------------------------------------- Route-To Crash 2:332/402 1:ALL 2:ALL 3:ALL 4:ALL 5:ALL 6:ALL Send all netmail and echomail packets for the six FidoNet zones to 2:332/402. 13.1.2 - Multiple point configuration --------------------------------------------------------------------- Send-To Crash 2:332/403 Route-To Crash 2:332/402 1:ALL 2:ALL 3:ALL 4:ALL 5:ALL 6:ALL Assumes that the system is a point of the 2:332/403 and 2:332/402, send all mail directed to 2:332/403 to that node, and all the remaining packets to 2:332/402. 13.1.3 - Hub configuration --------------------------------------------------------------------- Send-To Hold 2:22402/ALL Send-To Hold 2:332/418 419 Route-To Direct 2:332/403 1:ALL 2:ALL 3:ALL 4:ALL 5:ALL 6:ALL Route-To Crash 39:102/302 39:ALL Holds all packets directed to the point's fakenet 22402 and two nodes, 2:332/418 and 2:332/419 (downlink), then route the packets directed to zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 to 2:332/403 (uplink). Mail for zone 39 (Amiganet) is routed to a different uplink. - 159 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 13.2 - Sample batch files --------------------------------------------------------------------- Since Lora does not use external programs for normal operations, a batch file creation is really simple. If Lora does not need to exit to Dos for automatic maintenance, a batch file is not either needed. A simple batch file, for a complete automatic system, is as follows: @Echo off :Loop C: Cd \Lora Lora If ErrorLevel 10 Goto Daily_Maint If ErrorLevel 0 Goto End_Batch Goto Loop :Daily_Maint LMSG -K -PR Rem Rem Put here your daily maintenance Rem :End_Batch It's been supposed that there is a mail event that forces Lora to exit with errorlevel 10 at a given time. - 160 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 13.3 - Sample external files --------------------------------------------------------------------- This section provides you with some examples on how create external .BBS files to execute some operations, like creating a dorinfo1.def files for running doors, or create a simple new users questionnaire. Please note that the sequence ^W means the character ASCII code 23 (17 hex), so make sure that your text editor can insert control characters inside the text file. 13.3.1 - DORINFO1.DEF (DORINFO.BBS) --------------------------------------------------------------------- ^WDDorinfo1.Def ; Deletes the old Dorinfo1.Def ^OODorinfo1.Def ; Opens an answer file called Dorinfo1.Def ^WW%N ; Writes the board's name ^WW%S ; Writes the sysop's first name ^WW%s ; Writes the sysop's last name ^WIL^WWCOM0 ; If local mode, writes COM0 ^WIR^WWCOM%P ; If remote connection, writes COMx ^WW%b BAUD,N,8,1 ; Writes the connection speed and parameters ^WW 0 ^WW%A ; Writes the user's first name ^WW%B ; Writes the user's last name ^WW%c ; Writes the user's city ^WW%g ; Writes the emulation mode ^PQS^WW100 ; If level = SYSOP, writes 100 ^PXS^WW50 ; If level not SYSOP, writes 50 ^WW%t ; Writes the time left for this call ^WW-1 ^OQ ; Force the file termination Following is an example on how to use the previous command file to run an external door: Running an external door. Please wait .... ^WLDORINFO.BBS ^OCDOOR The previous file is useful when running single line systems, but if you are setting up a multiline system and your are using doors that supports task numbers in the drop file name (such as Dorinfo2.Def, Dorinfo3.Def, and so on), you may change the first two lines with the following: ^WDDorinfo%k.Def ^OODorinfo%k.Def The %k sequence will be replaced with the current task number, so that each running line will create a differente drop file, that can be used as follows: Running an external door. Please wait .... - 161 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 %WLDORINFO.BBS %OCDOOR -cDorinfo%k.Def Inside the MISC directory you should find the command files to create the CALLINFO.BBS (CALLINFO.BBS) and DOOR.SYS (DOORSYS.BBS) drop files. 13.3.2 - New users questionnaire --------------------------------------------------------------------- The following command sequence can be save in a file named NEWUSER2.BBS so that it will be displayed at the first call of each user. ^OOANSWER.TXT ^OP Write your real name: ^ONRealname Address: ^ONAddress ZIP, City: ^ONZipCity Country: ^ONCountry Voice phone number: ^ONVoicephone Sex (M/F): ^ONSex Where did you hear about this board? ^ONWhere What are your interests and hobbies? ^ONHobby ^OQ - 162 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 Index ===================================================================== 1.0 - Introduction 2 1.1 - Main features 3 1.2 - Multiline systems 5 1.3 - The compressed message base 6 1.4 - Acknowledgements 7 1.4.1 - Translator Notes 7 1.5 - Credits 8 2.0 - User's License 9 2.1 - Registration 10 2.2 - Registration fees 11 2.3 - Registration form 12 2.4 - Support and registration sites 13 2.4.1 - Getting support 14 2.4.2 - Support-only sites 15 3.0 - Installation 16 3.1 - Upgrade from previous versions 17 3.2 - Package contents 18 4.0 - Configuration 20 4.1 - File 20 4.2 - Global 23 4.3 - Mailer 27 4.4 - BBS 36 4.5 - Terminal 49 4.6 - Modem 51 4.7 - Manager 54 5.0 - Message area configuration 59 5.1 - Message area parameters 59 6.0 - File area configuration 62 6.1 - File area parameters 63 7.0 - Menu configuration 66 7.1 - Menu types 72 7.1.1 - Moving between menus 72 7.1.2 - Message Areas 74 7.1.3 - File areas 76 7.1.4 - Users configuration 79 7.1.5 - Line editor 82 7.1.6 - Personal mail 84 7.1.7 - Multiline chat 85 7.1.8 - Offline reader 86 7.1.9 - Built-in doors 88 7.1.10 - Other commands 91 8.0 Areafix and Raid functions 97 8.1 Areafix function usage 97 8.2 Raid function usage 99 9.0 - External programs 101 9.1 - LMSG Message area maintenance 101 9.2 - LUSER Users maintenance 103 9.3 - LTOP Users statistics 104 9.4 - FILEIDX File request index 105 9.6 - External door support 106 9.6.1 - L2WORLD External door interface 107 10.0 - The Terminal Emulator 109 - 163 - LoraBBS v2.34 - Copyright 1989-94 Marco Maccaferri - 08/01/94 10.1 - The dialing directory 111 11.0 - Miscellaneous 113 11.1 - Keyboard commands 113 11.1.1 - Waiting for a call 113 11.1.2 - User online 114 11.1.3 - Terminal emulator 115 11.2 - Command line 117 11.3 - External support files 119 11.4 - Embedded commands 125 11.4.1 - Single commands 125 11.4.2 - Compound commands with ?F 128 11.4.3 - Compound commands with ^K 131 11.4.4 - Compound commands with ^O 133 11.4.5 - AVATAR commands 135 11.4.6 - Compound commands with ^W 137 11.4.7 - Compound commands with ^P 140 11.4.8 - RPN commands (compound commands with ^R) 141 11.5 - Events definitions 148 11.5.1 - Events editing 148 11.6 - Echomail/Netmail routing commands 151 12.0 - Explaining the terminology 153 12.1 - The Nodelist 153 12.1.1 - Hosts and hubs 154 12.1.2 - Points and pointlists 154 12.2 - Modems and FOSSIL drivers 156 12.3 - The TIC processor 158 13.0 - Examples 159 13.1 - Routing examples 159 13.1.1 - Single point configuration 159 13.1.2 - Multiple point configuration 159 13.1.3 - Hub configuration 159 13.2 - Sample batch files 160 13.3 - Sample external files 161 13.3.1 - DORINFO1.DEF (DORINFO.BBS) 161 13.3.2 - New users questionnaire 162 - 164 -