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Text File | 1990-06-25 | 14.1 KB | 308 lines

INSTALLATION ************************ To install BackMail you should: 1. Copy all of the "EXE" files in the distribution archive file, i.e.: BM2EXE.EXE BM2DOCS.EXE into the directory where you want them to live. We suggest that you create a subdirectory called "\BACKMAIL" but you may use any directory you wish. These contain respectively the executable and documentation files that form BackMail, in self-unpacking archives. Just run the corresponding programs to extract the files. 2. Run the program called BMCONFIG. This configuration will ask you to set: 1. The Baud rate & port for your modem. 2. The directory in where you want BackMail to put its phone directory and its INMAIL and OUTMAIL message files. 3. The directory where you want BackMail should put incoming files. Note incoming files will overwrite existing files with the same name so it is a good idea to store incoming files in a seperate directory for this purpose. 3. The batch file INSTALL.BAT will carry out the abover steps for you automatically. 4. If you are upgrading to BackMail II and wish to use your existing BackMail 1.x phone directory you *must* run the program CONVERT *before* runing BackMail. CONVERT must be in the same directory as your old PHONE file. 5. When you have used BMCONFIG to configure your program correctly you can run the program by typing: BGROUND at the DOS prompt. This loads the RAM resident portion of the program. ******************************************************************* * The default hot key to call up Backmail from the background is * * ALT-1 * ******************************************************************* THE FIRST TIME YOU RUN BACKMAIL ******************************* ... the program will report it cannot find copies of its INMAIL OUTMAIL and PHONE files and ask you permission to create them. Hit "N" to tell it to create New files. If you have existing files from BackMail 1.x, you must run CONVERT on your phone directory before running BackMail II (the version appropriate to the conversion of International format directories is called INTVERT). Your old INMAIL and OUTMAIL files will be usable without any conversion. If you are not upgrading from BackMail 1.x Alethic provides a PHONE file with the support number installed as well as the registration number. Once you are running you should got to the CHANGE SETUP function under the main menu and set your: Phone Prefixes *************** Set the dialing prefixes appropriate to your phone system. Availability Time ***************** This is the period of the day you will be telling other BackMailers you are available for BackMail calls. Max Retrys ********** This is the maximum number of times you want other Backmailers to retry calling your number if they find busy or get no answer. Letterhead ********** Enter the Letterhead line which will appear at the top of all of your outgoing messages. See the Manual for details on all of these settings. ***** The file MODEMS.TXT contains information for customizing BackMail To take advantage of all the features of your modem. MODEM DIP SWITCHES AND INTERNAL MODEMS *************************************** To run your modem properly your modem must be set so that: 1) It sends CARRIER DETECT only when it detects a carrier. See your modem manual to make sure that your modem is not leaving CARRIER DETECT perpetually on. 2) It hangs up the modem when the computer toggles DTR off. In your manual this setting is probably described as "DTR ENABLED". 3) AUTOANSWER should be set OFF This version of BackMail incorporates modem setup strings which will enable carrier and DTR detect on most internal modems, viz: Carrier Enable: &C1 DTR Enable: &D2 If your internal modem does not use these values you should change the string BackMail uses to reset your modem. To do this 1) Call up the CHANGE SETUP function from the main menu. 2) Select TECHNICAL SETTINGS 3) Alter TECH SETTING #3. By default tech setting 3 is '&C1&D2'. MDF FILES ********* Alethic provides, with this distribution, certain modem description files (MDF's) which you can use with BMCONFIG in order to customise BackMail for your modem. These can also be used in conjunction with MAKEMDF as a basis for the construction of new MDF's. These files are: DEFAULTS.MDF this file contains the default values for BackMail STANDARD.MDF this file is like the DEFAULT but contains the hayes commands to turn on 'extended response codes', 'X4', and the interpretation of the codes for BUSY and NO DIALTONE. HST.MDF this file activates the response codes for the USR HST including all of the 'connect' modes. It also enables the largest possible set of response by 'X4'. HSTNOMNP.MDF this file activates all the USR HST response codes but *disables* MNP with '&M0'. MODEM1.MDF this file is the one we recommend if you are using an internal modem that supports '&' commands (consult your modem manual). MODEM2.MDF this file is the one we recommend if you are using an internal modem that * does not * support '&' commands. 9600 **** NOTE: In order to drive your 9600 baud modem you *must* customize BackMail's TECH settings to conform to the response codes of your modem. Consult Modems.TXT for details. REGISTRATION IS A LEGAL TRANSACTION *************************************** Registration is a legal transaction. A (very) few users have failed to appreciate this and have tried registering phoney credit cards numbers. Some have offered the excuse that they were "testing" the system and have been surprised that we have responded in the same way that any business would when you "test" them with a phoney credit card. Do not attempt such "tests"! They constitute credit card fraud and abuse of an 800 number. Credit card companies take a dim view of the former and the phone company takes a dim view of the latter. The latter can locate you and the former can make you extremely uncomfortable... don't do it. VERSION 2.0 ************ The major differences between Version 2.0 and Version 1.x are: 1. SCRIPTS BackMail-II reads communications scripts. We call the script language "BSL". It is a very compact, very terse, communications language. It is designed with fast, unobtrusive, background operation in mind. Scripts enable Backmail to: - dial through data switches, PADs and services like PC- pursuit that require log on, id and route addressing. Access to dial through PAD's will give BackMailers tremendous savings on long distance traffic. - Do complex Initialization of High Speed modems for selected destinations. (E.g. set MNP levels etc) - log on and into information services and E-mail nodes that support a BackMail server. Scripts files are ASCII text files kept in the backmail directory. From within BackMail they are defined under "Change Setup" very much like prefixes, except instead of giving a arbitrary label you enter a list of up to 8 script names. These names appear in the phone directory window just like prefixes. Thus a user might have scripts for 'DATAPAC', 'TYMNET', 'UUCP', 'USR-HST' ... &c. and declare some users "LONG DATAPAC","LOCAL UUCP" an so on. The Script language includes a command to save all script transactions in a "SCRIPT.LOG" file, to help in the debugging of complex scripts. BackMail-II will come with plenty of sample scripts and a BSL manual. The script.log file is placed in the user's "transfer" directory. 2. POLLING Now in addition to declaring some destinations as e.g. "High Priority' one can, from the Phone Directory Menu, mark declarations to be "polled". A polled destination is called at least once every hour, even if you have no mail addressed to it, to collect mail pending from that destination. This is one more step towards complete voice compatibility. Using polling the user can set his availability and answer Mode such that BackMail will never answer the phone with carrier, and yet regularly receive mail from all the polled destinations. It will be particularly useful as BackMail servers on mainframe based E-mail networks like UUCP proliferate. 3. OUTCALL ONLY (SECURE CALLS) Marking a destination as OUTCALL is the reverse of the current feature "Do not accept return mail". When a destination is marked as an OUTCALL BackMail will only deliver mail to it when BackMail has called that destination, not when that destination (or a BackMail that has that destination's phone number) calls. OUTCALL is intended to satisfy users who wanted more security for their BackMail traffic. 4. CHECK FOR SUSPENDED DESTINATION ON REPLY In version 2, BackMail will warn you when you reply to a suspended destination, and offer the option of unsuspending. 5. TIME ZONE ADJUSTMENT With version 2, Backmails automatically compare local times and adjust for time zone diferences in availability times. 6. AVAILABILITY LOCK There are certain circumstances in which you may want your BackMail *not* to adjust a availability to the users declared settings (e.g. if you wish to poll a long distance number once a day after midnight). In BackMail-II an individual destination's availability can be "locked" at the phone directory window. 7. CALL NOW Now hitting "N" at the main menu sends the first available message immediately, overiding BackMail's normal approx 3 minute cycle. (Note: Call Now does not overide availability or priority.) 8. GROUPS The user can define 6 group names and assign any subset of his destination directory to a group. Group names appear at the top of the destination window below "All local" and "All internal phone numbers" 9. NEW UTILITIES SEND.COM is a utility that allows you to post files by backmail from the dos prompt or from a batch file. Files can be adressed by number or handle. Thus: SEND -c:\backmail -Hjoe -Fd:\123\myfile.wks will post "myfile.wks" to "joe" without having to access the main menu. If your editor supports macros this utility allows you to substitute your editor for the BackMail message editor. CONVERT.COM alows you to convert your BackMail-I phone directories to version II format saving the trouble of having to re-enter the numbers. For converting International format directories use INTVERT.COM. PMERGE.EXE allows you to merge 'foreign' phone directories with yours. 10. CC. LISTS BackMail now appends a CC list to all messages which are adressed to more that one destination. CC lists can be supressed from the phone address list. 11. DISPLAY STATUS Now displays information about the status of polled destinations as well as errors in reading scripts or logging scripts or script language errors. 12. AUTODIALER The voice autodialer will now read phone numbers from the screen of the user's foreground application. 13. BMCONFIG A new BMCONFIG will make installation much easier and will includes predefined settings for non-standard modems. 14. WELCOME FILE The user can designate a file (it must reside in the BackMail directory) which will be sent to any "unknown caller". I.e. any caller who is not already in the user's phone directory. The name of the file is entered under the change setup menu. 15. ALPHABETICAL LOOK UP Now in the phone directory or destination list, the user can search through handles by hitting the first letter of the user's name or handle. 16. VARIABLE NUMBER FORMAT BackMail-II supports non-North American phone number formats (e.g. 1-5 digit area codes, 6 digit numbers...etc). 17. SIZE? With all this BackMail-II takes *less* RAM that BackMail-I. (At this point about 33k) PRICING, UPGRADES AND CRIPPLEWARE ***************************************************** BackMail-II will cost $50. Upgrades (though not manuals) will be free to users who have registered BackMail-I prior to BackMail-II's release. BackMail-II is a kind of "crippleware". The way it works is that some program functions (send file, forward and reply) are locked out until the user actually registers. The functions are automatically unlocked by a call to the registration machine once the users payment has cleared. There is no whining message. A user can elect to Register by hitting 'G' at the main menu when it appears (it isn't always there). Some people will not like this. But we think it is reasonable. The complaints against standard crippleware/test drive programs do not apply here since the program is fully functional and unlocking the relevant functions is very easy thanks to our Teleware system. The new system also makes it possible for users to pay by check or purchase site licenses. Note that there are lots of BackMail-I's out there and users who want to avoid registration can continue to (indeed are encouraged to!) use them.