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Text File | 1998-10-06 | 14.9 KB | 446 lines

Introduction ------------ This chapter is a description of the Trion BBS mail system. The mail system is what lets the user read and write messages and let the mailer import and export mail to other systems. Message base format ------------------- The message base is stored (default) in the directory "trion:mail/" with optional sub paths for different networks or types or messages. But all of these paths can be changed in the Mailareas.cfg Note that the only fixed use of the "trion:mail/" dir is for temporary storeage of (parts of) messages. Every message section consists of 2 or 3 files, the a MsgData.N file, a MsgText.N file and sometimes a Attach.N files. (Where N is the number of the section) The MsgData files contain the actuall information on messages, like names, data, subject, size, attributes etc.. All the entries in this file have the same (fixed) size, this is usefull because when a message has to be updated because for instance files are attached only a tiny part of the file has to be changed. Also random access is a lot easier that way, a message can be found with a simple calculation instead of having to read all previous messages. The MsgText contain the actuall bodies of the messages. Every message in the MsgData files have "pointers" to where a message is stored including its size, so when a the actuall body of the message has to be read a hunk of memory of the rigth size can be allocated. Sometimes there is also an Attaches file where a list of attached files including their path is stored for some messages. Note that incoming attached files are stored in the directory "trion:outbound/attaches/". Note that message sections will grow bigger and bigger until you give a command to "trim" them. This is done by the program "RMCommander", if you use the dupe check options you also have to remake the DupeBase because that will grow to. So the best way would be to use the script "trion:scripts/trimmsgs" because it contains all the calls needed to trim the message base. A good idea would be to start the script a couple of times a week with the scheduler or a Cron program. User access capabilities ------------------------ The access a user has to a message section is defined in the "template" that is connected to his level. Templates are defined in the templates.cfg and described in chapter 3. In a template, lines with sections ranges with the same access flags are listed. Like this: MsgAccess [V-PW--] , 1 , 3 ;CommentToSysop MsgAccess [V-P---] , 10-40 ;Netmail MsgAccess [VR----] , 2 , 5 , 100-199 , 200-299 ;Local/Echomail (with 'All' you can use all areas with the given flags, same effect as 1 - 65536) At the moment there are 6 flags for message sections: View Read Private Write Attach Special Where the flags have the folowing meaning: V = View, User sees area in Lists and can go to this area. R = Read, User can Read/Scan all messages in this area. P = Private, User can only Read/Scan messages To and From him. W = Write, User can Write in this area. A = Attach, User can Attach files to messages. S = Special, User can Read/Scan deleted or private messages. Message related features ------------------------ message forwarding & cross reply While reading messages, a user can forward them to other users and other sections or cross reply in an other section. Note that the user should have access to the section he wants to forward the message to. Note that the forward and cross reply options look like each other but are different. With the forward option the original message is left intact, but with the cross reply option the message text is quoted. file attaches After writing a message a menu appears with questions if the message should be saved or files should be attached. During a local login there appears a prompt to enter filenames (with path), when a user is logged in remote files can be uploaded. Note that the message is first saved and then the system asks for the files to be attached. Note that files are stored in "trion:outbound/attaches/". If a user forgets to attach files during saving, then files can be attached when reading messages. Message editors --------------- Every user has a parameter which determines which editor is loaded when he writes mail. If it is 0 (zero) the internal line editor is started. If it is 1 (one) you get the internal line editor if you call remote, but if you login locally you get the external editor configured in Trion:cfg/trion-X.cfg, so you can use editors like the CygnusEditor (CED) for your mail. In that case there will be a text that the editor is started and that you have to press return to continue. Of course you only press return after you edited the message and did a 'Save&Quit' in CED. Note that if you had CED already running nothing seems to be happening but there will be a window on the workbench stating that there is already a CED running and if you want to run an other one. If the parameter is 2 or higher an external editor will be ran with the name "doors:fsed/fsedX" (Where X is the value of the parameter) This is done so you can have different editor, which is usefull when writing/testing new editors. message section configuration ----------------------------- Message areas are configured in the 'Trion:cfg/MailAreas.cfg'. Each config line is in a specific format which is dependent on the type of the area, there are 3 different kinds of area types. There are Local areas , echomail and netmail areas. Global format ------------- Format for a local message area: #area flags MaxMsgs path areaName Examples: #001 [LW-ST-] 120 TRION:mail/ "[loc] Sysop Comments" #002 [LWA---] 100 TRION:mail/ "[loc] Chat Area" #003 [LW-ST-] 100 TRION:mail/ "[loc] Private Area" Format for an netmail area: #area flags MaxMsgs path areaName TagName NodeNumber Examples: #016 [NWIST-] 100 TRION:mail/ "[Fido] Netmail" FIDO_NET 2:284/324.20 #017 [NW-ST-] 100 TRION:mail/ "[Trion] Netmail" TRION_NET 350:1002/100 #040 [NWIST-] 100 TRION:mail/ "[I-net] E-mail" "E-Mail" 2:284/324.20 Format for an echomail area: #area flags MaxMsgs path areaName TagName NodeNumber Examples: #304 [EW-ST-] 999 TRION:mail/fido/ "[Fido] Amiga" AMIGA 2:284/324.20 #305 [EW-ST-] 120 TRION:mail/fido/ "[Fido] Amiga NL" AMIGA.028 2:284/324.20 #306 [EW-ST-] 120 TRION:mail/fido/ "[Fido] Amiga Comms" AMIGA_COMMS 2:284/324.20 #308 [EW-ST-] 120 TRION:mail/fido/ "[Fido] Amiga Program" AMIGA_PROG 2:284/324.20 #309 [EW-ST-] 120 TRION:mail/fido/ "[Fido] Amiga Tech" AMY_TECH 2:284/324.20 Format for an echomail area if you are a HUB or HOST: #area flags MaxMsgs path areaName TagName NodeNumber HubNumber HostNumber [other_nodenumbers] (Maximum of 5 extra NodeNumbers per Area) Examples: #050 [EW-ST-] 100 TRION:mail/trion/ "[Trion] Beta" TRION_BETA 350:1002/100 350:1002/0 350:1002/1 #051 [EW-ST-] 300 TRION:mail/trion/ "[Trion] Chat" TRION_CHAT 350:1002/100 350:1002/0 350:1002/1 #052 [EW-ST-] 100 TRION:mail/trion/ "[Trion] News" TRION_NEWS 350:1002/100 350:1002/0 350:1002/1 #053 [EW-ST-] 100 TRION:mail/trion/ "[Trion] Quest" TRION_QUEST 350:1002/100 350:1002/0 350:1002/1 Note: Don't use area number #0 Note: Don't forget a ':' or '/' at the end of a path !! Note: A 'BAD' area is an echomail area with tagname 'BAD' Note: A 'DUPES' area is an echomail area with tagname 'DUPES' Note: Use "" if you want to use spaces in a field. Fields: ------- Area: Every section definition starts with an area number. Note that the area number should be unique, there can only be one message area number with a certain number. Numbers allowed for a message section are 1 - 65536. Note that the number should start with a '#' character so the BBS knows this line is the start of a section definition. Flags: Every section needs a number of flags. Flags are basically a string of characters, optionally you can use '-' characters to make the config clearer. In that case you can give the characters a fixed position. Also you can place the string between [] to make the the config more readable. The type of an area is configured by flags, each area has to have a flag which determines if it is used for local, echo or netmail. type of area (you must use 1 of these per section) L = Local Messages N = Netmail E = Echomail Also there are a few flags which determine the characteristics of an area. Which means that those flags can not be overruled by flags in the users template. Characteristics of area A = User may use an alias in this area. W = Users can write in this area. O = Obligatory (for areafix) can't disconnect with areafix I = Internet support (For E-mail) S = Use signatures in this section T = Use taglines in the section Note that a user can only write messages in an area if he has Write acces in his Template AND the area has a Write flag. Note that an area can have a Read flag OR a Private flag or none of the before mentioned. If a user has a Read flag he can read all messages, if he has a Private flag he can only Read messages which he has written or which are written to his name or alias. MaxMsgs: MaxMsgs if the number of messages left in this message section after the command to reduce messages in the message base is given. path: The path is where the files for this section are stored. Note that a path should end with a ':' or '/' character of the files are placed in the wrong path. areaName: The areaName is the "nice name" the BBS uses to indicate this section. TagName: The TagName is used in Echomail sections to as a identifier of the section. All messages with a matching TagName are placed in this section. Note that TagNames are case sensitive and should be copied exactly as they are given to you. NodeNumber: This is the node number used in messages if an echomail or netmail is written in this section. BAD messages ------------ You can create an optional section where bad messages are stored. a bad section is an echomail section with the tagname "BAD" (in uppercase). Bad messages are echomail messages with no matching section on your system. Also messages with a damaged or missing origin line, messages with no path lines or messages with no seen-by lines are moved to the bad section (if the -G option is used in the mail processor). Also duplicate messages are stored in the bad section if you have no DUPES section. Duplicate messages ------------------ If you use the duplicate check function you should create a section where duplicate messages are move to. A dupes section is an echomail section with the tagname "DUPES" (in uppercase). Fidonet netmail --------------- It is a good idea to make the first netmail section a FIDO netmail section. Because if there is no section with a matching zone number the message is stored in the first netmail section. Because fido net uses zone number 1 to 6, netmail from an other continent probably has an other zone number than you have. Note that for netmail you need a route.cfg where the program can find where netmail has to be send to. See chapter 14 for an explanation of the route file. There are a handfull of programes that are able to write netmail, like tick and areafix programs. These programs may need the name of the sysop, these are stored in nodelists or pointlists. See chapter 14 for an explanation of these files. Fidonet echomail ---------------- Note that if you are not a point or node but a hub, host or even higher like hq in a net you need an address list with all the extra node numbers you have got. The extra nodenumbers are listed at an extra line after the definition of the section itself. Note that the mail processor has the option to check for duplicate messages. This means that if there is an error somewhere and you receive messages you already received earlier they are moved to the DUPES (or BAD) section. To be able to use "DupeChecking" you first have to make a "DupeBase" which contains information on all messages needed to detect a "Dupe". Note that you only have to create a DupeBase if you have a message base and didn't use dupechecking before, or after you trimmed messages in the messages base. Read the "trion:docs/tmp.doc" for details how to use dupechecking. Every Echomail section needs a tagname. The TagName is used in Echomail sections as a identifier of the section. Note that TagNames are case sensitive and should be copied exactly as they are given to you. If you join a net you should obtain a list with the tagnames of all sections and create them in the mailareas.cfg. If you want the mail processor to export echomail to your boss or other systems you have to add the area to the 'trion:cfg/mail.cfg'. In this configuration file you make an entry for each area. An entry starts with an AREA xxxx line, folowed with lines on which the nodenumber of your boss and the nodenumbers of the nodes and points you feed are placed. An entry is terminated with a '#' symbol. For example: AREA TRON_BETA 14:103/0 14:103/103 # You can use the GUI program MailEd to add a nodenumber to a whole net .. and to see what sections are missing in the mail.cfg Note that the mail processor needs to know a password and archiver for your boss node and the nodes you feed, these are configured in the 'trion:cfg/systems.cfg' file. Also you need to add your nodenumbers to the 'trion:cfg/aka.config' or you will get no mail if you call your boss. If you want to connect points you have te change some configs. You have to add the point to the 'trion:cfg/systems.cfg' file. If the system is not in a nodelist, you have to add it to a nodelist or beter the pointlist (See the areafix doc) or else the areafix and tick programms don't know the name of the point/sysop. Then you to add the point to areas in the mail.cfg OR you could use areafix for that. (See the areafix doc) You have to add the point the areafix configuration and then the point can connect itself, or you can give areafix the command to connect all the available areas. If you want triontick to send files to the point you have to change the filenet.doc and filenodes.doc (see the triontick doc)