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Text File | 1990-11-05 | 14.5 KB | 271 lines

INTRODUCTION 1-1 1. INTRODUCTION --------------- RBBS-PC is a Remote Bulletin Board System for the IBM personal computer, hence the name RBBS-PC. RBBS-PC's primary application is a "host" communications package. This allows a System Operator (SysOp) to control a system that lets "remote" callers use the host computer for many functions, including: - the dissemination of news and bulletins - electronic mail between users - exchange of programs and data - taking surveys and placing on-line purchase orders - or playing games. RBBS-PC is a "full featured" bulletin board system that not only supports a broad range of functions, but runs "multi-user" under networks and multi-taskers. RBBS-PC can also run as a "local" application in which the "user" does not connect through a telephone line, such as on a local area network. 1.1 The Philosophy Behind RBBS-PC --------------------------------- RBBS-PC is given away freely, with source code. Its authors and contributors neither ask for nor receive any money for their work. RBBS-PC is "Userware", meaning that it is supported and enhanced by the community of people using it, who believe that what is shared becomes better than it was. It is hoped that RBBS-PC will be used as a catalyst for the free exchange of information, an educational example of communications programming, and an irrepressible political force that puts the power of information in the hands of the many. 1.2 Distribution of RBBS-PC --------------------------- Each new version of RBBS-PC is initially sent to the CPCUG's Software Exchange for distribution. CPCUG is a Maryland Corporation whose "legal name" is the Capital PC User Group, Inc. The CPCUG is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization according to Section 501C3, Social Welfare, of federal law. All revenues are re-invested in and applied toward CPCUG's education programs. There is no fee at all for using or distributing RBBS-PC. Indeed, no one can charge for its use or distribution, though user groups and commercial distributors of software can recover their costs but not charge anything for RBBS-PC itself. RBBS-PC can also be downloaded from hundreds of bulletin boards across the country. If the BBS you are calling is running RBBS-PC, chances are good they will also have the files in their library. 1.3 The "Contributions" Requested for RBBS-PC --------------------------------------------- RBBS-PC lives and dies by the unremunerated contributions of it's user community. Four types of "contributions" are requested for RBBS-PC: A. Modifications to RBBS-PC, itself, that are documented and distributed as .MRG files against the "base-line" source code that other SysOps might elect to incorporate into their version of RBBS-PC. Remember that RBBS-PC can be distributed in modified form only with permission. Distributing a modified EXE (executable) file without RBBS-PC 17.3A TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL 1-2 permission violates both the RBBS-PC copyright and the limited license granted with it's use. B. Publicly distributable software. It can either be "public domain" (i.e. software which the author has relinquished all rights and which may be appropriated by anyone for use in any way), or publicly distributable software (i.e. software in which the author has retained the rights and which may only be used according to the conditions under which the author has designated). C. Equipment or services. If you or your organization can donate equipment, software, supplies, or services to support the RBBS-PC development effort, feel free to do so. Contact any of the authors (listed on the title page of this document) if you wish to discuss equipment donations. D. Money - the last level of "contribution". Money is the one commodity that we are willing to exchange without first having obtained the respect or consideration of the other party. It is perhaps the easiest to give as it exonerates us from the other levels of "contribution." RBBS-PC development is an all volunteer effort, so money is never plentiful. However, when equipment donation is not possible, spare cash can often buy a piece of hardware that requires experimentation before RBBS-PC can support it. Remember, money is not the best or even the second-best type of "contribution" you could make. Independent of any donations of enhancements to RBBS-PC, publicly distributable software, equipment, services, supplies, or money, please consider becoming a member of CPCUG. Simply send your name, address, and phone number along with $35 to CPCUG, 51 Monroe Street, Plaza East Two, Rockville, MD 20850 or call their membership hot line at (301) 670-1737. If in the final analysis you feel that you can do none of the above, - remember those who have, - enjoy what they have nurtured, and - keep the faith with those who have gone before you. RBBS-PC is what it is today only because of the freely donated time and work of many contributors. Contributions have included suggestions, software fixes, significant enhancements, improved documentation, and utilities. Some of the individuals named here have continued their contributions to RBBS-PC even to the current release. Others have gone on to pursue different interests. But whether mentioned below or not, their contributions live on in RBBS-PC. In their contributions to RBBS-PC's on-going growth, each has paused to give of themselves without hope of reward by practicing RBBS-PC's fundamental principle -- "users helping users." INTRODUCTION 1-3 While we have met very few of these people personally, those names we remember are: Doug Azzarito Ray Horton Harvey Pierce Jeff Batdorf Gary Howrith Danny Plunkette Rod Bowman Charlie Innusa Lee Pollard Matthew Briggs Loren Jones Jeff Porter Randy Brodersen Larry Jordan James Reinder Mike Brown Robert Jueneman Joel Ricketts Sam Brown Vern Kallegin Kurt Riegel Mike Button Dave Kleinschmidt Jacques Rodrique Vince Castelli Steven Kling Dick Rohradnz Rob Cecchino Kim Kodde Rich Schinnell Tom Collins Blaine Korcel Mark Seiden Drew Commins Ronald Koridon Rosemarie Siddiqui Ezra Conger John Krytus Andrew Silber Ed Copley Mark Lautenschlager Carl Slaughter Richard Couture Steve Lieber Samuel H. Smith Bob Cramer Steven Linhart Gregg Snyder Dave Crane Joseph Lionelle Robert Snyder Daryl Damon Scott Loftesness Carl Spencer Everett Delano Harry Logan David Staehlin Francis Dorer Gene Lowry Stan Staten Peter Eibl James Ludwick Terry Steichen Warren Fox Kevin Lutz Dorn Stickle John Friel D. Thomas Mack Randy Sun Jim Fry Robert Mahoney Terry Taylor Asa Fulton Matt Malden Jan Terpstra Kent Galbraith Carl Margolis Arnold Thomsen Mitch Geier Sidney Markowitz Daan van der Weide John German Jon Martin Rick Wadowski Read Gilgen Louie McCaw Clark Walker Ken Goosens Wes Meier Kim Wells Ray Gwinn John Morris Bob Westcott Dave Hacquebord Bill Newkirk Robert White Steve Harrison Jeregen Nordhausen Yew Seng Tan Gary Hoff Vince Perriello Special thanks goes to SysOps who helped sponsor enhancements to RBBS-PC, including Ken Rogers of the United States Department of Commerce ECONOMIC BULLETIN BOARD who encouraged configurable identification and individuation, Loren Jones of The Center for Law and Computers at the Illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago-Kent College of Law who contributed to subscription support, John Rittwage of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists who helped support submenus and the programmable user interface, and Brian Kelly of National Credit Appraisals and Reporting, whose special needs prompted the development of personal downloading. To those whose names have not been mentioned -- apologies are extended. Take comfort in knowing that you live on in the work that you have wrought. In an age of cynicism, RBBS-PC and the Userware concept represents an opportunity for each of us to give back to the world something a little better than when we found it, and is something that the authors of RBBS-PC believe in strongly. To each of the contributors to RBBS-PC, we would like to say personally, "We are very proud of the company that RBBS-PC keeps." RBBS-PC 17.3A TECHNICAL REFERENCE MANUAL 1-4 1.4 How to Send Improvements ---------------------------- RBBS-PC continues to evolve and be "debugged." The following coding conventions have been helpful in the past and you are requested to observe them in the future: Updates consist of two types of ASCII files. One called *.MRG which are the BASIC source statements for the particular base-line source code component of RBBS-PC to be updated. The lines that have been modified are indicated as being so modified with a comment beginning in column 70 in the format as follows: 4330 CALL QuickTPut("This line has been changed!",1) ' DA091402 The comment in column 70 consists of the changer's initials, the month and day of the change, and a sequence number. Thus, the comment DA091402 means Doug Azzarito made this change on Sept 14th, and it was the second change he made that day. These .MRG files can be applied to the base-line source code via Ken Goosens' Batch Line EDitor utility program (BLED). The BLED utility can easily create .MRG files as it has both a file compare and file merge function that is specifically geared to the new BASIC compiler's capabilities that allow lines of source to be unnumbered. The second file type is called *.DOC. It describes on a line-by-line basis the specific functions added or bug that was fixed. The .DOC file is what allows us to integrate several .MRG files and resolve whatever conflicts that may exist. Each incremental release of RBBS-PC beyond 17.3 will include updates to the base-line documentation. When possible, these updates will be in the form of replacement pages to be inserted in the baseline documentation. The RBBS-PC naming conventions of 99.9X are roughly as follows: 1. If a significant change to source code or logic occurs, the first two digits of the release level will change (i.e. 14.1 was followed by 15.1). Such changes usually include system file format changes requiring a "reconfiguration." 2. If a new feature or enhancement is added the digit following the decimal point is incremented by one (i.e. 17.2B was followed by 17.3). These changes usually do NOT require "reconfiguration." 3. If a "bug" is being fixed, the letter at the end of the version number is incremented (i.e. 17.2A was followed by 17.2B). These "maintenance" releases contain no new significant features, but often fix troublesome bugs in the previous version. With each maintenance release, a .MRG file name such as 17-3A.MRG and a corresponding 17-3A.DOC file will describe the changes. The first maintenance version is always "A". 4. As bugs are reported and fixes found for the current release of RBBS- PC, the source code corrections are distributed via an RFIXmmdd.ZIP file. This contains the necessary files to apply the "temporary fixes" against the released version of the source code and re-compile the source code. The recompiled .EXE files are distributed via a file named RFIX-EXE.ZIP. INTRODUCTION 1-5 The purpose of these conventions is to allow everyone to know what RBBS-PC level they are running under and understand the logic behind the changes/fixes as they occur so each SysOp can evaluate them for his own needs. When you logon to RBBS-PC the version will be displayed. If you have comments or fixes, please let us know so that they can be reflected in the RBBS-PC program and shared with all other users. You can do that by sending your changes by mail to: Ken Goosens 5020 Portsmouth Road Fairfax, Virginia 22032 or uploading the changes to Ken Goosens' BBS at 703-978-6360. All comments and suggestions are welcome, but those that are come with source code changes carry more weight.