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Text File | 1993-08-19 | 13.0 KB | 208 lines

08-18-93 What's NEW with MT-Matrix (v1.13) ------------------------------------------- - A new command <QUIT> has been added to any additional matrix modules. For example drive d: module will now have a QUIT command. So does the sysop maintenance module. I found this command to be necessary if you are running mt-matrix as a menu system instead of the dos dir simulated directory/menu. The problem arrised when any module drives <ie. D:> was for say called MORE, if this module was called MORE then the matrix C: command to access it would of course be MORE <insted of D:>. The problem arrised when no other alternatives would be offered to return to the intial drive module <or menu> such as drive c: unless you used the dos simulated command of c: <which doesn't make much sense in a menu system> So now with the QUIT command, sysops which run the matrix as a menu system, may make drive D: say a submenu and then just add the QUIT command to drive's d: menu. The QUIT command will return the caller back to drive C: <or whatever you call it> Confusing??? :) Try it from drive d: <or whatever you call it in case it's a submenu name> You will see it's purpose... - NEW <to /Standard version> PROMPTS.CNF File which controls most prompts and messages which MT-Matrix display to a caller. <To be exact there are a total of 92 prompts and msgs which you may modify to your liking. SEE The FILE PROMPTS.CNF file for More Info. - NEW (MATRIX.CNF) option config (LINE #23) Matrix User Name - Min Lenght A User name can vary in lenghts. For example on most boards callers would have both a first and a last name. MT-Matrix previously expected callers to log on with a name with 4 letters or more <ie. JOE DOE> however some sysops allow 3 letter only names, if this is the case then this configuration switch is now included in MT-Matrix for that purpose. See LINE 23 Of MATRIX.CNF FILE to configure your desired value to this option. <ie. 3 = Name must be a minimum of 3 letters in order to allow the caller access to matrix Feedback, Post, Check, Apply etc... - NEW (MATRIX.CNF) options config (LINE 24) = Save Feedback as either PCBOARD / or MATRIX. Feedback left at the matrix may now be instead be saved as a PCBOARD COMMENT "PRIVATE COMMENT" TO "SYSOP". Previously any feedback entered at the matrix was saved in the matrix own Email facility <saved to the the file SYSOP.MSG file>. Now in addition to allowing the old method of saving feedback, you may choose to have matrix feedback to be saved as a PCBOARD Comment to Sysop Message instead. To do do fill line 24 of the MATRIX.CNF file with the words PCBOARD <ALL CAPS> pcboard - will not work! it must read PCBOARD. If this toggle switch option is enabled/configured as PCBOARD then MT-Matrix will save feedback at Matrix into a PCBOARD Main Board COMMENT to the SYSOP, this method is recommended if you do not login to the BBS via the matrix, but rather login using the PCBoard Call waiting screen options "Sysop - Busy" or "Sysop - Not Busy". Loggin into the system in the manner also skips the matrix and any feedback mail which you might've had waiting, therefore if you prefer to use the above method of loggin into the system then the setting PCBOARD is recommended since feedback mail will be saved as PCBoard comments. NOTE that you should still log into the matrix occasionally and check the PUBLIC msgs etc... Those cannot <nor any intentions are being made> be saved as pcboard email posts. - MT-Matrix will now properly read the SYSOP PAGE START TIME and END TIME from PCBoard. This option was ignored in the previous releases. You may set your Page Start time (Allow to page start time) and Page End time from with PCBsetup! To set the start/end paging hours load PCBSETUP and choose option; G Configuration Options, then choose option; F Limits from within this setup option you can set the Allow Sysop Page Start Time, and the Allow Sysop Page Stop Time to your preferences. NOTE that the matrix page may also be completely disabled, just edit the COMMANDS.CNF file and change the PAGE and CHAT option lines to page and chat <lower case> and that will disable the matrix page commands (You may also place a 0 in the place of the commands to disable them). - The SYSOP maintenance module received a few a changes with this release, many have been cosmetic (for example); many of you seemed to have problems reading the features in the Menu, to avoid that the menu has been redesigned and also the features NO LONGER have the same Menu options Numbers! All the commands are still in there, but they just have re-reorganized differently by matter of priority on what you might do at the matrix, <ie View Matrix Call logs> is now option 1 because it's considered more important then reading for public mail etc.. Also in the previous release the SINGLE NODE SYSTEM VIEW/DELETE Matrix CALL Logs didn't work properly, this version should fix that as well as some other minor problems which single node systems were experiencing. - Many other minor improvements and fixes, specially cosmetically. 08-05-93 What's NEW with MT-Matrix (v1.12) ------------------------------------------- - Starting with this version <v1.12> detailed description of product development/addition/fixes etc... will instead be documented in the file WHATSNEW.DOC --> [This File] - The DEDUCT TIME at Matrix end <PCBoard Start> feature, was causing a problem for new callers. I'll explain, MT-Matrix allows via the MATRIX.CNF to add time at matrix login "recommended so the caller does not see the WARNING automatic disconnect in 3 mins" message. Whatever time is ADDED at Matrix login is also deducted at Matrix logoff, which is fine, but for new callers it might <or might not> cause a problem, a situation that this could cause be a problem is when for example the caller browses around the system and say reads the NEWS, INFO, HELP etc.. files, now the caller uses apply, if the caller is found in the VIP file or has the correct Sign on Key ID Password then MT-Matrix will allow the caller into PCBoard as new user, well at this time the matrix will also deduct any time which was issued to the caller at matrix login and say if you had awarded 10 mins to the caller at login, and the caller spend 10 mins online + an extra 3 mins <which is automatically given to each and every caller upon matrix login> then at the end of the apply feature they would be logged off, and pcboard would return the message "Time Limit exceeded". To avoid this mt-matrix will no longer deduct time at matrix end when using the apply command *ONLY*. Note that this is the only command which time will now NOT be deducted at logoff, this is to avoid any problems with new callers being logged off after providing correct info the apply command. 08-02-93 What's NEW with MT-Matrix (v1.10) (SEE ALSO HISTORY.DOC) ------------------------------------------------------------------ - Many additions have been made to this version. There is now much better sysop features/support as well. A whole new sysop maintenance module is included USE the command SYSOP at the matrix prompt to load the module. From within this module you may check you current Matrix configuration, View or Delete the Matrix Call log files, View or Delete the Public and Sysop feedback Msg files, Check the Sysop Feedback or Public Msg files for new mail, and more, all without dropping to dos. - MT-Matrix now allows even more adaptability by the sysop. New with this version is a PPE Laucher, which allows any PPE program to become a matrix command. This allows the sysop to configure or make the matrix anything or any way they like. An example is if you are satisfied with a particular default matrix command, then you can make your own, and simply add the external ppe as a matrix command. SEE THE FILE PPE.CNF for more info. - MT-Matrix now properly creates CALL LOG FILES (NODE1.LOG, NODE2.LOG etc.) Everything which happens in the matrix is now recorded to the NODE? Log files. Matrix CALL Log files can be Viewed / Deleted right from the matrix (LOAD SYSOP MAINTENANCE MODULE) from within this module you may also Read/Delete Feedback Msgs, Read/Delete Public Msgs, View/Delete Call Log files. Also you may view ALL matrix Passwords which are currently configured, as well as ALL other configuration options, without even exiting to dos. - MT-Matrix now allows Drive C: / D: / E: specifications to be defined by the sysop! In other words if you chose to call drive C:, D: instead then using dir D: or cd d: would work as well. The CD D: is supported because if you named your additional drives a directory instead of a drive then all commands are interactive to support your configuration, in other words if you decided to name a drive something other then drive c: for example \BBS\UTIL then using the commands cd \bbs\util would take you to that module, same thing with other matrix commands such as DIR \BBS\UTIL would also work, and so would DIR C:\BBS\UTIL etc.. JUST remember that if you name your drives something else then you should also adjust that drive's module prompt to match whatever you are calling the extra drives, or directory. - A slight problem existed with the previous ADD Time to Matrix Login. The problem really was that if a caller entered the matrix any more then one time during a session, the online time would of course <each time the matrix was loaded> be incremented by whatever you decided in the Matrix.CNF to reward the caller. To accomodate these situations MT-Matrix will now DEDUCT whatever time it was ADDED to the caller upon PCBoard Start <Matrix END>. So now it does not matter on how much time you reward callers at matrix login since that time is taken back when they exit the matrix! NOTE! It is recommended that you add some time at login, this is so that callers upon loading on to your system (matrix) will not be bogged with the; "Warning automatic disconnect in (3) minutes" messages which pcboard will display to the caller. NOTE! the ADD Time to Callers which use either FEEDBACK or POST a public Msg CNF options are not discounted for at matrix END! The reasons for that is because there is no easy way for MT-Matrix to know which callers used the POST or FEEDBACK commands and which ones didn't. So if you ADD time to callers for using these 2 functions remember that UNLIKE the ADD time at Matrix Login, these will not be Discounted at Logoff. - Number of MAX lines allowed for MSG Entry in both the POST Public Msg and SEND FEEDBACK to Sysops are configurable/definable via this setup option. In other words a value here of 99 equals a total max of 99 lines allowed for public msg entry or feedback to sysops msg entry. Some sysops find it that allowing too many lines in the Msg Editors will encourage callers to leave HUGE messages at the matrix without being necessary <Some sysops DO NOT feel this way however> in either case this setting can now be used so you specify the MAX number of allowed lines in the MSG editors per your preference. NOTE! A value higher of 99 lines is not recommended, if you load the message editor you will notice that the value set here is displayed to the caller when using the Editors, a 3 or 4 digits value number in this field will work fine, but however it will not look <cosmetically> as good. Also I don't think you would ever want to allow a caller at matrix to enter a 1000 line message neither :) - APLLY.VIP file added. This file can be anywhere or named anything you would like, just as long as the correct locations and names are specified in this line. The APPLY VIP file holds information on Names with Apply VIP access. In other words Matrix will check this file each time a NEW Caller applies, if the callers name matches any entry within this file then NEW USER PASSWORD <if enabled> will be skipped and the file NEWVIP (for MONO) / NEWVIPG (for ANSI) / NEWVIPR (for RIP) will be displayed to the caller, following the display of the above file the caller will be shown the Matrix NEWUSER file, then taken to the PCBoard sign on screen (Enter Your First Name). NOTE that the name the caller uses at Matrix Apply will automatically be inserted in the PCBoard sign in prompt <Enter your first name>! The VIP file has few rules however NOTE THE FOLLOWING; The first entry of the file should be a number which equals the total users/names in the listing. <ie if you have 5 names in the list then the first line of this file should read a numeral 5> Each time you add a new name to the VIP List you MUST increase this number so the matrix can appropriately find their Names in the VIP <if they are indeed listed in the APPLY VIP file>.