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- *-*-*-* Silver Xpress Mail System *-*-*-*
- (c) copyright 1988-1995 by Santronics Software
-
- This file contains a summary of changes made since version 5.03 of Silver
- Xpress. It contains all changes across all systems. Unless specifically
- stated, all changes are generic to each BBS.
-
- ┌─[ LEGEND ]─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
- │ FIX: - means a bug or problem in logic was corrected. │
- │ NEW: - New feature added │
- │ ENH: - Stable feature was enhanced for whatever reasons. │
- │ CHK: - Bug report check. Checked Out with no results. │
- │ CHG: - Something was renamed, or changed. │
- │ ISS: - Issue. Design consideration. │
- │ DOC: - Information which will be added to the documentation. │
- │ │
- │ Unless otherwise stipulated, a RMODE or PMODE keyword will be used │
- │ to indicate REAL MODE ONLY or PROTECTED MODE only. │
- │ │
- │ * - IF ANY OF THE LEGENDS HAVE THIS, IT HAS NOT BEEN DONE. │
- └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
-
- ---------------------------------------------------------- HISTORY OF CHANGES
-
- 5.04B01 ******* Wed 06-08-1994 09:36:59 ******
-
- FIX: XPADM was not saving the current CONTROL VERSION when compiling.
-
- FIX: There was a situation where recanning by date did not accept
- the option to scan all or just selected areas.
-
- FIX: Found situation where mail having empty FROM fields can be given
- to users during an alias check.
-
- FIX: PCBOARD: When creating QWK mail from a PCB conference where FROM
- field was blank, the /QP15 was required to substitute the extended
- FROM line.
-
- The option was off by default. Now it is on by default, and the
- /NPE ("No Pcb Extended lines") is used to no use the extended lines
- for header substitution.
-
- FIX: PCBOARD/QFRONT: Open Qfront files in Readonly mode in XPADM.EXE
-
- FIX: PCBOARD: Vacation Saver mode or Local usage mode, the last
- read pointers in areas 40 and above were not being saved.
-
- DOC: Addendum.doc says to use /@DIGI for digiboard operations.
- It should be /DIGI, ie.
-
- XPMAIL /DIGI
-
- ENH: WILDCAT: Added support for the Wildcat environment strings:
-
- SET WCIRQID=xxx
- SET WCBASEID=$xxx
-
- DOC: Environment strings for Irregular com ports. By default, Xpress
- will now look for the default first:
-
- SET PORT=xxx or COMPORT=xxx
- SET BASE=xxx or COMBASE=xxx
- SET IRQ=xxx or COMIRQ=xxx
-
- If you are running PCBOARD, the specific PCBOARD environment strings
- will be checked and override the defaults.
-
- If you are running WILDCAT, the specific WILDCAT environment
- strings will be checked and override the defaults. Note: For the
- WCBASEID address, Wildcat uses a $ and Xpress will read it
- correctly. However, the Xpress BASE=xxxx does not expect a $ sign.
-
- FIX: MAXIMUS: Fixed a problem in Maximus where seenby lines were not
- stripped. Quite possible the other systems had the same problem.
-
- FIX: MAXIMUS: Fixed a bug where the FORCED SECURED option was not
- working. During initialization, Xpress was not checking this
- relatively new option. Keep in mind sysops, that as a SYSOP,
- you will ALWAYS have access to the areas. To double check,
- what is going on with Xpress recognition of scannable areas,
- run XPMAIL -DEBUG.
-
- FIX: If a Maximum Dupe Database size was set to ZERO, Xpress could
- possibly lock up when user's uploaded mail.
-
- Some sysops were doing this attempting to shut off the dupe
- checker because Xpress was not allowing legitimate duplicate
- cross postings. (See Dupe enhancement below)
-
- Although, it is highly recommended you keep dupe checking active
- within Xpress, Xpress will now turn off the dupe checker if the Max
- Dupe Database Size is 0.
-
- There is no reason why you should want to turn off the dupe checker.
- If you want to have an option, use the "undocumented" switches:
-
- /NDC - no dupe checking
- /TDM - prompt user to toss a duplicate message.
-
- These are primarily used to debug Silver Xpress where we do
- multiple uploads of the same reply packet to test out Silver
- Xpress tossing logic.
-
- ENH: Increased available memory by moving some code into the overlay.
- About 40K was saved. Xpress now requires between 260-300K to run
- and a minimum of 80K more to operate. A total of 340K to 380K should
- be sufficient. This needs to be tested to see how much exactly is
- needed.
-
- FIX: Item # 67 in language file was missing. It should be:
-
- st_067 Enter file number to delete:
-
- FIX: MAXIMUS, PROBOARD, WILDCAT, PCBOARD, RBBS: If the NO MAIL REQUIRED
- option was enabled, Xpress aborted with a 204 or 103 error.
-
- ENH: Xpress was passing empty mail files even if there were no messages.
- Nothing critical. Just better not to send to reader.
-
- ENH: Duplicate uploaded messages not allowed when going into different
- conferences. To accomodate for this, Xpress will now include the
- conference area or name in the dupe logic. This is NOT a clear cut
- solution because not all BBS systems will have a consistent area
- name. Today, you may have "Xpress Support", tomorrow it could be
- "Support for Silver Xpress". In such a situation, a dupe will get
- tossed into the same area. Xpress will use Echo tags where it can.
- This will quarantee dupe checking. But for packages such as WildCat
- and PCBOARD which inherently do not have ECHO TAGS, the AREA number
- will be used.
-
- FIX: PCBOARD: Fixed by reading CNAMES.ADD. Solved Alias Mail Problem.
- Ray Sulich
-
- FIX: REMOTE ACCESS: Customer reported I/O error 100 at 0243:11B7
- NewFiles Scanner had a problem reading a corrupted RA Files
- Database File. Added I/O Error Trap. (NEWFILES.PAS) Tim Settle
-
- NEW: Xpress, XPADM, for PCBOARD will now accept the longer titles
- available in PCBOARD 15.2.
-
- FIX: Change the Direct mail check in all mail scanners to DIRECT mode.
- Previously, Xpress had the logic of allowing multiple names to be
- part of the TO field. So if you wanted to send direct mail to:
-
- TO: USER NAME1 & USER NAME2
-
- Xpress would pick it up as direct when both user name1 and user
- name2 scanned for mail. This worked for 7 years. I used it to
- write to multiple people in a mail echo without having to create
- multiple copies of the message.
-
- However, in the growing world of anonymous and alias single name
- world, this causes problems. An alias of "JOHN" will get mail
- to JOHH SMITH and JOHN AHCHO.
-
- The change affects all mail formats supported by Xpress.
-
- FIX: New file scanners shows the wrong date for systems using FILES.BBS
- files. i.e., QBBS 2.76, OPUS 1.1, and Remote Access 1.xx
-
- FIX: During a XPADM compile, Runtime 005: 011C:1D6C occurred if the
- XPMAIL.KEY file was a READ-ONLY file. XPADM will now not save the
- key information if it fails to open the key file. You must change
- the attribute back to normal write/read mode. Thanks George
- Fliger.
-
- FIX: The Xpress mail door was allowing QWK uploaded private mail into
- Public Conference. Thanks John Schnake
-
- ENH: For HMS mode, the BBS user database file is now definable in
- Xpress. We do not think this was necessary but one customer stated
- that the QBBS 2.76 USERS.BBS was in the wrong directory. We believe
- it was a setup problem on his end, but we are now allowing you to
- change it. It should NEVER be needed in our opinion.
-
- ENH: Xpress will now use the User's Xpress Security value for Netmail
- Flags. Previous Opus and Maximus used the internal BBS values.
- (SYSOP, TWIT, ETC) No longer. We are keeping these feature within
- Xpress so we can add more features later to it. Use the new User
- editor to define your security for users.
-
- NEW: Improvements/Fixes to XPADM
-
- - New look and feel for XPADM program.
- - New arrangement of menus and options consolidated.
- - Better User Editor.
- - Better utilization of memory. (uses less memory)
- - Better Mail Conference Editor.
- - Improved Jump To Dos, Restoring Cursor
- - Removing of OLD options that can be automatically set
- - Got rid of many options that is not necessary anymore.
-
- Stuff learned from the Platinum Xpress development that carries over to
- Silver Xpress.
-
- NEW: Xpress will now give you the ability to trigger FIFO buffering on.
- This has become very important in the new era of V.FC modem
- transferring. However, for Off-line Users, the market is still that
- they are using 1K file transfers and FIFO is not a necessarity yet.
-
- This is for UART operations only. If the FIFO trigger is set to
- greater than zero, Xpress will enable the FIFO BUFFER.
-
- ENH: Some comm programs not sending the ZMODEM "Over and Out" signal
- when uploading a mail packet. Xpress has a very long delay waiting
- for it. The delay was reduces to 4-5 seconds, from 30.
-
- NEW: New OVERLAY options. New Speed Improvements. Better memory.
-
- You now have the ability to load the OVERLAY into XMS or EMS memory.
- This can drastically reduce the speed of some operations.
-
- You now have the ability to define the size of the overlay buffer.
- The bigger the size, the faster Xpress will operate.
-
- Please check out General Options.
-
- NEW: PCBOARD. Added PCBOARD FIDO Support to OPX mail Format.
-
- FIX: PCBOARD: Fixed File Attachment system. It was only sending it to
- the first person who scanned.
-
- DOC: New version number naming convention.
-
- This version would of been, 5.04B04 BBS model number. It is now 5.3d
-
- The second digit was removed and we will go with letters for beta
- versions (a-z). no longer B01, B02, etc.
-
- The primary reason for this is for compatibility in file naming
- conventions. We wanted at most, 6 letters, for official releases.
- So the official release, when it comes, would be:
-
- SX54W1.ZIP or
-
- a beta update:
-
- SX54W1a.ZIP
-
- as opposed to:
-
- SX504W1.ZIP and SX504W1B01.ZIP (oops too many)
-
- FIX: WILDCAT last read pointers was not being saved.
-
- FIX: XPADM.LIB was not included in last beta release.
-
- ENH: PCBOARD 15.21: Added ^aSEENBY check.
-
- FIX: WILDCAT 4.0: Removed message receivable bit detection during scan.
-
- ENH: WILDCAT 4.0: SX now will clear the mail waiting flags.
-
- ENH: WILDCAT 4.0: Now does File Requesting.
-
- ENH: RBBS XPRESS ENHANCEMENTS:
-
- Added the capability for XPRESS to use DOOR.SYS for RBBS.
-
- Xpress no longer needs the MAIN MESSAGE FILE to get the connection
- baud rate for the current user. This has caused problems with the
- new different RBBS Mods out there changing the baud rate table thus
- "breaking" Xpress. Xpress will now get the baud rate from the
- command line (-B) or from the DOOR.SYS file.
-
- NEW: PCBOARD 15.2: Added support for PCBOARD's new FIDO structure. Note,
- these fido structures (PCBFIDO.CFG) were reversed engineered and not
- officially stable. Hence, it could be considered obselete at any
- moment notice by Salt Air. But one day they will be stable and
- we need to move on. So Xpress will attempt to read PCBFIDO.CFG
- if the FIDO PROCESSING OPTION is enabled in PCBSETUP.
-
- The Xpress Mail Door will support PCBOARD's style of doing netmail
- using the @ character in the TO line and the -C -D options.
-
- NEW: PCBOARD 15.2: Added support for QFRONT 1.13 new structures. This
- will work like in QFRONT 1.03. If you are using QFRONT, you must
- disable the FIDO PROCESSING OPTION in PCBSETUP in order for XPADM
- to use the QFRONT options.
-
- NEW: Added PROBOARD 2.02(beta) support.
-
- FIX: XPADM: Internet domain field did not accept numbers for domain.
-
- FIX: WILDCAT/OPX Mode: Door was not converting the fido file request
- and attach bit.
-
- FIX: Fixed registration key comparison key.
-
- NEW: New Xpress security for uploading GROUP MAIL. See new Security
- options below.
-
- NEW: Added a way to do conference specific keyword scanning Here is the
- format:
-
- [<areas>::]<keywords>
-
- Example:
-
- 20 30 40::Hector
-
- Search for HECTOR in areas 20, 30 and 40.
-
- 42:-TRACY
-
- Skip mail with the word TRACY in area 42.
-
- Users must keep in mind that if the sysop changes conferences around,
- the areas numbers in the keywords must be changed too. We can begin
- to use "AREA TAGS" but can you imagine this:
-
- XPRESS_SYSOP XPRESS_SUPPORT PLATINUM_BETA::HECTOR
-
- 8 of 10 users will not KNOW the area tag names, yet spell it right.
- So numbers are better.
-
- NEW: if File request turned off, FILE SCAN is skipped.
-
- Now, Xpress has a new security section in XPADM to define the
- required XPRESS user security to get access to various part of
- Xpress. You can now allow scanning of files while turning off the
- file request, etc.
-
- ENH: Added the ability to ESCAPE from within a conference scan. Before
- the ESCAPE was only accepted after the scan was completed for a
- conference.
-
- FIX: WILDCAT 4.0: Removed message sent bit detection during scan.
- This should of nevered been checked.
-
- NEW: Added ProBoard 2.02 beta support. XPADM now has 9th option for
- type of HMS system.
-
- ENH: JAM: Major enhancement in scanning of JAM conferences.
-
- NEW: JAM: Added new feature to quarantee Privacy in JAM conferences.
- Some of the tossers were not setting the private bit.
-
- NEW: REMOTEACCESS ONLY: Added Support For RA 2.50beta. Only change
- required was in XPADM.
-
- ENH: REMOTEACCESS ONLY: Xpress will now check the RA FDB file for the
- existence of the file during file requests.
-
- Before this enhancement, it would first do a directory check
- existence before checking the FDB files. This caused high CD-ROM
- activity during file requests. Now, the CD-ROM will only be
- accessed when the file will be downloaded.
-
- FIX: Fixed bug in 5.3d where Automatic Display Bulletins was not being
- passed to the user.
-
- ENH: Added some I/O error traps to the HMS scanner.
-
- ENH: Added some I/O error logs to the PCBOARD scanner.
-
- FIX: WILDCAT ONLY: Some BBSes where not correctly putting in the Security
- value in DOOR.SYS.
-
- ENH: WILDCAT ONLY: Enhanced the XPADM program to automatically set the
- Alias System flag if an alias conference is found. This allows the
- Xpress reader to behave correctly.
-
- FIX: OPUS 1.73 ONLY: Date of new files scanned was not displayed right.
-
- ENH: Added time slicing and additional carrier detection at various
- places:
-
- File Scanner: Time Slicing
- Mail Scanner: Time Slicing, More Carrier Detectors
-
- FIX: XPADM -U beeps if ECHOTOSS.LOG not there.
-
- FIX: PCBOARD: new msg number generation for PCBOARD was not correct
- after 65K (limited to 16 bits) Fixed.
-
- FIX: WILDCAT: Init Graphics setting should be using DOOR.SYS graph off.
-
- FIX: REMOTEACCESS: FILE REQUEST WAS GETTING THE WRONG DATE/SIZE
-
- ENH: WILDCAT: Door now removes the OPX INET kludges when tossing. WCGATE
- was passing them thru.
-
- ENH: Added QWK internet support. What this means is that we are still
- limited to the short TOWHOM fields, but atleast Silver Xpress will
- make its attempt to convert the message into a proper "Internet
- Ready" BBS message such as JAM mail.
-
- ENH: PCBOARD: Cleanup fido support with official fido specs from
- SaltAir. Fortunately, they did not change it.
-
- FIX: QWK readers creating duplication messages were getting messages lost.
-
- FIX: Cleanup help in XPADM. Fixed up help for Optional Bulletins based
- on Xpress Securities.
-
- NEW: QWK NetSysop now ignores FROM field during uploads. It does not
- attempt to change the last name.
-
- NEW: New Vacation Saver Sysop Limit For Sysops to Control how many packets
- to save per user. 0 - no limit. The first time you run the vacation
- event, SX will delete the extra files for each user. See XPADM User
- Editor.
-
- NEW: New option to have the default display of the long conference titles
- when users go to the Conference Selection Section. See XPADM
- General Options.
-
- FIX: Last Read Pointer Reset Prompt only allowed upto 65K msg number.
-
- FIX: WILDCAT: Fixed a User Notification Problem, memory leak bug!
- Thanks Andrea
-
- ENH: WILDCAT:
-
- - Added Alias Support User Notification for Alias Conferences
- during Tossing.
-
- - Added support for WCMDM detection.
-
- - Enhanced the file locking when reading/writing lastread
- pointers.
-
- ENH: PCBOARD: Xpress will now support the PCBOARD User Notification
- system. When mail is uploaded, Xpress will check and set the
- receiver's mail waiting bit for the conference. In addition,
- as a bonus, Xpress will also "broadcast" a message to the user
- if he happens to be on-line that he has mail waiting!
-
- FIX: PROBOARD uses the system directory for the compiled Nodelist. DUH!
-
- ENH: For local mode operations, SX will now look for your SPECIFIC reply
- packet files. It will no longer do *.R?? but rather packetid.R??
- when longer for reply packets in the upload directory. This
- will help sysops in local mode operations.
-
- ENH: SQUISH MAIL FORMAT: Added logic to extract POINT kludges from the
- text when uploading reply packets to SQUISH messages bases. Some
- BBS and MAIL EXPORTERS supporting squish do not support the TOPT
- field. Having SX do this, makes it more proper correct.
-
- ENH: SQUISH AND JAM MAIL FORMAT: Added logic to check for the multiple
- formats for the TOPT/FMPT kludge fields. Some systems are using
- TOPT: and FMPT: when it should be TOPT/FMPT, without the colons (:).
-
- NEW: Added support for PCBOARD 15.2 new fido structures.
-
- CHG: Removed looking for BOARD ID only in local mode for Sysops. We
- need to rethink this option.
-
- NEW: PCBOARD: A new switch /NU "Notify User" will enable the "On-Line"
- user notification logic when mail is uploaded.
-
- NEW: Added new XPADM switch:
-
- XPADM QUICKSETUP will allow you to do a new quick configuration.
-
-