D'Bridge EMAIL System Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. www.nickandre.com 1:1/130 * USER'S MANUAL * TABLE OF CONTENTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Title Page ------- ----- ---- 0.00 NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR 1 0.01 HARDWARE / SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS 2 1.00 GENERAL OVERVIEW 3 2.00 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION 8 2.01 BASIC EMAIL SETUP 9 2.02 BASIC ECHOMAIL SETUP 12 3.00 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION AND MAINTENANCE 17 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 18 3.02 DIRECTORY PATHS 27 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 34 3.04 SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE 44 3.05 NODELIST CONFIGURATION 56 3.06 PACKET MAIL CONTROL 63 3.07 XMAIL CONTROL 71 3.08 TIME CONTROL SYSTEM 76 3.09 FUNCTION KEYS 81 3.10 BBS CONFIGURATION 82 3.11 SECURITY MISCELLANEOUS 88 3.12 DISK SPACE MINIMUMS 97 3.13 ACCOUNTING TRANSLATION 98 3.14 ZMODEM PARAMETERS 102 3.15 SETUP EDITOR OPTIONS 104 3.16 ECHOMAIL AREAS 109 3.17 WINDOW COLORS 115 3.18 KEYBOARD MACROS 116 3.19 TRANSLATION TABLE 117 4.00 SYSTEM IDLE COMMANDS 118 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. TABLE OF CONTENTS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section Title Page ------- ----- ---- 5.00 EMAIL MESSAGE EDITOR 139 5.01 USING EDIT MODE 145 5.02 USING READ MODE 152 5.03 ADVANCED FEATURES 155 6.00 UNDERSTANDING THE QUEUE 158 6.01 CREATING A PRIVATE NODELIST 163 6.02 DUTIES OF A NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR 165 7.00 DBUTIL / UTILITY PROGRAM 167 7.01 FIDO AND QUICKBBS STORAGE 170 7.02 USING THE SCRIPTING LANGUAGE 171 7.03 EXAMPLE SCRIPT FILE 176 8.00 BBS SYSTEMS 177 9.00 GLOSSARY OF TERMS 226 A.00 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 258 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 0.00 NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR 1 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.00 NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR Hello, my name is Nick Andre, and I am the current developer of the legacy D'Bridge EMAIL System by Chris Irwin. What can D'Bridge do? Simple - it can move data, programs, documents, spreadsheets, pictures, drawings and sounds between continents in just seconds or minutes, depending on the size. Anything that can be stored in your computer may be automatically transmitted to other computers using compatible EMAIL systems anywhere in the world. It also features a vast array of options, a built-in scheduler and router. It is fully capable of "conference mail" (Echomail) internally and has a built-in message editor for reading and composing messages. D'Bridge isn't alone; there are many other programs out there that can communicate with it. This means you may communicate with anyone using simular programs such as FrontDoor, BinkleyTerm, Intermail, Fido, Opus, SEAmail, TIMS, SEAmail, TrapDoor and many others. D'Bridge is also Internet-ready, and can communicate using the now- common BinkD protocol. It can also process messages from Usenet (NNTP) and Internet Email using SMTP/POP3. I have updated the help system to include step-by-step walkthroughs and troubleshooting, as well as help for newer features such as Internet connectivity. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me by the methods indicated in the appropriate README file for this release. Nick Andre www.nickandre.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 1.00 GENERAL OVERVIEW 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1.00 GENERAL OVERVIEW D'Bridge is one of the most flexible Fido EMAIL systems available today and its menu-driven operation makes it one of the easiest to use. The communications between D'Bridge systems use the powerful ZMODEM proto- col, ensuring that your data arrives as quickly and accurately as possible. In its simplest form, D'Bridge acts like a messenger between two or more points; at its best and most complex, it can be a multi-tired network connecting hundreds (or thousands) of cities using a "hub and spoke" topology (much like our major airlines and parcel services.) MESSAGES D'Bridge can send messages (text) from one location to another automatically. Messages may be prepared by using the built-in D'Bridge Message Editor or a third-party product. Messages are a simple and cost-effective way for offices to communicate with each other. It is usually more cost-effective to send EMAIL messages between offices than to use FAX or TELEX. With a high-speed modem, D'Bridge acan transfer hundreds of messages in just a minute or two. FILES Along with messaging, D'Bridge can send files. Word processor files, spread- sheets, database files and graphic images are just a few of the types of files D'Bridge can transfer. Any file which can be put on a standard DOS storage medium may be sent anywhere in the world within minutes using D'Bridge. FUNCTION-REQUESTS D'Bridge also has the ability to spawn FUNCTION-REQUEST server tasks. These programs are designed to process received data then generate output to send back to the calling sytstem. Examples of function requests are the programs that issue "DEMO keys" and collect registration data. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 1.00 GENERAL OVERVIEW 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DESIGN PHILOSOPHY / BASIC CONCEPTS D'Bridge is a complex program that allows a user complete control over its operation. Three highly-integrated programs are involved in the routine operation of the system. In addition, some "modules" are included for communications over the Internet. DB This is the MAILER portion. It controls your modem both answering and originating calls; it can control your FAX card or the FAX options inside your modem at the same time. Think of the MAILER as a fancy timer/ clock allowing you to program different "events" to happen using a weekly schedule. EMAIL is transmitted only when the schedule permits; mail schedules can be set up to send all mail at the least-expensive rates. DB EDIT This is the EDITOR portion. It is very much like a word-processor in operation, but instead of documents, there are EMAIL messages. The editor allows you to enter, read and reply to messages. DBUTIL This is the utility program. It allows for additional functions such as SEND FILE or POLL to be executed from a batch file so that nightly data transmissions can be automated. With the PURGE option, DBUTIL will purge the message base. BINKD This module allows D'Bridge to send mail and files via. the Internet using a transaction protocol called BinkD. VSOUP This module allows D'Bridge to process Internet EMAIL and USENET groups as regular "Fido-style" messages. There are some basic terms that are important to understand when dealing with D'Bridge. There is also a complete glossary of terms located in appendix A, but here are the ones you will need in order to get started: EMAIL Electronic mail, or in D'Bridge terms, messages that are sent directly between systems or routed through a host. EMAIL messages may be public or private and may be sent in normal or compressed (XMAIL) form. It may also refer to messages addressed to/from the Internet. NETmail NETmail or network mail is the name of the EMAIL message area for messages sent directly between systems. Each NETmail message has an ORIGIN and a specific DESTINATION where it is to be sent. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 1.00 GENERAL OVERVIEW 4 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ECHOmail ECHOmail is a form of conferencing. When an ECHOmail message is entered on your system, it is automatically "echoed" to all other systems participating in the given conference. ECHOmail messages are generally not private since they can be read by the system operator of each node receiving it. ECHOmail conferences are generally topic-specific. For example, there may be an ECHOmail conference about SKIING and one about SCUBA_DIVING. This provides a means of linking lots of people throughout the world in a common forum for discussion. XMAIL In D'Bridge terms, XMAIL simply means compressed mail. Compression is achieved through the use of common com- pression/archival programs that store a series of files inside a single archive. By default, ARC by System En- hancement Associates is used to store and compress the mail so that telephone costs may be cut. ZIP, LHA, ARJ, PAK and ZOO are also supported as standard compression methods. NETWORK A NETWORK is a group of computer systems with the ability to send EMAIL on a scheduled or continuous basis. In D'Bridge, NETWORKS are defined by a NODELIST file. NODELIST A NODELIST is a text file containing a list of EMAIL systems in a given NETWORK. The list is in a structured form, known as the "St. Louis" format. D'Bridge needs to compile the raw list(s) into its database before a new nodelist file may be used. If you are joining a public NETWORK, you will need to obtain a copy of their NODELIST from a "network administrator". If you are setting up a private NETWORK, you will need to create your own NODELIST file. MESSAGE A MESSAGE is the basis of EMAIL communications. A user enters a MESSAGE in the editor and ADDRESSES it to any other system in the NODELIST. ADDRESS Each EMAIL MESSAGE has two addresses: the ORIGIN and DESTINATION ADDRESS. The ORIGIN is simply the ADDRESS of the system on which the message was written and the DESTI- NATION is the ADDRESS of the system where the message is being sent. In D'Bridge, addresses are broken up into four segments: ZONE, NET, NODE and POINT. Each of these segments is a number between 0 and 32767. The normal for- mat for an EMAIL ADDRESS is ZONE:NET/NODE.POINT. ZONE The ZONE ADDRESS is a number between 1 and 32767 desig- nating a NETWORK or geographic region. In the case of pu- blic NETWORKS, different ZONES have been used to designate completely separate NODELISTS. NET The NET ADDRESS is a number between 1 and 32767 designa- ting LOCAL NETWORKS. A LOCAL NETWORK consists of a HOST NODE, BOSS NODES and POINTS. NODE The NODE ADDRESS is a number between 0 and 32767 desig- nating the ADDRESS of an individual system. If the NODE number is 0, the system is a HOST NODE. POINT The POINT ADDRESS is a number between 0 and 32767 desig- nating the ADDRESS of an individual system acting as a POINT. If the POINT number is 0, the system is a BOSS NODE; otherwise, the system uses its BOSS NODE to receive mail. BOSS NODE A BOSS NODE is any system operating with a point address of zero. The difference between a BOSS NODE and a POINT is that BOSS NODES are listed in the NODELIST of a NETWORK, while POINTS are not. A BOSS NODE will HOLD and FORWARD EMAIL and files to its POINTS. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 1.00 GENERAL OVERVIEW 5 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOST NODE A HOST NODE acts as a collecting point for EMAIL and HOST-ROUTED files. When a message and/or file is ROUTED, it is automatically FORWARDED for the appropriate NODES. EVENT An EVENT comprises of a number of scheduled parameter changes in order to control EMAIL routing or to execute a series of DOS commands at preprogrammed intervals. The SCHEDULE may hold a maximum of 64 EVENTS that tell D'Bridge what to do. D'Bridge features four basic modes of operation: MAILER The normal mode of operation, the MAILER mode of D'Bridge is normally running 24-hours/day unless you are running D'Bridge only at certain times. While in the MAILER mode, D'Bridge sends and receives EMAIL and files based on a preprogrammed schedule. The MAILER mode offers a completely unattended method for scheduled transfers of data between personal computer systems. The user has the ability to control the queue of outbound file-transmissions and file-requests as well as XMAIL and standard EMAIL. No mail will be sent if the system is not left in MAILER mode when not in use by the operator. EDITOR The EDITOR mode allows you to enter and read EMAIL messages sent and received by D'Bridge. The EDITOR is a specialized word-processor designed to offer powerful functions through a clear and simple user interface. The editor can be configured to read hundreds of local and ECHOmail areas as well as standard EMAIL. TERMINAL The TERMINAL mode allows D'Bridge to act as a ANSI terminal allowing the user to call other systems such as Bulletin Board Systems (BBS) or commercial systems. In order to make calls, you must have a "PSTN" or dialup modem installed in your computer that is supported by D'Bridge. CONFIGURATION The CONFIGURATION mode of D'Bridge consists of a series of parameter screens providing complete control over the operation of the software. There are hundreds of user-definable parameters controlling the scheduling, communications and routing of the EMAIL. For added security, a password may be required to enter the various CONFIGURATION screens. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 2.00 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION 6 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.00 SOFTWARE INSTALLATION Installing D'Bridge from the release ZIP file is quick and easy. D'Bridge 3 is predominately a DOS-based application. The installation is best performed in DOS (or a DOS session) in your operating system. When you perform installation from DOS, you should first make sure that you have a copy of both PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE in the DOS PATH, ie. in C:\DOS or C:\WINDOWS. PKZIP is a compression program that creates .ZIP archive files. PKUNZIP is the program that decompresses them. Chances are, if you're reading these notes, you have managed to decompress the D'Bridge release archive. Do not make a directory called C:\DB or C:\DBRIDGE to decompress the release file to; this should be a temporary directory, ie. C:\TEMP. Unzip the release archive by typing PKUNZIP DB3.ZIP. At this point, you should have the following files in the directory that you decompressed the release archive into. Lets take a look at what they are: DB3.EXE - This is the D'Bridge Setup Wizard. Running this executable file begins the installation/upgrade process. DB3.TXT - This file contains information specific to this release of D'Bridge. You should always read this file before you upgrade your system with a new version. TECHSPEC.TXT - Contains information of interest to 3rd-party application developers or for those of you who wish to know the technical-aspects of how D'Bridge operates. AUTORUN.INF - If you decide to burn D'Bridge to CD-ROM, this file will begin auto-installation for users who run Microsoft Windows operating systems. READ.ME - Last minute information / installation notes. To install or upgrade D'Bridge, simply type the command DB3 in the directory. C>DB3 The installation program will walk you through the installation process. Proceed to the next chapter for basic EMAIL configuration. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 2.01 BASIC EMAIL SETUP 7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.01 BASIC EMAIL SETUP In order to gain a complete understanding of D'Bridge, we suggest that you use the following guideline to initially configure the software. Using this section, follow along step-by-step as we install an operati- onal system. 1. When D'Bridge is first loaded, it will perform a series of tests on its environment, files and peripherals. 2. When the top-left corner of the screen says "IDLE," you may press the ESC key to display the main menu. Pressing the ESC key a second time will return the system to IDLE mode. Select menu items by using the ARROW keys to move to the desired option, then press ENTER. Pressing the first letter of any option will select that option im- mediately without any other keystrokes. 3. On the EDITOR menu, select the SETUP EDITOR OPTIONS option. (Pressing ESC-E-S is a quick way of getting to this menu from the IDLE state.) Choose answers for all the fields on this screen. If you're not sure about a field, leave it blank or accept the pre- programmed "default"; refer to SECTION 3.15 for more information. 4. On the CONFIG menu, select each of the following options and fill-in all the fields with the appropriate information. Again, if you don't understand something, just accept the "default" value or leave it blank. Screen Section BASIC CONFIGURATION 3.01 DIRECTORY PATHS 3.02 HARDWARE/MODEM DEVICES 3.03 NODELIST CONFIGURATION 3.05 BINKD CONFIGURATION 3.22 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 2.01 BASIC EMAIL SETUP 8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5. If you run a bulletin board system (BBS,) setup the information on the ADVANCED MENU, BBS CONFIGURATION screen; refer to SECTION 3.10 for more information on this screen. 6. Next, if there are certain mail schedules required for your NETWORK, you can set them up in the SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE option of the CONFIG menu. Typically, a NETWORK will have at least one MAIL EVENT each night. During these events, EMAIL and files are allowed to be sent; this allows EMAIL entered during the day to be transmitted at night, yielding the highest savings in tele- communication costs. See SECTION 3.04 for more information. 7. At this point, your system should be configured for basic EMAIL operation. Assuming that you defined a NODELIST on the NODELIST CONFIGURATION screen, it must be compiled before D'Bridge can use it. The NODELIST always gets compiled when the system is brought up and a new NODELIST exists. If you haven't left the program, you can force a nodelist compile by using the BUILD NODELIST DATABASE on the UTILITIES menu. This process takes a few minutes, so be patient. 8. In most cases, you are assigned a network address from another system which should be running the BINKD protocol for allowing transactions over the Internet. If this is the case, proceed to BINKD SETUP as described in SECTION 3.22. 9. Now EMAIL is fully configured and you may continue by reading SECTION 2.02, BASIC ECHOMAIL SETUP. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 2.02 BASIC ECHOMAIL SETUP 9 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2.02 BASIC ECHOMAIL SETUP It is assumed you've completed the previous section and set up most of the parameters on all the menus listed. If you haven't done this, please go back and read the previous section as you configure D'Bridge. Before you configure the ECHOmail subsystem, it is a good idea to have a general understanding of what it is and how it works. Once properly configured, the D'Bridge ECHOmail processor is completely automatic in operation. - What is ECHOmail? ECHOmail is a facility allowing for EMAIL-based conferencing in any number of message areas at the same time. An ECHOmail message differs from a NETmail message only in that there is no DESTINATI- ON ADDRESS for an ECHOmail message; it gets sent to ALL systems participating in a given conference. With ECHOmail, you have the capability of sharing ideas with other people in SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS or SIGS. A conference is created for each topic of discussion and you may participate in as few or as many as you wish. When you enter a message, it is automatically forwarded to all the other nodes you are linking to the conference. In turn, all the other nodes forward the message to all the nodes they link to; the process continues until your message has been seen by every system participating in the conference. Your message can be sent to THOUSANDS of systems if a conference is interesting enough to attract a large and widespread "audience"! ECHOmail is a unique form of communications. People living thousands of miles apart can carry on a public discussion on any topic or in- terest they have in common. During the Gulf War the CNN television network featured a report about D'Bridge being used for fast commu- nications between American soldiers and their families at home. In fact, within several days a special purpose all-D'Bridge SaudiNet had been set up for this particular purpose. While it took regular mail several weeks to get to its destination, D'Bridge carried Mega- bytes of messages back and forth between the Gulf Region and the States within minutes! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 2.02 BASIC ECHOMAIL SETUP 10 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An example of some public ECHOmail conferences anyone may partici- pate in are: DBRIDGE D'Bridge users conference HUMOR Sick jokes and humor POLITICS International political discussion SYSOP International Sysop ECHO ZMODEM Discussion about the ZMODEM protocol For more information about how to receive public ECHOmail, contact any of our support nodes and we'll be glad to help you. - How does ECHOmail work? Each ECHOmail conference is actually an entire network within itself. An ECHOmail network is defined by its TOPOLOGY or the way in which the network interconnects. The following chart describes the topology of an ECHOmail conference from my system's point-of-view. (This is just an example...) -------------------- 1:110/68 (my system) ---------+---------- | | | /-----------+------------+-----+-----+-------------+-------------\ | | | | | | ---+--- ----+---- ----+---- ---+----- ----+----- ----+----- 1:105/3 1:107/150 1:150/613 1:3601/14 2:512/1006 1:110/68.1 ---+--- --------- --------- ---+----- ----+----- ---------- | | | +-----------+------------\ | +-------\ | | | | | | ---+---- ---+---- ----+---- ---+----- ---+----- | 1:105/10 1:105/50 1:105/300 1:3601/14.1 2:280/280 | -------- -------- ----+---- --------- --------- | | | +----------------\ | | | | -----+------ -----+------ -----+------ 1:105/300.14 1:105/300.68 2:512/1006.1 ------------ ------------ ------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 2.02 BASIC ECHOMAIL SETUP 11 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To understand what topology is and how messages get to all the systems in the conference, let's take an example of a message entered on 1:105/300.68 replying to a message from 2:512/1006.1... The message would pass through the following systems to make it to its final destination: 1:105/300.68, 1:105/300, 1:105/3, 1:110/68, 2:512/1006, 2:512/1006.1 This could take anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on the events running on the different systems; the message must be forwarded through four different systems before making it to 2:512/1006.1! You will notice the topology (interconnection) is in the form of a tree starting with my address at the top. ECHOmail topology is different from every system's point-of-view. In the above network, there may be links I am not aware of. For example, I have no way of knowing to which points 1:105/300 is sending the ECHOmail. The tree looks completely different from his point-of-view. The main thing to remember is never to have more than once "source" of an ECHO. It is fine to forward an echo to several other systems, but make sure all topology follows this tree structure and never causes any loops. Most networks have an ECHOmail coordinator whose job it is to ensure the validity of the local network topology. If you are a member of a public network, you should always contact the ECHOmail coordinator before setting up any ECHOmail links. IMPROPER TOPOLOGY ACCEPTABLE TOPOLOGY /-----------\ /-----------\ | | | | ---+--- ---+--- ---+--- ---+--- 1:134/2 1:134/5 1:134/2 1:134/5 ---+--- ---+--- ---+--- ---+--- | | | | ---+--- ----+---- ---+--- ----+---- 1:134/3 1:134/150 1:134/3 1:134/150 ---+--- ----+---- ------- --------- | | \-----------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 2.02 BASIC ECHOMAIL SETUP 12 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- OPTIMUM TOPOLOGY System FORWARD TO a ------ ---------- ------- 1:134/2 1:134/3 1:134/5 1:134/150 1:134/2 1:134/3 1:134/2 ---+--- 1:134/5 1:135/2 | 1:134/150 1:135/2 /-----------+-----------\ b | c | d | ---+--- ---+--- ----+---- 1:134/3 1:134/5 1:134/150 ------- ------- --------- While configuring basic ECHOmail capabilities, read the follo- wing sequence of instructions to gain a greater understanding of D'Bridge. 1. From the CONFIG menu, select the PACKET/MAIL CONTROL screen. Using this screen, set the ECHOmail-related parameters like this: Inbound mail handling? Automatic Kill null msgs? Yes Kill In-transit msgs? Yes In-transit rescan? Yes Secured ECHOmail only? No Save ECHOmail SEENBYs? No Save duplicate messages? No Auto-add ECHOmail areas? No (for now) Accept AREAFIX requests? Yes Remove empty PASSTHRUs? Yes 2. Next, select the XMAIL CONTROL screen. Here, you should already have defaults displayed for each of the compression commands. If you are using different archive programs than the ones specified, change them as appropriate, but remember the formats of the ARC, ZIP, LHA, ARJ, PAK or ZOO files must be the same. XMAIL uses the ZIP program by default, but you may specify which compression methods to use for which systems on this screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 2.02 BASIC ECHOMAIL SETUP 13 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3. On the ADVANCED menu, select the DISK SPACE MINIMUMS screen. D'Bridge comes preprogrammed with suggested minimum disk space criteria. If you plan to use more than one hard-drive to store the message bases or queue directory, make sure you specify minimums for them on this screen. 4. On the EDITOR menu, select the ECHOMAIL AREAS screen. Following the directions listed in SECTION 3.16, create all the ECHOmail areas you will be using. In the FORWARD TO fields, list the addresses of the systems you want to set up ECHOmail links for. 5. That's all there is to it. For ECHOmail to work, you must verify the following things: a. D'Bridge reports at least enough free memory as it takes to run the compression and decompression programs specified on the XMAIL CONTROL screen. When D'Bridge first comes online, it says how many bytes of memory are available. Typically, this must be around 100K, depending on the compression programs you are using. b. The compression programs specified must exist in the current default path. c. There is enough free disk space; there will be a warning at the bottom of the screen if disk space is too low to unpack or forward ECHOmail. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.00 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION AND MAINTENANCE 14 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.00 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION AND MAINTENANCE D'Bridge is configured by using a series of configuration options on the EDITOR, CONFIG and ADVANCED menus. These options give you complete control over all features and settings and, if improperly set, result in bad performance or malfunction. It is therefore advised that only the system operator have access to the maintenance functions. Configuration screens may have a password assigned, using the Config password parameter on the BASIC CONFIGURATION screen. The following menu options comprise the configuration/maintenance sub-system of D'Bridge: Setup editor options ECHOmail areas Keyboard macros Translation table Basic configuration Directory paths Comm/modem setup Schedule maintenance Nodelist configuration Packet/Mail control XMail control Time adjustment data Function keys BBS configuration Security/Miscellaneous Disk space minimums Accounting/Translation ZMODEM parameters Xport configuration Window colors All these options are described in detail in the following sections. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 15 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION The BASIC CONFIGURATION screen allows control over the "basic" functions of D'Bridge such as: - System log - Primary and Alias EMAIL addresses - System name - Operator name - Location or City - Data phone number - Flags - Alarms - Configuration password SYSTEM LOG LEVEL System log level: Verbose (None/Terse/Verbose/Debug) This controls the level of detail being written to the system log file. D'Bridge allows three levels of activity logging; it is high- ly recommended you select VERBOSE until you are familiar with the complete operation of D'Bridge Email System. /---------+----------------------------------------------------------------\ | NONE | Creates NO log whatsoever. Using this option, problems will | | | be difficult to resolve, once detected. | | | | | TERSE | Writes only the important data, such as connections, events, | | | and file-transfer information. | | | | | VERBOSE | Writes ALL information displayed in the log window. | | | | | DEBUG | Same as VERBOSE, except the times are recorded in the log | | | using fractional seconds. (HH:MM:SS.hh) | \---------+----------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 16 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PURGE LOG AFTER Purge log after: 7 days, purge DBUTIL log: 7 days, BinkD: 3 days This specifies the number of days to retain the information in the system log files. There are three of them. Over time, the size of these log files can grow considerably so it may be desirable to purge old entries. DBRIDGE.LOG is the log for the mailer, mail processor, scheduler and routing. DBUTIL.LOG contains log entries for the command-line utility program. And DBBINKD.LOG contains logs pertaining to the BinkD system. Every day, all log entries older than the specified number of days will be erased from these files. This purge occurs only during the AutoUpdate event at midnight. Answering zero to any of the three questions disables automatic purging for that log file. LOG FILENAME Log filename: C:\DB\DBRIDGE.LOG D'Bridge normally keeps a "log" of all activity so that you may review its performance. Here, you specify the name of the file (including the directory if you wish) to which D'Bridge will write its log. This file contains the information displayed in the upper-left window including such data as incoming and outgoing calls, file-transfer statistics and event activation. Log voice calls? Yes D'Bridge can optionally log incoming voice calls to your system when you answer YES to this question. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 17 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CPS DISPLAY UNIT Units: bps (bps/cps/kpm/%) This setting determines the method to use when reporting the effective speed of a data transfer. These measurements are displayed in the ACTIVITY window during a dialup mail session. The value of this parameter has absolutely no effect on the actual speed of a transfer. This setting is only used for PSTN dialup modem sessions. The CPS of the transfer is not displayed for Internet BinkD sessions. /-----+----------------------------------------------------------------\ | bps | Bits per second @ 10 bits per byte. ie. 17100 bps | | | | | cps | Characters or bytes per second. " 228 cps | | | | | kpm | Kilobytes per minute. (cps x 1024) " 94.2 kpm | | | | | % | Percentage of reported baud rate. " 113.2% | \-----+----------------------------------------------------------------/ PRIMARY ADDRESS Primary address: 1:110/68.1 This specifies your primary system address. This (like all addresses) must be in the format: If you are a member of an already-existing network, contact your network coordinator for an address assignment. If you're not sure, make up an arbitrary address for now. Note that Fido/FTN "domains" are specified in the BINKD SESSION INFO screen. /--------+------------------------------------------------------------\ | ZONE | Continent or nodelist designator 1=US, 2=Europe, etc. | | | | | NET | Usually represents a local calling area (1..32767.) | | | | | NODE | Specific system address within a ZONE and NET. | | | | | POINT | Zero unless running as a "point" of another system. | \--------+------------------------------------------------------------/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 18 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALIAS ADDRESSES Alias addresses: 201:201/0 FOR 201:ALL This specifies your secondary (alias) addresses. The field must be in the format:
[FOR ] If you are a member of multiple networks, specify your main address in the "Primary address" field and all other origin addresses here. The filter controls the automatic alias function. In the above example, any mail, AREAFIX requests or transactions with any zone 201 address will be sent using 201:201/0 as the origin address. The primary address is used in all cases where there is no match with an alias address filter. Please note that if you plan to use D'Bridge to forward mail to other systems by means of the AREAFIX system; you will need to specify the individual alias addresses to be recognised; otherwise any Areafix requests that get received that don't match your aliases will be treated as IN-TRANSIT mail. If you are using the Internet EMAIL and USENET features, please do NOT specify the address of the Gateway Processor in your alias-addresses. (See PRIMARY ADDRESS for information about EMAIL address formats.) * REMEMBER * CTL-N inserts lines, CTL-Y deletes lines in a window. SYSTEM NAME System name: Darkrealms BBS When D'Bridge communicates with a remote site, the SYSTEM NAME is displayed on the other system's screen along with OPERATOR NAME, CITY and your primary and alias addresses. This field should match the SYSTEM NAME field of your nodelist entry. The SYSTEM NAME is also used as the default "Origin" line on messages written using the internal message editor; unless you specify another Origin line to use in the ECHOMAIL SETUP screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 19 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SYSTEM CITY System city: Toronto, ON When D'Bridge communicates with a remote site, the SYSTEM CITY is displayed on the other system. Make sure it is not duplicated in the SYSTEM NAME field (it would be redundant...). This field should match the CITY field of your nodelist entry. OPERATOR NAME Operator name: Nick Andre When D'Bridge communicates with a remote site, the OPERATOR NAME is displayed on the other system and placed in its system log file. This name will also be used in the "FROM" field in the editor, when entering a NETmail or ECHOmail message. This field should match the OPERATOR field of your nodelist entry. The OPERATOR NAME is used by default in the internal message editor for composing new messages. If you wish to use a handle or "alias", specify those in the EDITOR SETUP screen. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 20 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DATA PHONE Data phone: 1-416-555-1212 When D'Bridge communicates with a Fido system via dialup (also known as a PSTN, EMSI or POTS mailer), the DATA PHONE field is transmitted to the other system for automatic addition to their nodelist database. If you do not specify your data phone number, it may not be possible for the remote dialup system to return an answer to your mail directly. Now if you don't use dialup, or you use a voice line and do not wish to make this number public, specify "-Unpublished-". This data is exchanged during a dialup mail session. It is not sent anywhere else during a mail transfer. In most cases, -Unpublished- should be used. * NOTE * For proper translation, phone number MUST be in the format: -- Recent Fido "political" decisions suggest that a "000-0-0-0-0" be used as a placeholder for Internet IP addresses in the nodelist. DO NOT specify your IP address in this question. This is configured later on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 21 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CAPABILITY FLAGS Capability flags: XX,CM,V32 This specifies your system's dialup capabilities. Each capability flag is separated by commas. These flags are transmitted to the remote site during the initial EMSI handshake for dialup mail sessions. With this information stored in a system's nodelist, it is possible to determine modem type, hours of operation and file-request capability. If you do not use a dialup modem, leave this question blank. Following is a partial list of standard capability flags: /-----+----------------------------------------------------------\ | CM | Continuous mail system. (On 24-hours every day) | | | | | XX | WaZOO file-requests and update-requests are accepted. | | | | | V32 | Modem conforms to the V.32 standard. | | | | | HST | Modem conforms to the US Robotics HST standard. | | | | | PEP | Modem conforms to the Telebit Trailblazer standard. | \-----+----------------------------------------------------------/ AUDIO ALARMS Audio alarms? Yes (Yes/No) This parameter controls the PC's speaker, enabling or disabling the audio alarms. These alarms will alert the operator of incoming calls and new mail received. You will also be notified by a series of beeps if you received mail addressed to you personally. If you specify No, all automatic alarms will be disabled. D'Bridge supports sound cards such as SoundBlaster. D'Bridge checks for the presence of PLAYMAIL.BAT when new personal mail arrives. This is a "hook" to allow you to play digital audio files upon receiving personal mail; please consult the included PLAYMAIL.ZIP file for more information. A sample WAV file and player is included for Microsoft Windows platforms. PLAYMAIL.BAT overrides any other internal PC speaker "beeps", so the "Ansi music" questions in this screen become irrelivant. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 22 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ALARM HOURS Alarm hours: 24 hours -or- Alarm hours: 08:00 until 23:00 This parameter controls the time of day during which the audio alarms may be heard. This has no effect if the Audio alarms are disabled. Either specify nothing (for 24 hours) or enter both starting and ending times. Use 24-hour format to describe times after 12 noon. If the starting time is before the ending time, the period includes midnight. RING SIGNAL Ring signal? Yes (Yes/No) This parameter enables or disables the PC's speaker when the phone is ringing because of an incoming call. This has no effect unless the Answering method is configured for Hardware or RingMaster on the HARDWARE/MODEM DEVICES screen. This signal is only heard during the allowed time period. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 23 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CALL ALARM Call alarm: T120L8CGL4E This parameter would normally be blank, indicating that the standard alarm tones should be used. However, some people get tired of hearing the same alarm every day, so this field gives you the opportunity to write your own musical alarm. Either specify the music codes or the name of a text file containing the notes. Standard ANSI music codes are used, in fact, they are the same as the "PLAY" statement in Microsoft's BASIC. Note that if you are using sound-card support via the use of PLAYMAIL.BAT, then Ansi "music" is NOT played at all. Please consult the included PLAYMAIL.ZIP archive for more information on sound-card support in D'Bridge. Following is a chart of supported music commands: /--------+--------------------------------------------------------\ | A .. G | The musical notes A thru G. A note may be followed | | | by an accidental ('#' or '+' for sharp and '-' for | | | flat.) Additionally, a note (With optional sharp or | | | flat) may also be followed by a number denoting the | | | note length (1 for a whole note thru 64 for a 64th) | | | The note, with optional accidental and length, may | | | also be followed by one or more dots ("."), each of | | | which extends the note by one half of its existing | | | value. For example, two dots produce a length 9/4ths | | | the original value, and three dots 27/8ths the value. | | | | | Ln | Specifies the default length of the notes following | | | ("n" must be 1 for a whole note thru 64 for a 64th | | | note.) The default value is 4 (quarter note.) | | | | | Mz | Specifies the fraction of the note length that the | | | note is actually sounding. "z" is either "S," "N" | | | or "L", which have these meanings: | | | | | | MS Music staccato (3/4 of note length) | | | MN Music normal (7/8 of note length) | | | ML Music legato (all of note length) | | | | | On | Specifies the octave in which the notes following | | | are to be played (0 thru 7). The initial default | | | octave is 3, which is the octave beginning at | | | middle C. | | | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 24 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | Pn | Specifies that no sound is to be made for an | | | interval. "n" (optional) is the note length (1 | | | for a whole note thru 64 for a 64th note.) If "n" | | | is omitted, the current default note length is used. | | | One or more dots may follow, each of which extends | | | the rest by one half of its existing value. | | | | | Tn | Specifies the tempo in beats per minute (32 thru | | | 255.) The initial default value is 120. | \--------+--------------------------------------------------------/ SPECIAL ALARMS Special alarms: 135/ALL T180L8O4GGGAAACD. If you would like to be notified when certain systems call, specify the address followed by the music codes you wish to hear. The format for the music is specified in the preceding section. The alarm will be heard after the call is complete, but only if new messages or files have been received. Note that if you are using sound-card support via the use of PLAYMAIL.BAT, then Ansi music is NOT played at all. Please consult the included PLAYMAIL.ZIP archive for more information on sound-card support in D'Bridge. * REMEMBER * CTL-N inserts lines, CTL-Y deletes lines in a window. CONFIG PASSWORD Config password: SECRET In a corporate environment where there may be several people using the EMAIL system, it may be desirable to put a "lock" on the configuration menu to prevent accidental changes of the D'Bridge configuration. If a password is specified here, then it must be entered when any of the SETUP menu options are selected. It only needs to be entered once for each time D'Bridge is run. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.01 BASIC CONFIGURATION 25 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HISTORY DAYS Keep history for: 7 (days) D'Bridge automatically maintains history files for INBOUND and OUTBOUND EMAIL calls as well as ECHOmail and AREAFIX requests. These files are automatically purged every night at midnight. This field defines how many days of history to keep before purging it. The default value for this option is 7, providing one week's history. DISPLAY TIMEOUT Display timeout: 5 (Minutes) D'Bridge features a built-in "screen-saver" which will blank your video screen after a specified period of inactivity. The DISPLAY TIMEOUT parameter specifies the number of MINUTES of inactivity before the screen goes blank. If a call comes in, a scheduled event starts, or you press any key, the screen will re-display and the timer starts over. When the screen is blank, D'Bridge is still fully-functional - just waiting for something to happen! If you do not want the screen to ever go blank, enter a zero ("0") and the display timeout will be disabled. BLANKOUT GRAPHICS Blankout graphics? Yes (Yes/No) When the D'Bridge screen is blanked due to inactivity, you have the option to display "blankout graphics." If you answer YES to this question, there will be a bouncing pattern of dots that will tell you at a glance D'Bridge is still running and you haven't had a system crash or something terrible like that. Most computers hate to be bored and do nothing all day; blankout graphics make your system happy by giving it something to do when nothing else is going on. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.02 DIRECTORY PATHS 26 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.02 DIRECTORY PATHS The DIRECTORY PATHS screen allows you to set which drives and subdirectories D'Bridge will use. Parameters include: - Network mail storage - Inbound files path - Temporary queue path - Outbound queue path - Script file path - Bad ECHOmail path - New ECHO area path - "ABOUT" and "FILES" filenames - Request paths - Specific requests - Inbound, outbound, ECHOmail and AREAFIX history NETWORK MAIL STORAGE Network mail storage: Fido This question is where you specify which storage format D'Bridge should keep NETmail messages in. Please see the README file included with this release for information on the supported message storage formats. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.02 DIRECTORY PATHS 27 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NETWORK MAIL PATH This question changes depending on the answer to the previous question: NETmail directory: C:\DB\MESSAGES If you are using the FIDO/*.MSG method to store NETmail messages, specify the directory path to use for Fido-style NETmail messages. QuickBBS area number: 17 If you are using QuickBBS, then specify the area number you would like to use for NETmail messages. (1-200) NETmail database: NETMAIL If you are using any other supported storage format for NETmail, then you must enter the appropriate database/credentials. This should match the database name used by any other 3rd-party programs or BBS software. Please see the README file included with this release for information on the supported message storage formats. INBOUND FILES PATH Inbound files path: C:\DB\FILES This designates the drive and path for the directory where inbound files will be stored. Make sure there is always enough disk space available to store any files which may be received. This may be changed at any time without adversely affecting the system, as long as the specified directory path actually exists. Two subdirectories may be created within this path, specifically for files received via. dialup modems. ISOLATED and RESTART. The first is for incomplete Zmodem file transfers that cannot be resumed. The second is for Zmodem aborted/cancelled transfers that are saved for resuming later on. The two directories are not created when using Internet BinkD transfers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.02 DIRECTORY PATHS 28 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TEMPORARY QUEUE PATH Temporary queue path: C:\DB\PACKETS This designates the drive and path for the temporary directory where the outbound NETmail queue will be created. * NOTE * All files in this directory will be automatically erased each time the queue is rebuilt. OUTBOUND QUEUE PATH Outbound queue path: C:\DB\QUEUE This designates the drive and path for the outbound queue directory. XMAIL archives and poll, transmit, and request queue entries are stored in this directory. This is the directory that you would also specify to any 3rd-party mail programs that need to manipulate the D'Bridge mail queue. WARNING: The use of 3rd-party software that manipulates the D'Bridge mail queue directly is NOT recommended. The recommended method for 3rd-party software such as .TIC processors and "InterBBS" door games is to operate those in ArcMail format. This also requires that your NETmail storage be set to the Fido *.MSG format. SCRIPT FILE PATH Script file path: C:\DB\DATA This designates the drive and path where the dialing script files are located, for dialup modems. Script files provide an alternate method of dialing when using carriers other than standard long-distance telephone lines. If you do not use a dialup modem, just leave this question at its default setting as obviously it doesn't apply to you. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.02 DIRECTORY PATHS 29 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BAD ECHO PATH Bad echo path: C:\DB\BADECHO This designates the drive and path where invalid or unknown ECHOmail messages should be stored. The BADECHO messages are stored in Fido *.MSG format and may be accessed using area 32767 in the editor. NEW ECHO PATH New echo path: C:\DB\NEWECHO This designates the drive and path where Fido-style ECHOmail message bases will be created if Auto-add areas is configured for "Fido.". DATABASE PATH Message databases: C:\QUICKBBS If you have specified a storage format other than Fido *.MSG, then this is the directory where the databases reside. Please see the README file included with this release for information on the supported message storage formats. ADDITIONAL DATABASES Additional databases: C:\BBS If additional database files are required by the storage method you have chosen for messages, then specify the path to them here. Please see the README file included with this release for information on the supported message storage formats. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.02 DIRECTORY PATHS 30 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DFB PATH DFB path: C:\DB\DATA This designates the drive and path where the DFB files are located. This is for the D'Bridge FileBase indexing system. Under most circumstances this should not be changed from the default Data directory. ABOUT FILENAME "ABOUT" filename: C:\DB\110-68.TXT The "ABOUT" file is used mainly with the Fidonet network to contain general information about your system. The "ABOUT" file name should specify the name of a text file to be transmitted when a file-request for "ABOUT" is received. For more information, see the section about file-requests. FILES FILENAME "FILES" filename: C:\DB\110-68.LST The "FILES" file is used primarily within Fidonet to provide a list of all requestable files on your system. The FILES filename should point to this text file or archive. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.02 DIRECTORY PATHS 31 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- REQUEST PATHS Request paths: C:\PRIVATE\ SECRET D'Bridge has a feature allowing other systems to call in and request files from your system. If you wish to enable this option, you must specify which directories will be available for request. You may also specify a password that must accompany a request. If you use no pass- word, any system will have access to the specified directory. The format for the request paths is: Where password is an optional parameter. Any number of directories may be specified in the REQUEST PATHS window. Make sure to use passwords on any directory containing sensitive or confidential information. - or - @ Where filename is a text file containing a list of requestable directories in the same format defined above. * REMEMBER * CTL-N inserts lines, CTL-Y deletes lines in a window. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.02 DIRECTORY PATHS 32 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPECIFIC REQUESTS Specific requests: DBRIDGE C:\FREQ\DB*.ZIP This window allows you to specify any number of "magic filenames" that may be requested from your system. An example of this might be where you distribute a newsletter and the filename changes every month. You might have a line like: NEWS \NEWSLTR\PC-NEWS.021 The above line means that when a file-request arrives for "NEWS" - the file \newsltr\pc-news.021 will be transmitted instead of searching the directories specified in REQUEST PATHS. The format for this window is: Once again, password is optional, but should be specified if any of this information is not public. * REMEMBER * CTL-N inserts lines, CTL-Y deletes lines in a window. OUTBOUND HISTORY FILENAME Outbound history file: C:\DB\OUTBOUND.LOG The OUTBOUND HISTORY FILENAME parameter specifies a text file to write an outbound EMAIL history log. Every outbound connection is logged to a the specified text file listing the date/time, address, data sent and received, elapsed time and total cost. If you do not want such a log, leave this field blank. INBOUND HISTORY FILENAME Inbound history file: C:\DB\INBOUND.LOG The INBOUND HISTORY FILENAME parameter specifies a text file to write an inbound EMAIL history log. Every outbound connection is logged to the specified text file listing the date/time, address, data sent and received and elapsed time. If you do not want such a log, leave this field blank. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.02 DIRECTORY PATHS 33 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ECHOMAIL HISTORY FILENAME ECHOmail history file: C:\DB\ECHOMAIL.LOG The ECHOMAIL HISTORY FILENAME specifies what text file to use for the inbound ECHOmail history. This log lists date/time, address, area name, messages and duplicates received. AREAFIX HISTORY FILENAME AREAFIX history file: C:\DB\AREAFIX.LOG The AREAFIX HISTORY FILENAME specifies what text file to use for an AREAFIX history log. This includes information about conferences added and removed either by remote AREAFIX request or New ECHOmail link, ALT-N. DOWNLOAD PATH Download path: C:\DB\DOWNLOAD The DOWNLOAD PATH specifies the directory to receive downloaded files when using terminal mode. Two subdirectories may be created within this path, specifically for files received via. dialup modems. ISOLATED and RESTART. The first is for incomplete Zmodem file transfers that cannot be resumed. The second is for Zmodem aborted/cancelled transfers that are saved for resuming later on. The two directories are not created when using Internet BinkD transfers. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 34 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP The HARDWARE/MODEM DEVICES screen allows you to define your serial port(s) and modem(s) for Dialup modem connections. You may also setup and configure: - Hardware addressing, answering method, line assignment - CostGuard limits, DimeSaver, Dialing overrides - Auto-initialization time - Printer setup When you configure a dialup modem in D'Bridge, be sure to note the modem's COM port and IRQ settings before entering this screen, as that information may be required to properly set up the modem. PORT Port Base/IRQ Status Ident MCF name Description COM3 The PORT identifies the name of the serial I/O channel connected to your modem. It also refers to the port that is used by the FOSSIL driver. Standard values are COM1 through COM7. If you do not have a modem or don't wish to use one, leave this blank. WARNING: Specifying an incorrect port may cause a system malfunction. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 35 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BASE ADDRESS Port Base/IRQ Status Ident MCF name Description 03E8 The BASE ADDRESS determines the CPU's I/O port address to use. Every serial channel on an IBM computer has a Hexadecimal port I/O address associated with it. Most installations just use the standard COM1 through COM4 with no changes as per the table below. If you are using a "non-standard" COM port (any COM port that is not defined or recognized by your operating system or computer BIOS), then it is crucial that the base address and IRQ setting in the next screen are defined. IBM PC/XT/AT IBM PS/2 /------+--------\ /------+--------+------+--------\ | COM1 | 03F8 | | COM1 | 03F8 | COM5 | 4220 | | COM2 | 02F8 | | COM2 | 02F8 | COM6 | 4228 | | COM3 | 03E8 | | COM3 | 3220 | COM7 | 5220 | | COM4 | 02E8 | | COM4 | 3228 | COM8 | 5228 | \------+--------/ \------+--------+------+--------/ WARNING: Specifying an incorrect address may cause a system malfunction. IRQ Port Base/IRQ Status Ident MCF name Description 4 The IRQ (Interrupt ReQuest) level determines the hardware-specific interrupt vector that will be used. (3 and 4 are most common) This field must con- tain a 4-bit decimal value from 0 to 15. Standard values are listed below. IBM PC/XT/AT IBM PS/2 /------+-----\ /------+-----+------+-----\ | COM1 | 4 | | COM1 | 4 | COM5 | 3 | | COM2 | 3 | | COM2 | 3 | COM6 | 3 | | COM3 | 4 | | COM3 | 3 | COM7 | 3 | | COM4 | 3 | | COM4 | 3 | COM8 | 3 | \------+-----/ \------+-----+------+-----/ WARNING: An incorrect IRQ may cause a system malfunction. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 36 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MCF NAME Port Base/IRQ Status Ident MCF name Description USRC1438 US Robotics HST 14400 The MCF NAME specifies the name of a D'Bridge "Modem Control File." The MCF files are tiny text files that tell D'Bridge how to talk to your modem. Included, you will find an ZIP file which contains our standard MCF collection. If you press F10, you will receive a list of all modems currently supported. Simply select the Modem Control File to use for the specified serial port. When you select a different MCF or specify one for the first time, D'Bridge will unZIP the file if needed from MCFILES.ZIP. A list of files, modems and ident (ATI) codes are displayed from the list in MCFILES.LST. MCF files are simple control files that may be changed using any standard text editor. The following control language is used. Keywords are not case-sensitive, but must start in column 1 or they will be ignored. Invalid syntax is ignored without error to allow backward / forward compatibility. MCF ie. MCF USRC1419 US Robotics HST 14400 must match the DOS filename (without the extension.) is the displayed modem type. MCF This must always be the first line of a Modem Control File. BAUD ie. BAUD 19200 is 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200 or 38400. LOCKED ie. LOCKED (no parameters) This causes D'Bridge to always use the specified baud rate, regardless of the "CONNECT" results reported by the modem. If you are using this mode, the modem must also be configured to use a fixed DTE rate. &B1 is used on HST's, for example. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 37 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DELAY ie. DELAY 50 This specifies the inter-character delay in milliseconds when sending commands to the modem. The default is 20, but some modems may require values as high as 50 or 60. TIMEOUT ie. TIMEOUT 75 This specifies the failsafe timeout when dialing or answering the phone. This defaults to 60, but might need to be increased if overseas calls take longer than one minute to complete. DIAL ie. DIAL 19200 ATDT is 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200 or 38400. is the command sent to the modem before the phone number. ANSWER ie. ANSWER ATA is the command sent to the modem to answer the phone. INIT ie. INIT ATZ is a command to configure the modem as desired. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 38 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRANSLATE |<*C STRING> ie. TRANSLATE 2400 CONNECT 2400/ARQ|2400MNP is 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 14400, 19200 or 38400. is the connection result string from the modem. <*C STRING> is the translated response code for the BBS "*C" code. PREINIT ie. PREINIT AT&C1&D2&W is a command to pre-configure the modem as desired. OFFHOOK ie. OFFHOOK ATH1M0S0=0 is a command to take the modem offhook. IGNORE ie. IGNORE DATA is a unimportant code returned from the modem to be ignored completely. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 39 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ANSWERING METHOD Answering method: Hardware (Hardware/Software/Modem/Ringmaster/Disable) This specifies the method D'Bridge will use to answer incoming calls. /------------+---------------------------------------------------------------\ | HARDWARE | Answers using hardware ring detection. (RS-232 pin 22) | | | | | SOFTWARE | Answers using software ring detection. (RING from modem | | | | | MODEM | Assumes that modem will auto-answer. (S0=1 assumed) | | | | | RINGMASTER | Hardware ring detection with multi-pattern ring detection. | | | 3 different ring patterns are detected, see LINE ASSIGNMENT. | | | | | DISABLE | Answering completely disabled. | \------------+---------------------------------------------------------------/ LINE ASSIGNMENT Line assignment: V11 (1/2/3/Voice) When using the RingMaster answering method, it is necessary to assign the three possible ring patterns to the desired DATA lines. 1, 2 and 3 correspond to the DATA/1, 2 and 3. Voice designates a ring pattern to be ignored by D'Bridge and logged as a voice call. * NOTE * It is recommended to use the first ring pattern as voice. COSTGUARD TIME CostGuard limits: 240 (minutes) (cost) The COSTGUARD TIME specifies the absolute maximum amount of time an EMAIL session may last. When the elapsed time for any inbound or outbound call reaches the number of minutes specified, DTR is lowered and the call is aborted by D'Bridge. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 40 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- COSTGUARD COST CostGuard limits: (minutes) 100.00 (cost) The COSTGUARD COST specifies the absolute maximum cost of an outbound EMAIL session. When the accumulated cost for any outbound call reaches the amount specified, DTR is lowered and the call is aborted by D'Bridge. COLLISION DETECTION Collision detection? Yes This specifies whether or not D'Bridge will detect collision of outbound dialing attempts with inbound calls. This is usually desirable, but it is possible that it will not work well with every kind of modem, so you should disable it if it incorrectly detects collisions. DIMESAVER ENABLED DimeSaver enabled? Yes (Yes/No) This specifies whether or not the DimeSaver feature should be used. DimeSaver causes D'Bridge to answer a potential inbound call if the modem reports NO DIAL TONE when placing an outbound call. If there was no incoming call, subsequent DimeSaver activations will not occur. AUTO INITIALIZATION Auto-Initialization: 5 (minutes) This parameter specifies the number of minutes idle before automatically re-initializing the modem. Sometimes, modems go "out-to-lunch" because of brown-outs, cats and so forth. Re-programming the modem every few minutes certainly can't hurt and sometimes solves problems of unattended operation. If you specify zero, this feature will be disabled and the modem will only be initialized after each call and upon startup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 41 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BUSY WHEN OFFLINE Busy when offline? No (Yes/No) D'Bridge does many things. During the time calls may not be answered, the phone can either be busy or just keep ringing. If you answer Yes to this question, the phone will be taken off hook whenever D'Bridge is not ready to accept a call. - If you are using a dedicated data line, Yes is preferred. - If you are using a voice/data line, in most cases, use No. TOUCH TONE DIALING Touch-Tone dialing? Yes (Yes/No) If you have a Touch-Tone telephone line, answer Yes to this question. Pulse (rotary) dialing will be used if you specify No. MAXIMUM RINGS Maximum rings: 4 Some modems will report RINGING when placing an outbound call. This allows D'Bridge to count the number of times the remote phone rings. If this count exceeds the maximum specified by this parameter, dialing will be aborted. If the maximum ring count is exceeded on two consecutive attempts at calling the same system, the call will be placed on Ten minute hold. Unless overridden by VIEW/MODIFY QUEUE, no further attempts will be made for at least ten minutes. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- FLAG DIAL "Flag" dial: HST ATB1DT This field is only used to define the exceptions to the normal dialing commands. The flag specifies a substring to match in the nodelist flags field. When D'Bridge places an outbound call, it searches the nodelist flags fields for a match in the "Flag" dial list. The first match found will determine the to use. The format is: * REMEMBER * CTL-N inserts lines, CTL-Y deletes lines in a window. SPECIFIC DIAL Specific dial: 2:280/280 ATX0M1DT This field lists exceptions to the normal and "Flag" dialing commands. After D'Bridge searches the "Flag" dial list, it looks for the first match in Specific dial. If you are using an address such as 2:ALL, make sure any specific systems are listed before the wildcard entry. The format is:
ie. 2:280/280 should come before 2:280/ALL, etc. * REMEMBER * CTL-N inserts lines, CTL-Y deletes lines in a window. PRINTER PORT Printer port: PRN Define the printer device here. If you wish to route output to a file for later printing, you may specify the filename here. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 43 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PCF NAME PCF name: OKIOL400 OKIDATA OL400 LED page printer The PCF NAME specifies the name of a D'Bridge "Printer Control File." Included, you will find an ZIP file which contains our standard PCF collection. If you press F10, you will receive a list of all printers currently supported. Simply select the Printer Control File to use for the printer port. When you select a different PCF or specify one for the first time, D'Bridge will unZIP the file if needed from PCFILES.ZIP. A list of printers supported is displayed from the list in PCFILES.LST. PCF files are simple control files that may be changed using any standard text editor. The following control language is used. Keywords are not case-sensitive, but must start in column 1 or they will be ignored. Invalid syntax is ignored without error to allow backward / forward compatibility. PCF ie. PCF OKIOL400 OKIDATA OL400 LED page printer must match the DOS filename (without the extension.) FIXED FONT PROPORTIONAL FONT TITLE FONT START BOLD END_BOLD START_ITALIC END_ITALIC GRAPHICS ie. FIXED FONT &l0O(10U(s0p10h12v0s0b3T PROPORTIONAL FONT &l0O(0U(s1p10v0s0b5T TITLE FONT &l0O(0U(s1p14.4v0s3b4T START BOLD (s7B END BOLD (s0B START ITALIC (s1S END ITALIC (s0S GRAPHICS ON ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.03 COMM / MODEM SETUP 44 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MULTILINE SUPPORT When this feature is enabled, you can run more than one "copy" of D'Bridge on your computer (using Windows, OS/2, Desqview or some other multi-tasker) and serve more than one Dialup/modem connection at once. This is handy for those of you running multi-line BBS's and you need a "front end" to handle the callers. It does NOT however, act as a Telnet server for Internet calls. When you answer YES to this question, you will need to start D'Bridge with the appropriate line number, ie. DB /1 for line 1, DB /2 for line 2, DB /8 for line 8, etc etc. D'Bridge will then load the appropriate modem/event information for that line and use it. Do not start two of the same lines otherwise a port-sharing error will happen in your operating system. It is NOT necessary to enable multi-line support for Internet features since that is controlled by the MAXIMUM CONCURRENT SESSIONS screen in the INTERNET CONNECTIVITY menu. WARNING: It is absolutely CRUCIAL that no two lines share the same "port" unless you are running virtual-modem/Internet software that specifically tells you its okay to do so. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.04 SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE 45 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.04 SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE The SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE screen allows you to program the weekly event schedule as well as set up routing, and access rules. Parameters include: - Schedule day/time - Time between caalls - Maximum tries, sessions and failures - Priorities allowed - Polling - Routing - Forwarding - Many more... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- D'Bridge 3.6 - Copyright (c) by Nick J. Andre, Ltd. 3.04 SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE 46 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- AUTOPOLL This screen allows you to define a list of systems that D'Bridge should poll automatically. This is a "master override" to any event-specific polling that may be defined in the SCHEDULER screens. Auto-Polling works for both Dialup and BinkD. Be sure that the proper credentials are specified in BINKD SESSION INFO when you're polling BinkD systems (ie, Internet address, session password, etc etc). The format of this screen is: