Volume 5, Number 1 24 May 2010 +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | _ | | / \ | | /|oo \ | | - FidoNews - (_| /_) | | _`@/_ \ _ | | International | | \ \\ | | FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) | | Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// | | / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / | | (________) (_/(_|(____/ | | (jm) | +---------------------------------------------------------------+ Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings FidoNews is published weekly by the International FidoNet Association as its official newsletter. You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from node 1/1. Copyright (C) 1987, by the International FidoNet Association. All rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances, please contact IFNA. Table of Contents 1. EDITORIAL ................................................ 1 Time Flies When You're Having Fun ........................ 1 2. ARTICLES ................................................. 2 FILELIST.EXE...One Sysop's Solution To File Requests ..... 2 International Nodes, "The Zones Are Coming" .............. 3 TELEBIT Trailblazer Test and Evaluation Report ........... 6 3. COLUMNS .................................................. 10 Multilink and Fido ....................................... 10 The Regular Irregular Column ............................. 21 4. NOTICES .................................................. 26 The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 26 Latest Software Versions ................................. 26 IFNA Board of Directors Ballot ........................... 27 FidoNews 5-01 Page 1 24 May 2010 ================================================================= EDITORIAL ================================================================= Time Flies When You're Having Fun I've been editing this newsletter for over two years now. Why do I keep doing it? At least partly because it isn't that much bother. As long as everyone goes along with the simple guidelines given in ARTSPEC.DOC, which almost everyone does, it pretty much takes care of itself. Meanwhile, every now and then I get to sound off in one of these editorials. By and large it's been fun, and when it hasn't been fun at least it hasn't been a bother. I have a long history of running newsletters. I was the editor of my high school newspaper (a real fishwrapper if there ever was one), and I was a shoo-in for the job. Way back in sixth grade I started the first newsletter in the whole school. [The school was in its first year when I was in sixth grade. It covered first through twelfth, and had about 300 people when I graduated. I graduated in a class of eighteen. Growing up in a small town does have its advantages.] Writing these editorials seems to give me a different slant on things that I normally have. I feel as if I'm taking something of a longer view. I have this conception of FidoNet as some great and glorious mechanism to allow ordinary people (well, as ordinary as BBS users ever get) to reach out to each other. When I sit down to write an editorial I remember that view, and I try to talk about it. And who knows? Maybe I even make a difference in some small way. If so, then it's certainly worth it. Do you share ny vision? I hope so. Yes, we have our little squabbles. But take any three people and sit them down, and they will have their differences of opinion. We have much the same situation, only on a larger scale and vastly amplified. Sometimes it can seem almost too much to bear. But remember this: Nobody ever guaranteed you that everyone would always agree with you. There will always be those (not always the same ones) who disagree with your viewpoint. That is the price we pay for such unparalleled freedom of expression. In return for having so many people hear your viewpoint, you must pay the price of hearing viewpoints from those who disagree with you. You can refuse to pay that price, but then your own voice will be silenced. We really do want to hear from you. So some people may disagree with you. Maybe some of them will even descend to personal invective. Just remember, the same is true of any personal contact. That is a price you must pay to make your voice heard. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 5-01 Page 2 24 May 2010 ================================================================= ARTICLES ================================================================= Jean Coppola Opus 107/201 FILELIST.EXE...One Sysop's Solution To File Requests With the advent of file requests I have devised a new utility that helps the Sysop cope with file requests. FILELIST.EXE is a utility that reads all the available files on a system into one file, sorts them and produces a file named REQUEST.TXT and then arc's it into a file called REQUEST.ARC. Unlike other utilities along this line FILELIST.EXE will run with either Fido or Opus and should remain compatible with new versions of both software packages. This utility DOES NOT read the system files instead it runs from a batch file and as long as there are files named FILES.BBS and as long as they contain available software this utility will not need updating. FILELIST can be run as an eXternal event from either Fido, Opus or SEAdog and will compile a list of available files and then return control to the software that called it. Here is a small sample of the output from FILELIST.EXE: Files Available From Opus 107/201 - 516-775-5811 Updated On 05-10-1987 At 11:35:03 ansianim.arc Produces Ansi Graphic Screens arc.exe Arc 5.20 Utility arce.com Fast Arc Extractor arcmail.arc Arc's/UnArc's Net Mail arcmsg12.arc Save Those Message For Posterity arcpeek.arc Allows Reading of *.Arc Files autodate.arc Sets Time Without Clock Card There Are A Total Of 7 Files Listed. As you can see the files are sorted by name and then placed into the file with the identity of the system and the phone number placed in the file for ease in locating the Net/Node number and phone number. FILELIST.ARC may be requested from 107/201 and contains all files needed to implement this on your system. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 5-01 Page 3 24 May 2010 International Nodes, "The Zones Are Coming" )))) The Problem (((( We are TOO successful. The nodelist is getting to be 1700 nodes. The nodediff files are getting big. The zones are coming. The zones are coming. This will have a large effect on our nodelist. The nodelist is THE most important thing we have! It is more important than FidoNews, more important than echos. We do not use routed mail very much, but it is the tie that binds. The nodediff takes too long to send. It takes too long to run Xlatlist or Listgen. It consumes disk space. The text version is too long for most users to download and use. Long nodelists encourage outdated nodelists. An outdated nodelist is VERY dangerous with outbound mail, especially direct mail. If I change numbers, the phone company may reissue that number. What if someone sends files attached? Every night at 4 am, some LOL (Little 'Ol Lady) will have her phone ring with no one on the other end. If that sounds funny, let me know your home VOICE number, and let me try it on YOU. What if the net / node number changes? There are boards that I like to contact when I need them. I do not need them very often, but when I do, it is VERY useful. With multi-line BBS coming up, phone numbers will change more often. <<< Present Solution >>> ZONE: level of hierarchy that is higher than net. It implies that nodes with a zone will have limited nodelist information outside their zone. Each zone will have own nodelist and nodediff. Zones will have their own coordinator who will supervise his portion of the nodelist. They may have different policy. (Policy 7 Zone 3??). The International FidoNet Coordinator will install these changes in stages. IC will define zones as continents. Later, the IC could split zones by countries. Someday, the USA could be several zones! How does this affect the average sysop? How to send mail to a node in another zone? ---Routed Mail--- A sysop could send mail "de-coupled." "De-coupled" means that the sending software sends mail to another place without verifying that the net/node exist. Fido allows that. (TJ hates that option.) That is similar to "shooting an arrow into the air," or USENET revisited. Sending mail to 2:107/6 would be routed to 2:/0 and that node would route (if possible). (By the way, points are always de-coupled. That is another discussion.) FidoNews 5-01 Page 4 24 May 2010 You cannot send a piece of mail to a specific address if you do not have that address. What is the effect? Easy, orphans! Orphans are messages that cannot leave that node. What does a node do with Orphans? Once again with another patch we can fix. I guess the orphan receiver would send net message that "Addressee no long there." The point is that "Orphans" are the net equivalent of "Dupes." (GASP!) --- Non-Routed Mail --- The sending sysop must generate and maintain a private nodelist! If 107/6 changes phone number, how will I know? If I change my personal phone number or node number, who will I notify and how? My guess is that if I notify others they will not update their lists. The "bottom line" is that zones will inhibit net mail traffic across zone lines. We are encouraging outdated private nodelist with no nodes in the nodelist on the other side of the zone. >>> My Proposal <<< --- Description --- Super nodelist with skeleton entries: all zones, all regions and all network hosts. That nodelist can include nodes from other zones that "register" as an International Node. Definition- International Node (IN)- a Node that sends / RECEIVES direct mail across zone (regional) boundaries. IN is not a more important node just one that RECEIVES DIRECT MAIL. (No one should register for vanity). Registration- International FidoNet Coordinator (IC) will control the super nodelist with updates from Regional Coordinators (RC's). The RC will give nodelist with host and IN net / node. The RC will be responsible to see that all IN are properly registered. The IC MAY require that International Nodes pay a fee. He may give discount to IFNA members. Suggested $10 charter members. $25 new IFNA members. $40 to non members. Is that reasonable? IFNA was formed to help pay for nodelist generation, of course! It is voluntary. You do not have to pay anything to be in the nodelist and send and receive mail. Just extra to receive DIRECT (crash) mail or files or file requests. Conversion will be painful. It does require that all regional and network coordinators cooperate and convert semi- simultaneously. I cannot imagine an uncooperative RC or NC. (A little irony here.) Zones were going to be painful anyway. Software to merge nodelist and generate local nodediff will have FidoNews 5-01 Page 5 24 May 2010 to be written, debugged, and published. That is not trivial, but not impossible either. --- Pro --- You are in the nodelist for free. People contribute money because they want to contribute. You can still send routed mail easily. It is possible without a complete nodelist. It is going to have to be possible because the nodelist will be split unless we change our direction. You can send no-route mail to "registered" nodes at no "extra" fees. We remain a INTERNATIONAL and NATIONAL organization. We will remain more unified. --- Con --- The program to have multiple updates of the nodelist may not exist. It may cost money to be International Node. It may require zone and point support software. NIH (not invented here). ======== Conclusion ======= We have too much of a good thing. The process will take time. To do nothing will invite chaos. Let us discuss it. I want to avoid the divisiveness that zones can cause. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 5-01 Page 6 24 May 2010 Jim Kay Opus 109/612-617 A Truly Elegant Piece of Engineering On March 23, 1987, A representative of Telebit Corporation delivered two Trailblazer modems to me for testing and evaluation. On May 11, 1987, I called that same representative and asked that the modems be picked up as my testing was complete. Here is what happened in-between and my conclusions. I was informed by a fellow sysop, Bob Catt, that Telebit was going to hold a demonstration of their Trailblazer modems at a location very close to my office. Bob invited me to attend. The demonstration consisted of connecting two PC's together via Trailblazers and two via conventional modems. The connections were direct cable connections. Some files were sent back and forth and the cables were pulled out and plugged back during transmission. All in all, it was a very impressive demonstration of the high speed capability of the Trailblazer. In part due to my position as a sysop and in part due to my position with Boeing Computer Services, I was offered a pair of modems for evaluation. I was anticipating an extended (a month) trip to our offices in Seattle so I thought that would provide a nice cross-country demonstration. The two modems arrived at my office the afternoon before my flight. The Telebit reps and I experimented for about two hours, trying to get one of the modems to work with SEAdog or with one of three or four terminal emulator packages that I had in my office. We did not succeed. We installed a specially updated version of CROSSTALK for testing and found that package did work. The reps left me with the two modems and the special version of CROSSTALK. I took all of this home with me and tried again to get the Trailblazer to work with my other bbs (also SEAdog 4.0) at home. After three hours, I gave up, put one of the Trailblazers on the shelf and began to pack for my trip. I took one Trailblazer with me along with a Toshiba 1100 lap top that a friend had loaned me for the trip. I must confess that I knew very little about PC's connect with and use serial communications facilities. My experience was almost totally with mainframe communications. As a result, I spent about 20-30 hours experimenting with the Toshiba and the Trailblazer and CROSSTALK before I came to any real understanding. Here is what I learned. Modems have two communications functions. One is to communicate with another modem over some sort of path, usually the dialup phone network. The other is to communicate with the terminal, which in our case is normally a PC of some sort. The speed of EACH of these communications MUST match what the other device is expecting. The usual set of "Hayes compatible" modems force these two communications to occur FidoNews 5-01 Page 7 24 May 2010 at the same speed. The Trailblazer controls these separately. With the exception of the updated version of CROSSTALK, none of the software I experimented with was prepared to deal with this. Up to this point in my experiences with PCs, I had heard of the MODE command but had never seen it used and did not know of any reason to use it. Now I discovered that nearly all of my software was issuing a MODE command internally to set the speed of the serial interface card to match either the designated dial out speed, or the reported connect speed, when in answer mode. CROSSTALK was telling the Trailblazer to set its PC communications speed first and then changing the serial interface speed. All the other packages were simply changing the interface speed and assuming the modem was changing its speed automatically. The Trailblazer was not. When the modem and the serial port "talk" at different speeds, there is no communication. The Trailblazer is equipped with a very impressive array of internal registers that control all functions and parameters. There are no dip switches. After a rather time consuming study of the manual, I discovered that the Trailblazer can be set up to automatically detect the rate at which the PC is talking to it. I set up that mode and tried to go on. Next I discovered that once a speed was set, the automatic rate detect became disabled. Thus if I dialed out at one speed, all well and good but if I tried to dial out again at a different speed, I lost communication with the modem. I will note in passing that the factory default speed in fixed at 9600 in the modem and all the machines I tested power up their serial cards at 2400. More studying of the book and I decided I could reset the modem to automatic detect by forcing it to run its internal diagnostics after every outbound call. I also found I could delete (thank you Peter Norton) the code in my terminal emulator package that resets the serial port speed. Very painful, but at least I now understood what was going on and where the problems were. I used the Trailblazer from Seattle to call my bbs's (one with a USRobotics 2400 and one with a Rixon 1200) and perform remote maintenance. I also used it to call from the Toshiba to the PC I was using at work to transmit files from the Toshiba 3 1/2" format to the PC 5 1/4" format. Nothing very exciting, but it did a job for me that I needed. When I got home (a little early) I began in ernest to try and get the Trailblazers to work. I was referred to Ray Gwinn who, I was told, had done some extensive work with the Trailblazers. Ray was wonderfully helpful. He sent me a beta test version of his serial driver to replace OPUSCOMM and explained that indeed, the Trailblazer worked as I had been guessing. He further explained that I could get the Trailblazer to work with SEAdog better if I forced the communications to the PC to hold at 9600 and his serial driver would take care of ignoring SEAdog's attempts to match the serial card to the dialout speed. I tried this but got a continuous message about Modem Failure from SEAdog. FidoNews 5-01 Page 8 24 May 2010 I thought I was smart by then so I looked for some code in SEAdog to delete, I didn't find any. I then tried stepping through the startup code of SEAdog using the Codeview debugger that I bought with my Microsoft C compiler. Much to my surprise, the Trail- blazer worked. Some more phone calls later, I learned that the firmware in my modems was not the version needed for dialout use. Telebit kindly offered to send me a new set of PROMS which I accepted. After installing them, still no success. A call to Thom Henderson revealed that SEAdog was waiting for an "OK" from the modem and didn't think it was getting it. Telebit had no idea what I should do next. In a flash of desperation, I deleted the modem setup and modem reset (and even the modem type) cards from my SEAdog control file. Wonderful! The modem seemed to be working. Imagine my disappointment over the next two days as I discovered that no caller at 1200 baud was getting successful communication. The connect appeared to be OK but on the Opus end I just say a continuous stream of garbage while the caller saw nothing. Another call to Telebit told me only that "maybe it's your phone line". In desperation, I tried removing the filtered phone cable that came with the Trailblazer. Sure enough, success. In the process of that latest conversation, I learned that the Trail- blazer was designed first to communicate only with other Trail- blazers. The emulation of other modems was added later. I also learned that a caller at 300 baud must allow 5 seconds of total silence on the line for the connect to be successful. This, after the caller's modem reports successful connect. What do you suppose is the chance of that happening? Oh well, I suppose I would be willing to effectively exclude all 300 baud callers. Too bad, I also noticed some other problems. When the Trailblazer answers the phone, it first tries to connect to another Trailblazer. I suppose that is reasonable. The odd sound it makes scares off some callers however. After two tries, the Trailblazer tries some emulation modes. Too bad, some callers hang up before the Trailblazer gets to the right version for them. Even worse, SEAdog 3.82 is one that hangs up. I know how to tell people to change their terminal packages to wait a little longer. I have no idea how to tell SEAdog to wait longer. Rather than give up, I called Telebit yet again. I learned about a register that turns off Trailblazer mode entirely and makes the modem act just like a normal 2400 that we are used to. I tried that too. Yes, my callers can get it. No one was hanging up too soon. Of course, this $675 modem was doing nothing more than my $375 USR could do but... Well, the Trailblazer is SO technologi- cally WONDERFUL, I just liked having it there. Besides, perhaps some day they would get the problems fixed and then only a change of PROMS would get me the latest version. I have no doubt that Telebit would happily supply them. I am VERY impressed with their willingness to help and their commitment to providing support. But the fates were not to be on my side. All of my users who have Everex modems began complaining that they could not complete FidoNews 5-01 Page 9 24 May 2010 even short downloads successfully. All of them terminate with "too many errors". With a heavy heart, I finally gave up. Just for completeness, I did try several calls to Telebit to see what a connect to another Trailblazer was like. To my surprise, I was not especially impressed. From the panel lights on the modem, I judged there to be a lot of line idle time that defeats most of the high speed. So what do we have at this point. The Trailblazer is designed to talk primarily to other Trailblazers. The error correcting capability in that mode presents only good data blocks. To get good performance under those circumstances requires that the software do no protocol type error checking, except, perhaps, after an entire file has been transmitted. The Trailblazer answers calls and looks for another Trailblazer first. When used in dial out mode, the caller must not be allowed to change the speed of the serial interface. SEAdog will not do file transfer correctly if the interface speed is higher than 9600. This latter limits the overall speed to 9600 even though the modem can burst to 18,000. As an aside, at the service bureau where I work, we could not dare to install modems that take so long to establish connection and will not communicate correctly with all of the large assortment of modems that currently call in here. As a bbs operator, I feel I have the same obligation to my callers. So, with a heavy heart, I called Telebit and asked them to pick up the modems. Personally, I admire elegant engineering and love to have examples of such in my possession. The Trailblazer is one of the best examples of elegant engineering I have seen. The idea of a microprocessor based device that will behave like almost anything you want with just a change of PROM is clearly the way of the future. Unfortunately, I cannot afford to just stick one of these on the shelf and wait. And, I cannot, in good conscience, put it on my system and exclude a segment of my users. My decision is that I WANT a Trailblazer, but not quite yet. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to Ted Brown and Telebit for their generous assistance and support, to Ray Gwinn for his also very generous help, and to Longshot Xi (one of my users) who spent several hours with his Everex modem running tests at my bidding. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 5-01 Page 10 24 May 2010 ================================================================= COLUMNS ================================================================= Host net 508, Node:508/4 Tel. int+55 421284 Ignaat Simons Chopinlaan 3 7333GA Apeldoorn Netherlands Multi FIDO application. ======================= At the time I had only a IBMPC compatible, the Philips P3101 with 10 mbytes harddisk, I had take provisions on hardware and software level, such, my FIDO did run for weeks without a hangup. Remotely, I did my daily sysop work, which was mainly the maintenance of the USER.BBS, looking to the MAIL and SHUFFLE. I mostly did do this from a remote point, so at home I did find it terrible to put down my FIDO for local SYSOP work. Especially, why it sometimes takes some houres to rearrange with SHUFFLE etc. the good looking of my BBS. So stronghly I did need a multi-user application above or instead MSDOS. At this moment my FIDO is working for weeks without going down for a single moment, except for the MAIL. This is reached with MULTILINK with a high priority FORGROUND partitioning and 2 BACKGROUND FIDO partitionings, from which the 2e can be put down for my own MSDOS work. Why MULTILINK. Well, I had the possibility between DOUBLEDOS, CONC-DOS, MS- WINDOWS and MULTILINK. As I only got a formal copy of the last three, I did not observe DOUBLEDOS. Perhaps it is better. MSWINDOWS was very nice, but only one program can be actual running at the time and the rest is hanging on the wall as an ICON. Moreover, it did eat my DISK and memory space more than I did like. CONC-DOS did run very well, but was also a big eater of space. But I found it much easier than MSDOS. Finally I got MLINK and as this was specific written for a Multi- terminal environment I did select him for my work. Above that, realy it is a wait-watcher. Only 35 kbytes it consumes. So I selected MULTILINK. MULTILINK. ========== I had a lot of problems to understand the real working of multilink, but after a lot of tests, I learned how to cope with it. With multilink the tuning of the priority and time setting was the most crittical. Also I did need another version of ANSI.SYS, which I got from the Support departement. The commandline params NODIS, DIS and NVDIS were the ones which cost me 3 weeks to find out how to use. In appendix I give my BAT-files as it runs now perfect. See also the NVDIS and NODIS statements arround the :OUTSIDE and :DOSEXIT part of RUNFIDOx.BAT. They are extremely important. Here I will only give some tips to deal which if another FidoNews 5-01 Page 11 24 May 2010 program has to be added in the BAT file. Also some specific FIDO aspects I measured are written down and maybe will of some help to you. FIDO1 and FIDO2 and mailing. =============== With fido, 2 params can be set to make a distinqtion between the 2 FIDO's. That are the commandline 1 and 2 and the 1/I and 2/I switches. The first 2 defining the COM-port and the second the .LOG handling. These only works for the SYSOPx.LOG and the MAILERx.LOG files, where x=1 or 2 depending the x/I command line switch. The SCHED.BBS, USER.BBS etc. are used commenly by the 2 FIDO's. The USER.BBS is of course logical, as long as you have one fido with 2 telephone lines in one hardware engine. The SCHED.BBS however, I believe there is a problem. I found out that at mailing time, both FIDO's did exactly the same within 20 sec. difference. So at mailtime, both are defining the to be mailed files and try to send them. Of cource the *.IN and *.OUT files are created in the same area, the fidonet- subdirectory. I didn't believe this could work correct, so to be sure I did search for a solution. And well, I found out that at the moment FIDO starts up (FIDO_IBM), it copies the SCHED.BBS into memory and never needs the file if fido stays running. Exept with the sysop 6 and 7 commands, fido update the present SCHED.BBS. So One fido is doing now all the houskeeping and mailing tasks and one is running continouesly. This was made available with a SCHEDN.BBS and a SCHEDE.BBS, which are loaded as SCHED.BBS just before FIDO_IBM is started. In my case SCHEDE.BBS is real empty, but you can change it as long as the tasks are different. I need at this moment the second fido as sysop fido, with which I can do sysopwork at any time. The COM2 port is connected to an internal cable, with which I downstairs in a corner of the livingroom can do the sysop work. Also I prepare there on a CPM own build engine my textfiles like this and upload them on 2400 baud in the fido. If I have to much, I go outside, load kermit and transmit with 19 kbaud the stuff direct in the FIDO engine. If you have a 2- line/one number telephone connection, you can go to a event, where the second modem is put offline, so that all incomming mailcalls are forwarded to FIDO-1, to be handled for mail. This depends strongly on your local telephone company arrangements and possibilities. In that case if you like a third FIDO for SYSOP work, create a third partition. The minimum statement in MLINK for FIDO (Version 11W) is /0,140, But if you have things like FIDOINTR or OUTSIDE working 200 kbyte looks fine. MULTILINK NVDIS, DIS and NODIS commands. ======================================== I did start with MLUTIL DIS, as the books told me, that was the most optimal, because the keyboard requests were reduced. It runs, only the programs FILELIST and SYSREPT did do about 3 hours to come to an end. (should be less then 5 minuts). FidoNews 5-01 Page 12 24 May 2010 So first I did put MLUTIL NODIS before these commands and again a MLUTIL DIS after. It was running. On a Job outside holland (remote sysop), I did an 0 (nul) command and only everey 5 sec. I got a character. Terrible of course. So again trying out. As fido has slow reacting users even on 2400 baud, it was better to put the main part of the programs into MLUTIL NODIS (normal) and only the OUTSIDE and DOSEXIT (0-command) in NVDIS mode. This was finally the best. If I have a new program to be put into the BAT-file I do try out its reaction first in a single command mode, playing with DIS and NVDIS mainly. With a third COM-port, I did try out the terminal emulation. So if you change in the AUTOEXEC.BAT the MLINK into: MLINK /0,200 /0,200 /3,32,,9600 you have a nice MSDOS on a remote terminal, which can be of any type. For you have to fill in a digit (1 to 12) 1=tty,2=ADDS viewpoint,3=LSI ADM3A,4=televideo 910,5=DEC VT- 52,6=fortune,7=televideo 912C/920C/925,8=ANSI-standard, 9=User defined,10=PC shadow,11=hazeltine,12=telepathy. Run MLCUSTOM.COM to define the 9. Noted: The MLINK you can only start once, but with a command line MLUTIL TERM you can redefine the emulation on the third port. In AUTOEXE3.BAT you have to put MLUTIL ENQ -7, as I used the 2e PRN as COM3. With this teminal emulation, a 2e DOS-user is possible (Your Wife/Husband) mutch better than a redirection with CTTY = COM3 Some short explanation of the used command lines. ================================================= MLSLICE activates the time slicing. (portions of 18.1818 ms MLINK /,,||,|| Port 0 is dummy. MLUTIL ENQ -IRQ where IRQ is the interupt level. 4=COM1, 3=COM2, 10=COM3, 11=COM4 (10 and 11 only for AT) MLUTIL TIME n where n is the number of slice portions, the partitioning will get. MLUTIL PRI n where n is 0 (low) till 7 (high) priority. Never put the forground in the lowest, because nearly your forground is useless. Even it took me 30 minuts to type a new command line. The MLSPOOL and MLPRINT works fine too. All the other ones I didn't use in the FIDO environment. I work with MSDOS 3.10 and Multilink 4.00. It works now for month with no single hangup. Succes with MULTILINK! APPENDICES. =========== | The CONFIG.SYS ********************************************************** BREAK = ON COUNTRY = 031 (if you like) BUFFERS = 75 FILES = 25 DEVICE = QUICKVID.SYS (not absolute necessary) FidoNews 5-01 Page 13 24 May 2010 DEVICE = ANSI.SYS (dammed important) DEVICE = VDISK.SYS 384 /E (not absolute necessary) ********************************************************** | | THE BAT-FILES ********************************************************** | | The start BAT file, after the MLINK statement the | AUTOEXE1.BAT and AUTOEXE2.BAT are started for background 1 | and 2 resp. | | The AUTOEXEC.BAT | *********************** prompt Forground$_$p$g echo off cls rem ****************************************** rem * The DISK area will be preset for FIDO. * rem ****************************************** c: mlslice mlink /0,200 /0,200 mlutil pri 2 cd \fido ver echo multilink versie 4.00 ==================================================== | At this point the FORGROUND is waiting for an | | operator command. | ==================================================== ************************* | The AUTOEXE1.BAT file | ************************* prompt background 1$_$p$g echo off cls mlutil pri 1 mlutil enq -4 c: realtime timemark >> \fido\system1.log echo system reset >> \fido\system1.log cd \fido fidointr runfido1 ================================= | Here FIDO-1 will be started. | ================================= ************************** | The AUTOEXE2.BAT file | ************************** prompt background 2$_$p$g echo off cls mlutil pri 1 FidoNews 5-01 Page 14 24 May 2010 mlutil enq -3 c: timemark >> \fido\system2.log echo system reset >> \fido\system2.log cd fido path \ fidointr runfido2 =============================== | Heer FIDO-2 will be started | =============================== ******************************* | The RUNFIDO1.BAT file. | | Will startup the main fido. | ******************************* :start cls rem ************************** rem * FIDO will start-up * rem ************************** prompt Date=$d Time=$t$_$p$g path c:\;c:\fido break off rem clock/s realtime cd \fido copy schedn.bbs sched.bbs watchdg1 off fido_ibm 128/v 5/s 30/l /1 9/w /y 60/d /p 11/a 3/g 1/j 1/i/u if errorlevel 11 goto outside if errorlevel 10 goto dayprt if errorlevel 9 goto dosexit if errorlevel 8 goto scanmail if errorlevel 6 goto sysrept if errorlevel 5 goto printw if errorlevel 4 goto printd if errorlevel 3 goto fatal3 if errorlevel 2 goto fatal2 if errorlevel 1 goto exit goto start rem Started every evening at 23:59 before mailling. :scanmail scanmail -delay -stats -short -noforward -maxmsgs 20 goto start rem Started avery morning 5 minits after mailing. :dayprt tossmail -delay -stats echo save MAIL received.>>system1.log twix mail.rec/o copy maillog.rpt + mail.rec renum -d 30 1 -d 30 2 -d 30 3 -d 30 4 -r 1 -r 2 -r 3 -r 4 messwait -pni >temp FidoNews 5-01 Page 15 24 May 2010 copy temp edtorial.bbs/v copy welcom2.txt + temp welcome2.bbs del temp rem *************************** rem * save variables of today * rem *************************** copy c:\fido\*.tlg a:\fido /v arc a totallog c:\fido\*.log copy totallog.arc a:\fido /v copy c:\fido\answer.bbs a:\fido /v copy c:\fido\anopwd.bbs a:\fido /v copy c:\fido\anewuser.bbs a:\fido /v copy c:\fido\user.bbs a:\fido /v copy c:\fido\user.old a:\fido /v copy c:\fido\mail.sys a:\fido /v copy c:\fido\nodelist\nodelist.a* a:\fido /v rem ************************** rem * End save LOG and USER * rem ************************** copy filelspe.ctl filelist.ctl filelist copy filelnor.ctl filelist.ctl filelist rem And sort also USER.bbs usersort goto nodelist rem Started avery sunday at 23:59. :sysrept timemark >> \fido\system1.log echo weekly review >> system1.log del sysop.bak copy sysop1.log + sysop2.log sysop.bak del sysop1.log del sysop2.log sysrept copy downlog.lwk \fido\fidouse /v copy uplog.lwk \fido\fidouse /v copy utillog.lwk \fido\fidouse /v daynbr /d5 ren sysop.bak sysop.@### daynbr /d5 ren downlog.lwk *.@### daynbr /d5 ren utillog.lwk *.@### daynbr /d5 ren uplog.lwk *.@### daynbr /d5 ren dailylog.lwk *.@### daynbr /d5 ren *.tlg *.@### daynbr /d5 ren mailer1.log *.@### daynbr /d5 ren system1.log *.@### daynbr /d5 ren echomsgs.log *.@### daynbr /d5 ren maillog.rpt *.@### daynbr /d5 arc m totallog *.@### copy zero.rpt maillog.rpt FidoNews 5-01 Page 16 24 May 2010 rem Rework nodelist if he is there! :nodelist if not exist \fido\fidnetf\nodediff.a* goto nonode copy \fido\fidnetf\nodediff.a* \fido\tussenin /v editnl /o=nodelist /e=fidnetf /n=tussenin /a /k /x=pkxarc if errorlevel 1 goto nonode if not errorlevel 0 goto errornod daynbr /d5 copy \fido\tussenin\nodelist.@### /v daynbr /d5 del \fido\nodelist\nodelist.* del \fido\fidnetf\nodediff.* daynbr /d5 copy \fido\tussenin\nodelist.@a## \fido\nodelist /v listgen nodelist if errorlevel 1 goto errorlis copy fidolist.80 \fido\fidouse /v arc m fidolist fidolist.80 copy fidolist.arc \fido\fidouse /v del fidolist.arc daynbr /d5 del nodelist.@### :nonode goto start :errornod timemark >> \fido\system1.log echo EDITNL error >>system1.log goto start :errorlis timemark >> \fido\system1.log echo LISTGEN error >>system1.log goto start rem Started by O(utside) command in FIDO. :outside watchdg1 on mlutil nvdis echo off ctty \com1 timemark >> \fido\system1.log echo "outside"-service started >> system1.log type lastuser.bbs >> system1.log outside if errorlevel 1 goto dosexit ctty \con mlutil nodis echo on goto start rem Started by SYSOP-"0" command. :dosexit watchdg1 on rem *********************************** rem * MSDOS active remote via COM1 * rem *********************************** timemark >> \fido\system1.log echo Remote MS-DOS started >>system1.log FidoNews 5-01 Page 17 24 May 2010 mlutil nvdis ctty \com1 rem Do your job and return with EXIT to fido. command ctty \con mlutil nodis c: cd \fido prompt rem *********************** rem * end remote MSDOS * rem *********************** echo End remote MS-DOS >>system1.log goto start :printd print mailer.log print anewuser.bbs print anopwd.bbs print answers.bbs goto start :printw print \fido\fidouse\utillog.lwk print \fido\fidouse\downlog.lwk print \fido\fidouse\uplog.lwk print dailylog.lwk goto start :fatal3 prompt rem ***************** rem * Fatal error 3 * rem ***************** echo FATAL I/O-ERROR > com1 timemark >> \fido\system1.log echo Fatal error 3 >>system1.log goto start :fatal2 prompt rem ******************** rem * Fatal disk error * rem ******************** echo FATAL DISK-ERROR > com1 timemark >> \fido\system1.log echo Fatal disk error >>system1.log goto start :exit prompt rem **************** rem * Fido stopped * rem **************** timemark >> \fido\system1.log echo Fido stopped! >>system1.log FidoNews 5-01 Page 18 24 May 2010 prompt Date=$d Time=$t$_$p$g rem READY!!!!!! ************************************************* | The RUNFIDO2.BAT file. | | Will startup the 2e FIDO with empty SCHED.BBS | ************************************************* waste 1 :start cls rem ************************** rem * FIDO will start-up * rem ************************** prompt Date=$d Time=$t$_$p$g path c:\;c:\fido break off cd \fido copy schede.bbs sched.bbs /v watchdg2 off fido_ibm 128/v 5/s 30/l /2 9/w /y 60/d /p 11/a 3/g 1/j 2/i /u if errorlevel 11 goto outside if errorlevel 10 goto dayprt if errorlevel 9 goto dosexit if errorlevel 8 goto scanmail if errorlevel 6 goto sysrept if errorlevel 5 goto printw if errorlevel 4 goto printd if errorlevel 3 goto fatal3 if errorlevel 2 goto fatal2 if errorlevel 1 goto exit goto start rem Started every evening at 23:59 before mailling. waste 10 goto start rem Started avery morning 5 minits after mailing. :dayprt waste 15 goto start rem Started avery sunday at 23:59. :sysrept waste 15 goto start rem Started by O(utside) command in FIDO. :outside watchdg2 on mlutil nvdis ctty \com2 FidoNews 5-01 Page 19 24 May 2010 timemark >> \fido\system2.log echo "outside"-service started >> system2.log type lastuser.bbs >> system2.log outside if errorlevel 1 goto dosexit ctty \con mlutil nodis goto start rem Started by SYSOP-"0" command. :dosexit rem *********************************** rem * MSDOS active remote via COM1 * rem *********************************** timemark >> \fido\system2.log echo Remote MS-DOS started >>system2.log watchdg2 on mlutil nvdis ctty \com2 rem Do your job and return with EXIT to fido. command ctty \con mlutil nodis c: cd \fido prompt rem *********************** rem * end remote MSDOS * rem *********************** echo End remote MS-DOS >>system2.log goto start :printd print mailer.log print anewuser.bbs print anopwd.bbs print answers.bbs goto start :printw print \fido\fidouse\utillog.lwk print \fido\fidouse\downlog.lwk print \fido\fidouse\uplog.lwk print dailylog.lwk goto start :fatal3 prompt rem ***************** rem * Fatal error 3 * rem ***************** echo FATAL I/O-ERROR > com2 timemark >> \fido\system2.log echo Fatal error 3 >>system2.log goto start FidoNews 5-01 Page 20 24 May 2010 :fatal2 prompt rem ******************** rem * Fatal disk error * rem ******************** echo FATAL DISK-ERROR > com2 timemark >> \fido\system2.log echo Fatal disk error >>system2.log goto start :exit prompt rem **************** rem * Fido stopped * rem **************** timemark >> \fido\system2.log echo Fido stopped! >>system2.log prompt Date=$d Time=$t$_$p$g rem READY!!!!!! ************************ END ****************** ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 5-01 Page 21 24 May 2010 -- The Regular Irregular Column -- Dale Lovell 157/504 This has been an eye-opening week. Boris Osadciw (the sysop of 157/46) sent out a message to the local net about a new program called DUTCHIE which he claimed was a sort of public domain SEAdog. While that isn't actually the truth, the program is interesting. In addition to checking out DUTCHIE, I also ended up looking at a new (to me) FOSSIL driver. This all led to a busy week, but I've already noticed that there never seems to be a week that isn't busy. First off the FOSSIL driver. -- X.00 (or X00.SYS) -- X00.SYS is a low level communications driver that adheres to the FOSSIL standards set by Vince Perriello (141/491) and is written by Ray Gwinn (109/639). While that sounds like a lot it isn't that hard to understand. FOSSIL stands for Fido/Opus/SEAdog Standard Interface Layer, and is basically a standard developed for use with communications (or BBS) programs. It was originally developed to allow the DEC Rainbow to run SEAdog. At about the same time Wynn Wagner was having problems with Opus and the Greenleaf(tm) Communications Libraries. It was suggested that the extended driver for SEAdog could be used with Opus and the FOSSIL driver was born. FOSSILs take over all of the low level work associated with communications ports (and the screen and keyboard in some cases) such as setting the baud rate, and doing the hard work of actually sending and receiving characters. If a program is capable of using a FOSSIL, it should run on any MS-DOS machine (not necessarily an IBM compatible machine) that has a FOSSIL driver written for it (currently the IBM PCs and compatibles, Tandy 2000, and Sanyo 555 to name a few). Some of you may already be familiar with a FOSSIL driver since Opus requires one. Bob Hartman's Opus!Comm was one of the first FOSSIL drivers, and was originally distributed with Opus. Opus!Comm is installed as a TSR or memory resident program. It is usually run in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file just like hundreds of other TSRs (Sidekick, Prokey, etc). X00.SYS uses a different approach. It is installed as a device drive in your CONFIG.SYS file. It doesn't really make any difference how a FOSSIL is installed, but there are different ways (make sure you read the documentation for your FOSSIL). The part of X00.SYS that caught my eye is the support for up to eight different communications ports. It was written to allow MultiLink to get along with Opus (and SEAdog), and should work with most of the multitaskers currently available (DoubleDos for example). As many of us "know," SEAdog and Opus will only work on COM1 and COM2. So what's the advantage of having a FOSSIL supports all these ports? X00.SYS will allow you to "fake out" a program and make it think it's using COM1 or COM2, while it is actually using a formerly unsupported port. I think this could be very useful because it's been my experience that serial ports are always in short supply (Mouse, laser printer, FidoNews 5-01 Page 22 24 May 2010 modem...hmmm...one port short). Since most commercial programs won't take advantage of a FOSSIL, you could run a SEAdog/Opus/whatever on COM3 while running a serial mouse on COM1 and a serial laser printer (like an Apple LaserWriter) on COM2. This greatly expands the usefulness of SEAdog and Opus, especially since X00.SYS can support up to 8 different serial ports at once. I'm going into all this detail on FOSSIL drivers because the program I'm about to cover requires one. I think the program shows great promise, and is going to expand the net into the point extensions very quickly. -- DUTCHIE by Henk Wevers (500/1) -- When I first heard about DUTCHIE, it was "billed" as a public domain SEAdog. This is not the full truth, as a better description is the first operational point software. Points are part of the extended FidoNet addressing that has been settled by the standards committee. What points boil to, as far as I'm concerned, is instead of being user number 72, I'd be known as 157/504.72. Instead of calling up a board and trying to keep up in several echomail conferences online, I could poll my boss node and pickup all the echomail conferences I was interested in reading. Read the conferences at my own leisure (no worrying about how much time I've got left), reply to the messages in a full-screen editor, and then send off my replies. Total connect time should only be a few minutes. Until DUTCHIE this has been an empty dream because few users were willing to set up a complete BBS system or buy a copy of SEAdog. While DUTCHIE is far from a full SEAdog, it is free to private individuals and will do what is necessary for a point with a minimum of overhead (disk space, installation time, etc.). The requirements for DUTCHIE aren't that hard to meet. All you need is an IBM PC or compatible with 512K of RAM and at least 2 floppy drives (a hard drive with at least one floppy is even better). The BBS that will serve you (your boss node in the DUTCHIE terminology) needs to be running SEAdog, Opus, Fido or a combination of these programs. Best service is currently available through a BBS that is running SEAdog in front of the bulletin board all day, although Opus version 1.0 is rumored to work just as well. You'll also need a FOSSIL driver, the two currently supported are Bob Hartman's Opus!Comm and Ray Gwinn's X00.SYS (version 1.02 or higher). Henk recommends X00.SYS because of the multiple COM port support and baud rates up to 9600 baud. The boss node will have to run a program called BRINKERS at least once a day. BRINKERS is the program that makes it possible for the bulletin board to support points. If you want any of the echomail conferences sent to you, the echomail programs are also required. At the end of this column I'll give everyone a complete list of the files I have and where they can be obtained. Describing DUTCHIE is going to be very easy. After FidoNews 5-01 Page 23 24 May 2010 installing it on your system (we'll assume that you've worked everything out with your boss node) you tell DUTCHIE to poll the boss. DUTCHIE will take over for awhile as it attempts to get through to the boss. If your boss isn't running SEAdog 4.0 with a BBS mail event all day, you will probably have to leave your system on all night to call the boss during National Mail Hour (09:00 GMT for the US, currently 5:00 for me). If the boss is running OPUS version 0 you can always drop off your messages, but will only be able to pick up messages when he is running FIDO (during NMH). Hopefully Opus version 1.0 will allow the same thing and make things easier for you and your boss node. Once DUTCHIE has gotten your messages (and you've processed any echomail conferences that are being sent to you) you can spend all the time you need OFF-LINE to read and reply to the messages. Once you're done you can send off your replies to the boss (if he's running SEAdog or Opus). Things are a lot easier for you because you finally have a full screen editor, no more messing around with Fido's line oriented editor. You also can reply to a message using the ">" form easier, this means copying parts of the old message into your reply with the ">" symbol in front of each line from the old message. I first ran into this form of a reply on Usenet, and it does make a series of messages a lot easier to read. That's all there is to using DUTCHIE as a point. You have no need for the nodelist (unless you want it to send netmail to nodes other than the boss) which is getting very large. Since your boss is the only one who needs to know your phone number (in some cases he may even call you regularly!), you DO NOT have to be running a bulletin board. Other points can send mail to you merely by knowing your point address (it will be sent through your boss node), and your sysop can probably make a list of his points available. You are not listed in the international nodelist, and the only arrangements to make are between you and the boss node (although you'll probably want anyone who you converse with regularly to know your point address). You can bring all of this up slowly. First only a few local messages with everyone having to know your point address. Once you get comfortable with that, maybe a few echomail conferences. Hopefully, one day you'll decide that you want the whole nodelist and become involved with people all over the world through the network. This is somewhat shortened, as I had originally written over five pages on DUTCHIE and could easily write a small book on it. If you're interested in what it can do for you, I suggest you obtain the software from a list of boards at the bottom and make arrangements with your sysop if you wish to become a point. Any sysops who have a large number of people reading the echomail conferences would be well advised to look into the idea of setting up some of their users as points (I happen to like the idea of points, okay?). It could really help free up your board and your time to helping out newcomers to BBSing while providing better service to your more experienced users. FidoNews 5-01 Page 24 24 May 2010 --Winding down -- Instead of looking at a game I've found enjoyable, I'm going to give you the update on my valspeak/LEX project as I promised last week. Two weeks ago I mentioned a program I'd gotten off Usenet that would "translate" an ASCII text file into something a little different. The something a little different being the type of speech that Hollywood wants us to think is used all over Southern California's valleys (eg. "Gag me with a spoon"). The source code needed to be run through a program called LEX, which generates C source code. I had found a LEX, but it wasn't enough like the Unix version and I had been having some problems converting it. I checked with the system administrator on my local Unix machine on running valspeak.l (the distributed source code) through the Unix machine's LEX, downloading the generated code, and compiling it on my PC. He agreed that it was a good idea, unfortunately it would violate their license agreements. I've been trying to convert the source code to my LEX with little luck. If anyone out there knows of a near perfect implementation of the Unix LEX program for the PC, please let me know where I can obtain it. A version that has been tested with Microsoft C version 4.0 would be greatly preferred. I've also bought what many consider to be THE reference book on C. It's "The C Programming Language" by Brian W. Kernigham and Dennis M. Ritchie (Prentice-Hall, list price $26.67). If you hear people referring to K&R, this is the book they're talking about. It is a basic introduction and overview to the C language, and I've been using it as a reference book. It documents the early standard that the ANSI draft is based on, and covers most of the topics needed to understand C. There are numerous examples of C code, and more than enough exercises. I've heard a rumor that there is a book that gives answers to all the exercises and will attempt to follow up on the lead. It is not really aimed at the person new to computers, but should work adequately for anyone familiar with programming and is willing to spend some time actually doing the exercises. Once again I welcome your comments and suggestions on my column. Below you'll find my FidoNet net/node number, uucp address, and US mail address. FidoNet people should route mail to me through 157/0, or 157/1. 157/1 is preferable because I hit it more often each day. Below the addresses is the list of DUTCHIE files and where they can be file-requested. Dale Lovell 3266 Vezber Drive Seven Hills, OH 44131 uucp: ..!ncoast!lovell FidoNet: 157/504 DUTCHIE FILES FidoNews 5-01 Page 25 24 May 2010 DO-FLYER.ARC Quick introduction into DUTCHIE as a point DO-USERM.ARC User manual, DUTCHIE through the user's eyes DO-SYSOP.ARC Introduction for sysops supporting DUTCHIE points DO-EDITR.ARC The full screen message handler/editor DO-COMMA.ARC The communications/mailer program DO-PRINT.ARC The automatic mail printer DO-NOCOM.ARC Nodelist compiler DO-NOSCN.ARC Nodelist scanner DO-BRINK.ARC Brinkers program - point readresser program Needed for sysops supporting DUTCHIE points All of these files should be available from 157/46 (where I got them), 2/1 and 3/1. Other places may have them as well (157/1 should also have it). Keep in mind you'll also need a FOSSIL driver, be it Opus!Comm or X00.SYS. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 5-01 Page 26 24 May 2010 ================================================================= NOTICES ================================================================= The Interrupt Stack ----------------------------------------------------------------- Latest Software Versions BBS Systems Node List Other & Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version Dutchie 2.51* EDITNL 3.3 ARC 5.20 Fido 11w LISTGEN 05.25.86 ARCmail 0.60 Opus 0.00 Prune 1.40 EchoMail 1.31 SEAdog 4.00 RouteGen 2.70 Renum 3.30 TBBS 2.0S TestList 8.3* XlatList 2.70 * Recently changed Utility authors: Please help keep this list as current as possible by reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our intent to list all utilities here, only those which verge on necessity. ----------------------------------------------------------------- FidoNews 5-01 Page 27 24 May 2010 Bob Morris 141/333 Chairman, Elections and Nominations Committee The next two pages are your Official ballot for the Election of the IFNA Board of Directors. The following are the few rules which must prevail in this election: 1. You must send a legible copy of this ballot to the address listed on the ballot. It must be signed and bear your net/node number. 2. You may vote for any one person in your region for the position of Regional Director. This vote is to be cast in the LEFT column of the ballot. 3. You may vote for any eleven people in any regions for the position of Director at Large. These votes are to be cast in the RIGHT column of the ballot. 4. Voting will continue until the end of registration at the Conference in August. The results will be read during the opening of the business meeting on the first day of the conference. 5. Write-in Votes will be accepted and are requested during this election. FidoNews 5-01 Page 28 24 May 2010 IFNA Board Of Directors Ballot Regional At Large Region 10: Steve Jordan _________ ________ Region 11: Ryugen Fisher _________ ________ Theodore Polczynski _________ ________ Region 12: Region 13: Don Daniels _________ ________ John Penberthy _________ ________ Thom Henderson _________ ________ Gee Wong _________ ________ Brian Hughes _________ ________ Region 14: Ben Baker _________ ________ Ken Kaplan _________ ________ Brad Hicks _________ ________ Region 15: David Dodell _________ ________ Larry Wall _________ ________ Region 16: Bob Hartman _________ ________ Hal Duprie _________ ________ Region 17: Rob Barker _________ ________ Randy Bush _________ ________ Bob Swift _________ ________ Region 18: Wes Cowley _________ ________ FidoNews 5-01 Page 29 24 May 2010 Region 19: Mark Grennan _________ ________ Wynn Wagner _________ ________ Region 2: Henk Wevers _________ ________ Write-in candidates: ___________________ _________ ________ ___________________ _________ ________ Name ______________________________ Net/Node ___________ Signature______________________________ Date ___________ Please complete this and mail it to: Robert Morris IFNA Elections Committee 210 Church Street West Haven, Ct. 06516 or bring it with you when you come to the conference in August. These ballots will be counted by myself since with 200 members the charges for a CPA would be very high. Hard copies will be made available to anyone wishing to insure that their vote was included. Thank You Bob Morris Elections and Nominations Committee -----------------------------------------------------------------