Copying Utilities:
-----------------
Synchronet has a specific sub-directory for executable programs (EXEC).
You need to copy all utilities that the BBS will run into this directory
(this does not mean Doors or Online Games). For example, you need to
copy
PKZIP.EXE and PKUNZIP.EXE into your EXEC directory. If you plan on
supporting
other archive/compression programs on your BBS, you should copy these
programs
into the EXEC directory as well. Any file transfer protocol programs
need to
be copied into your EXEC directory. Synchronet comes with an unregisterd
copy
of DSZ. If you have a registered version, copy it into the EXEC directory
as
well.
System Configuration
--------------------
SCFG is the Synchronet Configuration Utility which can be executed
from the
"Waiting for call" screen by hitting 'C' or from DOS by typing SCFG
from any
node directory. Example:
CD \SBBS\NODE1
SCFG
SCFG is a separate executable program. Once SCFG has initialized, you
will see a main menu titled "Configure" which looks something like
this:
To manipulate the lightbar, use the up and down arrow keys or type a
letter or
number in the option you wish to highlight. To highlight the first
option of
the menu, hit HOME. To highlight the last option of the menu, hit END.
You'll
notice that if you hit up arrow when the lightbar is at the first option
of
the menu, the last option will become highlighted. This wrap effect
also
occurs when hitting the down arrow when the lightbar is at the last
option of
the menu. To select the current highlighted option, hit ENTER. To exit
SCFG,
hit ESC.
Under "System", set your system's name (BBS Name), the sysop's name
(You), the
system location (City, State), and system password. The system password
you
enter here will be required for any remote sysop operations and is
prompted
for with an "SY:" prompt. Under "Message Options", set your system's
QWK ID
(Up to 8 character BBS name abbreviation). Under "Toggle Options" set
"Allow
Aliases" to "Yes" or "No" depending on if you want users to be known
by their
real names on your BBS or a personal alias.
Remember that at any time within SCFG, you can hit the F1 key to get
online
help about the current configuration window. Following is a more specific
list
of the commands available in the SCFG under System options.
Message Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BBS ID for QWK Packets:
This is the ID that will be used in QWK packets. It is important
that
you set this to an abbreviation of your BBS name before users
start
using the QWK functions of your BBS. Only valid DOS filename
characters
can be used and the ID must begin with an alphabetic character.
This
ID will also serve as your system's QWK Network address, should
you
choose to join a QWK message network.
Local Time Zone:
This should be set to the time zone where your BBS is located.
Maximum Retry Time:
This is the maximum number of seconds the Synchronet message
base
library will wait for a locked message base to become unlocked.
Under normal conditions, message bases are only left locked for
an
extremely short period of time.
Maximum QWK Messages:
This is the maximum number of messages which will be packed when
a
QWK packet is created. If the number of new messages to be packed
exceeds this, the packing will be stopped after packing this
number
of messages. Setting this value to 0 sets the number of messages
per packet to unlimited. Private e-mail is not included in the
total
number of messages and QWK network nodes are automatically exempt
from this maximum.
Pre-pack QWK Requirements:
If this option is used (not blank), Synchronet will pre-pack
any new
messages into a QWK packet in the DATA\FILE directory for each
user
that meets this requirement. When that user calls to download
their
packet, it will automatically extract the pre-packed QWK (if
it
exists) and append to it. It is mainly intended for QWKnet nodes
that
feed from your BBS, but can also be used for long distance users
that
wish to save connect time and always read their messages via
QWK.
Purge E-mail by Age:
This will allow electronic mail for your users (stored in DATA\MAIL.*)
to be purged after a specific number of days (read or unread).
Purge Deleted E-mail:
This option can be set to "Daily" or "Immediately". If set to
"Immediately", e-mail marked for deletion will be physically
removed
from the e-mail database immediately after the user exits the
reading mail menu. If set to "Daily" (the suggested setting),
e-mail
is marked for deletion isn't physically removed from the database
until the automatic daily event executes (sometime after midnight).
Duplicate E-mail Checking:
This option allows the setting of a number of message CRCs to
be kept
to check e-mail to insure that it is not a duplicate of another
piece
of e-mail. This option should be set to 0 (disabled) unless you
specifically want duplicate e-mail disallowed, in which case
a value
of 2000 should be sufficient.
Allow Anonymous E-mail:
Setting this option to Yes will allow users with the 'A' exemption
to
send anonymous e-mail.
Allow Quoting in E-mail:
To allow users to quote from e-mail, this option should be set
to Yes.
Allow Uploads in E-mail:
To allow users to attach files to e-mail, this option must be
set to
Yes.
Allow Forwarding to NetMail:
If you allow users to send NetMail on your BBS and want to allow
your
users to set their account to forwarding their e-mail to a NetMail
address, set this option to Yes.
Kill Read E-mail:
If you would like to have any e-mail that has been read by the
recipient automatically deleted by the message base maintenance
program
(SMBUTIL) set this option to yes.
Users Can View Deleted Messages:
This option allows all users or sysops/sub-ops the ability to
view
messages (posts/e-mail) marked for deletion (and optionally undelete
them) before they are permanently removed from the message base.
Extra Attribute Codes...:
This option will give you a sub-menu of toggle options. These
options
tell Synchronet whether or not it should interpret color codes
which
are supported by other BBS packages.
BBS Name:
This is the name of the
BBS.
Location:
This is the city, state
and/or other pertinent location information.
Operator:
This is the name of the
system operator. Doesn't have to be the same
as user #1.
Password:
This is the super-secret
system password that only sysops should know.
Users Can Change Password:
If you want enhanced system
security, it is suggested that you force
users to keep the original
randomly generated password they were
assigned by setting this
option to No. If you do allow users to change
their passwords, you can
make them change their password periodically
with this selection.
Days to Preserve Deleted Users:
If a user is deleted, his
slot will be preserved for this many days
since his last logon date.
Preserved slots will not be written over
by new users. Preserved slots may be undeleted by the sysop.
Maximum Days of Inactivity:
If you wish that users that
haven't logged on in a certain number of
days be automatically deleted,
set this value to the maximum number
of days a user can be inactive
before he is deleted. Users can be
exempted from the automatic
deletion with the 'P' exemption. Setting
this value to 0 disables
this feature (Unlimited inactivity).
New User Password:
If this field has a value,
new users will have to enter this password
correctly before being able
apply for access.
System Toggle Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Selecting this option will bring you to the following sub-menu:
Allow Aliases:
If you wish the users of
the BBS to be allowed to use aliases publicly,
set this option to Yes.
Allow Time Banking:
Set this option to Yes to allow users to store their time in
a time
bank, or to convert their credits to time via the BBS.
Allow Credit Conversions:
Setting this option to Yes will allow users to be able to convert
credits to time.
Allow Local Sysop Access:
To be able to perform sysop actions locally, this option should
be set
to Yes.
Allow Remote Sysop Access:
To be able to perform sysop actions remotely, this option should
be set
to Yes.
Echo Passwords Locally:
If this option is set to No, all BBS passwords will not be displayed
locally (characters will be replaced by an X). This includes
passwords
entered during logon, passwords in the user editor, as well as
passwords normally displayed on the status line.
Require Passwords Locally:
If this option is set to No the BBS will not ask for a password
to be
entered when performing local operations.
Short Sysop Page:
If set to Yes, this sysop page will be a short series of beeps,
otherwise a continuous sysop page will be used.
Sound Alarm on Error:
If the above option (beep locally) is toggled off, but you still
wish
to have errors produce an audible alarm, you should toggle this
option
to Yes.
Include Sysop in Statistics:
It is suggested that you
set this option to No, so that the sysop's
activity on the BBS is not
included in the usage statistics.
Closed to New Users:
If you wish to disallow
access to any new users, set this option to
Yes.
Use Location In User Lists:
If you wish the location
(City, State) of the user to be displayed
in user listings instead
of the user note, set this option to Yes.
Setting this option to No
will display the user's note (sysop created)
if one has been created. The option should be set to Yes if using
Caller-ID since the user's note may contain their phone number.
Military (24 hour) Time Format:
Use this option to toggle your BBS between 12 and 24 hour time
formats.
European Date Format (DD/MM/YY):
This option should ONLY be toggle to Yes if you are in a European
country which uses this date format. All countries using the
MM/DD/YY
format should leave this option set to No. If your BBS has been
running
for any length of time with this option set to No, you should
NOT
change it to Yes.
User Expires When Out-of-time:
Useful for BBSs which charge users based on time, this option,
when set
to Yes, will set a user to the expired account values once the
user's
time runs out.
Quick Validation Hot-Keys:
If this option is set to No, the quick validation hot keys will
be
disabled.
New User Values
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This option allows you to modifiy the security values assigned to a
new user
after he completes his validation feedback. You can also set the number
of
credits and minutes new users start off with. If you have configured
an
alternate command shell or external editors, you may select one of
these as the
default for new users. See User Edit for more information about user
account
values.
The 'Default Toggles' are used to set the account defaults that users
will have
when they log on to the system as a new user. These account defaults
can be
changed by the user at logon, or while on the system from the user
defaults
menu.
The 'Question Toggles' are used to enable/disable the different questions
which
new users will be asked when logging on to the BBS. The 'Force Unique...'
question toggles are used to force users to pick a string that is not
being
used by any of the other users currently in the sytem user list.
Advanced Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
New User Magic Word:
If this field has a value,
it is assumed the sysop would have put
some reference to this "magic
word" in NEWUSER.MSG and the user
will be prompted for this
after he enters his own assigned password.
If he doesn't enter it correctly,
it is assumed he didn't read the
text displayed to him and
he is disconnected.
Data Directory:
This is the path to the
directory where all the data files for SBBS
are stored. This value should
not be changed unless necessary.
Index Directory:
This is the path to the
directory where all the index files for SBBS
are stored. This value should
not be changed unless necessary.
Executables Directory:
This is the path to the
directory where all the executable files for
SBBS are store. This value
should not be changed unless necessary.
Input SIF Questionnaire:
This is the name of a SIF
file that resides the text directory that
all users will be prompted
to answer upon logging on the first time.
See SIF for more information.
Output SIF Questionnaire:
This is the name of the
SIF file that is used by the sysop to view
the users' answers to the
input SIF questionnaire. If this value is
left blank, the input SIF
questionnaire is used. This output SIF
questionable should be identical
to the input SIF with the exception
of the text content. See
SIF for more information.
Credits Per Dollar:
This is the monetary value
of a credit (How many credits per dollar).
This value should be a power
of 2 (1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, etc.)
since credits are usually
converted by 100 kilobyte (102400) blocks.
To make a dollar worth two
megabytes of credits, set this value to
2,097,152 (a megabyte is
1024*1024 or 1048576).
Minutes Per 100k Credits:
This is the value of a minute
of time online. Credits can be converted
to minutes by the
user if allowed by the command shell. Credits are
only converted in
100k (102400) blocks. This field is the number of
minutes to give the
user in exchange for the 100k credit block.
Maximum Number of Minutes:
This value is the maximum
total number of minutes a user can have. If
the user has this number
of minutes or more, he will not be allowed
to convert credits into
minutes. A sysop can add minutes to a user's
account regardless of this
maximum. If this value is set to 0, the
user will have no limit
on the total number of minutes he can have.
Warning Days Till Expire:
When a users account is
about to expire, the BBS will begin sending
expiration warning messages
to the users notifying them this many days
in advance.
Default Status Line:
This is the number of the
status line that will be displayed by default
at the bottom of the screen
while the user is online.
Last Displayable Node:
This is the number of the
last node that will be viewable by the users.
Any nodes which exist above
this number will be "invisible" nodes and
cannot be seen by anyone.
First Local Auto-Node:
When using the AUTONODE
utility, this is the node number to begin
searching at for an available
(offline) node.
Phone Number Format:
This is the format which
users will be required to use when entering
their phone numbers.
Sysop Chat Requirements:
Any user meeting the criteria
set here will be able to page the sysop
regardless of the status
of the scroll lock.
Loadable Modules
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Loadable Modules options are used for loading Baja .BIN modules
during
various stages of the BBS operation. Selecting one of the functions
will prompt you for the name of the Baja module to be used when that
event
occurs. See DOCS\BAJA.DOC for details on creating/modifying loadable
modules.
Following is a brief description of when each of the Loadable Modules
occur
during the BBS operation:
Login:
This module is REQUIRED for remote and local logins. Occurs
when a
user is connected, immediately after the Synchronet copyright
notice is
displayed.
Logon Event:
Occurs immediately after Login (above).
Sync Event:
This is a Synchronization Event and occurs each time the BBS
performs
a node synchronization (e.g. when node messages are received,
node
status is read, etc...basically continuously while a user is
online).
Logoff Event:
Occurs ONLY when a user does a slow logoff. Does NOT occur
when users
hang up on the BBS or do a fast logoff.
Logout Event:
This is an offline event that occurs after a user has disconnected
from
the BBS, either by logging off or hanging up.
New User Event:
Occurs at the end of a new user procedure (e.g. after the user
has
logged on, left new user feedback, and anything else that is
required of a new user).
Expired User:
This is an offline event that occurs during Synchronet's internal
daily
event (after the first caller at the beginning of a new day
Security Values
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This option allows you to define the values of the Security Levels (0-99).
Selecting the desired security level will bring you to another menu
similar to
the following:
Here you can modify the corresponding values for that particular security
level. These values will be given to ALL users who have the selected
security
level. Many of these values may be overridden by giving certain users
the
necessary exemptions (if required).
Expired Account Values
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This sub-menu contains the account values for expired user accounts.
When
a user account expires, the information contained here will be applied
to
that user account.
Quick Validation Values
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is where you define the values of the quick-validation sets (0-9).
Selecting a level from this list will bring you to another menu similar
to the
following:
These are used to quickly set a user's Level, Flags, Restrictions and
Exemptions, as well as extend their expiration date and add credits
to their
account. A user can be quick-validated by hitting Alt-(0-9) while
the user is
online, or with the 'V' command from User Edit.
Creating User Accounts Locally
==============================
Exit the configuration program and run SBBS from your NODE1 directory.
When you
get a menu that says "Synchronet Version xx" (Wait For Call screen),
hit
SPACE BAR to logon. Answer 'Y' to the Logon (Y/N) prompt. At the NN:
prompt,
enter "NEW" to create a new account. Answer the questions until you
get to the
BBS main menu and then logoff the BBS.
Repeat this process for any other user accounts you wish to create.
Be sure
to give out high access levels and exemptions very carefully.
Creating a Sysop Account
------------------------
Follow the above steps to create a user account. Once you are back at
the WFC
(Wait For Call) screen, press 'U' and go to the account that you've
created.
You should give this account (the main sysop account) all of the different
flags and exemptions (no restrictions), and a level of 99 (use '?'
to help
find the keys to select the different options).
NOTE: Users with levels of 90 and above have SYSOP access.
TIP: To logon from the wait for call screen quickly, hit
SPACE, then 'F'
for fast sysop (user #1)
logon.
TIP: To keep your logons from being written to the logon
list, turn
"Default to quiet mode"
on from the Default Configuration menu. If
you want users to see that
you're online, you can toggle quiet mode
off/on with the ";QUIET"
sysop command from the Synchronet main menu.
Creating a Guest Account
------------------------
Follow the above steps to create a user account. Once you are
back at the WFC
(Wait For Call) screen, press 'U' and go to the account that you've
created to
be used as your Guest account. Change the Real Name field of the account
to
'Guest', and give this account the access that you feel is necessary
for a
Guest user to have (along with any Restrictions that may be necessary).
Select
the Password field, and make it blank (this will allow Guests to log
on by
simply entering GUEST at the NN: prompt without the need for a password).
If you have certain areas on your BBS which are restricted by age, you
may wish
to modify the Birthdate field of the Guest account as necessary.
You may also wish to (from the SCFG program under Nodes->Node#->Logon
Prompt)
modify the logon prompts of your nodes to read something along the
lines of
'Enter Name, Number, New, or Guest', so that users will be aware that
there is
a Guest account available for them to use. You can also place a note
informing
users of the Guest account in your BBS's ANSWER screen.
Run SCFG from your NODE1 directory. Select Nodes from the main menu.
Hit INS
(insert key) to create additional nodes (up to your Node license limit
plus
one additional local only node). Each added node will have the configuration
options copied from the last node. Make any configuration changes (including
modem/com port configuration) necessary.
Exit SCFG. Copy *.BAT from your NODE1 directory into each added node directory.
Configuring Nodes
-----------------
You can configure any node from within SCFG regardless of what computer
(or virtual computer) you're using. To configure a node, select "Nodes"
from
the SCFG "Configure" menu. You will then see a list of all the nodes
installed
on your system. You will also see the bottom line of the screen now
has two
additional key commands added, INS and DEL. INS and DEL are used to
add and
delete nodes from the system. If you select one of the nodes listed,
you will
receive another menu as follows:
We will now discuss the options of this menu.
Name:
This is the name of the
node. This parameter is not used for anything
but documentary purposes
in the BBS.
Phone Number:
This is the phone number
of this node in the format AAA-EEE-NNNN.
Logon Prompt:
This is what will be displayed
to callers after the Synchronet version
and registration number,
but before the NN: prompt.
Minimum Connect Rate:
This is the minimum modem
connection rate that will be allowed. Callers
can still connect and attempt
to logon, but without the 'M' exemption,
they will be told what minimum
connect rate is and disconnected.
Logon Requirements:
Use this option to set specific
requiremenets to logon this node.
Local Text Editor:
This is the command line
to use when editing text files or messages
locally. This command line
is not used when posting or sending e-mail
unless the above option
is set to 'Yes'. If this option is not
specified, the default editor
for the current user will be used. An
example (using Qedit as
the editor) would be:
q %f
Assuming Q.EXE is in the
DOS search path. If it isn't, you can specify
the location of the program.
Example:
c:\qedit\q %f
The %f parameter will expand
to the path and filename of the file to
edit.
Text Viewer:
This is the command line
to use to view text files locally. Currently,
this command line is only
used to view the system log files. You should
use a program that allows
the text scrolling up and down as well as
string searches. A popular
program for this use is Buerg's LIST.
If you are running multiple
nodes and the program you wish to use
leaves the file open while
viewing, you should use a batch file that
actual copies the file to
view and then views the copy.
Example (if program name
is LIST):
LISTIT.BAT:
---------------------------------[ Begin ]-------------------------------------
@echo off
copy %1 list.tmp
list list.tmp
del list.tmp
---------------------------------[ End ]-------------------------------------
An example for this field
(using the LISTIT batch file) would be:
%!listit %f
The %! parameter specifies
that the batch file is located in the
EXEC directory. If is not
located there, you can remove the %! so that
the DOS search path will
be searched for the batch file or specify
its location.
The %f parameter will expand
to the path and filename of the file to
view.
Configuration Command:
This is the command line to use to execute the Synchronet configuration
program from the WFC screen. The simplest command line to use
is "SCFG"
(this will execute SCFG.BAT or SCFG.CMD from the current node
directory). Alternate command lines:
If this node is running Synchronet for DOS:
%!scfg %k /t%w
This command lines has the added advantage of passing the
timeslice configuration of the current node (enabling Win/OS2
idle API calls or disabling DESQview/DOS idle API calls).
This flavor of SCFG supports user mouse control.
This flavor of SCFG can only use conventional DOS memory for
configuration items (EMS is automatically used, if available,
for executable overlay caching - improving performance but
not increasing the maximum number of configured items).
To use the extended-DOS/Win32 version of SCFG:
%!scfg32 %k
This flavor of SCFG can access all of your installed memory
(no memory limitations under Win32).
This flavor of SCFG does not support any timeslice API calls
(may consume more timeslices than necessary when run under a
non-Win32 multitasking environment).
If this node is running Synchronet for OS/2:
%!scfg4os2 %k
This flavor of SCFG has no memory limitations.
DOS Command Interpreter:
If this node is running Synchronet for OS/2, this is the path
to your
command interpreter for OS/2 virtual DOS machines. Example:
C:\OS2\MDOS\COMMAND.COM
This option is only used when running Synchronet for OS/2.
Node Toggle Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Status Screen While WFC:
This node will display a
screen with system usage statistics and the
current status of all active
nodes.
Total Msgs/Files While WFC:
If you have the system statistics displayed while WFC, and you
wish to
include the total number of messages and files in the display,
set this
option to Yes. The retrieval of statistics is faster when set
to No.
Use Editor for Messages:
If this option is set to
'Yes' and you have specified a Local Text
Editor (next option), when
logged on locally this editor will be used
for the creation of all
messages.
Use EMS for Overlays:
Set this option to 'Yes' to have this node to use EMS memory
for
overlay files. Setting this option to 'Yes' can help increase
the
performance of the BBS significantly if enough EMS memory is
available
(about 360K).
Allow Swapping:
Set this option to 'Yes' to allow this node to swap when necessary.
If you do not have EMS, XMS, or Extended memory available, and
you
do not wish to have Synchronet swap to disk, you should set this
option to 'No'.
Swap to EMS:
When set to 'Yes', Synchronet will attempt to swap to EMS memory
when
executing a program that is in your "Global Swap List".
Swap to XMS:
When set to 'Yes', Synchronet will attempt to swap to XMS memory.
Swap to Extended Memory:
When set to 'Yes', Synchronet will attempt to swap to Extended
memory.
This option should always bet set to 'No' when running under
a DOS
multitasker.
Windows/OS2 Time Slice API:
Set this option to 'Yes' if you are running Synchronet under
OS/2.
You may experience poor performance if this option is set to
'Yes'
and you are running Synchronet under Microsoft Windows v3.x.
If this
occurs, set this option to 'No'.
DESQview Time Slice API:
Set this option to 'Yes' if you are running Synchronet using
DESQview.
Since Synchronet auto-detects DESQview it will not hurt anything
to
leave this option set to 'Yes' if you are not running DESQview.
DOS Idle Interrupts:
This option defaults to 'Yes'. You should not change this setting.
Low Priority String Input:
Normally Synchronet does not give up timeslices under multitaskers
when waiting for string input from the user. Setting this
option to
'Yes' will for Synchronet to give up timeslices when waiting
for
string input, this may cause "jerky" keyboard response but will
improve overall system performance under multitaskers.
Allow Logon by Number:
Setting this option to 'Yes' will allow users to
logon by typing their
user number at the 'NN:' logon prompt.
Allow Logon by Real Name:
When set to 'Yes' this option allows users to enter
their real name
(or company name) at the 'NN:' prompt to logon to
the BBS.
Always Prompt for Password:
When set to 'Yes' this option will cause the user
to ALWAYS be prompted
for a password at logon, even if they have entered
an incorrect (non-
existant) name at the 'NN:' prompt.
Disable Local Inactivity:
If you wish to disable the user inactivity warning
and auto-logoff
for local logons, set this option to 'Yes'.
Disable Local Keyboard:
If this option is set to 'Yes', the local keyboard
will be completely
disabled when Synchronet is run. The only way to
exit Synchronet would
be to down the node from another process or reboot
the machine.
Local System Protection:
If you wish to require the system password for WFC
commands and local
sysop Alt-key combinations, set this option to 'Yes'.
Beep Locally:
To disable the local speaker of this node for online
beeps, set this
option to 'No'.
Allow 8-bit Remote Logons:
To allow E-7-1 terminals to use this node, set this
option to 'No'.
This will also eliminate the ability of 8-bit remote
users to send
IBM extended ASCII characters during the logon sequence.
Reset Video Between Calls:
If this option is set to 'Yes', Synchronet will
reset the current
node console's video mode before each WFC cycle.
This option should
be set to 'No' for most configurations.
Node Advanced Options
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When selecting this option, you will be brought to a sub-menu of options
as
follows:
Validation User:
This is the number of the user to whom validation
feedback is sent.
This value will usually be set to 1 (the sysop).
If this value is set
to 0, then new users will not be required to enter
validation feedback.
Screen Length:
This is the length of the system screen or video
window. This should
be set to "Auto-Detect" always, unless you have
a specific reason
to force Synchronet to think the screen length is
a certain value.
Screen Blanker:
When enabled, this will cause the screen for this
node to blank out
when waiting for a caller after the configured amount
of intactive
time.
Semaphore Frequency:
This option specifies how often (in seconds) this
node should perform
semaphore checks (e.g. checks to see if an event
should be run, the
node should be downed, etc.).
Statistics Frequency:
This options specifies how often (in secons) this
node should check
system statistics (calls per day, logons today,
etc.). Used when
updating the WFC statistics display.
Inactivity Warning:
This is the number of seconds of user inactivity
before a warning
(typically: "Username, are you still there?") is
displayed to the
user.
Inactivity Disconnection:
This is the number of seconds of user inactivity
before the user
is automatically disconnected.
Cost Per Call:
This option should only be set to something nonzero
for a billing
node. A billing node is a node attached to special
phone line that will
automatically charge the caller a predetermined
amount (usually area
code 900 or prefix 976 numbers). Set this value
to the amount that the
caller will be billed after the initial 30 seconds.
The user doesn't
actually access the BBS through this phone number
as 900/976 services
charge the sysop by the minute an unrealistic amount.
The user just
enters his or her name/alias and password and their
account is credited
with the amount of credits per dollar specified
in the System options
multiplied by this field (Cost per call) and the
user is hung up on.
The user then calls the normal BBS nodes and has
instant access to
their purchased credits.
Daily Event:
This is the command line
to execute when the first caller after
midnight logs off. If the
program is located in the EXEC directory,
this command line should
start with the %! specifier.
Control Directory:
This is the path to the
control directory where all the shared
configuration (.CNF) files for SBBS are stored. TEXT.DAT (the
editable
ASCII file that contains
almost all of the color and text that SBBS
displays) and a few miscellaneous
binary data files are also stored
in this directory. All nodes
of the system must have the same control
directory and this directory
should not be located on a RAM disk.
Text Directory:
This is the path to the
text directory. This is where all menus,
macros, SIF files, QWK files,
system information, and other text
files are stored. All data
beneath this directory branch is READ ONLY
as far as Synchronet is
concerned, so changing this directory to a RAM
drive would enhance performance
and wouldn't risk data loss. If you do
change this path, be sure
to copy all the files and subdirectories of
the original text directory
there. If you do change this path to a RAM
drive, you will need automate
the copying of all of the files and
subdirectories there upon
system startup (possibly AUTOEXEC.BAT) with a
sequence of commands like
this:
md r:\text
xcopy c:\sbbs\text\*.* r:\text
/S
Temporary Directory:
This is the path to the
directory that this node will use for
temporary file storage.
This directory must point to somewhere unique
and nonvolatile. All the
files in this directory are deleted upon
execution of the BBS, so
do not store any files you want to keep in
this directory. Each node
must have its own temp directory. For
increased performance on
batch uploads, it is best if this directory
is on the same disk drive
as the majority of your file transfer
directories.
Swap Directory:
This is the path to the
directory that this node will use for
swapping to disk if "Allow Swapping" is set to 'Yes' and Swapping
to EMS, XMS, and Extended memory is either disabled or not enough
memory is available.
Modem Configuration
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This sub-menu and the options contained within it are discussed in
another
section of this manual. Consult the 'Modem Set-Up' section of this
manual
for more information.
Wait for Call Number Keys
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This option lets you configure what command line will be executed for
each
number key (0-9) while waiting for call. These commands will generally
be
simple things that don't require much memory, such as listing the ERROR.LOG,
listing the GURU.LOG, editing a file, or any other simple functions.
For large
program functions, see Wait for Call Function Keys.
Wait for Call Function Keys
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This option lets you configure what command line will be executed for
each
function key (F1-F12) while waiting for call. These commands can execute
just
about any program because Synchronet will shrink to 16k before executing
it.
Popular uses for these shrinking commands would be running a terminal
program
or other large applications.
Using UART Serial
Cards/Internal Modems
---------------------------------------
If you are using a shared IRQ or non-UART serial card, you should skip
this
section and go to the section on 'Using a Shared IRQ or Non-UART Serial
Card'.
If you are using an internal modem, note that all references to serial
boards
are the same as referring to an internal modem. Also note that
most internal
modems only have support for up to 4 different IRQ's and I/O addresses.
Prior to installing your serial board, you should insure that neither
the IRQ
or the I/O address of any of the ports on the board are being used
by any other
devices in your system. Following is a list of IRQ's and I/O
addresses which
are commonly used by devices (those marked with a minus sign (-) may
never be
used by a serial board):
Device IRQ I/O Address
---------------------- --- -----------
-Timer 0
040 - 05F
-Keyboard Controller 1
060 - 06F
*EGA/VGA Cards 2
Serial Port 2 3
2F8 - 2FF
Serial Port 1 4
3F8 - 3FF
Parallel Port 2 5
278 - 27F
Floppy Drive 6
3F0 - 3F7
Parallel Port 1 7
378 - 37F
-Real Time Clock 8
070 - 07F
*Same as IRQ 2 9
-Co-processor 13 0F0
- 0F1
Fixed Disk Controller 14
1F0 - 1F8
*NOTE: IRQ's 2 and 9 may never be used at the SAME time.
The following are suggested IRQ and I/O address settings for using up
to 8
serial ports:
Device
IRQ I/O
----------------------
--- ---
Serial Port 1
4 3F8
Serial Port 2
3 2F8
Serial Port 3
5 3E8
Serial Port 4
2 2E8
Serial Port 5
10 1F8
Serial Port 6
11 1E8
Serial Port 7
12 1A8
Serial Port 8
15 2A8
An additional 2 serial ports may be added using the following IRQ and
I/O
addresses:
Device
IRQ I/O
----------------------
--- ---
Serial Port 9
7 400
Serial Port 10
14 408
Refer to the documentation provided by the manufacturer of your particular
serial board for information on how to select IRQ and I/O addresses.
After you have the ports on your serial board set up to fit your system
requirements, you should write down the IRQ and I/O address information
for
future reference. Once you have determined the IRQ and I/O address
that each
node on your system will use, you must run the SCFG program and go
to the
Nodes->Node #->Modem Configuration and set the COM Port, UART IRQ Line,
and
UART I/O Address. Each node, when running on the same machine,
should have a
unique COM Port number.
Notes on UARTs
--------------
If you are using an external high-speed modem, you may require a buffered
UART chip on your serial board for error-free transmissions. 8250 and
16450
UARTs DO NOT have buffers and are usually insufficient for high-speed
modems.
16550AFN UARTs have a 16 byte FIFO UART which allows error-free transmissions
with high-speed modems, particularly necessary when multi-tasking.
Almost
all internal high-speed modems come with a built-in 16550 UART.
Using a Shared IRQ or Non-UART Serial Card
------------------------------------------
If you are using a serial card which allows the use of shared IRQ's
or has a
non-standard UART interface, you will need to use a device driver to
interface
this card with Synchronet. Usually, such a driver would be included
with the
serial card from the manufacturer. Third party drivers are also available
(such
as COMM-DRV and X00).
Synchronet supports three driver interfaces, all using Int 14h services.
The
supported driver interfaces are:
FOSSIL (Fido/Opus/SEAdog Standard Interface Layer Version 5)
Functions 0 through 6, and Fh
Example FOSSIL drivers: X00, BNU, and COMM-DRV
PC BIOS
Functions 0 through 3
PS/2 BIOS
Functions 1, 2, 4, and 5
DigiBoard
DigiCHANNEL PC/Xi and PC/Xe DOS driver
When setting the COM port in SCFG->Nodes->Node #->Modem Configuration,
you
will be prompted for the COM port type:
É[þ][?]ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
º COM Port
Type º
ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹
º ³UART
º
º ³FOSSIL Int
14h º
º ³PC BIOS Int
14h º
º ³PS/2 BIOS Int
14h º
º ³DigiBoard Int
14h º
ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
If you are NOT using a special shared IRQ or non-UART serial card, then
you
should select "UART" and ignore the rest of this section.
When selecting a non-UART COM port type, the "Channel" will automatically
be
set to the COM port number minus one. This is the zero-based COM port
that will
be used when communicating with the device driver (i.e. COM port 1
is channel
0, port 2 is channel 1, etc). You should NOT change the channel number
unless
you have a specific reason for doing so and understand exactly what
you are
doing.
If you are using an Intelligent DigiBoard and are using the DigiBoard
supplied
device driver, then select "DigiBoard Int 14h".
If the card you are using has a FOSSIL compatible device driver, this
should
be your preferred selection unless you wish to use baud rates greater
than
38400, in which case a "PS/2 BIOS" compatible driver would be a better
choice.
The COMM-DRV/Universal Serial Communications Driver supports both FOSSIL
and
PS/2 BIOS interfaces.
You should only select "PC BIOS" in a last case scenario (i.e. Your
card's
device driver does not support any other Int 14h interface). The PC
BIOS
inteface does not support DTR, so if you use such a limited driver,
you must
set "Drop DTR to Hang Up" to "No" under "Modem Toggle Options", set
the
"Hang Up String" to "~~~\1\1\1~~~ATH" and change "S2=128" to "S2=1"
in your
"Initialization String".
Int 14h drivers can also be used to communicate with non-UART serial
devices
such as Packet Assembler/Disassemblers (PADs), Network Redirectors,
HAM Radio
Packet Servers, etc.
Dumb (NULL) Modem Connection
----------------------------
If you are connecting a Synchronet node to another computer or terminal
through
a serial port WITHOUT the use of a modem, you must set SCFG->Nodes->Node
#
->Modem Configuration->Toggle Options->Dumb Modem Connection to "Yes".
This
disables all modem commands (Init, Special Init, Answer, Off-hook,
etc.) and
causes Synchronet to only log a user on when the DCD serial line is
raised.
If your serial connection or terminal does not support the correct use
of the
DCD line, then you must run SBBS with the 'D' command line switch to
force
Synchronet to assume that DCD is always high. If this is the case,
then there
is no way to "hang up" on the BBS.
Modem Configuration
-------------------
Now that you've set up your serial card, the easiest way to finish
setting up
the rest of the options for your modem is to run the SCFG program and
go to the
Nodes->Node #->Modem Configuration->Auto-Configuration, and select
your modem
model from the list of available choices. If your modem is not
listed, you may
select Generic 2400 for unlisted 2400bps Hayes compatible modems, Generic
9600,
Generic 14400, or Generic 28800 for unlisted high speed modems.
You may also
import .MDM configuration files (located in your control directory)
if you
receive an updated or new version of a configuration file for your
modem from
Digital Dynamics or a third party.
Following is a list of remaining options and a brief description of
each for
those of you that wish to manually alter the modem settings.
UART (DTE) Rate is the data transfer rate between your computer and
your modem,
for non-data-compressing, non-high-speed modems, you should set this
to your
modem's highest DCE rate (e.g. a 2400bps modem should use a 2400bps
DTE rate).
If you have a data-compressing or high-speed modem, this value should
be set
to the highest DTE rate your modem supports (consult your modem manual).
If
you plan on using a FOSSIL driver for any external programs or doors,
the
DTE rate you set for your FOSSIL driver should be the same number you
use for
this option.
Hardware Flow Control should be set to Transmit and Receive (Both) if
your
modem supports CTS/RTS hardware flow control (usually data-compressing
or
high-speed modems).
Answer delay is the number of seconds to pause after a connection is
established and before the terminal detection string is sent. It is
suggested
that this delay be set to a minimum of 5 seconds to allow for accurate
terminal type detection. If the callers on your BBS are experiencing
inaccurate terminal type detection, you may want to increase this number.
Answer after (# rings) is the number of rings the bbs should wait for
before
answering the phone, the minimum is 1 ring.
Reinitialization Timer is used to automatically reinitialize the modem
periodically to make sure it is functioning correctly. If you find
that your
modem works most of the time, but occasionally will not answer the
phone or
functions incorrectly, you may wish to use this feature. Setting
this value to
0 will disable periodic modem reinitialization.
Example (for Generic 14400 on COM 2):
É[þ][?]ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
º
Modem Configuration º
ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹
º ³COM Port 2
º
º ³UART IRQ Line 3
º
º ³UART I/O Address 2F8h
º
º ³DTE Rate 38400bps
º
º ³Fixed DTE Rate Yes
º
º ³Hardware Flow Control CTS/RTS
º
º ³Answer After 1 ring
º
º ³Answer Delay 5 seconds
º
º ³Reinitialization Timer Disabled
º
º ³Result Codes...
º
º ³Toggle Options...
º
º ³Control Strings...
º
º ³Auto-Configuration...
º
º ³Import Configuration...
º
º ³Export Configuration...
º
ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
Result Codes
------------
Result Codes is a list of numeric result codes (connect codes) supported
by
your modem. If you have set "Use Verbal Result Codes" to 'Yes' in your
the SCFG modem toggle options for this node, this list is not used.
You would use this list to add result codes that your modem supports,
but are
not currently in the list or to remove codes that are in the list but
are not
supported by your modem. For each result code, the actual numeric
code, the
DCE (connect) rate, estimated file transfer CPS, and an 8 character
description
of the connection type are stored. A complete list of result codes
supported by
your modem should be given in your modem manual.
Here is an example of what the result code list would look like for
a Generic
28.8k modem:
É[þ][?]ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
º
Modem Result Codes º
ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹
º ³
1 300bps 25cps 300 º
º ³
5 1200bps 110cps 1200 º
º ³ 10
2400bps 230cps 2400 º
º ³ 11
4800bps 550cps 4800 º
º ³ 13
7200bps 850cps 7200 º
º ³ 12
9600bps 1100cps 9600 º
º ³ 14 12000bps
1350cps 12.0/V32 º
º ³ 15 14400bps
1650cps 14.4/V32 º
º ³ 23
2400bps 250cps 2400/REL º
º ³ 59 16800bps
2000cps 16.8/VFC º
º ³ 16 19200bps
2200cps 19.2/VFC º
º ³ 61 21600bps
2500cps 21.6/VFC º
º ³ 62 24000bps
2700cps 24.0/VFC º
º ³ 63 26400bps
3000cps 26.4/VFC º
º ³ 64 28800bps
3300cps 28.8/VFC º
ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
Selecting result code 15 from this menu would result in a sub-menu as follows:
É[þ][?]ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
º
Result Code º
ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹
º ³Numeric Code
15 º
º ³Modem Connect
Rate 14400bps º
º ³Modem Average
CPS 1750cps º
º ³Description
14400 º
ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
If "FAX" is used for the result code description, Synchronet will exit
with
an error level of 100 when this result code is returned. This feature
is used
for FAX/Modems that can auto-detect FAX and DATA calls and return a
numeric
result code for FAX connections. If a different error level is preferred,
use "EXIT nnn" (where nnn is a numeric value) for the description.
If a verbal
"FAX" or "+FCON" result code is returned, Synchronet automatically
exits with
an error level of 100 (see FAX/Modem setup later in this chapter).
If your modem returns any result codes PRIOR to the actual connection
result
code (and this behavior cannot be disabled), then add these result
codes to the
result code list and enter "IGNORE" for the result description, thus
causing
Synchronet to ignore this result code and wait for another result code
to
determine the actual connection type. This step is only necessary for
modems
that insist on returning multiple result codes during a connection.
Toggle Options
--------------
Selecting this option gives a menu of available modem toggle options:
É[þ][?]ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ»
º Modem Toggle Options
º
ÌÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ͹
º ³Caller Identification No
º
º ³Dumb Modem Connection No
º
º ³Drop DTR to Hang Up
Yes º
º ³Use Verbal
Result Codes Yes º
º ³Allow Unknown
Result Codes Yes º
ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ
Caller Identification: