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PC-SIG Diskette Library (Disk #1458)
[PCjs Machine "ibm5170"]
Waiting for machine "ibm5170" to load....
Information about “MICRO SERVE”
The MICRO SERVE program supports up to four users and a system
administrator at one time. Depending upon the host machine speed and
number of ports used, 300 to 9600 baud can be maintained. With over
32,000 possible menus and nine options per menu, almost 300,000
different user options can be created. Such advanced functions as
private mail, conference mode, questionnaires, and file transfer (ASCII
and XMODEM and YMODEM protocols) are included.
This package is perfect for the small company or individual who wants to
have a state of the art BBS. Watch out CompuServ!
APPLE.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Purpose of the Apple SIG >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This SIG is for the promotion of the Apple II public domain software and as
a user forum to answer questions and help others get the most out of their
systems.
If anyone is interested in being the Sysop of this SIG, leave me a message
in the message area.
APPLEDIR.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Apple II Programs >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
<Put your list of available downloads here>
BADBAUD.TXT
You are connected to MicroServe, unfortunately, this line is reserved
for a baud rate other than the one you are currently using.
Here is a list of this BBS's phone #'s and the baud rates allowed on
each respective line:
(xxx) xxx-xxxx --> 300, 1200 baud.
(xxx) xxx-xxxx --> 2400 baud only!
(xxx) xxx-xxxx --> 9600 baud only!
Please call us back on an appropriate line.
Bye-Bye for now...
BULLETIN.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< System Bulletins >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Updated <put the date here>
<Put your system bulletins here>
COMMODOR.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Purpose of the IBM SIG >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This SIG is for the promotion of Commodore public domain software and as
a user forum to answer questions and help others get the most out of their
systems.
If anyone is interested in being the Sysop of this SIG, leave me a message
in the message area.
CONFEREN.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Help using the Conference >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Conference mode allows multiple on-line users to chat with one another,
much like the CB mode of CompuServe.
When you enter the Conference, MicroServe will inform other conference
members that you have joined the conference.
To participate, just start typing a message. Once you press RETURN,
your message, prefixed with your User Name, is transmitted to all other
conference members. Press RETURN after about 60 or 70 characters for best
results so that your message is not too long.
Although not required by the software, observe the following protocol
when using the Conference mode to help streamline its operation. If you
need more than one line to when transmitting your statement, suffix your
line with ... to inform others that more text is coming. When you complete
your last line, suffix your message with /O, which is an abbreviation for
"over", which means you are done transmitting and awaiting a response from
someone else.
One "quirk" about the Conference mode (not unlike CompuServe's CB mode)
is that if you are in the middle of typing a message, another user may have
just transmitted a message, thus trashing the looks of your message. Note
that your message is not really trashed, it just looks that way on the screen.
If this happens, just finish your messages just as if nothing happened.
Some terminal programs, such as PROCOMM, have a CHAT mode function which
prevents this problem by display input and output in two different windows.
If you wish to see the User Names of other Conference members, enter
/WHO on a blank line. Note that this shows only other users who are in the
Conference mode, not users on the system.
To exit from Conference mode, enter /EXIT on a blank line. When you
exit, MicroServe will inform other Conference members that you have left
the Conference Mode.
E-MAIL.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< What is E-Mail? >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
E-Mail is short for Electronic Mail, pretty much like what the post
office does, only here you get mail from users from the system, and
the mail is always private (nobody except the Sysop can read it).
Basically, a regular message base and E-Mail are the same except:
1) When entering mail, you cannot send to ALL
2) When entering a message, the system does not ask you if it is
a private message (E-Mail is always a private message).
3) When reading mail, the system does not prompt for <N>ext or
<P>revious, since these functions are not needed.
4) When you log into any MicroServe system that has enabled E-Mail,
the system will inform you that you have mail waiting when you
log in (if you do indeed have mail).
FILE1458.TXT
Disk No: 1458
Disk Title: Micro Serve
PC-SIG Version: S1.1
Program Title: Micro Serve
Author Version: 2.04
Author Registration: $39.00
Special Requirements: One serial port per user, Hayes compatible modem.
The MUBBS program supports up to four users and a system administrator
at one time. Depending upon the host machine speed and number of
ports used, 300 to 9600 baud can be maintained. With over 32,000
possible menus and nine options per menu almost 300,000 different
user options can be created. Such advanced functions as private mail,
conference mode, and file transfer (ASCII and XMODEM checksum
protocols) are included.
This package is perfect for the small company or individual who wants to
have a state of the art BBS. Watch out CompuServe!
PC-SIG
1030D East Duane Avenue
Sunnyvale Ca. 94086
(408) 730-9291
(c) Copyright 1989 PC-SIG, Inc.
FILEXFER.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Uploading & Downloading >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
MicroServe currently supports 4 upload and download protocols; ASCII,
XMODEM, XMODEM CRC, and YMODEM.
ASCII is for pure text files only, and is almost never used anymore
because most files are not ASCII files, and because it performs no error
checking.
XMODEM, aka Christensen Protocol (named after its creator), is the very
first public domain error checking protocol. Although it is light years
ahead of ASCII transfers, it is one of the most primitive of the "error
checking" protocols. Most terminal communication programs support XMODEM.
XMODEM CRC is almost exactally the same as XMODEM except this version
performs more robust error checking. Instead of using a 1 byte checksum
to validate data, CRC impliments a 2 byte validation which greatly increases
data integrity.
YMODEM is the next generation after XMODEM CRC. Again, YMODEM is
structured almost identical to XMODEM CRC, with the significant exception
that YMODEM uses a 1024 byte block in contrast to XMODEM's 128 byte block.
Whereas XMODEM must wait for an acknowledgement approximately every 128
bytes, YMODEM transfers just over 1024 bytes before waiting for an ACK.
Since there is 7 times less handshaking and waiting with YMODEM, you get
much higher thru-put of data especially at higher baud rates (2400 or higher).
Downloading from MicroServe:
Once you have determined the file you want to download, select the menu
option to download a file. MicroServe will ask you the name of the file you
want to download. Once entered, MicroServe will look at the first few
hundred bytes of the file to see if it is an ASCII file. If it is,
MicroServe will prompt for you to select one of all available download
protocols. If it is not an ASCII file, the program will prompt for one of
all the available protocols except ASCII.
Be careful when making your selection, as they are case sensitive. Enter
a lower case x for regular XMODEM, and an upper case X for XMODEM CRC. Once
you have initialized a protocol from MicroServe, then initialize the same
protocol from your terminal program.
Uploading to MicroServe:
When invoked, MicroServe will ask you what the name of the file you
are uploading is. Enter a standard filename. If the filename syntax
you gave is correct, and if the file does not already exist, MicroServe
will prompt for which protocol to use. Again, protocol selection IS case
sensitive (See Downloading for details). When MicroServe tells you it's
ready to receive, initialize the same protocol from your terminal program.
If you select ASCII uploading, as with most ASCII upload program, the
program has no idea when the upload is complete. Thus, you must manually
type /EXIT to turn off the upload mode after the upload is complete.
GAMES.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< IBM GAMES >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
<list your games available for downloading here, like this...>
ALDO ARC 26162 9-04-87 6:04p EGA Adventure Game
CHESS ARC 141141 1-02-88 6:31p EGA Chess Game
PCBOWLII ARC 74061 1-23-90 11:05p CGA Bowling Game
CFOOTBL ARC 116205 5-31-88 9:00p EGA Football
TREK ARC 140726 12-20-88 8:38a EGA Star Trek
MAHJONGG ARC 78636 3-19-89 7:38p EGA Chinese Game
EGASORRY ARC 132068 3-20-88 6:02p EGA Sorry!
SCRABBLE ARC 44519 2-25-89 9:46p EGA Scrabble
3-DEMON ARC 45737 12-25-86 2:01a CGA game
PANGO EXE 29696 2-25-85 10:11a CGA Penguin game
ASTRO COM 16384 2-25-85 9:53a CGA Asteroids
BABY EXE 38016 2-08-85 2:10p CGA Catch the falling baby
PINBALL COM 65024 2-21-85 2:33p CGA Pinball
DIGGER EXE 57472 2-13-85 1:20p CGA Digger, kinda like PacMan
QUEST ARC 103936 6-27-87 7:51p CGA
STARSHIP ARC 48256 12-20-86 9:53p CGA
JOUST COM 60416 5-30-87 11:18a CGA
CAVERN ARC 40704 11-29-86 1:17p CGA
ZAPPER ARC 6272 11-26-86 10:11p CGA
ROUND22 ARC 44800 12-20-86 10:05p CGA
NEMON ARC 47232 10-29-87 12:02a CGA
HHM COM 42112 9-21-84 11:12p CGA Hard Hat Mack
PODWAR ARC 59392 8-31-89 9:06p CGA Pod Wars
ZAXXON COM 20736 7-23-85 7:22a
CENT EXE 17536 8-13-85 1:11p CGA Centipede
WHEELS ARC 10880 1-27-90 12:45a Wheel of Fortune (BASIC)
GO.TXT
╔═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ <<<< Disk No 1458 MICRO SERVE >>>> ║
╠═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╣
║ To start the program, type: MICROSRV (press enter) ║
║ ║
║ To print the documentation, type: COPY MICROSRV.DOC PRN (press enter) ║
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
GOODBYE.TXT
Thanks for calling MicroServe, $NAME$...please call again soon!
Bye-Bye for now..
HARDWARE.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< System Hardware >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Name: <Put your computer brand & model here>
CPU: <Put your CPU type & features here>
Memory: <Put your RAM & disk storage capacity here>
Peripherals:
<Put your printer type here>
<Put your display type here>
<Put your modem type here>
HELP.TXT
============================== System Help =================================
The following commands may be performed after any prompt which displays
an exclamation mark :
<?> Display this Help screen.
<C> Change your user information.
<D> Display current date and time.
<E> Examine user, i.e. E SYSOP will display sysop's vital statistics.
<G> Goto menu, i.e. G 6 will take you immediately to menu #6.
<I> Index, display the system index of menus.
<L> Logoff the system.
<P> Previous menu, takes you the the previous menu you were in.
Note: Press a <CR> only does the same thing.
<T> Top menu, takes you immediately to the top menu (Menu 0).
<U> Users, Display users who have used the system.
<V> Version, displays the program version number.
<W> Who, displays who is currently on the system.
To send a message directly to another on-line user, enter: x message-text
where x is the comm port number of the user you wish to send the message
to. The comm port number is displayed in the W command.
HISTORY.TXT
HOURS.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Address / Hours >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Your Sysop is:
<Put your name here>
<Put your address here>
<Put your city, state & zip here>
System Hours:
<Put your system hours & other info here>
IBM.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Purpose of the IBM SIG >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This SIG is for the promotion of IBM PC/AT public domain software and as
a user forum to answer questions and help others get the most out of their
systems.
If anyone is interested in being the Sysop of this SIG, leave me a message
in the message area.
MENU.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Using the Menu System >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The MicroServe menu system is designed to be easy to use. Unlike most other
BBS's where all you get is a command line prompt followed by nearly every
letter of the alphabet as command options (sometimes called expert mode),
or a novice mode that is to specific and time consuming to display between
every command you use, MicroServe displays a brief but descriptive menu for
most basic functions. Aside from entering the number of the menu options,
there are a few other commands that you may use to navigate through any
MicroServe system:
P - Previous Menu
If you select a menu option that takes you to another menu, enter a P to
return to the previous menu you were in. Also, simply pressing RETURN
will do the same thing.
T - Top Menu
Takes you to the TOP menu. Useful if you get lost in a complex structure
of menus and you want to get back to the beginning menu without having
to go through all the previous menus.
I - Index of Menus
Displays a brief index of all the menus in the system.
G - Goto Menu
When used in conjunction with the "I" command, this command allows you to
go to any menu in the system. Simply enter G x, where x is the menu # of
where you want to go. This allows you to bypass other menus so you can get
to your destinations quicker.
MESSAGE.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< E-MAIL & Message Base Help >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
There are four basic functions which make up a message base area.
These functions are 1) Enter Messages, 2) Read Messages, 3) Survey Messages,
and 4) Kill Messages. Your Sysop may have called your menu options for
these functions something else, however, they should reflect the same
functions. Also note that your Sysop may have excluded some of the functions
from any message base.
When you enter a message base area, the system will inform the user if
he has any mail and if so, will display the mail message numbers. The system
will also show the message # of the first message that has been entered since
the user has last called the system.
* Entering Messages
This option allows you to enter messages into the message base. When
invoked, the system will ask "To: " to which you enter a user name, or
enter ALL if everyone is to read it.
Next the system ask "Subject: ". Enter a few words describing the
message you will be entering (up to 30 chars).
Unless you are entering E-Mail (which is always a private message) and
the message is not addressed to ALL, the system will ask if your message
will be a private message. Answer Yes if only the receiver should see
the message, and answer No if everyone is allowed to read it.
Now the system is ready to receive your message. MicroServe allows up
50 lines per message, unless your Sysop has lowered this limit. Simply
type in your message, and finish with a blank RETURN if you do not reach
the maximum # of lines. Note that the system will automatically line
wrap to the next line if you enter a space after the 64th character of a
line.
When you are done entering the message text, the system will prompt
with 5 options; <S>ave, <L>ist, <E>dit, <C>ontinue, or <A>bort:
<S> - Saves the message to disk and returns you back to the menu.
<L> - List the message.
<E> - The system will ask what line # to edit. Enter the line #, then
the system will allow you to re-enter that line.
<C> - Continue entering lines to the message.
<A> - Abort, does not save the message, and returns back to the menu.
* Survey Messages
When invoked, this option displays a prompt consisting of a range of
valid messages #'s to select from. Enter a number within the range to
start the survey. Message #'s may be suffixed with either a + or -, where
a + tells the system to survey forward to the end of the message base (this
is the default), and a - tells the system to survey backwards to the
beginning of the message base.
When the survey has completed, the system wil automatically take you
into Read mode.
* Read Messages
This options displays a prompt consisting of a range of valid message
#'s to read, or enter P to read the previous message, or enter N to read
the next message.
If you select a message # that has been deleted, the system will simply
re-display the prompt.
Message #'s may be suffixed with either a + or - sign. A + tells the
system to read all other forward messages to the end of the file, and the -
tells the system to read all the preceding messages to the beginning
of the file.
Simply press RETURN at the prompt to return to the previous menu.
* Kill Message
Select this option to remove unwanted messages. Again, like the other
message base functions, the system will display a prompt consisting of a
valid message # range. Simply enter the # of the message to delete, and
the computer will do the rest.
You may only delete messages that are from you or sent to you.
Note that all deleted messages are retained in the message base until the
SYSOP purges the message base, and deleted messages are simply ignored when
requested (by read or survey).
Again, simply press RETURN at the prompt to return to the previous menu.
MICROSRV.DOC
* * * **
** ** * *
* * * ** ** * ** ** * ** * ** * * **
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * **** * * * ****
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * *** ** *** ** ** ** *** * **
S Y S O P D O C U M E N T A T I O N
__________ __________
|Connected |\ /|Connected |
| to | \ / | to |
|MicroServe| / \ |MicroServe|
|__________|/ \|__________|
______|__|_____ _______ _______ ______|__|______
/ /| [ooooooo] [ooooooo] |\ \
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ . ~. ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
. .
. .
. .
__________ . .
| Welcome |\ . .
| to | \ . .
|MicroServe| / . .
|__________|/ _______
_______|__|_______ [ooooooo]
| === [____] [ooooooo]
|___________[____] [ooooooo]
/ /| [ooooooo]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ . .~
. .
. .
. .
___________ . . __________
|Connected |\ . . /|Connected |
| to | \ . . / | to |
|MicroServe| / . . \ |MicroServe|
|__________|/ . . \|__________|
______|__|_____ _______ _______ ______|__|______
/ /| [ooooooo] [ooooooo] |\ \
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Multi-User Bulletin Board System
for IBM PCs and compatibles
Copyright (C) 1990 Software Construction Co.
7370 Alt St Rt 49 E.
Arcanum, Ohio 45304
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Section 1 Introduction......................................1
Hardware Requirements & DIP Switch Settings.......2
Getting Started...................................3
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys...............................4
LOGIN (F1)........................................4
Snoop (F2)........................................4
Message (F3)......................................5
Setup (F4)........................................5
General Setup................................5
Modem Configuration..........................7
Kill (F5).........................................8
Re-Index (F6).....................................8
Reports (F7)......................................8
User List Report.............................8
Menu Structure Report........................8
Exit (F8).........................................9
Last Few Callers Hotkey (F9)......................9
Section 3 User Direct Commands..............................10
Display Help (?)..................................10
Change User Information (C).......................10
Display Date & Time (D)...........................10
Examine User Information (E)......................10
Goto Menu (G).....................................11
View Index of Menus (I)...........................11
Logoff (L)........................................11
Goto the Previous Menu (P)........................11
Goto the TOP Menu (T).............................11
Display User List (U).............................11
Display Version (V)...............................12
Who is On the System (W)..........................12
Interactive Messages..............................12
Section 4 Sysop Direct Commands.............................13
Assign Co-Sysop (A)...............................13
Modify Menu (M)...................................13
Reset Bulletin Flags (R)..........................14
Change User Access / Delete User (C)..............15
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands..............................16
Conference (C)....................................16
Download (D)......................................16
Enter a Message (E)...............................17
Display File (F)..................................17
Kill a Message (K)................................17
Logoff (L)........................................17
Menu (M)..........................................17
Purge Messages (P)................................18
Questionnaire (Q).................................18
Read Messages (R).................................19
Survey Messages (S)...............................19
Upload Files (U)..................................19
Section 6 Other Features and Functions......................20
Optional Printer Output...........................20
E-Mail............................................20
The $NAME$ Variable...............................20
Dead Man Timer for Sleepy Callers.................20
Questionnaire results via RESULTS.EXE.............21
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures..............22
Appendix B Sample Reports and Questionnaire...............26
Appendix C Modem Troubleshooting..........................29
Index.......................................................30
Section 1 Introduction
Section 1 Introduction
Section 1 Introduction
MicroServe is a multi-user bulletin board system designed for
IBM PC/ATs and compatibles. The system can support up to 5 users
at a time (including the local Sysop).
The system uses CompuServe type menu screens that are totally
configurable by the Sysop. Up to 32767 menus may exist within
the system, with up to 9 menu options per menu, for a total of
almost 300,000 possible menu options.
Major functions include message bases (including private mail
and E-Mail), Co-Sysops, ASCII, XMODEM, and YMODEM uploads and
downloads, questionnaires, and a conference mode (similar to CB
on CompuServe).
This system was developed primarily to achieve multi-user
capability of a BBS system for a single user computer/operating
system (MS-DOS). Secondary, but important considerations are
ease of use for the users and the Sysop, expandability,
customization, and speed.
The system is easy to use for users since most of the
functions available are selected by a menu screen. Also
available to users is a set of direct commands (commands that may
be issued even though they do not appear on the menu) that may be
performed at any time while on a menu screen. Help for the
direct commands may be displayed simply by entering a ? at the
menu prompt.
As mentioned earlier, the system can be expanded by the Sysop
to utilize over 32000 menus (gee, not even CompuServe has that
many menus!), thus, as long as disk space is available, system
capacity is practically unlimited.
The Sysop can define as many menus as he wishes, structure the
menus in any order (much like the directory structure of MS-DOS),
and make each menu option do one of about a dozen menu functions.
These menu functions are the building blocks of the system, and
provide the basic services most BBS programs provide: uploading,
downloading, message entry, message read, message survey, message
kill, logoff, message purge, file display, and a conference mode
(similar "chat" on other BBS's). Each function can be assigned
an access level from 0 to 255. If a user's access level is equal
to or greater than the function's, then the function is available
to the user.
Version 2 of MicroServe (formerly known as MUBBS) is written
in Turbo4 (as opposed to version 3), now takes advantage of
interrupt driven input routines and utilizes a user index file.
All of these factors combined result in a system that is easily
100% faster, if not more.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 1
Section 1 Introduction
Section 1 Introduction
Section 1 Introduction
Hardware Requirements & DIP Switch Settings
Hardware Requirements & DIP Switch Settings
Hardware Requirements & DIP Switch Settings
Any IBM-PC/AT or compatible, 256K memory, and at least one
floppy drive (a fast hard disk is recommended, as this will speed
____
up the system even more), MS-DOS 2.0 or greater, up to 4 Hayes
compatible modems (internal or external), color or monochrome
monitor, and obviously, as many phone lines as you have modems.
Each modem (or serial port) must be set up as not to conflict
with other modems for port addresses and IRQ's (your modem
documentation should elaborate on this).
If Hayes SmartModem 1200's (or 100% compatible) are being
used, then the modem DIP switches should be set at UUDUDUUD. If
your modem's DIP switches aren't compatible with a Hayes, then
set your modem as follows:
1) Forced DTR disabled.
2) Forced Carrier Detect disabled.
3) Auto Answer disabled (the software handles this).
4) Command recognition enabled.
All other settings are either not used or set by the software.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 2
Section 1 Introduction
Section 1 Introduction
Section 1 Introduction
Getting Started
Getting Started
Getting Started
If you are using a hard drive, create a sub-directory called
MICROSRV and put all of the files and programs in that directory.
Also, modify (or create) your CONFIG.SYS file so that it contains
the line "FILES=20" (without the quotes).
Enter "MICROSRV" to start the program. Any system files not
found will be created by the program. As a default, the system
uses COM1 only, so be sure you have at least one modem (or serial
port) initialized as COM1.
The distribution disk comes with a sample MENU.DAT and several
TXT files. These samples are to help give you ideas on how to
set up your system. If you are upgrading from version 1 to
version 2, your USER.DAT and message.MSG files must be re-
initialized by MicroServe (they are not compatible). You may
preserve your MENU.DAT, and all your .TXT files.
Once the system initializes it will display the status/user
screen. This is the main screen, and where all the action will
take place.
Here are the basic steps you'll need to take to get MicroServe
up and running: 1) go into Setup and configure the system to suit
your application, 2) login to the system and set up your menus,
and 3) edit the BULLETIN.TXT, WELCOME.TXT, GOODBYE.TXT,
BADBAUD.TXT and NEWUSER.TXT files to finish setting up your
system. See the Appendix for more specific information on these
files.
This is just a rough overview of what needs to be done. See
the appropriate section of this manual for specific details on
how these functions work.
Oh, and don't forget to change your sysop password (and other
vital statistics) via the C direct command (see section 3).
MicroServe V2.04 Page 3
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
The Sysop function keys allow the Sysop to perform special
functions such as exiting the program, creating reports, snooping
on other users, and other functions from the main console, as
such options would be impractical or impossible to perform from a
modem.
As many Sysop functions as practical were implemented as
internal functions (accessible by modem, whereas an external
function can only be accessed from the main console). This
allows greater flexibility for the Sysop, allowing other Co-
Sysop's to perform such functions as creating/modifying menus,
purging message bases, and changing user access levels or delet-
ing users.
This section will describe all the external functions of the
system. Each external function is initiated by pressing the
corresponding function key. Here is a detailed description of
the Sysop functions available:
F1 - LOGIN
F1 - LOGIN
F1 - LOGIN
This allows the console user to log into the system as if he
were dialing in by modem. After pressing F1, press <ENTER> to
get the systems attention. It will then display the WELCOME.TXT
file, then prompt the user to login. As a default, type in
"SYSOP" (without the quotes) for the User ID, and "ROOT" as the
password. While in this mode, all other function keys are
disabled until the user has logged off. Obviously, do not
attempt to use the Xmodem protocol while in this mode, as it may
send control codes to your monitor, causing unpredictable results
(system hangs, screen slop, or who knows).
F2 - SNOOP
F2 - SNOOP
F2 - SNOOP
This function allows the user at the main console to "spy" on
any active port.
When invoked, the program will prompt for which port to snoop
on. Enter the number (1-4) of the port to snoop. If the port is
inactive, the system will display a message to that effect, and
return to COMMAND mode. If the port is active, then all data
that is being transmitted to and received from the selected port
will be echoed on the main console.
If the port being snooped is getting ready to send or receive
a file via Xmodem, be sure to terminate the snoop mode, as the
system will also attempt to display the binary data associated
with the file transfer on the console screen. Binary files being
displayed on the main console could hang the system, or result in
some other unpredictable manner.
SNOOP stays active until another function key is pressed.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 4
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
F3 - MESSAGE
F3 - MESSAGE
F3 - MESSAGE
This function allows the user at the main console to send
messages directly to a single user or to all users at once.
When invoked, the system will ask the port number to send the
message to, or 0 for all. If 0 or an active port is selected,
the program will prompt for the message to send. Enter one line
of text up to 60 or 70 characters, then press <ENTER> when
finished and ready to send. The message will be displayed
immediately to the active port(s).
One instance in which this function may be useful is when you
need all users to log off the system. Instead of just
terminating their connections, you can give them a few minutes
warning.
F4 - SETUP
F4 - SETUP
F4 - SETUP
This is where the local Sysop defines hardware and software
setup information.
When invoked, the system will display a 3 option menu. These
options are 1) General Setup, 2) Modem Configuration, and 3)
Exit.
General Setup
Number of Ports: This option defines the number of modems hooked
up to your system. Enter a number from 0 to 4. Entering a 0
will disable all ports on the system. Entering a number greater
than the actual number of ports on your system will unnecessarily
slow down the speed of the system, and could also cause
mysterious things to happen.
Connection Type: Normally, this option should always be set for
Modem, however, it is possible to hook up a terminal (or computer
using a terminal program) directly to the serial ports of the
machine running the MicroServe. If this configuration is
desirable, enter a D. To select modem again, enter M.
New User Access: If a private BBS is desired, then enter N for
this option. Then, only users who already exist within the user
file are allowed access.
New User Access Level: If new users are allowed access to the
system, this option sets the access level that new users are
given. Enter a number from 1 to 255. Note that access levels of
200 or more are reserved for Co-Sysops, so avoid making access
levels that high.
Maximum Message Length: Enter a number from 1-50. This sets the
maximum # of lines users may enter into any one message. This
number may be increased or decreased as needed.
Auto Exit Time (HH:MM): A valid hour/minute entry (military time)
will cause MicroServe to automatically terminate at the designat-
MicroServe V2.04 Page 5
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
ed time. Useful for performing automatic backups or other house-
keeping chores. MicroServe will fail if it is initialized at the
same time this function is set for; in other words, wait at least
a minute after an automatic exit before restarting MicroServe.
Note that users are given no warning when the system exits, so be
sure to give ample warning in your system files (BULLETIN.TXT,
HELP.TXT, etc).
Daily Time Limit: If Zero, allows unlimited usage per day,
otherwise, denotes the maximum number of minutes a user may use
the system each day. NOTE: This function not yet fully
implemented.
Baud Rate Charge Factors: These options allow the Sysop to
charge users based on the number of minutes they use, plus what
baud rate the user is using. As a default, a credit is one
minute of usage at 300 baud. Since 1200 baud is four times
faster than 300 baud, thus allowing a user to get 4 times as much
information per minute, a user connected at 1200 baud is charged
4 credits a minute. The same formula is used to compute 2400 and
9400 baud connections. Currently, MicroServe does properly
compute user credit, but the Sysop must manually reset credits
and bill users. Future versions of MicroServe may automate this
process.
Title Color: ANSI color code for menu titles. See table below
for color codes.
Option # Color: ANSI color code for the menu option number
selections.
Description Color: ANSI color code for menu item descriptions.
Prompt Color: ANSI color code for the menu prompt color.
ANSI Color Codes:
0=Black 4=Red 8=Dark Gray 12=Light Red
1=Blue 5=Magenta 9=Light Blue 13=Light Magenta
2=Green 6=Brown 10=Light Green 14=Yellow
3=Cyan 7=Light Gray 11=Light Cyan 15=White
MicroServe V2.04 Page 6
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Modem Configuration
Up to 4 modems may be connected to MicroServe. All modems
and/or serial ports MUST be set up with unique IRQ's and port
addresses. MicroServe defaults to MS-DOS standard COM1 & COM2
settings if no CONFIG.DAT file exist. Future versions of
MicroServe may allow the sharing of IRQ's.
When setting up modem ports, keep in mind that you must
configure the ports consecutively. If you have one port, then
the first line MUST be configured, if you have two ports, then
the first two ports must be configured, etc. You can't skip
lines, or start from the bottom.
If automatic baud rate detection is desired for a specific
port, enter zero for the baud rate. If you wish to dedicate a
specific baud rate for a port, enter the desired baud rate.
Users who connect to a port reserved for a baud rate other than
that to which they connected will still connect, however, all
they will receive is the contents of the BADBAUD.TXT file, then
be automatically logged off.
The default "Modem Initialization Command" should suffice for
those of you using Hayes compatible modems. Most of the
parameters are mandatory, but some like "S0=1" (auto answer
register setting) may be changed to suit your needs. See you
modem manual for more detail on specific modem commands.
Here are the default settings in case you accidentally zap
yours:
Addr IRQ Baud Modem Initialization Command
Port 1 1016 4 0 AT E0 V1 S7=30 M1 Q0 X1 S2=255 S0=1
Port 2 760 3 0 "
MicroServe V2.04 Page 7
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
F5 - KILL
F5 - KILL
F5 - KILL
On some BBS's, this function is also known as a "nerd" key.
This function allows the user at the main console to disconnect
any active port.
When invoked, the system will prompt for the port number to
terminate. Enter a number from 1-4, and press ENTER. If the
selected port is an active port, the system will drop the carrier
detect signal momentarily, thus causing the modems to disconnect,
and, in effect, terminating the user.
F6 - RE-NDX
F6 - RE-NDX
F6 - RE-NDX
This function re-indexes the USER.DAT file. Whenever users
are deleted via the C direct command, this function should be
performed afterwards to maintain integrity of the index file.
If you never delete users, perform this function about once a
week anyways to prevent your index from getting corrupted.
F7 - REPORTS
F7 - REPORTS
F7 - REPORTS
Two reports are available from the system. One is a User
list, and the other is a Menu Structure report. Both reports are
written to a disk file instead of the printer port. This allows
for other programs to access the data. Simply use DOS commands
to send the contents of the files generated to your printer.
Reports can be printed at any time. If the report you wish to
generate contains lots of data, you may wish to wait until all
users have logged off the system, otherwise, system response time
may be extremely slow.
User List Report - This report generates a file called
User List Report
User List Report
USER.RPT. There are 13 fields printed for each user within the
system. These field names are not printed in the report, but in
most cases, the data is self explanatory. Each user record is
printed in 4 lines, which are basically split into 3 columns.
Here is the field format of the report:
User Name Access Phone # Last Date Called
Real Name Computer Times Called
Address Interest # of Uploads
City, State Zip Password # of Downloads
See Appendix B for a report sample.
Menu Structure Report - This report generates a file called
Menu Structure Report
Menu Structure Report
MENU.RPT. There are up to 50 fields displayed for each menu
within the system. Some field names are not printed in the
reports, and each field will be described here instead. Each
menu record is printed in 15 lines, and most of this info is
printed in 5 columns.
The main purpose of this report is to help the main Sysop keep
MicroServe V2.04 Page 8
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
Section 2 Sysop Function Keys
easier control of the system. Small systems shouldn't be too
hard to handle, but if you wish to make your system as big as
commercial on-line services, then this report should come in
handy. Maybe one of you Sysop programmers could write a program
to display the contents of this report in a tree structure or
some kind of flow chart, as that would make it much easier to
read. In any case...
Here is the field format of this report:
Menu # (sequential record number)
Name
Access (minimum access level required to access)
Directory (the DOS directory all associated files are in)
Called From (menu # that called this menu)
Co-Sysop (Name of the Co-Sysop in charge of the menu)
1 Option 1 Description Access Function Filename Menu#
(..)
9
After the Co-Sysop information, 9 lines of data corresponding
with each possible menu option, is displayed. The first field
displayed is the option description (what the user sees when the
menu is displayed).
The second field is the minimum access level required for the
user before the option is available.
The third field is the letter corresponding to the function of
the option. These functions are described in detail later.
If the function requires a filename (such as message bases and
text file), it will be displayed in the third column. Remember
that all files displayed in this column will be in the directory
identified by the directory field from above. If nothing is in
the directory field, then all the files are simply in the
"current" directory.
Finally, the last field is the Menu # field. If the menu
option is a menu, this field points to the sequential record
number of the menu. See the sample report in Appendix B, as this
may help clarify the overall picture.
F8 - EXIT
F8 - EXIT
F8 - EXIT
Obviously, this option terminates execution of the MicroServe, and
returns back to DOS. If users are still on-line when this option
is selected, the system will display a warning message, and
prompt the user if it is still OK to exit.
F9 - CALLERS HOTKEY
F9 - CALLERS HOTKEY
F9 - CALLERS HOTKEY
This function key simply displays the last few callers who
have called the system. This makes it easier to see if you have
had any new callers recently rather than having to login to view
the callers file or view the CALLERS.TXT file from DOS.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 9
Section 3 User Direct Commands
Section 3 User Direct Commands
Section 3 User Direct Commands
Direct commands are performed while on-line (logged into via
F1 or by calling in). These commands can be performed at any
time on any menu prompt by any user:
? - Display Help
? - Display Help
? - Display Help
This function displays the contents of the HELP.TXT file,
which contains the help information for the other direct
commands. Obviously, the contents of the HELP.TXT file may be
changed to include more or less information, and can be
customized to your liking.
C - Change User Information
C - Change User Information
C - Change User Information
Enter "C" from any menu to display your vital statistics. The
system will display all personal and system information about the
user. Users may also change any of the first 13 items by simply
entering the field number of the field to change. The system
will prompt "Enter new value:". Enter the new field contents and
press RETURN.
The fields above 13 are displayed for user convenience, and
may be changed only by the Sysop.
Note that when users change their password, the system will
NOT hide user keystrokes, nor prompt users to re-enter their
password. The program is using a generic input routine here.
Future versions of MicroServe will provide for a little more
security here. In the meantime, users should be sure no one is
looking over their shoulder if they decide to change their
password.
Being a Public User
If users select to be a public user, they allow other users to
view their user information. Nothing there should be classified
information, thus, encourage all users to be public users. For
users who are spies, anti-social, or just plain shy, they may
select to be a private user, thus preventing other users from
viewing their user information.
D - Display Date and Time
D - Display Date and Time
D - Display Date and Time
This options needs no further explanation.
E - Examine User Information
E - Examine User Information
E - Examine User Information
Enter "E username" from any menu where "username" is the name
of the user to examine. If "username" is a public user, the
system will display all the user's vital statistics.
Of course, the Sysop may Examine any user, public or private.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 10
Section 3 User Direct Commands
Section 3 User Direct Commands
Section 3 User Direct Commands
G - Goto Menu
G - Goto Menu
G - Goto Menu
Each menu is assigned a sequential record number, which is
displayed in the upper right hand corner of the menu. All menus
may be accessed directly using the G command, i.e. entering "G 6"
(without the quotes) would take the user directly to the menu #6.
This is a shortcut that users will begin to use once they get
tired of waiting on the menu screens.
I - View Index of Menus
I - View Index of Menus
I - View Index of Menus
This command will display the Menu # and name of all user
accessible menus in the system. This command should come in
handy if there are a large number of menus in your system. Users
can use information from this function to better utilize the G
command.
L - Logoff
L - Logoff
L - Logoff
This command will display the GOODBYE.TXT file, then log the
user off the system and disconnect the modem. If logged in via
F1, obviously, no modem disconnection will take place, however,
the program will return to COMMAND mode, where use of any of the
other function keys is allowed.
P - Goto the Previous menu
P - Goto the Previous menu
P - Goto the Previous menu
Entering P at the menu prompt will return the user back to the
previous menu (unless the user is already at the TOP menu). If a
menu is accessed via the G command, entering P will not return
the user to "actual" previous menu, but rather, to the parent of
the menu in use.
Pressing a RETURN only at a menu prompt will do the same
thing.
T - Goto the TOP Menu
T - Goto the TOP Menu
T - Goto the TOP Menu
This command will return the user directly to the TOP menu.
The same thing can be accomplished using the G command, i.e.
entering "G 0" would also return the user back to the TOP menu.
U - Display User List
U - Display User List
U - Display User List
This command displays a list of all current users who have
used the system. The system will display the list starting with
the newest users first, thus making it easier to keep tabs on all
new comers. Information displayed includes the user name, city,
state, zip, and computer used and interest.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 11
Section 3 User Direct Commands
Section 3 User Direct Commands
Section 3 User Direct Commands
V - Display Version #
V - Display Version #
V - Display Version #
Displays the version number of MicroServe being used.
W - Who is on the system?
W - Who is on the system?
W - Who is on the system?
Being a multi-user BBS, this is a nifty command that allows
the user to see who else is on the system, where they are at
(menu #), and what exactly they are doing. Also displayed is the
comm port number being used by each user. This number can be
used to send messages directly to on-line users.
Interactive Messages
Interactive Messages
Interactive Messages
One line messages can be sent directly to other on-line users
by entering the comm port number of the user you wish to send a
message to, followed by your message, i.e. if JOE BLOW is using
port 2, then entering "2 Hello Joe, how u go today?" (without the
quotes) directly from the menu prompt will immediately send the
message to Joe's screen. If the intended receiver is uploading
or downloading, the message is discarded.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 12
Section 4 Sysop Direct Commands
Section 4 Sysop Direct Commands
Section 4 Sysop Direct Commands
Sysop direct commands are performed while on-line (logged into
via F1 or by calling in). These commands can be performed at any
time on any menu prompt by any user with an access level of 200
or greater:
A - Assign Co-Sysop to Menu
A - Assign Co-Sysop to Menu
A - Assign Co-Sysop to Menu
If you wish to set up a large system with many message bases,
you, the head Sysop, may wish to delegate some authority to other
users, or Co-Sysop's. These co-sysops can then read all public
and private messages in all message bases in their menu, kill any
message, and, if the head Sysops desires, perform purges on the
message bases. Also, all messages addressed to "Sysop" in a
message base are automatically redirect to the Co-sysop's user
name.
As a default, all menus automatically set the Co-Sysop as
"SYSOP", which is the user name for the head Sysop. To change
this setting, enter "A SPUDS" (where SPUDS can be any user name
of a user you wish to assign as co-sysop) from the menu you wish
to give to SPUDS. The menu from which this command is performed
is then reassigned as the co-sysop.
M - Modify Menu
M - Modify Menu
M - Modify Menu
This is perhaps the most important, and most powerful command
in the system. It is from this command that allows you to design
and set up your system menus and their respective options.
As you have probably already noticed, whenever you are logged
in as Sysop (or any user whose access level is 200 or greater),
to the right of each menu option is a number in parenthesis.
This is the absolute line number of the menu option, and this is
the number that should be referenced whenever modifying the
menus. Do not use the menu option (first) number, as it may not
reflect the absolute menu line number.
Each menu can have no more than 9 menu items. If a menu needs
more items, simply make the last menu item access another sub-
menu from which the remainder of your functions may be called.
When the "M" direct command is invoked, the program will ask
for the menu item # to change. Enter the absolute line number of
the menu option you wish to create/change. To create a new
option, select a number (1-9) not yet used in the menu.
Next, the program will ask which "function" the menu item is
to perform. Functions are entered as a single capital letter, of
which are listed below, and described in more detail in section
5.
Now the program will prompt for a description of the menu
function. Enter anything up to 40 characters long to describe
the menu option. This description is what will appear when the
menu is displayed.
The program will now ask the access level of the function.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 13
Section 4 Sysop Direct Commands
Section 4 Sysop Direct Commands
Section 4 Sysop Direct Commands
Enter a number from 0 to 255. Entering a zero will disable the
function. A user must have an access level equal to or greater
than the menu item access level to be granted access. Users
who's access levels are less than the menu items access level
simply won't see the item displayed on the menu.
Depending on the function selected, the system may prompt for
a filename and a directory name for the function. If a filename
is required, do not enter any drive letters, directories, or
extensions of the file. File extensions are automatically as-
sumed depending on the function selected.
Here is a list of functions and what they do:
Function Description
C Conference mode.
D Download mode.
E Enter a Message mode (filename required).
F Displays a file mode (filename required).
K Kill a Message mode (filename required).
L Logoff.
M Create a sub-menu (directory name required)
P Purge Messages mode (filename required).
Q Questionnaire (filename required).
R Read Message mode (filename required).
S Survey Message mode (filename required).
U Upload mode.
See section five for more detailed information on implementing
and using these functions.
R - Reset Bulletin Flags
R - Reset Bulletin Flags
R - Reset Bulletin Flags
Most BBS programs force users to always read the bulletin file
each time they log in, and for frequent users, this can be
extremely annoying when the bulletin file always contains the
same old information; and when the Sysop does post a new notice
in the file, it will usually be overlooked by the user since he
is so used to ignoring it (or aborting, if allowed).
For each user record there is a flag which determines if the
bulletin file is to be displayed to the user when he logs on. If
the flag is true, the file is displayed and the flag is set back
to false so that subsequent logins do not display the file.
The R command is thus used to set all user flags back to true.
This command should be performed only when some new information
has been posted in your BULLETIN.TXT file.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 14
Section 4 Sysop Direct Commands
Section 4 Sysop Direct Commands
Section 4 Sysop Direct Commands
C - Change User Access/Delete User
C - Change User Access/Delete User
C - Change User Access/Delete User
This command allows the Sysop to delete users from the
USER.DAT file, or to change user information.
To invoke, simply enter "C SPUDS" where SPUDS is the user name
of the user you wish to change. The program will prompt to
"<D>elete or <C>hange Info?".
It's a good idea to re-index the user file after users have
been deleted or user names have been changed.
If "Change Info" is selected, the program will display the
user's information and prompt for which fields to change.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 15
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
C - Conference
C - Conference
C - Conference
This is a chat mode, where all users of the system may
converge and "chat" with one another. When invoked, simply enter
a line of text you wish to transmit. Transmission of the text is
not performed until ENTER is pressed at the end of the line.
Enter "/WHO" to see who else is in the Conference mode, or enter
"/EXIT" to exit the conference and return to the calling menu.
The conference mode will also notify conference users when
someone new joins the conference, and when someone leaves.
All messages transmitted in conference mode are automatically
prefixed with the user name of the user sending the message.
This mode works the best when the callers communications
program supports a "chat" mode of it's own (Procomm is an
excellent communications program that supports such a feature).
This keeps users screens from getting messed up when other users
send messages while you are in the middle of typing one yourself.
D - Download
D - Download
D - Download
MicroServe currently supports 4 upload and download protocols;
ASCII, XMODEM, XMODEM CRC, and YMODEM.
ASCII is for pure text files only, and is almost never used
anymore because most files are not ASCII files, and because it
performs no error checking.
XMODEM, AKA Christensen Protocol (named after its creator), is
the very first public domain error checking protocol. Although
it is light years ahead of ASCII transfers, it is one of the most
primitive of the "error checking" protocols. Most terminal
communication programs support XMODEM.
XMODEM CRC is almost exactly the same as XMODEM except this
version performs more robust error checking. Instead of using a
1 byte checksum to validate data, CRC implements a 2 byte valida-
tion which greatly increases data integrity.
YMODEM is the next generation after XMODEM CRC. Again, YMODEM
is structured almost identical to XMODEM CRC, with the
significant exception that YMODEM uses a 1024 byte block in
contrast to XMODEM's 128 byte block. Whereas XMODEM must wait
for an acknowledgement approximately every 128 bytes, YMODEM
transfers just over 1024 bytes before waiting for an ACK. Since
there is 7 times less handshaking and waiting with YMODEM, you
get much higher thru-put of data especially at higher baud rates
(2400 or higher).
Once a user has determined the file to download, MicroServe
will ask the name of the file to download. Once entered,
MicroServe will look at the first few hundred bytes of the file
to see if it is an ASCII file. If it is, MicroServe will prompt
to select one of all available download protocols. If it is not
an ASCII file, the program will prompt for one of all the
available protocols except ASCII.
Selections are case sensitive. Enter a lower case x for
regular XMODEM, and an upper case X for XMODEM CRC. Once a
MicroServe V2.04 Page 16
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
protocol is initialized from MicroServe, then initialize the same
protocol from your terminal program.
E - Enter a Message
E - Enter a Message
E - Enter a Message
This function is one of a set of 5 related functions that
allows the SYSOP to build message bases. When selected by a
user, this function allows the user to enter a message, public or
private, to the message base filename entered when the menu
option was created. All message bases contain two files, the
header file (extension of .HDR) contain the survey information,
and the .MSG files contain the actual messages. When the
function prompts to whom the message is for, enter the user ID
of the user you wish to send the message to or enter ALL if it's
a general message to be read by everyone. If the message is
address to SYSOP, the message is automatically redirected to the
co-sysop of the message base (if one is assigned via the "A"
direct command).
Message lengths may vary from 1 to 50 lines. This option is
configured in "General Setup". This option may be increased or
decreased without scratching your files.
F - Display File
F - Display File
F - Display File
This function allows the filename specified when creating the
option to be displayed. All filenames specified must have an
extension of TXT or CLR. TXT files should be pure ASCII text
with no special graphic codes or otherwise.
If users select ANSI graphics when they initially log in, then
this function first attempts to display files with CLR (short for
color) extensions. If that file is not found, then it will re-
try looking for an extension of TXT. This allows you to dress up
your system with graphics and colors for users who support ANSI,
yet allows non-ANSI users to enjoy your system without getting
garbage.
The best way to accomplish this is to always start by creating
pure TXT files. When the TXT file is completed, make a copy of
it with the CLR extension, then put your ANSI codes in that file.
K - Kill a Message
K - Kill a Message
K - Kill a Message
This function allows a user to kill any messages created by or
addressed to him. Messages are simply marked deleted, and are
not physically removed until a Purge is performed.
L - Logoff
L - Logoff
L - Logoff
Logs the user off and disconnects the modem. This does the
same thing as the "L" direct command.
M - Menu
M - Menu
M - Menu
MicroServe V2.04 Page 17
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
Creates a new sub-menu from which even more functions may be
utilized. When creating, the system ask for a directory name
also. All files (.TXT, .MSG, file uploads and downloads) will
then have to be in the directory (if one is specified). All
directory names MUST be suffixed with a backslash (\). Directory
names may also be prefixed with other drive designators. This
will allow you to use other drives on your system. Sub-menus may
be nested as deeply as you wish, as long as no more than 32,767
menus exist in your system!
P - Purge Messages
P - Purge Messages
P - Purge Messages
This is a utility for any message bases you have created.
This function will physically remove all deleted messages from
the message base, and will renumber all messages consecutively.
This function should only be used if nobody else is accessing the
message base being purged, otherwise, the system may crash (this
may be fixed in later versions if proven to be a problem).
Note that a purge requires that the disk free space be equal
to or greater than the size of the message file to be purged,
otherwise, the program will surely crash, complaining about the
disk being full.
Q - Questionnaire
Q - Questionnaire
Q - Questionnaire
This function allows you to poll your users on any kind of
questions you may have.
You must first create a question file. This file must have a
".Q" (for question) extension for MicroServe to acknowledge it.
This file may be written free form, as MicroServe requires very
few "hard set rules" on how you must format your question file.
Using your text editor, simply write your questions, then display
the possible user responses. Each question can have only one
answer, and only one character per answer. You may use any ASCII
character (except for the *) for any of the possible answers.
After you have typed in your question and list of possible
answers, the next line MUST contain all the possible answers,
prefixed with an *. MicroServe uses this line to verify that the
user has typed in a valid answer.
Each questionnaire may have up to 245 questions, with each
question limited to 20 possible responses.
All questionnaire output is stored in the corresponding ".A"
(answer) file. Each line of this file contains one users an-
swers. The first 10 characters of the file contain the user's
name; the rest of the data is the users responses in the same
order as the questions.
MicroServe does not test if a user answers any questionnaire
more than once, primarily because of the time it could take to
examine the answer file if hundreds of entries were to exist. If
you wish to weed out multiple entries, one easy solution would be
to use the DOS SORT command to sort the file, then examine the
file manually and delete the duplicate entries.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 18
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
Section 5 Modify Menu Commands
When you create a "Q" function via the Modify Menu command,
MicroServe will prompt for the normal questions (Description,
access, etc). When prompted for filename, enter the name of your
question file WITHOUT the ".A" extension, as MicroServe
automatically assumes this.
See section 6 on generating questionnaire results and see the
appendix for a sample questionnaire.
R - Read Messages
R - Read Messages
R - Read Messages
This function allows users to read messages entered from the
"E" function. Deleted and private messages will not be displayed
(unless the private message is address to you). Each time any
message is read, the message read counter for the message is
incremented by one.
Whenever a menu is entered, if the menu contains any options
with the R function, the program will automatically scan the
message file (defined in the R function) to see if there is any
messages for the user. If there are messages, the program will
inform the user that he has mail, and will display all message
numbers of the messages pending.
Considering the above feature, it is advisable to allow only
one R function per menu.
S - Survey Messages
S - Survey Messages
S - Survey Messages
Allows users to survey messages from a message base. When
using this or the "R" function, message numbers may be suffixed
with + or - to direct either forward or reverse retrieval
respectively, i.e. if a message base contains 10 messages,
entering "5+" at the message # prompt would display messages 5 to
10; entering "5-" would display messages 5 to 1.
The Survey mode automatically transfers to the Read Message
mode after surveying the messages.
U - Upload Files
U - Upload Files
U - Upload Files
When invoked, MicroServe will ask what the name of the file
to uploading is. Enter a standard filename. If the filename
syntax is correct, and if the file does not already exist,
MicroServe will prompt for which protocol to use. Again,
protocol selection IS case sensitive (See Downloading for
details). When MicroServe says it's ready to receive, initialize
the same protocol from your terminal program.
If ASCII uploading is selected, as with most ASCII upload
program, the program has no idea when the upload is complete.
Thus, the user must manually type /EXIT to turn off the upload
mode after the upload is complete.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 19
Section 6 Other Features and Functions
Section 6 Other Features and Functions
Section 6 Other Features and Functions
Optional Printer Output
Optional Printer Output
Optional Printer Output
If you have a printer, and if you leave it on-line while
MicroServe is running, it will log a hard copy of all users who
have logged in, logged off, and also print all file upload and
download activity. Note that this is a "smart" function, which
means the program won't hang if your printer is "off" or
"offline". If you don't want the log, simply leave your printer
turned off.
Obviously, all output is directed to LPT1:
E-Mail
E-Mail
E-Mail
E-Mail is basically the same as any other message base setup
with the following exceptions: 1) Messages are forced private
messages, 2) Users are informed of E-Mail when they login, 3)
messages cannot be addressed to ALL, 4) The <N>ext & <P>revious
options are not available in the Read mode.
To create an E-Mail section, from the TOP menu, create a menu
option called "E-MAIL". If you call it ANYTHING other than E-
MAIL, your message base functions will NOT inherit the E-Mail
traits. Then, go to your new E-MAIL area, and to conform to
other E-Mail systems, create options to 1) Read Mail, 2) Enter
Mail, 3) Browse Mail 4) Trash Mail. Also, create a Sysop option
to purge the E-Mail.
The $NAME$ Variable
The $NAME$ Variable
The $NAME$ Variable
Anywhere the string $NAME$ is entered into the system, the
system will automatically replace the string with the user's user
name. Be careful where you use this feature. Do not put it in
TXT files where the variable may be undefined (such as the
WELCOME.TXT file). This variable may also be entered in messages
and subject fields.
Dead Man Timer for Sleepy Callers
Dead Man Timer for Sleepy Callers
Dead Man Timer for Sleepy Callers
If a port is inactive for 5 minutes, MicroServe will display a
warning message to the dormant port to the effect that auto-
logout will take place in one minute unless the user resumes. If
the user remains inactive for another minute, the port is
terminated automatically.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 20
Section 6 Other Features and Functions
Section 6 Other Features and Functions
Section 6 Other Features and Functions
Questionnaire results via RESULTS.EXE
Questionnaire results via RESULTS.EXE
Questionnaire results via RESULTS.EXE
The MicroServe distribution disk should contain a program
called RESULTS.EXE which can be used to tabulate your question-
naire results.
Both the ".A" and the ".Q" files must be present for RESULTS
to work. RESULTS will display the questions and possible answers
as they appear in your ".Q" file, and after each question it will
display the number totals of each possible response. The next
line will contain the percentage totals of each possible
response.
Output is directed to stdout, which normally means your
screen. Simply use DOS redirection to send the output to a
printer or a file, i.e. if you have a survey called "COMPUTER.A",
simply enter "RESULTS COMPUTER > COMPUTER.R" (without the quotes
of course) to write the results of the questionnaire COMPUTER to
a file called COMPUTER.R. Do not include any file extensions
when invoking RESULTS.EXE, as the file extensions ".A" and ".Q"
are always assumed.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 21
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
Data Files:
Data Files:
Data Files:
CONFIG.DAT - This file contains all setup information.
ConfigTYPE = record
Remotes : integer;
PortAddress : array[1..5] of integer;
IRQ : array[1..5] of integer;
BaudRate : array[0..5] of integer;
ModemInit : array[1..5] of string[40];
Modem : boolean;
NewUserAccess : boolean;
TimeLimit : integer;
AccessLevel : byte;
MessageLength : integer;
TerminateTime : string[5];
Color,
BaudFactor : array[1..4] of integer;
end;
MENU.DAT - This file contains the menu structure & data of your
system.
MenuRecTYPE = record
Deleted : boolean;
MenuName : string[30];
MenuAccess : byte;
Dir : string[40];
PrevMenu : integer;
CoSysop : string[10];
Filler : string[39];
RecNo : array[1..9] of integer;
Filename : array[1..9] of string[8];
Command : array[1..9] of char;
Access : array[1..9] of byte;
Desc : array[1..9] of string[30];
Filler2 : array[1..9] of string[10];
end;
MicroServe V2.04 Page 22
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
USER.DAT - This file contains all user information.
UserRecTYPE = record
RecStatus : longint;
UserName : string[10]; { 1}
FirstName : string[15]; { 2}
LastName : string[15]; { 3}
Street : string[20]; { 4}
CityStateZip : string[30]; { 5}
Phone : string[15]; { 6}
BBSPhone : string[15]; { 7}
Computer : string[20]; { 8}
Interest : string[30]; { 9}
Password : string[10]; {10}
CLS : integer; {11}
Ansi : boolean; {12}
Public : boolean; {13}
Access : byte; {14}
Bulletin : boolean; {15}
FirstCalled : longint; {16}
LastCalled : longint; {17}
TimesCalled : integer; {18}
Uploads : integer; {19}
UploadK : integer; {20}
Downloads : integer; {21}
DownloadK : integer; {22}
CreditsUsed : longint; {23}
TimeLimit : integer; {24}
CalledToday : integer; {25}
Filler : string[50];
end;
USER.NDX - User Name Index file used with the USER.DAT file.
IndexRecTYPE = record
RecStatus : byte;
Key : String10;
RecordNumber : longint;
LNode, RNode : longint;
end;
MicroServe V2.04 Page 23
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
????????.HDR - message base header files created by the Sysop.
MessageRecTYPE = record
RecStatus : longint;
Private : boolean;
Too : string[15];
From : string[15];
Re : string[30];
DateCreated : longint;
Read : integer;
Pointer : longint;
end;
????????.MSG - Corresponding message text file created by Sysop.
MsgTextTYPE = record
RecStatus : longint;
Text : string[80];
end;
MicroServe V2.04 Page 24
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
Appendix A Program Data Files and Structures
Text Files:
Text Files:
Text Files:
All .TXT files are ASCII files that may be edited using any
editor that edits ASCII files. If you wish to place ANSI color
and graphic codes in these files, copy each file with a CLR
(short for color) extension, then put your ANSI codes in the CLR
files. For users who enable ANSI graphics, the system will
always attempt to display the CLR file first. If it's not found,
it will then attempt to display the TXT counterpart.
BULLETIN.TXT - This file is displayed immediately after users log
into the system if their bulletin flag is true. This file is
useful to inform users of new policies, functions, or features of
your system.
NEWUSER.TXT - Displayed to all new users. Useful to inform new
users of the policies and rules of your system. No ANSI or
$NAME$ (see Appendix C for details on $NAME$).
HELP.TXT - Displayed to users when the direct command "?" is
entered. This file contains a description of all other direct
commands available.
CALLERS.TXT - Generated and maintained by the MicroServe. This
file contains the last 100 transactions (logins and logoffs) of
users. You may wish to allow users to view this file so they can
see who has been using the system lately.
HISTORY.TXT - Generated and maintained by the MicroServe. This
file contains all transactions (logins and logoffs) of users,
with the most recent transactions at the end of the file. Be
sure to delete this file periodically to keep it from hogging all
your disk space.
WELCOME.TXT - This file is displayed immediately when users
connect to MicroServe. It is displayed BEFORE users log in. One
good use for this file is to identify your system and greet users
prior to logging on. No ANSI or $NAME$.
BADBAUD.TXT - This file is displayed to callers who illegally
connect to a modem reserved for a dedicated baud rate. No ANSI
or $NAME$!
GOODBYE.TXT - This file is displayed when users logoff.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 25
Appendix B Sample Reports and Questionnaire
Appendix B Sample Reports and Questionnaire
Appendix B Sample Reports and Questionnaire
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
User List Report - 08/21/88 @ 22:17:14
SYSOP 255 692-8623 08/21/88
ALLEN HOWELL EPSON EQUITY II 28
7370 ALT 49 E. 6.5% 0
ARCANUM, OH 45304 STAPLER 0
NASTY 6 555-6247 07/23/88
DAVE BENTON EPSON EQUITY I 5
4716 ST RT 49 COMPUTERS, LAWN MOWERS 0
GREENVILLE, OH 45331 081558 0
TOM 5 555-1623 07/19/88
TOM SMITH EPSON 1
RR 4 ELECTRONS 0
ARCANUM, OH 45331 BOZO 0
MILKMAN 6 555-3880 08/21/88
CHRIS HOWELL EPSON 10
262 MARTZ ST. COMPUTERS, CARS, GUNS, MOVIES 0
GREENVILLE, OHIO 45331 ORBIT 3
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Menu Structure Report - 08/22/88 @ 22:32:03
Menu 0
Name: TOP
Access: 1
Directory:
Called from: 0
Co-Sysop: SYSOP
1 System Information / Help 5 M 1
2 SIG's 5 M 2
3 Other Dayton Area BBS's 5 F OTHERBBS 0
4 Conference 5 C 0
5 Logoff 1 L 0
6 0 0
7 0 0
8 0 0
9 0 0
Menu 1
Name: System Information / Help
Access: 5
Directory:
Called from: 0
Co-Sysop: SYSOP
1 System Hardware 1 F HARDWARE 0
2 System Software 5 F SOFTWARE 0
3 Address / Hours of Operation 5 F HOURS 0
MicroServe V2.04 Page 26
Appendix B Sample Reports and Questionnaire
Appendix B Sample Reports and Questionnaire
Appendix B Sample Reports and Questionnaire
4 Help 5 F SYSHELP 0
5 List Previous Callers 5 F CALLERS 0
6 Bulletins 5 F BULLETIN 0
7 0 0
8 0 0
9 0 0
Menu 2
Name: SIG's
Access: 5
Directory:
Called from: 0
Co-Sysop: SYSOP
1 IBM & Compatibles SIG 5 M 3
2 MicroServe SIG 5 M 4
3 Misc Message Area 5 M 6
4 0 0
5 0 0
6 0 0
7 0 0
8 0 0
9 0 0
Menu 3
Name: IBM & Compatibles SIG
Access: 5
Directory: IBM\
Called from: 2
Co-Sysop: SYSOP
1 Purpose of this SIG 5 F IBM 0
2 Enter Message 6 E IBM 0
3 Read Message 5 R IBM 0
4 Survey Messages 5 S IBM 0
5 Kill Message 6 K IBM 0
6 IBM Upload & Download 5 M 5
7 Purge Messages 200 P IBM 0
8 0 0
9 0 0
Menu 4
Name: MicroServe SIG
Access: 5
Directory:
Called from: 2
Co-Sysop: SYSOP
1 Purpose of this SIG 5 F MicroSrv 0
2 Enter a Message 6 E MicroSrv 0
3 Read Messages 5 R MicroSrv 0
4 Survey Messages 5 S MicroSrv 0
5 Kill Message 6 K MicroSrv 0
6 Display Files 5 F MicroSrv 0
7 Download a File 5 D 0
8 0 0
9 0 0
MicroServe V2.04 Page 27
Appendix B Sample Reports and Questionnaire
Appendix B Sample Reports and Questionnaire
Appendix B Sample Reports and Questionnaire
Menu 5
Name: IBM Upload & Download
Access: 5
Directory: IBM\
Called from: 3
Co-Sysop: SYSOP
1 Display Files 5 F IBMDIR 0
2 Upload a File 6 U 0
3 Download a File 5 D 0
4 0 0
5 0 0
6 0 0
7 0 0
8 0 0
9 0 0
Menu 6
Name: Misc Message Area
Access: 5
Directory:
Called from: 2
Co-Sysop: SYSOP
1 Enter a Message 6 E MISC 0
2 Read Messages 5 R MISC 0
3 Survey Message 5 S MISC 0
4 Kill Message 6 K MISC 0
5 Purge Messages 200 P MISC 0
6 0 0
7 0 0
8 0 0
9 0 0
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
This is an example of how a questionnaire ".Q" file can be setup:
1. Roses are
A) Red
B) Violet
C) goofy looking flowers with thorny stems
D) Don't know
*ABCD
2. How many people live in your household (1-9)?
*123456789
3. Are you married (Y or N)?
*YN
MicroServe V2.04 Page 28
Appendix C Modem Troubleshooting
Appendix C Modem Troubleshooting
Appendix C Modem Troubleshooting
My modem won't answer!
This is by far the largest complaint users have had when they
first attempt to setup MicroServe. Here is a list possible
causes:
1) Not using a true 100% Hayes compatible modem.
2) If using an external modem, pin 8 MUST be connected (this is
the DTR line, and MicroServe can't work without it).
3) Invalid port address and/or IRQ.
4) Modem Initialization String has been corrupted.
5) Trying to share IRQ's or port addresses. No two modems may
share the same IRQ or port address. However, future versions
of MicroServe may allow the sharing of IRQ's.
6) If you are not using a Hayes 1200 or 100% compatible 1200 baud
modem, then you probably need to add some modem specific
commands in the "Modem Initialization" string in the Setup.
See your modem manual.
Additional notes:
Your modem must have local echo DISABLED and verbal command
recognition ENABLED. Your modem must respond "CONNECT", "CONNECT
1200", "CONNECT 2400" and "CONNECT 9600" respectively when 300,
1200, 2400 or 9600 baud connections are made. Actually,
MicroServe only looks for "CONNECT" if it does not find the
strings "1200", "2400", or "9600". If your modem returns a
partial string containing the connected baud rate, MicroServe
will connect at the appropriate baud rate. If MicroServe
receives only "CONNECT", then 300 baud connection is assumed.
Be sure to insert the appropriate modem commands in your modem
initialization string to echo CONNECT baud rates. The default
settings will work for a Hayes 1200 or 100% compatible.
MicroServe V2.04 Page 29
Index
Index
Index
ACK, 19
Addr, 10
Addresses, 5, 10, 32
ANSI, 9, 20, 26, 28
ASCII, 4, 19, 20, 21, 22, 28
Auto-logout, 23
BADBAUD, 6, 28
Baud, 9, 10, 19, 28, 32
Binary, 7
Checksum, 19
CLR, 20, 28
CLS, 26
COM, 6, 10
Conference, 2, 4, 17, 19, 29
CONFIG, 6, 10, 25
Co-Sysop, 2, 4, 7, 8, 12, 16, 20, 25, 29, 30, 31
CRC, 19, 20
Default, 6, 7, 9, 10, 16, 32
DIP, 2, 5
Dir, 25
Direct, 2, 4, 6, 11, 13, 16, 20, 22, 28
Directory, 4, 6, 12, 17, 21, 29, 30, 31
Disable, 5, 7, 8, 17, 32
Disconnect, 11, 14, 20
DOS, 11, 12, 21, 24
Download, 2, 4, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26, 30, 31
DownloadK, 26
DTR, 5, 32
Echo, 32
E-Mail, 3, 4, 23
GOODBYE, 6, 14, 28
Graphics, 20, 28
Handshaking, 19
Hardware, 2, 5, 8, 29
Hayes, 5, 10, 32
HDR, 20, 27
IBM, 1, 4, 30, 31
IBM-PC, 5
Inactive, 7, 23
Index, 2, 4, 11, 14, 26
Initialization, 6, 9, 10, 20, 22, 32
IRQ, 5, 10, 25, 32
Kill, 2, 4, 11, 16, 17, 20, 30, 31
LOGIN, 2, 6, 7, 12, 23
Logoff, 2, 4, 14, 17, 20, 28, 29
MicroServe V2.04 Page 30
Index
Index
Index
LPT, 23
Mail, 4, 22, 23
Memory, 5
Modem, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 14, 20, 25, 28, 32
Monitor, 5, 7
MSG, 6, 20, 21, 27
MS-DOS, 4, 5, 10
Multi-User, 1, 4, 15
NDX, 26
NEWUSER, 6, 28
Password, 6, 7, 11, 13, 26
Ports, 8, 10
Printer, 3, 11, 23, 24
Private, 4, 8, 13, 16, 20, 22, 23, 27
Procomm, 19
Protocol, 7, 19, 20, 22
Public, 13, 16, 19, 20, 26
Purge, 7, 16
Questionnaire, 2, 3, 4, 17, 21, 22, 24, 29, 31
Reports, 2, 3, 7, 11, 29
Requirements, 2, 5
Re-Index, 2, 11, 18
ROOT, 7
RPT, 11
Sample, 3, 6, 11, 12, 22, 29
Security, 13
Send, 7, 8, 11, 15, 19, 20, 24
Serial, 5, 6, 8, 10
Setup, 2, 6, 8, 20, 23, 25, 31, 32
SmartModem, 5
Snoop, 2, 7
Structure, 2, 3, 4, 11, 12, 19, 25, 29
Subject, 23
Sub-directory, 6
Sub-menu, 16, 17, 21
Support, 4, 19, 20
Survey, 2, 4, 17, 20, 22, 24, 30, 31
Switch, 2, 5
SYSHELP, 30
Terminal, 8, 19, 20, 22
Troubleshooting, 3, 32
TXT, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 17, 20, 21, 23, 28
Upload, 2, 4, 11, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23, 26, 30, 31
XMODEM, 4, 7, 19, 20
YMODEM, 4, 19
MicroServe V2.04 Page 31
Index
Index
Index
MicroServe V2.04 Page 32
NEWUSER.TXT
==============================================================================
Welcome to MicroServe
==============================================================================
As a new user, you must answer a few questions about yourself. When the
system ask if you want to be a public user, answer Yes if you would like
others to view your vital statistics, otherwise answer No if you want to
be a private user.
IMPORTANT! Once you are at the TOP menu (or any menu), be sure to enter
the '?' (without quotes) command so you can see all other functions
available on the system.
ORDERFRM.TXT
------------------------------------ cut -------------------------------------
Software Construction Co. Instant Registration Form.
Just copy this file to your printer, fold, and mail.
Enclosed please find $____ for the following:
[ ] $39 to register MicroServe BBS v2.04
[ ] $99 to register MicroServe Turbo Pascal Source Code
(Non-disclosure agreement MUST be signed!)
Name: ____________________________________________________________
Address: ____________________________________________________________
City: ____________________________________________________________
State: ___________________________ Zip: ___________________________
------------------------------------ fold ------------------------------------
This program was acquired from:
[ ] friend
[ ] free BBS, name and phone # ____________________________
[ ] pay BBS (i.e., CompuServe)
[ ] disk duplicating service, name ________________________
[ ] user group
[ ] other _________________________________________________
* * * * * * * * * * * * Non-Disclosure Agreement * * * * * * * * *
I agree to use the MicroServe source code and any object code
created by the source code for my own personal use. I will not
distribute the original or modified source code, or any modified
object code to anyone.
Signed _______________________________
------------------------------------ fold ------------------------------------
+-----+
|Place|
|Stamp|
|Here!|
+-----+
Software Construction Co.
7370 Alt 49 E.
Arcanum, OH 45304
------------------------------------ cut -------------------------------------
OTHER.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Other Functions >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
All of the following commands are entered directly from any menu prompt.
Q. What else can I do?
A. Enter a ? to display a screenful of help. This help screen serves as
a summary of commands you may use from any menu prompt.
Q. What year is it?
A. Enter a D to display the current <D>ate and time.
Q. How do I get out of here?
A. Enter an L to immediately <L>og off the system.
Q. Who else uses this thing?
A. Enter a U to display a list of all <U>sers who have used the system.
Information displayed includes the user name, their city & state, type
of computer and the users interest. If you find a user who you would
like more info on, use the E command to Examine the user's information.
For your convienance, the new users are displayed first.
Q. What version of the program is this?
A. Enter V to display the program <V>ersion number.
Q. Is there anybody else in here?
A. Enter W to display <W>ho else is on the system. This command displays
the active ports, name of the user on that port, what menu # that user
is on, and the specific function the user is doing. Note that if you
see port 0, that is the local keyboard and the Sysop is probably snooping.
Q. How can I get another user's attention?
A. Send a message to that user. Use the <W>ho command to find what port
your buddy is on. For the sake of example, we'll say your buddy is on
port 2, and your user name is Fred. Then, from any menu prompt, enter
"2 Hello Joe!" (without the quotes) and the message "FRED: Hello Joe!"
is displayed on Joe's screen. If Joe is uploading or downloading, your
message will be intercepted by the system (to prevent disrupting a file
transfer) and you will be informed that the user is busy.
Q. How can I abort a function or screen display?
A. Under most normal situations, simply enter a CTRL-C to abort. The system
will then take you back to the menu.
Q. Files scroll past to fast for me to read. How can I prevent this?
A. MicroServe fully supports XON/XOFF. For you novices, that means to press
CTRL-S to pause the system, then press CTRL-Q to resume.
RULES.TXT
===========================
THE THIRTY BBS COMMANDMENTS
Author Unknown
===========================
It has finally happened. Some very intelligent SysOp gave some
great thought to how a BBS should be operated and came up with
the 30 BBS Commandments. We would be very remiss if We kept these
from you, so here they are:
1. Thou shall love thy BBS with all thy heart and all thy bytes.
2. Thou shalt remember thy name and password.
3. Thou shalt not POST IN ALL CAPS!
4. Thou shalt use thy real name.
5. Thou shalt only call a BBS two times a day.
6. Honor thy SysOp.
7. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's password, nor his or her
real name, computer, software, nor any other thing belonging
to him or her.
8. Thou shalt not post messages that are stupid, worthless, or
have no meaning.
9. Thou shalt use the English language properly.
10. Thou shalt spell thy words correctly.
11. Thou shalt not use a "handle" unless thine computer is made
by Commodore (or allowed by thine SysOp).
12. Thou shalt delete thine olden messages.
13. Thou shalt help other users.
14. Thou shalt not post anonymously when offering criticism.
15. Thou shalt keep thy foul language to thyself.
16. Thou shalt not occupy thy BBS with thine arguments, for
Verily, I say unto thee that thou shalt maketh a fool of
thyself.
17. Woe be unto the user who attempt to crash thy BBS, for he
shalt be cast out from the sanctuary of thy hobby and
must repent by doing 40 days and 40 nights of penance of
voice-only communications.
18. Thou shalt first dial BBS numbers during the day by way of
voice line to assure correct numbers.
19. Thou shalt not beg for E-Mail.
20. Thou shalt not post messages while drunk.
21. Thou shalt confine thy messages to those of friendship,
requests for assistance, aid to the needy, advice, and
advancement of thy hobby; and thou art obligated to repel any
who wouldst transgress upon those commandments.
22. If thou doth promise to reply to a message and thou doth not,
then surely thou shalt spill coffee into thy keyboard and
burn out thy central processing chip.
23. Thou shalt not giveth any false information when applying for
membership to a BBS, for verily it is written that
whosoever shall do so will surely be found out and thy
welcome on all boards will be thus denied forever and ever.
24. Thou shalt log on properly and in accordance with the SysOp's
rules.
25. Thou shalt observe BBS time limits.
26. Thou shalt not upload "worm" programs.
27. Thou shalt not ask stupid questions that are already fully
explained in the BBS instructions.
28. Thou shalt not exchange copy protected software thru the BBS.
29. Thou shalt not violate applicable state/federal/local laws
and regulations affecting BBS telecommunications, or thy will
feel the wrath of thy judicial system.
30. Thou shalt not hack.
Many thanks to the Unknown Author
SOFTWARE.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< System Software >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
This system is running MicroServe, a multi-user bulletin board system
(formerly MUBBS). The program supports up to 5 users at a time
(including the sysop) if the system is equipped with the necessary
hardware, such as modems and serial ports. The user interface is a
menu structure that is totally definable by the head sysop. Other
features include message bases (including private mail), file
transfers via XMODEM and ASCII, co-sysops, and a Conference mode
where all users may simutaneouslty "chat" with one another.
How is it possible to support multiple users on a single user, PC
compatible machine?
Simple, actually. Since most modems can accept data only at
relatively low speeds, the host system is always way ahead of the modem.
By supporting multiple users, the host system can take advantage of
it's maximum potential since it has to service multiple users at the
same time.
Also, a good percentage of on-line time is wasted (as far as the computer
is concerned) while it has to wait at user prompts to accept user data.
While the computer is waiting, why not service other users instead of
wasting time waiting for some slowpoke to read a screen and enter
a response?
Specifications Maximum
Users 32000
User access levels 255
Menus 32000
Menu options 294000
Simutaneous users 5
Baud Rate 9600
USERINFO.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Change / Examine User Information >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Changing your Vital Statistics
Enter "C" from any menu to display your vital statistics. The system will
display all personal and system information about you. You may also change
any of the first 13 items by simply entering the field number you want to
change. The system will prompt "Enter new value:". Enter the new field
contents and press RETURN.
The fields above 13 are displayed for your convienance, and may be changed
only by the Sysop.
Note that when changing your password, the system will NOT hide your
keystrokes, nor prompt you to re-enter your password. The program is using
a generic input routine here. Future versions of MicroServe will provide for
a little more security here. In the meantime, be sure no one is looking over
your shoulder if you decide to change your password.
Being a Public User
If you select to be a public user, you allow other users to view your
user information. Nothing there should be classified information, thus I
encourage all users to be public users. For those of you who are spies,
anti-social, or just plain shy, you may select to be a private user, thus
preventing other users from viewing your user information.
Viewing Other User Info
Use the "U" command to display a brief summary of system users. If anyone
in this list looks like someone you would like to contact by non-bbs means,
or if you are just being snoopy, take note the users user name, then enter
"E username" from any menu where "username" is the name of the user to
examine. If the username is a public user, the system will display all the
user's vital statistics.
UTILITY.TXT
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< IBM UTILITIES >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
<list your utilities available for downloading here, like this...>
BOOT COM 128 8-20-86 11:06p Re-boots the system.
CAL COM 1024 1-26-84 8:15a Displays a calendar for any date.
D COM 2255 7-12-83 8:22a Sorted directory on two columns.
DR COM 3370 5-21-87 10:31a Doctor, an excellent DOS file manager.
RN COM 4272 8-11-87 3:32p Registered Nurse, sidekick for DR.COM
PRN2FILE COM 1536 Redirect printer output to a file.
SPEED COM 128 1-10-84 8:15a Quiets and speeds up floppy drives.
DISKLIB ARC 32150 4-26-89 9:33p Disk Library program.
WELCOME.TXT
Welcome to:
** ** ** ****
*** *** ** **
******* *** **** ** *** **** *** **** ** *** ** ** ****
******* ** ** ** *** ** ** ** *** ** ** *** ** ** ** ** **
** * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** *** ****** ** ** ** ** ******
** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **** **
** ** **** **** **** **** **** **** **** ** ****
(C) 1990 Software Construction Co.
Directory of PC-SIG Library Disk #1458
Volume in drive A has no label
Directory of A:\
MICROSRV EXE 110512 3-15-90 9:25p
MICROSRV DOC 86272 4-05-90 11:48p
MENU DAT 7464 3-22-90 11:04p
HOURS TXT 248 3-21-90 11:28p
IBM HDR 78 4-10-90 7:40p
ORDERFRM TXT 2432 4-03-90 11:25p
E-MAIL TXT 819 1-23-90 10:31p
RULES TXT 3008 9-23-88 7:42p
NEWUSER TXT 630 3-21-90 11:31p
READ ME 1955 4-06-90 11:06p
MICROSRV Q 2131 3-06-90 10:35p
CONFIG DAT 268 3-21-90 11:11p
FILE LST 2434 4-06-90 11:37p
UTILITY TXT 741 3-22-90 9:45p
GOODBYE TXT 89 1-14-90 11:09p
SOFTWARE TXT 1515 1-14-90 11:34p
USER DAT 277 4-10-90 7:49p
RESULTS EXE 23208 3-16-90 11:56p
CONFEREN TXT 1945 3-10-90 6:29p
FILEXFER TXT 2890 2-09-90 10:52p
USERINFO TXT 1731 2-13-90 11:36p
OTHER TXT 2242 2-14-90 11:23p
MESSAGE TXT 3928 2-08-90 9:26p
HELP CLR 1168 3-21-90 10:55p
HELP TXT 1026 3-21-90 10:55p
USER NDX 24 3-21-90 10:56p
HISTORY TXT 2 3-21-90 10:56p
CALLERS TXT 0 3-21-90 10:56p
E-MAIL HDR 78 3-21-90 10:57p
E-MAIL MSG 85 3-21-90 10:57p
IBM MSG 85 3-21-90 11:13p
BULLETIN TXT 147 3-21-90 11:29p
WELCOME TXT 583 3-21-90 11:31p
HARDWARE TXT 373 3-21-90 11:34p
BADBAUD TXT 411 3-22-90 9:31p
GAMES TXT 1561 3-22-90 9:46p
IBM TXT 340 3-22-90 9:59p
APPLE TXT 343 3-22-90 10:11p
COMMODOR TXT 340 3-22-90 10:14p
APPLE HDR 78 3-22-90 10:32p
APPLE MSG 85 3-22-90 10:32p
APPLEDIR TXT 127 3-22-90 11:09p
COMMODOR MSG 85 3-22-90 10:47p
COMMODOR HDR 78 3-22-90 10:59p
MENU TXT 1386 3-22-90 11:09p
GO BAT 38 4-24-89 4:39p
GO TXT 540 4-23-90 8:08a
FILE1458 TXT 1851 4-24-90 10:24a
48 file(s) 267651 bytes
24576 bytes free