Rich Levin's BBSX (tm) "Please distribute BBSX far and wide" UPDATE.DOC Copyright (c) 1988-1990 Richard B. Levin All Rights Reserved BBSX is regularly updated. Most of the changes made to the program are not listed here; we see no reason to document trivial bug fixes and obvious feature enhancements. The changes listed are those which may require re-configuration of your BBSX site or those that provide important feature improvements. Listed by date of release and version number, most recent release first. Update information prior to September 17, 1989 is contained in BBSX.DOC. If you are installing BBSX for the first time, proceed directly to BBSX.DOC. Return to this document after you have completed installing and configuring BBSX according to the instructions contained in BBSX.DOC. April 22, 1990 - v.2.47.A 1. USERDEF.BLT (user-defined bulletin) and /US[ERDEF] start-up switch added. USERDEF.BLT is a general purpose bulletin file displayed to users once daily, after the NEWS.BLT file. The /US[ERDEF] start-up switch, when added to BBS.INI, causes the USERDEF.BLT to be displayed with *every* log on, not just once daily. Many BBSX SysOps are now using Charles Dittel's LOGMASTER and similar BBSX add-on programs that write information to BBSX .BLT files. The USERDEF.BLT file was added in order to provide an ideal target for the output of BBSX external support programs and utilities. For instance, since LOGMASTER provides a list of the most recent callers to a BBSX BBS, use of the USERDEF.BLT file in combination with the /US[ERDEF] start-up switch allows LOGMASTER's list to be displayed with each and every log on. Incidentally, all of Charles Dittel's fine BBSX support programs are available for downloading in the "Software by Rich Levin" area of the Mother Board BBS (215-333-8275) as well as on Charles' BBSX board, Suncoast City (813-953-5505). 2. DOORS_TEXT, FILES_TEXT, GROUP_TEXT and PROTOCOL_TEXT fields added to DOORS.INI, FILES.INI, GROUP.INI and PROTOCOL.INI files (or BBSX.INI for those using it as the complete central initialization file). The various _TEXT fields allow up to 50 characters of ASCII or ANSI text to be displayed during the processing of .INI files. Respective _SECURITY and _PASSWORD field settings apply. For example: ~ Rich Levin's BBSX (tm) ~ GROUP.INI ~ Copyright (c) 1988-1990 Richard B. Levin ~ All Rights Reserved ~ ~ Precede comments with a tilde ~ Delete comments to optimize this file ~ GROUP_SECURITY=2 GROUP_PASSWORD= GROUP_TEXT=This message will be displayed GROUP_NAME=Computer Hardware Forum GROUP_FILENAME=HARDWARE GROUP_NAME=Computer Software Forum GROUP_FILENAME=SOFTWARE GROUP_NAME=Programmer's Corner GROUP_FILENAME=PROGRAM GROUP_NAME=Word Processing Conference GROUP_FILENAME=WORDPRO END_OF_GROUPS=Y The GROUP_TEXT above allows a message to be displayed before the Computer Hardware Forum's GROUP_NAME. Blank _TEXT fields will cause a blank line to be displayed. The _TEXT fields can be used in a variety of ways, from adding descriptive prompts to dressing up the menus. Note, however, that the _TEXT fields are optional; BBSX does not require them in order to run. 3. HOLD command added to SYSTEM menu. April 12, 1990 - v.2.44.B 1. DESQview .DVP files now included in BBSX distribution archive. BB-PIF.DVP is the BBSX configuration; P1-PIF.DVP and P2-PIF.DVP are standard configuration files for COM and non-COM partitions for other, non-BBSX programs that run concurrently with BBSX. March 4, 1990 - v.2.42.A 1. BRT70ANR.EXE replaces BRUN61AR.EXE. BBSX source now compiled using Microsoft's Professional BASIC compiler, version 7.0. February 11, 1990 - v.2.39.A 1. /RX[B]: start-up switch added. Allows the communications receive buffer size to be set from 1 byte to 9999 bytes. BBSX's default receive buffer size is 1024 bytes. Smaller receive buffers reduce BBSX's RAM requirements. For most systems, the default receive buffer size of 1024 bytes is sufficient. 2. /TX[B]: start-up switch added. Allows the communications transmit buffer size to be set from 1 byte to 999 bytes or 10% of the current BPS rate, whichever is smaller. BBSX's default transmit buffer size is dynamically allocated at 10% of the current BPS rate (1 second of data transmission). Larger transmit buffers may speed up screen displays but will reduce remote callers' keyboard response. Smaller transmit buffers may slow down screen displays but will speed up remote callers' keyboard response. Smaller transmit buffers also reduce BBSX's RAM requirements. The effect on screen displays will be most noticable on the local screen during non-local mode connections. For most systems, BBSX's default dynamically allocated transmit buffer size is fine. Note that transmit buffer sizes larger than 10% of the current BPS rate will cause BBSX to automatically set the transmit buffer size to 10% of the rated BPS. Thus, a /BU:999 start-up switch command will set 300 BPS transmit buffers to 30 characters, 1200 BPS transmit buffers to 120 characters, 2400 BPS transmit buffers to 240 characters and 9600 BPS transmit buffers to 960 characters. January 22, 1990 - v.2.35.A 1. MARKED messages command menu enhanced. January 19, 1990 - v.2.34.D 1. BBS.BAT updated. December 25, 1989 - v.2.31.B 1. HELLO.BLT and LOGIN.BLT updated. December 18, 1989 - v.2.30.A 1. Previous versions of BBSX.DOC incorrectly stated that FILES_PATHs can be a maximum of 8 characters. The correct maximum length of FILES_PATHs is 53 characters. November 28, 1989 - v.2.26.B 1. FILES.LST file format updated. The old format is listed below, first. The new format follows. LH113C COM 36517 5-31-89 LHarc v.1.13C .LZH file compress/decompressor LH113C.COM 36517 05-31-89 LHarc v.1.13C .LZH file compress/decompressor 2. DOORS.BAT updated. Local and on-line flags added to standard parameter data sent by BBSX to DOORS.BAT. See DOORS.BAT file for sample useage (a "Local mode COMMAND shell") and application notes. 3. Application note: BBSX has always supported redirection of standard output. This feature is important for users with special application needs, such as blind computer users who "read" the screen via speech synthesizers. For example, to redirect BBSX's output to a printer port monitored by speech synthesis software, modify the BBS.BAT file to read: @echo off echo off goto top Rich Levin's BBSX (tm) BBS.BAT Copyright (c) 1988 Richard B. Levin All Rights Reserved :top rem the "> prn" command redirects output to printer echo Loading BBSX - Press ^C . . . of this batch file > prn c: cd \bbsx if exist bbsx.tmp del bbsx.tmp rem the "> prn" command redirects output to printer bbsx /run > prn if not exist bbsx.tmp goto top November 16, 1989 - v.2.24.C 1. /RE[SUME] start-up switch added. Causes BBSX to ignore "Device I/O errors" (also referred to as "Error 57"), a usually non-fatal but sometimes annoying and recurring error condition in BASIC communications. The /RE[SUME] start-up switch is best used when Device I/O errors prevent BBSX from establishing a communications link. November 16, 1989 - v.2.24.B 1. /AN[SICRLF] start-up switch added. Causes BBSX to generate a CR/LF sequence after displaying a line of ANSI text. This was BBSX's default mode of operation, however, it has been converted to an option because it caused local-mode formatting problems with certain ANSI escape sequences. November 15, 1989 - v.2.24.A 1. See the November 3, 1989, entry regarding the /MA[TCHLEVELS] start-up switch for new information. 2. FTX.BAT and PROTOCOL.INI updated to take advantage of additional features of Chuck Forsberg's DSZ program. November 5, 1989 - v.2.23.A 1. /NO[LOG] start-up switch renamed to /SU[PPRESSLOG]. November 3, 1989 - v.2.22.B 1. Page numbering fixed in BBSX.DOC. 2. /MA[TCHLEVELS] start-up switch added. Normally, BBSX allows access to message groups and file areas when the user security level is equal to or greater than the GROUP_SECURITY and FILE_SECURITY settings in GROUP.INI and FILES.INI. When the /MA[TCHLEVELS] start-up switch appears on the command-line in BBS.BAT, BBSX allows users access to message groups and file areas ONLY when their security level is *EQUAL* to the GROUP_SECURITY and FILE_SECURITY settings in GROUP.INI and FILES.INI. (Remember that *ALL* users have access to the MAIN message group unless their security level is less than the SECURITY_TO_READ or SECURITY_TO_WRITE settings in BBSX.INI.) This new feature provides BBSX SysOps with strict control over which users can access specific message groups and file areas. For example, a BBSX SysOp may need to support separate Amiga, Apple, Atari and IBM message groups and file areas, and may not want users from one classification associating with users from another classification. In such a case, the use of multiple GROUP_PASSWORDs and FILES_PASSWORDs can be an annoying burden to users. By employing the /MA[TCHLEVELS] start-up command and by assigning separate user security levels to Amiga, Apple, Atari and IBM callers, and by assigning those same levels to the Amiga, Apple, Atari and IBM message groups and file areas, the SysOp prevents callers from one classification (say, Amiga) from entering another classifications' message group (Atari, perhaps). Additionally, by removing the UPLOAD_PATH field from BBSX.INI (thereby requiring users to select a files area before each upload), uploads from different classifications are prevented from being lumped together in one central "new uploads" area. To use the /MA[TCHLEVELS] feature and have multiple user security levels able to access message groups and file areas, simply duplicate the GROUP_SECURITY and FILES_SECURITY settings: [ ... GROUP_SECURITY=500 GROUP_NAME=Amiga IBM Bridge and IBM Users Group GROUP_SECURITY=600 GROUP_NAME=Amiga IBM Bridge and IBM Users Group ... ] In the example above, users whose security level equals 500 or 600 will be allowed access to the Amiga IBM Bridge and IBM Users Group when the /MA[TCHLEVELS] start-up switch is active. All other users will be denied access. October 29, 1989 - v.2.22.A 1. COM_PORT= field in BBSX.INI updated. Now, if the COM_PORT field is set to 0, BBSX will not open or communicate with the COM ports. This feature allows BBSX to run on systems that either do not have any COM ports available or do not have any COM ports installed (such as some LANs). October 8, 1989 - v.2.19.A 1. When using the /ST[ACK]: start-up switch (which most, if not all, BBSX sites should NOT have to use), increase the stack size in 1024-byte increments, beginning with a stack size of 2048 bytes. October 1, 1989 - v.2.18.B 1. Most, if not all, memory management bugs introduced during the development of BBSX v.2.00 have been eliminated. If you are currently running BBSX with the /ST[ACK]: start-up command enabled, try running the board without it; it will probably operate fine. October 1, 1989 - v.2.18.A 1. Decrease the number of message lines and/or NODE.LOG buffers specified in the MESSAGE_LINES and NODE_LOG_BUFFER fields of BBSX.INI if "Out of memory" or "Out of string space" errors are encountered. - End of UPDATE.DOC -