Setup Help Index

Welcome to ALTAIR.

The following topics are available to you to help you with each section of ALTAIR setup.

Network Options 	For changing ALTAIR options pertaining to Fidonet compatable

networks as well as for changing paths and directories.

Archivers	For defining your archivers for use with ALTAIR.

Node Manager	For specifying your downlinks (for hubs) and uplinks for echomail.

Area Manager	For defining your echomail areas and their settings.

Registration	For registering ALTAIR.

The following topics are also available to you.


Archivers

This section is used to configure your archivers.  ALTAIR supports six of the most popular archivers used in the BBS community.  Other archivers can be added by editing the registry.

There are two options to configure for each archiver you intend to use.

Compression commandline

Please specify the full path to your archiver and any commandline options that are required.  The following substitutions may be made

%a 	Placing this on the commandline will cause ALTAIR to substitute the

archive name in its place.

%f	Placing this on the commandline will cause ALTAIR to substitute the

names of the files to be archived in its place.

Decompression commandline

Please specify the full path to your archiver and any commandline options that are required.  The following substitutions may be made

%a	Placing this on the commandline will cause ALTAIR to substitute the

archive name in its place.

%f	Placing this on the commandline will cause ALTAIR to substitute the

directory to unarchive into in its place.


Node Manager

The node manager is used to define any links to other systems that you have.

The following actions can be taken from this screen.

Change Primary Address	This will change the address that you will use when

interacting with this node.

Add/Delete Nodes	These buttons will allow you to add and delete nodes.

Routing	This will allow you to define the routing information for

this node.  Note:  This is only required for BinkleyTerm

compatable systems.  FrontDoor compatable systems

handle their own routing.

The following items may be configured from this screen.

Sysop	The name of the sysop of this BBS.

Description	A short description of this BBS.

Archiver	The default archiver to use for this BBS.

Flavor	How to mark the mail for this BBS.


A link can be either a BBS system that you receive fidonet compatable mail from, or one that you send mail to.  Each address that you send or receive mail to or from must be configured as a separate node.  This is done to keep better track of multiple addresses from a single system.


Area Configuration

This section is used to configure your echomail, netmail, and bad echos areas.

Netmail

ALTAIR uses a single default area for netmail.  You may not explicitly define downlinks (addresses) for this area.  You must define a primary address.  You should not change the echomail tag for this area.  All your netmail will be processed through this area.  You cannot delete this area.

Bad Echos

ALTAIR also creates an area for bad echomail.  You cannot define downlinks or a primary address for this area as none are needed.  You should not change the echomail tag for this area.

Echomail / Local Bases

The following settings may be changed for each echomail area.

Address	These are the addresses of your downlinks.

Primary	This is the primary address you will use for this area.

Directory	This is the directory that the area is located in.

Description	This is a description for this area.

Echo Tag	This is the echomail tag for this area.

Max Messages	This is the maximum number of messages to keep in this area.

Area Type	This will select the type of area this is.  An echomail area will be

scanned of outbound mail to downlinks while a local area will only be scanned for a BlueWave packet.

Area Format	This is the message base format to use for this area.


Registration

To register your copy of ALTAIR, simply do the following

Enter your registration code in the space provided.

Press the ENTER CODE button.

You should see a message informing you that your copy of ALTAIR is registered and then the ENTER CODE button will be disabled.  If you have correctly entered your code and these things do not occur, please contact Kevin Kuphal as soon as possible for a solution.


Network Options

This screen allows you to configure a collection of items pertaining to network operation and the location of certain files.

Default Archiver	Which archiver to use to compress your own BlueWave packets.

Mailer Type	Which type of mailer you will be using.

Packet Name	The 1-8 character name for your bluewave packets.

Logging, Supress, Strip	Whether you want logging, supression of archivers, and certain

stripping options enabled or disabled.

Main Address	Your primary address.

AKA	A list of other addresses you use.  You must use a point

designator on each address and separate each address with a space.

Origin Line	The origin line you wish placed on every message.

Inbound Directory	The directory where your inbound archives are placed.

Outbound Directory	The directory where your outbound packets should be placed.

Netmail Directory	The directory where your netmail is located.

Temporary Directory	The directory where ALTAIR should place its temporary files.

Note : ALTAIR will create directories off of this one for each task.

Upload Directory	The directory where your Bluewave upload packets are created.

Download Directory	The directory where your Bluewave download packets should be

placed.

Your Name	Your name as it appears in your Bluewave editor.


Editing the Registry

WARNING : The following instructions are provided for information only.  Any attempt to modify your registry yourself is not supported by the author.  Use the information presented here at your own risk.

To add additional archivers

1.	Start the registry editor (REGEDT32 on Windows NT systems, REGEDIT on Win95).

2.	Open the window for HKEY_LOCAL _MACHINE.

3.	Expand the SOFTWARE key.

4.	Expand the PYRAMID key.

5.	Expand the ALTAIR key.

6.	Expand the CONFIGURATION key.

7.	Expand the COMPRESSION key.

8.	Highlight the COMPRESSION key.

9.	Select Edit/Add Key from the menu.

10.	Enter the archivers 3 letter extension as the name and press OK.

11.	Close the registry editor.

12.	Enter ALTAIR setup.

13.	You will need to configure the paths for you new archiver and reconfigure each and every node you have as well as your default packer before you can use ALTAIR with this new archiver.