Virtual BBS for OS2 6.14 beta Copyright (c) Roland De Graaf 1990-1994 Welcome to VBBS 6.14 beta! This archive contains executables, default configuration and data files, this README, and a VBBS-OS2 registration form. The documentation for this beta release is available separately and should be available where you found this archive. VBBS documentation is now available in both ascii text file, and interactive hypertext formats. VBBS-OS2 6.14 beta Installation Instructions: Having extracted the contents of this archive to a separate directory, run the INSTALL executable. If upgrading from a previous installation, the INSTALL program will merely copy over new EXE files and the DEFAULT.STR string file. If this is a new installation, INSTALL will create needed directories, copy files, etc and provide you with a complete ready to run VBBS-OS2 installation. MAIL_REG.TXT VBBS-OS2 Registration Form BBS.EXE BBS Start-Up File VBBS.EXE Main BBS Program VBBS-AUX.EXE Externalized BBS Functions VQWK.EXE Standard QWK Mail Door VCONFIG.EXE VBBS Configuration Program VME.EXE Virtual MultiNet Engine VDM.EXE Virtual DIRECTmail Interface VNET.EXE VNET Network Software VXY.EXE Xmodem, Ymodem, Zmodem Transfer Protocols VCOM.EXE Script Compiler VLIST.EXE Text File Viewer INSTALL.EXE Installation Program DEFAULT.STR External String File (Runtime) *.CFG Default Configuration Files *.TXT Default System Text Files *.PDM Default Pull-Down Menu Definition *.MNU Default System Menu Files BBSLIST.* VirtualNET Network Lists START.V Default Start-Up Script START.FB Default Main Menu Function Block Definition FILES.FB Default Files Menu Function Block Definition SYSOP.FB Default SysOp Menu Function Block Definition AREACODE.NET Area Code Data File NETWORKS.LST MultiNetworks Master List File All of the following improvements apply to both VBBS-DOS and VBBS-OS2 unless otherwise specified. VBBS 6.14 beta revision history: 1. External String File Changes (DEFAULT.STR) **** You MUST use the new DEFAULT.STR with this version, or at least **** **** update your customized .STR files to make them compatible. **** a) String #19, formerly reserved, is now the PAUSE string which is displayed by the BBS. (Formerly configured under VCONFIG, main configuration.) b) String #188, formerly part of the thread display prompt, now merely states "Exiting this thread..." This is relative to the Enhanced Message Threading mentioned below. c) Strings #396 to #399 are new, and replace STORM.TXT, LEAVEFB.TXT, TOOSLOW.TXT, and NETONLY.TXT, in that order. d) Strings #400 to #404 are new, and are relative to the message threading changes. e) String #405 is new, and is relative to a new sysop command which allows the sysop to kick users off, from a remote login as described below. f) String #406 is new, and is related to a new feature which, if enabled, charges users 1 credit for every minute of online time. 2. Auto-RIP detection Displays LOGIN.RIP if RIPterm (or compatible) detected 3. Enhanced Message Threading Message numbers to forward threads are automatically displayed, and pressing (+) now enters "thread mode," and immediately displays the first message in the series of replies. While in thread mode, pressing [enter] advances to the next message in the series. When the series is complete, the reader is returned to spot where they left off, plus one (ie..next new message), and "thread mode" is disengaged. User Q-scan pointers are not updated when reading replies in thread mode, so there is no "penalty" on the user for reading forward threads. 4. Fix message display problem w/ long messages 5. Fix VCONFIG: window-scrolling problem 6. Fix VCONFIG: creating unnecessary zero-length .NET files in DB directory 7. Fix VBBS: creating unnecessary .QSC files for file listings databases 8. Added support for 28800, 24000, 19200 connect speeds to SysInfo Screen 9. Eliminated need for database pointer initialization upon new user login 10. Added feature that allows sysop to boot user from remote login. VBBS-AUX %1 SYSOPCMD 11. Major improvement in VBBS-DOS assembly language serial routines. Now includes optional 16550 FIFO support, faster performance, and better time-slicing under Desqview, Windows, and OS/2. 12. Fix VXY-OS2: Increased timeouts for start of transfer Change implemented to overcome bug in DigiBoard's OS/2 driver. 13. Fix VXY-DOS: Increased timeouts for start of transfer VXY Zmodem Receive function can now take a full-speed streaming (ie..continuous) input. VXY Zmodem Transmit functions also improved. (Both VXY-DOS performance improvements were possible thanks to the new improved serial routines mentioned in #10) 14. Both VXY-DOS and VXY-OS2 have been carefully fine-tuned and tested to provide maximum possible performance on today's latest hardware. (ie...28.8 modems....) 15. Seperate temporary working directories for each channel (node) Each VBBS channel you start will create and maintain a temporary working directory for it's own "private" use. These directories are automatically created off of your defined VBBS Temporary Directory. For example, if your temp dir is set to C:\VBBS\TEMP, then channel 0 will use directory C:\VBBS\TEMP\N0 for its own use. Channel 1 will create/use C:\VBBS\TEMP\N1, channel 2 will use C:\VBBS\TEMP\N2 and so on. VBBS uses these private temporary directories for two things: 1) CD-ROM temporary working storage If available space permits (at least 2MB+size of requested file) files requested from CDROM are copied to the channel's private working directory. Downloading then takes place from the private directory instead of directly from the CDROM drive. (This makes multiuser access of a CDROM go much smoother.) Files are automatically deleted when no longer needed. 2) Door Drop Files CHAIN.TXT, DORINFO1.DEF, DOOR.SYS are now written to these private directories instead of to the main VBBS directory. This should make running multiuser and even single user doors under a multiuser VBBS go much smoother. In the past you probabily used a door batch file like the following: cd \doorgame copy c:\vbbs\chain.txt doorgame.exe cd \vbbs Now, you should pass the channel # on the command line when you configure the door under VCONFIG. %1 is the replacable parameter for channel number, so a proper example of a VCONFIG Door Command line would be 'doorgame.bat %1'. At run-time, %1 will automatically be replaced by the proper VBBS channel number. If running on channel 0, VBBS would run 'doorgame.bat 0'. If running on channel 1, VBBS would run 'doorgame.bat 1'. If running on channel 2, VBBS would run 'doorgame.bat 2'. And so on. And the new doorgame.bat batch file: cd \doorgame copy c:\vbbs\temp\n%1\chain.txt doorgame.exe cd \vbbs Notice the difference. In the second batch file example, c:\vbbs\temp\n%1\chain.txt will be evaluated based on the value of the batch file variable %1. (ie..the first parameter on the command line which executed the batch file.) If running on channel 0, c:\vbbs\temp\n%1\chain.txt evaluates to c:\vbbs\temp\n0\chain.txt. If running on channel 1, c:\vbbs\temp\n%1\chain.txt evaluates to c:\vbbs\temp\n1\chain.txt. If running on channel 2, c:\vbbs\temp\n%1\chain.txt evaluates to c:\vbbs\temp\n2\chain.txt.