Lora Bulletin Board System and Electronic Mail Interface Version 2.34 Copyright (c) 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 by Marco Maccaferri All rights reserved Changes made from version 2.33 ===================================================================== - Added the paging hours menu, that allows you to define when you are available for chat during the entire week. - Added the option to change the date format to the BBS / General options menu. The available choices are: DD-MM-YY, MM-DD-YY and YY-MM-DD. - The file upload command now asks for the file name and the description before the beggining of the file transfer. This means that the duplicate upload check is made before and after the file transfer. - Changed a bit the code related to the link tearlines option. Now it should work correctly, the / betweed the original tearline and the Lora's tearline (when you choose to link the tearlines) isn't automatically added. - Fixed a long standing bug usign numbers as hot keys for menu. - The structure of the CONFIG.DAT file was changed a little to get around a bug of the Borland C compiler for OS/2. The affected items are: Global / General / Monochrome and BBS / New users / New files check, that sould be reconfigured. - Added support for extended netmail flags. Currently handled flags are the following: DIR (Direct, produces a .DUT packet), TFS (Truncate File Sent) and KFS (Kill File Sent). - Added the flag CD-Rom to the BBS / Files / Flags field. When this flags is set to yes, the file search by date (new files search) automatically skips this area. - Added the flags 'Unknow can request', 'Protect can request' and 'Known can request' to the BBS / Files / Flags field. This flags allows you to control the file request privilege for that area using the file index created with FILEIDX. - Now Lora updates every nodediff found in the nodelist directory, and not the next week's nodediff (referred to the current nodelist) only as before. - Fixed a bug displaying the new files list. - Added two more modem init strings to the Modem / Command strings menu. This will allows you to verbosely configure your modem (used mainly for FAX/Modem setups). - Added the hangup string to the Modem / Command strings menu. This will avoid some problems with the modem not hanging up after a call or not being reinitialized correctly. - Added a new menu item to the Modem menu: Dialing strings, that was previously located in the Modem / Command strings menu. - Now Lora-OS/2 allows you to receive fax calls without hang up the phone when calling the fax receiving software. If you set the fax errorlevel (Modem / Hardware menu) to 0, when a fax call is detected Lora calls the external program RCVFAX, that can be and executable or a batch file, without closing the com port. The com port number, speed and com handle are passed on the command line. The OS/2 version should use this method to receive fax, since OS/2 automatically closes the com port when a program terminates. DOS users can choose from this method and the old exit with errorlevel. - Fixed a bug that hangs the machine when using the internal TIC processor. - Fixed a bug with the file listing command. - Fixed a bug with the import empty message option. - Fixed a bug when tagging files during a file listing. - Fixed a little bug (debris on the line) with the ^OC embedded command, not working properly in certain situations. - Added the dialing directory to the terminal emulator. The structures are not available because they need to be expanded and defined a little more. - Fixed a bug that puts real big numbers inthe seen-by and path lines using the OS/2 version. - Now the serial routines under OS/2 initializes the SIO drivers for RTS/CTS handhsaking. - The date format field in the BBS / General options menu, now has effects on the date displayed during the file listings. Change it as you need. - Added the switches /2, /3 and /G= to the menu type 86 (QWK tag message areas), that are working the same way as the menu type 17. - Added support for new USRobotics V32terbo 21600 connect speed. - Added support for the V.FAST connect response at 28800 baud. - Fixed a bug in the passthrough areas: the AREA: line is now added correctly. - In the previous whatsnew.txt file it's incorrectly stated that the subscription days left are displayed with the ^F9 embedded command. The correct command is ^F1. - Fixed a problem with the verify of packet passwords when the passwords are less than 8 characters. - Added support for the CARRIER connect responses. That's the factory setting for some modems. - Fixed a bug updating the download counters with CD-ROM file areas. - Fixed a bug with the internal upload protocol handler that cannot updates the user's upload kbytes and number fields. - Now the answers from the message and file area managers (named Areafix and Raid) are originated by Lora-BBS vX.YY rather than Areafix and Raid. - Added the command NODELIST to build the nodelist indexes from a batch file. - Fixed a bug with modems that cannot report the connect flags in the form "CONNECT 9600/V32/V42B". - The language file has changed (4 lines added). - The subscription field of the users editor is now active and fully functional. There are two system files that can be displayed according with the subscription date: SUBDATE.* - Is displayed when a users calls your board after the subscription date has expired. SUBWARN.* - Is displayed when the number of days before the expiration date is less that 31 days. - Added the embedded command ^F9 that shows the number of days before the subscription expires. - The user editor is now built into LSETUP under the Manager menu. - Added the B???????.* system file. It is shown to the user with the BPS rate as specified behind the B. B2400.* would be shown to a 2400 BPS caller and B14400.* would be shown to a 14400 BPS caller. You can make a file for the following BPS rates: 300 1200 2400 4800 7200 9600 12000 14400 16800 19200 38400 - Added the FGOODBYE.* system file. It is displayed when the user decides to hangup after a file transfer. Do not use embedded commands that pauses the file otherwise the user can't use the automatic logoff. - Made a lot of fixups to both the serial port handling and video functions routines to prevents uncontrolled loops and speed bottlenecks even with windowed sessions. - Added the 'Quote header' parameter to the BBS / General options menu. The reply header is displayed at the top of a message that is quoted in a reply. The following macro characters may be used within this field: @ Expands into the person's name to which the original message was addressed. # Expands into the person's name who posted the original message (the one being replied to). ` Expands into the date that the original message (the one being replied to) was posted. ~ Expands to the time that the original message (the one being replied to) was posted. For example, if the following reply header was specified: In a message originally to @, # said: Would expand in a message to: In a message originally to All, Joe User said: - Added the 'Quote string' parameter to the BBS / General options menu. This allows you to select the string of characters which Lora will place before any message text that is quoted in a reply. This is useful for separating quoted message text from reply message text within a message. For example, a message quote string specified as the ">" character might look like this: 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � > I have been using Lora BBS for two � � > months now and love it! � � � � I have to agree with you there, John. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� In this example, you can see that the message text that is being quoted begins with the defined Quote String. This makes the message easier to understand. Two macro characters are also supported within the quote string. They are: @ This macro character is expanded within message text into the upper-case initials of the person who is being quoted or replied to. # This macro is expanded into the lower-case initials of the person who is being quoted or replied to. ~ This macro is expanded into the initials of the person who is being quoted or replied to without changing the case. For example, if the quote string was specified as "@>", quoted message text might look something like this: 旼컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� � JP> I have been using Lora BBS for two � � JP> months now and love it! � � � � I have to agree with you there, John. � 읕컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴� This gives an even better idea of which message text is being quoted. - Added the flags definitions for both Areafix and Raid processors. Now you can define up to 32 flags for your downlinks like the flags you have with the users. - Increased the size of the netmail akas. Now you have 20 slots at your disposal. - The 'Translate to' field of the cost manager has been increased in width to allow telephone credit card numbers. - Added the 'packers engine'. Now the Manager/Packers menu allows you to define the packers/unpacker for both the QWK mail door and the Fidonet mail processor. You can define the pack/unpack commands and the identification bytes for each packer, this allows you to add packer without changing the executable files. The packers identification string is made by pairs of hexadecimal numbers representing the bytes that can be found at the byte position specifyed by the 'Offset' parameter. - Added the 'Netmail messages tracker', that checks every netmail message that your system imports for valid origin and destination nodes. You can enable or disable the message tracker with the Mailer / Miscellaneous / Track msgs. option. - Added the TIC file processor. Now each file area has a TIC tag field (like the echomail tag) and three forward lines. - Added the item 'Import TIC.CFG" to the File menu, that allows you to import your existing TIC configuration. This item imports only the file area names, paths and forward, due to the internal handling of the TIC processor, the passwords are defined in the Manager / Nodes menu and are unique for each node, you cannot define a different password for the same node in different areas. - Added the file area processor (named Raid) to allow your downlinks to add, remove and query their echo file areas status. The provided RAID_HLP.TXT shows you the commands available. - There is a new LMSG.EXE that should fix some problems. It has a new command line switch: -L that allows you to reply-link the messages by subject. It works for Squish and QuickBBS message bases only, it will completed in the next release. - For everyone has complained about the midnight trap that occurs with Lora/2: check your scheduler setup (Manager / Events menu) and be sure that your events covers the entire 24 hours range. That means that the last event must end at 24:00 and not at 23:59. - Improved the screen output routines. - This beta was recompiled using the Borland C/C++ 1.0 for OS/2. The previous release was compiled with an early beta of the Borland compiler. - The language files are changed (one line was added). Make sure to update your custom files. - LMSG -I over a Fido *.MSG area, causes the creation of the MSGTOIDX.DAT file. This file will be used by the personal mail scan to find out the messages in the Fido areas. - Improved the Squish message scan. - Several improvements are made to the outbound scanning routines. Note that a new file appears in the Lora's system directory: QUEUE.DAT. This file contain an index to the outbound packets and should be deleted only if you must completely rescan the outbound directories. - Fixed a bug with the download counters that weren't updated when using the file list parameter. - Added the check on the fidouser.lst file in the nodelist directory as an alternative to the names.cfg file. - Added the 'Carrier mask' parameter to the Modem/Hardware menu, that allows you to specify the bit mask with which the carrier must be detected (normally it's 128). - Added the 'DCD drop timeout' parameter to the Modem/Hardware menu, that allows you to specify a timeout in seconds for which the carrier must be down before hangup the line. This avoids some problems with extremely noise lines. - Now the input routines accepts the entire ASCII character set, except for the unprintable codes (below 0x20). With this "fix" it's now possible to use country-specific characters in messages and in every input request. I think that the Chinese character set may be used too. - Improved the speed of LMSG when packing Squish and QuickBBS message bases. - LMSG now correctly updates the QuickBBS LASTREAD pointers. - When a user uploads a file into a filebox, his/her name will always be put following the file's description, regardless of the setting made with LSETUP. This allows the filebox owner to know who has sent the files without guessing it. - If your menus are made by external ANSI/Avatar files, if the user presses an hotkey, the file's output is stopped immediately, and the key processed. - Fixed the file request loops, without using the index files. - Now the .ILO files works correctly when Lora rereads the outbound queue. - Fixed the strange reactions when creating new echomail areas (like strange areas.bbs and newareas.bbs popping-up everywhere). - Fixed a bug using the Areafix processor from a point. - Added the embedded command ^WkN that shows the rest of the line if the specified user's are zeroed. - Added the password protection feature to the file indexes for the file request. Just add the password after the file name, like the following: $C:\Lora\PROTECT.IDX !PWD - Added the parameter /P to instruct Lora not to interpret any embedded command when reading files with the menu types 5 and 97. - Fixed a bug when packing Squish messages using LMSG: the loss of the high water mark and lastread pointer. - Added the 'Internet mail' type-flag to the message areas setup. It's act like a normal netmail area, but the fidonet's to and address fields are automatically filled with the data found in the configuration file (see the 'Internet gateway' menu) and the system will ask you the destination internet address to send the message to. - Added the 'Internet gateway' menu to the lsetup's 'Global' menu. You can define the user's name and fidonet address of your zone's internet mail gateway. - Added the ASCII control file NAMES.CFG. In that file you can list the names and addresses of people you write most, in the following format: Marco Maccaferri, 2:332/402.1 Mario Battacchi, 2:332/403 - If you experience missed duplicate messages situations, try to delete the files DUPES.IDX and DUPES.DAT. I have changed the duplicate check method, something has gone wrong and the files aren't perfectly up-ward compatible. - Fixed the 'Limited hours' answer bug. - Bug del QWK che causava uno sharing violation se si faceva un download subito dopo aver mandato le repliche. - Fixed a bug with the duplicate uploads check. - Made some changes with the share file management, this may be improves the system security with the share loaded. - Added some embedded commands that where missing from the 'User display' menu parameter. Now the commands available are exactly the same as with the external file commands. - Added the file request file index. You can put a line in the OKFILE.LST file (or whatever you call it) like the following: $C:\Lora\FILES.IDX And Lora will look inside this file to search the files requested instead of looking inside every directory every time. This may speed up the scan process and considerably improve the overall performance with CD ROMs and other slow devices (like file areas on remote file servers under network). You can mix the old search method with the new as you wish, you can also adds multiple file indexes (if you limits the file requests on certain areas to certain nodes). - Added the external program FILEIDX that allows you to create the index files. The command syntax is very simple, if you start the program without parameters it shows the command summary. Following is an example on how the create a file index: FILEIDX C:\Lora\FILES.IDX AREA 1 5 7 RANGE 50-200 300-400 This line creates the file index C:\Lora\FILES.IDX and includes the files inside the areas 1, 5, 7, the areas from 50 to 200 and the areas from 300 to 400 (bounds included). - The external protocols support has been fixed and now is usable: with the download command you can specify the %1 paraneter that will be replaced by the file name to be downloaded (only if the control file isn't specifyed too). With the upload command you can specify the %1 (destination path without the trailing backslash) and %2 (file name to be received) parameters. With the control files and download / upload commands, you can specify every external program parameters (take a look at the description of the menu type 10 - External programs in the sysop's manual). - LMSG has finally been updated. This is a completely new version of the message maintenance utility, it still needs some changes and enhancements, but now it's usable. - Added the switch /L= to every GOTO or GOSUB menu types (including the line-editor and mail reader one) to check for the menu name inside the file .MNU instead of inside the language's default menu file. *IMPORTANT* Do not include the file extension, Lora automatically adds the .MNU extension.