DOORS_SU.TXT (06/25/95) pg 1 Setting Up Doors in Wildcat! v4.10SL in Windows for Workgroups Copyright 1995 by Warner Instruments All Rights Reserved INTRODUCTION I, too, was reluctant to get into "doors" ... sounded like another one of these pursuits into an arcane world where everything had to be learned the hard way. Our business BBS was enough like that already! And, as far as I could see ... there wasn't any definitive general-purpose guide to door installation ... and MSI's manual ... Oh, well ... Since we do make our company board available for free public access, and since our "kid" callers wouldn't let it rest, I finally bit the bullet, downloaded a few doors, and let the headaches begin. Here's my advice ... CONTENTS This archive, DOORS_SU.ZIP, includes the files ... FILE_ID.DIZ 6/25/95 standard BBS description file DOORS_SU.TXT 6/26/95 "how to" install & set up doors The entire contents of this archive are "public domain" and may be freely used and distributed. DIVE RIGHT IN Don't waste any more time "practicing". Download Legend of the Red Dragon (LORD), Tradewars 2002, and Usurper and follow the instructions usually given in a "SYSOP.TXT" file. Then download some additional doors ... there's a ton of them ... other RPG's, word games, trivia doors, match-makers, etc ... whatever you like. Stick with recently authored or updated doors ... my experience seems to reflect that the newer efforts are much more "SysOp friendly" and "BBS friendly", and often jump right up and run without a single hitch. The older stuff is more likely to be cranky and poorly documented. DOORS_SU.TXT (06/25/95) pg 2 STEP-BY-STEP 1. Make a subdirectory for all your doors, for example ... C:\WILDCAT\DOORS\ This will help keep things organized when you wind up with a whole bunch items on your Door menu. If doing LORD, for example, install all the LORD files in ... C:\WILDCAT\DOORS\LORD 2. Find the door's installation instructions, which are frequently (but not necessarily) in a file named SYSOP.DOC or SYSOP.TXT, or otherwise contained in the main documentation for the door ... look for a file named DOORNAME.DOC or something similar to that. Read the installation and setup instructions through one time before you attempt to install the door, so you'll have a feel for the process. The installation task for the door itself, normally involves (1) making a .CFG (sometimes .CTL) file for it, and (2) making a batch file to run it. Most doors help you do these two things. 3. The .CFG file contains information that the door needs to load when it starts up, such as ... what comm port it should use the name of the BBS the SysOp's name the name and location of the BBS's door drop file (which contains a lot of information about the user who's calling the door) the BBS type the location for bulletin files that the door creates ... and certain optional or variable information about the door itself. The configuration file can be very simple, or rather detailed, depending on the door. Don't be intimidated by .CFG files that have a great deal of detail. Most of the lines in such files simply give you access to a lot of door-related options or variables that you may elect to alter later on, but may simply leave at the default values for now. Many doors contain a file named something like SAMPLE.CFG or DOORNAME.CFG, which are essentially all ready to go, except for a few lines of essential information which you must enter to tailor the door to your particular BBS. You may open this file using a text editor, and you'll often fine line-by-line instructions contained therein ... which tell you exactly what lines you need to change, and which ones may be left as is. DOORS_SU.TXT (06/25/95) pg 3 You may find that the door contains a DORSETUP.EXE or some similar utility designed to walk you through a question-and-answer process, and then automatically generate the necessary configuration and batch files. Some of these work quite well, others aren't really much easier than creating the files manually. One of the newer automatic setup utilities will automatically modify some of your key BBS files, such as MAKEWILD.DAT, DOOR.DAT, CONFDESC.DAT, etc. If you are not comfortable with this, don't use the utility. I'm not, and I don't. Even though these utilities promise to create backup copies of the original files, the process that they automate is one that's very easily done manually. A special note ... many doors want to know something about the baud rate which they should use to communicate with the modem. This is often specified in the configuration file, and sometimes as a parameter in the door's batch file. If asked, or if there is a line for this information, answer that the baud rate is "Locked" at "19200" (or whatever locked rate you entered when you originally set up MAKEWILD). 4. Now create the batch file that Wildcat! will use to run the door. Door batch files are all normally kept in the same subdirectory ... C:\WILDCAT\BATCH Some doors simply include a SAMPLE.BAT file for you to use as a guide in creating one appropriate for your BBS, or a batch file for your particular setup might be generated along with a configuration file by the door's automated setup utility, if it has one. You will find that you can usually create the necessary batch file for your system simply by altering one of your existing door batch files as required for the new door, then saving it to a new filename for that door. The batch files for doors are usually all quite similar. Here's a typical example ... --------------------------------------------------------------------- rem TW2002.BAT - this is the batch file used to run TRADE WARS 2002 @echo off cd c:\wildcat\doors\tw2002 copy c:\wildcat\wcwork\node1\door.sys c: tw2002 twnode=1 cd c:\wildcat exit --------------------------------------------------------------------- DOORS_SU.TXT (06/25/95) pg 4 Line 3 switches to the subdirectory containing the door's main files. When a user is on-line, Wildcat! generates a file called DOOR.SYS which contains some 52-lines with a variety of information about that user, including ... what comm port they're on the DCE (modem) baud rate the data protocol the DTE baud rate their name their location their voice phone number their data phone number their password the date they last called . . . their alias, if they have one time left on-line etc. Wildcat! maintains this file in the C:\WILDCAT\WCWORK\NODE1 subdirectory while the user is on-line, then erases it. Although you can use it from that subdirectory, Line 4 of the batch file makes a copy of it in the main directory of the door itself, then retrieves the information as needed directly from this copy. Line 5 starts the door program itself. Sometimes this line need only have the name of the program that runs the door, such as ... doorgame More often, you'll need to follow this by the name of the configuration file that the program is to use. This results from the fact that most all doors are designed to run on multi-node system, and the door needs node-specific information in order to run properly on each node. For example ... doorgame doorgame.cfg There may be other optional command line switches following the name of the .EXE file or .CFG file ... in the above example, the "twnode=1" is a optional parameter that tells the door what node is being used. 5. At this point, the installation and setup for the door itself is just about done. Before going any further, this is a good time to check it out with a local logon, to (1) see if it'll run at all, and if so (2) to preview it and decide whether its something you really want to make available to your users, or not. You can usually run a door locally by entering a command like ... DOORS_SU.TXT (06/25/95) pg 5 doorgame doorgame.cfg /L This doesn't involve the BBS at all. The procedure for running the program locally is usually included in the installation and setup instructions (use your text editor and search on "local"). If you have problems at this point, or you're disappointed with the style, quality or content of the door, don't hesitate to quit right now and erase it ... there are hundreds of good doors available to you for the price of a download, so there's no need to keep anything you're not able to offer with confidence and pride. If it looks like a keeper so far ... 6. Shut down the BBS and open MAKEWILD. If this is your first attempt at setting up a door, you should check some of your settings. First, open the "General Information" section, and scan down to the "Memory and Hardware Information" section. Check the following ... Where should overlay held : DISK Extra memory in K for overlay buffer : 0 Where should swapped data be held : DISK Terminate on DOORS and MENU Hooks : N Now switch to MAKEWILD's "Modem Settings" section and scan down to these two lines ... Initialize port at what baud rate : 19200 Lock DTE at initialization baud rate : Y Finally, switch to MAKEWILD's "Doors" section and scan down to the first available entry line. Press INS and fill in the blanks; for example ... Door Description : Trade Wars Door Batch File : TW2002 Door Display File : Door Multiuser : N Small DOOR.SYS : N Use Alias Name : N F3 Profiles : (as desired) F4 Conferences : (as desired) Give Makewild (1) the name and (2) the name of the batch file that runs the door (less the .BAT extension - Pick it using F2). "Door Display File" may remain blank, and the "Door Multiuser", "Small DOOR.SYS" and "Use Alias Name" may all be left with the default DOORS_SU.TXT (06/25/95) pg 6 "N" in each field. Then (3) designate the profiles and (4) conferences that can have access to the door. When this is done, exit MAKEWILD and restore Wildcat! to service. 7. This is a good time to test the door through the BBS. Log on locally and see if it'll run when you choose the highest number in the prompt beneath your Door Menu. If it runs properly, your configuration and batch files apparently work properly. Next, log on to your BBS from a remote location as an ordinary user would, and see if the door interacts properly with the comm port. If the remote logon doesn't work, the need for a fossil driver is usually indicated. If you elect to try a fossil driver, you will usually have to indicate this in the door's configuration file. Check the instructions and alter the .CFG file line to indicate that a fossil will be used. Then modify the batch file to use BNU, or a fossil driver of your choice. For example ... --------------------------------------------------------------------- rem USURPR_1.BAT - batch file for running USURPER echo off cd c:\wildcat\doors\usurper copy c:\wildcat\wcwork\node1\door.sys c: rem Loading fossil driver and locking baud with Fast Ansi Driver BNU /p=1 BNU /I=1+ BNU /L1=19200 BNU /f+ BNU /s usurper /Pc:\wildcat\doors\usurper rem Unloading fossil Driver BNU /U cd c:\wildcat echo on --------------------------------------------------------------------- As to the dreaded subject of "FOSSIL" drivers, Bill McPhail, who distributes Usurper, usually sticks a file in the Usurper archive that'll tell you how to set it up with a fossil driver, if you have to. The fossil driver BNU.COM is made available without charge to SysOps for non-commercial use by its author, David Nugent, and can be found on the MSI HQ! BBS, or most any other large BBS system. Simply download and unzip the file, then copy BNU.COM to the door's main directory. Having made these changes, test the door again with a remote log-on. If you still have trouble at this point, its time to give some serious consideration to scrapping the project, unless its a DOORS_SU.TXT (06/25/95) pg 7 door with great popular demand ... since the chances are if you can't get it up and running easily, it'll be just as troublesome later. Some doors have special problems ... like Jewel Thief, which wants to use EMS, while memory interests on the BBS machine might want NOEMS" suffixed to the EMM386 line in its CONFIG.SYS ... an unfortunate conflict, since Jewel Thief is a unique and fun door. Another nice program is WeatherBoard, which gets your local weather report from a nearby WeatherMation modem ... in our case it wouldn't work until I rem'ed out the device=*combuff line in the SYSTEM.INI file ... after ten's of hours of troubleshooting! These are the kinds of special problems that will try your patience, and when you're going through the troubleshooting process, you have to be careful about what you change ... the setup you change to favor the new door you're working on might very well screw up a door you previously had working flawlessly! (So be sure to keep track of everything you change.) 8. All that's left is to use wcDRAW to add the name of the door to the doors menu. SUPPORT FOR DOORS Many authors actively support their doors and will be happy to talk to you on the phone or via e-mail. And some don't. One mistake I made was to register a bunch of doors before finding out who did and who didn't ... and wasted the money that I sent to authors who never returned a registration key. In one case, the author was actually deceased. ADD-ON MODULES A significant quantity and variety of add-on modules are available for a few of the more popular doors, such as L.O.R.D. and TW2002. Some of these are provided by the programmer of the door, but most are "third-party" works. Many are free ... others request a small registration fee. Doors, themselves, can be tricky and "unstable". Adding a module created by a young, novice programmer (often more eager to get their marvelous code into distribution, than to assure that its bug-free) is obviously risky business. One young author offered this in his documentation ... DOORS_SU.TXT (06/25/95) pg 8 ************************* BETA WARNING **************************** Xxxxxxxxx's Xxx is WIDE BETA. This essentially means USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Version .99d was found 70% stable, and did not destroy any XXXX Games. However, two previous versions, .08b, and .09b, were TERRIBLY DESTRUCTIVE. I would recommend that you back up your XXXX data file (player.dat and xxxx.dat) before installing this, or ANY add-on. But, to ease you a bit, this version has been in Beta Test for 3 weeks now, and the last beta release was 2 weeks ago, so for 2 weeks, this product has been running WITHOUT BUGS. (Of course, that doesn't mean there aren't any!) Again, you have been warned. If you are a cautious SysOp, wait for version 1.00. ******************************************************************* Seth Able Robinson, 20-years old and author of Legend of the Red Dragon, probably the all-time most popular door game, maintains his own bulletin board where his games and third-party add-ons (or "IGM's") are available for downloading. He sets a good example, by maintaining his "Official List of L.O.R.D. IGMs!". For a third party product to get on this list, it must (1) meet minimum compatibility standards, and (2) be easy to install and uninstall (under 1-minute). As of 2/28/95, there were only three modules on his list, one of which was his own creation! If your users are into door games, they'll soon be clamoring for add-ons to expand the interest and challenge of the games. If you have a lot of time to tinker and troubleshoot, go right ahead and download some modules and install them. Otherwise, it might be prudent to post an inquiry in the alt.bbs.wildcat USENET conference asking other SysOps what modules they can vouch for, and which ones to avoid. CONCLUSION If this information helps anyone avoid a lot of wasted time and confusion, then we will have achieved our purpose. If you have questions and/or comments, or suggestions for this file, you may contact the author at ... AUTHOR Gene Warner E-mail: gene.warner@aquila.com Warner Instruments/FireRight BBS Voice: 616-842-7658 1320 Fulton Street PO Box 604 FAX/BBS: 616-842-1471 Grand Haven MI 49417-0604