All information is correct on : Fri 26 April 1996 File should be downloadable as: POINTADV.ZIP Written and compiled by: Andrew Roads: 2:440/7.51 Fidonet 2:440/222.22 Fidonet ziggy@explosion.nemesis.co.uk Internet Please tell me if I can improve this information, or if it's all correct!!! =========Advise for People wanting to be Points with========= ============ TERMINATE VER. 4.00/3.00 ============ National Edition: This new edition is basically the old one edited and re-written in parts, this was done to make understanding it eaiser, it nows has a contents and is well spaced and clearly written. It was also re-written because I have noticed many people needing help setting up Terminate for Pointing, and downloading it from the BBS where I originally gave it to, but the original was specificaly written for that one BBS, this edition should now be usable on most BBS's which support Points and the Fido-type mail system. It also now contains information on fixes. -------- CONTENTS -------- Section Information 1 ............................. Introduction 2 ............................. Software Instalation 3 ............................. Instalation of Terminate 4.00 4 ............................. Getting a GOOD filelist 5 ............................. Fixing into Echo's 6 ............................. Fixes Information 7 ............................. Other Information APENDIX .......................... The TM.CFG example file ============================================================================= SECTION 1 The point of "Pointing"!: The basic idea of pointing is to be able to get mail packets from your BBS, automaticaly and fast, this SHOULD lower phone bills and time On-Line. Another good point is that of a Fidonet address, once you are pointing, you have access to NETMAIL, this is fast and reasonbly direct, you get a Fidonet address which looks like: 2:440/222.* Where the * is is your personal point number, given out by the sysop. When I was first getting a point I thought that I would get fido "junk" mail and other abusive messages, just because I had my address, I thought that people could eaisaly find out my address and randomly write mail. This is NOT the case, people cannot find out your address and I've never got junk mail etc. I also thought that it would take ages for the point address to get setup, that was also no the case, the address was eaisaly setup and ready in a day, the main problem was the software setup, which is why I setup this help file! Things that you need: In this information I'll be using the following software, this is the basic need for any point: Terminate Version 4.00, available from most BBS's Pkzip, available from most BBS's and an editor, this can be the DOS 5.* or 6.* or any other you want to use. I would recomend a 9600 + speed modem, otherwise your phone bill will be high, the differance between a 14400 and 28800 is small because of the minimum charge on BT, so the amount of time you spend on-line is still under the 5p minimum. Getting a Point: Getting a point number is easy and should be FREE, just ask your local FIDONET sysop if you can become a point, he'll then allocate the number and give you information on passwords and other useful information. The next step is to download and install the software. All the software is shareware and should be registered after a while. All the files are available from most BBS's. ============================================================================ SECTION 2 Installing software: PKZIP: 1) After downloading create a directory in your root path called "PKZIP", then do CD\PKZIP and copy the downloaded file into that directory. 2) The archive should be an EXE file, so just type in the name and it should self-extract. 3) Edit your Autoexec.bat file and find the PATH line, alter the line to say ";c:\PKZIP" on the end. 4) Re-Boot your computer and type "PKZIP" from any directory, because it's in your path the PKZIP help file should load up, if it doesn't check all the previous instructions and you PATH line and try again. ============================================================================= SECTION 3 TERMINATE VER.4.00: 1) After downloading create a directory in your root path called "TERTEMP", then do CD\TERTEMP and copy the downloaded file into that directory. 2) If you have installed PKZIP ok the next part should work, type in "PKUNZIP *". 3) The files contained in the downloaded file should now extract and explode, ready for use. 4) Type in Install and follow the instructions, choose to install it to C:\term4. And choose the FULL INSTALATION. 5) Once the instalation process has worked you should be able to load the file Tm.bat in the C:\term4 directory. So goto C:\term4 by typing "cd\term4"and load the file by typing "tm". 6) The second part of instalation should follow. . . Read and complete all of the instalation questions it asks you and fill in your point address when asked. 7) The program should now load, if not repeat "5". 8) You can now go into the complicated setup of TERMAIL, once you get the hang of it it is easy! While in the "Terminal" window type ALT-F7, this will load up the point menu system, you must, before you do anything else set up your BOSS (sysop's system). 8a) While in the Point menu system type "O" and press Return, this will load up the configuration for pointing. 8b) Goto the "setup Boss" option and press enter. 8c) Edit the Boss and add in things like packet passwords and the telephone number etc. 8d) Your Boss should now be set up, make sure you add a comment so that you know which Boss your calling etc. 8e) Go back to the Point menu. Now type L and enter to load TERMAIL. 9) Once Termail is loaded follow these instructions: The best thing to do with configuration files is to READ every line! In Termail type ALT-E, this will bring up the main editing system, from here you can edit all the main control files for TERMAIL. But I doubt that editing them this way will work, because it doesn't know what editor to use yet! So you need to do this in DOS, while in TERMAIL type ALT-J, this will jump you into dos. Make sure that you're in the TERMAIL directory and edit the file called TM.CFG. This is the main configuration file and is the one which will cause you problems! Read through it line by line editing all the things that you want, above all the options is a description of what they do, you just change the lines to your preference! At the end of this document is a copy of MY TM.CFG file, please feel free to compare. Now your TERMAIL configuration should be set up, don't edit any lines not featured in my example untill later! ============================================================================= SECTION 4 1) Reboot your computer and re-load TERMINATE "cd\term4" "tm". 2) Go back into TERMAIL "ALT-F7" "L" "Return". 3) Follow the following instructions on how to get a GOOD file list: It would probably be a good idea to get TERMAIL to areafix a list of available areas from your sysop. This way you have all the possible areas you can get. Some echos may be local to your BBS and so not be listed in the main echo list (only back boned listed!). Here's how you do it: 1) Open areafix menu (4.00 - Alt-F) 2) move cursor to "LIST OF ALL AVAILABLE AREAS" and press enter. 3) move cursor to "make areafix in netmail area" and press enter. 4) exit TERMAIL and call your BOSS. If it doesn't call your bosses number check the configuration (Section 8 of Terminate 4.00 Setup). Terminate should now send your request for a list to you boss, which will now prepare it. NB once terminate has hung up wait for a few minutes for your Boss to prepare the list. 5) Call boss again. You should receive a netmail of the list in more than one part. 6) load Termail. 7) go into your netmail area. 8) find the lists and goto the first one. 9) export them into file named : ECHO.TX1, ECHO.TX2 etc until all are exported. NB: EXPORTING In Termail you can export messages to files, printer etc. To do this, goto the message in question and type W , choose NO PAGE BREAKS, and then EXPORT TO FILE. Click on that and type in the file name you want, Termail will put it into a sub-directory of TerMail called export (unless otherwise told to). Just call the files ECHO.TX1, ECHO.TX2 etc untill you have all the pages exported. 10) jump to dos 11) find the echo files and copy them into your TERMAIL directory. 12) edit number 2 (ECHO.TX2) and cut it into memory. 13) load up number 1 (ECHO.TX1) and paste ECHO.TX2 onto the end of it. 14) add all the others onto ECHO.TX1 and then save as TM.lst. NB Make sure you take out the "+" marks from the file, these mark which echo's you are currently connected to. ============================================================================= SECTION 5 1) From Termail type ALT-F, this loads up the area fixing menu. 2) Make sure you use the correct area file (TM.Lst) by changing the Echo list file currently selected. 3) Then Join/Disconnect from areas. Choose the areas that you want to connect to by moving the cursor to the area and pressing the space bar, the + sign means that you want to select that area, one more press of space chooses the - sign which means you want to disconnect from that area, and one more press leaves it balank and nothing happens. 4) Once all the ones you want are selected press ESC to go back to the AREAFIX menu. 5) Choose to get all the new mail and to list currently connected area, then "MAKE AN AREAFIX IN NETMAIL AREA", this should make an areafix in your netmail are, addressed to your sysop/AREAFIX and with your Areafix password as the subject. 6) Exit TERMAIL and call your BOSS. 7) Once called wait a few minutes and call back, this time there should be a couple of NETMAILS and possibly some new echo messages. 8) Load up TERMAIL and when/if asked create the new areas under the "NEW" heading , you can now reply and read messages in all of the echos, and send netmail!! ============================================================================= SECTION 6 FIXES: What are they?: The fixes do what they say, they fix the few bugs that got thorough beta and other testing and into the main programme, these bugs do things like: Change Terminal Settings Crash after Upload I've only ever had the first happen to me, and I'm not sure if the second actually exists. The first changes the Terminal settings in the phone directory everytime to exit Terminate, this is annoying and there is a fix. Where Can I get the Fix?: The fix should be available from registration sites as FIX300.zip or FIX300.exe, there are quite a few copies going around and it is not advised to use those from anywhere except reputable BBS's. Any other information on fixes does come up from time to time in the TERMINAT_UK and TERMINATE echos. Most bugs were fixed in Version 4, but there will probably some bugs in version 4 that will need fixes. ============================================================================= SECTION 7 REGESTRATION: The other features of TERMINATE are useful and well worth the œ30 registration fee. See the Registration files for further information. So, that's it, you can now save up to and over œ5 each quarter on phone bills and TERMINATE can give you a report on all of your phone bills. PHONE BILLS: Terminate can work out costs by using Cost files. I've uploaded a file called MAIDCOST.ZIP to most BBS's which you can swap with your current cost file for up-to-date costs for the MAIDSTONE area. N.B: As of 19 Dec 1995 the MAIDCOST.ZIP file may not be correct, updates will be made. Creating a cost file for your local area is easy, if you know costs and you local and A-rate STD codes, you can edit the cost file. FURTHER HELP: ------------ Further help can be asked for from: DETAILED TERMINATE 4.00 HELP: Andrew Roads - 2:440/222.22 (Other addresses at top of file) POINT/PASSWORD and GENERAL INFORMATION: Your BBS's Sysop Other general help can be found in these echos: TERMINATE, TERMINATE_UK. And many other echos. I hope that the information helps and that you enjoy pointing, Andrew Roads - Moderator to the QUANTUM_L echo on most BBS's ============================================================================= APPENDIX NB: IF YOU ARE READING THIS FROM A BBS, PRINT OUT EVERY PAGE FOR COMPARING WITH YOUR FILE!!!! Here is an example of my TM.CFG for you to look and compare with: % ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ ÜÜÜÜ % ° ßÜ ° ßÜ ° ßÜ ° Û ° Û % ßßßÛ ÛßßßßßßÛßßßßßßßÜ ² ßßßÛßÛ ÛßÜ Û ßßßÛßÛ Û ßßßÛ ßßßÛ % ° Û ° ² °ßßßßß Üß Ü ° Û ° Û ° Û ° ÛÜ° Û ° Û ° Û % ° Û ° Ûßß ° Üß Ûßßß ° Û ° Û ° Û ± Û Û ± Û ± Û % ± Û ± ßÜÜÜ ± ÜÜ ßÜ ± Û ± Û ± Û ± Ûß± Û ± Û ± ÛÜÜÜÜ % ² Û ² ² ² ² Û ² ² Û ² Û ² Û ² Û ² Û ² Û ² ² % ßßßß ßßßßßßß ßßßß ßßß ßßßß ßßßß ßßßß ßßßß ßßßß ßßßß ßßßßßßßß % % TerMail 4.00 % ------------ % % Configurations file for Terminate mail editor % The automatic point system for Terminate % % Normally only one address is used, but if you have several point or node % numbers in different networks you should enter two definitions. You can % assign each user to a group. When you write in an area, the user is % selected depending on which group the area is assigned to. Look at the % part with the group definition below. You CANNOT change the order of these % lines, and ALL LINES MUST BE PRESENT. Remember you can temporarily change % the user by pressing the U button. % % % User definition format % ---------------------- % % User 1..16 % Name 35 characters (FIDO) 25 characters (QWK) % Address zzzz:nnnnn/nnnnn.ppppp % Route-To zzzz:nnnnn/nnnnn.ppppp % AreaFixPwd 8 characters % PktPwd 8 characters % Highbit 1 character % Comment 8 characters % Arealist 50 characters % PackType 3 characters % ReplyAddr Used for Internet replies (Replies send back to you) % % p = point % f = node Name Spaces Point Node Net Zone Domain Organisation % n = net ³ | ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ ³ % z = zone bo_bendtsen@p3.f111.n236.z2.fidonet.org = 2:236/111.3 % (This format may not any longer be valid) % % Comment: The purpose of Arealists % --------------------------------- % % To connect to any area you normally have to send a netmail message to a % program called 'Areafix'. TerMail will allow you to automatically connect % or disconnect to any area found in the file mentioned below. This file must % have the syntax: % % EchoID-name Description Ex: 'TERMINAT International Terminate' % % 1 area on each line. % Ask the Areafix system for a list of all available conferences you can % connect to. % TerMail can write these with its AreaFix manager. First write a %LIST % command, then you will receive a netmail containing all the areas you % can connect to on your next call to your boss. Export this message and % remove its header/footer, so it matches the syntax above. When sending % AreaFix requests, the subject is used for your password. When you are a % point, it is usually the same as the mail session password, but it % depends on what your boss decides. The default echo file includes all % Danish Fido conferences and a lot of international conferences. The file % has to be located in the TerMail path. % % These are the (un)packers supported by TerMail at the moment: % % PackType options: ZIP, RAR, ARJ, LZH, ARC, PAK, ZOO, DWC, SQZ, UC2 % % % USER DEFINITION % --------------- % % IMPORTANT! User 1 MUST be the same as Address 1 in Terminate. User 1 will % be used for determine which outgoing directory that will be used. % User 1 Name Andrew Roads Address 2:440/7.51 PUT YOUR POINT ADDRESS HERE Route-To 2:440/7 PUT YOUR BOSSES ADDRESS HERE AreaFixPwd ******* IF GIVE A PASSWORD PUT IT HERE PktPwd ******* AND HERE Highbit Comment FIDONET IF YOU USE MORE THAN ONE USER YOU CAN PUT A DESCRIPTION SO YOU DON'T GET CONFUSED Arealist list.LST PUT THE NAME OYU WANT TO CALL YOU ECHO LIST HERE PackType ZIP ReplyAddr Andrew_Roads@p51.f7.n440.z2.fidonet.org ***Other users can be entered when and if you get other addresses*** *************CUT************** % % Disable the following statement if new areas should be adopted as MSG % message base. Otherwise JAM style will be used since it is faster and % saves a lot of diskspace. % NewAreasJam ***It's a good idea to make all new area's JAM, this is a faster and better method of setting your message areas up rather than MSG format*** **************CUT************** % % Nodelists are used to get information about the people you are writing % to. In these lists you can find a persons network address and other % information. TerMail is capable of reading uncompiled nodelists and % pointlists, including the 'UBOSS:231/111' flag and the 'Point' keyword. % If you are using nodelists that end with a number (example: NODELIST.239), % enter NODELIST.* so TerMail will always use the nodelist with the most % recent time stamp. % The nodediff parameter is used only when you have the possibility to get % DIFF files which contain just the changes from the previous week. DIFF % files are used because the nodelists are very large files and it would be % a huge waste of money to download complete lists every week. The DIFF % files will be downloaded to your inbound and unpacked there as well. If % the update passes an internal checksum check, the old nodelist will be % deleted automatically. % % Max 16 nodelists can be defined. % % Nodelist path NodeDiff % |-----------------------| |------| % Nodelist NODELIST.* NODEDIFF % % Nodelist Z1-LIST.* Z1-DIFF % Nodelist Z2-LIST.* Z2-DIFF % Nodelist Z3-LIST.* Z3-DIFF % Nodelist Z4-LIST.* Z4-DIFF % Nodelist Z5-LIST.* Z5-DIFF % Nodelist Z6-LIST.* Z6-DIFF % Nodelist POINT24.* PR24DIFF Nodelist DK-POINT.LST % Nodelist SCHOOL.000 % Nodelist E:\TREGNET.000 % Nodelist TER-NODE.* ***Enter in a Nodelist here, this can be downloaded from you local BBS, and contains all the addresses and names of Fidonet BBS's in the UK, or World (depending on which you d/load).*** **************CUT*************** % Origin line to insert at the end of echomail messages. % Here you can write whatever you like. (Within reason of course). Be sure % to keep the length of your origin lines to the margin displayed below. % % Max 20 origin lines can be specified. % % |----------------------------------------------------| Origin An EXPLOSIVE point off Explosion BBS (01732) 337769 Origin BOOM!! Andrew's point off Explosion BBS (01732)337769 Origin Feel The Might of GOLIATH at Pacific Lightning :-) ***Place any message you want in here*** ******************CUT****************** % % TEMPLATES % --------- % % When creating a new message, this would default to be appended in the % top/end of the letter. % @F = Firstname, @L = Lastname(s), @YOU Your name % @CR = New line (CR+LF), @SUBJECT = Subject when quoting. % @CDATE @CTIME = Current date and time. % @FROM = Original letter from, @TO = Original letter to (MsgQuote only) % @DATE @TIME = Date and Time when the quoted message was written. % Each template should be assigned to a group, so this template will be % used whenever you write a message into an area belonging to this group. % The 4 lines must follow the order: Template, MsgStart, MsgEnd, MsgQuote % No blanks or comments are allowed between the lines. % You can define up to 15 templates. % % |------------------------------- Max 240 characters on each line -> % % International/English template % Template 1 MsgStart @CRHowdy Doody @F!! MsgEnd @CR=-Andrew Roads-=@CR 2:440/222.22 or /7.51 ziggy@explosion.nemesis.co.uk MsgQuote Pssst, I heard @FROM speaking to @TO about:@CR"@SUBJECT"@CROn @DATE ***Put a template in here, it's put in all messages and can be personalised as you want, but if you go over 3 lines on the MSGEND line, you'll get moans from moderators*** *******************CUT****************** % % External editor % --------------- % % -N is a Qedit command to jump to a specific line. When editing a % message, TerMail will replace the @LINE with the correct number in the % letter. % @FILE will insert the filename at that position on the command line. % If TerMail determines that line 4 should be used to start in, then % the command line would be 'Q.EXE C:\TERMINAT\TERMAIL\NETMAIL\1.MSG -N4' % % REMEMBER TO REMOVE THE LINECOMMAND IF YOUR EDITOR DOES NOT SUPPORT IT % Editor C:\term4\termail\mve @FILE % LineCommand ***Put in the editor you want to use when writing a message, use one with word wrap, this feature is EXTREAMLY usefull!!*** *********************************END***********************************