Compiled by Mark North  @WorldNet 62:7250/17 @CatNet 72:1600/17
Mercury BBS 1-416-937-6461
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Monday Feburary 15, 1993


I spent quite a alot of time, frustration and blood to learn what you will
learn in the next 10 minutes of reading.  I am not nor do I claim to be an
expert on this topic, but I do know more than someone that is just starting
out in this area.

This help file was written for Sysops wanting to set up a BBS with a echomail
area, or a Hobbyist wanting to just screw around with these things, after the
rigormirol I went through figuring it all out I decided to sit down and write
this file.

I am assuming that you already have a BBS of your choice setup (I Like Robo-
Board).  Next you will need a Mailer i.e. Front Door (the best), Binkley,
D'Bridge.  Once you get that now you need a mail Tosser/Scanner, but first
you have to find out what style of Message Base your BBS uses the most popular
right now is Hudson Message base, second could be a Squish, the best Tosser/
Scanner I have found yet is FMAIL.

Now once you have these 2 programs, I will go into some details of how all
this works (to the best of my understanding).  Firstly you have your BBS
and you enter a message in the EchoMail area, once your BBS exits it will
either exit on a certain ERRORLEVEL or it will create a File (Robo-Board uses
CHK_MAIL.NOW) in your BBS batch file will check for these conditions, once
it finds them it will start your Scanner/Tosser (FMAIL) and it will scan your
message bases for new message(s) once found the message(s) will be collected
and packed (with an archiver such as .arj) once the packet is made it will
be sent to your Mailer program (Front Door).  Also FMAIL will send a message
to Front Door telling it where to send the Packet.

Your mailer now has your packet of mail, in your Mailer you will have an event
setup to call a specific BBS/HUB/HOST and deliver the packet at a certain time
usually at a late night hour (lower Long Distance rates) or maybe you have
a local BBS/HUB/HOST.

Thats about it in a nutshell how it sends messages...Recieving them is about
the same but in reverse.

To recieve the Echo Mail you will have your an event set for your Mailer
it will then Call your BBS/HUB/HOST that you get your messages from, the
2 systems will make a little handshake and the mail session will begin the
system you connected with will send you your waiting Packet and if you have
one waiting for it you system will then send it.  Once everything is done your
mailer will exit with an errorlevel, your BBS batch file will pick up this
errorlevel and will then start up FMAIL and it will 'TOSS' the messages into
their respective bases.

Pretty simple eh?  Well its not if you have to figure it out all on your own
unless your some sort of a genius.


Somethings to watch for when setting up all of these programs:


Make Sure that you put in the proper paths for your Mailer (Front Door) as to
where it is supposed to put its incoming files, where it is to find its
outgoing files.


Make Sure that the Tosser/Scanner (FMAIL) knows where to find its files it
should be the same paths as used in the Mailer (Front Door).


Nodelist, your mailer needs something called a Nodelist (a list info on the
systems in the Net you want to join), this nodelist must be compiled by your
mailer.  Also you need a node number if you want to run the mailer, if you
have to connect with a system to CRASH in your Application, then you  must
make up your own node number.  Take a text editor and load in the uncompiled
nodelist, take a look at how it is laid out and add you name to the list
under a different number try and make it something unique (you don't want to
piss someone off by using their number).......make sure you add your phone
number and all too it.  And use your real name and name of your BBS because
who ever you call it will leave a message to the operator of that system..


Please Note this file is just a generalization of how a mailer/tosser and
echo's work.  It is intended for a Sysop that is familiar with writing batch
files and knows his shit fairly well.  Make sure you read the DOCS for all
of the programs that you intend to use.  Rome wasn't built in 7 days!


Good Luck with it all.  If you have found this file any help whatsoever
or even not.  Leave me some mail on one of the Nets I am part of.






