README.1ST Page 1 of 8 MegaScript v1.2 - Unattended Access for PCBoard and MegaMail Systems For use with Procomm Plus v1.1B and an external file transfer protocol. Public Domain Software - Copyright (C) 09 June, 1991 - FineWare, Inc. PLEASE NOTE: Most of the files included in this distribution require user con- figuration. They will not run as received. Please print out this file and read it carefully. It includes instructions on how to set up the system using a simple text editor. The term 'system' is hereby defined as the files contained in the file 'MMSCPT12.ZIP'. Introduction. This system was designed not only to reduce this frustration for the user, but to allow him to perform electronic mail functions at off-peak hours auto- matically in an unattended fashion. In turn, this should relieve some of the 'board congestion' that occurs at peak calling hours, allowing all users a bet- ter opportunity for access, if not to facilitate the MegaMail process. For those of you that have called your local bulletin board system (BBS) over and over, just to get busy signals, this 'system' is for you. MegaScript Distribution Files. The set of files that should be included in MEGASCPT.ZIP are as follows: MM.EXE - This is the main executable file that initiates and main- tains the MegaScript system. MM.DAT - This file is created by MM.EXE, and contains the defaults for running the system. (This file is not in the archive) MEGA.ASP - This is the main Procomm Plus script file that calls and logs on to the PCBoard (v14.5) BBS, checks and saves the listings of all BBS news items, bulletins, newly uploaded files, and finally initiates the MegaMail Door via M.ASP. M.ASP - This is the second Procomm Plus script file that opens the MegaMail Door, and performs any upload and download of mail. F.ASP - This is the third Procomm Plus script file that allows the user to upload or download files and/or logoff from the BBS. COMPDATE.EXE - This is an executable file that checks to see if the user is calling the board for the first time since midnight. This is important to the execution of the system, because certain BBS' behave differently the first time a user ac- cesses the board for the day. README.1ST - (This text file). This is the main documentation file for this system. Files Required for Use. PCPLUS.EXE - This system was designed to work in conjunction with the Procomm Plus v1.1B communications package, and its asso- ciated files. README.1ST Page 2 of 8 TEF.EXE - This executable file was included on the Procomm Plus Sup- plemental diskette. It sustains delayed execution of the system until a user specified time. DSZ.COM - This system requires the use of an external file transfer protocol. Although Procomm Plus supports various protocols internally, it was determined that for the purposes of this system, external protocols are more reliable in a script file environment. Since Omen Technology's DSZ ZMODEM is required for use in the MegaMail Door, DSZ is the recommen- ded protocol driver. Setting Up. To reiterate the opening message, this system must be configured by the user if it is to run properly. It requires certain information, such as user name and BBS account password, of which this author has no possible knowledge. The configuration of this system is less involved than setting up a BBS for yourself. Although this set-up procedure may seem ominous and overbearing to some, once properly configured, will it rarely require reconfiguration. 1. To begin, the user must make sure the following commands are in his CONFIG.SYS file: DEVICE=ANSI.SYS, FILES=25, and BUFFERS=20. This should be no problem, since Procomm Plus recommends that these commands are present for its proper operation. 2. Using the Procomm Plus Setup facility, the user should set the following Terminal parameters: SOUND=OFF, ALARM=OFF, and ALARM TIME=0. This is neces- sary if the user wants to call a BBS in the middle of the morning and does not want to wake up the entire household. In the modem section of the Setup facil- ity, the modem setup string should contain V1 for the display of verbal modem responses, and S7=60 to instruct the modem to wait a maximum of 60 seconds be- tween dialing and waiting for the BBS to connect. 3. The system also presupposes that the user has set both the PCBoard BBS to expert mode. This is done while on the BBS by entering the command 'X' at the command prompt. This ensures that the system is not inadvertently delayed by the constant redisplay of possible user commands before every command prompt. 4. Using a simple text editor, edit the variables at the beginning of MEGA.ASP, M.ASP and F.ASP to contain the following information: MEGA.ASP : This file has also been tailored to be used with The Cat's Meow BBS, although most PCBoard BBSs will have similar log-on and start-up procedures. It is strongly recommended, that an on-line interactive dry-run with the BBS be performed BEFORE this particular script file is used. This is to make sure that all prompts are accounted for properly, and are in the correct order for that particular BBS. This file also requires the following variables be set: a) ASSIGN S0 "MEOW" - Replace MEOW with that of your particular BBS' PCRelay ID. This variable is the base variable for creating the filenames of other files. If The Cat's Meow is the BBS this will be used on, leave this line as is. b) ASSIGN S1 "ATDT439-3060^M" - This is the dialing command that will be sent to the modem. It contains the required "ATDT" prefix, the telephone number of the BBS to call, and "^M" which is re- cognized by Procomm Plus as a carriage return. Replace the te- README.1ST Page 3 of 8 lephone number portion of this string with the number of the BBS you wish to call, however, the string must contain the "ATDT" prefix as well as the "^M" suffix. c) ASSIGN S2 "YOUR NAME^M" - As the string implies, this variable holds the user's first and last names as recognized by the BBS. Replace the "YOUR NAME" portion with your first and last name, separated by a space, however, the string must contain the "^M" suffix as shown. d) ASSIGN S3 "PASSWORD^M" - This variable holds the user's BBS ac- count password as recognized by the BBS. Replace the "PASSWORD" portion of the string with your log-on password, including the "^M" suffix as shown. e) SET ... - Following the four string variables outlined above, are declarations to five communications parameters. It is not anti- cipated that many of these will be required to change, however they are provided nonetheless. If necessary, change them to fit the requirements of the modem you use, as well as the BBS that will be called. Replace the communications parameters as neces- sary, i.e: SET BAUDRATE 2400, or SET BAUDRATE 1200, etc. M.ASP : This file should be universal for the MegaMail Door as distributed to PCBoard BBSs and should not require any coding modifications. The only anticipated coding change that may be necessary is if the BBS DOES NOT use password protection for MegaMail Door access. If this is the case, then the three lines between the 'WAITFOR "Enter pass- word to open the DOOR?" 99' and the 'TRANSMIT S2' should be deleted. Other than this the file does require that the following be provided: a) The user must select an external ZMODEM protocol such as Omen Technology's DSZ.COM. PCPLUS does not contain an internal ZMODEM file transfer protocol, and the MegaMail Door will not work without it. Commands to utilize the external protocol are used within M.ASP. b) ASSIGN S0 "MEOW" - As with MEGA.ASP, replace MEOW with the PCRelay ID used by the BBS. This variable is the base variable for cre- ating the filenames of other files. If The Cat's Meow is the BBS this will be used on, leave this line as is. c) ASSIGN S1 "OPEN 2^M" - This variable holds the PCBoard command to open the MegaMail Door. Substitute the "19" portion of the string with the number of the PCBoard Door that corresponds to MegaMail, however, the "OPEN " prefix and "^M" suffix must re- main as shown. d) ASSIGN S2 "DOORPASS^M" - This variable holds the BBS's password to the MegaMail Door. This is only necessary if the BBS uses pass- word protection for limiting access to the MegaMail Door. Sub- stitute the "PASSWORD" portion of the string with the actual password (as provided from the BBS' SYSOP), however, the "^M" suffix must remain as shown. e) ASSIGN S3 ... and ASSIGN S4 ... - These variables hold the com- mands to execute the external protocol to be used. S3 holds the README.1ST Page 4 of 8 upload string and S4 holds the download string. These variables are already set up to use Omen Technology's DSZ.COM using the ZMODEM protocol. Note that the strings do not contain the names of the files to be transfered (.UL and .DL). These filenames are constructed within the script file from variable S0. If a different external protocol is to be used, replace the command strings shown for S3 and S4 appropriately, omitting the names of the files to be transfered. F.ASP : This file should be universal for the PCBoard BBSs and should not require any coding modifications. Other than this the file does re- quire that the following be provided: a) The user must select an external protocol such as Omen Technolo- gy's DSZ.COM. As with M.ASP, use of PCPLUS' internal file transfer protocols will not work well in this environment. Com- mands to utilize the external protocol are used within F.ASP. b) ASSIGN S0 "MEOW" - As with M.ASP, replace MEOW with the PCRelay ID used by the BBS. This variable is the base variable for cre- ating the filenames of other files. If The Cat's Meow is the BBS this will be used on, leave this line as is. c) ASSIGN S2 "Z" - This variable holds the code to the upload/down- load protocol to be used. In PCBoard, "Z" is used for ZMODEM transfers. If another protocol is to be used, please refer to PCBoard for the particular protocol designator. If this is the case, substitute "Z" with the actual protocol designator. d) ASSIGN S3 ... and ASSIGN S4 ... - These variables hold the com- mands to execute the external protocol to be used. As in M.ASP, S3 holds the upload string and S4 holds the download string. These variables are already set up to use Omen Technology's DSZ.COM using the ZMODEM protocol. Note that the strings do not contain the names of the files to be transfered (.UFI and .DFI). These filenames are constructed within the script file from var- iable S0, and are used to construct other command strings. If a different external protocol is to be used, replace the command strings shown for S3 and S4 appropriately, omitting the names of the files to be transfered. 5. A great deal of the success in configuring the MegaScript system requires that the user perform a quick interactive log-on to the BBS. This is necessary to insure that the prompt sequence in MEGA.ASP is functionally correct and that all mail from the conferences selected have their last-read pointers updated properly. Another factor in configuring the system is that the user have a current .LOG file which has a file date concurrent with the date of the last log-on. This can be done during the session described in this paragraph, by simply pressing Alt-F1 at anytime during the session (except during a file transfer). The .LOG file must be named using the PCRelay ID of the BBS that will be used, with a filename extension of .LOG (i.e.: "MEOW.LOG"). The .LOG file is an important piece of the MegaScript system not only because it will contain a log of important BBS news messages, bulletins, the status of Main Board messages, and the latest uploaded files. All of these are bits of infor- mation that should never go unread during any BBS session. The file is impor- tant in this sense because it is the date of the .LOG file that holds the key to the user's last access to the BBS. Most BBSs have two log-on sequences: one for the first access of the day and another for all subsequent accesses. MEGA.ASP is instructed to call COMPDATE, which will compare the date of the README.1ST Page 5 of 8 .LOG file with the date of access. If the dates are not the same, the .LOG file is renamed an .OLD file. MEGA.ASP invariably will check for the existence of the .OLD file to see if a different sequence of prompts may need to be hand- led. This keeps the integrity of the script file in line with the BBS' log-on procedure. Running the System. If file transfers (other than mail) are to be made: a) UPLOADS : Use a text editor to create a file containing the names and descriptions of each upload. The file's name should consist of the BBS' PCRelay ID, with an extension of '.UFI' (i.e.: MEOW.UFI). The file's format should be: FILENAM1.ZIP Description of Filenam1 < 45 characters. FILENAM2.ZIP Description of Filenam2 < 45 characters. ...and so on. Some restrictions I have found is that there should not be an extra line in the file before the first filename, after the last file description, not between any line in this file. This file should be left in the same subdirectory as Procomm Plus. a) DOWNLOAS : Use a text editor to create a file containing the name of each file to download. The file's name should consist of the BBS' PCRelay ID, with an extension of '.DFI' (i.e.: MEOW.DFI). The file's format should be: FILENAM1.ZIP FILENAM2.ZIP ...and so on. The only restriction I have found is that there should not be an extra line in the file before the first filename, after the last filename, nor between any line in this file. This file should be left in the same subdirectory as Procomm Plus. The first time that MM.EXE is run, the program will ask for a bit of infor- mation: What is the BBS RelayNet ID : This is the same ID used in the configura- tion of the script files. What TIME would you like to call : This is the time of day (in 24 hour format) you would normally call the BBS to do a mail transfer. What TIME INTERVAL for redialing : This is the amount of time (in minutes) to wait should you need to redial the BBS. Usually, this will be an exact time delay from the initialization of the previous call, how- ever, some time is usually required to run Procomm as well as access files. This may be fine-tuned even further with the next prompt: 'OFFSET'. This allows the user to 'cut-in' the amount of time (in seconds) used by the process. i.e.: If it takes the system an extra delay of 26 seconds between redials, input '26'. The redial clock will automatically start with this amount subtracted. What is your UPLOAD path : This is the full path string (i.e.: C:\PCPLUS) where you would keep all of your upload files. This includes all README.1ST Page 6 of 8 files you wish to upload to the BBS _AND_ the MegaMail mail packet you wish to send. What is your DOWNLOAD path : This is the full path string (i.e.: C:\PCPLUS) where you would receive all of your downloaded files. This includes all files you wish to download from the BBS _AND_ your re- ceived MegaMail mail packet. How many DAYS to keep mail : With this release of MegaScript, most Mega- Mail mail importing, exporting and packing of mail is handled auto- matically by the system. MegaScript will check to see if there is a bbsid.UL file in the upload directory, if there is not - it will try to extract all mail to send to the BBS, then initiate calling the BBS. When the call is finished, MegaScript will then proceed to pack your mail database, purging all mail older than the amount of days specified from this prompt. Then, the system will instruct the Mega- Mail reader to import the new mail packet. If this purging feature is not desired, enter '999' in response to this prompt. This will instruct MegaMail to only repack the database and not purge any old mail. All of the above information will be stored in a file called MM.DAT. All that is required to run the system once it is properly configured is to make sure all of the system files are in the same subdirectory as Procomm Plus. The user initiates the system by typing one of the following commands: MM - This will initiate calling the BBS now. MM [time] - This will delay calling the BBS until the time specified in the command line (24 hr format). MM [/N] - This will delay calling the BBS until the time specified in the set-up file. If MM.EXE is run either with a time specified on the command line or from within the setup file (using the /N switch), MM will give command to TEF.EXE. TEF will delay the execution of Procomm Plus and the script files until that specified time is reached (similar to setting a VCR to record at a later time of day). If MM is run without a time specified, Procomm Plus is executed im- mediately. Once Procomm Plus is started, the BBS will be called automatically. If a connection is made the script file will log-on to the BBS, either create or append the bbsid.LOG file, perform the desired mail and/or file transfers and the system will end normally. If the BBS does not connect on this pass, the script will make sure that a bbsid.OLD file exists. MM.EXE will recognize the existence of the bbsid.OLD file as a connect error and will then wait the amount of time specified to re- dial. If attended, the waiting period may be aborted or curtailed by pressing either Ctrl-Break (Ctrl-C) or the Esc keys, respectively. Also, with this release of MegaScript, the time to redial may be altered. Using the cursor up/down keys will increase or decrease the amount of minutes to elaspe by a factor of one. Similarly, the Home/End keys or PgUp/PgDn keys will increase or decrease the redial time by a factor of ten or five minutes, respectively. Despite the ease in altering the elapse timer, care should be taken. Whatever the redial delay time was changed to at the time of the sys- tem's completion is the value that will be stored in MM.DAT for use in the next system run. In other words, if your usual redial is a 15 minute delay and you decide to change it to 10 minutes using the PgDn key AND the system completes its run sometime thereafter, the next time you run MM.EXE it will use a redial delay of 10 minutes. README.1ST Page 7 of 8 If aborted (Ctrl-C), the system will abort, and the BBS will not be re- dialed again. If allowed to wait the entire period or if the wait period is curtailed (Esc), the system will loop back and redial the BBS. This loop will continue until either the wait period is aborted or mail is transferred to/from the BBS' MegaMail Door. Throughout the cycling of the system, the system status is updated in a bbsid.TXT file. The text file will record the status of each call - when and if any connect errors occurred, when and if the mail was transferred, and fin- ally when the sequence ceased. If the mail was transferred, the bbsid.TXT file will also reflect the size of the received mail packet (bbsid.DL). A summary of the calling status will be displayed between redials. Once the sequence has been completed, the system returns command to the DOS prompt. If a mail packet was received, it has been automatically imported into the MegaMail Reader message base. Conclusion. This system was designed with the intent of the easiest possible user con- figuration and implementation. One facet on designing this system was that the script files M.ASP and F.ASP were left separate from MEGA.ASP. The reasoning behind this was so that under certain circumstances the user might occasionally want to call the BBS as he normally does in order to use another Door, upload or download a different file, read an old bulletin, or play a game. By leaving the files M.ASP and F.ASP separate, the user can initiate file transfers (whe- ther mail or otherwise) while on-line. This can be done by pressing the Alt-F5 key, which allows the user to activate a script file. The user would then type the letter 'M', hit the Enter key, and M.ASP would automate the mail transfer. If the user has already configured a set of bbsid.UFI or bbsid.DFI files, pres- sing Alt-F5 then hitting "F" and Enter would automate those file transfers. The only drawbacks to doing this on-line is that F.ASP ends by logging off the BBS (not to mention quitting Procomm Plus completely) and that the .UL and .DL mail files may not be in the proper subdirectories before and after execu- tion. Prior planning by the user must be taken: make sure the .UL file is in the same subdirectory as Procomm Plus, make sure to execute the script as the last action on the BBS, and finally move the .UL and .DL files into subdirec- tories where Kip Compton's MegaMail Reader can find them after the session is completed. The author of this system would like feedback regarding possible enhance- ments, changes, or bugs in the operation of this software. Feedback should be in the form of positive helpful criticism or suggestion. The author may be contacted by written mail at his home address, or by electronic means at ei- ther The Cat's Meow BBS or via the PCRelay mail network's Ham or Scanners Con- ferences. Author: Mark J. Fine BBS: The Cat's Meow BBS 11252 Cardinal Drive Midland, VA 22728 Remington, VA 22734-9684 (703) 439-3060 SysOp: Ray Herold Route ID: ->MEOW (send to: MARK FINE) Public Key: 25988 Settings: 2400 bps, 8 bits, no parity README.1ST Page 8 of 8 Disclaimer. This and all of the other files contained in the file MMSCPT12.ZIP are provided as public domain software to be used and disseminated free of charge to the public. Neither the author nor his associates are responsible for any results of using this software on any computer system, whether used properly or improperly. The user hereby agrees that he using this software at his own risk. This and all of the other files contained in the file MMSCPT12.ZIP are provided as is, with no warranties, express or implied, including but not lim- ited to the implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose, and all such warranties are expressly and specifically disclaimed. In no event should the author or any of his associates be responsible for any indirect, special, incidental or consequential damages or lost profits to you or any other person or entity regardless of the legal theory, even if the author or any of his associates have been advised of the possibility of such damage. No person or entity is authorized to expand or alter either these warran- ties or this agreement; any such representation will not bind the author or his associates. Procomm, Procomm Plus, Procomm Plus Test Drive, PCPLUS, PCPLUSTD, and TEF are copyrighted software of Datastorm Technologies, Inc. DSZ is copyrighted software of Omen Technology, Inc. MegaMail Door and MegaMail Reader are copyrighted software of Kip Compton.