Chapter 9: CBix This chapter covers CBix, the on-line chat facility. 119 BIX User Manual Part 1: Introduction 121 Part 2: CBix Commands 123 /help 123 /exit 124 /alias 124 /band 125 /channel 125 /status 126 /where 126 /show 127 /who 128 /uid 128 /terminal 128 /wrap 129 Part 3: Private Conversations 130 /discussion 130 /private 131 /msg 132 /public 132 /dnd 132 Part 4: Other CBix Commands 133 /beep 133 /date 134 /echo 134 /ignore 134 /listen 134 /monitor 135 /nomonitor 135 /more 135 /repeat 136 /time 136 Part 5: Your CBix Profile 137 120 BIX User Manual Part 1: Introduction The BIX Citizen's Band Simulator (CBix) is a chat facility that lets you converse with other BIXen in real time. No part of your conversations are recorded. There is a general CBix area, available from the main BIX prompt ( : ), and conference-specific CBix forums. To enter into the general CBix area, type in: join cbix from the main ( : ) prompt. To join a conference-specific CBix area, type in: join [conference name] cbix For example, join os.9 cbix If you are already in a conference, enter the command topic and respond to the Topic? prompt with the command: cbix The general CBix area has four bands, each with 40 operating channels. Each conference's CBix area has one band of 40 channels. When you first enter CBix, information on your terminal type and backspace character is requested. If you experience problems with the terminal type, you should exit CBix (using the command /exit), rejoin, and select the proper type. When in doubt, choose the "dumb" terminal. This initial log-in screen will appear every time you sign into CBix until you save this information in your CBix profile. At the end of the initial sign-in session, you will see your CBix profile. Save it at this 121 BIX User Manual point. You can make changes at any time (see below). Once you have successfully logged in to CBix, type /help. This will display the entire CBix command summary. Detailed descriptions of any command are available from /help. To send a message to the people on your CBix channel, merely type what's on your mind. If your communications software supports word-wrap, turn it on. When done, enter a carriage return and your message will be broadcast. To leave CBix once you have completed the initial sign-in, enter: /exit. CBix has two special control characters that it will respond to at any prompt: Control-X and Control-R. Control-X clears the input buffer (that is, it cancels the line you just typed in). Control-R redisplays the line being typed. NOTES: 122 BIX User Manual Part 2: CBix Commands The right-leaning slash character ( / ) precedes all CBix commands. At minimum, you must enter the first three letters of any command. Here is a list of the basic CBix commands with a brief explanation of each: Command Explanation /help CBix command summary, help for commands /exit Leave CBix, return to BIX /alias Create or change your CBix name /band Display current band, move to new band /channel Display current channel, change channels /status Display number of users on channels /where Who is located where on CBix /show Display your settings, show a user resume /who Who is broadcasting on your channel /uid User identification /terminal Display or change terminal type /wrap Word-wrap for incoming messages /help To see /help screens on line, enter: /help. When entered alone, /help displays the CBix command summary. After the command summary, you specify commands for which you need help, or the word "all." If you require no further help, simply type a carriage return to continue the CBix session. To find out how to use a specific command, you can enter /help followed by the command in question. For example, 123 BIX User Manual /help alias displays the help for the /alias command. Here's how to download the CBix help screens: 1) Enter: /terminal dumb 2) Enter: /more off 3) Set your communications software so that it will capture ASCII screens 4) Enter: /help all 5) Save the capture captured material 6) Restore your terminal type with: /terminal 7) Turn paging back on with: /more on /exit To log off CBix and return to BIX, enter: /exit. You can also use /quit to exit CBix. /alias The /alias command lets you change your CBix name. An alias may be any combination of up to 14 printable characters. To see your present alias, enter /alias alone. For example, if you were to enter: /alias CBix would respond: Your current alias is 'foobar' To change your alias, enter /alias followed by a name. That name will become your new alias if it is available. For example, say you entered: /alias jason CBix would respond: Alias changed to 'jason' 124 BIX User Manual If you want to include spaces in your alias, you must enclose the name in quotation marks ("). For example, to change your alias to Foo Bar, you would enter: /alias "Foo Bar" To include the quotation mark characters (") in your alias, you must precede it with a backslash (\) character. For example, if you were to enter: /alias "\"foo bar\"" CBix would respond Alias changed to '"foo bar"' /band The /band command lets you move between bands. There are four bands on CBix: A, B, C, and D. If entered alone, /band displays the current band and a list of all the active bands on the system. To jump to a different band, specify a band letter. For example, if you were to enter: /band c CBix will respond Welcome to Band C, 'foobar' If the band you select is not in use, you receive an error message and the current band remains unchanged. /channel The /channel command lets you change locations (that is, channels) on CBix. Each CBix band has 40 channels, and you can jump from channel to channel at any time. When entered without an argument, /channel displays the current channel. 125 BIX User Manual For example, if you were to enter: /channel CBix would respond: You are currently on channel 19 When you include a channel number, you move to that channel. For example, if you enter: /channel 19 CBix would respond: Welcome to channel 19, 'foobar' /status To see how many users are on a given channel, enter /status. For example, to see how many users are conversing in Channel 34, you would enter: /status 34 CBix would respond: --------+-------- Channel | # Users --------+-------- 34 | 29 When entered without a channel, you'll see the status of all active channels. Channels with no users are not displayed unless your ask for them explicity by number. /where Use the /where command to locate other users. You can specify those users to locate or receive a list of all users. When a user is specified, CBix tells you her or his location and the status of the /dnd (Do Not Disturb) option. If the user employs an alias 126 BIX User Manual rather than a BIXname, an asterisk (*) appears after the alias. For example, say that you are looking for your friend Chip in CBix. You would enter: /where chip CBix would respond: /where chip -----------------+----+----+----+--- Alias |Chan|Priv|Disc|Dnd -----------------+----+----+----+--- 'chip' * 19 | | | If you are on the wrong band and you entered: /where chip CBix would respond: -----------------+----+----+----+--- Alias |Chan|Priv|Disc|Dnd -----------------+----+----+----+--- 'chip' | Not on Band B When entered without an alias, /where produces a list all of the users on the current band. /show The /show command displays your band, channel, and option switch settings and whether or not you are in a group discussion. Here's a typical response to /show: [A-19 /Bee on /Dnd off /Ech on /Mor on /Rep on /Uid off /Wra on] In disc 'games' The /show command can also be used to to display one or more users' BIX resumes by typing: 127 BIX User Manual /show resume [BIXname(s)] NOTE: BIXnames are required, NOT CBix aliases. You can use the /uid command to obtain the BIXname for any alias. (See /uid.) /who The /who command produces a list of the aliases on your channel. To find who is on another channel, enter /who and a channel number. For example, in response to: /who 12 33 CBix might respond: 12: No users. 33: 'bad_sir_b' 'bonkers' 'lollipop' /uid The /uid command displays the BIXname for an alias. If entered alone, it provides the name for each user on your channel. The /uid command also acts as a switch when called with a setting ('on' or 'off'). When /uid is on, the sender's BIXname, bracketed in '<>', appears at the start of every line of text received. To display the current setting of /uid, use the /show command. See also /show. /terminal The command /terminal lets you select the type of terminal to use with CBix. To see a list of available terminal types, enter /terminal. An asterisk flags your current terminal. To change your terminal, type in its name in response to the prompt. Press return for no change. If you select an optional terminal type, your screen immediately adopts its characteristics. WARNING: Do not guess your terminal type. If you are wrong, you may lose 128 BIX User Manual control of all terminal interaction. When in doubt, select the "dumb" terminal type. The default terminal type is "dumb." Also see /profile. /wrap CBix supports word-wrap for incoming messages. /wrap toggles word-wrap on or off. In word-wrap mode, words are not broken at the end of the line. If there is no room on the present line, the word is moved to the beginning of the next line. This applies only to messages broadcast to you. Your terminal software is responsible for wrapping text on your screen as you type it. The default setting of /wrap is on. To turn word-wrap off, enter: /wrap off Also see /profile. NOTES: 129 BIX User Manual Part 3: Private Conversations CBix permits private conversations with selected attendees. Here is a list of the basic commands to create and engage in a private CBix discussion with an explanation of each: Command Explanation /discussion Create or join a group conversation /private Request a private conversation /msg Send a private message to another user /public Exit a private discussion /dnd Do Not Distrub /discussion Use the /discussion command to create or join a private conversation with a group of CBix users. Enter it alone to display the subject of a private conversation and to produce a list of the participants. To create a new discussion, enter /discussion followed by a subject. For example, to create a conversation on ducks, you would enter: /discussion ducks You are asked to verify that you want to create a new discussion. If there already is a discussion by that name, you join it. Use the command /msg to invite others to join you in the discussion. The /msg command lets you send private notes to other users. To ask smith to join you in a discussion, you would enter: /msg smith 130 BIX User Manual and then pose your question. For more on /msg, see below. In a discussion, the name of the writer appears at the beginning of a line. All CBix commands are available from within a discussion. General CBix messages are no longer received. You will only receive broadcasts from the participants in the discussion as well as requests for private conversations and messages sent with the /msg command. To leave the discussion, enter /public. The other parties are notified that you left. Also see /private and /public. /private Use the /private command to request a private conversation with another user and to display the alias of the other person when in a private con- versation. To start a private discussion, enter the command /private followed by a user's name. For example, /private jonsey User jonsey will receive a message notifying her or him of your request for a private conversation. If jonsey accepts your invitation, you will enter the private conversation. If jonsey declines, you receive a rejection notice. If jonsey doesn't reply within a reasonable period, you are asked whether you want to continue to wait. In a private conversation, the lines of received text are prefixed with a " > " character. All CBix commands remain fully functional. Messages and requests for private conversations will still be received. You may block these requests by setting /dnd (Do Not Disturb) on. To return to normal CBix operations, enter the command /public. Your correspondent is notified that you have returned to the open channel. When entered alone, /private displays the name of your correspondent. Also see /discussion and /public. 131 BIX User Manual /msg The /msg command lets you read messages from and send private messages to other users while still broadcasting in public CBix. When you follow /msg with one or more alias, CBix prompts for the text to deliver. Waiting messages appear automatically after you send your message. If you do not wish to respond to a message but simply want to read the next message, then enter /msg without an alias specified. CBix warns you when a user to whom you are sending a message has set the /dnd (Do Not Disturb) option on. Also see /discussion and /dnd. /public To exit a private conversation or a discussion, use the /public command. A message advises the other participants that you have left. See also /discussion and /private. /dnd The /dnd (Do Not Disturb) command blocks the receipt of incoming messages sent with the /msg command and requests for private conversations. General CBix traffic is unaffected. To see your present setting, enter /dnd alone. The default setting of /dnd is off. To set it on, enter: /dnd on Also see /msg, /private, and /profile. 132 BIX User Manual Part 4: Other CBix Commands CBix has a variety of optional settings that you can use as you see fit. Here is a list of these commands with a brief explanation of each: Command Explanation /beep Terminal beep on and off /date Display current date and time /echo Turn the echo of your text on or off /ignore Block broadcasts from annoying people /listen Remove persons from ignore list /monitor Listen in on other channels /nomonitor Stop monitoring other channels /more Page break on every 21 lines /repeat See your own broadcasts as others do /time Elapsed time in CBix /beep The /beep command causes your terminal to beep on command execution errors, upon receipt of messages or requests for private conversations, and when the '/' command character is struck. To see its present status, enter: /beep The default setting of /beep is off. To turn the beep on, enter: /beep on Also see /profile. 133 BIX User Manual /date The /date command displays the current date and time of day in a 12-hour clock format. /echo Use the /echo command to turn the echoing of your input on or off. Enter it alone to see your current setting. If your terminal is providing local echo (i.e, half duplex), set /echo to off. If you are in full-duplex mode, /echo must be on so that you can read the characters you type. The half-duplex mode is not recommended. If you must use the half-duplex mode, the "dumb" terminal type will prevent your display becoming difficult to read. The default setting for /echo is on. Also see /profile and /terminal. /ignore The /ignore command blocks transmissions from selected people on the cur- rent channel. For example, /ignore "Fat Head" closes off all transmissions from "Fat Head." If "Fat Head' changes her or his alias or moves to a different channel, /ignore continues working. To remove someone from your ignore list, enter /listen followed by her or his alias. Also see /listen. /listen The /listen command removes people from your ignore list. To erase all the names on your ignore list, enter /listen alone. To remove a single individual, enter /listen followed by the name of the person to re-admit. For example, /listen bigmouth 134 BIX User Manual removes all barriers to transmissions from "bigmouth." Also see /ignore. /monitor The /monitor command lets you listen in on channels other than the one on which you are broadcasting. Channels must be between the range of 1 to 40. To listen in on other channels, enter /monitor followed by one or more channel numbers. For example, /monitor 34 22 19 lets you receive transmissions from channels 34, 22, and 19. To see what channels you are monitoring, enter /monitor without a channel number. Also see the /nomonitor. /nomonitor To stop monitoring the channels you specified with the /monitor command, enter /nomonitor followed by the channel number. Channels must be in the range of 1 through 40. For example: /nomonitor 34 22 19 stops the flow of transmissions from channels 34, 22, and 19. If no channels are specified, all monitoring ceases. Also see the /monitor. /more The /more command turns on and off the paging of command output. You can tell that /more is on when you see this prompt: "Press to continue..." 135 BIX User Manual If you enter an 'n' or a 'q' at the prompt, the comand is terminated, and any remaining output is discarded. To suppress this message, enter: /more off The default setting of /more is on. Also see /profile. /repeat The /repeat command controls the echoing of your transmissions to your terminal. When /repeat is on, you will receive your own broadcasts as though they came from someone else. When /repeat is off, you will not receive your own transmissions. The default setting is on. To turn /repeat off, enter: /repeat off To see a display of its current settings, enter /repeat alone. Also see /profile. /time To find out how much time has elapsed time since logging on to CBix, enter /time. The displayed time does NOT include elapsed time on BIX. Here's what a typical response to /time command would look like: Total time on CBix: 01 hours, 26 minutes 136 BIX User Manual Part 5: Your CBix Profile Your CBix profile customizes the system to your preferences. It can be used to automatically invoke special features every time you log in, and you can change any item in your profile any time. At minimum, your CBix profile contains information on your terminal type. These CBix features can be entered into your profile: /alias, /band, /beep, /channel, /dnd, /echo, /more, /repeat, /terminal, /uid, and /wrap. See the individual entry for full details on its operation. To add, delete, and modify your profile, use the command /profile. To see your CBix profile, enter: /profile Here's what a typical CBix profile would look like: Entry Explanation Alias: 'name' This is the alias you selected Band: A The band you have selected Beep: off Your terminal will not beep Channel: 1 The channel you have selected Dnd: off The Do Not Distrub flag is off Echo: on You can see what you type More: on Page break every 21 lines Repeat: on You see your messages as others do Terminal: dumb Your terminal type is dumb Uid: off When on, you see BIXnames Wrap: on Incoming messages are word-wrapped. Your communications handles word-wrap. Type "save", item to modify, or to cancel changes: 137 BIX User Manual To modify an item, type in the name of the item at the colon. For example, if you want to know the BIXname that is associated with each CBix name, turn /uid on. To do this, you would respond with: uid to the prompt: Type "save", item to modify, or to cancel changes: CBix would respond: Uid display is now off. Type to toggle, for menu, 'q' to quit: Just type a space to turn uid on. NO carriage return. CBix will respond: Uid display is now on. Type to toggle, for menu, 'q' to quit: If you enter a carriage return (), your updated profile will be dis- played, and you can now save it. To return to the original setting without making the change, type q. You can also enter: uid on at the profile display prompt and toggle the prompt. If you already know the item that you want to change, type in /profile, the item to change, and any values required by the item. For example, if you wanted to join Band B each time you log-in to CBix, you would enter: /profile band b 138 BIX User Manual Your new profile is redisplayed. To make this change permanent, enter save in response to the prompt. Alternately, you could enter: /profile band and CBix will display the band list and prompt for a selection. WARNING: Changes to the profile are not automatically saved. Be careful to save the profile if you want it to be in effect for your next session. Permanent changes to your profile will NOT affect your current CBix session. Thus, if you have modified your profile to suppress the beep, you must manually shut it off for the current session. To do this, re-enter the command /beep off. CBix does NOT support an automatic log off for inactivity. NOTES: 139 BIX User Manual NOTES: 140 BIX User Manual