TO: AREAFIX
      SUBJ: mypassword
      ----------------------------------------
      (1:311/0)
      %UNLINKED

    In short, do not be afraid to try some of the commands out.  There is
    nothing you can do with AreaFix requests that will cause damage.

    Setting Up The Archivers
    ------------------------
    In our initial steps to get netmail working we skipped over a few of the
    Fido Configuration screens. It is now time to visit one of these screens
    if we are to properly transfer echo mail.  You see, echo mail is sent in
    compressed form and therefore we have to configure PCBoard to find
    various compression and decompression programs and also tell it what
    compression program is used by the hub.

    In PCBSetup | Fido Configuration | Archiver Configuration, the programs
    used for ZIP, ARJ, ARC, and LHA compression can be defined.  The
    following screen captures shows how to setup each compression and
    decompression program assuming they are located in C:\UTL\.

         ZIP                     : C:\UTL\PKZIP.EXE
         Switches for ZIP        : -a
         UNZIP                   : C:\UTL\PKUNZIP.EXE
         Switches for UNZIP      : -o
         ARJ                     : C:\UTL\ARJ.EXE
         Switches for ARJ        : a
         UNARJ                   : C:\UTL\ARJ.EXE
         Switches for UNARJ      : e
         ARC                     : C:\UTL\ARC.EXE
         Switches for ARC        : a
         UNARC                   : C:\UTL\ARCE.EXE
         Switches for UNARC      :
         LZH                     : C:\UTL\LHA.EXE
         Switches for LZH        : a
         UNLZH                   : C:\UTL\LHA.EXE
         Switches for UNLZH      : e

    If the location of these programs differ on your system, make the
    appropriate changes.  All of the programs shown on this screen are
    either shareware or freeware.   Copies may be obtained from just
    about any bulletin board including our support BBS.

    NOTE:  PKZIP has a -m switch to move files.  This switch also has
    a side-effect of physically removing empty subdirectories.  Therefore,
    either do not use this switch or use the closely related -m- switch.

Maintaining the Nodelist
==============================================================================

  Look at the nodelist as a phone book which is constantly being updated.  In
  fact, updates are published on a weekly basis and come in two forms:  Full
  and Update Only.

  Electing to download the full nodelist on a weekly basis is asking quite a
  bit since the file is nearly 4 megs in size.  An easier approach is to
  obtain what is called the NODEDIF file.  This file contains the necessary
  information to update the previous week's nodelist to the current edition.
  Furthermore, this update file is significantly smaller than the full
  list.

  To utilize the smaller update file the following conditions must be met:

     1.  The ASCII nodelist file (not just the compiled DBF) must exist.  This
         is required because the DIF file records changes by line number to
         this file.  PCBNLC updates the ASCII list and then recompiles
         the database.

     2.  The DIF file you get must be uncompressed and put in the directory
         where the source ASCII nodelist is obtained.  As a reminder, this
         subdirectory is determined in PCBSetup | Fido Configuration |
         Nodelist Configuration.

     3.  With items 1 and 2 taken care of, simply run PCBNLC /DIFF.  Running
         PCBNLC with that command line switch recompiles the database.

  NOTE:  If you miss a week when using the DIF files to update, the full
  copy of the nodelist database must be downloaded.

Fido Events
============================================================================

  At certain times of the day, you'll want to control the behavior of Fido.
  Should it attempt to call a node between 2am and 4am?  Should all mail be
  routed to a hub throughout the day?  To accomplish these tasks, you must
  setup what is known as a Fido event.

  These events are configured in the same place where the normal PCBoard
  events are configured: PCBSetup | Event Configuration.  Specifying
  an event type of "F" is the key as shown in this example:

                   Batch     Begin  End                         Last
         Act  Mod  File      Time   Time   SMTWTFS    Date      Date
         อออ  อออ  ออออออออ  อออออ  อออออ  อออออออ  ออออออออ  ออออออออ
    1)    Y    F   ALLDAY    00:00  23:59  YYYYYYY            00-00-00

  Fido events are similar to PCBoard's events but there are some differences
  you need to be aware of:

     1.  Batch files are not used for Fido events.  In place of the batch
         file are what is known as Fido verbs.  Think of these are words
         to describe actions that will take place during the event.

     2.  The "Begin Time" and "End Time" fields define
the window during
         which the event is active.  With a normal event, these times specify
         when the batch file may run.  Once run, the event is disregarded.
         Fido events, on the other hand, are active during the entire time
         period.

  Do you need to setup an event?  The answer to that question is an emphatic
  "YES".  In fact, one of the major requirements for becoming a
Fido node is
  to be available during Mail Hour.  Following the instructions in the "I'm
  New to Fido" section, you will have already setup an event with the
  special type of "M" for Mail Hour.  All other events are optional.

  For this section of the document, we will focus on the three major Fido
  verbs: POLL, ROUTE-TO, and CRASH.

  POLL
  ~~~~
    A Poll instructs PCBFido to call another system and exchange any waiting
    packets.  This is the ideal event to define when you call the hub at a
    regular time every night.  For this example, let's assume the call is
    made at 4:00am every day.  If so, we begin by making the appropriate
    entry in the event editor:

                      Batch     Begin  End                         Last
            Act  Mod  File      Time   Time   SMTWTFS    Date      Date
            อออ  อออ  ออออออออ  อออออ  อออออ  อออออออ  ออออออออ  ออออออออ
       1)    Y    F   CALLHUB1  04:00  04:45  YYYYYYY            00-00-00

    You should notice two things right off.  First of all, the event
    type/mode is "F" for Fido.  Secondly, the begin and end times define a
    45 minute window.  It's a good idea to give yourself a little breathing
    room in case the system is busy for a few minutes.  After 45 minutes of
    unsuccessful attempts, we'll return to normal processing.

    To setup the POLL verb, press F2 while on this line in the editor.
    There you will see a screen like this:

          Fido Verb             Parameters
          อออออออออออออออออออ   อออออออออออออออออออออออออออ
        1)

    Press F2 once more to bring up a list of verbs.  Select POLL from the
    list and press ENTER.  We've told PCBoard what to do but we have not
    told it who to do it to.  Therefore, press TAB to move the cursor over
    to the Parameters field.  In this field, enter the address to poll.
    Multiple nodes can be polled by using a space to separate the addresses.
    Look at the following examples:

          Fido Verb             Parameters
          อออออออออออออออออออ   อออออออออออออออออออออออออออ
       1) POLL                  1:311/40

          Fido Verb             Parameters
          อออออออออออออออออออ   อออออออออออออออออออออออออออ
       1) POLL                  1:311/40 1:311/25 1:311/18

    The first example polls just the node identified with the address
    1:311/40, while the second example polls an additional 2 nodes.

    NOTE:  The dialing does not occur as soon as the event begins. Instead,
    PCBFido is waiting for a scan or dial trigger to occur.  What is a dial
    or scan trigger you ask?  Recall that PCBSetup | Fido Configuration |
    Fido Configuration has fields to control how often PCBoard scans for
    mail.  Make sure this is set to 1-5 minutes and you'll be set.

  CRASH
  ~~~~~
    When mail is defined as CRASH mail, it will be sent the next time a
    dial timer is triggered.  Otherwise, mail is considered to be NORMAL
    or HOLD status.

    The most popular use of a CRASH event is to hold packets in the queue
    until such a time when phone rates are lower and packets that must
    go out will go out at a lower cost.

    To illustrate this concept let's look at a real-life example.  Clark
    Development's node number is 1:311/40.  To conserve on phone costs,
    we may want to send mail only to sites in our network (1:311/*) between
    the hours of 8am and 11pm.  After 11pm, we'll send to any site.  This
    is accomplished with the following event entries:

                       Batch     Begin  End                         Last
             Act  Mod  File      Time   Time   SMTWTFS    Date      Date
             อออ  อออ  ออออออออ  อออออ  อออออ  อออออออ  ออออออออ  ออออออออ
        1)    Y    F   LOCAL     08:00  23:00  YYYYYYY            00-00-00
        2)    Y    F   LONGDIST  23:01  07:59  YYYYYYY            00-00-00

    Fido Verbs for the LOCAL Event:

           Fido Verb             Parameters
           อออออออออออออออออออ   อออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ
        1) CRASH                 1:311/*


    Fido Verbs for the LONGDIST Event:

           Fido Verb             Parameters
           อออออออออออออออออออ   อออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ
        1) CRASH                 *:*/*

    Can you see how our goal was accomplished.  The LOCAL event will be
    active between 8am and 11pm and is configured to crash any node (*) in
    the 1:311 network.  Just after 11pm, the LONGDIST event becomes active
    and says it is okay to send mail to any site.

    NOTE:  These CRASH settings can be overridden with netmail by adding the
     modifier to the end of the TO line when entering the message.
    Example:

          To: SYSOP{at}1:311/40 

  ROUTE-TO
  ~~~~~~~~
    To save on long distance phone calls, many Fido sites pull together and
    pay a small fee to route mail through the hub.  How can you do this?

    The trick to remember with this one is that you will have to first of
    all define a Fido event to last all day.  If one is already defined,
    we simply need to add a new Fido verb.

    Let's work off the assumption you do not have an all-day Fido event
    setup.  All that you really have to do is modify the begin and end
    times to be equal to what is shown in this example:

                       Batch     Begin  End                         Last
             Act  Mod  File      Time   Time   SMTWTFS    Date      Date
             อออ  อออ  ออออออออ  อออออ  อออออ  อออออออ  ออออออออ  ออออออออ
        1)    Y    F   ALLDAY    00:00  23:59  YYYYYYY            00-00-00

    All that remains is to update the Fido verbs to show the routing status.
    This entails selecting the ROUTE-TO verb and adding the sites to route
    followed by the site to route to as shown in this example:

    Fido Verbs for the ALLDAY Event:

           Fido Verb             Parameters
           อออออออออออออออออออ   อออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ
        1) ROUTE-TO              *.*/*  1:311/0

    Notice how *.*/* was used to specify all sites.  Using the * as a wildcard
    character allows any site to be matched by zone, net, or node as this
    example so clearly illustrates.

    Routing mail is obviously going to be slower so perhaps we can make this
    a little more optimal by excluding one or more nodes from the routing
    process.  We do this by using EXCLUSIONS as shown in this example:

           Fido Verb             Parameters
           อออออออออออออออออออ   อออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ
        1) ROUTE-TO              *.*/*    1:311/0
        2) ROUTE-TO              1:311/21 1:311/21
        3) ROUTE-TO              1:311/40 1:311/40

    Entries 2 and 3 are new to us so let's analyze what they add to the
    picture.  Upon closely examining, we see these examples simply route
    mail to themselves.  For example, mail destined to 1:311/21 will be sent
    to 1:311/21.

    NOTE: It is important to get these entries in the right order.  If the
    *.*/* is not listed as the first ROUTE-TO entry, it will invalidate any
    exclusions above it.  As a general rule, always put the least-specific
    (wildcarding) entries at the top followed by the remaining entries.

  OTHER FIDO VERBS
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You may notice we have not covered all of the Fido verbs
    in the section. The truth is these verbs are not utilized as often as
    CRASH, ROUTE-TO, or POLL.  Therefore, this topic will describe each verb
    and will rely on your knowledge gained from learning about the more
    popular verbs.  If you have not had a chance to read up on the major
    Fido verbs, do so before continuing.

    Allow-Human-Callers
    -------------------
    This verb is designed to control times when human callers may call into
    the system.  In the parameters field put either YES or NO depending
    on the desired outcome.  For example, if I have an event defined
    between 08:00 and 09:00 and want to disallow human callers, I will
    make the following entry:

           Fido Verb             Parameters
           อออออออออออออออออออ   อออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ
        1) Allow-Human-Callers   NO

    NOTE: The default is to allow human callers at all times.  Therefore,
    you must explicitly tell PCBoard when human callers are NOT desired.

    Allow-File-Requests
    -------------------
    This verb determines if file requests (FREQs) are allowed.  The default
    is to allow them but you may want to disable them during peak hours or
    during zone mail hour.  In the "Parameters" field, enter one of the
    following:

      YES - Process all file requests (default)
      NO  - Ignore all file requests

    Example:

           Fido Verb             Parameters
           อออออออออออออออออออ   อออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ
        1) Allow-File-Requests   NO

    Allow-Route-To (For nodes acting as a hub)
    --------------
    This verb tells PCBoard what nodes can have mail routed through you
    during the event window.  In the "Parameters" field, enter a list of
    Fido node addresses which will be considered valid.  Addresses must be
    separated with spaces as shown in the following example:

          Fido Verb             Parameters
          อออออออออออออออออออ   อออออออออออออออออออออออออออออ
       1) Allow-Route-To        1:311/100 1:300/10 3:12/25

    NOTE:  Any nodes not listed will have their mail held until they come
    and pick it up.

Reference
=============================================================================

  This section is meant to be used as a reference.  Basically, it tells you
  more about WHAT something does as opposed to HOW to do something.  For
  example, all of Fido options in PCBSetup are outlined in this section.



cont...

--- PCBoard (R) v15.3/M 10